Archive of Our Own ^beta

Being a God defined by concepts such as hedonism and brazen self-indulgence, it should come as no surprise that many have depicted the Aeon of Elation as equally pleasure-seeking as the vast majority of their numerous followers. It seemed so obvious a conclusion to draw, that verification almost wasn’t necessary to surmise it as the truth.

After all, weren’t they, as with all Aeons, irrevocably bound to their own path? And as incomprehensibly distant and different as they were, humans often mirrored Star Gods in their own, smaller ways with their own, inconsequential lives like countless tiny microcosms. The Aeon walked the path, laid it down in front of them as they walked, and so too did the like-minded sentient beings of the Universe follow. Whichever set of traits could be found in one, so too could be found in the other.

It couldn't be that the other Aeon closest to humanity was really the one to blame. You know, the one who coincidentally also wore countless human disguises like their very own set of masks, for their very own fair share of trouble. Sometimes even playing the role of one of the aforementioned Aeon of Elation's followers.

Akivili the Trailblaze was like a tiny, fickle creature in comparison to the towering Star Gods. They loved to hide among crowds of people in an appearance that resembled one. While most were unique and a product of their own creativity, they weren't above copying someone else in order to give living their lives a try when it seemed fun or interesting. The one whose followers were Nameless certainly didn't seem to be, having taken on many of their own, even ones that weren't theirs.

Akivili wasn't all too dissimilar to the Aeon of Elation, really. They were reckless and impulsive, curiosity often getting the better of them. When they had their mind set on something, no matter how foolish, questionably sane, or even very dangerous, there was no force that could stop them. Fittingly, like the approach of an oncoming train built with no breaks attached.

Despite their resemblance however, their reputation among both humanity and fellow Aeons couldn't be more different. Akivili widely considered to be the more approachable and friendly of the two, as opposed to Aha the more threatening, defiant, and destructive. The latter feared to such an extent that in the event humans were knowingly in their presence, the Aeon having announced themselves and proved it, they were cautiously approached like a land mine just waiting to go off at any step. The bravest of their conversation partners visibly shaking, many others cowering on the spot and begging for their lives. Even some of the most dedicated Masked Fools feared becoming a victim of their volatile amusement for as long as they lived.

But even though they were also a troublemaker at heart, Akivili was still objectively far safer to be around, humans often describing a sensation of calmness and self-love under the Aeon's gaze, the God having many insightful things to say in spite of their mischievousness. The furthest apart two existences could possibly be, united by their shared curiosity and adventurous spirit.

Aha's unhinged behavior as well as their penchant for chaos was something that many Aeons had a distaste for as well, stuck-up and boring as they were. As opposed to Akivili, who they seemed to treasure. Who's own desire for chaos was sought among little things on a lower plane that just so happened to go unnoticed by their Godly associates.

It was an interesting dynamic, a pair of beings so alike in isolation but perceived so differently by everybody around them. One of them even being falsely attributed to something the other does.

The trait of debauchery was immediately pinned to Aha simply by virtue of it being associated with their path without any further investigation or double checking just because it was the safest answer, as though it couldn't possibly be anyone else. Made even more hilarious and ironic by the fact the Aeons all appreciated Akivili's harmless actions and laudable goal of connecting the worlds, considering them charmingly naive, the "innocent" of the Aeons.

Both of them understood what the others meant, the use of the word in this context meaning just that they never got into any futile conflict with their fellow Star Gods unless it was a true threat despite occasionally having to suffer the results. Like long stretches of railway having to be temporarily closed down, once even as a direct consequence of Aha themselves pulling a prank on their friend. But Akivili still greatly enjoyed being called the innocent one, seeing as it only served to further boil the tension between themselves and the Elation.

You see, Aha could tell Akivili liked this. Really liked this. As if there was something tantalizing to them about being so close to the one who was framed by the human world for all of their less than pure behavior, all while they enjoyed the reputation of "innocent" among the Gods. Like someday it would finally get under Aha's skin and they would feel compelled to punish them for it.

So began one of the Aeon of Trailblaze's terrible ideas that nobody had the power to stop: How much taunting would it take to make the Aeon of Elation break?

Most of their attempts were not notable, usually immediately getting shot down by a sharp turn in conversation topic as soon as Aha realized what the other was trying to pull. It was another instance of irony, the one most commonly described as "noisy" being annoyed in turn by the one whose presence was said to instill in others a sense of tranquility.

Once, Aha had found them teary-eyed in the wake of seeing a bittersweet theater play that was hidden in the schedule by a Mourning Actor on a planet that dedicated itself to Elation and the arts. They made an effort to cheer Akivili up, combing their hair between their fingers in a soothing motion. This having clearly succeeded too well, the tables swiftly turned on them by the latter having used the situation to their advantage.

"I'm fine, Aha. Thank you." Akivili finally said as they brushed the last of their own tears away with the back of their hand. "Besides, I was under the impression that you frequently find joy in other's sorrow. There are, after all, several famous exampl-"

Akivili's voice (and their prior thoughts) were sharply cut off by Aha moving their hand to cover Akivili's mouth as their voice began taking on a teasing lilt, already anticipating the numerous instances they were going to list as though they had heard this same spiel many times before, because they very much had. From the other hypocritical Aeons who seemed to just have something against Aha specifically, even as they all continued to delight in their own expressions of destruction and torment.

They all individually responded with the claim that it was to "Further their Path" every single time like pre-programmed robots, in one such case literally that. As if Aha's pranks weren't also to further their own path. How could one deny that after hearing the boisterous laughter they brought to themselves and their Fools?

It was their turn to be interrupted, shocked by the foreign sensation of Akivili having just licked their palm in order to free themselves from a muffled voice. Aha's sudden retraction and shaking of their hand resulting in a fit of Akivili's own hysterical laughter.

Sometimes, the Aeon of Trailblaze seemed to be a more fit contender for the Aeon of Elation than Aha themselves.

"Oh, if it isn't innocent little Akivili."

"Whatever could you mean?"

And they seemed to love every single moment of it.

But while some may say that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over expecting a different result, (And that according to relativity, time flows slower for beautiful girls. Wait, Huh?) They did eventually manage to incur the exact kind of reaction they wanted completely by accident. The closest Aha had ever come to breaking.

It was after Akivili had once again stolen one of Pom-Pom's desserts they had been saving for later, at an ungodly hour during which Aha was the only other one awake, bumping into them in the doorway at the same time they were making their timely escape from the buffet car.

Visually, it looked like they were trying to strike up a conversation at the sight of their friend, but Aha was too distracted to process any of their words, having instead diverted their attention to the corner of their mouth and a bit of their cheek, on which a small amount of vanilla frosting still lingered from their prior misdemeanor.

But their thoughts were not filled with anything any simple or one-track-minded feeble creature with one thing on their mind would have, like a certain other person they knew, not naming any names. Instead, having familiarized themselves with the nature and purpose of Akivili's games by now, they could only wonder:

Is this a trap?

Akivili's... Unconventional way of making moves was never, ever blatant or sudden, like a bolt out of the sky. They could never be considered in poor taste or attempted at the wrong time or place, fitting for one who's very job was places and times. They preferred taking advantage of an already established situation, waiting for any moment, any shift in the air they could use to take their best shot at the weak point of their target. They weaponized the ambience as though it were a temperature dial, placing a bewildered creature plucked from their familiar environment into a pot of cold water, progressively growing warmer and warmer as time went on all while the executioner watched and waited in silence. Such an abstract comparison Aha would not at all be surprised to hear if such a thing had literally occured.

Thus, they were once again faced with a dilemma resembling many that had come before it. A problem, if you will.

Akivili had responded to their sudden appearance in the doorframe like a living shadow so easily. Without a hint of a stutter in their step, alarmed dilation of their eyes, or startled tension in their shoulders. The other's presence had affected them about as much as something painfully monotonous like the existence of walls or the velvet carpet beneath them would have. Perhaps a sign of how their company had grown comforting to them as an accepted part of their routine, if it was assumed to be genuine.

Or maybe they just trusted Aha to not tell on them, or assumed there were enough reasons for someone to be in the buffet car other than stealing someone else's things for them to not immediately garner suspicion, like getting a midnight snack. Well, that's sort of what they were doing, except they had also stolen someone else's things.

Point being, the natural response to being caught doing something you weren't supposed to was usually met with one or more of the previously listed reactions instead.

Unless, the person in question wanted to be caught. Along with such an incriminating, compromising "mistake".

Anyone in their right mind dealing with any other individual behaved similarly to Akivili would have already assumed this was intentional, the situation carefully orchestrated. It was so convenient for their motives and so in line with other tricks they had pulled, that it was paradoxically almost too out of character. Too easy. It left just enough room for doubt that they risked looking just as desperate as them had they decided to tease them about it. Not that it wouldn't be true at this point, but...

Simply put, if they let anything, anything slip that could possibly be interpreted as an admission of mutual feelings or desire, any sign that Akivili's advances had gotten to their head, finally broken the self-restraint that the other was putting a lot of faith into believing really existed for such a chaotic and unstable entity as Aha in the first place, it would mean that Akivili had bested them, it would mean they had won.

And Aha, the Aeon of Elation, would have lost this game.

Not on their watch.

"Hey, are you feeling alright? You're far too quiet."

They were brought back from being set adrift in the depths of their thoughts with the help of a concerned expression and a hand gently waving in front of their face, politely trying to catch their attention out of care.

No, they decided. It couldn't have been on purpose. If Akivili had done this knowingly, their oblivious facade would have crumbled the moment they saw Aha clearly falter in front of them, unable to stop themselves from letting victory shine on their face with that tempting smirk Aha wanted to wipe off of their face more than what remained of the dessert.

"You... You still have frosting on your face." They eventually said, before they were able to remind themselves that Akivili was a master of the human facade, understanding nuances in body language and tones of voice where most would have seen no difference. Making it plausible for them to have feigned a convincing display of worry if they really wanted to, as well as take notice of Aha's voice coming out shakier than they would have liked.

A brief flash of confusion danced in their eyes before it dawned on them, and their face lit up. As though their smile contained the brightness of a thousand distant stars.

Well then, if it wasn't intended to be a trap before, it certainly was now.

"Ah! I'm so sorry. How uncouth of me! Don't look at me, I can't face you like this..."

Akivili averted their gaze and turned on their heel in a deliberate display of coy bashfulness meant to get a rise out of the other, lifting a hand to their head and emphasizing the motion of searching for something like the two of them had been in the middle of a round of charades, before once more spinning to face them upon deciding they weren't done playing yet.

"You wouldn't happen to have anything I can clean myself off with, would you?"

Normally, Aha would have just waved these interactions off by refusing to take the bait and suddenly begin talking about something completely unrelated, finding a sadistic amusement in leaving Akivili frustrated by refusing to go along with them at all. Except this time, for some reason, they decided to entertain them with rare retaliation.

"You have a handkerchief, my dearest Trailblaze. Use it."

They realized that this provocation might be a bad idea just when it had already been spoken. A rare moment in which they experienced second thoughts, and it had been a second too late.

"How inattentive you are. It would only be polite of you to offer cleaning me up afterwards.", They said in a voice conveying hurt with a wounded expression on their face, both revealed to have been fabricated when they suddenly opted to return to their prior knowing smirk and heavy gaze upon seeing the other taken completely aback.

It was as if in the air between them you could hear the most vital foundation crack under the pressure, and yet still it continued to stand.

Stunned in place for a moment, Aha finally resigned to approaching them. Caressing the spotless side of their face with one hand while their remaining free one reached for the coat pocket they knew held their friend's cloth, the same one their Express Ticket was pinned to. The symbol of a loyal passenger, despite being the Conductor.

They sighed out of a sort of exasperated affection, breaking the silence as they gingerly began to clean The Trailblaze's face of the sweet colorless blemishes. Wondering what they were supposed to do with the knowledge that someone felt this way about them so strongly.

Truthfully, this was Aha's first time grappling with such a thing themselves. Unstable was one of the most common words used to describe their existence, yet they had never known the instability that came with a feeling like this. They felt like their body had been cleaved from their mind and soul, until now the latter having always been the only one in control of them. But now the former had been given it's voice like it had been waiting for the person in front of them for it's entire life, whispering to itself near-constantly; Akivili, Akivili, I want Akivili.

Is this the part of you that controls you? Is this the aspect of Elation that even I've never understood? Can I share it with you, like any other Blessing?

And there was indeed a little thread of self-restraint pulled taut that was holding them back from doing just that, like the fuse of a dangerous firecracker that Akivili constantly toyed with and threatened to light right in front of their face like it was nothing, wanting to be caught up in the collateral it would bring.

With how stubborn they were being, there was a chance that they would. But there was one last thing they were willing to try to end this dance once and for all, to place both of their fates in whichever force above God there could possibly be to decide their winner for them.

Except in order to execute their idea, they would have to invite Akivili to one of their taverns while it was closed during the daytime, when they would be completely alone. Obviously such a proposition would earn them quite the response, and they were definitely going to have to prepare themselves for whatever Akivili's playful counter may end up being, but it was necessary. Or else neither of them would ever give in.

They decided to ask that same night before they parted ways in the Express, and endured about as much teasing as they had come to expect. But when Akivili got the impression that Aha was dead serious about something they had planned, they seemed to bring it down a notch. Maybe they were already cutting back on their confidence, knowing it would make them look pathetic in retrospect.

In truth, they just felt honored to be asked on a date, so easily proven by their reddening face. This being only one of many, many times the Elation made their heart flutter in such a way.

---

A flutter was nothing compared to the way Akivili's entire heart leapt upon being greeted at the door of the Tavern they agreed upon, a secluded rural one that was rarely visited on top of being located on an already scarcely populated planet, again during closing hours. Aha had given them a bouquet of daisies upon their arrival, (ones that don't blink or spray you with water, they promised) that they promptly tried to hide their furiously blushing face behind.

An amusing choice should you choose to consult the Language of Flowers, seeing that daisies tended to symbolize innocence, but Akivili was sure the other had chosen this particular flower because it was Aha's favorite, always holding some (albeit strange ones) along with their collection of masks and other trinkets at the pinnacle of their Aeon form.

It was... Really sweet of them.

They were trying their best to maintain the calm facade of someone who was used to all of this, but Akivili was feeling something they had never felt first-hand before, just as Aha was. To be honest, it made them feel slightly left out seeing that so many humans got to experience such a pure form of love. But they had long reconciled with the fact that even as someone who could mold themselves to appear as anything or anyone they wanted, they could not change the most fundamental aspects of who they were.

"Aha! Akivili, you're blushing!"

And they couldn't help but lower the flowers to show their face at the sound of that voice, a smile so lovesick it was contagious adorning it for the first time. Letting themselves revel in this feeling at the sight of the one who gave them the chance to feel it after all.

Taking the hand that was outstretched in theirs, Akivili was lead through the quiet building as they marvelled at the fact you could still hear the chattering of early morning birds from outside. They were brought before a specific table that Aha had already prepared shortly before they arrived, with two chairs facing each other on opposite ends. The table itself presenting them two identical glasses of a dark reddish-purple liquid with salt on the rims.

Akivili wasted no time trying to preemptively work out the intentions of the Elation, carefully leaning over to observe the pair of cups as Aha went to find a larger, empty glass for them to safely rest their bouquet down in for the time being. Returning to find Akivili in the described state before they straightened themselves and turned their head over their shoulder in silent questioning upon hearing footsteps that signaled the other's return.

They set down the empty vase that they had retrieved in the space between both cups and motioned for Akivili to sit, offering to pull the chair out for them after they delicately took care of the flowers. Another romantic act of kindness The Trailblaze had previously only ever heard or read about, making their heart race.

Aha proceeded to sit on the other chair across from them, the sight now looking like the textbook definition of a date in the human world. The Elation admired the peachy pink blush that was rare to see on Akivili's face, (and their own for that matter). Quickly becoming lost in the pair of eyes that belonged to them, or at least the ones they donned most often, visibly full of genuine gratitude and affection. Realizing then that this must be why they were said to be the window to the soul.

"So, what kind of drinks are these?" Akivili was the first to speak, moving to rest their head on their arms while continuing to look up at the other, like they were trying to see if the substance was translucent enough to see them through. Clearly, unable to contain their signature boundless curiosity for much longer.

"One of them contains some of Aha's tears, which happen to induce a natural thrill. If you choose the wrong one, you'll be even more insatiable than you already are!" They gave their explanation, unable to help themselves from making a light-hearted jab. "But the drinks themselves are just normal grape juice."

They hoped that this wouldn't make the other start to worry about them, knowing Akivili had learned on their own by now that happy tears and sad tears were different things. To be honest, Aha wasn't even sure if they had the capacity to cry sad tears without their existence crumbling from going against what their Primum Mobile stood for.

Feeling "neutral" or at least the closest to it they could be was easy, but sorrow was such a distant concept. As though an invisible barrier stood between them and an ounce of that feeling, not too different from the gaps of Imaginary Energy that once isolated each and every world like air in the space between leaves before the one sat across from them came along. Except this time not nearly as easily surmountable, and not at all a part of what made up them.

"Your tears?" They asked in rapt fascination, voice devoid of a single tinge of confusion, uncertainty, or doubt. Yes, Aha thought, silently relieved. That was their Akivili alright. Nobody would be more enthusiastic about drinking tears than the Aeon of Trailblaze.

"I'm surprised you didn't opt for anything alcoholic."

"Aha must stay fully sober in order to make sure you're alright when you lose."

Such confidence, they noted. Perhaps this was rigged against them somehow, seeing that the other was the one who arranged this in the first place. But how could it have been done? It couldn't be that both glasses had it, given Aha had just expressed their wish to stay sober in the event Akivili chose the incorrect drink, which in that case would happen regardless, so they'd be contradicting themselves. While not impossible, they got the impression that Aha was sincere about their words.

They entered the same strategic mindset anyone would find themselves in while trying to win at a simple board game, observing their opponent's moves and coming up with ones that could best counter them, settling into a quiet state of focus and contemplation as they looked at the deep violet liquid. On the surface their chance of winning may appear no better than a perfect split, but the difference was that the drink containing the aphrodisiac was a conscious choice on someone else's part, meaning if they could just figure out what Aha was thinking, it would be even higher than that.

"How are you so sure I will?"

"Because I'm sure of you!"

They'd be shocked if that somehow wasn't the most cryptic response they'd ever received, which was saying something. They really should have guessed that they wouldn't be able to pry for any additional information. Maybe they were doubting Akivili's ability to deduce the spiked one through reasoning? Or, maybe it really was in both glasses, but because it couldn't affect Aha themselves, only Akivili would feel it.

Well, they had nothing to lose except for their pride. They sat up straight against the back of the chair from their prior position of leaning on the table's surface, and suddenly reached for the glass placed directly in front of them. Assuming Aha had placed it into their own drink, expecting the other to ask to swap glasses when they were naturally suspicious of the one they had been given, they wouldn't be able to anticipate Akivili simply accepting their own.

They held it up in the air in front of them. "Toast?"

"Sorry Akivili, they don't serve any here." The Elation replied, allowing themselves a wide grin at the sight of The Trailblaze's unimpressed expression as Aha lifted their own glass to meet theirs with a clink.

"To the end of your stubbornness."

"More like yours. You started it!"

"You never stopped me."

Pleased at getting the final word in, for the time being anyway, Akivili finally began drinking out of their chosen cup. Ignoring the sharp taste of salt on the edge of the glass that was way too overpowering for regular juice, it was cloyingly sweet. Having mixed feelings about the combination of these two extremes but finishing it regardless, they set the now empty glass down and propped up their face with both of their hands as the other did the same.

They stared into each other’s eyes in absolute silence, the traditionally peaceful romantic sight instead filled with palpable anticipation and competitive spirit. The only other things they could focus on being the sound of their own heartbeats and the distant ticking of a clock somewhere, taunting them both.

In all honesty, Akivili didn’t understand why they cared about the result so much. There wasn’t an unfavorable outcome in this scenario, except that if they had ingested Aha’s tears in the drink they had ultimately chosen, Aha would be able to hold the fact Akivili was the first to give in over their head. On the other hand, if they chose the regular drink, they would get to watch Aha’s self-assured attitude come back to bite them as they dissolved before their eyes into an obedient, docile mess. One of the most dangerous entities in the entire cosmos, reduced to putty in their hands.

If not today, hopefully another time.

But this current moment seemed to stretch on forever, each agonizing second that passed marking the beginning of a new eternity. As they listened to their rapidly racing heart that demanded attention drown out all other noise, In the middle of their thoughts running a hundred miles an hour overthinking every tiny thing they felt, they distantly wondered if they were really waiting to be certain, or if they were just stalling by now.

Strange, though. It didn't feel as sudden as they had imagined it to be.

"I..." They started before trailing off, having not yet decided what to say.

"Yes, Akivili?" The other Aeon spoke in a tone of voice somehow even more saccharine than the juice that was too much so. They initially couldn't tell if it was meant as a tender gesture or if it was intended to provoke them even further, but judging by the fact displayed across their features was a broad smile that typically proved without a shadow of a doubt they were up to no good, it was safe to assume the latter.

The silence that persisted for far too long still lingered as they tried to think of how to respond, leaning back with their arms and legs crossed while they stared off to the side, nothing sounding quite right in their mind. Only registering that Aha had stood up to approach them when their hand grabbed their chin, turning Akivili's head to face them, precariously close, the whisper of their voice beseeching them.

"What's wrong, Akivili?"

Their face must be so red, it felt like it was on fire. Sparks firing from the lethal firecracker they handled so recklessly.

"I- I chose the wrong glass, didn't I?"

“Oh, Akivili, my sweet little fool...” Aha just giggled, looking down at them with nothing but fondness before answering.

“There was nothing inside either of those drinks.”

Before they could even process those words, the gap between them had already closed at long last. A noise of muffled surprise bordering dangerously on a whimper leaving them, melting in their embrace.

Aha parted from Akivili, reluctantly letting go of their face only to pull them to standing by the collar and shove their chair out of the way with a kick as Akivili quickly stumbled back against the wall, looking up at them with the most irresistible expression on their face crossed somewhere between arousal and trepidation.

"But then, how-"

"Aha told you, they knew you were going to lose because they're sure of you. You're so insatiable that when you started to crave me again, you'd concede your loss before you even realized nothing was actually different." They just shrugged, as if it was the simplest thing in the world. "It's like the cool thing humans do where they give out fake medicine so the patient's mind fixes itself for them!"

Ah, a placebo. Clever. And the exact inverse of one of the very first hypotheses they entertained about the nature of this game. They'd be impressed if they weren't so embarrassed at having been deceived, sore loser that they are.

The Elation leaned in closer, The Trailblaze unable to move any further away with the wall at their back. The former choosing to confront the latter with what started this entire thing.

"So, how does it feel, innocent Akivili, to see your own depravity fall under my name? Does it make you feel like you've taken me, too?"

They tried to come up with a clever retort that could give them their leverage back, but their mind went blank when Aha's hand reached down to entwine it with their own and slammed it next to their head against the wall, caging them in further.

"How does it feel to parade yourself as though you were one of my own followers, worship me like any other mortal, and then manage to look me in the eyes?"

Didn't take long for the other one to be pinned beside them too.

And Akivili, who had been hopelessly passive throughout this encounter thus far, had an epiphany at the revelation that their time spent masquerading as a Masked Fool was something Aha cared about that they never even thought to weaponize before, the intention behind their next words clear with the way their lips upturned with mischief.

"I'm sorry, My Lord. I just couldn't help myself. They seemed like they were having so much fun..."

And they were elated at the previously never before seen sight of a furiously crimson blush immediately spreading across Aha's face, feeling the hold they had on their hands loosening. It being their turn to laugh once more in pure delight at the completely and adorably flustered God that was before them.

“A-Akivili, you can’t just say something like that!” They said, relinquishing one of their preoccupied hands in an attempt to hide their face, bashfully looking away.

“But I did, and you seemed to like it. I’m sorry, My Lord. Was I mistaken? Did I displease you? You must forgive me.”

“Akivili, if you continue this my heart feels like it is going to explode.”

"I'm flattered." Akivili responded to their words in a surprisingly genuine tender tone of voice, proud of their understanding of how to make people tick. "I have had a lot of practice, you know."

And maybe it was easy for Akivili to calm their dramatic heart, continue to act nonchalant, and remain in control when all they were really doing was just exchanging ardent words. But it certainly wasn't going to be easy anymore now that Aha had cornered them even further by roughly pressing their knee up in-between the other's legs as they leaned in to taste them again, cupping their cheek with their free hand, without a moment's warning for Akivili to catch their breath.

"A-ahaah? Wh-"

Feeling them writhe under their hold, desperate whines leaving them with each sharp intake of oxygen they could get, for just a little while, just in this fleeting instance of time, Aha thought to ask Akivili for the names of each person they had been with who still yet lived, who had seen their expressions and heard their cries, so that within a single System Hour, The Elation would be the only one of them left.

Pausing to stop and look at them, stroking Akivili's face with their thumb as they calmed down, Aha decided to ask a question that had been weighing on them.

"Akivili, you're breaking my fragile heart. Why didn't you ever come to me? Why didn't you let me make love to you myself, if you really wanted me so badly?"

"It sounds like your fragile heart is just jealous." They said with the intonation of a pout or a petulant remark, trying to ignore the way their own heart fluttered at the words spoken in such a pleading voice. Honestly, they weren't sure what the answer to that question was, either. Their immediate reaction was just that keeping up the chase was fun, but why exactly?

"What else could it possibly feel when I haven't even gotten the chance to make you mine? What's wrong, Akivili?"

The care in their voice made their heart wrench, like a knife was being twisted into their chest.

Maybe... Were they scared that even they and their best friend of thousands upon thousands of years would go their separate ways after a tryst the same way they had left everybody else? The only one who knew who they really were hidden behind this veil of trillions of cells? The only one their heart knew how to sing for in such a pure way? Would they really abandon them after something like this? What does them being so terrified of something they did to others so often being pointed back at them say about who they are?

Was Akivili the Trailblaze really afraid?

"Sorry, I think... I think I was worried that you'd leave me alone once this happened. That you'd grow bored of me and find someone else to play with, like what I do."

"What?! Oh, Akivili! You have to deal with me forever, whether you like it or not!" Aha said, wrapping both arms around the other's neck in a suffocating embrace that probably would have cracked anyone else's bones, successfully bringing a smile to their face. "I would feel so sad that you have to deal with feeling sad if I was able to feel sad!"

"It's healthy for people who can feel sad to let themselves feel sad, so I'm actually grateful that I can."

"Aha still doesn't envy you." They said, pulling back and kissing under each of Akivili's eyes, drawing giggles out of them. "According to a sample size of two, feeling joy all of the time is unanimously agreed upon by half to be the best way to live!"

"Well, if you insist, why don't you show me, Elation?" Akivili began, feeling more like themselves, leaning sideways to rest against their shoulder and whisper against their neck. “Share with me your ecstasy. Guide the Trailblaze to the summit under your dominion.”

They smirked against them as they felt Aha tense up from their prior lackadaisical state at their words, looking up to see that the crimson had returned with a vengeance, watching them as they exaggerated a sheepish sigh.

"...You have to stop being so good at this."

"I won't until you find a way to make me stop talking."

"Akivili!"

The reprimand in their voice made them burst into laughter, the other quick to join in.

Laughing at the hilarity of the situation, at each other, the complexity of themselves, and the nature of their love.

Laughing like a fool in the face of the world.