Crow wonders if he has any right to be here.

At the present, the entire motley crew of Thors students old and new, their instructors, guild bracers, even the Prince and Princess, celebrate their last night before the Twilight in Mishelam's amusement park. Did the old Class VII ever have nights like this before, Crow wonders, to pretend everything was fine? When he used to be one of the enemies they had to face those next tomorrows?

There was only so much talking Crow can handle too. Push a couple of juniors to go ride the ferris wheel here, pass around drinks to all the bracers there. Even when he finally gets to spend the end of his last night joking around with Towa, Angelica, and George out on the resort balcony, he doesn't feel quite there. Moreso like a specter watching someone else in his body from a distance. He runs out of things to say, letting Angelica take over the conversation. Watches the way George looks at her while she's busy hugging Towa.

Speaking of Towa, for a brief second he catches her staring at him, mouth open with a slight tremble as if almost ready to say something. Then their eyes meet. She switches to something akin to her usual smile.

Maybe it was just his imagination. Or maybe she already saw through him.

Crow wonders if she won't mind if he slips away for the rest of the night.

But a sudden ring in his pocket breaks through his thoughts. He takes out his ARCUS, flips it open, and catches the name of a familiar junior on the screen.

"What's up, Rean?" Crow says. "Pretty sure we just saw each other only an hour ago. Miss me already?"

"Hey Crow. I know this is a bit sudden, but are you free? Sorry if I interrupted anything."

One of those nights, huh? Crow chuckles. "Nah, it's cool, don't worry. I'll see ya in a bit."

When the call ends, he looks back up to see all three of his friends sharing the same look between them. Crow immediately excuses himself from the party, laughing about needing to help the poor guy pick a hot date. Angelica sends him off with a wink, George wishes him good luck, and Towa regards him with a smile and nod.

The four of them are finally back together, and here he is leaving again. Crow did miss them. He really did.

But only once he steps outside does he realize he needed to breathe.

He even surprises himself with how early he arrives at the beach viewpoint, greeted by a lone park bench overlooking the sea. Not that he minded though. It gives him a moment to relax under the shadows of the moon, to listen to the waves lapping against the shore. From the clifftop, he watches hundreds of lanterns float above the water, glowing as bright as orange fireflies seeking passage toward the distance.

What does Rean want anyway? Crow sets down one beer bottle on the bench beside him and pops open another in his hand. Maybe he's feeling nervous about the final confrontation tomorrow, not that Crow blames him for it. Or better yet, maybe Rean got rejected by a girl just now and needed ol buddy Crow to help ease the pain, the poor guy.

He snorts at his own thought. Imagine that. Crow's last night alive spent consoling a junior over his broken heart. And here they'll be, hogging away the most romantic spot in Mishelam to do so.

The moment the thought sinks in, Crow takes the first swig of his drink, no longer feeling amused.

Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all.

Ten minutes later, the crunch of footsteps breaks Crow out of his reverie.

He turns around to greet the man whose presence is already the very picture of night; Rean in the flesh, dressed in his long black coat and stark white hair. The walking reminder of the battle to befall them tomorrow.

"There you are," Crow says. "Glad to see you weren't planning on leaving me by my lonesome."

Rean smiles. "I was the one who invited you out here. Thanks for coming, by the way."

He follows Crow over to the bench where they sit down. Once they settle, Crow passes his second beer to Rean. "You sounded like you needed a drink."

Rean lets out a small puff, but takes the bottle without a word. Any other day, Crow would leave it at that. Maybe challenge him to a card game. Be the buddy to pass the time away with. Knowing Rean though, tonight wasn't one of those nights, not with tomorrow. It can't be.

Crow takes one last chug of his bottle and sets the glass down beside him.

"Alright," he says. "Spit it out. What's up?"

Rean's gaze remains downcast, staring at the bottle in his hand, swirling its contents around. It must be pretty bad if even Rean was having trouble voicing it out. His mouth opens only to close again. Too many gears turning in his head.

Crow clasps a hand on Rean's back, making him gasp and almost nearly drop his bottle. "Geez, Rean, what's with that face? Tonight's supposed to be about relaxing with a date or two. Plus I paid you back your 50 mira already, so make sure you spend it well if you hadn't yet."

"Sorry, I—" Rean chuckles even though his gaze hasn't moved away from the bottle, but it's fine. It's a start.

Aidios, did Crow miss hearing him laugh though, enough to make his chest flip for a bit. Soon Rean closes his eyes, and Crow waits. Listen to the sound of waves crashing against the bedrock. Smell the ocean salt in the air. A part of Crow wants to reach out and pull Rean closer, but he stops midway. Slips his hand back down.

"I don't know how tomorrow will go," Rean continues, "and I don't wanna leave any regrets behind, but Crow..." He finally turns to face him, brows furrowed. "What about you?"

"What about me?"

Rean lets out a heavy sigh, shoulders slumping. "You always keep talking about this being the 'bonus round,' living on 'borrowed time.'" Rean clenches and unclenches his hand as if trying to grasp something, more words perhaps, but Crow can see the way his fingers shake. Soon Rean tears his gaze away, gets up off the bench, and takes slow steps closer toward the cliff edge. "We finally got you back after three years. I watched you die. I can still see you bleeding in my arms like it was yesterday, and now you're here with us again... but all this time, you..."

His voice falters to a whisper, but Crow already knows what Rean was going to say.

"Crow," his voice cracks, "are you really so resigned to—"

"Rean."

He stills at the sound of his name.

Crow gets up from his spot. Follows to where the man stands by the edge and stands beside him. "I'll be honest. I wasn't expecting to spend my last night alive with you."

That makes Rean snap up immediately. He turns to Crow, eyes wide and mouth open, ready to speak.

"Hey, don't misunderstand. I don't mind. But Rean, look at this view." He waves his empty bottle out toward the water. "All those beautiful ladies back there falling head over heels for you, and instead you spend your last night on little ol me."

"Crow..."

He turns back to face Rean again, sees his solemn expression, a furrow in his brows.

Maybe Crow came on a little too strong there, but who else will beat it over Rean's head to move on once he's gone? Besides, he wasn't lying. He and every other guy in the cabal's seen the way the girls look at Rean. If only Crow brought another bottle with him, but no, he just had the two. Not that he should be drinking more to begin with.

What a handful. No longer able to help himself, he starts ruffling up Rean's hair. Rean gawks at the sudden gesture, fighting between looking away and leaving it be. How nostalgic, Crow thinks, like they were back in Thors again, a second-year to this budding little first-year.

"Take it from the guy who's been to the grave and back. Don't leave any regrets behind after tonight. For your sake, not mine. You already helped me settle some of mine anyway. And besides," he chuckles to himself, "we got an old chancellor who could use a bit of payback tomorrow."

"No regrets, huh?"

"No regrets. And don't worry, I'm with you all the way to the bitter end. Swear it by my name."

Silence fills the air again, but this time Crow feels content with the quiet. Before sinking too deep into his thoughts, Rean leans over till he bumps into him. With a small chuckle, Crow wraps an arm over his shoulder, pulling the warmth in, listening to his quiet breaths.

Let him have this, Crow thinks to himself, though it's been so long since the last time he'd been this close with anyone either.

He doesn't realize how long they've been out there for until he hears a pop in the distance. They both look out to see a small comet shoot into the sky. Then it bursts into a crackle of stars, lighting the night in a brief flash. Mishelam's fireworks, the signal of midnight. The start of the final countdown till the end. Across the beach, more lanterns release into the sky, spiriting away from their companions floating on the water's surface below.

A hand soon rests on his cheek. It pulls his face away from the view, instead turning to look at the man beside him.

"There was another reason I called you out here tonight," Rean says, quiet as a whisper.

It's hard to turn away when Rean locks him in with a touch, eyes meeting his with a singular gaze.

"Leave no regrets, right?"

His fingers start fiddling with Crow's earrings. Crow's face burns where Rean touches and he starts feeling dizzy. He'd be lying if he says he hadn't suspected Rean of this for a while now, but no matter how many times he tries to push him the other way, Rean keeps coming back, making him run out of excuses to leave.

"If you keep talking like that," Crow says, voice shakier than expected, "you're gonna break so many ladies' hearts in the morning."

"Just for tonight," Rean says, "stop pretending to be the guy who doesn't care, Crow. Let me know what you want for once. If there's something you want, anything I can do..."

"I already told you, I've already—"

"Crow, please." Rean grabs both of Crow's shoulders, holding him down—or maybe holding himself steady. "Just for tonight. Please."

Even beneath the coat he wears, Crow feels Rean grip tighter with each passing second, so Crow pulls both Rean's hands off his shoulders. Holds them between his own instead.

Crow lets out quiet laughter, Rean flinching at the sudden sound.

Fine. Crow sighs, but feels the twitch of his lip, the curve creeping up on his cheek. Like last time, and every other time, he'll let him win this one. At least for tonight.

"Then how 'bout I finish paying back all the interest I owe," Crow says, circling his thumbs around both backs of Rean's hands, feeling the other relax into his movements.

"How so?"

"Use your imagination. Let me pay in any way you like."

"That's all you want?"

Crow nods, resigns to pressing his forehead against Rean's. The man looks up and they meet once more. Crow can feel it in Rean's stuttering breaths, the hesitation. The thousand questions probably shooting through his mind. The only answer Crow gives for them is a smile, if only because the words in him are too shy to come out.

Then he waits. Hopes Rean understood his answer.

The seconds pass and neither move. The longer he waits, the stronger the urge to lean in, but Crow stays to etch this feeling into memory. Maybe for once, he can pretend the clock isn't there, allow himself to believe even if only for the moment.

But something grabs his coat. He opens his eyes just as Rean crosses the gap.

Their lips meet, and Crow sinks in, wishing he never has to leave.

a/n: can't believe this tiny fandom inspired me to write for the first time in years. just wished the canon gave us more exploration of these two's relationship to each other though, especially given the lack of it in Sen I if you skipped bonding events, and how emotional Rean was in Sen III. Sen II gave us a little teenie taste though ahh.