: Act Two : My Eternal Spring, a My Beautiful Man/Utsukushii Kare FF.

: 2.1 : Why Does Everything Still Feel So Weird?

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"And what if I told you to die?"

Kiyoi Sou propped himself up in bed on his elbow to gaze down upon Hira Kazunari, who stared back at him, caressing Kiyoi's soft palm against his cheek. Hira's eyes became crescent-shaped as an unexpected smile drew across his lips. Just a moment ago, he was nagged by Kiyoi for not taking care of himself after the worried Star found out how much work was put towards affording their engagement rings. Hira figured the answer should be obvious by then, though. He was putting his own feelings first - just in his own way. Nowadays, the answer to that concern came without any second thoughts to him. Actually Hira made his decision long ago, when he first laid eyes on his beautiful King - but now, he knew exactly why his choice felt so natural.

Before this beautiful man came along, Hira Kazunari's heart only knew the frigid bite of misery, but it thawed and beat once more at the sight of him. It beat and beat again, and soon it raced until he was left breathless. This condition caused by Kiyoi Sou wrought him with agonizing pain, and even worse, it easily became dangerously addictive. His violent cravings for Kiyoi led him to do things Hira would've never done for anyone or anything before. He got into fights at school, he tolerated people he hated, and became determinedly defiant against his shitty fate. Simply put, he went completely insane from the constant, aching rush of his heart; yet Hira loved it all the same.

Whenever he'd look into Kiyoi's beautiful eyes, umber like fire pits, Hira knew he was destined to become ash under that gaze; but to him, that was okay. He dedicated himself without reason before, but when those flames reached the sky and threatened to burn down their world, Hira was forced to find one. He was given only two choices: to give up or to run, but neither felt quite right. So he instead dropped to one knee and vowed to take whichever option kept him closest to his beloved's hearth.

When the impenetrable ice wall melted between them, and Hira stood to meet Kiyoi's eyes once more, he found the reason for his choice in those beautiful, bright brown pools that were brimmed with feelings Hira could never comprehend before. A blurry man was reflected in those eyes, he was drowning in Kiyoi's overflowing passion. Hira saw that man many times before, but could never actually recognize him. Rather, he was afraid to. That man smiled whenever Hira looked into his Star's eyes; he made faces of love and eroticism, he cried, and he laughed. That one and only stranger that ever occupied Kiyoi's vision was so full of life and warmth, yet his familiarity was terrifyingly uncanny - until then.

With the wall gone, Hira could finally make out the stranger's face, and realized it was his own. That's right; Kiyoi Sou, the beautiful man that saw no one only looked upon Hira Kazunari of all people. That legendary gaze, with powers unlike any other, brought to life the meekest of men. He even kissed Hira, he touched Hira, and allowed Hira to have him in every way imaginable, too. Kiyoi burned out his every flame with reckless abandon, just to preserve this particular, invisible dot. Perhaps he was just desperate to have someone, anyone there to restore his spark should his embers ever die, but still, he chose Hira. How else would Hira ever repay him, but with his own life?

Hira wasn't special, he was merely lucky the torchbearer found him before he was completely lost. Yet knowing that, too, made him even more grateful for his beloved savior.

Selfishly, Hira decided he never wanted to return to the man he was before Kiyoi found him. He would rather burn, he'd happily drown, he would even be trampled to death with a smile on his face. If it were for Kiyoi Sou, Hira would choose to undergo any test just to earn another moment under his radiant light. If that meant death, then so be it. Living life by his side was the only one worth living. That was Hira's full, honest reason.