my saving grace ~ terukane

a love immortal such as mine

6. Mitsuba

~

"Oi, Glasses."

Akane hums in acknowledgment, finishing up the last of his clock keeper duties.

"What's it like?" Mitsuba pauses. "To be human."

Pausing, the copper-haired boy turns to face a sea of pink. "Elaborate."

"You talk about 'love' often. You also talk about that scary president often as well. But never once have I heard you talk about your day. Living."

There's silence.

"I want to know what it's like to live."

There's a lot to contemplate about that question. Love, happiness, sadness, anger - it's all a part of being human.

"I think the main defining characteristics of being human is having a heart that pumps blood, and basic cognition and empathy."

"Not love?" Mitsuba tilts his head. "I hear a lot of humans say that love is also a necessity."

A thoughtful hum. "I mean, maybe? Love can technically be a part of it, but I think it's something anyone could feel."

"Who would have known, then?" Mitsuba chuckles softly to himself, curling into a small ball. "I'm the farthest thing from human, and yet the one thing I lack to be human is a heart."

Placing down his cleaning bucket and dropping the sponge next to it, Akane turns to face Mitsuba inquisitively. "Why do you ask?"

"Daikon-senpai and Crazy Knife kept talking about how your love altered, and your heart changed course." Mitsuba shrugs, pondering his own thought process. "That gave me a million different thoughts, before I eventually realized that despite you being half human, you rarely talk about what it's like to be alive."

Akane narrows his eyes. "Why did you mention 'love' specifically?"

"None of your business."

Mitsuba's pouting like a kid, and Akane snorts. "Sure.."

They sit in a comfortable silence, Mitsuba watching as Akane places away his cleaning materials, and it's only when he puts down his apron does Mitsuba sigh.

"Do you think a supernatural can fall in love with a human?"

And isn't that a question?

"I mean," Akane starts off. "Yashiro-san and Honorable Number 7 don't seem to care."

"Yes, but they're both idiots."

Akane has to cover his mouth to hide a snort. "Okay, sure."

"What about you and that exorcist?"

He didn't want to think about that, but speaking of Teru, more specifically his younger brother...

"What about you and your exorcist?"

Mitsuba chokes and topples over, much to Akane's delight.

~

It's a damn good thing that most of the student body couldn't see supernaturals, because they'd wonder why Akane's getting followed around by one nearly every day.

Mitsuba, ever since that conversation, hasn't stopped nagging Akane. Determined to 'find out the truth,' and 'mourn our horrible taste in men' together.

It's gotten to the point where Teru noticed, and asked if 'Number 3 needs a reminder to not bother the student body,' much to Akane's shock and horror.

("I count as a part of the student body to you?"

Teru had smiled. "Barely, but you make the cut.")

"Come on, Glasses! Work with me here!"

"I don't need to do anything." Akane murmurs, turning and entering the student council room.

It was surprisingly empty, having arrived earlier than Teru... and nearly everyone else.

Mitsuba huffs, peering over Akane's shoulder. "Wouldn't you rather talk to me, instead of..."

Squinting his eyes, the apparition blinks. "Actually, what in God's name are you doing?"

"Work."

"Well, I can see that."

There was a whole thing with the Gardening Club about needing new trowels, the Photography Club needs new film, automatic denial to whatever the hell the Broadcasting Club wants-

A gasp comes from behind him, and Mitsuba had evidently stayed. "The Photography Club wants to sell my old camera?! Or- Sousuke's?!"

"...it appears so, in order to gain more money and replace the film, maybe upgrade."

"I'll be back."

Akane blinks as Mitsuba vanishes, before shrugging.

He hasn't done anything wrong, not his problem.

~

It's only a few minutes later when Teru drags Mitsuba back into the Student Council room, as the apparition shakes in fright.

"Aoi, did you know that Number 3 was trying to rob the photography club?"

In a poor defense for himself, Mitsuba speaks up. "It wasn't stealing! It was reclaiming property that belonged to him that was donated!"

Akane reaches to readjust his glasses, and frowns when he remembers that nothing is there anymore.

"When you told me you would be back..."

"So you did know, Aoi?"

Akane turns back to his work, scoffing lightly. "More like I had a hunch, but couldn't do anything."

Teru hangs Mitsuba from the ceiling, as the ghost whines in protest.

Better him than me.

Sitting down carefully, Teru clicks a pen and starts writing as well.

"By the way, Aoi."

A pair of glasses is pushed towards him, and Akane blinks as he picks them up. "What...?"

"A thank you gift," Teru explains himself smoothly, continuing to write and fill out reports neatly.

Sliding the frames on, all sight of Mitsuba disappears, along with the muffled screams.

"Oh... thank you, Minamoto-kaichou."

"It's nothing. Considering you took the hit for my brother and got hurt- which was completely unnecessary, by the way, you didn't need to do that- I figured I could repay you. It took me a while to decide on a pair, but when I did, it was just a matter of giving them to you."

The glasses were an attractive black, sleek, and not too bulky. "I'm surprised you didn't try and get me something ridiculous."

Teru's eyes glint mischievously. "Oh, I could buy you a pair if you want? I saw these lovely raspberry themed sunglasses, would you-"

"No thanks."

The president snickers, and Akane rolls his eyes as he gets back to work. Out of the corner of his eye, though, Teru is wearing a satisfied smile.

That afternoon- with Teru's tormenting habits focused on Mitsuba- was relatively peaceful.

It's only when Akane's in the safety of his room that he realizes it.

"When..."

Holding the glasses gingerly, Akane's face flushes with disbelief.

"When did I start looking forward to hanging out with him??"

Oh no.