one: the melted ice cream

                                    

                                          
    A pen swiftly scribbles something, hopefully, coherent across a piece of paper while a page from an old textbook is hastily flipped. Emerald eyes are barely able to stay open as they flick back and forth across the page they can't even begin to see through the blurriness.
  A groan leaves dry lips before the green eyes are clenched closed and the head is tilted back. Messy silver hair falls back from the motion, clearing away from pale skin. He can't even register what he just read anymore.
  Asta Orfai leans his head forehead and rests it in his hands with another groan–this time of frustration. It's a good idea to listen to his body and go to sleep since there's a test tomorrow... but there's a test tomorrow and he needs to study. He has to, if he wants to pass the class by acing the test.
  "Shit." Asta licks his lips before he kicks the wall behind his desk to roll his chair back towards his bed. He lets the chair tip over and doesn't even yelp at the practiced motion. A harsh breath leaves his mouth as his back hits the old bed.
  Asta kicks the chair off of his bed and curls onto his side while the chair bangs against the floor. He closes his eyes and buries his face in the fluffy comforter Yuno Orfai–his foster brother, but still his brother in all but blood–forcefully gave him when they first moved to this apartment.
  Lilies and old books. Asta curls up into an even tighter ball at his brother's scent. Reading books all the time and always bringing home lilies to make the crappy apartment smell nice; stupid nerd.
  Asta ignores how the unusually chilly night air starts to make his body shiver. He also ignores how his stomach turns and twists at the constant reminder that his brother is still on that mysterious business trip... even though it's been three weeks.
  "Handsome jerk. You could at least call–or text," Asta mumbles into the comforter before he uncurls his body to turn it. He opens his eyes and stares up at the water-stained ceiling.
  It's been almost a year since he and his brother left the practically no name country town of Hage to find better opportunities in Royal Capital City. Asta could barely believe how much had happened since Yuno pushed him to leave all that they had known.
  He thought he'd be stuck in some convenience store job while he tried and failed, again and again, to be accepted into Clover University. He never expected to be accepted in the first try, and be able to major in what he loved. And the apartment; it's worse than crap and in a horrible–and stupidly loud, and that's saying something–part of the city, but it's Asta's and Yuno's. Asta's. And. Yuno's.
  Their very first private piece of... well... peace that they don't have to share with anyone. Well, Yuno's always been given his privacy whenever he asked for it, but Asta... well he never minded anyway.
  They both went and worked a few odd jobs as they adjusted to living in an actual city and it was quite a big struggle, but then Asta managed to somehow snag a job as an intern at a police department and Yuno... well, he brings in a lot of money and it's something that he–well, Asta thinks so anyways–enjoys.
  Asta also thinks it's a job that might be involved with... less than legal organizations, but they had this talk before. And Yuno knows not to get involved if he can help it... even though going on at least two business trips a month seems to be pretty involved.
  Whatever. It's no use thinking or talking about it. At least, not anymore. As long as Yuno doesn't come home with a gunshot wound, or God forbid in a body bag, Asta won't mention anything. It's not really his place anyway. Right now.