In the endless darkness (Roleswap Alien Stage AU)

Chapter 1 - My Clematis

Ivan's gentle voice filled his mind, calming the seemingly endless storm of emotions within him. He had been listening to Ivan sing for a month now, yet it never ceased to amaze him. How could someone be so perfect?

His silky black hair swayed gently with the wind. It looked so soft. He wondered if Ivan would let him touch it, but he resisted the urge to ask. He would refuse anyway.

He was singing with his eyes closed, but he knew exactly what they looked like. He had spent hours staring at them, committing every detail to memory. Those piercing black eyes were like the night sky, only more captivating.

The soft grass tickled his feet as he hid behind a large tree. It was currently playtime, but he had no interest in hanging out with the other children at Anakt garden. They were loud and chaotic - everything Ivan was not. While he got along with most of them, the noise still bothered him. He much preferred the serenity of listening to Ivan's gentle singing.

Then, Ivan suddenly turned and locked eyes with him. How had he been caught? Ivan had never noticed him watching before. Those eyes seemed to pierce straight through him, sending shivers down his spine. Ivan could be unsettling sometimes.

"You... Do you want to sing with me?" Ivan pointed at him and tilted his head, waiting for a response.

His jaw dropped in shock. Ivan was inviting him to sing? He had always wanted to ask, but felt that he wouldn't get a good response. How did this even happen ?

"I wasn't—ugh, fine. But don't get the wrong idea, I wasn't stalking you!" he huffed before joining Ivan.

~

Till sighed. Class was unbearably dull. If only time would move faster, then he would finally be able to hang out with Ivan. Just thinking about him made everything better.

He looked around the classroom, watching his classmates scribble down notes. Who needs all that anyway? (Luckily, Ivan always shared his notes with Till whenever he needed them.)

The rest of the class was spent sneaking glances at Ivan—not that anyone could blame him. The teacher hadn't said anything new for the past 10 minutes. Besides, Ivan was cool and perfect. He was always like that, but Till couldn't stop looking at him.

When the clock struck noon, the teacher finally dismissed them and announced the start of lunch break. Finally! His hunger had been growing with each passing minute. He quickly packed up his things before rushing out of the door, heading straight to the cafeteria.

Ivan soon joined him, walking beside him as Till rambled on about whatever came across his mind. He had a small smile on his face while listening.

The other students were still in disbelief. Ivan had never smiled before, yet now it was common to see his face light up whenever he was with Till. How did Till manage to make him smile so easily?

"Ugh, class was so boring! When will the teacher start talking about something actually interesting? This is ridiculous. How can they expect us to get good grades when the subjects aren't even important!" Till shook his head in frustration. "I just want to make music. None of this helps!"

"Come on, Till, it's not that bad. You just need to listen and memorize what the teacher says. Want me to help you?" Ivan laughed. Of course it was easy for him—he was one of the top students, along with Sua.

"Hey! It's not funny. But yeah, I'd appreciate the help. Are you serious about the offer?" Till sighed, glancing at Ivan. "But you probably don't have time for that. I don't want to take away your nap time."