This Is Not Goodbye: A Shoujo Parallels AU Short

“So,” Arzen struggled. “One month.”

“One month,” Mathias agreed. Both of them were sitting in the Venura’s living room, both of them playing on the game console. Mathias had paused the game to talk to her on much more serious matters. “Just to France. I have to visit the family,” he told her, and she nodded, hiding her expression. “Don’t miss me too much.”

“Don’t be so conceited,” she snapped back, but it lacked the venom. Her eyes softened when she looked at him once more. “I’ll miss you.”

This time, he looked away to hide his red cheeks. “I’ll miss you too. But it’s just one month, after all.”

“Thirty-one days.”

“I’ll get you something,” he promised. “Food or merchandise. But France isn’t that great. Paris is just a bunch of people doing things and shops closing early.”

But that isn’t what I want, Arzen thought. “Let’s just continue playing,” she told him, picking up her controller. Mathias merely nodded and did the same, unpausing the game and proceeding to play. He got through the levels easier than usual, but she did hers with less heart.

She wondered if he noticed at all.

“Red vs. Blue season twelve’s out,” he started, but stopped upon seeing the look on her face. “Vens?”

And at that, it changed quickly.

“I haven’t seen it yet. How was it?”

“It was great, a nice start to the season. I won’t spoil, but…”

Somehow, Mathias knew that her heart wasn’t into it.

* * * * *

“It’s just one month,” Elaine told her over the phone. Daniel and Liam too had gone to England the previous month, back to visit. “It’ll pass by. Don’t worry too much about it. Daniel and Liam did the same thing. Remember?”

“I’m not worrying,” she defended, but she heard Elaine sigh.

“Don’t deny it, will you? I know that you are.” Arzen stayed silent. “And it’s not flight concerns that are on your mind. It’s basically Mathias.”

“How do–”

“OTPs.” Arzen blushed. Elaine laughed and went on, “It’s okay to miss him. But don’t mope for the whole month because of it. He’s just a guy. Besides, we’re going to see each other pretty soon.”

“The whole group?”

“Mhm. We just need to get planning done.” Elaine paused, “Don’t worry about him too much. Okay? Mathias will be okay. You know that. Stop worrying.”

“I will.” Arzen closed her eyes and sat on her bed, “Thanks, El.”

She could practically hear Elaine waving off her thanks. “Anytime, Vens. We’ll keep your mind off it. I promise. That, and to get the markers.”

“You don’t need to help,” the girl (nearly whined). Elaine snorted.

“No turning back. You gave me your consent.”

* * * * *

“Arzen?”

She turned and looked. Mathias stood in the doorway, dressed in sleeping attire. “I thought you were asleep?”

“Not yet. Not sleepy.” He walked inside, glancing at her clock. It read 11:32 in the evening. “Were you talking to Rivers?”

She nodded. “She got back from SG.”

“I see.” They stayed quiet and after silence, he sighed. “Arzen, you knew this was coming.”

“Of course I did. I just didn’t think that it would be so soon,” she defended, and he nodded. “You told me during February. The others knew. I just…it’s going to be weird without you,” she admitted. “Okay?”

“You’ve lived fifteen years without me here. You’ll get through,” and he ruffled her hair playfully. “It’s just thirty-one days.”

“Thirty-one days,” she repeated. Just like she did during the afternoon. “It seems awfully long. And we still have review to attend.”

“I’ll Skype you.” And he smirked, almost in a way that made her want to smack him with a nearby pillow. 

“Facebook. Twitter. All of those things.”

“Mathias, do you think that I’ll actually miss you?”

“You told me a while ago.” He mimicked her voice, “I’ll miss you. That’s what you said.”

She stared at him blankly.

“It doesn’t matter. You told me that you’d miss me too, anyway.”

And he laughed, despite wanting to admit to her that yes, he would miss her as well.

“You should sleep,” he announced. She glared. “Get a lot of things done tomorrow instead of sleeping all day.”

“I don’t–” he was about to go out when she grabbed his wrist, looking away immediately. He stopped walking, turning back to look at her. Arzen merely held on, glancing away with a small frown and pink cheeks. “Stay, idiot."

* * * * *

@MCAngelo: Just boarded. Miss me yet? @ArzenVens
(@LiamEdevane favorited this)
(@AurelianRiver favorited this)

@ArzenVens: @MCAngelo Don’t be so full of yourself, cockbite.
(@AurelianRiver favorited this)

@MCAngelo: @ArzenVens I’m taking that as a ‘yes’. 

@Edevanes: Online PDA? Really, Prat? @MCAngelo @ArzenVens

@MCAngelo: @Edevanes @ArzenVens Can’t get enough of me even while I’m a thousand feet above the ground, I see. 

@ArzenVens: @MCAngelo @Edevanes Turn your goddamn phone off. You two can continue bickering when Mathias reaches France.

Arzen laughed silently at the tweets that appeared on her timeline, scrolling with an amused smile. Elaine had replied in response to the madness which Mathias had started, Liam making an offhand comment as well.

@AurelianRiver: @ArzenVens @MCAngelo @Edevanes DaThias is real. #canon

@ArzenVens: @AurelianRiver @MCAngelo @Edevanes SHIP IT HARD.

@LiamEdevane: MaZen vs. DaThias. PLACE YOUR BETS NOW
(@MaxineRides retweeted this)
(@AurelianRiver favorited this)

@ArzenVens: @LiamEdevane Shut up, cookie face.

Soon enough, Mathias had stopped tweeting. Arzen knew it, everyone else knew it. That was when Elaine started texting, to get it off her mind as she rode home with her family, who had seen him off.

“When’s he coming back?” Gelo asked, glancing up from the tablet.

“A month.” Gelo merely nodded and went back to playing. In the front, her parents exchanged a look.

* * * * *

Stupidly enough, he had to stop using his phone for nearly half an hour. When he turned it back on, Mathias was distraught to find out that 3G was unavailable and, while bored, went to his notes to list down things to bring back.

Waiting for him was a file.

Confused, he opened it.

Hi, Prat. (he couldn’t help but smile.)

When you read this, you might be in the plane on the way back to France. I know – it’s just going to be one month and all. As much as I hate to admit it, I really will miss you. But what else can I do? I can’t keep you here in MNL while your family worries about you all the way in Europe. It isn’t right.

So what’s this for?

Hell. I don’t know, really.

I installed Skype on my phone just so we can video chat when you want to. Just tell me when, okay? Timezones fucking suck.

So…have a good flight, ginger boy. :-) Don’t get lost. Don’t talk to strangers or whoever.  And get me something from France, asshole. I want some nice chocolate or macaroons. Maybe the latter. Just get me something. Okay?

PS: DaThias is a thing. El and I “canonized” it.

--Vens

He read it repeatedly until he memorized the words by heart, eyes lingering on five words.

“I really will miss you.”