Two Friends Sparkling On

Mochi Moon activities were in full swing.

Shibani stood on the edge of a small clearing. The faint hum of laughter and distant cheers filled the air, but it was the quiet companionship beside him that made the moment feel perfect.

Holland, with his ever-silent demeanor, stood a few feet away, a small box of sparklers in his gloved hands. His ballgag glinted faintly under the soft light, but his posture was relaxed. Despite his inability to speak, or rather his willingness to have the gag in all the time, there was something about his presence that always put Shibani at ease.

“These are the ones that sparkle the longest, right?” Shibani asked, his voice soft but tinged with excitement. He pulled his coat, which was lent to him by Dan, tighter around him, the chill of the night biting at his succubun ears.

Holland nodded, holding up the box to show the colorful label. 

It depicted a cartoonish sparkler with a bun next to it. its cheerful design promising bursts of light and fun. He tilted his head, as if to say,

 “Should we start?"

Shibani smiled and reached out, taking one of the sparklers from the box. Holland handed him a lighter, his movements deliberate and careful. For a moment, they stood there, the quiet stretching between them in a way that felt comforting rather than awkward.

The sparkler caught with a faint hiss, a trail of golden sparks spiraling into the night. Shibani’s eyes widened, the sleepy haze in his expression momentarily replaced by childlike wonder. 

“Look at that.” 

He murmured, holding the sparkler out and watching as the sparks danced in the air.

Holland lit his own sparkler, the light illuminating his pale fur and the soft contours of his face. He tilted his head slightly, as if appreciating the way the sparks seemed to chase each other before fading into the dark. The two of them stood side by side, their sparklers casting warm, flickering light onto the snow-dusted ground beneath their feet.

“It’s kind of magical, isn’t it?” Shibani said, turning to glance at Holland. “Like holding a little piece of something that fell from the sky. Hehe.”

Holland didn’t respond, but his eyes softened, and he gave a small nod. 

Actions spoke louder than words with him, and Shibani had long since learned to read the subtle shifts in his body language. That slight tilt of the head, the way his shoulders relaxed—it all said he was enjoying this as much as Shibani was.

Shibani waved his sparkler through the air, drawing lazy circles and spirals. “Look, I’m an artist,” he said with a soft laugh. He tried to write his name, though the letters dissolved before he could finish. “Okay, maybe not the best artist.”

Holland’s eyes crinkled slightly at the corners, the closest he ever came to a smile. He mimicked Shibani’s motions, waving his sparkler in a deliberate, controlled arc. The light traced shapes in the dark—a star, a heart, and something that might have been a succubun if Shibani squinted.

“That’s pretty good,” Shibani said, genuinely impressed. “How are you better at this than me?”

Holland tilted his head, his expression playful. The unspoken challenge was clear, and Shibani grinned. “Alright, round two,” he said, determined to outdo his friend’s sparkler art.

They spent the next few minutes waving their sparklers through the air, drawing increasingly elaborate designs. Shibani’s attempts were chaotic but enthusiastic, while Holland’s movements remained precise and deliberate. The clearing around them sparkled with golden light, the fleeting shapes adding a touch of magic to the night.

When their sparklers finally burned out, Shibani sighed, the warm glow fading from his hands. 

“That was fun,” he said, his voice soft and content. He looked over at Holland, who was already holding out another sparkler. Shibani laughed. “Okay, okay, one more. But just one.”

Holland raised an eyebrow, clearly skeptical, but he handed over the sparkler without protest. They lit their final sparklers together, the hiss of the flames and the burst of light feeling almost ceremonial. Shibani held his sparkler close, watching the way the sparks seemed to dance with a life of their own.

“Happy Mochi Moon,” he said quietly, more to himself than anyone else. But when he glanced at Holland, he saw the other bun looking at him, his eyes warm and full of unspoken warmth. They nodded at each other, happy to be there.