It was a bright, sunny morning, and the Takahashi household was busy as always. Haruto was at his desk, facedown, groaning every couple minutes. Pix stuck his head in the doorway, a large plate of omelets in his hands.
"Hey! What are you up to?" he asked, floating into the room. Haruto turned his head so his cheek was resting on the table. His eyes were dreary.
"Nothing, it's just early…" He shut the notebook beside him. "Haven't figured out what to do today…"
"I got an idea," Pix said, beaming. "Let's go to the beach, Haruto!" He opened his mouth to object, but paused. His eyes softened a little bit.
"Ah, you know what?" he said, sitting up and stretching. "Let's go."
In a loose buttoned shirt tied at the back and white shorts, Pix stood out in comparison to Haruto, who opted to wear a t-shirt and sweatpants as always. Haruto glanced at him as they stepped out the front door, pulling his backpack over his shoulder.
"You know," he said, as they walked down the sidewalk, "I can see why you get along with my mom. You both seem pretty good at fashion naturally…"
"You think so?" Pix smiled. "I always liked Earth clothes. I find them super cute. The ones your mom designed were really nice, but, ah…" He looked away, bashful.
"Don't worry about it. You looked good in them," Haruto said. "You're pretty."
"Pretty? Um… You mean…" He began to fidget, and his face turned pink.
"Like a girl, I guess?" Haruto looked away, seemingly bashful too. "Ah, hey, the beach will be really crowded. Are you alright with that?"
"Y– Yeah! That's totally fine…" Pix was idly looking at the sky like it was the most interesting thing on the planet.
PRETTY LIKE A GIRL…? HEY, WHAT'S THAT EVEN MEAN? WAS IT A COMPLIMENT…? He couldn't wrap his head around it.
The beach was always full of tourists, which annoyed Haruto even more in the summertime. He didn't like the way sand stuck to everything, and couldn't stand seagulls, but Pix seemed to adore everything about the place.
"HARUTO! LOOK!" He giggled, a huge grin on his face as he dove into the sea. It was low tide, and a sunny day with a nice breeze. Despite his thoughts about it, he had to admit it was the perfect day for the beach. Pix was playing in the sea, earning plenty of strange looks from people– After all, he had blue skin, peachy colored hair, and those bright, golden eyes that always had stars in them. Haruto wondered how he was so carefree when people stared so much. He rolled his pants up to his knees, then splashed into the ocean, a small smile on his face.
"Come on, let's see if we can find a jellyfish." Pix jumped a little, his blue face paling.
"EEK! NO! THEY'RE WEIRD!" Haruto had to hide his laugh.
"Why are you in the ocean, then?"
The sun slipped beneath the buildings and hills, and the sky turned an orange sherbet color. The beach was far less crowded now, and the boys were walking along the shore together, collecting shells.
"You know," Pix said, smiling as his arms swayed in the beachy breeze, "I never thought I would meet someone like you."
"Huh? Where's this coming from?" Haruto seemed surprised, but he had that small smile on his face, barely visible, but Pix noticed it.
"I'm just glad we met!" he said, his face full of happiness. As a wave swept up at their feet on the shore, he wrapped his arms around him, closing his eyes. "What I mean to say," he said, "is that you're a good friend." Before Haruto could say anything, a girl's voice called out from across the sand.
"Hey! Haruto! Did you get a girlfriend?" There was an older girl standing by the boardwalk. Pix flinched and peeled away, but he noticed Haruto's hand was still holding his. The girl was wearing her dark hair in a long braid, and had a stylish, dainty dress that fluttered in the warm air. Her eyes were black like Haruto's, but very lit up, and her face was very pretty. From afar, she looked like a movie star, standing against a wooden plank with her hands tucked neatly behind her back. She grinned, waving. "Hey, baby brother! Did you miss me?" Asako Takahashi, his older sister, was back home from college for a surprise visit.
"So, you're Pix, huh?" They were sitting in the living room while Mrs. Takahashi was making dinner. Asako was sitting on the rug, wearing more comfortable clothes, but still somehow looking very fashionable. Pix and Haruto were sitting on the couch in front of her, side by side. "Mom said you're an alien. It surprised me at first, but looking at you… You're not scary at all!" She giggled. Pix had to wonder if this family was always like this..
"W– Well, yeah…" He glanced away, feeling shy. "Aliens aren't really scary. Most of us look kind of like humans. I mean, we do have extra things, like bright hair colors or antennae…" Asako's eyes went starry, and she reached out, her hand hovering over his head.
"Ah, hey, that's rude!" Haruto nudged her hand away. "Don't just touch someone without permission!"
"Sorry, sorry!" She dipped her head, her cheeks flushed. "That was really rude of me."
"It's okay!" Pix smiled, leaning over. "You can feel 'em. They're squishy, kind of like jellies." She reached out, being very, very serious about it, and gently squished one. The room was silent for a moment.
"OH MY GOSH! THEY ARE!" Asako squealed, falling back on the rug and rolling around. "THEY ARE SO SQUISHY! THAT'S SO CUTE!" Haruto seemed to be blue in the face, and Pix was bright pink.
"Ugh, Asako…" He rubbed his forehead. "Please forgive her. She acts really cool, but when she sees something cute…"
"I CAN'T HELP IT!" She sprung up, her eyes shiny. "HE'S ADORABLE! I don't even care if he wears my clothes! He can have them!" She grabbed Pix's hands and pulled him off the couch. "COME ON! I'M DRESSING YOU UP!" Before Haruto could protest, he was whisked away.
"Don't mind her, sweetie," Mrs. Takahashi said, setting plates down on the table. "She's just happy to be home for a visit. She's leaving again later tonight, so Pix can still use her room." Haruto rubbed the back of his neck, squinting a little.
"I mean, I get that," he said, "I just don't want her to scare him away." His mother smiled warmly.
"Don't worry, she won't."
Pix was sitting on the heart-shaped rug in Asako's room, watching her dig through her endless closet.
"I can't believe aliens are this cute!" she said, tossing frilly outfits over her shoulder. "I mean, seriously, who would've thought? Ah, here we go." She pulled out a small jewelry box. "Found it."
"Eh? What's that?" She sat down across from him, opening the box's latch with a click.
"Well, your outfit is nice as is," she said, sifting through necklaces and hair clips. "But it's always good to accessorize!" She looked at him with a gentle expression. "Can I?"
Pix nodded, smiling back to her. She scared me a little at first, but… She reached over, draping a dainty necklace over his head. She's very kind, just like Haruto and his mother are…
"There we go! How pretty!" She giggled. "You know, I haven't seen Haruto act this closely with someone before." Pix's eyes widened ever so slightly.
"Y– You haven't?" he stuttered. "What about Bijan or Lila? They've all been together since childhood, right?"
"Yes, and of course they're very close! But I'll let you in on a little secret," she said, holding her hand beside her cheek, winking mischievously. He leaned in, his bright eyes lit up with curiosity, and she whispered in his ear.
"Ehhh?!" Asako was smiling at him.
"That's why I trust you," she said, a twinkle in her eyes, "because Haruto would never go to the beach for anyone."
Pix felt funny again, like his heart sprouted wings and flew out the window. When he stepped back into the room, wearing silver jewelry and a simple bow in his hair, his cheeks were rosy.
Lila said the same thing… He wouldn't take just anyone to the concert. Haruto looked up at him, smiling.
Who's "just anyone," though? Am I different?
"Hey. She didn't scare you too much, did she?" The words flew right over Pix's head.
When I see him smile, it makes my heart feel like it might run away.
"Pix? You alright?" Haruto was looking up at him with concern in his eyes. Pix took a moment to respond.
You look kinda worried... Why is that? Hey… am I somebody special to you? There were thoughts running through his mind that he just couldn't say aloud.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Let's eat!" He smiled, but the lingering emotions didn't fade, and there was one question weighing down on his mind entirely.
What could these feelings be?