Necrocarnival
Author's Note: Enjoy the story and R&R.
Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to or of Shadowverse.
Pairing: Pre-slash Light x Subaru.
Summary:
"Can I have this dance?"
"I see. So your family is…I'm sorry. I didn't know."
"Nah, in all honesty, you didn't seem to know anything about the Makabe family, and that made me feel kinda safe."
Light's sneakers halt in the dirt. "Whether you're Makabe Subaru or just Subaru, it's all the same to me."
There it was. Subaru shouldn't have doubted any other result. There wasn't a judging bone in Light's body, and he'd never have treated Subaru different on the basis of his blood connection to a dynasty he hardly knew a thing about.
"You're still my #1 friend."
Subaru gasped and was blushing. He had to be. As always, it was impossible for Light not to be blunt, and while the deeper significance of the words may have been lost on Light, Subaru cherished them and clung to them, even as they dispersed into oblivion.
Stereotype or not, girls love dumb boys. And Subaru was finding boys who like boys love dumb boys also.
Not that Light was hopelessly "dumb" per se (Subaru may be being generous here, Tsubasa-senpei might argue). He was just…hopelessly literal.
Thick, yet in a good way.
Transparent and genuine.
"Man, you really say that stuff."
Man, if Light heard half the stuff Subaru said to himself!
The throughfare of the Shadow Area they happened to be crossing was a slice of someone else's childhood: circus tents, horses not mounted on a carousel, the façade of a sweets shop, and an elephant's trunk peeking out of a cart. A childhood Subaru didn't have, considering he was brought up in the strictest of households. One that would make Hina Sinclair comprehend what real abuse is if she were to experience the truly stifling "parenting" he and Kaguya experienced, as opposed to the spoiled rotten life of luxury Hina claimed like a brat her villainy was a response to.
What a masquerade. Grow up, girl.
Subaru empathized. He couldn't deny he'd done a lot of growing up lately. He finally decided he wasn't running from the ghosts of his past anymore and buried the hatchet with his little brother, ending their sibling spat. Even now, however, Kaguya's warning of a traitor among the Seven Shadows was a haunting voice in the back of Subaru's head. A voice Light was unwittingly pushing further and further into the recesses of Subaru's mind, throwing Subaru off with his expression of calm compliment.
Light was the poster boy for calm. All the angst and drama regular folk faced daily, Light was completely ignorant of unless told to his face. Or at least if he had worries of his own, he never looked it.
"Oh," Light would answer. Or "Ohh?" Light would answer. He was a guy with those sorts of reactions. Surprise, but in its mutest forms.
His ignorance to the waiter at Marufuji Cafeteria seeming to have history with Yonazuki Luca, agreeing they should've ordered the twice-cooked pork instead.
Ignoring Shirogane Mikado's demoralizing attacks and attempting to understand Mikado anyway, despite the fact that the Chairman obviously saw Light as a talentless nobody beneath him.
Light's persistence was nothing to scoff at, even though Mikado did so frequently, and even though Light's inability to take a hint was a bit of a running joke in their club.
Light kept getting back up like a zombie. It was, in part, witnessing Light's stick-to-itiveness which reanimated Subaru. Lit the fire in him to stop hiding behind a mask – hiding behind excuses – and actually admit the truth to his brother.
That'd been cathartic. Doing the difficult thing. Acknowledging he hated himself for letting Kaguya down. Until then, it was easier to put a fun spin on the situation, and paint over his problems. Lie through his teeth. Smile and pretend he was all right. Laugh. Drown out his misery and embarrassment under the loud pour of the shower.
Presumably, it'd be similarly cathartic when he did the next difficult thing and confessed to Light. Again, no longer lying through his teeth, smiling, pretending, laughing, or drowning out his misery and embarrassment under the loud pour of the shower. Only genuine smiles and genuine laughs from this point forth.
Friendship's a party. A festival. A carnival. But the spectre of his repressed wants was a very present phenomenon.
The skeletons in Subaru's closet were rattling. It was time he cleared it out.
Subaru needed – no, he sincerely wanted – a dance partner.
Hands he could hold. Hands that could hold him and keep him from falling. Or, failing that, help him up after falling.
Light fit the bill. Light supported him so much already.
Already banished and the disgrace of the Makabe family, Subaru stood to lose nothing.
He could imagine Light's reaction.
"Oh."
"Ohh?"
Indeed. Subaru had nothing to lose by coming out to him, since Light's answer would start with one of the above regardless. Baccherus gleaned this and encouraged Subaru to act, flittering around pepping "Bakebake!"
Imagine that. Subaru fell for Shadowverse College's D-rank transfer student born and raised in Nekome-cho, and it was the then-D-rank transfer student constantly helping him up!
"Listen, Light."
"Hm? What is it, Subaru? I'm listening."
"What's your take on relationships?"
"Oh. Mm. Being a member of Seventh Flame is great, isn't it?"
"No, not relationships in general, Light! I'm talking about romance!"
"Ohh?"
BOTH?
"I don't have an opinion on them in particular. My parents, they –"
"Guys!" Ren gives an enhanced shout. "Over here!"
Light is on the move. Subaru trails like a ghost.
"Hey. You're all together, huh?"
"Yup! We went to watch Shion-chan's battle!"
Tsubasa leans toward Light's ear while Subaru's occupied with Ren and Shion. "What's this? Did we interrupt something?"
"Something?"
"Kohai-kun mentioned 'romance' now, didn't he? I suppose a celebration is in order."
"Thank you," Light replies, unsure what he's thanking her for.
"Light, you're distracted as ever. You need to smile more, dora." Dragnir undulates his tail.