serendipity.

The lights around them rose as the Sun and the Moon began their routine. The crowd went wild as the catchy music starts up. They launched into the dance routine with practiced ease. Uniformed gestures, fluid movements with smooth vocals and clean rap all rolled into one stunning performance, leaving them all gasping by the end of it. Both shone in the presence of each other, neither overshadowing the other, bodies complementing one another in seamless harmony. Fireworks marked the climax, hyping up the already electric vibe through the concert hall. At end of it, they stood with arms linked, and bow, giving thanks to their ever-growing fan base.

When the crowd finally cleared, and they changed out of their glittery costumes and removed their makeup, it is then they felt the exhaustion set in. The adrenaline wore off, dimming their shine. The pair climbed into the car, sliding the door shut as the engine started and they set off for the hotel.

As usual, they ordered a bottle of red wine before settling for the night, confiding in each other about the mistakes they made during the concert. They sat, huddled in the same blankets and same bed as they laughed over ridiculous moments, especially the ones of fans bringing in handmade signs with messages of varying degrees of hilarity. However, the more they drank, the more sober and aware they became of the pressing issues they had. The discussion gradually turned towards their insecurities, hopelessness, and the fact that no one knows what tomorrow will bring. The Sun raised his glass in a toast to their future, attempting to lighten up the atmosphere, because reddened cheeks and sad smiles don’t really match. Who drinks to think more? The Moon reluctantly did the same, and the glasses clink. With sorrow swirling in their eyes, they downed the wine quickly, the sweet liquid leaving behind a bitter aftertaste on their tongues. But no matter how much they drank, the alcohol was never able to chase away the chilly sense of foreboding flowing through their heated skin.

Although the alcohol did not clear their minds, they decided to rest for the night. Eventually, the last of their hushed whispers faded away, replaced with sounds of soft breathing.

The Sun rose first, as he always did. The filtered sunlight fell on the pair, and just for a moment, he closed his eyes, allowing himself to bask in the warmth and glow. He turned towards the Moon who was still fast asleep, curled up in a fetal position with hands tucked between his knees. Deep and relaxed breathing were the only signs of life of the other, coupled with the slight rising and falling of his chest. The dim rays fell across his face, and the Moon scrunched up his nose. Fingers reached out to smoothen the crease between the Moon’s eyebrows as he dreamt.

The Sun’s touch was always warm and gentle, the Moon thought as he was gently roused from his slumber. Unlike his hands that were cold and rough, always starting fights or breaking things. And even during moments like these, he wondered if one day, he would even break the one who mends him.

“Morning,” the Sun beamed, brimming with radiance as the hand was retracted, used instead to prop up his head. The Moon let out a small smile and muttered that it is too early, dragging the blanket over his head while the other tried to tug it from him. The last visages of his dream were only chased away by the bitter scent of coffee that reached beneath the comfortable covers.

-☼☾-

The longing glances, the prolonged skin contact, double meanings in spoken words. It was not long after they debuted that the fans and paparazzi caught on to them. It was their fault for letting their guard down, so it was expected that the Internet would blow up with pictures of them doing daily activities together. Theories and rumors circulated and spread like wildfire. Nobody could have stopped the onslaught of hate, in the form of messages, boycotting, and harassment. How ironic, seeing that they were heavily shipped together before all of this news. The days continued with overhanging clouds, heavy downpour, and leaden thoughts.

Until their company finally released a statement to deny the rumors. By then, the damage had been done. Any public shows of affection were banned, and they understood it was necessary. It was the truth that as easily as the crowd can raise them, it can break them as well, pulling them down further from where they have started. At least, they managed to climb back up to where they were before. Up in the sky together with the stars, they shone brighter and stronger.

The tightrope rose higher together with them. It was too easy for the dread to creep into their hearts again when the same speculations started up over and over, and they both wondered if destiny was just a cruel and jealous being.

Or were they just not fated after all?

The Moon knew that behind the dazzling smiles of the Sun, there was hurt and anxiety, trepidation and worries. Behind the blinding stage lights and flashes of cameras were tear-soaked sleeves and pillows accompanied with puffy faces. He knew, that he had to be the mature one. For the younger and more delicate Sun, no matter how brightly it shone, on and off stage. For his selfish desires, because he couldn’t bear to see the Sun being engulfed by the black hole, losing its passionate radiance. And even though he knew that in the end, they would all be consumed by it, all he wants is for the Sun to shine just a little bit longer. The Sun and the Moon are not meant to meet in the sky after all.

So he made a decision.

All the Sun could remember that night at the private hotel bar, was the anguish and heartache during their first heated argument about parting ways. The chair scraped against the floor, a harsh sound to his ears as the Moon stood up to leave. “No don’t leave me,” the Sun silently pleads, drunk off moonshine, as he grasped tightly onto the other’s arm. The Moon gently peeled the hand off, shaking his head wordlessly as he walked away from the bar.

He had no idea how long he laid there, tears streaking down his face. Chuckling, he muttered about how he most probably cried enough for this lifetime. Then cool hands and a familiar husky voice stirred him, and he was hoisted onto a broad back. On instinct, he wrapped his arms around the neck of the Moon and buried his nose into the comforting pinewood-scented leather jacket. When he felt the Moon take in a long shuddering breath, the Sun instantly moved to hug him tighter to provide some reassurance. His legs dangled in the air as the strong arms that supported his knees and thighs unconsciously held him closer to the Moon’s waist.

“You know, right?”

A hidden message that they created after the scandals, a promise that they would be there for each other through and through.

“I know, I always know.”

After being swathed with the soft blankets, the Sun vaguely heard the beep of the electronic lock before he blacked out.

The Sun rose, as he always did, but this time to the urgent vibrations of his phone. The filtered sunlight fell on him, and just for a moment, he closed his eyes, allowing himself to bask in the warmth and glow. And his head snapped towards the right side of the bed, eyes open, only to see a folded note. The memories from the night before rushed back to him. Hands grasped at the paper fervently, only to let it fall onto the bed after he read the gentle handwriting that he became well acquainted with. His phone continued to buzz from the calls of the managers demanding to know where he is, the texts asking if he is okay, and the news blowing up once more, about how the Moon had seemingly disappeared off the face of the earth, leaving behind no mark, other than the word about his unknown length of hiatus.

And the Sun wailed at the loss of the Moon.

The Moon did promise that he would be back the day when people would accept them as who they are, and they would not fizz out from the ever-growing black hole haunting them both day and night. And that would be the day when the Moon would obscure the light of the Sun, and the Earth would be plunged into darkness from what they have become. And it doesn’t affect them.

From then on, without the Moon illuminating the night sky, it turned jet-black, and the stars did not shine as bright, as if knowing they were missing a piece. A new moon, waiting for its time to show itself again.

All the Sun could do was wait for the eclipse, where he and the Moon would unite as one again. Until then, they would chase each other across the sky. And when the day comes, he won’t let go of him.

“Just let me love you.”

~̴̡̢̺͎̹͕͎͍̦͎̼̹͙ͯ̽ͣͯͥ͌̇̈ͨ̽͋ͩ̀̚ō̴͑́ͧ̃̽̈̆̿͆͐ͫ̓̇́̅҉̢̼̝̜̪̯̹̣͈̞̕n̴̛̪͖̺̺̘̜̗͔̘̰̟͕̜̱͔ͦͬ͛̌̂͑ͭ̃ͪ͗̀͘͟ͅͅc̨͕̗͉̰̗̥̹̗̝̯̗ͪ̎ͩ͛ͨͯ̓̓̀͡e͎̰̯̗̟̤̺̝͕̪̭̻̼̦̪̿̄ͮ̈́͑ͬͮͦ͌͂ͧ͐̿͠ ̷̭͕͙̝̪͓͈̬͈̣ͥ̈́͗͛̒́ͮͣͫ̍̆͊̌́͜aͪͧͪ̊̀͏̸̵̫̺̙̳̠̹͚̥͖̭̜͎̼͕̜̩͘ͅň̡̙̜͉͎͕̥̺͍̮̳͖͇̠̋͛ͦͫ̏͑͆̃͌ͬ̃ͬ̾́̓̚͢ͅͅd̴͇̪̣̹̂̓ͮͬͧ͜͜ ̵̡͖̟̼̼͚̣̬̩̺̱̗͖͗ͣ̋͑̾ͬ̐̐͑̀̉͂̕ą̲̞̝͉̼̙ͪ̌̀̈ͮͪ̈̐͜͟l̢̟̹̘̰̯̤͕̆̈́̔͊̉ͦw̴̵̹̭̪͉͔͈̥͙̫͍̋ͮ̌̏̄̎́̑̑̑̐́̏̉͘ͅa̶͔̞̲͓̤̺̫ͥ̑̒̃ͯͣ̂ͤ̀͆ͥ̄̆̌̈́͗͂̊̀͜͡y̥̤̞̖͈̯͇̰̬͉̲̩͋̆ͬ̈́͘͢͞͞s̴̸̷̨̳̣̩̼͒̂̋̏̊̎ͬ̄̐͡ͅ ̵̛̯̫͎̟̺͈͚̃ͥ̀̂̎̍͂̉̏̆̈̓̾͊ͥ̆̔̽t̴͎͓̥̩̮̿ͨͭ͂̉̆͆͌̋̀̀̽͡h̯̠̺̺͎̦̣͎͙̼̹̹̪͛̃̑̈́̅ͪ̿ͤͧ̀͊͜͡ȩ̷̜͚͚̰̟̤̱͚̖̤͔̱̺͓ͪ͒ͩ̍̂̈́ͦ̅̐ͨ̉̅̔ͣ͊̈͂ͤ́͢͢ ̶̻̹̻͔̠̻̠͚̗̒ͫͦͫ̑̽͗̽̂ͭͩ̎̈̈́̽̋̇̚ͅͅ1̷̛̛̞̮̱͙̗̰̘̹͍̱͙͙̝̱́̉͌̑̌͆̐̽̄ͨ̓͘3͛ͭ̂̑̏ͮ͒̃ͬ̽̾͏̨̻̟̜̫̰̕͠t̉͌̃̄̃ͧ͗ͫ͋̅̓̐͑͒̎͏̜͎̤͚̺̠͔̤̼͇̘̠͙͖̲̥̰̯́́̕ͅḥ̢̢̠̞̠͕̞̥̥̪̭̽̏̋̓̉͐̑́͢͝ͅ ̡̖̣̳̞̤̼͛́̎̓ͭͬͦ́̀̓ͯ̚͝m̸̜̝̲͚̭͇̠̗̹͔̜ͫ͋̔̇́͘ę̢̡̪̞̫̗͉̙̱̏ͨ̋̑͋̂̃̔͂ͪ̿ͤ̄͆̽̊͢͝m̈̽ͦͧͭ̃͒̂ͬ́͜҉̫͖̮̱̼͚̺̺͉̺̜͓̟͟b̢͚͙̩̳͕̥͐̾ͭ͋͐͒͛̏͠e̷̯͙̳̯͇̣̙̺̜̝͍̟̰̱ͯ͂ͪ̍̑̽̀r̵̝̱̺͍͍̩͍͈͓͚̭̭̱͑͛̏̓̐̽͋̕͝ͅ