Chapter Text
The air weighed unnaturally heavy. Dense, it feels as if gravity itself had doubled. It bears down on Otto’s shoulders, begging his back to bend. But he resists, standing tall underneath the weight. A bead of sweat drips off his brow. He bites his lip. It’s now or never. If this doesn’t work, nothing will, spelling drastic consequences for this duo of young merchants.
Subaru’s harsh looking eyes narrow in on the prize, like a cat onto its prey. Gingery, he reaches out, holding onto the jar as if it contained great riches. Indeed, to Subaru, what is contained within may be classified as just that.
“It got it,” he says. A victorious grin widens his mouth. He holds a jar above his head, crescendoing into a roar. “Finally, after countless hours, I have it. The sacred sauce of the Natsuki family!”
Otto eyes the jar warily, keeping three steps to the side. Alas, he cannot share in Subaru's mood. Compared to last time, it’s certainly much more appetizing. The consistency is constant, not too oily nor lumpy. It gives off a faint, but not unpleasant aroma. He ignores the giant pile of white stuff discarded on the side of the road that does not.
Grandly, Subaru puts the jar back down. Otto steps back, but it’s too late, he’s already in the trap. Subaru locks on to him next, and he knows that he’s prey. Subaru advances on him like a tiger.
“Come on! Try it!” Subaru cajoles, holding up a spoonful to Otto’s mouth. He takes the fork from him, still watching the substance like it may fly out of the spoon to attack him.
But Subaru eyes are sparkling with happiness. He’s so eager. Otto doesn’t have it within himself to crush that joy underfoot by refusing. So he steels his resolve. He might regret this. Carefully, cautiously, Otto takes a tiny lick.
Rich. A little tangy. The savoury egg base does it favours, and is complimented by the sour kick of vinegar. It’s a foreign taste, but not overly so. Definitely sellable.
“Not bad,” Otto is forced to admit. Subaru lights up.
“Aha! That’s only step one! Soon enough you’ll be putting it on bread! On rice! On everything you can think of! You’ll become a certified mayo-maniac!” Subaru boasts, pointing at Otto’s chest.
Otto is beginning to regret bringing Subaru along with him. If it means having this mayonnaise on every meal, maybe solitude is worth it. “It’s not that good,” he argues.
Subaru gasps dramatically, pressing a hand to his chest. “Sacrilege! I will not have this insult on my family legacy!”
“Is this really so important to your family?! It’s just a condiment!” Otto exclaims.
“I’ll have you know that we are a family of hardcore mayo fans! Not a day goes by where it’s not on at least one meal!” Subaru says, no, boasts. Otto feels off-footed. This conversation is strange even for them.
“But still!” Otto says. No matter how much they love mayonnaise, it’s still just a condiment! He has to see that not everyone will feel the same.
Subaru stares directly into his eyes. Otto stares back, unwilling to so much as blink. That would be backing down. That would be submission, the one thing that Otto must not do! He cannot live the life of a mayonnaise fanatic! It would kill him inside, leaving but an empty shell of a man, a slave to a condiment. A fate worse than death.
But Subaru’s is no less determined than he is. His sharp edged eyes gleam with the resolve of a hero as he defends his family’s honour. Neither of them will yield, not so long as their souls remain in this world. Looking into the other’s eyes, their spirits align, and together, simultaneously, they understand what they need. As one, their staring contest breaks as their heads swivel onto the street, locking on to a pitiable woman passing by the scene, clueless as to what she’s witnessing.
“You there! We need a tie breaker!” Subaru hollers, waving a hand in the air wildly.
The random blue haired merchant that Subaru just shouted at blinks at them, confused. “Me?” She points to herself.
“Yes! I need a third opinion! This man-!” Subaru points at Otto. He scowls back. “-doesn’t understand the glory of mayonnaise!”
“Mayonnaise..?” The woman echoes. She looks so lost. Otto pities her, the second poor soul drawn in by the magnetic force of Subaru Natsuki.
“Yes! Mayonnaise! The condiment of the gods! The pride of the Natsuki family! Try some and you will understand!” Subaru crows. His relentless sales pitch has veered into the territory of far too energetic. The lady appears more doubtful with every word. She eyes the jar Subaru has slotted with suspicion.
“A-alright,” she stutters. Now, Otto understands. She’s a shy soul, unable to resist the current dragging her down. He cannot help her, not without sinking under himself. Hesitantly, she walks up to the back of the wagon, which they had been using as a mixing station.
Subaru snatches the spoon back out of Otto’s grip, very rudely so, and reuses it, scooping out a spoonful of mayonnaise. Emitting the brightness of the sun, he holds out the spoon to the woman.
“Here, try some! The Natsuki family style homemade mayonnaise! Made fresh right in front of you!”
The woman takes the spoon gingerly, like it might burn through her hand if she handles it wrong. That look on her face, it tells him that there is little she wants to do less than try this strange new condiment, peddled by a strange foreign looking man. Pleadingly, her eyes flit to Otto, searching for what, a savior?
“It’s not that bad,” Otto reassures her. Not the answer she wants. He is nobody's hero.
Pressing her lips together. She slowly brings it to her mouth. Taking a deep breath, she shoves the spoon in her mouth, eager to get it over with. For a second, all is silent. The woman pauses. She blinks. Then, as Otto and Subaru shake with anticipation, her brows raises in a pleasantly surprised expression. “…this is actually nice. I’ve never tasted anything like this before. Say, where did you get this recipe?” She asks.
“It’s from my hometown! Nowhere you’d ever heard about, so don’t worry about the details. It’s such an exclusive recipe that I’d say that you’re the second ever lugunican to ever taste its majesty!” Subaru boasts. He spins around, viciously victorious. “Ha! I won, Otto! You have to admit it now that mayonnaise is great!”
“I wouldn’t say it’s that…” the woman cuts herself off as Otto gives her a warning glare. They are not going to get into this again. “But still, it’s good.”
Otto sees the gears in her head turn. Exclusive and exotic. Subaru may not know he’s doing it, but somehow, this rant is turning into a sales pitch. And it appears to be working. There’s temptation in this woman’s eyes.
“Say, are you planning on selling this?” She takes the bait, all on her own.
“Absolutely!” Subaru crows.
“How much?” She asks.
Otto watches the exchange with interest. Now is the time for Subaru to display the skills that he has learned, how he’s grown as a merchant. He has watched Otto do his thing many times, and now it’s his turn. He’s been looking forwards to this!
“Zero!” Subaru declares with a cheerful face. Otto nearly falls over.
“What? Natsuki-san?!” He shouts.
“Are you certain?” That poor woman looks as stunned as Otto feels.
“On one condition!” Subaru holds up a finger. Otto feels a spark of hope. “Spread the glory of mayonnaise!”
His hopes die under a river of fatigue. He slaps a palm over his forehead. Of course. Of course Subaru would say that. What else did he expect? The woman goes off with the first jar of mayonnaise they’ve ever made - die free! His merchant’s instincts cry in pain. - and a promise to spread the word. Otto lets this happen.
“Natsuki-san…” he sighs, once they’re alone again. Subaru tilts his head at him innocently, like he doesn’t know what he did.
“Hm?” Subaru hums.
“You really… you are a terrible merchant.”
Subaru shrugs, caring not about this evaluation. What a troublesome man Otto has taken for a partner. Truly. “But that’s what you’re for, right?” Subaru says, warm and teasing.
“Yes, yes, I suppose that’s true- hey, wait! You’re not just saying that to get out of responsibility, are you?!” Otto plants his hands on his lips and scowls.
Subaru whistles, feigning inconspicuousness. It’s poor, both the facade and the whistling. He looks at his wrist, for some reason. “Oh, would you look at the time? I need to go take my morning piss. See you in a bit!”
“Natsuki-san? Natsuki-san!” Otto calls after his friend’s retreating back. Not turning around, Subaru just waves as he skitters away from the scene of the crime against all merchant values.
Otto sighs, turning to Frufoo. “What a troublesome man,” he huffs. Lightly, he turns up his divine protection to hear the response.
‘So you’ve complained many times. Face it, Laddie, you don’t mind as much as you say you do,’ Frufoo growls. Her Voice gives the impression that if she could, she’d be rolling her eyes at him.
To his land dragon, Otto can’t lie. She knows him far too well. “Ah, I suppose you’re right,” he admits, rubbing that one spot under her chin that she likes.
Truth be told, Otto doesn’t mind the thought of being leaned on. To be the person who is relied on, rather than doing the relying, fills him with a swelling, bursting emotion. It makes him want to grin and declare ‘just leave it to me!’ Perhaps that’s why Otto has not been pushing Subaru as much as he could have.
“If this state of affairs continue, I wouldn’t mind at all.”
A hitching gasp wrests Otto from his sleep. Blinking the crud out of his eyes, and licking his gums to wash the dryness from his mouth, he hears the noise again, a muffled sob. He sits up, peering through the dark. Reaching to the side, he grabs the lagmite ore lantern and activates it. The light from it is nearly blinding, but his eyes adjust.
Subaru is crying in his sleep. Tears, illuminated by white lagmite light, drip down contorted cheeks. He’s grimacing, mouth opening up around sobs white he twitches. It’s a sorry sight.
Otto crawls out of his sheets, paying no mind to the cool night air nipping at his exposed skin. He crawls the foot long distance over to Subaru. Grabbing his shoulder, he gives him a shake. “Natsuki-san!” He calls.
Subaru awakes with a gasp. His front snaps forwards, forcing Otto to lean backwards fast to avoid an unfortunate clanking of heads. He’s breathing fast, clutching as his chest as sweat drips down his brow.
“Are you alright?” Otto asks, resting on his haunches. Subaru’s breathing slowly begins to even out.
“Yeah. It’s just a nightmare,” Subaru says. His eyes are moist with unshed tears. In the low light, it’s hard to see, but his shoulders are shaking. He gives Otto a smile, but it doesn’t reach his eyes.
Otto frowns and considers his words carefully. “…you know, if you need to talk about anything, I’m here.”
Subaru sighs in mock relief. “Oh, good, cause I need to complain about your snoring.”
“I don’t snore!” Otto denies. Frufoo would have mentioned it if he did…! wouldn’t she? Subaru half-laughs at the look on his face, leaning backwards.
“Okay, I was messing with you, but you do talk in your sleep. It’s pretty funny,” Subaru says. That, Otto knows about. His brothers have mentioned it multiple times. Frufoo even more so. “Tonight you were mumbling about mayonnaise," he claims.
Damnit, now that he reminds him, Otto had been dreaming about mayonnaise. It is entirely possible that he’s been keeping Subaru up with his sleep talking! But wait! He can’t let himself get distracted here!
Otto glares, hands on his hips, but it has no effect. Subaru’s lips twitch into a smile, half genuine. He doesn’t know if he ought to be grateful that teasing him puts Subaru in a better mood.
Sighing out a tiny laugh, that faint sign of contentness slips from Subaru’s face. He stares down at the sheets with hollow eyes. “It was the mabeasts.”
Ah, that makes sense. “That had been very frightening. I’m not surprised that you’re having nightmares.” Otto offers a reassuring smile. “Just try to remember that we all got out of there safely.”
Strangely, Subaru’s face twitches when he hears that sentence. Quietly, he shimmies back into his sheets. “Yeah… you’re right…I just gotta remember that. Night, Otto.” Subaru turns the other way, shutting him out.
Otto stares at the back of Subaru’s head. Defeatedly, he sighs and slips back into his own sheets, turning his back to Subaru too. He closes his eyes, but sleep doesn’t come to him. Subaru’s deflection burned into his brain. He wonders what he did wrong.
He’s about half asleep when the sounds of sheets moving brings him out of his rest. Partially conscious, he becomes more aware of the noises of someone moving, blankets being pushed aside, feet on wooden boards. Then footsteps, going away from him. Otto sits up, rubbing his eyes. He squints through the dark. Subaru’s bedroll has been abandoned. Outside, there’s the faintest of silhouettes under the moonlight. Throwing open his own sheets, Otto shivers at the cold, but bears with it, standing up, and following after his errant friend.
Dry grass crunches under his bare feet, prickling his skin. Hearing it, Subaru looks behind his shoulder. He’d been staring up to the sky. Starlight gleams on the whites of his eyes, widened in surprise. “Oh, it’s just you.”
“Just me,” Otto agrees. He looks up to the sky. It’s a cloudless night, showcasing all the stars like gems in a glass case. Not a bad night to be out. “Couldn’t fall asleep?”
It’s a silly rhetorical question which Otto already knows the answer to.
“Nah,” Subaru says. “Did I wake you? Didn’t mean to keep you up.”
Otto waves a hand dismissively. “I wasn’t able to fall asleep either. Watching the stars?”
“Yeah,” Subaru says. He looks back to the sky. “They’re so beautiful.”
Otto looks at them. They are pretty, in an abstract way, but he’s never cared much for them. Being born under an unlucky star had soured them for him, but other than that, they are bright dots. He doesn’t see what’s so interesting about them.
“I’ve always loved looking at the stars. There’s so many different stories behind the constellations. I loved learning about them… although, where I lived, we couldn’t really see them,” Subaru says, his voice taking on a dreamy quality.
“Is that so?” Otto says. What kind of place did Subaru live where he could not see the stars? Was it that cloudy?… or is it something darker?
“Yeah, come lay down with me for a sec.” Subaru carefully lays down on his back. Otto follows. The ground is cold without his cloak on, and the grass tickles the back of his neck, but it’s fresh and green. With Subaru's presence close to him, it’s comfortable.
“Do you see those three bright stars in a close line?” Subaru says, pointing to a vague section of the sky.
“Yes?” Otto says, uncertain. There’s many stars that look like they’re in a line, but there’s three that do stand out, in brightness and in proximity.
“Follow the line it makes, and you’ll see another bright star. That’s Aldebaran, the following star,” Subaru instructs, his pointing finger moving to a new section. Otto does as told, and as he’s said, there is a particular bright star.
“I got it.” At least he thinks he does.
“Follow the line some more, and you’ll see a tight cluster of blue stars. That’s the Pleiades star cluster, or as it’s known in my hometown, Subaru. It’s my namesake,” Subaru says.
“Pleiades? Like the Watchtower?” Otto ponders. He doesn’t dare look at Subaru to see his reaction, fearing that he’ll lose sight of the stars.
“I dunno about any watchtowers, but yeah,” Subaru says. Knowing him, that's probably the truth. The depths of his ignorance can be astounding.
Belatedly, he follows the instruction. As was said, there’s a small cluster of bright blue stars, the Pleiades, or Subaru. It’s a beautiful little cluster, Otto admits. Shining brighter than its surroundings, it’s a fitting namesake for Subaru, whose own light draws Otto in like a moth.
“It’s a seven star cluster, although it’s hard to see them all. Most people only see six,” Subaru says. Squinting, Otto thinks he might see the seventh. “Funny enough, where I come from Subaru is also the name of a car company - er, I guess you’d say that they sell carriages? That’s not important. If you go back to those three stars. That continuation is what’s known as Orion’s Belt. If you look closely, you can see him draw his bow. That star on his shoulder, the bright one. That’s Betelgeuse.”
Otto trails his eyes back to the prior constellation to locate the star, then rolls onto his shoulder to watch Subaru talk. It’s far more engrossing than the night sky. The moonlight paints his face in hues of blue. He’s looking up to the stars, to the Betelgeuse he speaks up, arm lifted to point. There’s melancholy in the crinkle of his eyes, and the tilt of his mouth. His arm falls back on the grass, voice fading into the night, consumed by its silence. He blinks hard, shedding the wet gleam building up.
“…me and my dad would do this sometimes, just drive out of the city to watch the stars,” Subaru's voice grows choked. His smile wavers.
Otto’s heart hurts. The homesickness there is painfully real. He understands it himself, for during his first few months on the road with only Frufoo for company, his longing for his hometown and his family had grown strong enough that he’d be sick with it. Subaru's going through that too. But going through it doesn’t mean he knows how to comfort Subaru. Dragon knows that during those months nothing would have soothed his heart other than the presence of his family. Frufoo and alcohol had been his respites of choice. If he had some on hand, he’d offer it, but alas.
“…Sounds like fun,” Otto says in lieu of that. His voice is all he can offer. He’d give his shoulder too, to cry on, had he thought that Subaru would accept it.
“It was,” Subaru says. He sounds like he’s about to cry. Crap, Otto, fix this you idiot!
“When I was young, my family and I went on a trip to the capital,” Otto says, bursting out with the first thing that came to mind. Subaru blinks away the tears forming in his eyes, and turns on his side to face Otto as well. Good, he’s interested, keep going! “It was for business, although I was young enough that I didn’t understand it.”
Otto hadn’t understood many things back then. It was when he was six or seven, not soon after he first learned how to read and write, and thus, the love of his family. While emotions had reached him, the world of humanity and all its complexities was far out of his reach, not unlike any other child, he supposes.
“I’m sure that it was very important, but for me and my brothers, it had been quite dull.” Otto had hardly understood the finer points of business then. It may have been of interest to Oslo, but with their parents occupied, he’d been in charge of Otto. Such is the duty of an elder sibling.
“You have brothers?” Subaru asks, intrigued. Otto nods.
“Yes. There’s my elder brother Oslo, who’s seven years older than me. Then there’s Regin, two years younger.” It’s been a long time since he’s seen either of them. Otto hasn’t written in a while either…. He wonders how they’re doing. Had Regin managed to open up his own vet practice? How is Oslo handling the family company?
Otto has no idea.
“Seven years older… that’s a big gap. What, was your big brother that much of a terror when he was young that your parents decided to wait?” Subaru ponders, touching his chin.
Otto thinks of Oslo, responsible, mature, calm Oslo, the son that he could never be, and the person that Otto has trusted most in his life, and thinks of him as a trouble stirring menace of a three year old. The thought is so absurd that Otto wants to laugh. Oslo? Like that? It’s silly.
“I doubt that’s the case,” he says with a hint of a chuckle.
“Then why the big gap?” Subaru asks, shifting position to prop his head up with an arm.
“I honestly don’t know. It’s not something I’ve ever thought about, but that’s besides the case. You’ve gotten me sidetracked,” Otto pushes the subject back where it ought to be.
“Ah, I did? Well, go on,” Subaru waves a hand at Otto, urging him to continue.
“Thank you. Now, where was I? Yes, the capital. While our parents were doing business, Oslo and I went out to the market. I don’t recall this part too well, so you’ll have to forgive me, but at some time or another, while he was haggling, I wandered off,” Otto recounts.
Subaru's eyebrows raise. Otto thinks back to that day. Yes, Oslo had been talking to that young merchant woman, and then… “I had gotten bored, I think, so I followed a bug. Next thing I know, I’m in a completely different part of town.”
He recalls the busy merchant-filled streets giving way to someplace more residential, and what he now knows as the calls of insects inadvertently beckoning him on. There’d been a foul scent in the air, perhaps what had drawn the insects, and a clear sky above him. It’s an unusually detailed memory, for him, maybe because that had been his first time in the Capital city, the newness of it all imprinting itself in young Otto’s malleable brain.
“Damn, that must’ve been scary,” Subaru comments sympathetically. He’s become completely taken in by the tale, sorrow forgotten by the wayside. Good. That makes this worth it.
“Not really. I had known where I was and how to get back, but Oslo…” Otto trails off. He could only imagine what he had felt in those moments.
“He must’ve been scared shitless,” Subaru marvels. Crude, but not inaccurate.
“Indeed. I was eventually led back to him by a nice young lady I met.” Otto doesn’t remember much about her, except that she was very nice, and that her hair was paler than his. “I got a terrible scolding that day.”
It had been well deserved, for causing such trouble. There had been guards there when he’d returned to the marketplace. Otto doesn’t remember it himself, but he can only imagine how much trouble Oslo got in with their parents. Honestly, looking back at it, he feels guilty. That was simply one of the many ways he had made things hard on his family.
Otto rolls back onto his back. Soon enough, he’ll be a successful merchant with his own stall, and then he can look his family in their eyes, and know that he did good by them. That he’s a worthy son. But until then…
“…do you think you can sleep now?” Otto asks. Subaru climbs to his feet and stretches. He appears lighter, looser. He smiles down at Otto.
“Yeah, thanks for staying up for me. Sorry for being such a pain,” Subaru grins sheepishly as he scratches the back of his head. Otto frowns, glowering at him.
“What are friends for? Don’t make the mistake thinking that you have to bear things alone,” Otto complains, sitting up.
Honestly, if he can’t even be a listening ear and a distraction, what kind of friend would he be? A crappy one, that’s it! He’s not going to be like that and he’s not going to let Subaru be alone with his feelings!
Subaru huffs out a laugh. Reaching down, he snatches the hat off of Otto’s head. “Hey!” Otto exclaims, only to have his hair thoroughly ruffled. “What are you doing? stop that!”
He shakes off the offending hand to have his hat plonked back on his head. Otto huffs as he aligns it, feeling how his hair is sticking up in every direction. That Natsuki-san, not a drop of gratitude, honestly.
“I’m going to bed. Don’t stay up too late. I’m not going to show any mercy on you if you’re tired tomorrow,” Subaru says.
“Eh, no mercy?! What do you think is going to happen?!” Otto exclaims, playing along.
Subaru just laughs. “Goodnight,” he says, waving as he heads back to his bedroll.
“Goodnight,” Otto repeats, softly, as Subaru exits earshot. He sighs, looking up to the sky, locating the cluster of Subaru’s namesake. With it in his sights, he sees what Subaru had been talking about earlier. The stars are beautiful.
Soon enough, Otto will rejoin Subaru, settling his sleeping bag not a foot away from his, close enough that would reach out and touch him. He won’t, merely look at his friend’s sleeping face, this time serene, and feel proud of himself. For once, Otto’s helped someone he cares about.
For now, he’ll enjoy the quiet.