love is worth it

𝐈.𝐍𝐓𝐑𝐎𝐃𝐔𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 ━━━━━━

╰─────────────────╮

￣￣  :hearts:   :hearts:   :hearts:   :hearts:   :hearts:   ￣￣

________ ________ ________

───────────────────

I'm killing, what, seven birds with

one stone? All of the agency

prompts are all Valentine's

themed, and rather than write

seven love stories, here's one

that addresses the majority of

them. So, everything that'll be

addressed here: Apricus -

Aurora is a Scorpio and Hachimitsu

is a Pisces, which are supposedly

really good with each other. IC -

not only do I have a honey character,

the majority of the story takes place

in a candy shop. AWIC - both

characters confess their love to

each other. CITM - at the

ends of their stories, both characters

decide that despite everything, love

is worth the pain. AWIC - again,

honey character and candy shop.

Eunoia - I don't wanna spoil anything,

but it's pretty obvious. Aesthetic -

a recurring theme is a basket of

homemade chocolate.

________ ________ ________

╭─────────────────╯

━━━━━━ 𝐒𝐘𝐍𝐎𝐏.𝐒𝐈𝐒 ━━━━━━

───────────────────

Aurora and Hachimitsu have been

a couple for a year, and yet their

relationship seems hardly developed.

Mitsu is ready to dive head-first,

but Aurora is more cautious.

➥ 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬:

              Aurora Reverman

              Hachimitsu Mitsuna

              Ikki Kiyoshi

              Lyon Gales

➥ 𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: Romance, Angst

➥ 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭: 5259

➥ 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭: 29654

credit

Aurora's body was already covered in bloody scratches. She even had a scratch above her eyes, her blood partially blinding her. As she wiped the fluid from her view, a concerned voice came from a distance. "Aurora-chan, isn't that enough training?" a shaky feminine voice asked. "You're bleeding a lot. Let me patch you up. Otherwise, there'll be no way you can hide the fact you were fighting. Kin-sensei will know immediately what happened."

Aurora's breathing was labored. Her eyes squinted at her opponent, who showed no signs of fatigue. The boy was significantly shorter than her, about as tall as her chest. He was smooth and green, covered in thorns. Instead of eyes, he had empty sockets, like a carved pumpkin. The holes shifted to show his expression. In other words, he was a human cactus. "We're not done until I win," she barked back at the onlooker.

"Not happening," Kiyoshi replied, preparing for another go. Aurora immediately activated her quirk. Under normal circumstances, the center of gravity for her opponent would shift to her desired position. In this case, she wanted Kiyoshi to fly towards the wall of the dorms they were next to. Instead, roots burst from his feet, wrapping around them like boots and anchoring him to the ground. "Doing the same thing and expecting different results is the definition of insanity."

"I'm not expecting different results," Aurora sighed. "Now you can't move."

"Yeah, but you have no way of fighting me other than close range, which is where I excel. Also..." he trailed off, raising his arms in an X and quickly uncrossing them. The thorns on his arms shot out like projectiles, straight towards Aurora.

Another form stepped in the way, the thorns sinking into her body. "That's enough," she said in a singsong voice. The girl who had previously been watching started picking the thorns out of her body. She had trouble dropping them, for they stuck to her fingers. She was made of honey. "Aurora, you won't be chosen for the mission if Kin-sensei learns you've been breaking rules. Let's get you inside so we can make all the scratches look natural. Besides, the sun's rising. If Isui catches you breaking rules, he'll do whatever it takes to disqualify you."

Aurora sneered, resenting Mitsu for interfering. She had a point, though. With a huff of breath, she deactivated her quirk, turning her back to the two and storming toward the dorms. She heard leaves crunch behind her as Mitsu followed. Even though the sun hadn't peeked over the horizon, its light was already seeping through the trees in the distance. As she approached the front door, her speed slowed as she realized there was a small package waiting on the front porch. People who weren't staff or students of U.A. weren't allowed on campus without special permission, so instead of the mailman delivering to them, they'd put all mail addressed to the school in an off-campus P.O. box. The school staff would distribute the packages if they weren't dangerous. It was a relatively simple system, but Aurora's heart skipped a beat. That meant a staff member had already been by. What if they heard the two fighting behind the building?

She bent down and picked it up, examining two sides before finding who it was for. Hachimitsu Mitsuna. She turned around to find the honeyed girl already behind her, ing the package to her. Her face lit up in excitement, but Aurora entered the dorms before she could say anything. She didn't mean to be rude, she just knew Lyon would be waking up soon and would make it a big deal if he saw her covered in scratches. She made her way up the stairs and into the girl's bathroom, grabbing a small first aid kit to clean the wounds.

Thirty minutes later, she was still in the bathroom trying to disguise the visible scars with makeup. They weren't very deep or long, just scratches as if a small cat had attacked her face. A redhead was the first to enter the bathroom, but she was unable to help; she never wore makeup. Upset at herself and not wanting to delay her day, Aurora opened up the bathroom door and called down the hall, "Mitsu?!"

A few seconds later, a door opened and the honeyed face came peering over the corner. "Yes, Rora-chan?"

"You said that, if you couldn't be a hero, you'd be a makeup artist, right?" Aurora called down. Mitsu nodded. "Can you come to help me when you have the time?"

Mitsu's eyes narrowed in joy as she stepped out of her room. With her entire body being made of honey, there wasn't a ton of morning preparations she had to do. She didn't even need to dress, as there was nothing about her that was revealing. Not to mention clothes simply fell through her body. She came dashing down the hall, and Aurora had to quickly move out of the way to allow her into the bathroom. "Oooh, you need makeup help! I thought you'd never ask."

She grabbed a box sitting at the corner of the sink. It looked like a jewelry box but locked with a code instead of a padlock. After unlocking it, Mitsu opened it to allow a tier connected to the lid to extend out of the box, revealing two layers of makeup. "Okay, what do you want?"

"I just want the scars to be unnoticeable," Aurora said, smiling in amusement. "Nothing to get too excited about."

"You won't even you have scars by the time I'm done," Mitsu announced, already grabbing some foundation. She fell silent for a few moments as she focused on the makeup, but the chitchat quickly resumed. "So, Minato's parents' candy shop is having its grand opening today."

"Really?" Aurora asked, trying to keep her face as still as possible. "I wasn't aware they lived in Musutafu. Aren't they from a really small town, and were too poor to accompany Minato?"

"They moved to Musutafu over break," Mitsu explained. "Apparently, their candy was so good people would come in from out of town to buy it. In the two years we've been at U.A., they've made enough money to move here and buy a small building to use as a candy shop."

"Seems kinda redundant," Aurora said in thought. "Since we're gonna be graduating this year."

"Nah," Mitsu shrugged. "The agency Minato works at is in Musutafu. Even after we graduate, she'll be here. But, uh, you wanna go later today?"

"I was planning on asking Kenta if he wanted to train with me today," Aurora said. "If he doesn't-"

"Rora, if you want to break up with me, just say so," Mitsu interrupted.

"Huh?"

"We haven't been on a date for months. I know we're pro heroes, but even when you have time to spare, you find something else to do," at this point, Mitsu had lowered her arms to pause the makeup.

"I...really?" Aurora asked, recounting their last date. Huh, that was a while ago. "I'm sorry, Mitsu, I honestly didn't realize. I'm sorry for upsetting you; of course, we can go to the candy shop."

Mitsu smiled putting away her makeup. "Yay~ I'm done, by the way," she said, stepping out of the way so Aurora could see her own reflection in the mirror. Sure enough, there was no sign of any scars. "I'll see you around four." Mitsu pushed the box back in the corner and happily skipped out of the bathroom.

Aurora chuckled to herself, finishing up her preparations before leaving the bathroom. At this point, everybody else was up and quickly preparing for class. She migrated downstairs to hopefully make some toast, but when she turned toward the kitchenette she saw a familiar face. A shorter yet significantly more toned frame than herself had just turned from the stove with a pan in his hand, sliding an omelet onto a glass plate. He immediately took notice of her, waving her over-enthusiastically. « Aurora, there you are! You were taking longer than usual, so I made you breakfast. »

Aurora walked over with a grateful smile on her face. "Thanks, Lyon. You're the best bro ever," she said, taking the plate. "I trust you've already eaten?"

Lyon cleared his throat, a little tic he had to do each time he switched languages. Despite how long they had been in Japan, he had never really gotten a grasp of the language. "Yes. You'd be mad if not." He accompanied her over to the small table she used to eat. "What's up today?"

"I'm going to a new candy shop with Mitsu," Aurora explained.

"Can I come?" Lyon asked.

"Lyon, it's a date. Unless you have your own girlfriend and want to do a double date, then no," Aurora scoffed with a smile.

Lyon looked over the small arrangement of their peers in the room. "Mikuno!" he called to a brunette about to walk out the door. She turned her head inquisitively. "Wanna date?"

Her cheeks flushed red, and she quickly slipped out the door, making sure to close it swiftly. Aurora laughed, a combination of chuckles and deep inhales for breath. "You didn't need to tease her like that," she said.

"She knows it's not real," Lyon insisted. "Oh well. I hope your date goes well."

*            . • .     • .                 • .    • °. •.    •     . •    . • . ✦• . • .      • . • .               •.     . • . • .    •                  ★               . • . ★     . ° . •          . • .       • *.     •         *            . •★     . ° . •          . • .           .

Hachimitsu arrived at the candy shop forty-five minutes early. She had rushed straight after school and still had her backpack. As she pushed the door open, a soft chiming sounded from the bells positioned above it. She could hear the slight buzz of machines running through an open door in the back, almost hidden under a soft, nostalgic tune playing from a speaker somewhere.

Three booths lined the wall to her right, the nearest one only about two feet from her. Two more circular tables were spaced about the remaining area, and a couple small square tables were tucked away in the other two corners. Two of the walls were covered in windows: the one with the entrance door and the wall to her left, allowing sunlight to stream in.  The tables were wooden and lacquered, stained with a variety of pastel colors: pink, mint, blue, lilac.

Running parallel to the back wall, about five feet away from it, was a counter separating the seating area from the majority of the candy. Most of the counter was covered in candy dispensers, with paper bowls stacked next to them, and a weight. Behind the counter, however, was the candy that had to be bought individually. These were all imported by other factories, but they weren't the crowd-pleasers. The real attraction wasn't something on display; it was the owners' ability to make homemade candy.

The Minato family took special orders for almost any type of candy and had made so much money off their skill in their hometown that they had been able to move to Musutafu to be closer to their daughter. Hachimitsu watched as an older man stepped through the door in the back, presumably in response to the bells ringing. He immediately locked eyes with her, smiling in a way that made it clear she was welcome here. As she approached the counter, his raspy voice greeted her. "Thank you for ing us for our grand opening. How can we help you today?"

"Actually, I called in a few days ago," Hachimitsu started to explain. "I saw on your website that you were taking requests that would be purchasable upon the opening day, and I made an order. I was wondering if you could..." She explained her plan to him, and he was all too happy to help her out. He disappeared into the back room, and she made her way to one of the corner tables. This one was tinted lilac and didn't rock as she dropped her heavy backpack on top of it. She unzipped it and delicately removed a wrapped gift out from the largest pouch.

She stuffed her backpack under her chair and sat down with the present in her lap. She gazed out the window, kicking her feet in anticipation until she spotted Aurora approaching. Within a few minutes, the brunette was sitting across from her. Her hair was long and silky as always, and her stature and movement displayed grace and confidence. Her blue eyes betrayed how nervous she was. She always had that look in her eyes when they were on a date. At first, Hachimitsu thought she was only with her because she was too kind to break up with her, and had even asked her about it. Aurora had assured her she wanted to stay in a relationship, and that she was nervous for different reasons.

"I wasn't expecting there to be tables," Aurora itted, looking around curiously. "Most candy shops are just shelves full of candy that you grab, buy, and leave."

"I think it's cute," Hachimitsu said. "It's like a fro-yo shop. We can buy candy, sit down and talk."

"Then why aren't we buying the candy?" she asked, her eyes shifting over to the dispensers on the counter. "Ooh, they have Lemonheads. I've yet to find a single store in Japan that sells them."

Lemonheads? Hachimitsu had never heard of them. She followed Aurora's gaze to a dispenser full of small yellow spheres. "Lemon? A-Are they sour?" she asked.

"Very much, yes," Aurora nodded.

A pit dropped in Hachimitsu's stomach. "D-Do you like sour candy? More than...sweet candy?"

"Honestly? Yeah," Aurora replied, unaware that Hachimitsu was panicking. The honey girl fell silent, her gaze shifting to the door behind the counter. Maybe she should tell Mr. Minato to cancel her order, not bring it out. What if Aurora didn't like it?

"Yeah, let's..." she had been planning to suggest getting candy, but paused as she saw Mr. Minato emerge with her gift. Damn, it was too late. If Hachimitsu had been capable of blushing, her entire face would be red. Instead, she trained her eyes on Aurora as he approached the table, putting the basket full of different types of chocolate in front of them.

"W-What's this?" Aurora asked in  an amused tone, surveying the sweets. "Did you already order?"

Hachimitsu dipped her head in gratitude at the man, who smiled back and disappeared into the back room. Then, she looked back to Aurora, clearing her throat. "I-I actually special ordered their homemade chocolate a few days ago," she explained. "Uh, there's a lot of different types, but I didn't know you liked sour candy. You like mint, yeah? There's mint chocolate in there too. You don't have to eat anything if you don't want it. I won't be upset, it's my fault for-"

"Mitsu," Aurora interrupted her, her voice sweeter than honey. Hachimitsu fell silent, awaiting her judgement. "I may prefer sour candy, but I still like chocolate. This is super sweet. Just like you."

Hachimitsu felt her tension disappearing. Of course Aurora wouldn't just throw it on the ground and dump her. Aurora was far more kind and loving than that. "Well, in that case...There's more," she said. She contorted her body to reach under her seat, pulling out the wrapped gift. It was rectangular and flat, wrapped in a light blue paper with pink polka dots.

Aurora took it delicately, undoing the bow that held it all together. She unwrapped it to reveal an image in a simple white frame. The image was from the night Hachimitsu had proposed the two of them become a thing. It was during a dance hosted by the school, and Aurora was dressed in a red thigh-length dress with a black undershirt. The image was taken before they even entered the gymnasium. A professional photographer had been offering pictures in the lobby, and Hachimitsu had dragged Aurora over.

"This is quite the memory," Aurora said, pulling the remainder of the wrapping off it. "I feel bad now, I didn't bring any gifts for you. What's with all of these presents?"

"It's our 1-year anniversary," Hachimitsu replied.

Aurora's expression changed to shock with a tint of fear, looking down at the image. "Oh gods. I didn't even- How did I not realize? I'm the worst girlfriend ever. And I almost cancelled the date, too," she began to panic.

"Rora, it's fine," Hachimitsu assured her, smiling. "I nearly forgot it too. I only ed because I saved it in my phone's calendar."

"But I didn't even bother to do that!" Aurora exclaimed, covering her face in her hands.

"Actually, you did," Hachimitsu reminded her. "You got a new phone. You just forgot to transfer all you calendar stuff. Now, stop beating yourself up. The Minato candy-making skills was enough to afford them to both move here and start up their own business. Let's test out this candy."

By the time the sun began to set, the girls were on a sugar high. They hadn't eaten the whole basket, but had eaten enough to be considered unhealthy. They were there all afternoon, giggling at nearly everything. They finally left when they were informed the shop would be closing in an hour. They threw away their trash and collected their belongings before stepping into the city, silhouetted by a sinking sun. The light was orange, seeping through the gaps between the tall buildings surrounding them.

"This was wonderful," Aurora chuckled. "I'm so glad I agreed to do this. I haven't had this much fun in months."

Hachimitsu agreed, but the words didn't come to her mouth. She was too busy staring at Aurora beside her, one half of her face orange, and the other hidden in shadow. Her blue eyes were scanning the city before them as if she had never seen it before. Hachimitsu reached up, taking her head between her heads, and kissed her. To most people, this was the natural conclusion to a 1-year-anniversary date. Aurora, however, was frozen in shock. When Hachimitsu realized she wasn't kissing back, she disengaged, leaning back on her heels.

"I gotta go," Aurora said before briskly walking away, her face red. It had been their first kiss. Hachimitsu had wanted to kiss her the first day they met two and a half years ago. And she finally had. It had taken forever. Aurora use the excuse that she had never kissed anybody before, and was scared that she would mess up. Especally considering Hachimitsu was made entirely of honey - wouldn't kissing her be messy? In reality, they both knew that wasn't the reason. It was because Hachimitsu is a girl. Aurora had never imagined she'd date a girl, nevermind kiss one.

It was probably a bad thing to do, to kiss her when she wasn't ready. But it was all Hachimitsu could think to do. She had been considering doing it for a while, assuming it would be similar to immersion therapy. But in the end, she had really done it on a whim. How could somebody see such a beautiful lady, framed in the perfect light, and not kiss her? That would have been inhumane. Hopefully, Aurora would forgive her.

*            . • .     • .                 • .    • °. •.    •     . •    . • . ✦• . • .      • . • .               •.     . • . • .    •                  ★               . • . ★     . ° . •          . • .       • *.     •         *            . •★     . ° . •          . • .           .

They hadn't revisited the candy store since. They went on dates to other areas, but Aurora felt uncomfortable whenever they ed by the shop. She didn't resent Mitsu for kissing her; she resented herself for not being able to kiss her back. She had been wanting to make up for it for a while, but she believed today was finally the right day. Mitsu had been chosen to the top three heroes in a mission, not as a sidekick but as a pro hero. This was a fairly new tradition, one that had started their first year at U.A. Once a year, one of the top three heroes would ask for assistance from a third-year at U.A. Who would accompany them was up to the school.

The reveal that Mitsu would be the one going was a shock to the class. Everybody was certain it would be Aurora, Isui, or Kiyoshi, who had been relentlessly one-upping each other to prove their worth. Honestly, Aurora much preferred the honor go to Mitsu rather than the other two. This was a great chance to get some exposure as a hero. All eyes would be on her.

A surprise date. That's how Aurora had expained it, before blindfolding Mitsu to the best of her ability and hoping nobody thought she was kidnapping her. As they stepped into the candy shop, Mitsu giggled, clearly aware of where they were. Aurora's blue eyes scanned the shop until she spotted the table with a basket of a variety of chocolates. She lead her girlfriend over, sitting her down and removing the blindfold. "Rora-chan!" she exclaimed happily.

"Congrats on the gig," Auora said, sitting across from her. "I figured this deserves just as much celebration as our anniversary." She reached into her bag, pulling out the image and propping it up against the window beside them like decoration.

"The gig? That would explain the sudden endearment," Mitsu giggled.

"The mission's tomorrow, right?" Aurora asked. Mitsu nodded, reaching toward some strawberry chocolate. "Then, go crazy. After tomorrow, you'll ne too famous to visit a small shop like this without papparazzi swarming you."

"I'll be sure to mention you in my speech as the next symbol of hope," Mitsu rolled her eyes. "But seriously, you didn't need to do any of this."

"Of course I did," Aurora insisted. She wanted to say she needed to make up for last time, but her mouth wouldn't open. Instead, she shook her head to clear her thoughts. "Now shut up and stuff your mouth with candy."

Aurora noticed that Mitsu didn't eat nearly as much candy as last time. She felt guilty for having more than Mitsu, considering this was supposed to be a celebration for her. She ed it off by explaining she needed a full night's sleep, and didn't want to try to sleep with a stomach ache. Aurora knew she feared she might make a poor decision in a sugar rush, like kissing Aurora again.

At one point, Aurora left to grab a sample of Lemonheads. When she turned back from the counter, she saw Mitsu gazing out the window. Even though she couldn't see her expression, her shoulders sagged, and her posture wasn't the greatest. She looked sad. Looking out the window revealed the sun was setting, and the city was awash in orange once more. Aurora walked over, setting the paper bowl on the table and tapping Mitsu's shoulder.

She turned inquisitively. Aurora took a deep breath, swallowing her nerves, and kissed her. There was a moment of shock before Mitsu started kissing back. It wasn't something Aurora was used to, and she had no idea if she was doing it right. When they stopped, Mitsu was giggling uncontrollably. "W-What?" Aurora asked, stepping back, thinking she had embarrassed herself. "Did I do something wrong?"

"N-No," Mitsu said between laughs. "You're just...you're adorable. I love you."

Her giggling immediately ceased, her eyes widening as she realized what she had just said. They narrowed slightly in a sheepish expression, and she continued. "Ah, you can ignore that. I don't want to make things any more awkward than they need to be. You don't have to say it back," she said quietly.

And she didn't. Aurora just sat back down, continuing to eat candy until they were kicked out, as if nothing had been said. In reality, she was panicking. They had been dating for over a year, Aurora should be able to tell her she loved her. She considered for a moment - did she? If she didn't surely the relationship would have failed by now? And yet, Mitsu was so clearly more into the relationship than Aurora. She was ready to say "I love you," while Aurora was still meandering on the phase of being comfortable with kissing. Was she doing something wrong?

The night ended with the same tension in the air. They split off to their separate rooms, knowing full well one of them had opened their heart, while the other had ignored it.

*            . • .     • .                 • .    • °. •.    •     . •    . • . ✦• . • .      • . • .               •.     . • . • .    •                  ★               . • . ★     . ° . •          . • .       • *.     •         *            . •★     . ° . •          . • .           .

Hachimitsu couldn't move. They hadn't expected one of the villains to have a fire-based quirk. When exposed to the heat, her body had hardened, and now she was stuck in an uncomfortable position. It wouldn't take much to shatter her. She'd be like a puzzle, to be put back together to be recognizable. The only thing that prevented her death was one of Deku's sidekicks, who desparately fought to keep the villain away from Hachimtsu.

All she could think about was the day previous. Aurora had kissed her back. That was checked off her bucket list. And even though there were several other things on that same bucket list, Hachimitsu didn't mind the possibility that she wouldn't be doing the rest of them. She had kissed Aurora. Not only that, but she had been able to tell her she loved her before dying.

Perhaps having such a negative outlook wasn't the most healthy. She should be hoping that somebody would respond to the sidekick's call for backup. She shouldn't assume she was doomed. But she knew. It was a gut instinct. It was only a matter of time.

Aurora hadn't said she loved Hachimitsu back. She let the thought run through her mind, waiting for despair to follow. But it never came. It didn't matter if Aurora loved her back. Even if the feeling was unrequited, Hachimitsu loved her. And no matter how this turned out, loving Aurora was worth living, even if she didn't reciprocate.

*            . • .     • .                 • .    • °. •.    •     . •    . • . ✦• . • .      • . • .               •.     . • . • .    •                  ★               . • . ★     . ° . •          . • .       • *.     •         *            . •★     . ° . •          . • .           .

The entire day had been spent under the pitying gaze of her classmates. Even Homura had approached her, wanting to console her, as if she was a puppy who had lost their owner. Isui and Kiyoshi had offered their condolences, but she had snapped back at them. She was sure they were being patronizing, implying that if they had been the ones to go on the mission, nobody would have died. They entire day was emotionally and mentally draining; she can't imagine what Mitsu's family had to deal with.

She could've taken the day off school. It was an option for the entire class, and yet very few took up the offer. However, she made sure to head to her room the moment classes were over. She slammed the door shut behind her, and, in her rage, threw her backpack across the room. It slammed against the wall, and she heard something crack. Probably her laptop; she didn't care right now. She stuffed her hand into the pocket of her jacket, pulling out a folded piece of paper.

Mitsu's body would change color quickly. There was no way to restore the color of life to a body made of honey; if she didn't have her funeral soon, she wouldn't look like herself. Apparently, this had been the first thing on her parents' mind; her funeral would be in two days. So soon...Aurora had half a mind to throw away the paper, and never think about it again. But she couldn't. She had to attend.

She had no recollection of the day before the funeral. She suspected she stayed in bed, and Lyon had to take care of her. It had been that way the day before her mother's private funeral as well. Lyon, despite how childish he was, seemed to be more emotionally resilient than Aurora. She found it ironic.

What bothered her even more, however, was that she was unaware of how she had made it in front of Mitsu's grave, a clump of dirt in her hand. Was the funeral already this far along? She ed pulling up at the graveyard, and now, she was here, looking down at the six-foot-deep hole, amidst all the other heroes buried in the graveyard.

She was on her knees, steadying herself with her empty hand against the ground. Everything was blurry. No, she was sure she had put in her s this morning. It took her a while to realize she was crying. Right, that was the correct response to this sight. When she noticed she was crying, she just wanted to wail. She wanted to scream into the hole, but didn't. She couldn't blame Mitsu. Instead, all she could think about was her kindness. Even before they had dated, Mitsu seemed to go out of her way to please Aurora. Not just Aurora...everybody in the class. She was a kind individual, helping people with literally anything. Aurora could think of nobody to compare her to; she was better than anybody who came to mind.

"Of course I love you too," she whispered, barely able to hear herself. "I didn't...I don't deserve somebody like you. But I let you leave, I let you die, without telling you I love you. I'm sorry." And she threw the dirt in.

When Aurora returned to her room, the entire building felt empty. The grey sunlight streamed through the blinds, illuminating particles of dust stationed in the air. Her eyes were drawn to her backpack, which still lied where she ahd thrown it. She just stared at it for a few minutes, lost in thought, until something occured to her. She rushed over, unzipping it and searching through it hectically. She pulled out the picture of her and Mitsu at the school.

It was cracked by the force of the bag being thrown against the wall. A hole in the glass was stationed on Mitsu's shoulder, and the cracks distorted her face beyond recognition. She should get a new frame. Something nice and expensive. She ran her finger across the cracked glass, only stopping once she noticed she was smearing blood across the image. Right. Broken glass is sharp.

She couldn't replace the frame. This is what Mitsu had given her. She had already defaced it - she couldn't change it more. She set it up on the desk, next to the basket of candy from their last date. She stared at it, wondering what would have happened if she had decided not to go to that dance. The first thing that jumped to mind was the possibility of Mitsu not dying. It may seem like a long stretch, but the thought process was natural to Aurora. Instead of going on a date with Mitsu, Aurora would have trained with Kenta. She would have gotten the gig. She would've survived. Would everything have been better if the two never got together?

...No. No, nothing would be better. She would have missed out on so much joy. And perhaps it wasn't right for her to be thinking this, since she wasn't the one who died. But she believed that knowing Mitsu the way she did was worth this. Love was worth it. Love is worth it.

art credit

𝐀𝐔𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐑'𝐒 𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐄𝐒 ━━━━━━

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￣￣  :hearts:   :hearts:   :hearts:   :hearts:   :hearts:   ￣￣

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That was a lot of writing. This isn't

something I plan to have canon

to either of their lives, but it was

fun to write!

#EunoiaDR

#OCLoveFriday