Neku's admiring the Udagawa mural, when he senses Joshua's vibe behind him.
With his arms crossed, at the bottom of the stairs.
Joshua slowly climbs the steps, as Neku's turned to face him.
Neku's impressed; what did Hanekoma-san say to get him out here?
He smiles, and turns back to the mural.
"Hey," Neku begins. "Kind of the worst place I could've picked for myself to talk to you here, but at the end of the day it still felt right."
Joshua puts a strand of hair behind his ear.
"It is. Pretty sure you gave me PTSD here. But I refuse to let you ruin my favourite spot for me, so."
Joshua at least has the decency to hide his smile at that before Neku punches him for it.
"Why do you insist on cutting yourself out of my life from hereon?"
"...I'm the Composer, Neku."
"What rule have you not already broken?"
"Fair enough. But we should make our goodbyes here--"
Neku's hand grasps his wrist.
"Josh. I want you to be there. I've missed years of my life. I'm happy the have the others there with me as I try to get my life back, but I need you. To be there. Please."
Joshua's expression is pained.
"Why? I'm the one who ripped your life from you."
"And you're also part of the reason I'm living any life worth living at all."
"Why not?" Why do you look so pained?
"Because, Neku. I don't just want to be your friend."
Clumsily, then desperate when it deepens.
When they break away, Josh is wide-eyed and disbelieving. They're both flushed.
"Neku, if you're making some kind of compromise to make me stay, then.."
"My feelings for you are real."
"I don't know. I can't explain it either. You heard me, right? When I spoke to you the week after you brought me back first."
"Then you should know you mean a lot to me."
"Neku." Joshua says his name, with the weight of the world. Their foreheads meet. "Words can't express it."
Neku looks up to him, at his downcast eyes, fondness so abundantly clear in his eyes.
"You mean the world to me, Neku."
Every word drips with that same fondness.
"I was conflicted. I wanted to erase the city. But you were proof that the people in this city still had hope, that they could change, that there was more.
"But above all, for me... your brilliance became a symbol for Shibuya to me.
"If there were still you, then to me... at least I would still have that piece of the world to me."
Joshua ran a hand through the ginger hair behind his ear.
Neku's heartbeat was loud in his chest.
"There's a lot to this city, Neku. I had stopped looking, until you changed how I saw things. To be honest, I was still conflicted. I had almost given up..."
Joshua kissed him again. Then stay nestled close.
"I didn't push you away because you meant so little to me. I pushed you away and kept you locked away safe precisely because you mean everything to me."
Neku blushed, expression soft. His arms wrapped around Joshua in an embrace.
"Then, I'm glad that's settled."
"Is it?" The road ahead was the foggiest from here.
"Yeah. Just pretend you're dating another Reaper. Don't you make the rules?"
Joshua giggles, affectionate.
Their relationship cemented in words washes over him in relief.
Feelings swell in his chest. It overwhelms him with a lingering disbelief that such a thing could possibly happen.
And yet, Neku's hand was warm in his.
areudirty
blakekathryn
izzy806
prguitarman