Prompted by izumi-shingo on tumblr. Posted at mashin-chaser on tumblr.
"Ankh and Shingo: things you said after it was over"
Shingo shouldn't be out here. He knows he shouldn't be out here. They'll all be looking for him soon enough.
He pulls his knees up to his chest where he's perched on the edge of Cous Coussier's chimney and looks up at the sky, at the spread of stars overhead.
"Eiji, can I…" He's not sure how to ask for what he wants. Hold him for a while? That sounds strange. He just holds out his hand and hopes Eiji knows what he means.
Shingo glances down at his hand, unfolding his fingers to reveal the two halves of Ankh's broken core. Holding it like this, he almost feels like Ankh is with him, can almost imagine the empty space in his chest doesn't hurt quite as much. Almost. But it's just a feeling. He closes his fingers over them again, jagged edges digging into his skin - a small price to pay to keep Ankh safe.
The window below him opens and Eiji's voice drifts up. "Shingo? Are you up here? Hina's worried about you."
Trust Eiji to know he'd be up here.
"I'll be down in a minute." He calls back and the window closes.
Ankh's core is heavy in his hand and he knows he'll have to hand it back to Eiji when he comes back to the party. A part of him doesn't want to - it means letting go of Ankh again and he's not sure he wants to do that. But he knows it's for the best. He knows Eiji is trying to find a way to bring him back, knows he's leaving in the morning to chase down yet another rumor that probably won't pan out to be anything.
"Come back, okay?" He tells the fragments of medal clutched tightly in his right hand. "I need you to come back. So, please, try as hard as you can and come back to us."
For just a moment he swears he can feel Ankh's exasperation.