aahhhh this prompt was a lot of fun to write! My idea for it is kinda lame, I guess. It’s basically just a reunion fic between Yuma and Astral so there’s a lot of Yuma blubbing and Astral snuggling and I hope that’s okay and you enjoy this weird thing anyway haha

It was never a good thing to be called to the principal’s office. It was even less so when an unknown visitor was involved (the private kind; almost as bad as it being a relative because unknown visitors never had good news). So Yuma was a bit worried when he was called out twenty minutes before time for his current class to end (gym, as it was). He was donned in his gym uniform, but in his haste to throw it on, he failed to completely dry himself off from his previous dip in the school pool and he was still fairly damp. It was enough even to make water droplets fall from his spiked locks of hair and create damp patches on his shirt and shorts.

“You…wanted to see me?” he asked when he reached the school office.

Seated behind the front desk was a young assistant with dark hair pinned up in a bun and a pretty smile that many of the students liked because it made them feel at ease. Yuma couldn’t remember her name (as she hadn’t been working here for very long), but she seemed to recognize him and welcomed him inside.

“Ah, Mr. Tsukumo! You have a visitor waiting for you in the principal’s office. He said it was urgent he speak with you right away.” the receptionist’s expression lost some of its luster and her painted lips turned into a frown. “Is…everything alright?”

Yuma didn’t know. He hoped to god everything was as it should be, but the last time he was called away from his everyday life by someone with urgent news, his mother and father disappeared. He didn’t know if he could take hearing similar news ever again. He certainly didn’t want to. Especially not now after the war was over and he had most of everyone back in his life and things were just going so well now.

“Ah…I uh, guess so.” he fumbled out in reply, unsure how he should answer that. He was starting to become even more worried. What if…what if it was something really awful? Could something have happened to his grandmother? Was his dad okay? His mother was still around, wasn’t she? And…and Akari was okay, right? “I…should go see. Thank you.”

His heart was beating so fast and heavily he thought it may burst. The suspense was overwhelming and his mind was running millions of scenarios through his head so fast he thought he may get sick. Still, he ventured on and wrapped his shaky fingers around the door handle to the principal’s private office and pushed the door open.

“Ah. Sorry to interrupt your lessons.”

There was a huffed out laugh that made Yuma’s knees weak. The principal actually wasn’t present at the moment (possibly for privacy concerns), but someone else was that made Yuma stop and stare and wonder just what class he had fallen asleep in because there was no way this was real.

The other person turned away from his observations of the principal’s various wall pictures, a smile alight on his handsome features and eyes narrowed into an affectionate gaze that always made Yuma feel at home inside. It was a wonder how he could stand there looking so utterly right despite his appearance being so utterly wrong. His skin was so pale that he looked like a foreigner and he lacked any of those green markings that once painted his face. Those odd gem-like adornments that used to decorate his body had all vanished (save for the blue pearls that made up those same silver earrings Yuma never saw him without). There was certainly no mistaking that cross-armed stance or that otherworldly melody he used as a voice.

That smile of his seemed to widen ever so slightly and Yuma couldn’t stop the tears from welling up.

“But knowing you, you were probably sleeping.”

Yuma sniffled and wiped at a teardrop sneaking it’s way down his cheek.

“I…was in gym class.” he answered, voice shaking as he tried very very hard not to cry. He tried to sound annoyed or, at least, mildly put off (because here that guy was again interrupting everything for some assuredly lousy question about humans), but…he couldn’t. “Why w-would I fall asleep…th-there?”

The other gave a light shrug.

“I don’t know, but I wouldn’t be surprised if you did, just this once.”

“…I—”

Yuma opened his mouth to try and respond in some way, to keep this little conversation going. Just like old times. But Yuma felt his resolve and restraint weakening. His vision was blurring and his cheeks were becoming soaked and that little smile Yuma always liked to see turned just a little bit concerned.

“A…Astral!”

Completely forgetting that the door was still wide open, Yuma dashed forward and flung himself into Astral’s surprised but awaiting arms. His voice cracked and all anyone could hear out of him next was a series of sobs that made his shoulders shake and would have broken someone’s heart had they not known what Yuma was crying over.

“Y-you’re here. You’re really here!”

Before the sobbing teen was the missing piece in his life. His partner, his best friend, his other half in this life and surely the next. And yes, he did look different and it was a little jarring. His skin wasn’t that pretty blue shade anymore and he certainly wasn’t floating and that ethereal echo his voice always carried was missing, but Yuma knew beyond a shadow of a doubt who this person was and no matter what he looked like (and for a human, it was kinda unfair just how nice he looked), Yuma would always be able to recognize him.

“Y-Yuma…” Astral wrapped his arms around Yuma with no questions asked and his surprised expression morphed into one of amused resignation. “Yuma, I thought you promised me you wouldn’t cry when we said goodbye? Now here you are doing it again.”

Yuma tightened his hold around Astral’s waist and buried his face into his chest, resisting the urge to smack him. His bawling was fairly loud and he felt a little bad because he knew he was just messing up Astral’s shirt and staining it with tears, but nothing was going to make him let go. Not this time, not ever.

Absolutely nothing.

“You st-stupid jerk!” he accused, nearly choking on another sob as a grin crept along his lips. Yuma had never felt so happy. “I’ll do what I want!

It was rather amazing to be able to feel Astral like this. His body temperature was drastically different, much more warm and alive and nothing like the coolness his ghostly body had (which had been nice in its own way; like touching the cool side of a pillow). He could feel the pulse of a heartbeat and the gentle vibrations of a chuckle as Astral laughed. It was soothing and Yuma hoped (really, really hoped and wished and prayed) that if this was just a dream (some fantastical lie his mind had concocted) he would never, ever wake up.