#and then all the sudden aki freezes up and makes a weird face and covers his eye

[meownotgood]

since future devil resides in aki's right eye does he cover it up on instinct so only he gets to see you or something lmao 😭 - bnuuy

aki forgets about it most of the time, usually he doesn't care all that much because the devil hardly says anything, he only talks during battle and seems disinterested in trivial things. but all it takes is for the future devil to make one snide comment in his ear while aki is getting it on with you for aki to insist he cover his eye with his palm the entire time

[sentofighta]

Happy Birthday, Deuce and...I love you. || @oursongofhealing

It is the day. Machina made up his mind to finally come with terms with his feelings. It was not easy at all. For years, he thought he loved Rem. Perhaps because she was the only person in his village to survive with him. The only person he remembers after ‘Izana’ but now she is...truly the only one.

His feelings were mixed, he loved her, wanted to protect her, wanted to make her happy, all because she was always pushing herself even though she was sick. She covered it up with tiny lies but he saw through them but couldn’t confront her.

Then...Class Zero appeared and everything went crazy, his life, his feelings, everything. Despite how the higher-ups tried to portrait class zero for him, there was something that bugged him about it. Talking to the zero cadets, they felt detached from the world around them yet they cared in their own way. 

He met Deuce and honestly he never thought that one day he could have feelings for another girl beside Rem. Their interactions were superficial, limited to their missions but little by little, fate kept betting on them. Each time they were in a team, he felt a strange feeling; he wanted to be there for her because she is always pushing herself...Ah...just like Rem.

Machina pushed the thought away, thinking his feelings were nothing but how a classmate looks after his fellow classmate. Perhaps with time, he saw her as a little sister because she kept trying to interact with him until a couple of faithful encounters that made him question if he really sees her as just a ‘classmate’, a target for his spying activities. 

His heart was in pain, torn between who he knows he really loves and the new sudden warm feeling he gets whenever he sees the flutist. Even Rem at some point noticed something was wrong with him towards Deuce and she encouraged him on her own way which he did not think about it until later on.

He loves Rem. His fear to lose the only person who he has memories with hunts him. He loves Rem. Perhaps his obsession with being strong had blinded his ‘love’ and made him possessive of her. She never complained that is why he assumed it was the right thing. To love her and wish she was his only, no one had the right to ‘have’ her but him. How foolish...when he thinks about it, it makes him mad at himself for viewing Rem like that. How his simple wish to be strong to protect everyone turned to complete possession of everything?

His fear.

He is scared.

He does not want to forget or be forgotten.

‘She’ made him that way.

‘She’ made Rem that way.

‘She’ put him in an endless cycle of fear and doubt.

‘She’ could have let everything the way it was, everyone was friends but ‘She’ wanted her children to be puppets.

If only they could go back to one of the old spirals, where everything was okay...alas...another one soon starts after and wipes their memories clean. 

New Game  .  .   . ?

New Cycle.

Restart the pain.

Machina was done of feeling pathetic for himself. If it is the only thing he can control in his life, at least he should do it right. For himself, and for her.

Today is her birthday and in his mind, it was probably the only good chance he will ever have to confess his feelings. He has to do it!

Well, easier said than done when his body is refusing to leave his room. Gosh...his heart is about to jump out of his chest, thinking about meeting her and saying...he...he loves her.

Alright, steady breathes. He can do it. “GAaaaaaah!!!!” why did he remember her blue stripes pants now? Commence bashing his head to the nearest wall to calm down. “Nn...that’s....she will be upset of me...I have to tell her about that too...before or after ...Damn it...”

If he kept at this it will be noon and he will ruin every chance of seeing her first in the morning. Pushing himself to open the door, Machina exists his room and head to the girls' dorm. He might die in the process because Studen President Aki might catch him but he does not care (well, he is scared but he is trying his best not to think about this.)

Sneaking inside, his heart dropped when he saw Sice coming his way and quickly opt to hide. Thankfully, she did not see her but to his chagrin, Cinque was right behind him.

“eeeehhh~ machipyon? what are you doing here?”

“AAAAAAH! C-C-Cinque?! M-me? N-nothing. Ha..ha....walking.”

“Walking in the girls' dorm~~?”

“........Yes. I’m maintaining peace.”

“Heeeeeeeeee~ Machina is a nice guy~ Cinque wants to help too! Do you think someone is trying to steal the girls’ panties?”

“P-P-Pa!”

“Pa pa pa?”

“....Nn...I feel...sick...”

“Oh no~ should I go call Deuce? she can cast some healing magic on you ~”

“NOT DEUCE! NOT! DEUCE!”

“Uwah! Machina is acting strange.”

“I-I’m not!...uugghh! just go, okay? I have...I mean I will go too.”

“...Oka~~~y. if you say so. but cinque wanted to help in kicking bad people’s ass too.” 

“thanks, i will call you when i erm fine bad people to be kicked.”

“ye~y!” she turned and walked then stopped, “y’know deuce has left her room already~ she said she was going to water the flowers in the cemetery~ byennee~”

“!!!” how did....he had a hunch that this cinque had more than she let out. So deuce is already out...he wanted to leave this message to get her somewhere where they can talk alone but that is okay too.

Machina quickly left before anyone else spot him or it will be really his death sentence. he made his way to the cemetery which he had to pass through the class and luckily no one was around because it was still early in the morning. he spotted eight who was as per usual training. sheesh...this kid is either training or training. 

He walked into the cemetery, teal eyes flickering around, trying to scan where the flutist is when she got up after watering some plants. His heart skipped a beat seeing her smile at the flowers.

Damn it, he thought to himself, left hand pressed against his chest. He cannot have cold feet now. A deep breath before he walked towards her, “H-hey...” to get her attention and not startle her.

Deuce turned around quickly when she heard the voice and a smile beamed on her features which made him freeze in his place before he shook his head, “Um...you’re early...”

“Mhm. I have to water the poor flowers or no one will.”

“That’s..awful kind of you...”

“Is...it?”

“I-I mean um..you are sure busy and stuff and...make time for them...*sigh* I admire that...”

“Hehe, they can’t water themselves, can they?--- o-oh...” she clasped her hands.

“I admire a lot of things about you...You still talk to me even though I am...a spy.”

“Machina...”

“I have something to tell you, so please, listen to me.”

“Yes, I will. Go ahead, Machina.”

“...Okay...First, I have to apologize for something before I um forget.”

“...?”

“I’m sorry! I am REALLY SORRY!” he bowed, “that day when we were on Milites land and we were climbing for the other side of the building and--”he coughed because he was talking fast, “a-ahem, I...s..s..s-s..saw your...um...underwear....I couldn’t tell you because I was scared that you might think I meant for it to happen! I swear I did not!” he was legit scared to look up but he could tell she tensed up. Deuce’s face was definitely glowing red as she held onto her skirt, pulling it down unconsciously. Great...he ruined the moment.

“I-...It is okay. Machina did not mean to...l-look. Besides, it was my idea to go first so, I know you didn’t mean to...” she was so embarrassed, probably thinking what underwear was she was wearing at that time and she is shy to ask him which one he saw. Crystal...

“D-do you forgive me...?”

“Mhm...It’s in the past.”

“...ha...ha...”

“M-Machina...?’

“...that’s a relief...” he fixed his posture, a smile curled his lips.

“U-um, is that...all?”

“...No.” he closed his eyes, took another deep breath and looked right into her eyes. Deuce felt it was even important so she took this even serious and looked him back right into his eyes. “You know that...I love Rem....”

It was evident that she momentarily flinched but kept her cool, “...yes.”

“I...thought I do. I mean, she was the only person left in my life who knows me. I clung so hard onto her because I was scared of losing her. Of losing the last person who I share memories with. When Izana died, it felt..weird and ..there is something missing in my heart. He was my brother but even now I cannot feel that ...sad to not have him. I feel angry because I cannot recall what he was to me, how we acted around each other, did he loved me? did I love him? were we good family? I...recall nothing. Rem was the only thing I can clearly remember any part of the day and it kept me going.” he paused to sigh and look up. “If it weren’t for that love, I wouldn’t be here...strange...I wouldn’t have met you...” a sad smile formed on his lips. “My love for Rem was...i don’t know if it is but it felt like...obsession more than love. I based everything in my life on her. I..I for sure made it hard for her but she never complained. She was and still a good friend. I wish if she said something about my behavior sooner...Maybe she...loves me...maybe she just petty me...but I can’t go on like this. She has the right to live her life the way she wants. I..I want to protect her but..I want to protect you more.” eyes look back at her. “*sigh* This is..going nowhere....Deuce, I love you.” he let that sink first before he continues. “I love Rem but now I see I was projecting my insecurities on her and treated her unfairly. You came in and opened my eyes. You are the reason i have the courage to stand against my fears, to stand against everything that has shackled me for years.”

Deuce was paralyzed and said nothing. Of course, she was. A confession after that long rant was a curveball.

Machina stepped closer towards her, “Deuce...will you...have me?”