Work Text:
For as long as he could remember, Aira was lonely.
When he was a child, he tried to play with the other kids in the junkyard. The hesitance on their faces when Aira asked to join had stuck with him. They ran ahead, leaving the young blond behind- starting a cruel game of hide and seek. Aira looked for them for a long time, shuffling through old scraps, long since rusted and too sharp for a young child to be handling.
The sun set, and Aira was still alone. He remembers how he sat on an old car seat, wiping tears that continuously fell from his eyes. His wails were ignored, and nobody ever came for him. Nobody came to rescue him from the rust surrounding him, the never ending loneliness.
He remembers when the other kids finally found him, and how the tears didnt stop, even as their rusty blades dug into his legs- ensuring he would never be able to return home. They laughed, laughed at him as tears fell down his face, as blood stained the floor. Aira didn’t understand, didn’t know why they did it. He never found out. They never returned.
His parents were mad, mad they had to use their limited funds to buy a stimpack and rad-away, just in case the junkyard had more radiation than their hometown, the filth of the city.
Aira was never able to walk the same again. His parents locked him inside the house as punishment, and after he realized nobody cared, nobody was coming to save him- he gave up the last of his hope.
The years passed in silence, his parents were his only company, and Aira gave up his chance to meet anyone else.
He only ever left the house in order to pick up groceries for his parents, and he became acquainted with the elderly lady who ran the small, quaint store he always visited. She was kind, a welcome change from everything Aira knew. She introduced him to so many new concepts, handing him old abandoned magazines nobody ever bothered to buy and read. She was the one who told Aira about the boy locked up just beyond the threshold of the grime of the city and where the wealthy prospered.
Aira met Kohaku because of her, and even though their time together was limited- he never met anyone like that before. Kohaku was Aira’s reprise, his best friend, the one person who gave him a reason to keep living.
And then Kohaku disappeared.
Aira never knew what happened to him, and didn’t dare to look and find out for himself. It wasn’t his place to know. But he missed Kohaku, he missed his best friend. Kohaku was strong, he could survive out in the wasteland better than anyone Aira had never known- better than Aira would have survived himself- but there was that itching worry that Kohaku was truly gone, ravaged by some creature deep in the wastelands' unforgiving clutches.
When Aira’s parents were finally fed up and kicked him out, he knew he had to learn how to survive himself- just like Kohaku undoubtedly would have.
It was hard, adjusting to such a change out of nowhere. Aira’s clothes were dirtied, worse than it had ever been- even when his family had no caps to their name- he had unclean wounds, probably infected from how long he went without treatment.
The loneliness came back full force, as well. All he could do was walk lifelessly around the city, begging for someone to save him once again, but knowing that nothing would come. He couldn’t run, he was exhausted, and when he finally left the city- preparing to give up and rot in the wasteland- things finally changed.
His bag was practically empty, a poorly stitched satchel he made with the last of his clothes. Aira wasn’t sure how long it took for someone to turn into a ghoul from radiation- he never went to school anyways- but he hoped it wouldn’t hurt. Maybe a feral ghoul would come by and put him out of his misery, maybe that’s what Aira was truly wishing for.
Aira barely registered anything from his time in the wasteland, barely making an effort to survive and suffering from injury after injury. Surely, the radiation was making him sick, slowly turning him into the monster everyone seemed to treat him as. His leg hurt, old wounds stinging like they were fresh. But Aira fought the urge to collapse and let himself rot, there was something calling out to him in the broad world- urging him to keep going for just a moment longer.
Then, he met Hiiro, and Aira realized that’s what was beckoning him further. His world seemed to change, colors brightening upon seeing such vibrant red hair and gentle blue eyes. There was a part of his heart that had frozen over, but the bright boy he met had no trouble melting it- and Aira knew he had only ever felt this way once before, when Kohaku was still by his side.
Aira claimed he hated Hiiro, he bickered with Hiiro, who returned every remark with a clueless comment, only serving to make Aira’s heart race faster. Hiiro was smarter than he acted, and Aira poked fun at him about it. Was it rude? Probably. Did Aira really know boundaries? Not at all. He was more tone deaf than he wanted to admit.
Hiiro was gentle with Aira, patient with him, giving him more than Aira deserved, especially considering how rude he was. Aira didn’t think he deserved any of it, and a part of him wished Hiiro hated him, so the guilt would go away. Hiiro gave Aira purpose, a search for his older brother, and it was terrifying to admit just how much he had grown to rely on Hiiro for everything. Aira felt the boy's absence when he was alone, and Hiiro hated being separated- if his teary eyes and pouting face were anything to go by.
When they met Mayoi and Tatsumi, Aira’s world became even brighter, and hope reignited inside of himself. He had purpose, he had people who loved him wholeheartedly, and Aira was terrified of losing that within a moment's notice. He didn’t want to mess it up, and it was clear everyone felt the same way, but nobody dared to bring up the topic, afraid of talking about their respective pasts and the problems they may have caused. So they mutually agreed, silently, that it would not be discussed- at least not yet.
What Aira knew was very limited. Hiiro was looking for his brother, after being frozen for about 200 years inside of a vault he snuck inside of- being kidnapped by some raiders who seemed to have a vendetta against his brother. Mayoi was affected by the rad sickness, but how he was infected and where he came from was unknown, and he grew eerily quiet whenever it was brought up. Tatsumi claimed he was here to help, and was from a small group of religious individuals not far west, but that was the extent of what everyone knew. Mayoi likely knew more about the mint haired man, and Aira was positive that Tatsumi did as well with Mayoi. They trusted each other immensely.
Unfortunately, Mayoi’s sickness meant they had to visit several cities often, in the search for a mix of rad-away’s to try and undo the damage it had done, or even some Jet if they were lucky. Aira’s parents warned him about the dangers of chems like jet, and Aira was still scared of it- but it seemed to help Mayoi, so he was willing to ignore the possible outcome.
That was how Aira and Hiiro ended up in this situation. Mayoi felt ill, suddenly unable to move and refusing to let anyone that wasn’t Tatsumi come close. Tatsumi had pulled the two young boys aside, sending them ahead to the populated city up ahead, requesting they try to find some jet or any other chem alternative to help Mayoi. Hiiro agreed with intense enthusiasm, and Aira found himself dragged along. Not that he was going to deny helping the older man anyways.
The city was really just a large hole in the ground, with shabby buildings held up with loose screws and bolts and flimsy pieces of metal that were rusted and barely functioning. As the two boys walked around briefly, Aira noted the passages that lead through old sewage systems, and he found himself growing curious.
In fact, Aira was so focused he didn’t realize Hiiro had stopped until he ran into the taller boy's back. Hiiro almost tripped from where he was standing in front of a stand, and the vendor eyed them oddly. Aira felt his face burn.
“Aira, are you ok?” Hiiro ignored the woman standing behind the stand, turning around and fretting over the blond. He patted Aira’s face, squishing his cheeks to ensure he wasn’t hurt. Aira huffed and brushed his hand away with a frown.
“Touching, Hiro-kun.” Aira reminded the other boy, and Hiiro nodded as he dropped his hands a second later, hesitating in his actions. “I’m fine, sorry. Just spaced out a bit is all.” Aira’s gaze dropped, before looking back up towards the vendor, whose arms were crossed and was nothing short of glaring at them. Aira cleared his throat and walked around Hiiro, laughing awkwardly as he did.
“How can I help you two?” She hissed, the knife hilted on her belt conveniently moving to shine under the sunlight. Aira swallowed deeply, opening his mouth to speak before getting cut off.
“Do you have any chems? Stimpacks? Rad-away? We’re looking for some.” Hiiro interrupted, keeping his voice down enough to not attract the greedy eyes of the people around him. Aira was used to this environment, considering he grew up in a place just like this, and the effect of chems was not lost on him- they needed to be careful. The woman raised a brow and tilted her head.
“What do two kids like you need chems for?” She seemed visibly concerned, her expression changing in mere seconds. “Even if I did have any, I wouldn’t sell it to either of you. Both of you are too young to be messing with those things.”
Hiiro seemed visibly confused, and Aira decided to step in and take control of the conversation.
“It’s for our friend, I promise.” He rushed to defend the two of them. “He’s sick from radiation, and it’s been worse than normal lately.” Aira grew silent again, looking around and making sure nobody was close enough to hear what he was saying. When he looked back, her expression became blank- unreadable. Hiiro seemed to understand something, but didn’t speak.
“You’re just extending his suffering.” She muttered to herself, but imitated Aira’s actions and looked around before leaning towards them in a silent gesture. Aira leaned closer as well, and opted to not bark at Hiiro as he quickly entwined their hands, acting almost protectively over Aira.
“There’s a dealer in the sewage system, goes by the name Rocket. Go through the Full house bar and mention it to the tender- the one with grey hair- he’ll let you through the backdoor.” She looked over to where said bar was located, and Aira followed her line of sight, before nodding. “He drives a high price, so I hope you have caps.”
They didn’t. But Aira could fake it.
“Thank you.” Was all he said as they both pulled away. He didn’t notice the glare Hiiro was giving her, and the older boy only looked at Aira with a small smile. She bid them goodbye with a single nod, watching the two boys retreat back towards the bar.
Hiiro didn’t let go of Aira’s hand as they walked, and Aira swung it between them. Hiiro was always a rather physically affectionate person. He always craved closeness with someone, embracing Aira in a hug or trying to hold his hand, or sitting unnecessarily close to Mayoi and Tatsumi. Originally, Aira had yelled at Hiiro a few times because he seemed clueless to Mayoi’s discomfort, but the purple haired man seemed to grow used to it as time passed, and possibly even liked Hiiro’s presence. Despite that, Hiiro was much more touchy with Aira than anyone else, and he would always pout like some kind of sopping wet kitten if Aira tried to pull away. It was honestly pathetic, but Aira also thought it was adorable.
Aira was knocked out of his daze when the sounds of laughing echoed from outside of the bar. Hiiro tugged his arm along, opening the door with his spare and looking around. There were a few groups of men playing pool on the open floor, and a few others scattered around, eating and drinking together at spare tables. The bar in the back was almost filled, with barely any open stools they could sit on. The wall behind it was covered in old glass bottles, and varied from how full or empty each one was. An elderly, long since greyed man was cleaning a glass, chatting aimlessly with a customer, whilst a younger one who seemed to be a bit older than Aira was mixing together some drinks before handing it off to someone who seemed way too drunk for the hour. It was midday.
Hiiro grew quiet, very quickly growing overwhelmed with the sounds and people around him, and moved to stand closer to Aira. Understanding the other boy's movements, Aira tugged him along, allowing Hiiro to crowd behind him silently. They approached the bar, and as Aira examined it closely, he realized there truly wasn’t any room for them to sit. Dammit.
“Hiro-kun.” Aira turned around, pulling the two into an empty corner of the bar. Hiiro was spaced out, but blinked back into the present moment when Aira squeezed his hand, acting as a barrier between the other boy and the rest of the people. “Go hide in the bathroom, I’ll take care of this, ok?” Aira rubbed his other hand over Hiiro’s bicep in a comforting motion. Hiiro frowned at the offer.
“Aira shouldn’t be alone for this.” Hiiro spoke, seemingly regaining his voice since they entered. Aira smiled at that.
“I can handle myself, you know?” He sighed. “Geez, Hiro-kun. I know more about chem than you do. I promise I’ll be alright.” Hiiro only stared at him with wide blue eyes. They flitted around the room, looking at the crowd that was not emptying out anytime soon. He visibly thought over his options, debating if he wanted to go somewhere quiet or stay by Aira’s side in the big overwhelming sea of people.
Hesitantly, Hiiro looked down at Aira, gripping his hand a bit tighter.
“Promise you will?” He asked, begging with his eyes. Aira’s heart skipped a beat and he smiled up at Hiiro, nodding.
“Don’t worry about me, Hiro-kun.” He moved his open hand from Hiiro’s bicep to cup his face- an action that was becoming quite common between them and visibly calmed Hiiro down every time. Hiiro leaned into his embrace and smiled, nodding.
“Umu. If Aira says so, then I’ll…” He swallowed deeply, and Aira squeezed his hand. “I’ll hide out. I apologize for not being able to join you.”
“Don’t worry, Hiro-kun.” Aira giggled, rubbing a thumb over Hiiro’s cheek. “I’m not mad, I promise. I’ll be back su~per quick!” Hiiro smiled and Aira reciprocated, before letting go of Hiiro’s cheek and moving away. Hiiro gripped his hand slightly and Aira turned around. Hiiro’s mouth was open, like he was planning on saying something, but he stopped, closing his mouth and shaking his head.
“If you take too long, I’ll come look for you.” Hiiro nodded, looking up with determination in his blue eyes. Aira couldn’t fight him on that.
“Alright.” Was all Aira could think to respond with. Hiiro pulled his hand away, hesitating for a second before taking away the contact. Aira missed the warmth from his hand. He watched as Hiiro retreated, sneaking away into the bathroom as quickly as he could- finding it with a speed Aira didn’t possess himself. Partly because his leg hindered his running, and also because he was (unfortunately) too short to see above the heads of everyone else in the bar.
Aira took a deep breath before walking up to the bar, squeezing through middle aged and drunk men. Neither of them paid much attention to him outside of a glare or grunt upon being moved, and Aira sat awkwardly on his barstool. He stood out, from his bright blonde hair, to visibly under the age limit face- not that it mattered in the wasteland- he just hoped he wouldn’t get kicked out before reaching Rocket. The younger boy promised he would assist Aira shortly, not looking up from the drink he was preparing, and Aira only hummed. It was drowned out by everyone around him. There was an old song playing on a jukebox, and a group of tipsy women were singing along and dancing together next to it.
The younger boy, with very light brown hair- borderline blonde, and darker brown eyes approached. He was probably Aira’s height, and was wearing a dirtied suit that was visibly too big on him.
He squinted at Aira suspiciously. “You look younger than me. We don’t serve people who are underage.” Aira shook his head frantically, before gesturing his hand behind the boy.
“Can I talk to your… coworker?” Aira tilted his head to peer at the grey haired man on the other side of the bar. The older boy followed his gaze before looking back.
He raised his brow. “Look, if you want a drink, I’m the best chance at sneaking one in.” He sighed and rolled his eyes. “Not that I would.” He muttered under his breath. “That old man won’t let you do anything with those drinks.”
“I don’t want a drink.” Aira shook his head. The bartender blinked before groaning and shrugging his shoulders, giving in and walking over to the older man. Aira watched as he pulled him out of the conversation, whispering something. The elders face morphed into confusion, and as they both looked over at Aira, he waved awkwardly. The man then marched over, anger not hidden very well on his face.
“Scram.” He said curtly. “I don’t care what it is that you want, you’re too young to be here.”
“Wh- Hey!” Aira barked out. The people sitting next to him looked over with varying glares. “I don’t want a damn drink! I said that already!”
“I don’t care what you want. I said that already.” He replied. Aira pouted and glared at him with an aggravated expression. The brown haired teen peered from behind his coworkers shoulder, before moving to stand beside him properly, leaning against the bar.
“I’m looking for Rocket. I heard he was here.” Aira tried to keep quiet, and nobody else seemed to pay him much mind at that sentence, but both of the men at the bar glared even harder than before.
“What kind of business do you have with him?” The older man hissed, Aira was intimidated, but unwilling to stand down. This was for Mayoi- it was temporary fear. He would be fine.
“I need…” He leaned forward a bit, whispering into the man's ear- or attempting to do so. “I need some chems for my friend. He’s sick.”
Aira didn’t see the expression on either of their faces. But after a heavy sigh, he grew silent. The older man seemed to be fighting himself, trying to decide whether he would listen to Aira to turn him away.
“Follow Mashiro.” He spoke, and the younger boy blurted out in surprise before frantically looking between the two, trying to convey something to his boss. The older man held up a hand and stared at him, and Mashiro only sighed before walking to the side. He eyed Aira and gestured his head to the side. Aira thanked him before standing, walking around the other patrons and meeting Mashiro by the entrance to the bar. He gave Aira a weird look, but didn’t say anything as he opened the door and let him in. Aira followed him, allowing himself to be led behind the bar's tall shelves and into a backroom. Mashiro shuffled through a large pile of papers on a desk, before pulling out a key and approaching a large metal door on the side of the room, between some rusted shelves that held some boxes.
“I don’t know why you want to meet Rocket.” Mashiro spoke as he shuffled with the keys, sorting through them to find the right one. He inserted a few, testing to see if they worked to no avail.
“I already said why.” Aira crossed his arms. “I know how dangerous chems are. They’re not for me.” With a roll of his eyes, he sighed. Mashiro turned around to look at him, the concern on his face barely hidden.
“It’s not the chems I’m worried about.” He said, returning to his hunt for the right key.
“So what is it, then?” Aira asked, huffing out in annoyance.
“Rocket isn’t someone you want to make deals with in the first place, especially since you’re so young.”
“Why does everyone doubt me?” Aira complained, feeling himself grow more and more annoyed as everyone judged him. Mashiro stayed silent as he finally found the right key, unlocking the door and pushing it open. He held it open for Aira, not entering the pitch black hallway behind it.
“My name is Mashiro Tomoya, when you get fucked over by Rocket and end up in debt, I want you to remember me and how I warned you.” He gestured with his spare hand towards the door in an exaggerated action. “After you… uhm… What's your name?”
“Aira.” There was an uncomfortable feeling in his gut, and Aira was beginning to realize how much of a mistake this was going to be. Dealers were not an uncommon thing where he grew up, and he was sure his parents worked with a few in their lives, but Aira never expected to get on his hands and knees, groveling to one out of desperation. He always thought he was above that, even though he was living in the lowest of low, where dealers practically ran everything.
“Aira.” Tomoya repeated. “I’ll remember that.” He smiled, it was soft, almost apologetic. Aira swallowed deeply and nodded, before walking through the door, bidding goodbye to the other boy.
The door slammed quickly behind Aira, shrouding him in darkness. He blinked a few times, allowing his eyes to adjust before hesitantly walking forward. It reeked of radiation, and Aira was concerned he would need some extra rad-away for himself after this. They used the last of their stock on Mayoi.
Aira walked through the dark hallways, quickly realizing that he was in the sewers. They were long and winding, and he had no idea where the fuck he was supposed to go. It wasn’t like there was a distinct path, and Tomoya didn’t say anything either. Maybe the maze only led him to one place? Hopefully that was the case.
Aira was spaced out, walking mindlessly, and he tripped. He fell into a wet puddle of mud, and groaned at the feeling of it staining his pants. They were already torn and dirtied, and now his bare knees were gross as well. Aira picked himself up, wiping his hands on his pants- no point in trying to keep them clean anymore.
He walked through for a bit longer, navigating the tunnels until he saw light at the end of a passageway. He ran ahead, gripping his bag around his shoulders so as to not drop it. The last thing he needed right now was to lose the few caps he did have, especially since he needed to trade them away.
Upon reaching the lights, he was welcomed by a much larger room, illuminated in an orange hue by several lanterns, with various rugs and blankets lining the ground beneath his shoes. There were a few men and women sitting there, chatting amongst each other. Aira looked at them, blinking rapidly a few times as he figured out what to say. Upon his entrance, the conversation halted, and all eyes were on Aira. Nervous, he stepped ahead a few times, making himself known.
“Is Rocket… here…?” Aira asked pensively, everyone looked at each other, humming. Someone laughed as they looked at him, and Aira glared despite his body shaking in fear, making him look like some kind of newborn foal instead of the intimidating wasteland survivor he totally was. A man waved his hand, silencing him, and walked towards Aira. He sat down on one of the many carpets, and gestured for Aira to do the same. Everyone watched for a moment longer before looking away, giving the two their privacy- if one could even call it that- and continuing the conversation that was previously paused.
Aira hesitantly walked forward, sitting down across from Rocket as he got comfortable. He sighed, and eyed Aira suspiciously.
“What’cha need?” Rocket asked, pulling out a knife and sharpening it right in front of Aira. He was only slightly intimidated by the action. Hiiro would be proud of him.
“Uhm…” Aira looked around, noting the lack of the boxes or… anything… in the room. “Do you have… any chems? Specifically like… jet?” He kept silent, trying not to get snappy like he usually would.
Rocket lowered his knife, tilting his head to the side and raising a brow once again.
“What’s’a kid like you gotta do with jet?” He smirked.
“Do you need to know?” Aira remarked, growing irritated again. Rocket only shrugged his shoulders slightly.
“Sure, I got some.” He stretched out his back, not letting go of his blade as he turned towards the people behind me. “JET! GO CATCH ME ONE YA BASTARDS!” He yelled, Aira leaned back, avoiding Rocket’s loud voice in favor of saving his hearing. He needed that, actually.
“Uhm-” Aira began to speak, but was cut off.
“How many caps’ya got?” Rocket turned back and rested his elbow onto one of his knees, propping his chin on top. “I accept payment in other ways, if ya’don’t got enough.”
Aira’s eyes widened, and as he pulled his bag closer to his stomach, he responded with his own question.
“How much are you gonna charge me, before I tell you?” He leveled his stare, and Rocket didn’t seem to be bothered by it. He barked out a laugh, actually.
“Hmmm…” Rocket looked around, examining Aira closely. “How ‘bout a hundred?”
“One hundred!?” Aira barked out, eyes widening in shock. “Normally they’re like- fourty?!” Rocket’s gaze turned into a glare and he scoffed.
“Hows’a kid like you supposed to know the price of jet?” He glowered, Aira felt paranoia creep into his senses. Something was wrong.
“You don’t need to know.” Aira returned the glare, but Rocket didn’t let up his own. A woman approached, handing him three individual pieces of jet.
“One hundred for each. Take it or leave it.” He placed them in front of Aira, between the two of them. Aira looked at them with concern.
“That’s too much.” Aira remarked. He wasn’t even sure if he had thirty caps to begin with.
“I told’ya didn’t I? I accept payment through…” He looked at Aira weirdly. “Other ways.” Aira felt like he was going to be sick.
“Whatever it is you want me to do I’m not-”
“Not that. You do some tasks for me, like gettin’ my ransom money back from some crusty bastards in the city- maybe kill some of ‘em, and I’ll give ya it. Hows’at sound?” He smirked. The feeling in Aira’s stomach eased a bit, but he was still unsettled. That wasn’t an option. He needed to go back home, where Tatsumi was helping Mayoi. He needed to find Hiiro and reassure him that it was ok and he got the jet. Doing some tasks and getting what he needed after was not something he could do.
Aira looked down at the jet in front of him. Rocket was waiting silently for his answer, and Aira pretended to think it over. The jet was in an arms reach, all he would need to do was grab it- get his gun that he kept hidden in his bag, and shoot them all up. Simple, easy, straight to the point.
Aira opened the top of his bag, shuffling around to see if he could find the hidden weapon inside of it, and maybe some caps alongside it. He felt the cold metal against his hands, and held a death grip on the handle. He looked ahead at the jet on the floor, planning out his moves carefully.
Aira jumped forward, grabbing the three jets from the ground and aiming at Rocket. Seemingly expecting it, he moved right as Aira pulled the trigger and avoided the bullet. He reached out, grabbing Aira’s arm and twisting it quickly, sending searing pain through Aira’s arm. He cried out, trying to pull away, and the jet dropped from his grasp as he tugged against the grip.
Rocket clicked his teeth and shook his head. “I guess I’ll just have to take some payment for myself.” In another swift movement, Aira felt his fist meet his face, hitting his right eye. Aira felt tears emerge, and he yelled out. Some of the others in the room joined in, ganging up on Aira and punching him in various spots. It hurt, but Aira tried to fight back the best he could. At some point a knife joined in, cutting along Aira’s arm as he tried to ward off someone’s fist. Another one sliced at his bad leg, and Aira started to shake in fear.
Aira’s life was Rocket’s payment for thievery, and he wasn’t going to make it quick and painless.
Another knife cut along his stomach, not deep enough to cause issues in the future, but enough that Aira had to bite down the cry of pain and ignore how blood pooled across his stomach- staining his shirt. Dazed- Aira didn’t hear Rocket’s command for everyone to pause, opening up a small gap above Aira’s bloody and beaten body where he could use that knife he was holding threateningly before. Aira felt himself shake as it reached his cheek. Rocket muttered something about killing him and making it entertaining for the others, and as he began to dig it into the flesh of Aira’s cheek- a gunshot rang above him.
A few shouts surrounded Aira, followed by more bullets and bodies falling uselessly against the floor. Rocket, startled by the intrusion, nicked Aira’s face in surprise before hissing a threat and pulling away. Aira felt the blood stream down his cheek.
Aira forced himself to kick Rocket, hitting his knee since his own legs couldn’t reach any higher, before using his crumpling to the floor in agony as a chance to escape.
He didn’t notice who was in front of him until Hiiro ran over, pulling one of Aira’s hands over his shoulder hurriedly and running out of the room, practically carrying the other boy as he tried to regain control over his body.
“Aira, Aira, Aira…” Hiiro repeated like a mantra, shuffling around in the darkness and turning on a flashlight to find a way to escape from. Aira hummed, leaning closer to Hiiro and hiding his face into Hiiro’s neck the best he could from that angle. He didn’t even know what to think or say, but Hiiro rescuing him was such a relief, and all he wanted was to crowd himself closer to Hiiro’s warmth- or maybe kiss him. Aira didn’t know just yet.
Hiiro pulled them into a dark area, turning off his flashlight and holding Aira up against the wall, acting as a crutch. Aira’s head limped as he tried to keep Hiiro’s warmth on him, but as Hiiro pulled away in order to stand in front of him, acting as a shield like Aira had just done an hour or so before, Aira didn’t say anything.
He heard the sound of the remaining dealers yelling out after them, running around the sewers passageways frantically. Hiiro looked out for a moment, but as their voices echoed away, he turned his attention back to Aira.
Hiiro didn’t hesitate as he cupped Aira’s face, pulling him just the slightest bit closer and examining the damage in the darkness. Aira leaned into the touch, trying to fight the tears that threatened to spill.
“Are you okay?” Hiiro asked, voice so gentle, Aira felt safe again. Hiiro took his bandaged wrist and lifted it to wipe at the cut on Aira’s cheek. It only smeared the blood more. “Is there anything immediate we need to take care of?” He looked around, not pulling his other hand away from where he was holding Aira so softly, like the younger boy would crumble and fall apart if he was the tiniest bit too rough. Aira only shook his head.
“I just need to…” Aira looked up at Hiiro’s eyes, regaining his focus. “...get my strength back. We can leave after. Promise.” Hiiro only nodded, pulling out an old bandana and letting go of Aira to wrap it around the cut on his upper arm. He tightened it, making sure no blood leaked out any further. He pulled Aira into a tight hug, both of their bodies shaking in a mix of fear and relief.
“How did you know I was here?” Aira muttered into Hiiro’s shoulder, gripping his hoodie even tighter.
“You didn’t come back for a long time. I was worried something happened. The young bartender was very nice, he didn’t ask much from me. I tripped while trying to run towards you, when I heard you yell out in pain from somewhere else.” He paused for a moment. “And also since two people came into the bathroom and were very… uhm…”
“Ok. That’s enough, thank you, Hiro-kun.” Aira pulled away enough to glare at him, and Hiiro smiled awkwardly.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t want to suffer alone.” Aira only groaned, hitting Hiiro’s shoulder.
“But… Thank you.” Aira moved his head right back to where it was nestled against Hiiro’s neck, keeping his mouth far enough away from the fabric to make his words audible. “For saving me… I… really appreciate it.”
Hiiro tightened his arms around Aira. “Umu. Of course, Aira.” He smiled into Aira’s hair, and Aira couldn’t hide his own smile blooming on his face either.
They stayed in each other's embrace for a bit longer before Aira felt like he got his strength back- or enough to leave. He patted Hiiro’s shoulder, signifying it was time to leave. Hiiro nodded and pulled away hesitantly, growing oddly close to Aira’s face and staring at him for a few long moments. Aira reciprocated it and felt his heart race. Had it been another point and time, he would’ve finally taken that step and kissed Hiiro, but now was not a good time. Aira turned away, face red and dragged Hiiro by his hand back towards the sewers main passageways. Hiiro said nothing but followed, only moving to stand in front of Aira’s body as he limped.
“Umu. Aira, I think I know where we need to go. Stand behind me.” Hiiro moved to pull out his gun from his side, something Aira had forgotten he had. He also pulled out a flashlight, turning it on and beaming it down both sides of the sewer before walking forward. Aira followed, gripping Hiiro’s hoodie sleeves tightly and walking behind him.
Hiiro moved swiftly, making sure that they were quiet and escaping before anyone found them. Aira heard Rocket yell out, and footsteps grow close, but Hiiro only had to shoot two people down before they snuck through a small gap- entering the main sewage system and a large trading hall. Some vendors looked at them curiously, with varying levels of concern to anger- but Hiiro merely pocketed his flashlight, grabbing Aira’s hand and tugging him forward. Aira followed with no further questions.
When they emerged from the sewers, the sun was setting, and Aira felt the urge to cry from relief. But belatedly, he realized they forgot the one thing they came here for.
“Hiro-kun…” Aira whined, gripping Hiiro’s hand even tighter and feeling more tears build in his eyes. “I dropped the jet. I’m so sorry.”
Hiiro looked at him before glancing around the city. Most people were heading home for the night, only a few people left around the area. Hiiro smiled at Aira and cupped his cheek again.
“Umu! Don’t worry Aira! I picked it up before I ran off with you!” He gestured towards his bag, not letting go of Aira’s face. The blond’s eyes widened in realization, and he felt more tears well up as his lip trembled. He buried his face into Hiiro’s chest, thanking him profusely.
Hiiro only moved his arms to hug Aira again, both of them thankful for the physical comfort. When someone complained about them blocking the road, Hiiro tugged Aira by the arm once again, making sure to be mindful of his injured legs and tugging them out of the city. Aira didn’t protest or say anything at the action, only following Hiiro as he moved ahead. They reentered the wasteland, heading towards where Tatsumi and Mayoi were hidden in an abandoned suburban town, in a bright blue house with the roof caved in.
By the time the sun had fully set, they were only halfway to the town. Aira’s leg being mostly unusable meant they had to stop constantly, waiting for him to regain the stamina to keep walking. Hiiro had offered to carry Aira a few times, but both of them knew that even with the assistance, there was no way they would get back before the sun had set. So, they chose to set up camp instead.
The area they picked was pretty isolated, and neither of them were too concerned about raiders coming by and causing issues for the two of them. So, Hiiro started a fire to warm them up and to cook dinner. Aira never knew where Hiiro’s ability to live in the wilderness came from, and it seemed like such a random trait- but it was more than helpful in the wasteland, so Aira was willing to ignore where he learned it from in favor of taking advantage of his skills.
They were now both sitting next to each other, trying to warm up by the fire that was now burning rather proudly. Hiiro huffed out with a stupid smile on his face, clearly proud of himself. Aira rolled his eyes but smiled as well. They were sitting a little bit away from each other, but Aira could barely feel Hiiro’s warmth against his arm. He ignored how flustered it made him feel. Hiiro stared blankly at the fire in front of them. They had already eaten some food and bandaged up the rest of Aira’s wounds. There were bruises all over his body, and the worst was still on his eye, but he was in one piece and not in critical condition. It was the small things, Aira supposed.
Aira looked back at Hiiro, growing distracted as he stared at the older boy. He really was pretty, his soft red curls and gentle blue eyes that only ever looked at Aira with warmth and happiness. They hadn’t argued once since they met, only bickered, and Hiiro seemed comfortable to speak up when Aira’s words were too harsh- even for him. Aira was learning Hiiro’s boundaries, trying to respect the boy as much as he could. Hiiro was from another time entirely, considering he was alive from before the bombs dropped, and Aira was more than curious. Admittedly, the world before the fallout was something he was interested in, ever since that old lady who gave him groceries as a kid offered him an old magazine that somehow managed to survive. There was so much he wanted to know, to fact check with Hiiro, but he never got the courage to ask. He didn’t know how sensitive of a topic it would be, and he didn’t want to upset Hiiro. He had seen Hiiro in varying levels of distress, and hated every single increment.
Aira, now feeling a bit sad, reached his hand out to where Hiiro’s own was laying on the ground. He didn’t say anything as he did, nor when Hiiro looked over at him. When Hiiro returned the embrace, Aira awkwardly slid over, leaning against Hiiro’s side. Hiiro hummed in contentment, and squeezed Aira’s hand. He responded by resting his head on Hiiro’s shoulder. It was warm, it was safe. Aira couldn’t help but smile when Hiiro rested his head on top.
“Hi.” Hiiro spoke silently. Aira hummed.
“Hi.” He responded. They went quiet, staring at the fire. Aira rubbed his thumb over Hiiro’s knuckles, scarred over and bruised from their time in the wasteland- maybe even before as well. Aira felt the love he harbored for the other boy threaten to erupt in his stomach, daring to leave in a mix of stuttered confessions and racing heartbeats. Aira never really thought heavily about whether Hiiro reciprocated or not, it wasn’t his biggest concern when they were living in an apocalyptic world, fighting for their lives at a chance of survival. But now that they were in a bubble of safety and peace, Aira finally took the time to think it over.
Hiiro seemed to act like he did, he was always more affectionate with Aira. That was without a doubt. Even in the sewers, Hiiro looked like he wanted to say something more, that had nothing to do with Aira’s physical state. Aira didn’t have time to think it over, but he found himself growing curious.
“Hiro-kun…” Aira muttered out, Hiiro nuzzled against Aira’s hair, urging him to continue talking. Pulling away from the chance to pour his emotional guts out, he decided to ask something else. “What was it like? Before the bombs?”
Hiiro paused, and Aira was about to retract the question before he responded. “I don’t know, actually.” Aira’s eyes widened in shock and he looked up, but Hiiro hummed before continuing. “I didn’t live in the city. I was in a village far away from that lifestyle, we lived very differently. My nii-san loved the city, and he knew much more about it than I did.”
Aira felt himself wilt against Hiiro, disappointed that he couldn’t get any of the answers he wanted- but understanding.
“But…” Hiiro paused. “He brought me along with him once…” A breath. “Twice.”
“Twice?”
Hiiro nodded. “Umu. But the city was unlike anything I had ever seen before. It was so interesting! My nii-san seemed so happy… ” Hiiro trailed off. “I wish I had grown up there, honestly. Maybe things would’ve been different.” Both boys grew silent, and Aira only hummed in acknowledgement.
Hiiro lifted his head, turning his body to face Aira’s. Aira pulled away as well, before tilting his own body in response. Hiiro smiled, eyes crinkling at the action, and Aira’s heart skipped a beat. He was so in love with this boy.
Hiiro reached his hands out again, cupping Aira’s face for the nth time that day. Okay. Definitely not platonic. Especially not with the gaze Hiiro was giving him, like Aira was the only person in the world. Aira was sure his own was the exact same. He couldn’t help but melt at Hiiro’s touch, only wrapping his hands around Hiiro’s own. Hiiro entwined their hands and lowered them, face growing more red as he seemed to realize what it was he was doing in the first place.
The two boys sat there, simply staring into each other’s eyes without making any movement to ruin the moment or get any closer.
“We would’ve been great friends if we met earlier.” Hiiro spoke softly, Aira only smiled in response. Hiiro grew silent, eye’s flitting across Aira’s face and taking in every detail before his face erupted into red, matching his hair. Aira resisted the urge to tease him about it.
“Is that so?” Aira rubbed his thumb over Hiiro’s knuckles again, tilting his head slightly to maintain eye contact as Hiiro moved his head down in order to hide his flushed face. Hiiro blushing was something Aira had never seen before, and he very quickly realized it was a new favorite thing of his.
“Umu. I’m sure of it.” Hiiro nodded, shutting his eyes furiously to avoid looking at Aira and growing even redder than he already was.
Aira was silent for a while, continuing the motion of his thumbs over Hiiro’s own. Slowly, he lifted their hands up to his face, and he moved Hiiro’s fingers to cup his cheeks once more. Aira liked it when Hiiro did that, it was something he wanted to happen much more often.
“I think we would’ve been too.” He whispered, sliding closer to Hiiro just a bit. Hiiro opened his eyes rapidly upon feeling Aira’s face under his fingers. Staring emptily at the smaller boy. He was short circuiting, and Aira only snickered upon realizing.
“Umu…” Hiiro trailed off, blinking away his daze and focusing once again, not hiding how he grew redder as he realized Aira was looking at him in that way and he was much closer than he was before.
Aira was pretty flustered himself, honestly. He didn’t realize just how close he and Hiiro were at this point, and he was jokingly leaning his head forward to embarrass Hiiro just a bit more.
“Maybe we might’ve been more.” Aira whispered, growing nervous and preparing to pull his face away from Hiiro’s own- about to backstep on his words and apologize- but Hiiro only gripped Aira’s face a bit tighter and brought his own face forward, resting his forehead against Aira’s.
“Maybe we can be. Now.” Hiiro stared directly into Aira’s eyes, and Aira felt the blush on his own face form. He opened his mouth and stuttered over his words, not able to actually speak any further. “Aira…” Hiiro’s voice was shaky, audibly nervous, and Aira took a moment to realize the hands holding his face were shaking. It was so cute.
“Hiiro?” Aira asked, finally using Hiiro’s proper name. He didn’t want to say anything first, not when Hiiro was acting in such an adorable way. Aira knew for sure he wanted to kiss Hiiro, but that was a step he was too flustered to make right now. Hiiro was brave, even though he was crumpling right now, surely he could make the first move and save Aira the embarrassment.
“I really… really like you, Aira.” Hiiro paused before shaking his head, his forehead rubbing against Aira’s. Aira giggled as Hiiro’s hair tickled him. “No I- I love you.” He whispered, leaning just a bit closer, lip trembling as he did. Aira stopped immediately, mind being tossed into overdrive as he stared at Hiiro.
Hiiro Amagi, the stupid idiot who saved Aira multiple times, who Aira had saved multiple times, the prettiest boy he ever met- with bright red hair and unmistakable blue eyes that always seemed to sparkle even during his worst moments. The boy Aira undoubtedly loved. Aira thought of a flash of pink for a moment, before swallowing deeply. He shook his head, listening as Hiiro giggled much like he did moments ago.
“Hiiro…” Aira let go of the older boy's hands as he cupped Hiiro’s face in his own palms. “I love you too. So much.” Aira felt tears well up in his eyes again, and he sniffled, but the smile on his face was unmistakable. He was so, so happy. Hiiro returned the smile and tightened his grip just a bit more, still gentle enough to not hurt Aira.
Hiiro leaned in just a bit more, and Aira grew flustered, feeling a blush grow on his cheeks before he closed his eyes and reciprocated.
Hiiro’s lips were really soft, considering they were literally in the nuclear fallout. But he was also holding Aira’s face gently, like he didn’t want to break him like a piece of glass. Aira smiled against Hiiro before squeezing his cheeks just a bit. Hiiro pulled away, letting out a protest directed at Aira before Aira leaned even further into Hiiro’s space, kissing him again. Hiiro seemed to forget as he melted against Aira, and Aira felt like he was dying.
Probably because he forgot to breathe. That might’ve been it.
Aira pulled away, gasping, and Hiiro only stared at him with wide eyes and his face somehow an even darker red than his hair. Now that was a feat. Aira smiled at Hiiro, practically glowing, and when Hiiro returned it with his own, Aira knew that he could never hope to shine as bright as the walking sun in front of him.
Hiiro jumped forward, wrapping his arms around Aira and pulling him into a hug and making sure he was safely in his arms, lying on his chest. He kissed the side of Aira’s hair, trailing down his face and towards his neck before stopping in the crook between said neck and Aira’s shoulder. Aira cuddled up against Hiiro, languidly kissing his cheek and returning his hug.
“Umu… Aira…” Hiiro mumbled against Aira’s skin. He snickered.
“I love you too, Hiro-kun.” Aira spoke, and Hiiro only melted even further against him, body going completely limp as Aira held him up. He really was cute like that.
They stayed there, even when the fire died out and darkness enveloped the two boys. Hiiro twisted his head and reached up to catch Aira’s lips in a few kisses, and Aira was unable to resist Hiiro- especially since he had been waiting for this moment for so long, even without realizing he wanted it.
By the time they had both calmed their rapidly beating hearts down enough to sleep, Hiiro had pulled himself back up, dragging Aira down to the lump of fabric he called a futon and forcing Aira to cuddle up against him. Aira muttered some complaint, but it was lost as he nuzzled against Hiiro’s chest and listened to his heart beat speed up as Aira ran a hand up and down his back gently. Aira smiled, glad to understand the newfound power he had over Hiiro. Not that he would use it in a cruel way- not at all- but it was nice to see another side of Hiiro, to see a part of him that was never visible on his face or through his words.
“Hiro-kun?” Aira pulled away slightly from where they were squeezed against each other, both boys leaning even further into each other to enjoy the warmth. Hiiro hummed, looking down at Aira’s eyes with so much love and warmth that Aira fought the urge to kiss him one more time. “Goodnight.” He raised a hand, running it through Hiiro’s hair. His eyes closed slowly, comfortable exactly where he was.
“Umu. Goodnight, Aira.” Hiiro opened his eyes again, staring at Aira unabashedly and so admirably that Aira choked on his breath. “I love you.” He whispered, smiling again.
Okay, so maybe he would get one more kiss. Aira leaned in for a second before pulling away, humming in contentment before cuddling against Hiiro’s chest again. Hiiro tightened his arms around Aira, making sure he wouldn’t run away, sighed contentedly where he was sitting.
Aira hummed a song against Hiiro’s chest, closing his eyes and rubbing his hands across the redhead's back. Hiiro joined in, singing under his breath softly upon recognizing it to be the same song that had been playing in the bar. Aira smiled, he loved when Hiiro sang, especially since it was such a rare occurrence.
Hiiro ended up falling asleep first, his singing turning into humming before trailing off entirely, and his heartbeat slowing down to a more regular speed as he finally succumbed to exhaustion. Aira, half asleep himself, only curled against Hiiro further before closing his eyes, allowing himself to follow Hiiro and finally rest his tired body.
Tomorrow, they had to return to Mayoi and Tatsumi, going back to their life in the wasteland and never feeling safe. But right now, wrapped around each other, both boys were exactly where they wanted to be, without any worries. They had each other, and no matter what happened, they would always have each other to fall back onto.
Aira loved Hiiro, that was such a simple fact, another truth of the universe.
And Hiiro loved Aira just as much. Something that could never be questioned or challenged, a constant no matter what.