can you do some rarepair licht x mahiru?? any prompt if fine, one that stand out to you :) if you can't then thats okay
LichtHiru {23: “Do you really need all that candy?”}
“Onward, to defeat the demons! Hurryup, Mahiru, or else we’ll fall behind. We can’t let that shitty rat win.” Lichturged Mahiru as he pulled him down the street. He had a look of determinationon his face as he ran towards the next house. Mahiru thought that it wasadorable and endearing how serious Licht was acting during the silly holiday.
It was Halloween. Licht wanted to gotrick or treating despite being eighteen. When he admitted that he had neverparticipated in the holiday as a child, Mahiru decided to make the night amemorable one. He created costumes for everyone and drew up a map of the besthouses to visit. He thought he was too old for Halloween but Licht’s enthusiasmwas infectious.
Then, on Halloween night, Hydesuggested that they have a friendly competition to see who could collect themost candy. Licht was quick to accept his challenge. He was an angel and hecould never admit defeat to a demon. Mahiru thought that Licht would run off onhis own. But Licht grasped his hand and took him with him. Now, they werewalking together.
They were supposed to betrick-or-treating as a group but Mahiru wasn’t disappointed with the turn ofevents. He hoped that Licht didn’t notice how happy he was or that his cheekswere flushed. Mahiru looked up at him and said, “I’m sorry if I’m holding youback. Collecting candy would probably be faster without me. Can I ask why youbrought me?”
“Because you’re an angel too.” Lichttold him and his answer shocked Mahiru. His blush deepened as he tried to thinkof how to reply. He appeared serious and his unwavering blue eyes made hisheart stumble. Then Licht took both of his hands in his. “And, as a fellowangel, you must help me crush the Shit Rat in this competition! No one candefeat a pair of angels.”
“Oh, that was why you wanted me tocome with you.” Mahiru frowned and glanced down at his feet. He wasdisappointed that Licht was only focused on beating Hyde. It seemed like helooked too deeply into Licht’s actions. They were only friends but Mahiru haddeveloped feelings for him. He sighed and followed Licht to the next house.
Mahiru looked into his bag of candy.It was almost filled to the brim and he knew they would have to return to thecar to drop off the candy soon. He peered over his shoulder to see if the carwas far from them. Kranz insisted he follow them in the car to supervise Licht.“I’m going back to the car to empty my bag. You can go ahead and collect morecandy, Licht.”
“Give me your bag,” Licht didn’twait for his answer before he took the bag from him. He carried both of theirheavy bags as they went back to the car. Mahiru didn’t want to look too deeplyinto his action again and mumbled a thank you.
“You really don’t need to walk meback to the car, Licht. Your bag isn’t full yet so you can knock on a few moredoors. I can catch up to you, don’t worry. I’m probably holding you back inthis competition.” Mahiru said as they stopped in front car. He shook his headand opened the back door for him. There was already several bags on the backseat.
As Licht dumped their candy into thebag, Mahiru leaned against the car. “Do you really need all that candy? We haveenough to open a sweet shop and beat Hyde. I know that you are competitive butHalloween is more than collecting candy. It’s about having a fun night. Theonly reason you went through the haunted house with me was because there was acauldron of candy at the end.”
“If I lose, that demon won’t let mehear the end of it.” Licht crossed his arms.
In the dim light of the car, Mahirunoticed something on his shoulder. “You have a tear in your costume here. It’ssmall but we should take care of it before it gets worse. I have a sewing kit withme. Sit still and I’ll fix it for you. It shouldn’t take me long so we’ll beback trick-or-treating in no time.”
He gently pushed on his shoulder tourge him to sit down. Mahiru took out his sewing kit and got to work. He had tolean close to Licht to mend the small tear. He tried not to show he nervous hefelt and concentrated on the tear. Licht tilted his head and said, “I guessthat happened when you hugged me in the haunted house. You held onto me prettytightly.”
“I was surprised when that ghostjumped out, okay?” A hint of pink appeared on his cheek and Licht thought itwas a little cute. He remembered how he gripped his arm the rest of the hauntedhouse. “I can’t believe you kicked the guy. You weren’t scared at all. Isn’tthere anything you’re afraid of?”
“An angel has nothing to be afraidof,” Licht answered. “And that ghost scared you so I had to defend you.”
“Thank you for defending me. Youreally like to live life to its fullest but remember to slow down and enjoy thesimpler things.” Mahiru smiled softly. He moved closer to him until he couldsnap the thread with his teeth. He leaned away from him but he didn’t leave hisside. “Your costume’s fixed now and we can go back to collecting candy.”
“Or we can sit here a little longer.You’re probably tired from all that walking. Here,” Licht handed him achocolate bar but Mahiru was hesitant to take it.
“Don’t you need that to win yourrace with Hyde?”
“The wrapper should be enough proof.Anyways, eating Halloween candy is one of the things I was looking forward to.Sharing it with you makes it better. Eat,” Licht unwrapped the chocolate barand broke off a piece. With a small blush, Mahiru opened his mouth and letLicht feed him.
I used a random number generator to choose the number.
My quest to make one of these trailers for every single one of my ships is back on. Surprisingly, finding scenes for lichtmahi was easier than lawhiru. I'm hoping to make one for SakuMahi next but I have no idea what trailer to use for them.
“No, you’re too stiff. You won’t be able to reach the keys ifyou keep your body so tight. This is important angel training, Mahiru, so takeit seriously!” Licht instructed but he continued to struggle with the simplecord. When Mahiru came to him and asked him to teach him how to play, he washesitant. But Mahiru convinced him with a few simple words.
“Iwant to be an angel like you.” Licht, as an angel, had a duty to help fellow angels findtheir way. At first, he thought Mahiru was weak willed but then he saw a sparkin him. He didn’t know if it was always there and he over looked it or ifMahiru gained it after everything he went through. But, it was enough to makehim think that Mahiru could be an angel as well.
“I’ve been playing the same notes over and over again but Ijust can’t get them to sound right. My hands are beginning to cramp.” Mahirusighed and tried to rub feelings back into his aching fingers. Licht sat nextto him and took his hand in his. Gently, he massaged his hand. He knew how tiringpractise could be, especially when one wasn’t used to playing for hours on end.
“Let’s take a break. You’re going to hurt your hands if youoverwork yourself.” Licht stood up with a sigh. Mahiru looked from the keys toLicht and wondered if he should follow his lead. He was the one that brought upthat he wanted to learn so he didn’t want to give up too early. Honestly, hewasn’t as interested in the piano as he told Licht he was. He knew how much heloved music and wanted to earn his respect by learning how to play Licht’sfavourite instrument.
“I want to try to perfect this score so I’ll practise alittle longer.” Mahiru set the metronome and began to play again. Licht glancedat the window and saw how dark it was outside.
“If you’re going to practise more, how about you stay over?”Licht offered and gestured to the time. “You can take the demon’s room. Itwould be nice to have a night where I don’t have to sleep in the room next tohis snoring. Hey, Shit Rat, you’re sleeping with Gil tonight!”
Licht went to kick Hyde out of the room and Mahiru watchedthem with a weary smile. He felt a little sorry for Hyde but he was also excitedto spend the night with Licht. Mahiru was grateful for the opportunity to getto know the angel better. When they first met, he was intimidated by his hardfeatures but now that he saw the different sides to him, he wanted to be closerto him.
“Mahiru, I have an interview in the morning so I’m heading tobed first.” Licht returned to his side. He placed his hand on Mahiru’s shoulder.The action was casual and friendly but it still made Mahiru’s heart flutter fora moment. “I’ll leave my spare pajamas on the couch for you. The bathroom’sdown the hall and Hyde’s room is across from it. Make sure to rest. Even angelsneed their sleep.”
“I will. Thanks for worrying about me.” Mahiru smiled back athim and Licht nodded. His hand lingered for a moment before Licht forcedhimself to pull away. He returned to his room but looked over his shoulder toMahiru before he entered. He was still playing but something seemed strange toLicht. He could see the determination in his eyes but he couldn’t sense apassion in his music. Licht decided to let the issue go and ask him duringtheir next lesson.
Licht laid down and pulled the blanket over him. He couldhear Mahiru playing in the next room and wondered how much longer he wouldpractise. Mahiru was only playing simple, beginner chords and they were farfrom refined. But they still lulled Licht and he closed his eyes. He could hearMahiru humming along with the music and Licht strained his ears to hear hislight voice.
He fell asleep to his soft humming and thought that it wasalmost as beautiful as an angel’s song. Licht was still drifting off when he feltthe bed shift beneath him. He groaned and tried to push the person off his bed.“Oh, sorry, Licht! I went into the wrong room. I’ll leave now.”
Licht’s mind was still hazy with sleep when he opened hiseyes and saw Mahiru staring down at him. Without thinking, he took Mahiru’shand and pulled him back under the covers with him. Mahiru was too shock topull away as Licht hugged him and buried his face into his hair. “So, soft… So,warm… Body pillow…”
“Licht, I’m not a body pillow.” Mahiru tried to wake him byshaking his shoulder gently but Licht continued to cuddle him. From hisbreathing, Mahiru knew that he was sleeping deeply and sighed. It didn’t seemthat he would be able to wake him up and Mahiru resigned himself to sleepingnext to Licht. He gently stroked his hair and looked down at his equally softexpression. Mahiru began to hum a light lullaby his mother used to sing him ashe watched Licht sleep.
“I like that song.” Licht mumbled and Mahiru thought that hewas awake for a moment. His eyes were still close though and he seemed to behalf awake as he went on. “I don’t think I’ll be able to fall asleep withouthearing it or hugging you from now on. Teach me how to play it when you getbetter at the piano.”
“I don’t know if I’d be able to play a song by ear no matterhow much I practise.” Mahiru said and then he admitted.
“Mahiru, do you like the piano?” Licht asked and finallyopened his eyes. Their electric blue hue compelled him to be honest.
“I like hearing you play but I’m not that passionate aboutplaying it myself. I’m sorry Licht.” Mahiru shifted until he could bury hisface against his chest. He didn’t want to see his disappointed scowl as he wenton. “I wanted to spend more time with you and gain your respect.”
“Not all angels play the piano. My father’s a fallen angeland he plays the violin. Do you know what makes someone an angel?” Lichttwirled Mahiru’s hair around his finger. He lifted his face from his chest andlooked into his eyes. “An angel is someone that makes the world a better placeby purifying demons. You purified Neko-san’s demons and you shine whenever yousmiled. You have my respect.”
“Really Licht?” Mahiru asked but Licht was fast asleep again.He smiled softly down at him and settled himself next to him. He hummed thesong until he was asleep as well.
@thelucariosfish I’m really sorry that this was late because I derped andmisread your request
“Licht, it’s time for lunch!” Mahiru called to him as hewalked into the music room. Predictably, Licht was sitting at his piano andcompletely unaware of the time and the world around him. He didn’t evennotice him entering the room as he played. While his music was beautiful,Mahiru knew that he needed to stop and eat. He said his name again to get hisattention.
“Mahiru?” Licht looked up and wondered when he entered theroom. Mahiru looked a little flustered but he didn’t know why he would be. Eventhough a lot people would become mesmerized by his song, Mahiru’s expressionseemed different. He held out a lunchbox to him and Licht’s stomach growled,reminding him that it was lunch.
“Sorry, I’m a little late. I forgot our lunches at home so Ihad to run back to get them. Here, eat up.” He was happy when Licht didn’t argueand took the lunch box from him. They sat on the ground to eat so they wouldn’tleave crumbs on the school’s piano.
Licht recently transferred to the school and Mahiru took itupon himself to take care of him. Most of the other students were afraid of hisscowl and even Mahiru had to admit he could be a little intense sometimes. But,when he saw Licht playing alone in the music room, he decided to approach him.Since then, they would spend their lunches together in the music room.
Mahiru glanced at the whirlwind of music sheets littering thefloor and asked. “Are you having trouble with a song?”
“No. I was trying to write something for a change.” Lichtrushed to gather the music sheets with a small blush. He didn’t want Mahiru tosee the unfinished song he was composing. After all the lunches Mahiru gavehim, he wanted to give him something to thank him. He thought that writing asong would be simple but he was having trouble finding the right melody.
“What kind of song are you writing?” With his curiositypeaked, Mahiru began to pepper him with questions. “How far along are you? CanI hear what you have so far? I’m sure it’ll be wonderful because you’re such agreat pianist.”
“It’s blank so far.” Licht admitted. It was the first time hewas having trouble with his piano and frowned. “I’m having trouble with themusic. I want to write a slow song you can dance to but it’s harder than Ithought it would be.”
Licht was a prideful person so he had trouble admitting his weakness to anyone but it was surprisingly easy with Mahiru. His kind andunderstanding eyes allowed him to do so. He was the closest thing to a fellowangel he could find so Licht was quick to trust him. Moving to a new countrywas hard but Mahiru made the transition easier and he wanted the song to beperfect to thank him.
“I remember you said that things come easy to you because you picture yourself accomplishing your goal to motivate yourself. Why don’t you think of a time youdanced with someone you liked and use that to inspire you? A lot of greatcomposers use their loved ones as muses.” Mahiru suggested and Licht’s browsfurrowed.
“I never danced with anyone before. I was homeschooled beforeI came to Japan so I never went to a school dance or something like that. Iguess that’s why I’m having trouble with this.”
“How about I help you then?” Mahiru stood up and held out hishands to Licht. “Let’s dance together, right here and now. Dancing togethermight help you with your song. Thinking simply, if you can’t picture it, I canhelp you experience it. So, can I have this dance?”
“But there’s no music.” Licht said but Mahiru’s smilecompelled him to stand as well. Mahiru went to his bag and took out his phoneand a pair of earphones. He put on a slow song and handed one of the ear phonesto Licht. They had to stand close to each other so they could both hear thesong. Licht took Mahiru’s hand and placed his other hand on his hip.
With a light tug on his hand, Mahiru guided Licht through themovements. Even though Licht never danced before, he had seen others do so andtried to mimic the steps from his memory. He looked down at his feet, carefulnot to step on Mahiru. As he did so, he leaned closer to him and Mahiru felthis heart flutter a little. He was the one that suggested they dance but hedidn’t think Licht would accept.
Licht began to hum and it was a different melody from thesong Mahiru put on. A soft smile spread on Licht’s face as they danced and itwas the same smile he had whenever he played his piano. He never thought thathe would find something that would give him the same bliss his piano did butMahiru did.
“That song is beautiful. Which composer wrote it?” Mahiruasked and Licht looked up from their feet. He blushed a little at Mahiru’scompliment and he didn’t know why. Many people would praise his work butMahiru’s simple words warmed his heart.
“I’m writing it right now.” Licht answered. The notes werestill a little unpolished to him but he was making a lot more progress thanbefore.
Mahiru stepped on one of the papers on the floor and began toslip backwards. Quickly, Licht wrapped his arms around his waist to stop hisfall. In turn, Mahiru wrapped his arms around his neck. Their eyes met and theystayed in that position for a breathless moment. Then Mahiru chuckled, “Ithought you didn’t know how to dance. That was a pretty good dip.”
“That’s because I’m an angel.” Licht said confidently andMahiru laughed all the more. He couldn’t be mad when his laugh sounded like abeautiful song. Suddenly, the notes became clear to him and Licht helped Mahirustand. Then he pulled Mahiru to the piano and sat him next to him. “I’m goingto play my song now. Tell me what you think.”
Licht began to play a song that would eventually become theirsong.
This is a mini AU for them because I wanted to try out theirdynamic in a mini scene like this
I wasn’t going to finish this for a while but I decided to finish this for Mahiru’s bday. Everyone’s giving him fanart and I’m just shoving him into a harem for his big day xD This is a Mystic Messenger AU with every possible Mahiru ship.
(Ch. 1) ||
As Mahiru waited for the bus, he heard a persistent ringtone. He was alone at the bus stop so he was slightly confused by the ringtone. It wasn’t his phone so Mahiru looked around the bench. He found a phone under the bench and he wondered if the owner dropped it without knowing. The simple way to know was to answer the call so Mahiru swiped his finger over the screen.
“Someone answered!” A voice said excitedly. “I’m glad you found my friend’s phone.”
“It’s nothing.” Mahiru said, reassuringly. The person sounded genuinely excited and relieved so Mahiru was glad he answered the phone. “If you want, I can give this phone to the police station and your friend can pick it up there.”
“Actually, can you return it directly to him? He lives in a building close to the bus stop you’re at so it won’t be too much trouble. Please, he really needs it for his work and it’s an emergency.” The person begged and Mahiru hesitated. How did the person know that he was at a bus stop? “Will you help me?”
“… Sure.” Mahiru said after a moment. Even though he was suspicious, he knew he would worry for the rest of the day if he didn’t return the phone so the simple solution was to help. “What building does your friend live in?”
“SFA’s Tokyo Headquarter. Do you know where it is?” His answer shocked him. Mahiru knew of the SFA and he doubted that there was a single person that didn’t. They lived in a lavish building and ran their company from that building as well. The SFA held a variety of fundraisers throughout the year and helped so many causes and people.
“I know where it is.” He would often pass by the building and wonder what the members of the SFA were like. Considering everything they had done for the community, Mahiru thought they were extremely kind and considerate people. “I’ll make sure your friend gets his phone back so don’t worry. You’re a great friend for worrying about him so much.”
“I’m a great friend?” The person on the phone began to laugh until a cough cut him off. “You’re one interesting person if you say that about someone you just talked to. This might be a little entertaining. I hope we get to talk to again after you return the phone. The building’s door should be unlocked so just walk in and go to room 707 on the seventh floor.”
He disconnected the call and Mahiru couldn’t make any sense of what he said. He shrugged off any suspicion he had and began to walk. The SFA building wasn’t too far from the bus stop so it was only a short walk. Mahiru stopped at the bottom of the steps and stared up at the building. It towered over him and he was curious about who he would meet inside.
The door was unlocked like the person said it would be so Mahiru walked inside. He was surprised that the interior looked normal but there wasn’t a receptionist to greet him. In fact, the building was oddly empty considering how large it was. But Mahiru walked to the elevator to go to the seventh floor.
A soft bell chimed once he reached the seventh floor and Mahiru walked out of the elevator. Mahiru counted the room numbers until he found 707 and knocked on the door. To his surprised, it was already slightly opened and Mahiru peered inside. The room was dark and empty so he wondered if the person hadn’t returned yet. “I’ll just leave the phone on his desk for him.”
Mahiru entered the room and the phone began to buzz to life. He fumbled with it slightly and he saw that a chatroom had appeared on the screen. He was confused because he hadn’t turned on the phone or open the app but began to read the chat.
Mahiru had only barely finished reading Kuro’s message when he heard footsteps rushing towards him. A blond man crashed into the room and Mahiru could only guess that he was Hyde. He was out of breath but he shot suspicious eyes at Mahiru when he saw the phone in his hand. “Where did you get Sensei’s phone?”
“I just found it!” Mahiru quickly explained but Hyde continued to glare at him suspiciously. “The person that called me said that I should return it here.”
“Troublesome.” Someone walked into the room and sighed heavily. The man seemed uninterested in the situation at best and slightly annoyed at worst. He had heavy bags under his eyes and Mahiru worried about his health. “Thanks for returning Sensei’s phone. You can leave now.”
“You’re just going to let him leave? Sensei has been missing for years and this guy comes back with his phone and you’re not going to question him.” Someone else argued and Mahiru looked over Hyde’s shoulder to see more people walk into the room. A short man with violet hair asked, “Did a man give you this phone?”
Before he could answer, the phone rang again. Hyde quickly took the phone from him and answered it. “Sensei? Are you okay?”
Hyde became silent and a dark scowled appeared on his face. He turned on the speaker so the others could hear the mocking laugh of the caller. “It’s not Sensei, Brother Greed. He would be so hurt if he knew that you confused us but I won’t tell him.”
“Who are you?” Misono demanded but the man only answered with a laugh.
“You know who I am. We talked before but you wouldn’t listen to me so you forced my hand. If you don’t want to involve a civilian, you’ll give me the files I asked for.” Mahiru didn’t understand what the person was referring to but the others did. He was shocked when Hyde took his hand and began to drag him to the door.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you, Brother Greed. He’ll die if he leaves the building.” The voice stopped Hyde. “I placed a bomb at each of the exit and they’ll go off if a human tries to leave. You may be able to survive the explosion but I doubt a human would.”
“Damnit, Tsubaki! We can’t give you the files.” Misono screamed, rubbing his temple.
“Then we’re at an impasse.” The call ended and they all turned to Mahiru. He was confused by the situation and he couldn’t make any sense of it because the word ‘bomb’ echoed in his mind. The men around him were quiet as well and there were so many things he wanted to ask them that he didn’t know where to begin.
“So, what are we going to do?” Licht asked and Misono’s brows furrowed. They all knew they couldn’t have their discussion in front of Mahiru but they couldn’t leave him alone in the building either. The atmosphere was tense and Kuro turned away from them.
“Can’t deal. Just do whatever you want. C’mon kid.” Kuro took Mahiru’s arm and pulled him out to the hall. The others didn’t bother to stop him because they knew it was pointless to try. Mahiru saw the concern on their faces but followed Kuro out of the room. When Kuro closed the door behind them, Mahiru wondered if he would answer any of his questions.
“I didn’t catch your name.” Mahiru decided not to ask too many questions when he saw how guarded his expression was. The man leaned against the wall and sank to the floor. “My name’s Mahiru. I’m sorry I caused all this trouble. I didn’t think…”
“Don’t apologize. You couldn’t have known.” He stopped Mahiru. “My name’s Kuro but I doubt I can tell you much more. I’m sure they’re deciding how much to tell you right now.”
“Is there really a bomb in this building?” Mahiru asked hesitantly and shivered at the thought. He sat next to him and Kuro could see his hands trembling slightly. Unlike the members of the SFA, Mahiru was a normal human and Kuro doubted he experienced any danger in his life.
“Tsubaki, the person on the phone, isn’t someone who will make threats lightly.” Kuro knew that he had to be honest with him. But when he saw Mahiru become pale, he wanted to reassure him. “But the SFA will protect you. We made a promise to help and protect this city, after all. That includes you.”
“Thanks.” Mahiru smiled at him and Kuro had to turn away from it for a moment. It was bright and genuine, two things he wasn’t used to. They heard the door open and they looked up to see the others walk outside. Kuro stood and held out his hand to help Mahiru stand. He faced them and waited for them to speak first.
“My name’s Misono Alicein.” One held out his hand to him and Mahiru shook it. “This might be a little difficult for you but you won’t be able to leave this building for your own safety. Our fifth member will be returning soon to check the exits for bombs. It might take awhile but we’ll secure the bombs and you’ll be able to leave.”
“I understand…” Mahiru sighed, knowing that he didn’t have much of a choice in the matter.
“We won’t be able to know when you’ll be able to leave until we look at the bombs. You can stay in this room for the time being.” Misono showed Mahiru to one of the spare rooms they had on the second floor. They decided that he was the best person to show Mahiru around the building since he would be the most careful about revealing any secrets.
“Everyone has a room on this floor so just knock if you need anything.” Misono explained. “You can go anywhere in this building except for the seventh floor because Sensei’s research and confidential information are stored there. We have recreational rooms on the first floor if you’re bored. Sheets and blankets are in this closet.”
“Thank you.” Mahiru nodded to him but looked around the large room hesitantly. There were a lot of spare rooms it seemed and the building was large considering that there only seemed to be five residents. He still didn’t know what to make of the situation and the residents. But, if he was going to be trapped in a building with them, he wanted to be friends with everyone.
“Here, let me help you with that.” He said when he saw Misono struggling to take out the blankets from the closet. Their weight almost toppled him over and Mahiru gently grabbed his shoulders to steady him. “Are you okay? Thank you but I could’ve gotten them on my own.”
“Don’t look down on me.” Misono turned to face him with a light blush. He pushed the blankets into Mahiru’s arms. “As if this is too much for me, Peasant. If I could use my… never mind. This is nothing to someone as powerful as I am but you wouldn’t understand that.”
“I wasn’t trying to insult you. I just wanted to thank you for getting me these blankets. I’m sure you’re strong and capable.” Mahiru quickly amended and Misono raised a brow at him so he continued. “It seemed like the others look to you for leadership so they must respect you. They all seem like quite the characters and I can imagine how hard it is to control them.”
“They’re all peasants. Of course, they’ll listen to royalty.” Misono puffed his chest and grinned.
“I’m a peasant too but can we be friends? I’d like to get along with everyone while I’m here.” Mahiru asked as he set down the blankets.
“R-Really?” Misono fumbled with a blush for a moment but then he regained his composure. Honestly, he never had someone outside of the SFA ask to be his friend before. Looking into Mahiru’s kind eyes, he found that he wanted to know the human better. “I’ll be your friend if you really want to. You should be able to find everything so do you have any questions?”
Mahiru was quiet for a moment, choosing his words carefully. “The SFA aren’t what I expected so it’s a little hard taking this all in.”
“We’re mostly known for our fundraising but that’s only a small portion of what we do.” Misono said but he didn’t elaborate. He said the seventh floor had confidential information so Mahiru knew that he had his reasons for being vague. “You’re staying here but you’re not a part of this company so please don’t interfere with our work.”
“Is there anything I can do to help without interfering?” Mahiru asked. “I’ll be staying here and I don’t want to be a freeloader, even considering the situation. I can cook and clean so there must be something I can help with.”
“We don’t have a housekeeper.” Misono thought over letting him help around the building. Mahiru seemed to sincerely want to help but he couldn’t risk him stumbling across their secrets. To his shock, Mahiru took his hands in his.
“Please, Misono? I’m already causing enough trouble for all of you so I just want to help.”
“F-Fine.” Misono stumble and took back his hands. His heart was racing already but it beat harder when Mahiru beamed at his answer. “But you can only clean the first two floors and you’ll have to ask the other’s permission to clean their room. I’ll draw you a map of all the rooms and a schedule of when we’ll be eating.”
“Thank you, Misono. You’re so nice for letting me do this. I’m sure we’ll be great friends quickly.”
A soft piano tune filled the hall and Mahiru paused to listen to it. He wanted to explore the building to know where to start cleaning tomorrow but he couldn’t help but stop to listen to the light song. Something about the song drew Mahiru towards it and he followed the soft notes. The song took him to a large library and Mahiru peered inside.
In the center of the library was a dark haired man. Mahiru had seen him with the others but they hadn’t spoken yet so he wondered who he was. He seemed engrossed in his song so Mahiru didn’t want to interrupt him and watched him instead. Light streamed through the window and illuminated him. For a moment, it seemed like he had wings. Mahiru shook his head and told himself that it was a trick of the lights.
When the song ended, Mahiru had to clap. The man turned sharply to face him and his hard eyes suddenly made Mahiru feel like an intruder. “I’m sorry I interrupted your song. It was beautiful that I came in without being invited.”
“This is a library. You don’t need an invitation.” He said shortly and Mahiru laughed nervously. “You can come in if you want but don’t make too much noise while I’m practicing.”
“Thank you.” Mahiru walked into the library and looked at all the books lining the walls. There was also a trail of feathers on the ground and his eyes followed them to Licht. “I’m sure Misono already told you but I’m going to work as a housekeeper. This library seems like it needs the most work between all the dust and feathers.”
“You can see them?” Licht raised a brow at Mahiru and watched him carefully as he walked to him. Mahiru nodded as he plucked a feather off the piano and twirled it between his fingers. Then he ran his hand smoothly over his piano. Licht could see a deep respect in Mahiru’s eyes as he settled his hand on the piano.
“It’s beautiful, your piano. I’ll make sure to be careful when I polish it tomorrow. It’ll be a shame for it to be marred with dust or something like that.” Mahiru saw how worn the keys were and knew that Licht must’ve played often. “I never played before and I’m not a professional so I don’t know if this means anything but, you’re very talented.”
“Talent has nothing to do with how well I play. I’m an angel.” Licht said before he could stop himself. He almost bit his tongue when he realized his mistake and turned to see Mahiru’s reaction. To his shock, Mahiru laughed pleasantly. It almost sounded like chimes and Licht never heard anything more musical. Usually, people would give him strange looks when he claimed to be an angel but Mahiru didn’t.
“I should’ve known that you were an angel when I heard your song.” Mahiru chuckled and decided to humour him. At first, Licht’s hard eyes made him appear difficult to approach but, now that he was standing closer, he could see a kindness in them. “I’m certain that it could purify people’s heart if they hear it. Do you play often? I would love to hear you play again.”
“… Melon.” Licht said after a moment. His eyes were serious when he looked up at Mahiru but there was also something innocent about them as he went on. “I want melons for breakfast! You’re going to be our housekeeper and you’ll be cooking breakfast. If you let me have melons for breakfast, I’ll play one song for you. Misono never lets me have melons for breakfast.”
“Just a melon?” Mahiru knew that having only the fruit wouldn’t be a healthy breakfast. Licht eagerly nodded and his eyes pleaded with him so Mahiru decided to compromise. “How about melon bread with sliced melons? I can incorporate melons into the menu but you need to eat more than that. Deal?”
“Deal!” Licht smiled and Mahiru had to return it.
“Licht must like melons.” Mahiru looked into the fridge and saw that it was full of melons. There was barely anything else and he thought about going out to buy ingredients. Then, he sighed when he remembered that he couldn’t leave the building. Thinking about the bomb made him shiver and he closed the refrigerator. “I guess I should ask them to go out and buy more food.”
“You seem to be making yourself at home just fine despite the situation.” Mahiru turned to see Hyde leaning in the doorway. His piercing eyes studied Mahiru as if he were a prey to be killed. “You may have everyone else fooled but do you think you can trick me? You’re working with Tsubaki, aren’t you? What are you two planning?”
The accusations thrown at him were whispered in a low voice but they still caused Mahiru to stiffen. He didn’t know what he did to make Hyde distrust him but there was a dangerous glint in his eyes when he walked towards him. Mahiru tried to step back but he hit a wall. Before he could move, Hyde was in front of him and slammed his hands on the wall. Mahiru found himself trapped between Hyde’s arms and there was little space between them.
“Where’s Sensei? You had his phone and he wouldn’t just let someone take it from him. What did you do to him? Tell me before I force the truth out of you.” Hyde leaned closer to him with each word and closed what little distance they had between them. His eyes began to glow and Mahiru felt his legs weaken. “Are you working with Tsubaki?”
“I’m not. I don’t even know who he is.” Mahiru thought that he would be too scared to talk but something forced the words from his mouth. His answer didn’t do anything to quell Hyde’s anger and Mahiru’s hands tightened into fists. Mahiru’s mind raced as he tried to think of a way out of his situation. He doubted anything he said could stop him.
So, when Hyde leaned closer to him again, Mahiru headbutted him as hard as he could. Hyde went reeling back and he pushed him further away roughly. As he was recovering, Mahiru scurried to the other side of the room to place more distance between them. Hyde rubbed his head and groaned. “What was that?”
“I should be the one saying that!” Mahiru shot back. “You came in here and threw all these accusations at me when I’m already confused enough. I’m trying to make the best of a situation where I’m trapped in a building with a bomb and I can’t leave. I don’t need you yelling and glaring at me like that! Everything I told you before was the truth. I just wanted to do the right thing and return a phone but I’m stuck in this building with a bunch of strangers.”
While Mahiru’s words were filled with anger, tears and fear filled his eyes. Guilt washed over Hyde for a moment when he realized how wrong he was. He could sense that Mahiru was an ordinary human but his need for the truth blinded him to it. Hyde rarely apologized but he tried to.
“I’m sorry…” Mahiru didn’t immediately reply but his eyes never left Hyde’s. There was a strength in his brown eyes that surprised Hyde because it was rare for a human. He touched his forehead and chuckled to himself. “I learned my lesson so I’m not going to try anything again. You’re one strange man. That’s the first time someone headbutted me like that.”
“Well, you deserved it.” Mahiru stood straighter and levelled stern eyes at him. Hyde gave him a wry smile and nodded. His features softened when he laughed but then he bowed his head.
“I just thought that there was a chance to find Sensei again…”
Mahiru saw sadness passed his face and he took a cautious step towards him. “You must be very close to your sensei but that doesn’t excuse how you acted. I’ll forgive you this time but I don’t a repeat of this.”
“You didn’t enjoy being pinned to the wall? Most people say that forwardness is daring and a turn on.” Hyde said jokingly but Mahiru didn’t laugh. His lips were set in a hard line and he placed his hands on his hips. Even though he didn’t say anything, Hyde could hear him silently lecturing him. “I’m kidding. I’ll be on my best behaviour from now on.”
“You better be.” Mahiru said sternly but he let his body relaxed. Hyde kept a respectful distance between them to not scare him again but he was surprised when Mahiru took a step closer to him. He raised his hand and gently brushed his bangs aside. “It doesn’t look like there’ll be a mark. I’m sorry if I hurt you. I could’ve just pushed you so I guess we both overreacted.”
“You really are one strange person.” Hyde took his hand off his head and stepped back from him. Mahiru’s hand was soft but surprisingly strong so he held onto it. “Hey, you wanna team up with me and fight that angel? It’ll be fun to see who wins.”
“You mean Licht? Why would I want to fight him? He seems like a nice guy and so do you.” Mahiru slipped his hand from his and Hyde knew from his eyes that he wouldn’t be able to change his mind.
“Too bad, I had a feeling that we would’ve made a good team.” He ruffled his hair. “At least things are going to be a lot more interesting with you here.”
“He should be here soon. Why is he always late?” Misono looked at his watch and his frown deepened. Mahiru wondered who the fifth member would be and considered asking them. They were waiting in the lobby, eating the melon Mahiru cut. Beside him, Kuro was fiddling with his phone. Licht and Hyde were fighting over the melons on the couch across from him and Mahiru tried to stop them.
“Guys, there’s more melons in the fridge so there’s enough for everyone. If we run out, I’ll just cut another one. Now, are you two going to behave or do I need to separate you.” Mahiru said and they both grumbled but they stopped fighting.
“Great job, housewife.” Kuro said in a teasing voice and patted his back.
“I’m a housekeeper, not a housewife!” Mahiru denied with a blush. He wanted to argue further but stopped when Kuro tossed his phone onto his lap.
“Your new phone. It has the messaging app we use to communicate and Tsubaki won’t be able to hack it. You can use your old phone to talk to your friends and family but you should use that phone with us.” Kuro explained. “I customized it so if you want anything changed, just tell me.”
“Thank you.” Mahiru smiled at him and Kuro tried to shrug casually but a tint of pink still appeared on his cheeks.
“I’m back!” The door flew open and Mahiru turned to see who entered. They both froze when they saw each other. “Mahiru? What are you doing here?”
“Sakuya?” Mahiru jumped to his feet and ran to him. Instinctively, Mahiru threw his arms around Sakuya’s neck and he returned his hug. He was grateful to have Sakuya’s familiar and strong arms around him. “You never told me that you were a part of the SFA but thank god you’re here.”
“You two know each other?” Misono looked between the two and Mahiru nodded.
“Sakuya is my best friend and we’ve known each other since high school.” Mahiru turned to face the others when he explained how he knew him. He hugged Sakuya’s arm and jealousy crossed over their faces. While Mahiru didn’t notice it, Sakuya did and he had to grin at them. He wished that he knew that Mahiru was the human trapped in the building so he could’ve returned sooner.
“I thought I told you to stop with your little ‘vacations’. They’re dangerous.” Misono accused but Sakuya shrugged unapologetically. “Just sit down and tell us what you found.”
Sakuya sat down on the couch and nudged Kuro away so Mahiru could sit next to him. He made sure that Mahiru sat at the end so the others couldn’t sit next to him. He didn’t want to let the others next to him when he knew what they were.
“I checked all the doors and windows, from the roof to that front door. Tsubaki wasn’t lying. The bombs are small but they’re powerful enough to wreck this whole building.” Sakuya wished he could lie but he knew that he couldn’t when facing his pure, brown eyes. Mahiru stiffened next to him and he took his hand to give it a reassuring squeeze. “Don’t worry, Mahiru, I’ll protect you.”
“Thank you.” Mahiru replied in a small voice. He trusted Sakuya because he was his best friend but he was still a little scared. Sakuya wouldn’t lie about something as serious as a bomb and his safety. The situation became more real to him and weight of it fell on him again. More questions appeared in his mind. Who was Tsubaki and what did he want so much that he would use a bomb?
“Wait, you just walked through that door and nothing happened. Maybe you were wrong about that bomb and he’s just using a fake or something.” Mahiru stood and Sakuya tried to grab his hand to stop him. He could see how desperate Mahiru was to escape the confusion he was in but he couldn’t let him leave the building. Sakuya flew after him and hugged him.
“Don’t! Trust me, you’re going to die if you try to leave. The bomb won’t go off for the five of us but you’re different. Please just trust me on this.” Sakuya’s arms around him shook and Mahiru was still trying to make sense of his words. He knew Sakuya for a long time and they were friends so he could tell that there was something he was holding back.
“What aren’t you telling me, Sakuya?” Mahiru turned in his arms to face him. His eyes begged for the truth that Sakuya couldn’t give him. “Please, tell me so I can understand. Someone’s threatening me with a bomb so I deserve to know. You’re my best friend, Sakuya, and we never lied to each other or kept secrets before.”
“I’m sorry, Mahiru.” Sakuya covered Mahiru’s eyes with his hand. He could hear Misono scream for him to stop but he couldn’t lie to him anymore. “I’ve been lying to you since we met. Tsubaki said that the bomb will only go off if a human tries to pass. You’re the only human here.”
“What?” Mahiru was confused by his wording when Sakuya pulled his hands away slowly. He gasped and he had to step back. Sakuya wanted to stop him and take him back into his arms but he would only scare Mahiru more if he tried. Fear and confusion clouded in his brown eyes but he couldn’t turn away from him. Sakuya couldn’t blame him either.
Anyone would be shocked to find that their best friend was a monster.
“Sakuya?” Mahiru was rooted where he stood. The hurt in Sakuya’s eyes made him want to comfort him but seeing his ram horns stopped him. His red eyes were still the same so Mahiru forced himself to focus on them as he stepped closer. “Is that you Sakuya?”
“I’m an incubus…” Sakuya admitted and he expected Mahiru to run from him. He felt his trembling fingers on his cheek and he forced himself not to reach out to him. Even though Mahiru was trying to hide it, Sakuya knew that he was still a little wary. “I’m sorry I lied to you. I just wanted to know what it was like to be human and have friends.”
“It’s just a lot to take in. I’m going to need a minute.” Mahiru wanted to sit down but when he looked at the couch, he saw the others watching him with guilty expressions. He remembered that Sakuya said that he was the only human and swallowed slightly.
“Move aside, incubus.” Licht stepped between Mahiru and Sakuya. He ignored his glare and focused on Mahiru. He spread out his white wings and wrapped them around Mahiru so their warmth would put him at ease. “I am an angel so you don’t need to be scared of me. It’s my duty to protect humans so you can sit next to me without being scared.”
“Hey, Lichtan, you might be cool but we all made a vow to protect humans when we joined the SFA! Even a demon like me can see the value in humans. Look, Mahiru, I might appear scary but I’m not going to hurt you.” Hyde stepped towards him but was stopped by Misono.
“You’re all scaring him so stop pushing him. Back away from Mahiru and give him some space. This is an order from the fairy prince!” Misono snapped at them and they all stepped away from Mahiru. “Are you okay, Mahiru?”
“I… I need some air.” Mahiru said but then he laughed bitterly to himself. “Wait, I can’t leave and I’m stuck in a house full of… I’m sorry, just give me a minute.”
Mahiru stormed out the hall and he was glad that none of them tried to stop him.
Mahiru looked up when he heard the door open. He ran to the stairway to be alone and he was curled into a ball at the top of the steps. He looked down the staircase to see Kuro at the bottom which shocked him a little. He thought that Sakuya would be the first to approach him again. He waited for Kuro to say something as he climbed the stairs but he walked past him.
Kuro went to the window and he opened it without a word. Mahiru instinctively stiffened and braced his body so Kuro said softly. “It’ll only explode if a human opens it and tries to climb through but this should be fine. You said you wanted fresh air, didn’t you? It’s pretty cool tonight so there’s a nice breeze.”
“So, what are you?” Mahiru asked and the accusation was clear in his voice.
“Vampire. So, if you want me to open any windows for you, you should only ask during the night. The windows are tinted to keep out sunlight but the rays will kill me if you open them.” Kuro said in a casual voice. His bored drawl made Mahiru laughed a little because it was out of place considering their situation. “Sakuya’s pacing outside, trying to decide if he should talk to you.”
“He is?” Mahiru looked at the door at the base of the staircase. He saw a shadow pass under the door occasionally and knew that it had to be Sakuya.
“He couldn’t tell you the truth no matter how much he wanted to. If humans knew about us, it’ll be complete chaos. He had to lie to you so don’t stay mad at him.” Kuro looked over his shoulder to Mahiru. “Mystical creatures like us are few are far between and we’ve been trying to survive without being discovered. Everyone has their past and regrets here in the SFA.”
“Very comforting.” Mahiru said sarcastically. Kuro sat next to him but made sure not to sit too close to him.
“But our lives changed when we met Sensei. SFA gave us a second chance and all we want is to protect humans like you. There are other, more dangerous creatures that targets human. The SFA was created to stop them and let mystical creatures live a peaceful life. Sensei made a lot of documents detailing our powers and weaknesses and experiments that he was conducting.”
“Are those the files that Tsubaki are after?” Mahiru asked and Kuro nodded.
“One day, Sensei left to talk to a potential member and never returned. We found out that the person he was meeting died the previous day so everyone’s worried about him. SFA’s nothing without him and his inventions. But if his files get into the wrong hands, it’ll be the end of our lives and you humans as well.”
“Fairies and incubus? Demons and angels? What did I get myself into?” Mahiru groaned and pressed his forehead to his knees.
“A lot of shit but we’re going to get you out of this alive.” Kuro promised and Mahiru looked up at him. Seeing his expression, Kuro suddenly felt protective. “I promise you that we’ll do everything we can for you.”
Look at that word count Xd I have a rough outline for this already but I’m still on the fence of having an endgame ship or just multiship the hell out of this. Probably, the latter to give the rare pairs a little more love.
Anyone who follows my blog long enough will know that I adore KuroMahi and LawHiru is one of my favourite pairs with Mahiru. But I have to admit that LawHiru’s appeal, at least to me, is the potential they have for fun interactions. They don’t have many “shippy” moments in the manga. I want to talk about another Mahiru ship with an interesting dynamic: Licht and Mahiru.
What I enjoy most about the ship is how we see Licht’s opinion of Mahiru change throughout the manga. Licht was introduced as a fully realized character who set the bar for other characters (namely Hyde being greedy and Mahiru being an Eve/Angel).
We can count the number of people Licht respects on one hand (Kranz, his parents and sometimes Hyde). At first, Mahiru wasn’t one of those people because he thought he was too hesitant. Mahiru has grown stronger and each time it has been Kuro or Licht to acknowledge it. In one of the latest chapters, Licht even said he was confident Mahiru could defeat Touma.
In a subtle way, these two are very similar. They’re both kind angels who are able to read others. It’s easy to see this with Mahiru but not with Licht. Licht comes off as rude and violent in his initial appearance. As we get to know him more, we find that it’s more of his blunt and direct personality rather than something malicious. He did save Mahiru despite how he said he had in interest of being on a team with him. They both help others in their own way.
