(no subject)
Of course, at first it was really weird to see Trip without Virus. When Aoba had seen that, he had immediately gotten worried; they were always together, birds of a feather and peas in a pod, but this time it wasn’t the case and for a good while, Aoba was sure he was about to have a heartattack when Trip seemed to be showing an emotion other than amusement as he fidgeted in front of him.
This was the first time he had seen Trip fidget.
Fidgeting and Trip were not two words he would put together unless it was due to impatience; and Trip never fidgeted out of impatience.
Right now he was fidgeting out of worry, and it made Aoba’s heart jump into his throat until he spoke.
“Yo, Aoba. Need your help.” He was as straightforward and as curt as always and Aoba furrowed his brow, scooting a little on the bench that he was sitting on and he patted the seat next to him and Trip nodded and sat next to him, legs spread and arms hanging from in between them.
“I like Virus.” Was the second thing that Trip had murmured and Aoba’s brows furrowed; he knew that he liked the other.
It was pretty obvious with how he clung to him.
“Yeah, so-- wait.” He felt a bit stupid when he saw how Trip’s face went slightly pink, something very out of character for him and Aoba just wanted that confident, cocksure male back.
“Oh.”
“Yeah.”
They were a bit silent for a while, Aoba’s hands fisting on the bench for a bit as he waited for Trip to speak. “But I can’t read him.” Was what the blond had said finally, lips curled downwards in annoyance and Aoba couldn’t help but snicker.
“You want me to give you dating tips, basically?”
A scowl was apparent on Trip’s face as he said that and he couldn’t help but laugh slightly, shoulders shaking as Trip actually nodded very slightly.
“Okay, I’ll help you- listen up.”
He had actually made a good choice coming to him, Aoba thought. He knew Virus very well.
0o0
When he had been walking along, he had chanced upon seeing Virus and Trip and he had made sure not to get himself caught as the two were talking.
As he looked from afar, he could see that Trip and Virus were actually having an engaging conversation and as he shuffled a bit closer, he could hear them disagree and agree about things and he grinned.
Trip was actually using his advice rather well.
Even from a good distance away he could practically sense how happy and at peace the two were, and he couldn’t help but feel a warmth in his chest.
0o0
When Trip had come to him again, he seemed much happier and much more relaxed than the last time. It was obvious that his advice of slowly engaging Virus with not only his interests but his own was going very well.
Both of them were dumbasses, so helping them out was going to be easy even though Trip thought it was impossible at first.
When the other asked him again for help, Aoba didn’t even hesitate to fire off another suggestion that Trip could do and the blond seemed taken aback.
He leant back against the same bench that they had met up on the first time, staring up at the sky before he nodded and grinned at Aoba. Before Aoba could blink, an arm wrapped around his neck and he was suddenly brought in for a noogie.
“Hey! Let go! Dumbass! Let me goooo!”
“Naaaaah! Don’t wanna.”
Even though he struggled, he doubted he could get away due to Trip’s horrific strength. As the other continued to annoy and tease him like this, he felt warm in his chest again.
This normality was… nice.
0o0
Lately Virus had been much livelier, he noticed, so he guessed that the things that he had been suggesting to Trip were working well, and Trip was definitely much happier now.
He seemed to grin more and was definitely more passionate when he did his things (i.e: tease Koujaku to death about seeing sides of Aoba that he hadn’t and then taken him on in a fight) and it was refreshing to see both the blond partners be happy and passionate.
Even Virus’ insults seemed much more venomous and creative now, and Aoba had been contemplating for a good while on whether or not that was a good thing given that it meant that more people would be broken due to Virus’ harsh words, but he guessed that there were different kicks for different people.
The blue-haired male had been daydreaming for too long because all of a sudden, a hand was in his hair and ruffling him roughly and he yelled and struggled, knowing full well that it was Trip once he heard the others barely suppressed snicker.
“YOU SHIT!”
Even though he insulted the other and felt mostly annoyed, he couldn’t help but love the affection.
0o0
Trip visited him daily now, asking him on his opinions on his plans and Aoba had grown to actually anticipate his visits. Every day, he seemed to get happier and his voice held even more glee in them than a kid in a candy shop, and Aoba felt joy for the other-
--yet, he also felt a heavy weight on his shoulders whenever Trip seemed to talk about Virus so fondly.
For a good while, he couldn’t quite understand why. Trip had commented a few times that he seemed to look uncomfortable, but Aoba always dismissed him and blamed it on something else. Trip wasn’t pushy, so he merely accepted it as was.
He probably wasn’t good with consoling anyway.
0o0
It was then that Aoba realised he liked Trip.
On that very day, his heart shattered into pieces.
0o0
One day, Trip had come to Aoba and told him, in an excited voice, that they were going to have a date- an actual date as hopefully soon to be boyfriends and Aoba had grinned and punched him on the shoulder, wishing him the best of luck about the whole thing and he really did mean it.
He wanted it to go well for them both; they deserved it after finally being allowed to be human, he thought. Though, Aoba was the only one that knew about what happened to them of course.
He ignored his own hurt for a bit.
The two were supposed to meet up after Virus was done with his work in two days, so Aoba listed off some fancy restaurants that he had heard Yoshie-san talk about a million times.
Trip listened to him attentively then thanked him and left. Once he was gone, Aoba sat on the bench and cried quietly. He hadn’t even noticed that he was crying until Ren pointed it out.
He merely pet the allmate.
0o0
Two days had come in a flash, and he waited the entire day for Trip to tell him the result of the date.
He bet it was going to be a good and great date.
0o0
It was five in the afternoon when he received a message on his coil.
Virus died during work.
0o0
Of course Aoba had bolted to where Trip was only in an overgrown shirt.
Of course he had forgotten to dress and ran through the town in an overgrown shirt with boxers and no shoes.
Of course he had picked the lock and forced his way in and immediately held the quiet and aghast looking blond who was just staring at his coil, the screen saying “Message sent” and his name was on it as well.
Without saying much, he held the blond and pressed his head against Aoba’s chest and for a while, Trip wasn’t reacting and Aoba didn’t force him to, didn’t pressure him to say anything.
He heard a click then a beep as the coil was shut off then thrown away absentmindedly.
Strong arms wrapped around Aoba’s lanky figure and he felt the other return the embrace, not saying anything.
He didn’t cry either.
Aoba didn’t think he knew how to.
0o0
He didn’t know how long he held Trip, but he didn’t like how quiet the other was.
“I’m sorry.” Was all that Aoba could muster up.
Trip merely shook his head.
0o0
He spoke again, though his voice was soft, and his words were about how grateful he was that he at least had Aoba to come comfort him.
Virus and Aoba were his only friends.
Aoba was… pretty much his only best friend.
His heart hurt from the idea of being his best friend, but now was not the time for that.
“I’ll help you cope.”
“Yeah.”
That was the best he could do.
After all, how could Aoba make up for the loss of the biggest presence in Trip’s life?
It was impossible. All he could do was help him cope.
This was the first time he had seen Trip fidget.
Fidgeting and Trip were not two words he would put together unless it was due to impatience; and Trip never fidgeted out of impatience.
Right now he was fidgeting out of worry, and it made Aoba’s heart jump into his throat until he spoke.
“Yo, Aoba. Need your help.” He was as straightforward and as curt as always and Aoba furrowed his brow, scooting a little on the bench that he was sitting on and he patted the seat next to him and Trip nodded and sat next to him, legs spread and arms hanging from in between them.
“I like Virus.” Was the second thing that Trip had murmured and Aoba’s brows furrowed; he knew that he liked the other.
It was pretty obvious with how he clung to him.
“Yeah, so-- wait.” He felt a bit stupid when he saw how Trip’s face went slightly pink, something very out of character for him and Aoba just wanted that confident, cocksure male back.
“Oh.”
“Yeah.”
They were a bit silent for a while, Aoba’s hands fisting on the bench for a bit as he waited for Trip to speak. “But I can’t read him.” Was what the blond had said finally, lips curled downwards in annoyance and Aoba couldn’t help but snicker.
“You want me to give you dating tips, basically?”
A scowl was apparent on Trip’s face as he said that and he couldn’t help but laugh slightly, shoulders shaking as Trip actually nodded very slightly.
“Okay, I’ll help you- listen up.”
He had actually made a good choice coming to him, Aoba thought. He knew Virus very well.
0o0
When he had been walking along, he had chanced upon seeing Virus and Trip and he had made sure not to get himself caught as the two were talking.
As he looked from afar, he could see that Trip and Virus were actually having an engaging conversation and as he shuffled a bit closer, he could hear them disagree and agree about things and he grinned.
Trip was actually using his advice rather well.
Even from a good distance away he could practically sense how happy and at peace the two were, and he couldn’t help but feel a warmth in his chest.
0o0
When Trip had come to him again, he seemed much happier and much more relaxed than the last time. It was obvious that his advice of slowly engaging Virus with not only his interests but his own was going very well.
Both of them were dumbasses, so helping them out was going to be easy even though Trip thought it was impossible at first.
When the other asked him again for help, Aoba didn’t even hesitate to fire off another suggestion that Trip could do and the blond seemed taken aback.
He leant back against the same bench that they had met up on the first time, staring up at the sky before he nodded and grinned at Aoba. Before Aoba could blink, an arm wrapped around his neck and he was suddenly brought in for a noogie.
“Hey! Let go! Dumbass! Let me goooo!”
“Naaaaah! Don’t wanna.”
Even though he struggled, he doubted he could get away due to Trip’s horrific strength. As the other continued to annoy and tease him like this, he felt warm in his chest again.
This normality was… nice.
0o0
Lately Virus had been much livelier, he noticed, so he guessed that the things that he had been suggesting to Trip were working well, and Trip was definitely much happier now.
He seemed to grin more and was definitely more passionate when he did his things (i.e: tease Koujaku to death about seeing sides of Aoba that he hadn’t and then taken him on in a fight) and it was refreshing to see both the blond partners be happy and passionate.
Even Virus’ insults seemed much more venomous and creative now, and Aoba had been contemplating for a good while on whether or not that was a good thing given that it meant that more people would be broken due to Virus’ harsh words, but he guessed that there were different kicks for different people.
The blue-haired male had been daydreaming for too long because all of a sudden, a hand was in his hair and ruffling him roughly and he yelled and struggled, knowing full well that it was Trip once he heard the others barely suppressed snicker.
“YOU SHIT!”
Even though he insulted the other and felt mostly annoyed, he couldn’t help but love the affection.
0o0
Trip visited him daily now, asking him on his opinions on his plans and Aoba had grown to actually anticipate his visits. Every day, he seemed to get happier and his voice held even more glee in them than a kid in a candy shop, and Aoba felt joy for the other-
--yet, he also felt a heavy weight on his shoulders whenever Trip seemed to talk about Virus so fondly.
For a good while, he couldn’t quite understand why. Trip had commented a few times that he seemed to look uncomfortable, but Aoba always dismissed him and blamed it on something else. Trip wasn’t pushy, so he merely accepted it as was.
He probably wasn’t good with consoling anyway.
0o0
It was then that Aoba realised he liked Trip.
On that very day, his heart shattered into pieces.
0o0
One day, Trip had come to Aoba and told him, in an excited voice, that they were going to have a date- an actual date as hopefully soon to be boyfriends and Aoba had grinned and punched him on the shoulder, wishing him the best of luck about the whole thing and he really did mean it.
He wanted it to go well for them both; they deserved it after finally being allowed to be human, he thought. Though, Aoba was the only one that knew about what happened to them of course.
He ignored his own hurt for a bit.
The two were supposed to meet up after Virus was done with his work in two days, so Aoba listed off some fancy restaurants that he had heard Yoshie-san talk about a million times.
Trip listened to him attentively then thanked him and left. Once he was gone, Aoba sat on the bench and cried quietly. He hadn’t even noticed that he was crying until Ren pointed it out.
He merely pet the allmate.
0o0
Two days had come in a flash, and he waited the entire day for Trip to tell him the result of the date.
He bet it was going to be a good and great date.
0o0
It was five in the afternoon when he received a message on his coil.
Virus died during work.
0o0
Of course Aoba had bolted to where Trip was only in an overgrown shirt.
Of course he had forgotten to dress and ran through the town in an overgrown shirt with boxers and no shoes.
Of course he had picked the lock and forced his way in and immediately held the quiet and aghast looking blond who was just staring at his coil, the screen saying “Message sent” and his name was on it as well.
Without saying much, he held the blond and pressed his head against Aoba’s chest and for a while, Trip wasn’t reacting and Aoba didn’t force him to, didn’t pressure him to say anything.
He heard a click then a beep as the coil was shut off then thrown away absentmindedly.
Strong arms wrapped around Aoba’s lanky figure and he felt the other return the embrace, not saying anything.
He didn’t cry either.
Aoba didn’t think he knew how to.
0o0
He didn’t know how long he held Trip, but he didn’t like how quiet the other was.
“I’m sorry.” Was all that Aoba could muster up.
Trip merely shook his head.
0o0
He spoke again, though his voice was soft, and his words were about how grateful he was that he at least had Aoba to come comfort him.
Virus and Aoba were his only friends.
Aoba was… pretty much his only best friend.
His heart hurt from the idea of being his best friend, but now was not the time for that.
“I’ll help you cope.”
“Yeah.”
That was the best he could do.
After all, how could Aoba make up for the loss of the biggest presence in Trip’s life?
It was impossible. All he could do was help him cope.