A/N: There seriously need to be more Napoleon/Joan stories. With the way the manga's going, I can already tell that we're in for a bumpy ride so here's something light-hearted to balance out the angst.
Disclaimer: I do not own Afterschool Charisma, it belongs to Kumiko Suekane.
"It's a nice night, isn't it?"
Joan started at the voice, her grip tightening on the ledge. Briefly, she turned and cast a cursory glance over her shoulder. A tall silhouette stepped out from the shadows, the slivers of moonlight casting a pale glow on his features.
"Napoleon," she acknowledged, her head tilted to the side. Her tone held the suggestions of a question, her brow quirked as she watched him curiously.
"Mind if I join you?" The clone had his hands tucked in his pockets, rocking on the balls of his feet. She shrugged in response, turning her gaze back to the expanse of the school, the elegant structures of the buildings bathed almost poetically under the light of the moon. "I don't see why not," she replied, her voice so so soft that he almost missed it to the whispers of the wind.
He grinned sheepishly, idly scratching the back of his head as he shuffled his way to the balcony. He propped his elbows on the ledge, lacing his fingers over the edge. "Sorry if I startled you, by the way."
"That's alright," she murmured back, peering at him from the corner of her eyes. "And to answer your earlier question, yes. It is a lovely night indeed."
After a beat of silence, he appraised her with an inquisitive look, brows puckered. "Say, if you don't mind me asking, what are you doing up so late?"
She folded her hands loosely, unconsciously standing straighter under his scrutiny. "That's funny, I could ask you the same thing," she quipped, though her words lacked any real malice behind them.
His laugh was more of an exhale of breath, but the corner of his lips quirked up in a ghost of a smile. "I came out here to think," he answered truthfully, "The dorms were a bit stifling. The air out here is cooler, and the silence is a nice change from the commotion in our room."
"I suppose it is," she murmured her agreement. "To tell you the truth, I don't know why I came out here. I suppose I just needed some room to breathe." Taking a step back, she craned her head and peered up at the sky. It was a clear night, all the stars twinkling mirthfully in the distance and the moon shining melancholically above. A solemn breeze blew past them, rustling the leaves below and nipping at their cheeks. Distantly, she could hear the chirp of crickets and the creaking of branches, punctuated occasionally by the hoarse croak of a frog. She still had her gaze trained to the pathway of stars, her expression that of wonder and awe. Taking note of her silence, Napoleon shifted his focus to where she had devoted her attention to, smiling softly.
"Out here, it's almost easy to forget everything. Out here, underneath the audience of the stars, it's like we're free to be who we want. No fate knocking on our doorstep, no destiny chasing after us," he whispered, almost afraid to break the spell. "It'd be nice to just...go away. Far, far away. To live a life without following an agenda or a schedule. Just us and the days ahead."
Joan blinked, turning to stare at him contemplatively, the bright joy that lit up her features a moment ago fading as reality seeped in. "A romantic idea, Napoleon but sadly, as clones, we have a legacy to uphold and it's not so easily shaken off."
His reciprocating smile was a poor imitation of his usual toothy grins. "Yeah, I guess you're right."
A/N: Okay...that came out a bit sadder than I had intended...damn.