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The cafeteria was rowdier than usual, either the GSA was celebrating a recent victory or another soldier had been added to the list of casualties.
Galacta was really hoping for the former.
It wasn't often that he didn't have to prepare for a dangerous- down right suicidal had it been any other soldier going- mission of slaying the most dangerous Demon Beast, but the warrior wasn't complaining.
He enjoyed getting to socialize with the others, well at least those who didn't fear him, they were all so much fun to hang out with, and truth be told, Galacta didn't have many friends.
Currently, his favourite was the newcomer Garlude, not only does she kick ass, she kicks ass for her daughter's safety. And that is something Galacta highly respects.
She was the closest one the angel could call a friend.
"Hey, saw another stack of love letters by your door." The lavender woman spoke as she handed Galacta a juice box.
Strawberry eyes blinked as he took a sip of the juice. "... Those were love letters? Shit-" The angel cringed at the recent memory of a similar stack burning.
Garlude raised an eyebrow, wondering what the other could possibly confuse stacks of adoring love confessions for.
"I uh… I thought they were everyone's junk mail… Again..." It was hard for anyone to imagine the strongest warrior the GSA had to look so sheepish, yet here we are. "Do people really like me that much that they'd waste stationary just to tell me?"
The female warrior shrugged, taking a look and spotting several different eyes taking shy glances at the angel. "Apparently, can't say I blame them though, your way of talking to people can sometimes come off as flirty."
Galacta huffed in offense, sending a slight glare to the woman. "Excuse you, I am not a flirt!"
Garlude took a sip of her own juice box, using her fingers to list off all the ways the magenta warrior comes off as flirtatious. "You wink a lot, your tone is very teasing to the point where it comes off as interest, sometimes you doze off and end up staring at someone, your body language is very loose and laid back, often you sit on the table instead of the benches which is something done by people trying to get someone's attention-"
"Alright, alright, I get it. Yeesh…" Feathered wings drooped at the seemingly endless examples. "So maybe I come off as flirty, but it's never on purpose."
"I know, it's just something you do out of habit." Garlude hummed now tossing her empty juice box in the trash, an excellent throw as it was quite the distance away from them. "Have you ever actually tried to flirt?" She asked as the thought suddenly came to her.
Galacta messed with the tip of his braid, a rare sign of nervousness for him. "... Maybe once… But I'm sure I fucked that up…" He mumbled, blowing air into his now empty juice box.
An eyebrow was raised yet again, causing the angel to confine in his friend.
"One of the soldiers here saved me from being blindsided, and I tried to thank them- He was really cute by the way, under his mask- but I ended up jarbeling up my words and spoke nonsense." Galacta admitted, face heating up in embarrassment at the memory.
The lavender woman smirked as a laugh nearly escaped her. "I could tell because you said "jarbeling", a new word for you."
"I- shut up."
A laugh did escape the woman now, finding the man's flustered state humorous before standing up to leave. "Alright, this was fun, but I need to go check up on Silica now."
"Tell her I said hi." Galacta requested as he watched his friend leave, getting the usual response of "She's only a baby."
And now he was alone, and he didn't have anyone else to talk to.
Even those who were staring at him kept their distance.
Completely understandable. His mood could change like the weather, and it wasn't always a pretty sight.
But as soon as he got up himself to go back to his room for some well needed rest, his eyes landed on the soldier who saved him.
Clad in indigo and had piercing yellow eyes, the soldier was looking over some engineering book with such focus his friend had to practically feed him. It was kinda cute.
Galacta could recall their names, having learned everyone's name in the GSA so he'd know who to fight for. The one currently feeding the other was Jecra, an all around fun guy and the closest thing to the embodiment of a ray of sunshine. As for the one reading-
"Meta." Wait, when did he start talking? And when did he get so close to the duo? WAIT SHIT-
Those yellow eyes looked directly into his own and Galacta felt his heart stop.
"Oh, hello there Galacta. Am I needed for anything?" Oh right, Galacta out ranked most of the people here- oh dear Nova what was he supposed to say?
Having to think of something fast the magenta warrior tried speaking what came to mind. "Book had the blindsided thanks- very you interesting- wait um-" Key word being tried. It wasn't long until the jumbled sentence became an incoherent mess.
What he wanted to say was "Thank you for saving me from being blindsided. That's a very interesting book you're reading." But his brain had apparently shut off five minutes ago.
So before Galacta could embarrass himself even more, he retreated back to his room. And by retreated, that of course meant he ran.
He ran all the way to his room and immediately flopped face first into his pillow, only to get up once to remove his armor and proceeded to return to stewing in his embarrassment.
He could talk to literally anyone else here no problem, what made Meta so different?
Perhaps he'll try again tomorrow.
When tomorrow came, Galacta found himself in a similar situation at breakfast. Having approached Meta and then immediately getting flustered and flubbing up his sentence.
This time it was "Breakfast you hey, having Meta for what are?" And it succeeded in making the warrior want to take a long walk off a short cliff.
However, Garlude intervened with that plan and forced the man to sit down next to the indigo clad soldier.
"Sorry about him, he's a bit flustered." The woman gave patronizing headpats to her friend, making said angel turn even more red in the face.
Yellow eyes stared into Galacta's strawberry ones, the mask making it hard to tell what expression he had on his face. "I can understand that. We're in a war, and sometimes the battles can leave us a bit- well for a lack of a better word- frazzled."
Oh dear sweet Nova he was so nice, and his voice was sweet and smooth like honey.
Shit he's still staring, quick! Say something- wait no, say something coherent!
"I- it's, uh- Yeah…" Good job.
A small nod was the only visible sign of acknowledgment from Meta, soon turning his attention to Garlude. "So, Lady Garlude, may I ask how Silica is doing?" Wait, these two know each other?
"She's doing very well, just started talking." Garlude answered, the pride in her voice undeniable. "Her first words were "Mama" and "Bye-bye" isn't that amazing!"
"Talking already? What a quick learner." Meta's yellow eyes flashed to a beautiful shade of blue, something that mesmerized the angel.
A quick nudge to his side brought Galacta back to reality. "D-do you have any kids?" He fucking hated how he stuttered when he asked.
Meta looked at him with an unreadable expression- stupid mask- before shaking his head. "No, but I always wanted kids. Perhaps when the war is over…" He sounded a bit sad, and Galacta felt awful for bringing it up.
"Shit- sorry- I- oh fuck I didn't mean-" Great, he managed to get a semi-normal conversation going and he fucked it up.
With a final cuss coming out of his mouth, Galacta bolted away.
Perhaps slaying more Demon Beasts would be a better use of time.
Galacta didn't return for a full week after that, finding that slaying evil was a great distraction from his crush… And he finally admitted he had a crush…
Of course he didn't tell anyone, it was his problem and his alone!
But it did remind him of all those letters being piled up by his door. He never did get around to reading them, even if he didn't reciprocate their feelings, he should at least acknowledge the elephant in his room.
Turning on his bedside lamp, Galacta began sorting all the letters by what was actually a love letter and what was junk mail. This was a waste of time apparently as they were all love letters addressed to him.
It was surprising how many admirers he had in the GSA alone. A good chunk from both men and women, with a few repeat senders.
"... I wonder if Meta ever sent me one…" The angel mumbled to himself as he read over another mushy confession.
A sour look etched its way onto his face, all these people had more courage to send their letters than Galacta could ever have.
It made him sick to keep reading the letters, he didn't even realize when they started turning to ash in his hands.
Better to do that outside than cause a fire inside and risk everybody's lives.
… He really needed to talk to Meta…
Though it wasn't until the next night when Galacta had the opportunity to.
He had already come up with an excuse for visiting so late, he just needed some assistance in the training hall, that's all.
Knocking softly on the door, dread already started eating away at the angel. What if it was already too late and Meta was asleep? What if Meta didn't want to help, it wasn't an obligation and Galacta hated pulling rank. Maybe Galacta already fucked up his chances with how horrible an impression he made the first two times…
However those thoughts paused when Galacta saw very awake and aware yellow eyes, for once his face not being covered by a mask.
Meta was in his pajamas, a cute butterfly pattern on them, and his glasses were still on, hiding the dark bags under his eyes. His hair was a bit messy but he didn't look like he had been sleeping.
One word came to Galacta's mind and it was "CUTE!"
"Sir? Is there something wrong?" Meta asked, still showing respect for the other.
Wait, what was his plan again? Oh Nova, Meta was going to hate him for wasting his time for nothing- was he coming off as stalkerish? Fuck, he didn't want to be called a stalker.
A look of terror was on Galacta's face, and his voice seemed to have disappeared when he tried speaking.
But those yellow eyes kept looking at him patiently, and before he knew it, the door closed.
… Yet Meta was still in front of him.
"I hope I'm not being intrusive, but, did you have a bad dream?" Meta asked, looking at Galacta with concern.
Galacta had abandoned his old plan and opted to nod at Meta's suggestion. "Y-yeah… Sorry…" Was his heartbeat audible to everyone else? Because it filled his ears to the point where he could barely hear anything else.
The beating only went faster when Meta smiled, offering comfort for the angel. "There's no need to apologize, everyone has bad dreams, and if I can help in any way I'd be more than happy to."
Galacta wanted nothing more than to melt into a puddle, but he kept his composer best he could when the other guided him to the cafeteria.
"I'm not a great chef, but I know the perfect way to help with bad dreams." Meta hummed as he rummaged through the kitchen cupboards to grab the hot chocolate packets. "It's not as good as the ones my brother made me, but I hope it'll suffice."
It wasn't long until a mug of hot chocolate was in Galacta's hands, being joined by the indigo soldier shortly after.
While the hot chocolate the GSA had wasn't all that great, barely edible if he was being honest, it was still the sweetest thing anyone's ever made for him. "Thank you…"
Meta smiled before he shifted in his seat. "I'm sorry if I'm prying, but may I ask what bad dream you had?"
Ah crap, Galacta didn't think this through… Though he could always just say no, he didn't want to pass up an opportunity to get closer to the soldier, so he brought up the only nightmare he's had since he joined this army.
"I… I had a dream that I was turned into a Demon Beast, and that I was killing everyone at the GSA…" Feathered wings were tucked into his back, trying to keep the shaking to a minimum. "And… I couldn't stop myself, no matter how hard I tried to wake up, the nightmare wouldn't end until everyone was dead…"
Strawberry eyes looked up to see concerned yellow ones, a hand gently reaching out to just barely touch his arm. "I'm sorry that you had to go through that." A comforting smile graced his face again. "But, if you ever need someone to talk to when they happen again, don't hesitate to visit me again."
Could Meta see his blush? Judging by how hot his face felt it had to be a deep red. "It's uh- I'm-" How was he supposed to respond to such kindness? "... I have to go-"
And just like that, Galacta had ran back to his room again, leaving a half empty mug, and a concerned Meta, behind.
He didn't want to admit it, but it did feel nice to talk about his worries with the other.
He also didn't want to admit that his crush might have just morphed into love.
Love. What a wonderful yet horrifying word.
Love was amazing as it's what drives most people, it's what's driving the GSA to fight for freedom, and it gives such a nice feeling in your chest.
But love was terrifying. Love could be one sided, or it could be fake. Love could die no matter how hard you try.
And that nice feeling in your chest could also be a terrible stabbing pain.
No matter how hard Galacta tried, that stabbing pain wouldn't leave his chest every time he saw Meta happily talking with his friends. Desperately wanting to join in and be able to speak so effortlessly to the one he loved.
He heard that actions spoke louder than words, but actions were meaningless if you couldn't pull them off properly.
The angel had tried many different tactics, but all had failed.
Galacta couldn't trust himself to get close enough for a hug or a kiss, plus the kiss would have been absolutely random and would have gotten him in really big trouble if Meta didn't like him in that way.
Trying to stretch his wings around his back affectionately when they were partnered up together only made Meta think he was tired and ended up making the other work harder to protect him, getting a similar result when Galacta tried resting his head on Meta's shoulder once.
He had tried practically everything except holding hands with him.
And with his hand resting so close to him on the log they were using as a makeshift bench, it was hard to not make the attempt.
Did Arthur hate him? He had to if he deliberately paired him and Meta up on more missions.
The next time the angel saw the Star Warrior he swore was going to-
A yawn escaped from Meta, snapping the warrior out of his violent thoughts.
"Get some rest. I can take care of the night watch." The angel ordered, voice barely above his casual speaking volume.
Despite it being an order from his higher up, Meta stayed put. "I don't believe I stuttered." "I know you didn't, but I don't feel comfortable leaving you alone tonight."
Was he blushing? He had to be, how couldn't he after hearing that. "I- What?"
Yellow eyes looked up into strawberry ones. "You seem a bit distracted, I don't want you to end up hurt because I decided rest was more important than your safety."
Aaaaaah- why did he have to phrase it like that? And with that warm, and what Galacta hoped was loving, tone of voice too. His face had to be brighter than the fire currently burning at their makeshift campsite.
"O-okay then… But if you're forcing yourself to stay awake I'm going to send you to bed." Galacta huffed as he turned his head away in an attempt to hide his face.
Meta hummed, nodding in agreement. "Understood." And then the conversation fell silent as both kept their guards up for an upcoming attack.
While his guard was up, a part of his mind kept focusing back to how close their hands were to touching, and how his pinky finger was twitching just to get closer.
Just a little closer and… There was a small warmth that spread across him when Galacta had gently rested only his pinky finger on top of Meta’s own.
It was small, maybe a bit too small to fully get the message across, but it was enough affection for now.
However, it seemed that the small amount of affection was, in fact, noticed by the other as he gently moved his hand away.
Just as Galacta's wings were about to droop down, they perked back up when Meta had turned his hand so that they were properly holding hands, fingers gently intertwining.
The indigo soldier spoke up after a brief silence. "Please, tell me I'm reading the signs correctly." His hand and gently squeezed the other's as he spoke nervously. "However, if I'm wrong and you haven't taken any sort of romantic interest in me, I would like to know."
Galacta squeezed back, a smile on his face as he heard Meta speak with that smooth and honey like voice he loved so much. "I can't believe you had to say it first…" He hummed gently, the words barely making it to the indigo soldier's ears. "Yeah. I do like you. I just couldn't spit it out."
Strawberry eyes met with beautiful yellow, the fire dancing in them adding to their beauty.
Slipping his metallic mask with his free hand off his face, Meta allowed the other to see his entire face before he leaned in slowly.
He was met halfway and Galacta had rested his forehead against his, a sweet moment between the two.
Neither were sure who initiated the kiss that came immediately afterwards, but it didn't matter. It was a short but very heartfelt kiss between the two before they pulled away and went back to their dual night watch.
An unspoken sentence hung between the two, three simple words they wanted to say to each other, but knew it wasn't the time yet.
However as they stayed warm by their campfire, their fingers intertwined, they knew it wouldn't be too long before they could say those three words.
"I love you."