[One-shot] Starchild
Starchild
MA/They - Yara/Yamamoto
2000 words, PG, Starchild AU
Yara felt a spark of frustration that Ryouta had come, that all his imprisonment would be for naught if they were caught.
Prelude-ish thing to this. For yararanger ♥♥♥
The soft swing of the padlock being taken off the door of Yara’s cell caught him by surprise. He’d been in the cell for so long that his sense had grown accustomed to the space around him and was alerted to even the slightest change, be it the air temperature from a body’s warmth or the airflow from a guard ghosting down the prison’s hallways. For him to have not noticed meant…
The door to his cell swung open, completely soundless, and Yara stifled a gasp as a very familiar and entirely unexpected face peered at him through the darkened gloom.
“Yaracchi?” Ryouta whispered, and Yara shot forward, clamping a hand over the boy’s mouth.
“What are you doing here?” he hissed under his breath, lips right next to Ryouta’s ear. It felt like his heart was jumping out of his chest but he wasn’t sure if it was fear or the inexplicable joy at seeing Ryouta again. It had been a very, very long time.
Ryouta had stilled, reaching up to rest his hand over Yara’s, and Yara could feel Ryouta leaning, trying to calm him down, even as he pulled the hand away from his mouth. “We came to get you out… We found a way to make it work.”
Gritting his teeth, Yara steeled himself against Ryouta’s gentle but insistent influence. He knew that he’d understand if he opened up the link, allowed Ryouta in all the way, but that would alert them of Ryouta’s presence. They couldn’t risk it. “You shouldn’t have come.” It was too dangerous and they both knew that. Yara felt a spark of frustration that Ryouta had come, that all his imprisonment would be for naught if they were caught.
“I had to,” Ryouta said, turning around and Yara couldn’t resist this time as their eyes met. The stars were there, swirling and bright, and he could feel Ryouta’s fire slowly warming through him. They remained separate (Ryouta seemed to understand that much) but it felt so good to have Ryouta right there. “I couldn’t leave you, Yaracchi… You’ve been protecting me for too long.” Ryouta said this as he took both of Yara’s hands in his, twining their fingers together. “Let me protect you now.”
The stars held Yara captive for a moment, Ryouta leaning close, almost so close that their lips were touching, but Yara could only just barely feel them. Then he was released, and he realized he’d been holding his breath, but he felt stronger than before, Ryouta’s spark spreading through his bloodstream.
“Okay,” he said, still at a whisper, gaze flicking to the open prison gate, and then back at Ryouta, who had taken a step back. “Okay.”
“I can’t hide the both of us so the alarm will go off as soon as you step out of this cell,” Ryouta murmured, turning to the entrance, one hand still firmly in Yara’s. “Yonehana and Tatsumi will be waiting for us, but we have to get to them fast.”
“Yone and Tatsumi?” The fools, of course they would assist Ryouta on his suicidal mission into the prison fortress. He felt a surge of affection for them all, even as Ryouta carefully tugged him towards the gate.
“You’ll have to close your eyes,” Ryouta said, fingers lacing tight through Yara’s. He looked calm, on the surface, but his eyes danced nervously and Yara could feel his entire body trembling - with fear? Tension? Yara wished he could tell - through their linked hands.
He almost pulled away, almost told Ryouta that he didn’t have to do this, but Ryouta glanced over his shoulder again, the stars, and Yara knew he could never talk Ryouta out of it.
Smiling, Ryouta swung their hands between them for a moment before facing the door. “Close your eyes and trust me.”
Yara rocked on the balls of his feet, screwing his eyes shut because he knew he couldn’t open them, they’d be dead if he opened them, and waited.
“Now!”
Ryouta took off and Yara followed after him, gripping his hand like a lifeline. Lights flashed on his eyelids as sirens wailed. There was no shouting - no guard would ever shout - but Yara’s ears strained for the sound of the inevitable boot-falls of a chase.
Ryouta didn’t pause, didn’t falter, pressing on at a breakneck pace. It was difficult for Yara to keep up, blinded as he was. The walls and the corners they whipped around threw him off balance and his confinement had left his body unused. Thankfully the adrenaline was zipping through is veins and he sped on, trusting Ryouta to guide him.
He lost his sense of direction fast, Ryouta winding this way and that, and still the sirens screeched, but there was no sound of the guards. Where were the guards?
“Yonehana rigged the barrack gates,” Ryouta shouted over his shoulder, “They can’t follow us yet but we have to get to the Gypsy quickly. Machida only has a five minute window in which to retrieve us from the rendezvous point.”
“What the hell is Maachin doing here?!” Yara shouted back, nearly opening his eyes in surprise before he remembered himself and squeezed them shut. Yonehana and Tatsumi he could understand, almost, but Machida hadn’t flown the Gypsy since his legs had been disabled.
Ryouta didn’t answer, just ran faster, and Yara dashed behind him as they found a rhythm that worked, the adrenaline pulsing through them both. It took Yara a moment to realize that the heat in the air was more than just his body working to keep up with the pace, everything was starting to feel warmer as they zig-zagged through corridor after corridor.
“Ryouta, where are we going?” When Ryouta didn’t answer, Yara put the pieces together. “Are you taking us to the incinerator?!”
“Keep running!”
It was madness. Pure, utter madness. The incinerator room was a hellish nightmare that no one approached without heat-insulation suits. But Yamamoto was dressed in nothing but jeans and a tank-top. Yara’s own prison jumpsuit wasn’t much of an improvement, either, and things were starting to get uncomfortably hot.
The ground rocked below them as something exploded, the screech of concerete ripping and crashing sounding ahead of them.
“Tatsumi,” Yamamoto said in way of explanation. He sounded exhausted, and Yara knew it had to be hard, knew that Yamamoto was doing more than just guiding him through the prison maze. It wasn’t just the explosives keeping the guards at bay.
In a last burst of energy, Yamamoto sprang forward as they hit the rubble and this time there was no easy navigation for Yara. There was nothing but his own quick reflexes and Yamamoto’s hand anchoring him to keep him from falling and the heat was getting unbearable, his skin prickling with discomfort as his mouth went dry.
Ryouta was shouting again and it was hard to hear, Yara’s blood roaring in his ears, but eventually he realized what he was saying: “We’re going to jump soon. Hold on tight!”
The next thing Yara knew, the ground vanished from beneath him, but instead of falling, he was flying. Ryouta’s arms wrapped around his shoulders, and he wished he could open his eyes, to see the wings of stardust that he knew had burst from Ryouta’s shoulders.
There was the wail of an engine and then Yara and Ryouta were tumbling to the ground, Yara’s shoulder connecting uncomfortably with the metal floor of the Gypsy’s docking bay. There was the hiss of the hatch closing, the engines rumbling to life, and Yonehana’s familiar voice from above his head, “You can open your eyes, idiot.”
Blinking against the light, the first thing that came into focus was Yonehana looming over him, obviously relieved despite the glower he sent down at Yara. “I hope you appreciate the fact that we just ruined the Gypsy’s paintjob and the booster engines to come get you.”
“Just so I could see your pretty face?” Yara asked, laughing breathlessly as he stretched out on his back. Ryouta was tucked snugly against his shoulder and he paused, taking in a deep breath before looking down.
The stardust had nearly dissipated, but there was still a sparkle here and there, glowing against Ryouta’s skin. Though he looked drained, there was a smile on his lips and Yara could barely keep himself from leaning in and kissing him.
“C’mon,” Yonehana said, holding a hand out to them both. “Maachin and Tatsumi are up in the cockpit.”
Yara dragged his feet after Yonehana as they headed up to the Gypsy’s cockpit, where Machida and Tatsumi were waiting for them. Ryouta stayed close by his side, wordlessly slipping his hand in Yara’s and squeezing gently.
The cockpit looked much like Yara remembered, except Machida’s station had been refitted to make room for his wheelchair. Tatsumi was in the secondary station and he lit up the moment they stepped through the doorway. “You made it!”
“In one toasty piece,” Yara confirmed, grinning as he clasped hands with Tatsumi, his throat tightening as he saw the four of them - Yonehana, Machida, Tatsumi, Ryouta - for the first time in over a year.
Machida wheeled over and Yara leaned over to embrace him. “It’s nice to see you again,” Machida murmured, and Yara’s throat was so tight it was hard to breathe. The closest thing he ever had to a family surrounding him after a year of isolation was overwhelming.
“Why’d you even come?” he demanded when they released each other, trying to cover up the fact that he was choking up. “Tatsumi can fly this piece of crap better than you can.”
“You know, I could break your feet if I ran over them,” Machida replied, mildly, but then he smiled, “I wanted to see you one more time before you go.”
Blinking, Yara stared at Machida. “…Go?”
There was a pregnant pause and then Yonehana lay a hand on Yara’s shoulder, squeezing. “The kid’s going to take the two of you somewhere safe while we try to sort things out here.”
“What?”
“Please,” Tatsumi said quickly, brows furrowed. “It’s safer for both of you and it’ll be easier for us once they realize we don’t know where you are. It’s been nasty, even once they imprisoned you.”
It was the truth, but it stung. Yara opened his mouth to protest because he could still fight, he wasn’t useless, but Machida quietly shook his head.
“We need both of you to be safe,” the man quickly reminded Yara. “And we’re not the only ones who need you.”
At his words, Yara’s gaze was inevitably drawn to where Ryouta stood by his side, their hands still entwined. Ryouta was looking away, his cheeks flushed red, and Yara realized he still hadn’t opened their link. It was almost as if he was afraid to.
“Ryouta?”
“It’s the only way,” Ryouta mumbled, staring at the floor. “We have to go far though… I’m sorry.”
“Here.” Yonehana pressed a comm unit into Yara’s hand. “This is how we’ll contact you when we can. This isn’t the end, you know.”
“But…”
But I don’t want to go. I don’t want to leave everyone. I can’t…
“Go,” Machida said, eyes sparkling. “Go now, we’ll see you again.”
“Until next time,” Tatsumi echoed quietly.
His eyes were drawn to the hand he has clasped with Ryouta’s and fell silent. It was nobody’s fault, especially not Ryouta’s, that the Starchild had fallen from the sky for him. And for Yara, Ryouta’s safety was most important to him.
Tucking the comm unit in his pocket, Yara crooked a finger under Ryouta’s chin, drawing his gaze upwards until their eyes met. There were the stars and Yara felt his heart pounding in his chest, but he closed the distance between the two of them, lips brushing against Ryouta’s. He opened up, finally connecting their link again, letting Ryouta flood his veins and fill him up, as Ryouta leaned in for the kiss.
“Take me there, Ryouta.”
MA/They - Yara/Yamamoto
2000 words, PG, Starchild AU
Yara felt a spark of frustration that Ryouta had come, that all his imprisonment would be for naught if they were caught.
Prelude-ish thing to this. For yararanger ♥♥♥
The soft swing of the padlock being taken off the door of Yara’s cell caught him by surprise. He’d been in the cell for so long that his sense had grown accustomed to the space around him and was alerted to even the slightest change, be it the air temperature from a body’s warmth or the airflow from a guard ghosting down the prison’s hallways. For him to have not noticed meant…
The door to his cell swung open, completely soundless, and Yara stifled a gasp as a very familiar and entirely unexpected face peered at him through the darkened gloom.
“Yaracchi?” Ryouta whispered, and Yara shot forward, clamping a hand over the boy’s mouth.
“What are you doing here?” he hissed under his breath, lips right next to Ryouta’s ear. It felt like his heart was jumping out of his chest but he wasn’t sure if it was fear or the inexplicable joy at seeing Ryouta again. It had been a very, very long time.
Ryouta had stilled, reaching up to rest his hand over Yara’s, and Yara could feel Ryouta leaning, trying to calm him down, even as he pulled the hand away from his mouth. “We came to get you out… We found a way to make it work.”
Gritting his teeth, Yara steeled himself against Ryouta’s gentle but insistent influence. He knew that he’d understand if he opened up the link, allowed Ryouta in all the way, but that would alert them of Ryouta’s presence. They couldn’t risk it. “You shouldn’t have come.” It was too dangerous and they both knew that. Yara felt a spark of frustration that Ryouta had come, that all his imprisonment would be for naught if they were caught.
“I had to,” Ryouta said, turning around and Yara couldn’t resist this time as their eyes met. The stars were there, swirling and bright, and he could feel Ryouta’s fire slowly warming through him. They remained separate (Ryouta seemed to understand that much) but it felt so good to have Ryouta right there. “I couldn’t leave you, Yaracchi… You’ve been protecting me for too long.” Ryouta said this as he took both of Yara’s hands in his, twining their fingers together. “Let me protect you now.”
The stars held Yara captive for a moment, Ryouta leaning close, almost so close that their lips were touching, but Yara could only just barely feel them. Then he was released, and he realized he’d been holding his breath, but he felt stronger than before, Ryouta’s spark spreading through his bloodstream.
“Okay,” he said, still at a whisper, gaze flicking to the open prison gate, and then back at Ryouta, who had taken a step back. “Okay.”
“I can’t hide the both of us so the alarm will go off as soon as you step out of this cell,” Ryouta murmured, turning to the entrance, one hand still firmly in Yara’s. “Yonehana and Tatsumi will be waiting for us, but we have to get to them fast.”
“Yone and Tatsumi?” The fools, of course they would assist Ryouta on his suicidal mission into the prison fortress. He felt a surge of affection for them all, even as Ryouta carefully tugged him towards the gate.
“You’ll have to close your eyes,” Ryouta said, fingers lacing tight through Yara’s. He looked calm, on the surface, but his eyes danced nervously and Yara could feel his entire body trembling - with fear? Tension? Yara wished he could tell - through their linked hands.
He almost pulled away, almost told Ryouta that he didn’t have to do this, but Ryouta glanced over his shoulder again, the stars, and Yara knew he could never talk Ryouta out of it.
Smiling, Ryouta swung their hands between them for a moment before facing the door. “Close your eyes and trust me.”
Yara rocked on the balls of his feet, screwing his eyes shut because he knew he couldn’t open them, they’d be dead if he opened them, and waited.
“Now!”
Ryouta took off and Yara followed after him, gripping his hand like a lifeline. Lights flashed on his eyelids as sirens wailed. There was no shouting - no guard would ever shout - but Yara’s ears strained for the sound of the inevitable boot-falls of a chase.
Ryouta didn’t pause, didn’t falter, pressing on at a breakneck pace. It was difficult for Yara to keep up, blinded as he was. The walls and the corners they whipped around threw him off balance and his confinement had left his body unused. Thankfully the adrenaline was zipping through is veins and he sped on, trusting Ryouta to guide him.
He lost his sense of direction fast, Ryouta winding this way and that, and still the sirens screeched, but there was no sound of the guards. Where were the guards?
“Yonehana rigged the barrack gates,” Ryouta shouted over his shoulder, “They can’t follow us yet but we have to get to the Gypsy quickly. Machida only has a five minute window in which to retrieve us from the rendezvous point.”
“What the hell is Maachin doing here?!” Yara shouted back, nearly opening his eyes in surprise before he remembered himself and squeezed them shut. Yonehana and Tatsumi he could understand, almost, but Machida hadn’t flown the Gypsy since his legs had been disabled.
Ryouta didn’t answer, just ran faster, and Yara dashed behind him as they found a rhythm that worked, the adrenaline pulsing through them both. It took Yara a moment to realize that the heat in the air was more than just his body working to keep up with the pace, everything was starting to feel warmer as they zig-zagged through corridor after corridor.
“Ryouta, where are we going?” When Ryouta didn’t answer, Yara put the pieces together. “Are you taking us to the incinerator?!”
“Keep running!”
It was madness. Pure, utter madness. The incinerator room was a hellish nightmare that no one approached without heat-insulation suits. But Yamamoto was dressed in nothing but jeans and a tank-top. Yara’s own prison jumpsuit wasn’t much of an improvement, either, and things were starting to get uncomfortably hot.
The ground rocked below them as something exploded, the screech of concerete ripping and crashing sounding ahead of them.
“Tatsumi,” Yamamoto said in way of explanation. He sounded exhausted, and Yara knew it had to be hard, knew that Yamamoto was doing more than just guiding him through the prison maze. It wasn’t just the explosives keeping the guards at bay.
In a last burst of energy, Yamamoto sprang forward as they hit the rubble and this time there was no easy navigation for Yara. There was nothing but his own quick reflexes and Yamamoto’s hand anchoring him to keep him from falling and the heat was getting unbearable, his skin prickling with discomfort as his mouth went dry.
Ryouta was shouting again and it was hard to hear, Yara’s blood roaring in his ears, but eventually he realized what he was saying: “We’re going to jump soon. Hold on tight!”
The next thing Yara knew, the ground vanished from beneath him, but instead of falling, he was flying. Ryouta’s arms wrapped around his shoulders, and he wished he could open his eyes, to see the wings of stardust that he knew had burst from Ryouta’s shoulders.
There was the wail of an engine and then Yara and Ryouta were tumbling to the ground, Yara’s shoulder connecting uncomfortably with the metal floor of the Gypsy’s docking bay. There was the hiss of the hatch closing, the engines rumbling to life, and Yonehana’s familiar voice from above his head, “You can open your eyes, idiot.”
Blinking against the light, the first thing that came into focus was Yonehana looming over him, obviously relieved despite the glower he sent down at Yara. “I hope you appreciate the fact that we just ruined the Gypsy’s paintjob and the booster engines to come get you.”
“Just so I could see your pretty face?” Yara asked, laughing breathlessly as he stretched out on his back. Ryouta was tucked snugly against his shoulder and he paused, taking in a deep breath before looking down.
The stardust had nearly dissipated, but there was still a sparkle here and there, glowing against Ryouta’s skin. Though he looked drained, there was a smile on his lips and Yara could barely keep himself from leaning in and kissing him.
“C’mon,” Yonehana said, holding a hand out to them both. “Maachin and Tatsumi are up in the cockpit.”
Yara dragged his feet after Yonehana as they headed up to the Gypsy’s cockpit, where Machida and Tatsumi were waiting for them. Ryouta stayed close by his side, wordlessly slipping his hand in Yara’s and squeezing gently.
The cockpit looked much like Yara remembered, except Machida’s station had been refitted to make room for his wheelchair. Tatsumi was in the secondary station and he lit up the moment they stepped through the doorway. “You made it!”
“In one toasty piece,” Yara confirmed, grinning as he clasped hands with Tatsumi, his throat tightening as he saw the four of them - Yonehana, Machida, Tatsumi, Ryouta - for the first time in over a year.
Machida wheeled over and Yara leaned over to embrace him. “It’s nice to see you again,” Machida murmured, and Yara’s throat was so tight it was hard to breathe. The closest thing he ever had to a family surrounding him after a year of isolation was overwhelming.
“Why’d you even come?” he demanded when they released each other, trying to cover up the fact that he was choking up. “Tatsumi can fly this piece of crap better than you can.”
“You know, I could break your feet if I ran over them,” Machida replied, mildly, but then he smiled, “I wanted to see you one more time before you go.”
Blinking, Yara stared at Machida. “…Go?”
There was a pregnant pause and then Yonehana lay a hand on Yara’s shoulder, squeezing. “The kid’s going to take the two of you somewhere safe while we try to sort things out here.”
“What?”
“Please,” Tatsumi said quickly, brows furrowed. “It’s safer for both of you and it’ll be easier for us once they realize we don’t know where you are. It’s been nasty, even once they imprisoned you.”
It was the truth, but it stung. Yara opened his mouth to protest because he could still fight, he wasn’t useless, but Machida quietly shook his head.
“We need both of you to be safe,” the man quickly reminded Yara. “And we’re not the only ones who need you.”
At his words, Yara’s gaze was inevitably drawn to where Ryouta stood by his side, their hands still entwined. Ryouta was looking away, his cheeks flushed red, and Yara realized he still hadn’t opened their link. It was almost as if he was afraid to.
“Ryouta?”
“It’s the only way,” Ryouta mumbled, staring at the floor. “We have to go far though… I’m sorry.”
“Here.” Yonehana pressed a comm unit into Yara’s hand. “This is how we’ll contact you when we can. This isn’t the end, you know.”
“But…”
But I don’t want to go. I don’t want to leave everyone. I can’t…
“Go,” Machida said, eyes sparkling. “Go now, we’ll see you again.”
“Until next time,” Tatsumi echoed quietly.
His eyes were drawn to the hand he has clasped with Ryouta’s and fell silent. It was nobody’s fault, especially not Ryouta’s, that the Starchild had fallen from the sky for him. And for Yara, Ryouta’s safety was most important to him.
Tucking the comm unit in his pocket, Yara crooked a finger under Ryouta’s chin, drawing his gaze upwards until their eyes met. There were the stars and Yara felt his heart pounding in his chest, but he closed the distance between the two of them, lips brushing against Ryouta’s. He opened up, finally connecting their link again, letting Ryouta flood his veins and fill him up, as Ryouta leaned in for the kiss.
“Take me there, Ryouta.”