Work Text:
A stage was set up in the main hall of the university, for budding designers to show off their creations. That was where coursework was judged. Once the model had walked along to present the attire in question, professors (all accomplished designers themselves, of course) would ask the student questions. What kind of fabric did they use, was there anything particular about the stitches, how long did it take, what their general idea was... then, it was time for ratings.
It was only early December, but two students were already almost done with their winter-themed assignments.
Nobody wants another sweater with snowmen, Santa, or reindeer... having fun. No, gingerbread men or MERRY CHRISTMAS is also out of the question. Now don’t get me started on snowflakes... those are just so overdone.
Makishima Yuusuke sighed and leaned back in his chair. How come nobody understood that at fashion design school, making one of those for your Christmas or winter assignment would get you a fail at best, and get you kicked out at worst? Leaving you with virtually no chance to ever design anything again, mind you.
That was why, this time, he was determined to design something special and unusual... luckily, his cute kohai, now in his senior year at his school, was always all too glad to wear pretty much anything he made (fit for his size, of course). Nevertheless, embarrassing poor little Onoda by dressing him up as a Christmas gift or wrapping him up in lights was off-limits. And there was no way he himself would put on his own creations, especially not at Chritmas time. Some people have already said that he looked like a Christmas tree by himself, no need to give more ground for stupid jokes. He was the brother of a great designer, for heaven’s sake! He could very well come up with something original, just as the sketch laid on the desk in front of him. Time to get to work on it hands-on.
Makishima tied his wild green mane back in a ponytail, then stuck a few needles in his mouth and carefully began to sew the silver sequin fabric on the top part of the dress, precisely following the dotted lines. He would go slowly, one stitch at a time, in case adjustments were needed...
A loud shriek from next door almost made him swallow his needles and pierce his finger – luckily, he did not end up ruining his creation.
What did he do this time?
Toudou Jinpachi, whose room was right next to his, had the habit of making loud noises at pretty much anything. When he was not busy telling everyone about his beauty and his amazing fashion taste, that is. About said fashion taste: of course he never needed to ask family members, friends or some kohai to wear his creations.
As he made the next stitch between sequin and dark blue fabric, Makishima let his mind wander.
Toudou Jinpachi...
When it was time to present works, of course, Toudou Jinpachi barely had to say anything about how he made whatever he decided to show off. He would never let anyone but himself wear his lovely yukatas and kimonos, always patterned according to the season and assignment specifications. Like last autumn, when Makishima nearly choked on his water as he walked out with the utmost elegance, graceful like a model on the runway. His kimono’s dark red faded into brown towards the bottom, broken by the rust of his obi sash, creating an illusion of how the colour of leaves changed from early to late season. Stylized leaves outlined in black accentuated this, but mostly it was the kanzashi in his hair. A thin dark brown headband, with a bunch of fabric leaves of varying colours at his left temple, dangling down following the theme of the kimono.
“How the colours of autumn fade” was basically all he needed to say for the astounded crowd to applaud him and the board of professors to grant him top grade.
Makishima sometimes – hell no, ever since then, often – wished he could have a valid reason to just talk to him aside from the occasional greetings. If only he weren’t so awkward at small talk!
How could I be so stupid?!
Toudou Jinpachi, inky locks held back by a – this time, simple white – headband, knelt on the floor after dropping his Christmas-themed kanzashi. It was too heavy!
Hope nobody would come over after the so unelegant noise he made – but this was really a major mistake, really, how could he?!
He stared at the door for a few seconds, in case someone really did come in, and even prepared the excuse oh, I just slipped, but nothing happened. He sighed in relief.
Now, where was I? Oh, right.
The kanzashi was again shaped like a headband, of course, dark blue like the winter sky with a pattern of snowflakes. Who cares if they were overdone, they were pretty! Especially on him.
The winter kimono – very traditional pattern, this time – was almost ready, just a few decorations to add. No, the kanzashi needed to be the star piece!
Wrapping the silk tulle carefully into a rose shape, then sewing it together to hold, he looked at the silver and shiny white rods he were to insert to make it look more like a snowflake. Not too many, not to make it too heavy, then there was the matter of the hanging ornaments, about two dozens of lacquered wooden snowflakes, each one of them different. He might consider more glitter...
Toudou stood up to get the kimono out of the wardrobe, to lay it on the bed to make sure everything fitted perfectly. Perfect, as he should always be.
Carefully smoothing out the fabric, he thought back on the day the autumn-themed assignment was due.
Of course everybody loved his dramatic “dying leaves” composition. Then came the time for the person next in line to present their work. He only came at the second call though, as he seemed to be in a daze. What was wrong, embarrassed that no one could beat Toudou?
But Makishima never had problems there. Sometimes, eyebrows would go up at his unusual patterns, like the split-in-the-middle asymmetrical spring dress, or the weird jewellery he might have added. But Onoda being all too happy to wear pretty much anything (he still idolized his old senpai for some impossible to figure out reason), and Makishima speaking professionally, it all added up.
Toudou had no idea what was it with all the green and orange spiders crawling on the blindingly yellow... thing that far too cheerful kid with glasses was wearing, the sleeves seemingly cut with scissors at the last moment to have even more eight-legged critters, this time clearly made of fabric, crawl up his arms, and to add to this disgrace there was the red spiderweb hanging off a ridiculous hat. And Makishima stating it had nothing to do with Halloween, just that autumn was “spider season”, when those guys apparently crawl inside (Toudou could have very well lived without that information). And the professors giving him top grade!
But sometimes, Toudou would stare at the wall separating them and wonder what the crazy-haired guy would say if he just walked in and asked him about his designs, instead of the stiff greetings they sometimes gave when crossing each other in the hallways. Perhaps they would like to share ideas? Not that he’d ever design anything hideous like that spider hell, but still...
Oh right, ‘spider season’…!. Toudou hadn’t seen a single one whole autumn, and now it was winter, really, nothing to worry ab-
At the second shriek, this one sounding downright terrified, Makishima spat out his needles. Maybe Toudou was having an actual emergency? When a third one followed, Makishima threw caution to the wind and walked out, determined to knock on the door and ask what was wrong.
Problem was, just as he raised his fist, the door swung open and Toudou appeared, a sheet of paper in hand.
“Uh...” Makishima tried to say something.
“I’m really sorry, but I need to take care of this, outoutout!” Toudou’s surprised face quickly faded, as he began to shake the sheet.
A tiny spider descended to the floor on a thin thread of silk.
“Uh...” Makishima watched it scurry away.
What was that all about?
“So... can I help you?” Toudou looked up at him with those hypnotizing violet eyes.
“Uh... I was just... are you all right?”
“Oh. Oh. I see, well, I am perfectly fine, thank you!” he smiled and Makishima nearly stopped breathing “just had my concentration disrupted a little. I must however work on the winter assignment, like you I suppose?”
“Well... yes.”
“Then good luck to you too!”
With that, the door was once again closed.
Now that wasn’t much of a conversation, Makishima thought sadly.
I need to stop making noise, and why couldn’t he talk more? Dazed by my beauty? Not that it’s a surprise, but... Toudou sat back at his desk, slightly annoyed.
...wait, what?! Dazed by my beauty?! Why would I even like that... his style... his hair... it is all AWFUL! Toudou shook his head violently.
However, the thought stayed in the back of his mind.
It was that evening that the e-mail came with the announcement.
Toudou didn’t hear anything through the wall, as all Makishima did was lay the sequin down on his desk.
Makishima, in the meantime, heard a very loud shriek.
“You see, paired assignment, but do you hear me, are you actually listening, Arakita?!” Toudou whined to the first poor soul he found while hurrying to the great hall with the rest of the students “me! How could anyone do the kimono and kanzashi I almost have ready, and oh my God they’ll ruin it and...”
“Shut up” Arakita spat in the end “if they pair you with me, just do it all yourself and give me that easy grade.”
“But oh God Arakita did you even read the e-mail?! Both of your styles need to show in it, combine your ideas if you have already started and oh dear will I have to make some sports gear?! Where’s the elegance in that?!”
If looks could kill, Toudou would have been dead on the spot, but he was too busy freaking out to actually look up at Arakita. As if they were paired already... and yes, he did make comfortable sports gear most of the time, but who the hell was walking around in kimonos and whatnot?! At least he tried to make something that could also be useful, damn the low grades! He entered this school just to show not all fashion was high fashion, but still!
You will be paired with a random person from your year, same section. Which to Toudou meant at least he won’t have to work with a handbag designer or something. Anyway, he was already sure as hell his partner was going to be Arakita. Who else, with his luck?!
Except maybe...
“Ah, no way! You won’t put a spider on my kimono!”
“What the fuck are you talking about? Where’s the damn spider?!” Arakita started looking around before muttering curses as he realized Toudou was speaking to himself about goodness knows what spider.
Makishima, slightly impatient, was drumming his fingers on the desk as all the second-years gathered in the great hall. At least there weren’t so many people in his section...
He briefly wondered whom he was going to be paired with, but didn’t worry too much. Nothing they couldn’t work out, maybe the other wanted to put a reindeer on a sweater, and he’ll convince them otherwise.
Unless...
“Oh dear, the kanzashi will be bigger than Onoda’s head...” he mumbled to himself.
“Arakita Yasutomo with Kinjou Shingo” at the third pairing, Toudou heard the first familiar name.
Arakita stood up from beside him and walked over to the tall, bespectacled guy who seemed somewhat pleased by this result. They were both sportsgear fans, after all.
“Next, Toudou Jinpachi…”
Oh dear! He felt his nerves ready to burst.
“…with Makishima Yuusuke!”
Wait, what?
Toudou sat frozen. In the row behind him, Makishima didn’t seem ready to move, either.
“…spiders?” was all Toudou whispered after what seemed like an eternity.
He shuddered violently when Makishima, seemingly having caught this remark, leaned close from behind him.
“Not this time, but we could work on that.”
He never knew where he found the courage to even make an attempt at humour. However, the pretty boy looked positively scandalized.
“How about you just draw a tiny spider on this snowflake, it won’t even show?!”
Makishima sighed, feeling a headache starting to develop. And a short time ago he was even positive about discussing fashion ideas with this guy?! Also, why did they have to stay in Toudou’s room and come up with something immediately?!
Or, more likely, just go with whatever Toudou wanted to do (another kimono), as he wouldn’t stop running his mouth about how amazing it was going to be.
“It said both our styles need to show.”
“Yes, yes, exactly! I do all, you put the spider, both our styles are there!”
“Why do you think I’m all about spiders?”
Stupid, stupid, stupid question! Toudou stared daggers at him.
“That’s what you made last time, Maki-chan!”
“…wait, what?”
“I said you made spiders last time, oh God we’re not getting anywhere, please just do it and…!”
Makishima stood up, towering over Toudou slightly menacingly.
“I meant… what did you call me?”
…oh. Toudou blushed slightly as they just looked at each other for a few seconds.
He looks nice when confused… what? Wait, no! Makishima shook his head to chase the thought away.
The colours actually blend nicely when his hair is flying around like this… Wait, no! Toudou lowered his gaze.
“…Maki-chan… sorry! It must have slipped out! Anyway, about this kanzashi, look, here’s the tulle I just sewed up, and then…”
Toudou would just not stop talking.
“Listen, Jinpachi” Makishima said suddenly.
And that worked… for about two seconds.
“Don’t call me by my first name like that!” shrieked Toudou.
“I never said you could call me Maki-chan either.”
“We-well, at least that’s unique… yes, unique, Maki-chan!”
And that was it, he was doomed to be Maki-chan forever. Just great.
Yet somehow, the last thing that he remembered drifting in his mind when he was about to fall asleep (with a dose of painkillers for having listened to Toudou for hours on end, and still no conclusion in sight) was that adorable blush on the other boy’s cheeks.
"Jinpachi, you are so difficult..." he whispered to himself.
“My idea was…”
“No spiders!”
Incredible. Paired on this assignment since more than a week, and still Toudou was going off on and shrieking about spiders whenever Makishima tried to say anything. He was still resolute about making his kimono and his kanzashi, then add the kanji 巻 somewhere, either so tinily that it could be impossible to find without a microscope, or slightly larger (so only a magnifying glass would be needed), but written by him, in his absolutely beautiful calligraphy. Makishima was absolutely sure this was not how their two styles should be combined.
Then it was also that it was just 巻. Like that was his whole name. Maki. Toudou stuck to ‘Maki-chan’ all the time, anyway.
Oddly enough, it did not bother him nearly as much as he thought it would. Sometimes, he even caught himself wondering how it was endearing, but quickly dismissed the thought.
“No, no, no, Maki-chan! Look at this!”
Makishima had no idea what exactly Toudou was saying ‘no’ to, as he literally couldn’t interject anything; the other boy seemed to be having a fit perpetually.
Still, the half-made kanzashi looked lovely on him.
“And no spiders…”
That was it. Makishima had enough, with his migraine, the fixation, and not being able to finish sewing the sequin on his so carefully designed dress (that would look great on Onoda, too).
“Jinpachi, shut up!”
“Wha-?! Maki-chan, get off! You’re rumpling my clothes!”
But Makishima held Toudou firmly down on the bed by his shoulders.
His eyes, shining slightly with fear, went wider and wider, their intense violet seeming even more captivating this close.
Some strands of Makishima’s hair came loose from his ponytail, and were now caressing Toudou’s cheeks.
It was so obvious, really. How this moment couldn’t last.
“Let me go! No! I will make my kimono and kanzashi! You just watch!”
“So you would like to fail?!”
“I will not fail!”
“But really, snowflakes?!”
“They’re pretty, and in violet!”
“That’s not anything new. It’s just boring.”
Anger flared in Toudou’s eyes as he suddenly pushed Makishima off.
“How could you, Maki-chan! Me! Boring!”
“Not you, but…”
Toudou, however, would listen to no more.
“Get out!”
“We need to-”
“There’s no we! Get out now!”
Toudou stomped his foot.
“I would never work with someone like you!”
“Like what? You never listened to my ideas!”
“Spiders!”
“You really think that’s all I am about?! Stop it!”
“Hell no! But I saw that stupid work of yours, how did you even get a grade like mine?! I know my stuff!”
“You only ever do kimonos and headdresses!”
“So what? I’m good! And no one would wear your ugly stuff! How much did you pay that glasses kid, huh?!”
Who does he think he is?!
“I would work with anyone but you!”
“Well, same here! Get out! Now! Don’t come back!”
Makishima growled and shoved Toudou. He stumbled for a moment but managed to keep his footing, eyes full of rage and defiance.
“Very well then” Makishima turned around.
Toudou sat down heavily on his bed, then looked to the side, one finger stroking the soft tulle on his kanzashi. He didn’t say a word.
Makishima bowed his head and walked out silently. He didn’t slam the door.
As Toudou clutched his pillow that night, his eyes stung with tears. Really, he did actually wonder if he could discuss his style with Makishima… no, Maki-chan. He just came up with that nickname randomly, and found it cute. But he also desperately wanted to have this winter-themed kanzashi and kimono to follow the series he began with those dying leaves, colours blending together, and looking so great on him.
He wanted to apologize. Yet he couldn’t – not in person, at least.
“Maki-chan, I’m sorry…” only his pillow would hear this whisper.
Definitely not Makishima, sewing his sequin on the other side of the wall, and wondering how he would not spend New Year’s home with his family if they could not come up with a decision that fit both of them. But it was Toudou’s turn to apologize.
“Jinpachi, you are so difficult…” the needles in his mouth made it sound like a mumble, that nobody could hear.
“So, how is it going? We decided on stylish wintertime cycling gear! For girls, no less! Fucking great, right? Kin-chan will convince my sisters!”
Toudou kept on stirring his probably already ice-cold miso soup as Arakita told him about his own paired assignment with Kinjou. On another occasion, he would likely yell back or offer advice, but not this time. One week to Christmas, and he still avoided Makishima. Was it really spiders that irked him so much, or something else? Maybe his hair? His other outrageous fashion choices? The way he looked at him?
“Hey! I’m talking to you, dumbass!”
“What?” he suddenly came back to reality as Arakita poked his shoulder.
“I asked how is it going for you and that Christmas tree?”
Oh, right, now he never thought of it that way. Not that it helped him in the slightest, given the situation.
“Leave me alone, Arakita.”
“Now, cut the crap! Another kimono? Snowflakes, perhaps?”
Is it really that overdone?!
“Even Kin-chan and I decided against those!”
Pride swelled in Toudou. He wouldn’t leave it at that!
“Well, no snowflakes, we decided on s-“
S… spiders… s… spirits… no, no, what else begins with sp?! Sunset… no…
“Sp… st! Stars!
“…eh?” Arakita looked dumbfounded.
“I won’t tell you more! It’s a secret!”
As Toudou ran back to his room, kimono and kanzashi still ready, he knew he was screwed. Arakita would want to see the stars, but Makishima surely wasn’t of a mind. And he still hasn’t apologized. Would he ever?
And stars...?
Makishima mused over the finished dress, never mind it was meant for girls, it would fit Onoda. Dark blue, with a wavy skirt that resembled fallen snow with light blue shadows and irregular sleeves with grey clouds, the silver sequin rose as smoke from the chimney of a house in the desolate landscape. It looked downright creepy, more like a haunted house than a peaceful winter shelter (like any would suppose it was meant to be).
A week had passed since their argument, and they have barely seen each other with Toudou, only at lunch (at different tables) or passing glimpses on the corridor. They did not talk.
The more he looked, the more his mind went back to how much prettier Toudou’s works were. Maybe it was his own lack of motivation now, maybe the effect of the argument. It all boiled down to him starting to see the dress as ugly, idiotic and not original at all. The dull grey clouds seemed to predict eternal winter!
The next moment, he forcefully grabbed the ends and ripped the dress in half.
Toudou slammed his kanzashi on the bed, sending a few snowflakes flying. They still looked like stupid snowflakes, now glittering snowflakes, not even the slightest bit like stars! Stars! And just how could he put himself into such a stupid situation?!
Maki-chan...
He’d probably say stars are even more boring than stupid snowflakes. Toudou had enough: at well midnight past, he threw the kanzashi on the floor and stepped on it. A second later, he knelt down to cry over it.
"Maki-chan, Maki-chan, Maki-chan! Come back, please!"
Makishima, the ripped dress in hand, heard noises from the other side of the wall. At first, he thought Toudou was giggling, perhaps his kimono was ready, and just a kanji had to be added? No way!
But then, the noises intensified, and Makishima noticed with dread that it was definitely not giggling. Quite the opposite.
Toudou is the one who needs to apologize. Toudou is the one who has to apologize. Toudou is the one who is at fault. Toudou is...
Toudou is crying!
“Toudou!” Makishima threw open the other’s door to find him weeping in the middle of a mess of broken bamboo pieces, puffs of tulle and shiny glitter.
“Ma-maki-chan?!” he sniffed.
“Toudou! Why? Why did you do this?” he knelt down in front of him.
Toudou didn’t answer. Then he noticed something.
“Maki-chan!”
“It’s past midnight, not so loud, Toudou!”
“What did you do?!”
“...oh.”
Only then did Makishima notice how he still had the left part of the dress in his hand, the one with the house and part of the sequin smoke.
Toudou carefully took it from him, he didn’t protest when those long, elegant fingers gently separated his own.
“The same thing I did, it seems.”
Makishima just looked awkwardly to the side.
“You never told me you wanted to make such a... lovely winter scene!”
“Well, you never gave me time to!”
Toudou smiled sadly.
“It is slightly creepy, though. Maybe the clouds? There seems to be no resolution, no spring in sight.”
Something clicked inside Makishima.
“Tou... Jinpachi.”
He looked up, tears having almost disappeared from his beautiful, beautiful eyes.
“I thought the same thing.”
“Really?!”
“Almost exactly. This” he motioned to the remains of his creation “is just plain sad.”
“We seem to think alike then. Snowflakes, really?” Toudou touched his blushing cheek, looking at the disorder in his room “Maki-chan!”
“What?”
Toudou suddenly threw his arms around his neck without any warning whatsoever.
“I want to work with you!”
“Uh...?”
“I’m sorry! I’m so sorry!” he buried his flaming hot face in Makishima’s shoulder, hoping he wouldn’t cry again and wet his odd, striped shirt.
“Uh... okay. But we have one week left until Christmas. That’s not enough.”
“Nuh-uh. We need to start over! Oh, dear!”
Don’t start shrieking again!
“We’ll spend Christmas here, together, then.”
Makishima was sure it would sound to him like the worst torture of hell. But, with Toudou holding him like that, somehow it felt less frightening.
Anyway, he just couldn’t stand this closeness any more. He needed to find a neutral topic of conversation, and fast. He gently pushed Toudou away and stood up, walking to the large window.
“It’s clear now. The stars are out.”
“Yes, spring constellations, this early morning... even if it’s December.”
“I read some astronomy. That’s supposed to be my star sign. You know... Cancer.”
“Really?” Toudou stood up, curious “mine must be out as well!”
“The clouds have parted.”
“Yes.”
Glittering stars. Parting clouds.
Stars...
“Maki-chan!”
“Jinpachi!”
Their eyes met and they grabbed each other’s shoulders.
“I had an idea!”
Toudou laughed.
“Must be the same as mine!”
“Not likely. Let’s add a snow spider...”
“Maki-chan!”
This time, Makishima returned Toudou’s embrace.
Christmas day. Right then, the first snow had fallen.
Other than some sweets, Toudou and Makishima did not bother with gifts. The two spent the past week visiting stores, sometimes squabbling over the exact tonalities of blue and grey they needed, but mostly designing and re-designing their dress. With both their styles.
The final product, which now they admired, lay on Toudou’s bed. A deep blue, black towards the bottom, dress, with wide sleeves like a kimono, with the fringes cut in a wavy pattern to give the resemblance of freshly fallen snow. Tulle was sewn on the bottom, from where pure white silk shone in layers, like an undisturbed coat of snow. A small house sat on the left side, its masonry dark purple, its windows gold, its roof also covered in white. Silver sequin rose as smoke from the chimney, dispersing towards the chest area, where greyish-blue clouds parted, moving over the sleeves.
Beside the dress lay the kanzashi, a dark blue headband with tulle on one side and sequin forming stars hanging from it.
Only one more thing needed to be done with the dress. Toudou carefully applied the glue, then threw the glitter. A million stars adorned the night sky, exactly where the clouds parted.
Both Toudou and Makishima wanted to say how well it came out, how lovely it was, how well they seemed to work together. But no words came out as they just admired their creation, standing side by side, Toudou holding on to Makishima’s back.
I must say something to Maki-chan!
If I stay like this, Jinpachi will think I’m an idiot...
“Um...” they both turned towards each other to try and say something extremely banal.
His hair is so lovely, a little messed up like this!
I keep on noticing his eyes. Violet...
Neither of them knew who leant closer first. But did it matter, really?
Toudou squeezed Makishima almost painfully tight as they kissed.
They did not talk much after that, except from a few soft, startled ohs and Makishima sighing at the glitter that Toudou’s hands left on his clothes; the other boy just smiled at that.
How did we even get to this point, and so fast?
Makishima loosely held the fabric as Toudou, head laid on his shoulder, slowly embroidered the larger silver stars on the glitter-covered night sky while humming a soft tune. As those delicate fingers worked carefully, Makishima couldn’t help but notice how elegant they were, and how precise their every little stitch was.
“It’s midnight, isn’t it?” Toudou asked suddenly in a low voice.
“I’m not sure, let me check…”
“Not in real life, Maki-chan. Here” Toudou smiled softly and pointed at the dress.
“Maybe even midnight past.”
As Toudou raised his head from his shoulder and smiled softly, he just looked peacefully happy. And beautiful.
“Jinpachi…”
“Just let me do this” Toudou stuck the needle in the fabric, but accepted Makishima’s quick kiss.
Then he once again leaned against him to continue.
“Are you wondering why I asked about the time here, Maki-chan?”
Makishima did notice he was not sewing stars at random here and there, nor did he make them too large.
“The constellations…?”
“Not all of them. But I think this one is ready.”
The silver thread was cut again, and Toudou loosely connected the stars in the constellation Leo. Now, the great lion looked almost too obvious to Makishima.
“That’s me” said Toudou, smiling softly “I rise to power in spring, but you can see me in winter too, late at night.”
It was so sappy that Makishima just found it lovely.
“And here goes you” Makishima did not want to object as Toudou added more stars to Leo’s right, just silently watched him work. He was truly amazing.
When the final lines were added, it became the most romantic thing Makishima could think of.
A winter scene, silver sequin smoke dispersing in the air, clouds pulling aside to reveal Leo, the lion, chasing down Cancer, the crab. Their zodiacal signs side by side, announcing spring and late winter nights.
“Wanna look?” Toudou motioned at the window.
“Cannot be more beautiful than this.”
“The clouds are parting.”
“Mmh-mhh.”
“Maki-chan...” Toudou put the needle down and snuggled against him “I wanna stay here.”
“Not like we’re going anywhere.”
“With you!”
Makishima began to feel extremely awkward again. Yet, Toudou’s warmth against him just felt so right.
“Yes, Jinpachi. I suppose so” and he leaned down to kiss him again.
“Careful! The dress!”
Not to rumple it up, they carefully hung it on the wall, with the kanzashi on the desk, over some leftover fabric.
“If the stars are out like that, it must be really cold outside.”
Toudou held Makishima close as they lay on the bed, keeping the window in sight.
“Keep me warm, Maki-chan!”
“Yes... yes, I will.”
They fell asleep in each other’s arms as Cancer rose over the horizon with Leo chasing it down.