Past the Horizon, Beyond the Sea and Through the Sands of Time (page 2)

[inocchiroo]

second post because I broke LJ.  Oooo!

PART TWO :D/

Domoto Koichi arrived five days later, sailing in by ship from the neighboring kingdom.

Hideaki paced impatiently in his office as Koichi had a bath to wash off the dirt and dust from the road. He jumped up eagerly when the wizard was announced.

“Apologies for the delay, Your Royal Highness,” Koichi said with a deep bow. Straightening up, he looked Hideaki straight in the eyes. “That was quite the puzzling letter you wrote. How may I be of service?”

Hideaki steeled himself. Now that the moment had come to consult Koichi, he found himself filled with an odd mix of dread and hope. With trembling hands, he slid open the box on the table and unsheathed the knife that lay within. Gleaming black with a finely honed edge, it had made him feel squeamish ever since he had first spotted it on his nightstand the morning of Tsubasa’s appearance. This, a concrete example of the bizarre, was as good a start as any. “Might you recognize this?”

Domoto gave it a cursory look-over and shrugged. “Where did you get it?”

Hideaki took a deep breath. “I think it’s from the sea,” he said. He paused to look Koichi straight in the eyes. “Perhaps from a merman,” he continued boldly.

Koichi’s face, previously open and friendly, instantaneously transformed into polite disinterest. “Merfolk?” he said stiffly. “Surely not. Isn’t that just a harmless tale for children?”

Hideaki’s mouth fell open in wordless protest.

***

It was pointless.

Still, it had worked once before.

Ever since Tsubasa’s disappearance, as soon as the sun dropped below the horizon, Hideaki walked down to the beach. Usually, he would stay by the rock where Tsubasa had brought him to shore and where he had found the merman, a reassuring anchor and evidence that Tsubasa had existed. Sometimes, he would pace the length of the beach restlessly.

Tonight, he was sitting by the rock, huddled against the side, scant protection from the chill of the night.

A quiet cough disturbed the sound of the waves.

Hideaki jerked his head up, heart caught in his throat. “Tsubasa?” He dashed forward to get a closer look before slumping back down in despair. It was a merman, but not Tsubasa.

“I’m sorry,” the merman said softly, wincing apologetically.

Hideaki clasped his knees to his chest. “No, I’m sorry,” he mumbled. He sniffled into his pants. The awkward silence between them stretched out.

“I’m sorry,” Hideaki began again, peering at the merman’s face intently. White hair, down to his waist, Tsubasa had said in his description of his closest friend, the one he had regarded as fondly as a blood brother. This was strange though; this merman’s hair was shorn close to his head in angry, jagged lines. “You must be Tsuyoshi-san?” he asked hesitantly.

Tsuyoshi’s eyebrows flew up and he burst into bitter laughter, indicating that Hideaki was correct in his deduction with a perfunctory nod.

Hideaki’s lower lip quivered. “Tsubasa? He’s?”

Tsuyoshi nodded quickly, sparing him from having to finish the sentence.

“Oh. I had thought - ” His voice trailed off into a whisper and then he shook himself, remembering his manners. “Thank you for coming to tell me,” he added quietly, crumpling in on himself.

“That’s not why I’m here,” Tsuyoshi said forcefully. “There may be a way - ”

Hideaki leaned forward, hope springing up again despite himself. “What do you mean?”

“The magician - Domoto Koichi,” Tsuyoshi pressed on. “You sent for him, didn’t you? He can help.”

Hideaki startled, staring back at Tsuyoshi curiously. “I did. I had asked him to come when Tsubasa first transformed.” He bit his lip and shook his head angrily. “But he says that he doesn’t even know anything about the merfolk.”

“He’s lying,” Tsuyoshi cut in roughly and then so softly that Hideaki thought he had misheard, “Ask him to help you... as a favor for Tsuyoshi.”

Hideaki’s eyes widened.

***

Bidding Tsuyoshi a hasty goodbye after thanking him profusely and arranging another meeting time, Hideaki hurried back to the palace. He paced his bedroom for the rest of the night.

At five, he issued instructions to Nagano to alert him when Koichi was awake and forced himself to eat breakfast. Fifteen minutes later, he was wandering around the palace. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Nagano approached him to say that the wizard was awake and in the library.

Hideaki flew down the hallway and burst through the doorway. “Domoto-san,” he said breathlessly, taking care to lock the door behidn him. “Please. I need your help.”

Koichi watched him warily over the top of the scroll.

Hideaki sat down in a chair across from him. He looked searchingly into Koichi’s eyes. “I met Tsuyoshi last night,” he said quietly.

A shadow of something inscrutable flickered across Koichi’s face, gone as quickly as it came. Hideaki gripped the sides of the chair, holding on tightly for support.

Koichi’s eyes were closed and he was taking deep, slow breaths of air, sucking them in audibly through his mouth. When he opened his eyes again, they were calm and focused. He set the scroll aside. “You needed help?”

The story came out in a jumble, Hideaki’s words tripping over themselves in his rush to explain. Koichi listened intently, nodding his head every now and then, slowing him down with clarifying questions.

“Can something be done?” Hideaki pleaded.

The corner of Koichi’s mouth quirked up humorlessly. “That depends entirely on the circumstances and conditions.”

Whispers of hope trickled in through the cracks in Hideaki’s heart. “As in?” he asked tentatively.

Koichi waved his hand, brushing aside Hideaki’s question. “Do you know the difference between humans and merpeople?”

Hideaki blinked and faltered. Well, there was the obvious but that must be far too simple to be what Koichi intended. “I’m guessing I don’t,” he said.

Koichi had a faraway look in his eyes as he gazed over Hideaki’s shoulder and out the window. “Humans are the only creatures with eternal souls,” he said softly.

---

It was simple to bring Tsubasa back, Koichi had explained. Deceptively so.

Not only were souls eternal, they were resilient and malleable. Under the magician’s incantation, he could split Hideaki’s soul and draw upon it’s strength to call Tsubasa back to life.

That is, it would be relatively easily accomplished for this lifetime.

What was uncertain, though, was the endless future that spun out ahead.

“Are you willing to risk it? Chance everything?” Koichi had asked bluntly.

Koichi outlined the dangers. The piece of Hideaki’s soul that remained within him would mend and given time, be sufficient in and of itself for sustaining life. However, without binding strands of love nurturing what was lent to Tsubasa to maintain the link and tie the halves together to make future reincarnations as a pair possible, Tsubasa would fade away after this lifetime and Hideaki would go through his future lives with half of a broken soul, aimlessly adrift with an incurable ache in his heart for all of eternity.

Hideaki had blanched white with fright and begged Koichi to stay in the palace for at least another night while he considered the proposition.

He lay on his bed now, running Koichi’s words through his head repeatedly. Koichi had warned that time was of the essence as the effectiveness of the incantation to reverse Tsubasa’s fate decreased with each passing day.

A decision needed to be made soon.

Would bringing Tsubasa back be worth it? Would he want to return? Would their love be strong enough to continue past this life? Did love even exist now?

At this last one, Hideaki felt his heart spasm in his chest and in that instant, clarity flooded his mind. After Tsubasa’s abrupt disappearance, there was now no doubt for him that he loved Tsubasa.

He examined everything that he had pictured his future to be before he met Tsubasa - king over the land with a queen by his side and heaven’s willing, a swarm of children and grandchildren to keep the palace halls bright for years to come with laughter and smiles. Juxtaposed against the idea of having Tsubasa near him - now that he knew what it was to love someone - his previous vision paled in comparison. His heart already felt shattered and his life meaningless with Tsubasa gone.

He was less sure if Tsubasa returned his feelings fully, but the signs had been there and his gut feeling was telling that it wasn’t just wishful thinking. And, if something should go wrong, even if they were only given a few more selfish, precious moments stolen from Death, it would be enough if he could say goodbye to Tsubasa.

With resolve settling over him and a brief prayer that he had made the right decision, he sought Koichi out again.

---

Koichi didn’t look surprised when Hideaki announced his decision. “Let’s head to your chambers then,” he said briskly, rolling up his sleeves. “The spell will make you extremely tired,” he explained.

They stopped by Koichi’s room first to pick up his bag and Hideaki led the way back to his suite. Koichi pulled various bottles from his bag and mixed together a drink, handing it over in a small pewter cup.

Perched on the edge of his bed, Hideaki drank it down without hesitation. Instantly, his eyes felt heavy and all the muscles in his body tingled. He felt Koichi easing him down onto the bed and with Koichi’s lilting voice chanting in the background muffling his thoughts, he fell asleep.

---

Hideaki woke up to warm hands wrapped around him. He snuggled in closer until his brain caught up and he was jerked fully awake. He twisted around and stared in disbelief.

It had worked.

Tsubasa was smiling at him through a yawn.

Hideaki blinked but the image stayed the same. He swallowed with difficulty, bringing his hand up to rub the tears away from his eyes. “お帰り” he said quietly, fearful that any sudden movements or loud noises would break the illusion.

Tsubasa brought his hand up to Hideaki’s cheek and thumbed away a stray tear. “ただ今” he answered softly.

Hideaki’s mouth dropped in shock. Ever since Tsubasa’s disappearance, he had been wishing fervently for his return; never did it occur to him that Tsubasa’s voice would be restored as well. “You can talk again,” he exclaimed, completely mystified.

Tsubasa quirked a smile. “Amongst other things,” he said glibly.

Hideaki giggled, struck giddy with joy. “I missed you,” he blurted. Tsubasa’s face was paler than usual, cheeks slightly gaunt but other than that, he looked to be much the same as he was before.

“I missed you so much too,” Tsubasa answered, note of melancholy in his voice.

Hideaki felt tears welling up in his eyes again. When Tsubasa was gone, he had held back on crying through sheer willpower - to mourn the loss would have been to admit defeat. Now that Tsubasa was back though, all of his repressed fear, anxiety and sorrow roared to the forefront.

“Come here,” Tsubasa said without hesitation, spreading his arms.

Grateful, Hideaki crawled on top of Tsubasa and nestled his head in the crook of his neck, the tears falling faster now. The echo of Tsubasa’s heartbeat, strong and steady, against him was the most marvelous thing he had ever experienced. With Tsubasa humming soothing sounds in his ear and his arms wrapped securely around his back, Hideaki was lulled to sleep again.

---

That first day, Hideaki was exhausted, still suffering from the immediate after-effects of the magic. With the initial rush of adrenaline gone, his body prickled all over with pain. Koichi had weaved in a strong spell for sleep, the surest way for Hideaki to marshal his soul’s remaining stores of energy towards self-healing. Even so, he had woken up every few hours in between spurts of deep slumber, each time panicking that he had been daydreaming about Tsubasa’s return until he had verified again that it was a reality.

When he woke up the following morning, they were still tightly entangled together.

Bashful, Hideaki slipped off Tsubasa and rolled onto the bed.

He could hear rain pattering gently against the windows, a soothing and peaceful sound promising of new beginnings. In the weak morning light, he gazed at Tsubasa’s face, memorizing each detail.

Only when the rising sun burned away the last remnants of the rain clouds did Tsubasa start stirring in his sleep. Hideaki watched as Tsubasa stretched his arms above his head before flipping to his side.

“Good morning,” Hideaki chirped.

“Good morning,” Tsubasa mumbled, smile spreading quickly over his face.

A frisson swept its way down Hideaki’s body, causing him to shiver. Tsubasa’s voice in the morning, rough with sleep, was so sexy. He instantly decided that it was something that he could never tire of hearing.

Before there was a chance that things could get awkward, their stomachs grumbled simultaneously.

“Breakfast?” Tsubasa asked, eyes lighting up. “Some eggs and toast would be delicious.”

“Excellent idea,” Hideaki said enthusiastically. He could do with some strong tea and toast to settle his nerves.

After a brief discussion, they agreed that it would be best to face Tsubasa’s sudden reappearance head-on by joining everyone for breakfast in the dining room.

---

Nestled in amongst the regulars of the palace, Hideaki spotted Koichi at the far end of the dining table, protesting vehemently as a well-meaning servant attempted to ladle more food onto his plate. He caught his eye and made to move towards him, but Koichi shook his head subtly.

Hideaki followed Koichi’s gaze as it shifted to Tsubasa, who was standing next to him, noting with a pang that Koichi’s lips were now drawn up tight.

Given Koichi’s evident discomfort, Hideaki stayed away. It was easy; the room had bubbled up excitedly around the reappearance of Tsubasa, forming a crowd around them and expressing astonishment when words started coming out of Tsubasa’s mouth.

In any case, he fully intended to find Koichi in private later that day to express his gratitude again, but when he glanced up next, the magician wasn’t in his seat.

After breakfast, inquiries to the staff revealed that Koichi had left, leaving word with Nagano that he needed to return home.

---

By unspoken agreement, they avoided conversation about the particulars on Tsubasa’s return. To others, they explained that Tsubasa had been sick and had sought treatment from a wise woman in a nearby kingdom - an excuse that conveniently accounted for Tsubasa’s voice returning as well. This was enough to placate the curiosity of most; if there were any who remained skeptical or were clever enough to make the connection between the coincidental timing of the wizard’s arrival and Tsubasa’s re-appearance, they knew better than to make a fuss and kept tactfully quiet.

---

That night, they walked down to the beach. It was Hideaki’s appointed day to meet with Tsuyoshi.

Tsubasa was nearly bouncing up and down in excitement, anxious to meet up with his friend. When they reached the shoreline, Hideaki dug in his pocket for the whistle that Tsuyoshi had provided, blowing three short tweets on it as they had planned.

It didn’t take long for Tsuyoshi’s sleek head to pop up out of the water. Tsubasa cried out in pure happiness and rushed to wade into the sea while Hideaki looked on respectfully from a distance as the two old friends reconnected.

Seeing Tsubasa in his natural environment, albeit without his tail, caused slivers of despair, sharp as poisoned thorns, to dig into Hideaki’s side at the thought of losing him again. He closed his eyes, working through the sudden lurch in anguish. It was pointless to get worked up over the uncertain, he reminded himself fiercely and vowed to consciously shed his worries. It wasn’t a matter of living recklessly. Rather, it was contenting himself with living each moment to the fullest and doing his best to love Tsubasa unconditionally.

---

Hideaki was deliriously happy, spending every waking minute with Tsubasa and every night curled around him. They mainly stuck close by the palace, exploring the grounds and the adjacent forest, but they also traveled to the village - Tsubasa’s first time - bringing sweet yams with them to distribute. Hideaki watched with pride as Tsubasa set about their task earnestly, working alongside him, winning smiles and laughter easily from everyone.

---

On Tsubasa’s sixth day back, Hideaki proposed a night excursion to the sea. Tsubasa eagerly agreed.

They set out at twilight, picking their way around the rocks to get to the shore. In the moonlight, the stones gleamed a bright white, lighting up the ground below them. They chatted easily, jumping from topic to topic as they fancied when suddenly, Tsubasa stumbled.

Hideaki cried out, grabbing him by the arm and hauling him upright before he fell. He clutched Tsubasa by the hand protectively. It was only when they reached the shore that he realized that they had walked the rest of the distance hand in hand. He let go, reluctantly, and feigned intense effort at untying the dinghy from the dock.

They took turns with paddling until the palace lights were a dim twinkling behind them. It was no matter - the sky was lit up brilliantly with stars and the moon was glowing. Hideaki tucked the oars into the dinghy carefully. “Are your hands cold?” he asked. It was a fairly warm night and they had gotten in a generous level of exercise with rowing so far out to sea, but the open waters were always a bit chillier than the shore.

Tsubasa flexed them experimentally, bringing them close to his mouth to blow on them. “A little,” he said.

Hideaki reached for Tsubasa’s hands, rubbing them briskly between his own to Tsubasa’s happy sighs. When he paused, Tsubasa performed the same favor for him.

Hideaki pulled apples out of his knapsack, shining them on his jacket before handing one to Tsubasa. He had gathered them himself from the storeroom that morning in preparation for the outing while Tsubasa had busied himself with poking around for mushrooms for a pie he had planned to make with the cook.

The fruit was sweet and surprisingly juicy, leftover from last fall's harvest. When they finished their snack, they tossed the cores over the side of the dinghy, ripples spreading out in orderly concentric circles until they intersected and grew muddled.

Tsubasa ran his fingers through the water, making the lines even more blurred. He straightened up, preparing himself visibly for a difficult task, and touched Hideaki lightly on the arm, leaving droplets of water clinging to his coat. “We should talk.”

Hideaki tensed with apprehension, his idyllic happiness fading away swiftly. Although Tsubasa didn’t specify, he could’ve meant only one thing, after all. He had been conflicted on whether to tell Tsubasa the whole story, pondering over the benefits and disadvantages in the back of his mind for the past few days.

His instinct was to share everything with him for the sake of open communication and honesty. However, the one thing holding him back from that route was the fear that he would unduly influence Tsubasa and cause him to feel obligated to him. It was not a burden that he could ask him to take on.

“I know you must’ve made a huge sacrifice,” Tsubasa said, squeezing his hand tightly. “After all," he said smiling wryly, "I know, more than most, that the stronger the magic needed, the bigger the commitment required.”

Hideaki kept his face blank, afraid to open his mouth and let the truth slip out.

“It’s fine if you don’t want to tell me everything,” Tsubasa said in a rush.

Hideaki blinked, eying him cautiously. It was true that they had never fully discussed Tsubasa’s own sacrifice in becoming a human nor his disappearance, but this was not how he had imagined the conversation going.

“If it’s something that you need to keep to yourself, then I trust your judgement.” Tsubasa’s voice was full of confidence. He stared earnestly in to Hideaki’s eyes. “Just tell me one thing. Is your life in danger?”

Hideaki shook his head fervently. While the tightness in his chest was sharp and made him short of breath, he could feel it steadily ebbing away with each passing hour spent with Tsubasa, the rough spikes of pain smoothed over with every touch and smile. “No, nothing like that,” he said with as much reassurance as he could muster. “We have at least this lifetime together.” He ducked his head and peered up at Tsubasa bashfully. “That is, if you would like.” He took a deep breath. “If you don’t want to live in the palace, that’s okay. I can help you find someplace else, wherever you want. Or if - ” He paused, choking up as he tried to force the words out. It would also be Tsubasa’s choice should he want to end his life.

Tsubasa held up a finger over Hideaki’s mouth, shushing him. “It doesn’t matter,” he said simply. “I want to be with you.”

Hideaki slumped down with relief, the ache in in his chest lessening perceptibly. It was as if Tsubasa’s words had snapped a band around his heart, leaving him a means to breathe easier.

“Thank you for making it possible,” Tsubasa said, smiling sweetly.

With the slightest of hesitations, Hideaki leaned forward bravely and when Tsubasa didn’t flinch, brought their lips together.

Tsubasa gasped in surprise, lips moving awkwardly against him.

Hideaki pulled away hastily and licked his lips nervously, tasting the lingering sweetness of apples. Spooked by his own boldness, he was terrified that he had overstepped Tsubasa’s boundaries. He hung his head low, breathing quickly, working up the courage to face him and apologize. Instead, Tsubasa moved forward to close the gap again, pulling Hideaki’s head up and in to a soft kiss.

When they broke apart, they were grinning at each other, wide smiles splitting their faces from side to side. They paddled back to shore in peaceful silence, holding hands again while they walked home. Touching Tsubasa brought an incomparable sense of ease over Hideaki, dulling the sharp pangs in his chest.

That night, Hideaki fell asleep, unsurpassably content, with Tsubasa curled around him.

---

With the hurdle of their first kiss out of the way, the subsequent kisses came easier. They made it a new habit to end the day with a goodnight kiss - a lingering, chaste touching of their lips together.

---

They discovered French kissing by accident.

Hideaki concentrated his full attention on thoroughly covering Tsubasa’s lips with his own. He had come to treasure these brief moments before they fell asleep as a means to connect with Tsubasa on a new level. They were always over disappointingly soon.

Tsubasa opened his mouth mid-kiss, sighing with happiness. Leaning over him, Hideaki didn’t have enough time to pull back and he fell forward, tongue slipping inside Tsubasa’s mouth as he cried out in surprise.

The feel of Tsubasa’s tongue sliding against his was intensely arousing, sending tingles of pleasure down his spine. Never had he imagined that kisses like this were possible or that they could feel this stimulating. He scrambled to prop himself up, struggling to catch his breath.

“Again,” Tsubasa whispered up at him, eyes wide with wonder.

Hideaki bent down wordlessly to obey.

---

From that night on, most of their kisses involved tongue. Rather than growing accustomed to them, these interludes in heaven left Hideaki achingly hard. As far as he could tell, they did not seem to have such a strong effect on Tsubasa.

More than ever, mindful of their first kiss at sea and wary of frightening Tsubasa, Hideaki was careful to not let his lower body touch him while they were kissing, choosing instead, to wait until Tsubasa was snuffling quietly in slumber before sliding out of bed and stumbling to the bathroom. Leaning against the wall, with his erection in hand, it didn’t take more than two or three strokes before he found his release. Only then, after regaining a slight measure of self-control, did he trust himself to fall asleep next to Tsubasa.

---

Hideaki reached for the bell to ring for Shige, his body servant, to come assist with his bath but Tsubasa beat him to it, nudging it away. He looked up in surprise.

“You want to take a bath, right?” Tsubasa asked, fidgeting with the bell, turning it around in his hand.

Hideaki nodded, uncertain as to what he was getting at - after months of sharing the same bedroom, Tsubasa knew full well that it was Hideaki’s routine to take a bath at night before going to bed in contrast to how he preferred bathing in the morning himself.

Tsubasa set the bell down and gave him an uncertain smile. “I can help you,” he offered.

“Oh, thank you,” Hideaki said automatically, too surprised to come up with anything else. He shoved his hands into his pant pockets, clenching them into fists and counted slowly to five before he straightened his back and marched stoically after Tsubasa who had flashed a grin and scurried ahead.

When he got to the bathroom, Tsubasa was already bent over the taps, adjusting the flow of water, testing it with the back of his hand. Hideaki stripped quickly while Tsubasa’s attention was still diverted and walking around to the other side of the tub, climbed in. It was his first time naked in front of Tsubasa. Luckily, his nerves were high-strung enough to keep his cock quiescent.

He never had given up on helping Tsubasa with his bath ever since that first evening, preferring to personally take care of him over delegating it to a servant or letting Tsubasa wash alone. Tsubasa had never questioned otherwise; with no other experience to compare it against, Hideaki suspected that Tsubasa had accepted that humans simply required assistance in bathing rituals.

It was a harmless misconception that Hideaki was in no hurry to disabuse him of; truth be told, agonizing torture though it was to be so close to Tsubasa while he was naked, it was one of Hideaki’s secret indulgences. He was always very conscientiously proper about it, averting his eyes from Tsubasa’s crotch and letting him wash that area by himself.

The water was the perfect temperature. Keeping his back to Tsubasa, he grabbed the jar of liquid soap and scooped a generous portion into the tub, swirling the water around swiftly until deep pockets of bubbles foamed up nicely.

“You think you have enough soap there, Hide-kun?” Tsubasa snickered, turning off the water.

Hideaki made a small indignant noise of protest. In his opinion, there weren’t nearly enough bubbles in the world that would be enough of a barrier between him and Tsubasa but that was another story. He heard the scrape of the wooden stool being pulled along the stone floor and then Tsubasa’s hands were in his hair.

“Apologies in advance if I get soap in your eyes,” Tsubasa said cheerfully.

Hideaki squawked, clutching the sides of the tub. He had been tended to since birth by highly trained servants - his latest, Shige, was working out acceptably well. He had never considered that it could even be possible for soap to fall into eyes, but it did not sound like it would be pleasant. At all.

It turned out he had nothing to worry about - Tsubasa was supremely careful while massaging in the suds and chased away any danger of a wayward speck of foam. It was different, though, from when the servants helped him. Normally, he found baths soothing, an excellent way to unwind from the stresses of the day. Hyper-aware of Tsubasa’s every movement though, he was unable to relax.

Tsubasa scooped fresh water from a bucket, pouring it slowly over Hideaki’s head to rinse his hair. Hideaki shifted uneasily, glancing down in trepidation. Still safe. The bubbles were piled high, coming halfway up his chest.

“Is this warm enough?” Tsubasa asked anxiously.

Hideaki nodded his head vigorously. “Yes, it’s perfect.” He would’ve agreed to nearly anything to stop Tsubasa from diluting the bath water further.

Hideaki suffered through four more rinses before Tsubasa was finally satisfied. It got worse from there. Tsubasa set the ladle down and snagged a washcloth from the rack on the wall. He dipped it in the bath water and wrung it out lightly. “Move forward, please,” he said, nudging Hideaki in the back.

Hideaki scooted, opening up a space. Tsubasa set upon his task, dragging the washcloth up and down his back in broad strokes. Hideaki shivered, wincing as his cock started to plump up in response to Tsubasa’s touch.

From the start, he had predicted that it would be a dangerous situation, but he had believed that he would have better control over his body. This was clearly an erroneous line of thought as it became patently obvious that his cock was only all too happy to betray him by becoming increasingly harder with each swipe of the washcloth.

Hideaki ducked his head and breathed shallowly through his nose, attempting to do his best to take his thoughts away from the current situation by recalling the mind-numbingly boring details of the land use agreement he had reviewed earlier that day.

It was no use.

Tsubasa was leaning in closer and dipping the washcloth in the water again. He moved on to scrubbing Hideaki’s right arm and then his left. By the time the washcloth crossed his chest, brushing gently across his nipples, Hideaki felt lightheaded and it was all he could do to keep from turning around and smothering Tsubasa with kisses.

Tsubasa was so unintentionally sexy. It should be enough that they were sharing kisses, they did not need to muddy things up with Hideaki’s baser needs. It only required that Hideaki did his part and kept their physical affection at a stage that matched Tsubasa’s comfort level. Yet, as time passed, Hideaki found himself craving Tsubasa more and more.

When Tsubasa’s hand went underwater and the washcloth started inching its way up his thigh, Hideaki bit down hard on his lower lip. He could feel heat rushing simultaneously to his face and crotch, ears burning with embarrassment and cock growing impossibly harder. The washcloth swirled dangerously close.

“Can you do the rest yourself?” Tsubasa asked, voice husky.

Hideaki managed to croak out a single ‘yes’ in response. He listened for the click of the door closing behind Tsubasa and the muffled sounds of his retreat. When it was safe, he grabbed hold of his erection, pumping it rapidly, replaying flashes of the last fifteen minutes - uncaring that the water was splashing noisily around him - until he shot his release with a muffled groan.

Lust momentarily slaked, he slumped against the side of the tub. Tsubasa had only had the best of intentions in helping him and he had turned that into masturbation fodder. He dawdled, nervous, until the water grew chilly.

Unable to delay leaving any longer, he rinsed off and stepped out of the tub. He reached for his pajamas, swearing under his breath when he realized that they weren’t on their usual shelf. Ordinarily, Shige would set them out. No Shige, no pajamas - it was something that he had grown so accustomed to just existing at the ready after his bath that he had never consciously thought of how they even got there to begin with until now.

With no choice, he shrugged into a bathrobe and belted it tightly, venturing back into the bedroom to fetch clothes.

Tsubasa was sitting propped up in bed, quilts piled high around his shoulders.

“Are you chilly? Sick?” Hideaki inquired anxiously. Prior to his disappearance, Tsubasa had been perpetually cold. After his return, his normal body temperature was warmer than before, but he still had a lower tolerance for the cold than others.

Tsubasa shook his head. “Come here?”

The quiver of plaintive fear in Tsubasa’s voice propelled Hideaki forward swiftly. “What’s the matter?” he coaxed gently.

Tsubasa extended one hand hesitantly and grabbed hold of Hideaki’s hand. Guiding it under the covers, they fumbled around until Tsubasa positioned him correctly. Puzzled, Hideaki moved his hand around gingerly to investigate, color rising high on his cheeks as he realized what he was touching.

“I feel strange, Hide-kun,” Tsubasa whimpered, eyes round with fright.

Hideaki let go immediately and cupped Tsubasa’s face in both his hands. “You’re okay,” he said softly. “It’s nothing scary.” He pulled him in, holding on tightly until he could sense him calming down. “It’s okay,” he repeated, patting him comfortingly on the back.

“Come to bed,” Tsubasa pleaded, tugging at Hideaki’s sleeve.

Hideaki shuffled away and hesitated, but the trembling of Tsubasa’s lower lip had him walking around the bed and climbing in.

Tsubasa promptly curled around him, straddling his leg between his. Hideaki lay frozen; Tsubasa’s erection was pressed snugly up against him, the outline of the hot, hard length clear even through the layers of fabric between them.

Tentatively, Tsubasa inched on top of Hideaki until they were lying flush, head to toe. Hideaki let his breath out in a strangled wheeze, panting to overcome his shortness of breath - mind reeling in disbelief - until Tsubasa closed the distance between their lips.

Hideaki lost himself in the kiss, feeling more crazed with lust at every lick of Tsubasa’s tongue. Of course, they had previously had full body contact with hugs and cuddling, but it was an entirely new sensation to feel the warm weight of Tsubasa’s body covering him completely and pressing him into the bed. His cock responded enthusiastically, growing hard between their bodies, until it was nestled against Tsubasa’s.

Tsubasa broke off the kiss, making a confused noise of puzzlement.

Hideaki turned beet red. “Do you feel it?”

Tsubasa wriggled around on top experimentally; Hideaki’s cock twitched reflexively.

“Same as me, right?” Tsubasa questioned.

When he caught his breath again, Hideaki was still blushing. “My cock is hard for you,” he explained bashfully. “It - it’s a sign that I think you’re very attractive and I want to do things with you like kiss.”

A look of understanding broke across Tsubasa’s face. “Oh,” he said with a giggle. “I think you’re very handsome too,” he confided.

Hideaki beamed with joy. He had been cautiously optimistic given all of the signs, of course, but knowing for certain that Tsubasa found him appealing did much to ease the tightness in his chest to be replaced with the welcome, lighter bonds of happiness.

He trailed his fingers down impulsively to palm Tsubasa’s butt. He had dreamed of touching it, wondering how it would feel. It was firm and molded perfectly to his hand, a better fit than he had imagined.

Tsubasa groaned and rocked against him, hips thrusting forward instinctively. “You feel so good, Hide-kun.”

Hideaki gasped, hands falling nervelessly to the side, a helpless but willing prisoner as Tsubasa experimented.

Tsubasa’s movements grew erratic as he continued thrusting urgently, seeking what he couldn’t name.

Gathering his courage and resolve together, Hideaki rolled them over until Tsubasa was on his back. Tsubasa whimpered in confusion and frustration, eyes dark with desire.

Hideaki’s heart lept up and caught in his throat. The moment that he had been dreaming about was so close, so in reach. Without hesitation, he slid his hand inside Tsubasa’s pants and found his cock. It felt thicker than his own. He blushed fiercely and skimmed his fingers lightly up the length. It appeared to be slightly longer too.

Tsubasa’s moan was the loudest yet. “Kiss me,” he said breathlessly.

Hideaki complied at once, pouring all his adoration into the kiss while stroking Tsubasa’s cock in a quick rhythm. Tsubasa’s panting grew faster; Hideaki eased up to allow him room to breathe and watched in wonder as Tsubasa cried out his name, his expressive face scrunched up in ecstasy, showing all of his emotions as he experienced his first orgasm. Knowing that he would be particularly sensitive, Hideaki let go of his cock reluctantly.

As he came down from his high, Tsubasa’s face relaxed and he rolled onto his side. “Your turn,” he murmured, hand slipping inside Hideaki’s robe.

Hideaki’s eyes grew wide with shock, overwhelmed with sensation. He jerked his hips forward, sliding his cock through Tsubasa’s hand; his touch was unfamiliar, his grip too loose in the awkward position they were in. However, the fact that it was Tsubasa touching him so intimately was more than enough to push Hideaki over the edge after a few strokes, despite having orgasmed less than half an hour earlier.

They cuddled in bed, kissing languidly through the aftershocks of their orgasms. Hideaki leaned eagerly into the kiss, pressing his body up against Tsubasa’s, shivering through sparks of pleasure.

Tsubasa flopped onto his back with a little sigh. “We should probably go clean up,” he mused.

Hideaki mumbled something incomprehensible halfway through a whimper and a whine and reached out for Tsubasa. His limbs felt like pudding, sapped of all strength. His counterargument of staying in bed was in vain; Tsubasa was already halfway across the room, headed in the direction of the bathroom. Hideaki sat up, waited for a few seconds until he was convinced he could remember how to use his legs and then followed him.

Struck with a sudden bout of shyness, they stripped with their backs to each other. Hideaki took a deep breath and reached out for a basin, intending to fill it from the bathtub, and simultaneously, Tsubasa turned around, hand reaching out for the same. Automatically, Hideaki’s eyes dropped downward, casting furtive, admiring glances at Tsubasa’s crotch, blushing when he looked up and noticed Tsubasa doing the same. It was the first time that he had gotten a close look at Tsubasa’s cock. It was beautiful, instantly stirring feelings of lust within him again.

Without warning, Tsubasa pulled him into a hug, hands wrapped tightly around his back. “You only get naked in front of me from now on,” he declared stubbornly, one hand moving up to twist itself into Hideaki’s hair.

Hideaki felt an odd thrill of joy at Tsubasa’s sudden possessiveness; it explained Tsubasa’s insistence on helping him with his bath earlier. Never had it occurred to him that his body servants could be a source of jealousy; they were such an every day part of his existence and routine. He should’ve realized it earlier though, given how he felt about the possibility of others seeing Tsubasa unclothed. He turned slightly, nuzzling their cheeks together. “Only you,” he promised easily.

---

Hideaki woke up the next morning, his body feeling better than it had in a long while. His muscles were sore, but it was a pleasant ache, and he felt relaxed.

He rolled over onto his side, intending to see if Tsubasa was awake to ask if he wanted to go horseback riding into the village in the afternoon. Instead, his mind drew a complete blank as everything but the image in front of him was swept away. Tsubasa was lying on top of the sheets with his eyes closed, topless and his pants pushed down to his thighs, hand wrapped around his erection.

Hideaki sucked his breath in sharply, eyes darting all over Tsubasa’s body, unable to settle on a place to focus his attention.

Tsubasa’s eyes fluttered open. A slow smile spread across his face. “About time you woke up,” he purred. He continued stroking his cock, moving his hand up and down slowly.

Hideaki watched, mesmerized.

“I woke up and started thinking about you kissing me,” Tsubasa said dreamily. He cut his eyes towards Hideaki, cheeks flushed. “Is this what you used to do at night in the bathroom after we kissed?” he asked hesitantly. “Think of me while touching yourself?”

Hideaki swallowed thickly, battling lust and embarrassment. “Yes,” he said softly.

Tsubasa’s breath hitched and the hand on his cock sped up, whimpering as he rolled to his side so that his back was to Hideaki. “Help me,” he said, voice husky, tilting his head back to look at Hideaki.

As if drawn to him magnetically, Hideaki scrambled out from under the sheets to fit himself up against Tsubasa, his already hard cock nestling perfectly into the cleft of Tsubasa’s butt. He reached around and closing his trembling hand on top of Tsubasa’s, let him guide the motion.

***

The first warm day of spring, Tsubasa announced that it was high time that Hideaki learned to swim.

Hideaki reluctantly agreed. As much as he enjoyed rowing out to sea in his dinghy, when it came to physically being in water, he preferred the safety of his stone bathtub.

Still, there was no better teacher that he could ask for than a former merman - especially one who looked so sinfully good with wet swimming trunks plastered to his body; that in itself was excellent motivation for Hideaki to continue with the lessons.

They started in the calm, still waters of the pond, Hideaki squeaking in terror every time one of the harmless fish brushed up against him or his foot got tangled in a weed. Tsubasa, as expected, was an excellent swimmer. He was patient and kept a close watch over Hideaki’s progress, gauging with unfailing accuracy when and where he needed a nudge to keep afloat.

Hideaki’s confidence grew as he became accustomed to moving in the water. When Tsubasa rated his doggy paddling skills as the equivalent of a newborn merbabe, they moved on to conquering the inlets of the beach, Hideaki’s toes just barely scraping the bottom if he stood up against the gentle waves.

From there, Tsubasa deemed it necessary that Hideaki challenge deeper water as well.

Hideaki eyed the horizon uneasily. “You sure?” he asked. It was a long way to the bottom of the sea; Tsubasa had once tried to estimate the distance for him.

“Yes, I know you can do it,” Tsubasa said firmly, his tone brooking no counterargument Hideaki might have planned. “It’s just in case I’m not there for you one day,” he continued, voice cracking slightly at the end.

Hideaki knew his face must’ve showed his panic and devastation when Tsubasa rushed to embrace him. He choked back a sob, loathing that he wasn’t able to be stronger.

“Don’t worry. I plan on sticking around for a long while yet,” Tsubasa said, voice gruff with unshed tears.

Thus, that’s how Hideaki found himself in the middle of the sea at night, swimming alongside Tsubasa with a grouchy Tsuyoshi, called in as extra reinforcements and precaution, watching over the proceedings.

***

It was Tsubasa’s natural curiosity and low alcohol tolerance level that led them towards stumbling upon blowjobs.

---

Dinner was a feast to celebrate the successful spring planting. As customary, the palace had opened a casket of wine to call upon the blessings of a past harvest to grant them the same in the current year.

Amongst his many talents, Nagano also served as the palace’s master winemaker, his deft hand and taste in selecting choice grapes unrivaled in the kingdom. He specialized in sweet wines, light and refreshing.

As usual, when there was a new item on the menu, Hideaki checked Tsubasa’s reaction carefully. He was observing then, when Tsubasa’s tongue darted out to lap delicately at the drink before upending the bottom of the tumbler and guzzling it down greedily.

That one glass had been enough to get him speedily inebriated. It turned out that Tsubasa was quite a cheerful and affectionate drunk. As soon as there was an opportune chance, Hideaki seized it, pulling his tipsy lover back to the safety of their room to recuperate from the effects of the wine.

Once through the threshold of the door, Tsubasa took over. With unsteady footing, he propelled them towards the bed. As they were in mutual agreement as to the best place to be at the moment, Hideaki obligingly assisted in his efforts.

He landed on the bed with a soft oomph, bouncing lightly before Tsubasa pounced on him, pinning him down with his hands.

Tsubasa’s eyes glittered dangerously. “Take your clothes off,” he murmured, letting go.

Hideaki hurried to strip. No sooner did his underwear land on the floor than Tsubasa was on top of him, moving slowly over his body, lavishing sloppy kisses along the way.

Hideaki shivered and grabbing fistfuls of bedsheets, held on tightly. Not on the sober side of drunk himself, every brush of Tsubasa’s tongue and lips against him was magnified a thousand-fold. His body burning hot with need, he shifted restlessly, inwardly praying and willing Tsubasa’s hand to move lower.

What happened next, instead, was infinitely better. Tsubasa, who had been skirting his hand coquettishly close around Hideaki’s cock, suddenly stuck his tongue out and swiped it up the length of his cock.

Bursts of pleasure exploded behind Hideaki’s eyes. He struggled to prop himself up and failed miserably. Tsubasa glanced up at him, licking his lips and grinning mischievously. Hideaki’s chest constricted forcefully in a spasm of love, his stomach fluttering with butterflies. “Come kiss me,” he begged shamelessly.

Tsubasa giggled and scrambled to climb up the bed. Cradling Hideaki’s head in his hand, Tsubasa slipped his tongue into his mouth. Hideaki moaned around the kiss, hands falling now to their accustomed place of groping Tsubasa’s ass. He rocked up cautiously, gritting his teeth when Tsubasa grinded down with his hips. He yearned desperately for Tsubasa to lick his cock again, but more than that, he was now fixated with the idea of doing the same for him.

They broke free for oxygen, Hideaki dizzy with lust. “Lay down,” he whispered and gently rolled Tsubasa onto his back.

Tsubasa grinned up at him, charmed. “So bossy,” he teased.

Hideaki shushed him and concentrated on getting his fingers to cooperate on loosening the laces to Tsubasa’s clothing, brushing fabric aside impatiently and tugging his pants down.

Tsubasa’s cock was fully erect, lying flat against his belly. Hideaki gazed at it with reverence. Caressing it lightly with the tip of one finger, he marveled anew at its beauty and the velvety softness. He was continually amazed that he had the privilege and honor to touch Tsubasa so intimately.

Gathering Tsubasa’s cock in one hand, he stroked gently to let the foreskin roll down, revealing the dusky pink head. As he watched, a clear bead of precum appeared at the tip. He felt his own cock twitch excitedly in response. Before he lost his nerve, he lowered his mouth over Tsubasa’s cock, lapping up the precum eagerly. He was instantly entranced, wrapping his lips more securely around the head of Tsubasa’s cock and tonguing the slit, longing to taste more. Above him, he could hear Tsubasa’s muffled gasp and the feel of his fingers weaving themselves into his hair.

He lost track of time in experimenting on figuring out how to fit more of Tsubasa’s cock in his mouth, trying different angles, nearly crowing in triumph when his forehead grazed the smooth skin of Tsubasa’s stomach. Intent on memorizing the intricacies of this new way to worship Tsubasa, he made careful mental notes for when a technique seemed particularly effective. It was intoxicating, knowing that he was responsible for Tsubasa’s noises of pleasure. He was in a bit of a daze then, when Tsubasa started bucking his hips convulsively, his grip on his hair almost agonizingly tight.

"Hide-kun," Tsubasa gasped.

Hideaki's pulse racing, he acted instinctively, easing himself all the way down Tsubasa’s cock. Just in time - Tsubasa thrust up into his mouth, heels digging into the bed, moaning continuously through his release. Hideaki held his place patiently, only letting go and sitting up when he was certain that Tsubasa was done. He swiped away the excess saliva from his mouth with the back of his hand and swallowed slowly, testing the taste.

Tsubasa blinked drowsily up at him. “So good,” he murmured. “Thank you.” This was followed by him turning to his side, flailing around for a pillow to cuddle and his eyes drooping shut.

Post-orgasm, Tsubasa's face was flushed pink, his lips swollen and kiss-bruised. He looked utterly delectable.

Hideaki bit back a sigh, hand moving down absentmindedly to give his neglected cock a brief tug to relieve some of the pressure. He contemplated the intricacies of rolling Tsubasa under the covers, but it was a warm night. His cock was still fully erect, but the temptation to masturbate was overwhelmed by his need to feel close to Tsubasa.

He hurried to the bathroom and filled a basin with warm water, grabbing a small towel on his way out. He sat by Tsubasa’s side and wiped him down with painstaking care, paying special attention to his cock. When he was satisfied, he snagged a blanket from the foot of the bed and draped it over Tsubasa before climbing in and snuggling up behind him.

He buried his nose in Tsubasa’s hair and inhaled deeply. The smell comforted him, another tangible reminder that Tsubasa was alive. It was rare that he cuddled Tsubasa to sleep - it was usually the other way around. He held him tightly, listening as Tsubasa’s breathing evened out, luxuriating in the experience of being next to him. He was drifting off to sleep when it occurred to him that this was an opportune moment.

“Tsubasa?” he whispered.

He paused, bead of sweat trailing down the side of his neck. The only answer was a light snore. Mustering his nerve, he propped himself up, leaned over and gave him a chaste kiss on the cheek. “I love you,” he whispered, gazing earnestly at Tsubasa’s face, giving voice to what he had been longing to say out loud for a while now. He fancied that he saw the corners of Tsubasa’s mouth quirking up into a smile but as there was no other reaction, he dismissed it as his imagination.

Heart brimming over with emotions, he resettled himself behind Tsubasa. He was asleep in moments.

---

Hideaki woke up feeling indescribably horny. He shifted restlessly, snaking a hand down discreetly, intent on a little self-comfort and yelped when he bumped into an obstruction. His eyes flew open and he found himself looking at a giggling Tsubasa kneeling in between his legs. “Oh, good morning,” he croaked.

“Good morning,” Tsubasa answered cheerfully. He swiped the sides of his mouth with his hand and rocked back on his heels, eying Hideaki’s cock contemplatively. “This is more difficult than you made it look,” he said, humming pensively.

Hideaki blushed happily, ecstatic to hear Tsubasa praising his natural talent at this new form of love-making that they had discovered. Tsubasa, not to be outdone, bent back down eagerly, successfully fitting half of Hideaki’s cock in his mouth.

Hideaki yelped, head rolling back on his pillow. The feel of Tsubasa’s warm mouth and tongue on him were exquisite and set all his nerves tingling. He cracked an eye open and snuck a peek, heart thumping heavily against his chest at the sight of Tsubasa’s lips wrapped around his cock. The surge of feelings that hit him - love, wonder, gratitude and lust - made him clench his teeth.

Tsubasa slurped noisily around his cock, bobbing his head up and down, hints of his bare back and ass visible if Hideaki craned his neck. It was unbearably erotic. He arched up involuntarily. Without pausing, Tsubasa’s hand found his and gripped it tightly as Hideaki rode out his orgasm. He collapsed limply on the bed, thoroughly spent and exhausted, heart racing.

Tsubasa crawled up the bed and nudged him into rolling to his side before nestling in close behind him.

Hideaki sighed contentedly when Tsubasa laced his fingers through his hand and drew him in close. Warmth suffused itself throughout his body, making him drowsy. He was nodding off to sleep again when he felt Tsubasa nipping him on the ear.

“Am I that boring?” Tsubasa asked, bemused.

Hideaki struggled to make his eyelids work again. Tsubasa’s next words had him snapping his eyes open in a hurry.

“Let’s continue where you left off yesterday,” Tsubasa said.

Tendrils of panic swirled through Hideaki’s belly. He turned to his side cautiously. Tsubasa had his head tilted, shiny-eyed and smiling uncertainly at him, corners of his mouth quivering.

He moved instinctively, caressing Tsubasa’s cheek. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly before looking Tsubasa straight in the eyes, feeling more certain now than ever. “I love you,” he said softly, feeling a deep sense of calm settling over him.

The effect was magical; Tsubasa brightened instantly. “I love you too,” he said, butting his head into Hideaki’s, knocking their foreheads together lightly.

Hideaki squeaked and blinked in surprise.

“No fair of you trying to sneak it in while I was falling asleep,” Tsubasa added reproachfully. He attempted to look stern but the effect was ruined by his wide grin.

Hideaki grinned back, cheeks starting to hurt a bit. “Then I promise to say it again and again to make it up to you,” he said loyally.

“Apology accepted,” Tsubasa murmured, kissing him lightly on the nose.

***

Yaeko, Hideaki’s sister, was visiting. Although she only lived a day’s travel away, running her own household was enough to keep her hands full and she usually only made one trip a year to stay through the summer season, the thick stone walls of the palace and the cool breezes from the sea a respite from the stifling heat further inland. She arrived the first day of summer in a bustle of servants and a rattling of carts, handing her clingy toddler, Kazuo, promptly off to her brother.

Tsubasa was fascinated by the tiny human, volunteering at every chance to babysit. He took his duty of watching over him seriously. They would spend several mornings in a week together, exploring the palace together, Tsubasa patiently carrying him around on his back when Kazuo’s legs couldn’t keep up.

---

When Hideaki walked into their room, Tsubasa was in bed with his nose buried in a book, studiously practicing his reading. Hideaki felt his chest puff out with pride. They still spent at least an hour each afternoon working diligently on new kanji and Tsubasa’s hard work was paying off. He was making steady progress, moving rapidly through Hideaki’s old set of school books.

Tsubasa glanced up and flashed a smile, setting his book aside on the nightstand. “Come to bed,” he suggested.

Hideaki scurried to join him. They had not seen each other all day after breakfast - a rarity. The quarterly inter-kingdom conference was coming up soon and Hideaki had been cooped up with Nagano and his chancellors, handling the details of the reception.

They talked about their respective days, Tsubasa sharing a funny story about Kazuo accidentally getting half of his lunch on his shirt.

“You know, he looks an awful lot like you,” Tsubasa said. “You have the same eyes.”

“Really?” Hideaki mused. “There are some portraits of me when I was younger hanging in the west hall. We can go check them out tomorrow.”

Tsubasa nodded absentmindedly, clearly preoccupied with thinking about something else. He blinked nervously and looked shyly at Hideaki. “Will we ever be able to have kids?”

The look of wistful hopefulness in Tsubasa’s eyes was enough to make Hideaki’s heart skip several beats. He scooted closer, touching their foreheads together, bridging the small gap in between them, unable to bear looking in Tsubasa’s eyes but needing to be close to him. “We don’t have the right parts to make one ourselves,” he said softly.

Tsubasa sniffed loudly, throwing an arm over Hideaki’s back. “I thought so,” he said haltingly, voice muffled as his face was pressed into Hideaki’s shoulder. “I was hoping it might be possible though.”

Hideaki guiltily tried to ignore the twinge of regret that had sprung up at the reminder of the lost possibilities of that alternative future with his children running amuck through the palace. However - Tsubasa, warm and breathing, in his arms, was a reality that he could not bear to give up.

They lay entangled, shedding tears for the sacrifices that they had respectively made to be together, comforting each other until they fell asleep, exhausted.

***

Yaeko was always one for being blunt and straight to the point, even when they were younger.

Still, she caught Hideaki by surprise, leaving him spluttering mouthfuls of crumbs into his napkin. “What was that?” he croaked when he had recovered with a heavy dose of self-medicated tea.

Yaeko grinned toothily. “I said, dear brother of mine, how long have you and Tsubasa-kun been together?”

Hideaki promptly stuffed a piece of chicken in his mouth, chewing on it slowly to buy himself some time. When there was nothing left in his mouth, he patted his lips with a fresh napkin. “A few months now,” he said, all semblance of propriety gone as he gave up on trying to hide his grin.

“It’s serious then?” Yaeko surmised. She leaned over and plucked a choice piece of meat from Hideaki’s plate, popping it into her mouth.

Hideaki nodded. He paused, fingers tapping the table nervously. “How - how did you know that Tachibana-san was the one for you?”

Yaeko’s eyebrows flew up. “It wasn’t anything in particular,” she said slowly, pursing her lips in thought. “It was this sense I had shortly after I met him; I just knew I wanted to spend the rest of my life with him.”

Hideaki nodded along unconsciously in agreement. It reassured him that his sister’s experience resonated with his own. “About that,” he said. This was as good a lead-in to the conversation that he had planned to have with Yaeko when he suggested that they have lunch together. “I know you weren’t interested in inheriting the throne, but what do you think of Kazuo assuming the title of crown prince in a few years?”

Yaeko eyed him carefully; Hideaki wilted slightly under her gaze but kept his shoulders and back straight.

“I will need to discuss it first with my husband,” Yaeko said finally. She leaned over the table and gave him an affectionate kiss on the cheek.

“Thank you for considering it,” Hideaki said gratefully.

***

They grew closer, spending endless hours out at sea or lying awake in bed talking. It was a supreme comfort to Hideaki to have someone to talk through everything and nothing.

Tonight, they continued talking long after the candles had burned out into a puddle of melted beeswax.

Hideaki’s stomach grumbled noisily.

Tsubasa giggled, rubbing Hideaki’s stomach for him. “Did you skip dinner?” he asked suspiciously. “I didn’t see you eating with everyone else earlier during dinner.”

Hideaki cast about, trying to recall what he might have eaten last and came up short, seeing instead, images of the piles of paperwork he had trudged through. “I may have forgotten to eat,” he admitted. “But maybe there’s some bread left,” he said brightly. “I can have a natto sandwich.”

Tsubasa shook his head in mock despair. “Get dressed,” he ordered.

---

Hideaki sat on a barstool, kicking his legs lightly and resting his head in his hands, watching in astonishment as Tsubasa flitted his way around the kitchen: in short order, he had assembled his ingredients from the cupboards and fanned the stove fire alive, feeding it with kindling and blowing on it expertly until it roared merrily.

Not fifteen minutes later, there was a heaping plate of omurice in front of him, golden yellow and steaming hot. He had to admit, it looked much more appetizing than his proposed idea of natto sandwiches. “This looks wonderful, Tsubasa,” he said enthusiastically. “Thank you.” He cut into it neatly, scooping the morsel into his mouth. It melted away with buttery softness.

“How is it?” Tsubasa said, picking up another fork and cutting into the other side.

“Delicious,” Hideaki said with a happy sigh. He dug his fork in and promptly shoveled in another mouthful.

***

Hideaki rubbed his temples, blinking and squinting in order to focus. It was nearing dawn, thin light beginning to creep in through the curtains. If only he could puzzle out this final seating arrangement and make a decision on the centerpieces, he could sneak back in bed and doze for another hour before it was time for breakfast.

He startled at the unexpected feel of hands around his shoulders before he relaxed into the massage. He twisted around to sneak a kiss on Tsubasa’s cheek.

“What are you working on?” Tsubasa said with furrowed eyebrows, leaning over to examine the papers on the table.

Hideaki could see Tsubasa’s lips moving silently as he sounded out words. “It’s details for the conference,” he explained helpfully. “It’s deciding on the flowers and the table seating for dinner that is going to drive me nuts,” he added, throwing his hands up in despair, shoulders tightening again at the thought of choosing between peonies, tulips or roses and whether it would be better for Kawamura-sama to sit next to Tachibana-san or Sato-san. Or, perhaps, he would prefer to be near Suzuki-san as they could discuss the wheat season knowledgeably with each other. He shuddered involuntarily.

“Come to bed and talk it out with me,” Tsubasa said sympathetically, kissing him on top of the head. “It’s doing you no good sitting out here; you’ll catch a chill.” He tugged Hideaki out of the chair and steered him firmly towards the bed, Hideaki casting a despairing last glance behind his shoulder at his piles of neat notes that lay abandoned on the desk.

It turned out well. Once Hideaki started to explain the different options for centerpieces, it became clear that they should select peonies as a nod of acknowledgement to Kawamura-sama’s kingdom. From there, he realized that it was easy enough to recall in perfect detail the entire dinner guest list. One by one, with Tsubasa asking patient questions, they slotted all of the various personalities and characters into their seats. With each decision made, Hideaki could feel the burden of stress easing.

They finished just in time to a chorus of approval from the morning songbirds.

“Thank you so much for your help,” Hideaki said, snuggling Tsubasa tightly.

“I figured it was about time I started earning my keep,” Tsubasa said with a straight face.

Hideaki snorted and wrestled a giggling Tsubasa to his back, pinning his arms down before leaning in to kiss him.

***