Disclaimer: I do not own Servamp or any of the characters
"Why do you humans subject yourself to things like this?" Licht tried to make himself comfortable on the crowded train but it felt suffocating to be surrounding by so many people. He was accustomed to flying and the open air. Glancing around him, he could see the demons within each human and his instinct was to purify them but he had to focus on Hyde.
"You okay, Angel Cakes?" Hyde saw how pale Licht was becoming and considered going back home. A nagging voice in his head reminded him of all the times Licht messed with him in his room. His plan was to use the outing to convince Licht to give up. But seeing him now, Hyde had to reconsider.
The train shifted abruptly and Licht began to stumble, still not familiar with keeping his balance without his wings. Licht fell against Hyde's chest and he placed his hands on his shoulders to steady himself. The train was crowded and the people around them push them closer together. Licht could feel Hyde's breath brush the top of his head and he tried to push him away.
"You sure are violent for an angel. I'm trying to help you here." Hyde caught the fist Licht aimed at him. Still holding his hand, Hyde pulled him away from the crowd and Licht found his back pressed against the train door. Hyde placed his hands on either side of him and used his body to protect Licht from being crushed by the crowd. "Is that better?"
"You're too close." Licht glared up at him but Hyde found himself laughing at his expression. He was used to everyone walking on eggshells around him since that day so Licht's blunt attitude was refreshing. Hyde had to admit that he was curious about other expressions he could make.
"Our destination is the next stop so just put up with me for a little longer. This isn't too bad though," Hyde grinned down at Licht who rolled his eyes. They were standing close to each other but Hyde left some space between them. "This is little adventure is for my play and your piano so don't pout so much. Maybe you'll actually have fun."
"Have the demon completely taken over your soul or are humans this annoying by nature?" Licht could see a teasing glint in Hyde's eyes. He took Hyde's face in his hands and studied his eyes intently. While his eyes were clouded, the shadows weren't dark enough for a demon to control his actions. "So, you're just an irritating human, after all."
"Hey, Angel Cakes, this is no place to get frisky." Hyde didn't know why but his heart jumped under Licht's intense eyes. Trying to hide that fact, he pinched Licht's cheeks and stretched them playfully. Licht slapped Hyde's hands away from him when he realized how close they were. "Don't be so angry when you're the one that started it. Anyways, we're here now."
The train came to a stop and Hyde pulled Licht away from the door so he wouldn't fall backwards when they opened. Still holding his hand, Hyde led him out of the train. Licht wanted to pull away but he knew he had to follow Hyde. It was still crowded even after they left the train and Licht knew that they could easily lose each other if they weren't holding hands.
Even though Licht knew that, something in Hyde's mischievous smile made him hesitate. He had to ask, "Where are you taking me?"
"I'm taking you to a place called the mall. We humans like to gather there because there's a lot of shops." The mall was a short walk from the train station and Hyde found himself walking faster. He pulled Licht through the door and gestured exaggeratedly to the people. "We gather here and indulge our greed."
He told Licht that the trip was to help him with his play but his true intention was to use the trip to drive Licht away. Hyde thought that once Licht saw people's true nature and saw that there was no helping them, or saving him, Licht would give up.
"You humans allow demons into your bodies too easily." Licht clicked his tongue and covered his nose with his sleeve. Demons were invisible to humans and they scampered around their feet looking for a host. His instinct was to kill them but they were rather small and weak and his focus was on helping Licht. "So, what do you want me to do?"
"The angel in my story will falls in love with human life slowly and gradually. He thinks they're cute for trying so hard to make a life for themselves and shine brighter than the sun. It's not a particularly greedy wish but a foolish one. Our end is already written and nothing we do now will change that. Humans live an average of 79 years and that's not enough time to make anything of ourselves."
"Your angel sounds like a moron. An angel that doesn't value life is no angel at all." Licht told him and watched the people around him. Mostly, they ignored him and only a few people glanced at him but not for long. He didn't know how going to the mall would help Hyde write. "A story like that won't bring out the light within you."
"You're one harsh critic. Okay, we'll work on the catalyst for my angel falling in love with humanity. How about we just try to figure out how my angel's going to adjust to his new life?" Hyde sighed and tried to continue with his plan. But it was obvious to him that it wouldn't be as easy as he first thought. "What about earth shocked you the most when you arrived?"
"You," Licht answered without any hesitation. Hyde was a mystery to him and it was partially because their ideologies were so different. He couldn't understand Hyde's behaviour at times or why he acted like he did. From the corner of his eyes, he saw Hyde's eyes widened slightly before he began to laugh.
"I don't know how I should feel about someone as odd as you calling me strange. How about we both say that we're both strange in an interesting way?" Licht's expression told Hyde that he didn't agree. He sighed and continued to walk through the mall, looking for something to use to drive Licht away. "Other than me, is there anything you find strange?"
"These people enjoy looking into metal boxes. What's so interesting about them that they can't look up and see where they're going? They're going to walk right into a wall." Licht gestured to some people that passed by them. They were holding phones and Hyde guessed that was what Licht was referring to.
"You've never been on earth before, have you? Those are phones. Humans use it to talk to each other and look up things." Hyde took out his own phone and showed Licht. He looked confused and fascinated as he explained it. "It's pretty useful but it's a shame that people are too busy looking down at their phone to look up to see what's around them. That's why humans can never truly leave an impression on this world."
"You're still saying nonsense like that? Just because you don't know how to capture people's attention, it doesn't mean others don't." Licht looked around them until his eyes fell onto a small music shop. There was a grand piano on display and Licht ignored the velvet rope around it. "If they won't look up, you only need to draw their attention another way."
"Wait, you can't use that piano!" Hyde tried to stop him when he saw the store owner march towards them. Licht focus was on the piano before him and he tentatively played a few notes. After confirming that it was well tuned, he began to play in earnest and the world fell around Hyde. Within a few notes of Licht's song, emotions began to overwhelm him.
Licht's fingers danced over the keys gracefully and Hyde couldn't take his eyes off him. Even without his wings, he appeared to be an angel while he played. With every rise and fall of the song, Hyde could feel his heart react in turn. Hyde stood next to Licht and it seemed like it was only them and his song.
Even after Licht played the last note, he could only stare at Licht in awe. People clapped around him and pulled Hyde back to his senses. He realized that a crowd had formed around them. Licht looked over his shoulder and grinned up at him. "Write a play as good as an angel's song and you'll be able to purify that demon in you."
Licht ran his fingers over the key one last time before standing. While the human piano couldn't compare to his own, it helped renewed his vow to help Hyde. He grinned at him confidently and walked back to his side. "A human can't hope to reach the same level as an angel but I'll help you write a play almost as good."
Hyde didn't know how Licht could speak with such conviction. It should be impossible for people to make anything of their lives. What was the point in making the play? But even though those thoughts echoed in his mind, a new manuscript began to form in Hyde's mind.
Kuro sighed softly to himself as he waited for Hyde to return home. He sat on the porch and stared down the street. It wasn't late but Kuro thought he would've returned already since he said that he was only going to the mall to buy something. Hyde was a grown man but Kuro still worried about his little brother. If only he knew how to help him.
A soft sound caught Kuro's attention and he saw a cat beginning to claw at the trash cans in front of his home. It came dangerously close to knocking over the trash and Kuro groaned to himself since he knew Hugh would be upset if it made a mess. So, he pushed himself to his feet and walked to the cat. "Get away from there. I don't want to clean up your mess."
Instead of scaring the cat away, the cat walked towards him and rubbed itself against his leg. Kuro knelt next to it and gently scratched its ear. The cat purred in response and Kuro wondered if the cat had an owner or not since it didn't have a collar. His family had an assortment of pets in the past and he couldn't help but remember those times.
"Hyde likes animals. Maybe playing with you will help him feel a little better. We'll have to get you checked by the vet though." Kuro could tell that the cat was becoming bored and rolled onto its back. He continued to pet its head but then remembered the bell in his jacket pocket. He dangled it in front of the cat and ringed it gently.
"Licht, I told you not to hurt your human!" Kuro felt someone's hand on his shoulder turn him sharply. For a moment, he could only stare at the person that turned him. The first thing he noticed was his brown eyes but then he saw the angel wings the man had. The man looked angry but it quickly turned to confusion and then to panic. "You're not Licht…"
Poor Mahiru can't catch a break XD