Fate [Ai Mikaze x Reader]

Chapter 10 - An Empty Drop Of Water

"I really don't understand. I can't see anything..." the tealette murmured, as I pushed him further while covering his eyes.
"That's the point~" I hummed.
"Why do you need to cover my eyes, anyway?"
"Aaalright! Stand over here..." I sang, ignoring his question. "Are you ready?"
"I don't know. Can you just uncover my eyes?" he sighed.
"Fine, fine." I chuckled, letting go of him.
"What was the point of that...?" he muttered before he froze. I giggled at his face.
"Ai-kun... I present you the aquarium!!" I grinned widely, spinning around.
"..." he looked all around him. I could see that shine in his eyes... that I didn't see for a long while. That childish wonder, as the colors reflected and danced in his deep blue eyes, just like they were deep oceans themselves. He watched. Watched all the colorful fish swimming around like there was no end. Watched the lights dancing all around the tanks.
"Haha... do you like it?" I asked him quietly. 
"..."
He smiled. A gentle, soft smile ran across his face. "Yeah... yes, I do," he replied softly. "... It's full of... colors..." he tilted his head.
"I'm glad." I hummed.
"Is this what you wanted to show me?" he looked back at me.
"Well... yeah, but this is not exactly it. Come on!!" I grinned, starting to run deeper into the building.
"H-Hey... wait!!"
I didn't have any more patience. I wanted to see him again, I wanted Ai to see him. I ran between the colorful water tanks, then turned on the final corner.
"Indigo!"

...........
The smile froze on my face. I stared in front of myself, quietly. I could barely make out the gentle sound of the waves, or Ai's footsteps beside me.
"What's the rush?? You should stop just running... everywhere. [F/N]?"
Ai looked where I was staring, furrowing his eyebrows. Yet... he saw nothing.
Of course, he saw nothing. Just an empty, quiet water tank with absolutely no life in it.
"..." I slowly stepped closer to the tank. 
".... Where is he?" I breathed out, looking in front of myself with furrowed eyebrows. I wasn't sure why... but Indigo's absence gave me a weird feeling.
"So you noticed, huh, alligator?"
I looked up. The very same man who informed me about Indigo was standing beside me.
"W-Where's Indigo??" I asked. "Did they move him?"
"I wish." he sighed. "No one saw it coming. If only we noticed it sooner..."
"W-What...?" I whispered.
"A heart disease took him away." he smiled at me sadly.
"Heart disease...?"
"It's okay." he pat my shoulder, turning his back on me. "He's in a better place now."
With that, a group of tourists walked past by him, and a second later, he was gone.
"...."
I looked back at the empty tank, taking a shaky breath. My heart hurt. My chest had a tight feeling... a weird feeling that I couldn't quite place. It wasn't even pain... It was... something... horrible.
"What's the matter?" Ai looked at me confused. He read the information plate that was put on the glass of the tank. "Indigo. A dolphin? Interesting..."
"..." I shook my head quietly. "No, Ai..."
"... Is something wrong?" he raised an eyebrow at him.
"...Indigo's gone...."
"... Gone? You mean dead?" he blinked at me. I clenched my fists. "... Oh."
He once again stared into the empty tank. "I'm... sorry about that."
"No... I mean yeah, that obviously hurts. But..." I put my hand to my heart. "... I just have a terrible feeling. A... really... horrible feeling... like..." I furrowed my eyebrows. "... Like foreshadowing that something terrible will happen..."
"... You are probably looking too much into this." he sighed, although I saw on him he was quite uneasy himself.
"... I don't know..." I whispered. "... Hey, Ai. Do you mind if we go somewhere...?"
"...Where?" he tilted his head.
"... Let's just go." I muttered, looking at the tank one last time before starting to walk away.

...

"Is this...?" Ai muttered beside me. I stepped closer to the grave, and sat down beside it, placing the flower from my hair beside the tombstone.
"Yes. My mother."
"..." he looked at me in silence.
"I'm sorry I dragged you here. I just... I come here whenever I feel bad or there is something on my mind."  I mumbled, playing with the flower between my fingers. "I never really knew Mom, but... when I'm able to talk to her like this it makes me feel safe. And I... really need to talk this out of my chest."
...
Ai hesitantly sat down beside me, staring at Mom's tombstone. "... She died thirteen years ago..." he muttered.
"Yeah. I was really young, so I don't know how did she die... My father refuses to tell me. All he tells me is..."
"That it's Shining's fault." he nodded.
"Yeah..." I sighed. "I'm starting to feel like it's just some bluff to make me hate him..."
"Probably..." he muttered quietly.
"... I sometimes... I sometimes wish she would still be..." my voice broke, so I stopped talking. 
"[F/N]...?" Ai looked at me. I quickly turned my face away. "... You are crying..."
".... I-If she would still be alive, things... things could be so much different..." I sobbed out. "I wouldn't have to constantly worry about disappointing my family... I wouldn't have to constantly worry about the consequences... I would have someone who gives comfort..."
...
Ai didn't say anything. That was understandable... He must have been pretty surprised by my sudden complaints. After all, I've never really cried genuine tears in front of him before. So suddenly bursting out in sobs like that must have been pretty odd. 
"..." 
I felt a hand gently grab my shoulder, before pulling me against a chest.
"Ai...?"
"... I heard that this... comforts... people..." he mumbled hesitantly, slowly hugging me.
"... N-No, it's fine--"
"Can you be quiet for once...?" he sighed out quietly, his arms tightening around me, his awkward posture slowly relaxing. "... You said you wanted someone who gives comfort... I believe that's what I'm doing."
"... I-I..." I breathed out, looking at him from the corner of my eye.
I obviously let my guard down - that shouldn't have been done. But, something felt different. The horrible feeling at the back of my heart was replaced with warmth as I felt Ai's soft hand slowly rub my back. An empty machine with no emotions - nothing but a piece of metal, designed to be the perfect idol...
So... why was he doing this?
Why was this happening to me?
Why did I not want him to let go?
All those questions were floating at the back of my head. I was filled with self-consciousness and embarrassment. Was this a step ahead in earning him for the agency? Was this ruining everything I've built up so far?
Do I really care about the agency?
I exhaled. I was as if I breathed out my worries away - I hugged Ai back tightly, letting the warmth I was longing for fill me and my ice-cold heart.

...

At that moment, both of us thought the exact same thing.

Why is my heart pounding so fast...?

_____♫♫♫_____

Short chapter, but I honestly don't really mind.

So excited at this point. So excited at this point.

I'm gonna die.

Ahem... Hope you enjoyed!!