EraserMic Fluff

PT 23

They leaned on the metal railing that ran along the edge of the cement ledge, looking out at the sea ahead of them. A night breeze ran over their faces and they instinctually moved closer together.
They followed the railing until it parted to make way for stairs, and walked down onto the beach. They moved towards the ocean, stopping at a place where the waves were near enough to be pleasant sounding but far enough to never hit them. They laid down on the soft, cool sand.
After a few minutes of silence, staring at the twinkling stars, Hizashi spoke up.
"Y'know, even though I never wanted to get injured, or for us to be in the hospital, or for us to argue—I'm kinda glad it happened. It hurt, god it hurt, but...but it made us talk. And that's one thing we don't do as much as we should. Our relationship has always been great, but we always missed out on communication. Now we can really strive to better our relationship," he said.
"...yeah, I guess you're right. I-I just...I'm sorry I'm not the best boyfriend," Shōta mumbled, looking away.
"Shōta," Hizashi's voice broke at his harsh whisper, "Nobody's perfect at relationships, and that's okay. You're not the best boyfriend, and neither am I. You're still great, though. I'm so lucky to have you."
"Hizashi..." Shōta turned to look at him. Their eyes met. "I'm sorry."
"I'm sorry, too."
"...you're pretty great, too," Shōta mumbled, smiling slightly. Hizashi grinned. The atmosphere changed with his expression, no longer cold and distant. Now it was warm, filled with the everyday intimacy they usually shared.
"I love you to the moon and back," Hizashi said into the cool night air.
"Please, I love you to Proxima Centauri and back," Shōta teased.
"The nearest star, huh? Impressive, but I have you beat. Shōta, I love you to the Andromeda galaxy and back!"
"The nearest galaxy? You nerd," Shōta chuckled. He paused, then whispered, "I love you to MACS0647-JD and back."
"I...how do you even remember that off the top of your head? You made that up, didn't you?"
"Nope. It's the farthest known galaxy in the universe. I win," Shōta replied.
"Oh my god. And you called me a nerd?" Hizashi laughed. Shōta let out a chuckle. Soon, they were both laughing uncontrollably. They took a break to breathe, looking up at the stars above them. "It really is the most beautiful and fascinating thing, isn't it? Space, I mean."
"Yeah..." Shōta turned to face Hizashi. "After you, maybe."
"Oh my god, Shōta, stop it!" Hizashi laughed, blushing. He pulled Shōta close. "...you totally looked that up, though, didn't you?" he muttered after a while.
      "Yeah. As if I'd remember a name like that. I knew it was something complicated but I didn't remember it exactly so I looked it up," Shōta sighed.
      "...You're adorable," Hizashi breathed after a moment of silence.
     "I love you."
     "I love you, too."
     "We should come here more often."
     "Yeah."