Twenty-Seven -
Xenosaga Ep. II, chaos and Jin
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chaos didn't respond. Instead he smiled sidelong at Jin and then went back to looking out over the garden as it faded into the darkness. They sat side by side, silent and companionable, while overhead the stars came on one by one; the tiny bamboo fountain in the garden filled and emptied, filled and emptied, the soft splash and thump providing a counterpoint to the faint and far-off noises of the city.

"Look, fireflies," chaos finally said, breaking the silence. He pointed out over the tiny pond to where a handful of greenish-yellow lights were dancing. "I didn't know there were fireflies on Second Miltia."

Jin did not frown, precisely, but the line between his eyebrows deepened slightly, which for Jin was the same thing. "There aren't," he said, watching the little lights. "I've never seen them before."

"Huh," chaos said. "That's interesting." He stretched out a hand towards the little lights. Slowly but surely the fireflies moved closer, until one of the little insects--bolder than the others--hovered just an inch from chaos' outstretched fingers. chaos smiled and leaned forward, cupping both hands gently around the tiny light and bringing it in.

As if they were on strings the other fireflies followed the first one, until they circled chaos' head, lighting his face and hair with irregular splashes of yellowish green. The captured firefly landed on one of chaos' palms and seemed content to stay there, occasionally flashing from behind the cage of chaos' loosely interlocked fingers. Jin watched this, bemused.

"I've always liked fireflies," chaos said, opening his hands. The firefly he had caught stayed balanced on the meat of his palm for a moment, then lifted away to hover before him. "It's nice that they're here."

"It is," Jin said, and he closed his eyes, the corners of his mouth just barely twitching up. "I can't help but wonder where they came from."

chaos shrugged, even though Jin couldn't see him. "I don't know." In front of him the boldest firefly flashed again, and chaos smiled at it, as if they were sharing a secret. Reaching up, he barely brushed the tip of one gloved finger against the tiny creature's abdomen, and the firefly flashed as if in answer and then drifted towards Jin, landing on the exposed 'v' of skin just above where Jin's yukata closed.

Jin opened his eyes and looked down, lifting his hands in a helpless gesture. "Ah..."

"I'll get it," chaos said, and reaching in he brushed his fingers gently across Jin's chest, shooing the firefly away. The firefly took to the air, flashed once just in front of Jin's eyes, and then drifted away again, its light reflecting in the pool.

The corners of Jin's eyes crinkled slightly as he smiled. "I... see," he said, watching the other fireflies circle chaos' head like a crown.

"I thought you might," said chaos.