disclaimer: Ansatsu Kyoushitsu (c) Matsui Yuusei. lyrics at summary (c) Sky Sailing - Sailboats, although I don't think this fic is related to that song at all.
based on that gliding scene on chapter 58/ep 17.
"How was the view from up here?" Maehara asked Isogai in the middle of their flight, with one hand leaning on the shoulder of the class representative for midair balance, while the other firing his gun on a cosplaying Koro-sensei who performed complicated loops in a speed which should be improbable with a mere light flying device made for recreational purposes.
It seemed like a very mundane question compared to the fantastic actions they were in the course of, but it was a remarkable one for Isogai, for it was alluding to Maehara remembering something about him. It was rather insignificant, but now it resurfaced in his mind—Isogai was always in awe with his friends' stories about flying, whether it was on a plane or on a hot-air balloon.
Not because it was luxurious, but because it was an opportunity to look on the atmosphere from a unique perspective. And now on his first experience, driving a hang glider hundreds of meters above the mean sea level of Okinawa, he could say it was a thrilling encounter.
They were soaring in the sunny sky, with small heaps of clouds crossed by. Below them was the clear ocean reflecting blue, bordering the remote island they would be visiting for the next two days, with cottage-style resorts standing on its beachside and a distinct tower block rising beneath—and everything looks like a miniature from this angle.
Isogai was making sure it was a smooth ride within a safe distance from the others, so he could only appreciate a glimpse of the scenery. Maehara was able to keep watch on the surroundings in better detail, but he should not break his attention from the inhuman aviation engineer poser which disturbed the big picture with its size and appearance.
"It was splendid," Isogai answered without putting aside a split second from navigating, "We don't fly every day, much less to a distant place like this. But save the talking for later when we are finished with this," smiling as he noticed the gestures hang glider rental staffs made when the group of students and teacher who used their aircrafts passed above their stand once again and the sounds of shots discharged from Maehara's gun.
Isogai would like to stay longer, but he need to give chance for other people who wanted to fly and other teams who wanted to kill with a different strategy—he was sure Nagisa, Karma, Sugino, Kayano and Nakamura were already arranging things for their scuba diving, since they're going to be the next group to spend time with the homeroom teacher.
So the dark haired boy brought the hang glider down on the staff's signals. The weather was nice, the wind was moderate; enough to dismiss the heat, but not too wild to sweep them away, so it was not hard to go against it.
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They had a smooth touchdown near the rental stand in the coastline. Maehara jumped out once the hang glider was in contact with the ground, to the concern of Isogai (who was returning the device to the place it was set up for the next users), "Maehara, please think about your own safety. You should stay here until this stopped moving. You understand?"
"Alright there, Isogai," Maehara said, ended up chasing the advancing vehicle instead. The reminder was overdue and there was not much point on going back inside, but he was grateful for having Isogai as a partner for this mission—and for how it was sweet to be caring like that, as if they had not just assaulted someone up there.
Isogai released the glider's control bar when he was done parking. He had just stood up, willing to go out and approach Maehara, who waited for him in front of the Hang Gliders for Rent sign, but the latter was already reaching Isogai's right arm with his own. Isogai turn his golden eyes on Maehara, but before any of them said a word, the honey-haired youth's left hand was in contact with the back of his knee.
Maehara's grasps were tightening and Isogai could feel that he was on the other's arms as his body was being lifted in the air for only around a meter or two at most from the surface. Not as high as where they were a few minutes ago in the aircraft, but being carried bridal-style by Maehara when he was able and uninjured wasn't in any of Isogai's plans for a vacation which was not their own honeymoon. Not that they're going to get any in the near future; they were only in middle school and the odds of them ending up together as more than friends were thin as of this moment.
The move did not bother him much, save for the little shock of an unexpected shift of positions, so he did not see a need to issue a complaint to Maehara. A deeper gaze and a thinner smile was enough to convey Isogai's current feeling—wondering, on why his best friend did it all of a sudden. Was Maehara trying to be romantic to him? Isogai brushed off that thought before Maehara could see into him and acknowledge that he was thinking about something that might be embarrassing.
"Are you okay with me keeping you like this until we find a nice place to sit on?" Maehara loosened his grip on Isogai, only slight for now. Maehara did not want Isogai to fall flat on the ground—but he would hate himself even more if he made the ikemen uncomfortable with his deliberate actions.
"You'd better put me down." It's only after being asked did Isogai give his own opinion, since it might hurt Maehara if he rejected something which was most likely meant as a kindness. Even with one of the people he was closest with, Isogai found it unacceptable for him to say something with harsh implications.
Maehara complied, removing his left arm from Isogai, causing long legs to stretch closer with the earth—which was taken as a cue to step down and walk proper by its owner. Although he kept Maehara's other hand on his shoulder blades, letting himself to be embraced for as long or as short as it takes.
Because, just like with flying, this was also one thing Isogai would wish to have as much as he wanted to, but know that it would not last forever.
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After storing their guns to be reused tonight, Isogai wanted to check on Team 2's progress, but everyone told him it's better to rest after doing his job instead of diving in, so he went along with Maehara's idea of sitting together at the shore, on a woven straw mat and under a vacant beach umbrella.
He'd admit that Maehara had a great taste of place. From this angle, they could see the sparkling sea, the vibrant coast and their classmates playing while waiting for their chance to kill, which was a pleasing view. But Isogai had more to do than just sightseeing. There was this message he hadn't told Maehara and this time, a specific way of looking into him wasn't enough to transmit the information.
"About what I wanted to say earlier..." Isogai started, making sure Maehara was listening to him and not looking at the scenery, which maybe meant girls in swimsuits instead of the beauty of nature for that kind of person—although when he looked again he found none, except for some girls of their class and Bitch-sensei, which was kind of strange since they were in the right season for going to the beach.
"Well, I was just going to remind you about that. So tell me," Maehara fixed his eyes on Isogai, ready to attend.
"Do you remember when we were in elementary school and I said that I wanted to fly?"
"I do," Maehara was cutting his next sentence, but Isogai could not resist a small yet radiant grin from appearing in his face for those two words alone. He needed to sort himself before he was able to continue.
"Now, when I have that granted already, it's giving me a new ambition," looking back to Maehara, "To rise to the top of the world, for nothing but providing and heartening my family, my friends… the person …the people I love," correcting once he realized he almost confessed something he did not want to.
But if Maehara ever asked Isogai what was just slipping from his tongue, he would not hesitate to answer with yet another question—"Is it wrong if I am in love with you?"
Maehara himself had nothing disturbing his thought as he heard it. It was very like Isogai to wish something like that, after all.
and am I like the only person who thought it's a little bit more Isogai to Maehara than Maehara to Isogai in MaeIso?
I'm sorry but I just have to.