hey! hey, how was your day?

[the son boy child]

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7 ~~if you want to do soulmates platonic is also fine!~~

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[It's been an adjustment, not going to the same school as Haruhi. They've been in the same class since first grade, a little accommodation the school made out of fondness for their resident well-behaved soulmate pair. But Haruhi has big dreams that Shinji wants to see her reach, and Shinji is reluctantly aware that he can't ride through life in Haruhi's pocket. He has another soulmate left to find, after all.]

[Walking home together was a good compromise, at least until last week, when Shinji's gender-and-fashion-indifferent, overwhelmingly practical best friend suddenly got abducted by a teenaged host club. Shinji watched a drama about girls getting taken advantage of by hosts once, but from the stories he's heard already, these guys seem too childish and front-facing to be organizing some kind of sex trafficking scheme.]

[Still, he's a little worried, more about Haruhi's mental state than her physical one. She seems exhausted ever since this started. So he waits for her after school, ignoring how out of place he feels in the courtyard of Ouran in the uniform from his easy-acceptance high school, holding a lukewarm can of juice for something to do with his hands.]

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[A few hours after the end of the school day, as the sun is starting to set, Haruhi manages to finally slip away from the host club and out of school. What a nuisance. Going to school at Ouran is still a great step towards achieving her dreams, the classes are rigorous and the opportunities are unmatched, but this situation with the host club is ridiculous. She's still not completely sure whether it was the members of this pointless club that caused all of her rose soulmate marks to fill in that first day, she didn't even notice until she got home, but she's not even going to address it. She already has one soulmate and that's plenty.

Haruhi is perfectly fulfilled knowing she'll always have Shinji, who is one of the sweetest boys she's ever met, in her life. It doesn't bother her at all that they aren't romantically "meant to be". In fact, it's more convenient that way. She's busy a lot, romance really isn't a huge priority, and Shinji deserves to be with someone who can be there for him for real. Not that they don't spend most days together anyway. Doing homework with Shinji at her place feels like a part of her daily schedule at this point.

Now that a week has passed Haruhi has at least graduated from being an errand "boy" to being a host. It's better because she'll be able to pay them back sooner and the girls are nice to spend time with for the most part but it's still a complete waste of time. She lets out a sigh and relaxes her shoulders as she walks towards the entrance. She can't wait to tell Shinji about today's stupid "Bali" theme.

As if by magic, almost as soon as she thinks his name, Shinji appears!]

Shinji, I was just thinking about you. I hope you weren't waiting too long.

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[Shinji greets Haruhi with a smile and steps into his usual spot at her side easy as breathing. It's an old habit, to stand so that their soulmarks are facing each other. It seemed important when they were 8, although he hardly notices he does it by now.]

Don't worry, I hung out with some guys from my class before I headed over, I haven't been here that long!

[He pauses for a second, then wrinkles his nose a little, confused.]

Um, Haruhi... Why do you smell like pineapple?

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[Haruhi's easy smile drops.]

Tamaki-senpai decided that the host club should be tropical themed today. We had pineapples for the guests.

[They walk farther away from the school as she speaks, her posture growing more relaxed in Shinji's company.]

I was going to message you about it later, actually, so I'm glad you're here. They turned up the heat and I think there were tropical animals in the music room? Everyone had costumes. I don't know how they got any of those things set up overnight. They're...really something else.

[She grimaces. It's hard to come up with a good word to describe the group of weirdos she's forced to spend time with. Haruhi looks over at Shinji and smiles at him.]

It's nice to see you, though.

[It really is, she always feels at home with Shinji and she hopes he knows that.]

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[Shinji nods along with the tropical theme, at least at first. They had him in the first half, they really did. And then Haruhi says 'tropical animals'.]

Wait, animals? They brought animals into the school?

[He immediately thought of giraffes and monkeys.]

How were you having a tea party with a bunch of wild animals in the room? Wouldn't they make a huge mess?

[Shinji's going to be stuck on this for a bit. The last time he heard about anyone bringing animals to school, it was fourth grade and one of their classmates tried to smuggle in her hamster.]

And what do you mean costumes? They didn't make you wear anything weird, did they?

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[Haruhi can't help but laugh.]

I'm--I'm sorry for laughing, it's just, that's exactly what I was thinking when I walked in today. It was mostly birds and lizards but I think I did see a monkey in the trees somewhere. But...that can't be right, I saw handlers remove the birds and lizards but not a monkey.

[That monkey is in fact going to be taking up residence in the music room for at least half of this year before they realize it's there. Or, maybe the twins do know it's there. Hard to say. Either way, Haruhi doesn't know and isn't going to think about it. She shakes her head.]

Tamaki-senpai tried to get me to wear a costume that matched his but I didn't let him. He's been so annoying ever since he realized I'm not a boy.

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[Shinji smiles a little when Haruhi starts laughing; at the very least, she's not so stressed that she's past thinking this stuff is comically absurd.]

Okay, the lizards are probably okay, but-- didn't the birds, you know... poop everywhere? Do you really want them closed in a room with your food?

[A pause.]

Wait, how big is that music room? I was imagining it pretty fancy but, it can't be big enough for birds, right?

[The costumes thing, though. That's an entirely different situation. Shinji makes a face.]

But what's different if you're a girl? I mean, I guess the host thing is pretty... gendered, but he's still got you doing that. Is he like... flirting with you or something?

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[Haruhi's expression matches Shinji's confusion about the whole situation.]

Every time I go into the music room it feels like if I move a curtain there will be an entirely new part of the room. I don't actually know how big it is and, to be honest, I don't think I want to know.

[She really doesn't want to spend too much time and energy considering the bizarre things this group of rich boys does. At Shinji's gender question she lets out a slow sigh.]

Nothing is different if I'm a girl besides the fact that I can't be a host if everyone knows.

[Haruhi hears and ignores the question about Tamaki flirting. That can't be right. He just called himself her father within the past 30min.]

I think Tamaki-senpai wishes I dressed more like a girl for some reason. He's weird.

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7!!!

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[Half of the kitchenware is still in boxes. The biggest issue is that Shinji doesn't know which boxes. They've been finding pots and pans packed in with shower curtains and decorative knickknacks all day. Shinji and Kaworu are both fairly well-organized people, but it turns out that when she has more possession than could fit in a backpack, Rei is not. It doesn't help that Tsubame, six now and very eager to be involved in everything going on around her, had decided to help pack as well.]

[They're only a 20 minute walk from the Suzuharas, but it's still a big deal to have a place of their own. Even having spent most of his time in NERV playing housewife for Asuka and Misato, Shinji had never thought he'd actually have a place of his own one day. It's one of those delightful surprises in this world without Evas-- that he can hold down a job, that Rei is sickly but not dying, that Kaworu is here and whole and breathing while Shinji roots through boxes for their rice cooker.]

[It's almost easier to believe Kaworu's stories about past worlds, endless cycles of failing to save them both. The warm light of the kitchen and the disorganized boxes of belongings seem almost harder to accept, mundane as they are.]

Did someone pack canned goods and one of the spare futons together?

[Shinji laughs to himself in bafflement as he cuts open the most recent box.]

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[This feels like the end. In a good way. Settling down somewhere with Shinji, just the two of them, is the beginning that's tearing away from the end of all Kaworu has known and come to expect. He's never gotten this far, not at all, but waiting for the shoe to drop has weighed on him all these years; who's to say he wouldn't fail to keep them safe from the next big threat again?]

[But that threat never came, and now, this time, these moments feel like it's over. The seed of worry in the back of his mind can wither and die while he pours his soul into loving Shinji. He's starting to stop having the dreams of waking up in space again, naked and alone, prepared to take his part in the whole thing one more time. Together with Shinji he's weathered the road to domesticity and what must be their life of normalcy from now on.]

[Kaworu smiles and wants to touch Shinji's hair and kiss him, but not with the unsheathed boxcutter in his hand.]

Maybe the thought was to keep them safe.

[He hovers around Shinji, ready to help him with the box's mystery mish-mash of contents.]

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[Shinji shakes his head and starts unloading cans of sauce and vegetables, making a neat little pile on the floor. Once he's far enough down to know that there isn't anything more valuable hiding underneath, he stops and tilts his head back to look at Kaworu. That's nostalgic, in a way-- it's been a while since Kaworu had significant height on him.]

Wish they'd picked the plates instead of the cans. How many of those did we lose, three?

[Accepting this box as a lost cause, Shinji sets down the box cutter and stands up. His legs protest the way he'd had them tucked underneath himself and he makes a small noise of complaint, putting a hand on Kaworu's arm to steady himself.]

So, how hungry are you? I think we can probably leave most of this out and find a home for it after we've eaten something.

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[Kaworu can't help but smile at the way Shinji struggles just a little to get up, a testament to their aging, their ability to grow and live on. He holds onto Shinji's hand once he's steady, wrapping his fingers around it, giving it a gentle squeeze.]

Three so far.

[He looks around at the boxes, down at the cans, and curls his fingers against Shinji's hand one at a time.]

I'm a little hungry. I could keep going, but a break for lunch sounds nice, too.

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[Well, that's definitely the quickest and most effective way to get Shinji to stop caring about the plates. He glances down at their hands and smiles, soft and happy with that old edge of shyness filed down to almost nothing.]

Yeah. Me too. Let's eat something.

[He squeezes Kaworu's hand in return, struck again by how lucky he is to be here. He's been having moments of that all day, gentle disbelief.]

I'm, um. Feels a bit weird to say it out of the blue, but I'm really happy you're here.

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[On the day Shinji meets his second soulmate, it's the last thing he expects. He isn't even really paying attention when the new kid is ushered into class that morning-- he's planning a trip to the grocery store after school, and he's trying to think up the most 'homemade rustic commoner' recipes. Haruhi's host friends are weirdly obsessed with cheap food and it's become the easiest way he can help her out with the whole situation. He never would have expected 'rice balls with imitation crab' to become a bargaining chip, but here they are.]

[The teacher calls for everyone's attention and Shinji stops staring out the window and thinking about food. The new boy is standing in the front of the class. Shinji makes eye contact.]

[For a moment, all the sound in the classroom fades to a faint hum. Music plays in the empty space it leaves behind, notes on an imaginary piano. He knows that song. He wakes up with it stuck in his head at least twice a week.]

[The sounds of the room filter back in. Shinji ducks his head and frantically pulls back his sleeve. The music notes halfway up his right forearm are still black, but around each one is a thin halo of color. Together, they make a rainbow.]

[He just gapes.]

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[To put it bluntly, Kaworu's parents just aren't wealthy enough for Ouran Academy. They could afford the Catholic boarding school in the next district but once they moved, prestige was out of their grasp. So, here he is. Public school. He's excited. He'll do just fine without the marches to the cathedral, the biased texts and teachings, and the pressure to hide his sexuality for...obvious reasons. So, yes, public school sounds fantastic.]

[Kaworu has had a fun time meeting teachers and observing students as he wanders the halls in the morning. Everyone is still in uniform, sure, but they're more casual than at the boarding school, and he likes how some kids have their own spin on their uniforms and accessories on their bags. Everything's personal. And if anyone is reading books, they aren't bibles or propaganda disguised as literature written by the teachers.]

[His homeroom teacher calls him into the classroom and he's more than happy to oblige. He walks in, closes the door behind him, and stands in front of the class. The teacher introduces him as a transfer student from the next city over, then asks him to introduce himself. Kaworu looks around the room at his classmates.]

[He meets eyes with a boy and a cello refrain fills his head the same way it does as he falls asleep and wakes up. It makes his heart swell; the one he's been dreaming of, a faint figure in his thoughts, someone he's loved without ever knowing them. He doesn't need to check his arm to know: this boy is the one.]

[He keeps his cool, scans the class as the music fades. He writes his name on the board and turns back to the class.]

I'm Kaworu Nagisa. It's nice to meet all of you.

[He looks directly at the boy by the window again, the one who sounds like the cello. He smiles.]

Please treat me kindly.

[He bows and the teacher assigns him to a seat the row next to the boy but in the far back. It's hard to pay attention to class when the back of his soulmate's head is just so interesting.]

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[Shinji is amazed that he catches his soulmate's name, given how hard his heartbeat is pounding in his ears. His face must be beat red, and oh god, he just smiled right at Shinji. Holy shit, oh god, he's beyond gorgeous, he has such a nice smile and his hair looks so soft and it catches the light like something ethereal, how is he Shinji's??]

[Shinji hears maybe 2 words of homeroom and at most 6 words of Japanese lit. He's so nervous his stomach hurts but that's-- that's better, right? He doesn't want to eat so he can-- do you offer your lunch to your soulmate? He did that with Haruhi but they were seven and platonic. He really, really hopes this one isn't platonic.]

[He somehow survives until the lunch bell, at which point he nearly knocks everything off his desk trying to stand up as quickly as possible. He panics at that point and doesn't actually walk over to Kaworu's desk, because he's embarrassed and oh, just glancing up to look at his soulmate makes him turn red all over again.]

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[Kaworu has a bad habit of leaning his cheek into his hand, giving off a visual impression he's not paying attention which, to be fair, is accurate. It doesn't take long for him to slide into this position, his focus torn between class and just...watching the boy. There's not much to watch, the back of someone's head isn't all that interesting, but Kaworu has dreamt of this moment for so long he can't help himself. Now that he has a face, his daydreams of doing mundane things such as holding hands, taking long walks, and sitting next to one another are complete.]

[What he assumes is the lunch bell rings and only somewhat gets him out of his thoughts. He's aware of students leaving, he can see some turning to one another in his peripheral, but his focus is on that boy, his soulmate, the one he was born to meet. He's been in love with the idea of his soulmate for so long he thought he'd be more prepared for the real thing, but watching him stumble and blush and peek at back at him...how could he have ever imagined what falling in love would truly feel like?]

[Kaworu smiles and with the hand he's not resting his face in he waves.]

Hello. Would you like to eat lunch together?

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