meme for pocky /high school AU meme

[insinning]

[1.This is sure a thing, don't question the time-loop continuum and go with it] [2. Now with a high school AU]

Comments

[dissimulative]

Hm? I thought you were scared!

[ Oria laughs. He knows Sinclair wasn't actually scared, but his arm feels a little colder without him there.

... ]

Anyway, look.

[ Oria points up at the night sky. They're on top of a pretty tall building (they went through a lot of stairs and ladders), so it's easier to avoid the light pollution down below on campus ground.

But it's also why the stars are so numerous and bright, each one twinkling as if it's a wish in the sky. ]

[insinning]

[Sinclair looks up, and all thoughts about flustering disappear. His eyes are practically shining as he takes it in - even at his childhood home, he never got to see the stars like this, and their estate was fairly isolated from the rest of the town. Instinctively, he reaches out to take Oria's hand again. It feels like they're in their own little world like this, far away from everything else]

Wow...

[dissimulative]

[ They're holding hands again, but it's so natural that Oria doesn't realize it's anything special despite everything. He looks up at the sky, watching the stars with Sinclair. Truthfully, he's not as sentimental about the stars. He doesn't understand what makes them so special other than sparkling dots in the night sky, but when he sees Sinclair in awe like this, he feels like he can understand--just a little.

He can't bring himself to interrupt this moment, so he stays quiet. Instead of the stars, he can only look at Sinclair. ]

[insinning]

[ Sinclair has never made it a secret that he was an incredibly sentimental person. Stars and galaxies beyond them had always captured his imagination and for a long moment, he's riveted. He leans into Oria briefly, and he smiles up at him]

... thanks. For bringing me up here.

[ His heart isn't racing. Not at all ]

[dissimulative]

[ Oria returns the smile with his own with a gentleness that's reserved for people who are closer to him. ]

I'm glad you like it.

[ But he can't help but to feel a little sheepish from the way Sinclair looks at him. ]

[insinning]

[Sinclair wants to say something else but the words catch in his throat at the way Oria smiles at him.

Ah.

So he doesn't say anything else, tugging Oria so they can sit down on the roof and enjoy the scene. He's sure he can pick out some patterns like this]

[dissimulative]

[ Oh. Oria finds himself pulled down that he sits next to Sinclair. He ends up lying down on his back though, looking up at the sky. ]

If you wanted to do some stargazing, you could have just said so instead of pulling me down, you know~

[insinning]

Sorry. I got excited.

[Sinclair laughs sheepishly. He lays down too, their shoulders and hands still touching as he studies the sky]

I didn't think you could see so many constellations from here.

[dissimulative]

Hm...

[ Oria looks up. He's not very imaginative, so he doesn't see the point in constellations either, and why they're shaped the way they are. However, it doesn't mean he can't identify them. ]

The bear family is all there.

[ He points to the sky, wondering if Sinclair can see it too. ]

[insinning]

Oh, it is. [Sinclair grins, glad for Oria humoring him. It's fun to try and make connections. He points at another spot]

That's Orion, isn't it?

[dissimulative]

Yeah, Orion the hunter. Which means that big one is Betelgeuse.

[ Oria points to what he thinks is the second-biggest star in that constellation. For things like this, he'd know. Something about astronomy class elective that he didn't really pay attention to very much back then starts rearing its head at him as if to tell him "I told you so".

He lowers his arm, slowly turning his head to look over at Sinclair. He looks cute when engrossed like this. ]

[insinning]

I didn't know that one. [Sinclair knows most constellations, but he hadn't known the specific stars that made them up. He's focused on the stars, trying to map out another constellation, and doesn't notice Oria staring at him immediately]

[dissimulative]

[ It was on the context of navigation, but at least Oria remembered that bit. He doesn't say anything more as he looks at Sinclair some more with a smile on his face. ]

You're so endearing.

[insinning]

Hm?

[Sinclair turns his head and oh--they're a little too close like this aren't they?]

I am?

[dissimulative]

Looking at how you dabble in the things you're passionate in is really endearing.

[ He says with utmost certainty. The closeness doesn't bother him. In fact, he likes it this way, but seeing Sinclair kinda flustered(?) makes him want to recede back into the comfort zone for his sake. ]

[insinning]

[Sinclair reddens a little further, but his hold on Oria's hand stays firm. He doesn't want to pull away. He kind of wants to push a little, when Oria looks at him like that]

...yeah? How so?

[dissimulative]

Because you look so animated when you talk about it, and that's how you should when you're talking about the things you like: without restraint.

[ He doesn't mind Sinclair's shyness (? assumed), but he doesn't want Sinclair to feel so cooped up in his feelings all the time. ]

[insinning]

... it's easier with you.

[ Sinclair is shy, and after his parents died, it had gotten worse for some time. But being with Oria makes it easier to relax into those feelings, without getting embarrassed in turn]

[dissimulative]

Yeah? I'm glad.

[ Oria doesn't question his part in this, because he knows it's true. He doesn't have to second guess about things like this. ]

I'll always be here to support you, no matter what.

[ His hand squeezes Sinclair's. ]

[insinning]

[Sinclair's smile widens and he shuffles a little so he's pressed a little more to Oria's side]

Mm. I know. [Oria doesn't need the support to chase after what he wants but]

The same goes for you too.

[ He'll always be here for Oria too]

[dissimulative]

[ Oria is convinced that if there's anything he shouldn't be doing, it's dating Sinclair despite his feelings. He's his precious childhood friend and has known him for a while, but he doesn't want to take advantage of the emotional vulnerability that possibly came with the passing of Sinclair's parents. The mutual family love between them isn't something that can be replaced. He wonders if that pain is still raw inside him.

However, he can keep supporting Sinclair for as long as he can until he can't, and he doesn't see that happening anytime soon. He'd drop a date to go to Sinclair in a time of need—hell, he'd drop most things for Sinclair. There aren't many things or people that rank higher than him on the priority list, after all. And that's why he's very vehement about the idea of them dating when suggested by other people, but won't stop things such as handholding because he's still selfish and wants at least this much instead of completely maintaining his distance. He knows this is his own fault, but he won't stop.

Perhaps the reason why his last date broke up with him was that they could somehow tell that Oria always had feelings for someone else even though they were right there with them. A disservice. Disrespectful. Oria knows. He does it anyway, having no other way to deal with these feelings otherwise in this complicated mess that he made himself.

This is the only reason why it turns into pining, because otherwise, Oria would usually just tell the other person himself if he had feelings for them. Alas. ]

On our next break, maybe we can go to a planetarium.

[ ... ]

Beatrice should come too if she comes back around that time. She'll be leaving again, won't she?

[insinning]

[ When had Sinclair fallen in love? He knows it must have happened before his parents passed but it was only some time after that he knew what it was. When he looked over at Oria and realised oh. When he realised that matter what happened he wanted Oria happy. Safe. Loved.

And he finds himself falling in love all over again when Oria does small things like this; like he wants to see Sinclair smile.

It's definitely overwhelming.

But he doesn't know how to say it more honestly than he already has and he doesn't want to make it awkward or weird in case...

Well, he's seen Oria with plenty of dates. He gets it. But it's why he ignores the attempts of his classmates to set him up out of well meaning pity? Something like that. He knows his own feelings well. And until he worked up the courage to do something about them, he'd keep them to himself.

Sinclair nods, wondering at his own sense of disappointment when Oria adds Beatrice to the mix - he loves his sister and yet. Hm.]

Mm. She'll be off again, this time to France. She'll be busy for awhile. But a planetarium sounds fun.

[dissimulative]

Our schedules are so hard to match! I bet it'll get worse when we get into uni.

[ He sighs, but still finds himself smiling at Sinclair. ]

We can still go, since I know you'll look forward to it a lot.

[insinning]

Don't remind me. [He gives a tiny huff, then a playful poke] I do. Beatrice will just have to find her way to one another time.

[dissimulative]

At our next break then! Look forward to it. Your mind is gonna be blown.

[ Oria seems pretty sure of himself about this at the very least.

They're still holding hands while lying down on their backs on top of a building under the stars. When Oria pauses to look at Sinclair admiring them, he looks right at home. ]