Story Title: Tide and Waves

Author: Mathais

Rating: T

Fandom: Tensou Sentai Goseiger

Warnings: Boys Love, aka. male x male pairings.

Pairings: Hyde/Magis

Summary: Not a week goes by that Hyde doesn't return to the beach.

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters and elements of Tensou Sentai Goseiger.

Notes: Spoilers for episode 10. Fixed a word choice that was annoying me for the longest time.

OoOoO

Hyde took two sticks of incense with him before the sun rose, just as he had done every week. He sat on the rocky sand and lit the incense, stabbing their ends into the sand in front of him. As they burned and released smoke into the air, Hyde only looked out into the sea.

The sun began to rise over the horizon when Hyde finally spoke.

"Agri said I was heartbroken today," he said at last. His voice was rougher than usual; it lacked the uncomfortable edge it had around even around his teammates when it came to discussing his feelings, but it still had the weight of his emotions in it. "I think he meant something else."

He paused and then shifted from his cross-legged posture into one where his long legs were against his chest, his knees under his chin.

"But that doesn't make it less true."

Hyde took in a deep, shuddering breath that made his whole body shake.

"I still miss you, Magis. I think I'll always miss you."

He stared at the sea. The Seaick Tribe didn't believe in burying the dead to become one again with the earth or scattering their ashes to where the winds may take them. They instead put their dead in a boat and pushed it out in the open water. A slow-burning jelly would be placed on board so that, when the craft was out of sight, it would burn away and take the body with it. He hadn't had the time or materials for a proper sending off, but he made sure to put Magis on a raft he created himself and set him out to sea. Because he had none of the jelly with him, he had to personally set fire to raft to make sure it burned.

He forced himself to watch as the fire consumed Magis with it.

His price to pay for needing Magis protect him, for failing in his job.

"I'm sorry that I forced you to do it. I still don't know if that was the only way, but I accept now that you had to do what you had to do."

Magis had been Seaick Tribe to the end. Even though he'd been weird and quirky for a member of the Seaick Tribe (Hyde muttered half the time that Magis had to be Skick Tribe), he'd calmly thought his options through and came to the action that, in their current situation, would have protected the Earth the longest and minimized loss of life.

Hyde didn't doubt that at least one of them would have died that day.

"But why'd it have to be you?" he questioned. "I could have... I could have done something. I could have fought harder or..."

But he definitely wouldn't have come to the same conclusion that Magis had. Hyde was always a little more selfish; Magis claimed that it, combined with his grumpy attitude, was always cute, but then Hyde just accused him of being Skick Tribe again. But still, any plan that he came up with wouldn't have involved sacrifice.

Especially not the sacrifice of someone he...

"I love you." Without anyone around to hear it, Hyde could say it, even if it was barely above a whisper. "I will always love you, Magis."

The authorities over angels-in-training were good at finding partners, people who could work together even when the going got rough. Childhood friends and siblings were the best dynamics to them; both would grow together and, even if they fought, would ultimately work toward a better goal.

He and Magis were neither. They hadn't met until they were training together, but... There'd been an instant connection. Of course, Hyde had tried to deny it, but Magis simply wormed his way under his skin and into his heart.

"You were always good at getting to know people."

For a member of the reserved Seaick Tribe, Magis had always been more open and emotional than the rest. He wore his heart on his sleeve, bouncing around and smiling for everyone who crossed his path. He could be flighty and a bit air-headed as he flittered from one goal to the next, but he had unmistakable talent and depths of power that swept away all who were unprepared.

"I was so happy that we were partnered."

Magis was deemed a good match for Hyde, who was even more reserved than the typical Seaick and, he admitted to himself, had problems communicating with people. Hyde knew that he could be cold, stubborn, and standoffish, but he also knew that he opened up around Magis and trusted him to have his back.

And Magis did.

"When we fought together, we were the best."

They'd quickly risen to the top of their class.

"The Seaick Power of the Waves! GoseiBlue!"

"The Seaick Power of the Tide! GoseiGreen!"

Hyde couldn't stop the tears this time. He couldn't stop the hot tears that flowed down his cheeks, soaking into his pants and marking him with his sorrow. "You were the only one I could talk to. When things got too tough or too awkward, you were always there for me."

Magis had been the first one to start their relationship. He'd taken them to their favorite beach spot and confessed not long after they became official partners. Hyde had blushed, stuttered, and eventually agreed. After all, he'd been wrestling with his own feelings as well.

But Magis had made the first move, as he'd always done.

And he showed his appreciation by bowling Hyde over right then and there, much to his irritation and secret delight.

"I miss you. I miss you and your stupid jokes and your idiotic hugs and your foolish way of standing on your head to figure things out." Without realizing it, Hyde found that his fingers were around Magis's Tesouder and his deck of cards, things he never quite managed to let go of. "I miss your kindness and your strength. I miss how you broke the silences with your jokes and how you would always smile at me. I miss how you would seek my arms for solace, even if I wasn't good at giving it. I miss the way you'd poke and prod to get me out of my comfort zone, and I miss how I'd make sure to get you back for it. I miss you so much, Magis."

The incense was burning down to its last centimeters when he looked up, eyes red with tears.

"Why did you have to leave? Why did you have to do it?"

But Hyde knew the answer. It was the answer that he'd learned himself.

The Earth came before them. It would always come before them, before their health and their lives. It was an angel's duty after all. Magis had known that, but he'd still managed to smile for him in the end.

For a brief time, Hyde had wondered if it was worth it. But it was. He knew that he loved protecting the Earth. Now, though, he'd also protect it because it was the thing that Magis had given his life to defend, and he would never let Magis down.

Wiping the last remnants of his tears away, Hyde looked out into the distance toward the sun. "Agri, when you said that I was brokenhearted, you were correct. But when you said that I'd never loved anyone? You were wrong, so very wrong.

"I love you, Magis."

Hyde turned and walked away with the relentless press of water lapping at his heels.

What remained of his incense was swallowed by the waves and dragged deep by the tide.

Hyde wouldn't have it any other way.