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When Giyuu opened his eyes, he was the first thing he saw.
While Giyuu danced, nothing else existed around him. Everything disappeared. It was his own personal space, the one he shared with no one but the music. He turned into the moon orbiting around the notes.
But as soon as he finished, he came back to earth. And then he’d hear him. The first few weeks he’d barely noticed him, but now it was all that Giyuu noticed. He’d gather with the rest of the dancers, ready to give one last bow to the audience, all while hearing him. He whooped and hollered, alternating between applauding and putting his hands around his mouth, to make it more obvious that he was screaming. There was nothing weird about him, he was a perfectly regular young man, by what Giyuu could see, so he really struggled to understand why he was acting like that.
One week, Giyuu finally decided to find out. It was driving him crazy, having his thoughts taken over by him every time he was done dancing. He caught him right as he was by the exit, “Hello. Hi.”
The blond man turned towards him, wide-eyed and for a moment Giyuu was taken back by how handsome he was up-close, “Hello!”
“I don’t mean to be rude,” he did, “but your throat? Does it… not hurt?”
The man’s smile didn’t falter for a second. “Excuse me?”
“You know, with all that screaming you did back there. I worry that you might have hurt yourself.” Now Giyuu knew he was being confrontational, but he was letting out weeks of pent-up frustration.
“Oh! No, not at all. I am made of tougher stuff than that!” and he laughed. Giyuu could do nothing but stare at him, as the man’s laughter filled the theatre. “I’m Rengoku, by the way! You’re an incredible dancer!”
“I… thank you,” Giyuu was taken completely by suprise by how nice he was. But still, he was trying to make a point, “It’s just that, you know, when you’re cheering for us, you can be… too loud. It’s bad for the throat. I wouldn’t want you to get sick.”
“I’m sorry! I just get overwhelmed by how good the show is and have to show my appreciation somehow. I didn’t mean to bother anyone,” and now Giyuu felt like this had been a mistake. Why was he confronting him for simply being passionate about dance? What was he doing?
“I see.” Well, he was making an ass out of himself. “It doesn’t matter, really. It was just an observation I should have kept to myself. I-”
“No, no! I’m so glad you came talk to me. I’m a bit starstruck.” Rengoku’s smile was the kind that made your knees weak, and Giyuu felt it. “I’ve been watching you dance on that stage for weeks, and now you’re here talking to me. It doesn’t feel real.”
“Well, it’s real.” Giyuu wasn’t going to lie, it felt incredibly flattering. “I… noticed you in the audience some time ago, as well.” He needed to shut up, turn around and leave. But he didn’t. The same thing that made it impossible for him to ignore this man, Rengoku, was making it impossible for him to just go.
“Rengoku!” a pink haired girl appeared from outside the door, “are you coming?” she said in one of the sweetest voices Giyuu had ever heard. “I’ll be right out, just a minute!” Rengoku answered before looking back at him.
“Oh. Is that your girlfriend?” Giyuu hoped he’d been successful at hiding the disappointment in his voice. Before Rengoku could even open his mouth to answer, a black haired boy appeared next to the girl and said, “No! She isn’t.”
Rengoku chuckled, “Those are my friends, I invited them over. I guess I shouldn’t keep them waiting. But it was really nice meeting you.” Giyuu didn’t really know what to say so he just nodded, “Yeah. Good night. Thanks for coming.”
And with a wave, he was gone. Giyuu stood there wondering what had just happened. He’d gone up to a complete stranger to tell him to be less loud and he’d ended up flustered to say the least. He barely understood why he’d even done it, really, but it was as if a string pulled him towards Rengoku and the more he resisted it, the worse it got. It was ridiculous, he thought, for someone to be that attractive and nice. It was something he wouldn’t be able to stop thinking about for the rest of the night.
The next week, Rengoku was a little less scandalous. Other people in the audience still stared at him, but Giyuu couldn’t feel annoyed. And this time, Rengoku approached him first.
“I got you flowers!”
“You got me flowers?”
“I… got you flowers!”
“You got me flowers.” It was hard for Giyuu to make coherent sentences after being approached by him that suddenly, it was even harder when he was holding a bouquet of flowers, looking like he’d just fallen from heaven. “Why are we repeating each other’s words?”
There it was, that laugh again. “I guess becase I’m embarrassed! I don’t want to make you uncomfortable but I...” he looked down for less than a second, and Giyuu wondered if that was a blush he was seeing all over Rengoku’s cheeks and neck. It couldn’t be, Giyuu was absolutely positive his heart would just stop working right there if it was. “It’s okay if you don’t want them. Seriously! We can just pretend this never happened!”
“No! No, you just took me by surprise.” He reached for the flowers and took them. “They’re very pretty, thanks.” To be honest, he could be holding a bag full of potatoes and he wouldn’t know the difference – all he could see was Rengoku’s radiant smile. It blinded him.
“My friend Kanroji, you know the girl from last week? She convinced me to get them for you. I was afraid it’d be too much, but I’m glad you liked them. I just… was looking for new ways to show my appreciation,” Rengoku started rubbing the back of his head, “less screaming, more flowers!”
Giyuu didn’t have the heart to tell him that there had barely been a difference. The man was trying. “Thank you, again. It’s a very nice gesture.”
They were interrupted by someone yelling, “Hey! Are you guys staying here or what? I’m closing up.”
“Let’s… go outside?” Giyuu felt weird saying that, he could have used the fact that they were getting kicked out as the perfect excuse to end the conversation. But for once, he really wasn’t looking for an escape. Rengoku followed him outside, and Giyuu was grateful for the cold air of the night.
“Can I ask you something?” It was out of Giyuu’s lips before he could stop himself. Rengoku nodded. “Why do you come every week? Not that it’s a bad thing, but it’s not very usual.”
Rengoku took a few seconds before answering, “I found out about this dance show by chance, got some free tickets from a co-worker. To be honest I didn’t think I’d love it as much as I did, but I remember sitting and seeing you… all of you dance up there? It made me feel like I was someone else for just a couple hours, it didn’t matter what had had happened during the week, I could leave it all behind. So I’ve been coming back every week to get that feeling again.”
It was the kind of night with barely any light, the moon peeking between the clouds now and then. It darkened Rengoku’s eyes making them seem endless. Rengoku was radiant, he belonged to the day, to big blue skies and warm sunday afternoons. But for a moment Giyuu felt that he didn’t. He belonged to the night, right there with him. He drank in his face, his wide handsome features. The shape of his lips, the way they turned upwards just slightly at the ends. The almost imperceptible laugh lines under his eyes and the way they softened him. Giyuu wanted to feel his skin under his fingers, he could almost see himself laying one of his hands over Rengoku’s cheek and asking him to please, please explain what was that feeling.
Rengoku glanced away, and Giyuu regretted his silence. Before he could amend it, Rengoku continued, “I have a stressful job. I enjoy it immensely, but I need this. To get away from it.”
“I understand,” Giyuu said and hoped it was enough. It gained him another smile, so he guessed it was. He was just about to talk when Rengoku’s phone started ringing, “Speaking of the devil. It’s work. I have to go.”
Don’t, Giyuu thought. “That’s okay. Don’t worry, you do what you have to do,” he said instead.
Giyuu saw a fleeting emotion cross Rengoku’s expression, almost as if he wanted to say something else, but he just told him to have a good night and left.
Giyuu once again watched him walk away. Rengoku had opened up to him and he felt bad for not giving a proper answer. He realized he hadn’t even asked him what his job was! God, he felt like the worst. With a sigh, he reminded himself that they always had next week. Yes, he decided feeling satisfied with himself, he’d make amends then.
A week later, Giyuu was in bed kicking himself for feeling nervous. Tomorrow was Saturday which meant it was time for a new show. He’d be on a stage dancing as Rengoku watched. And he couldn’t wait.
It was terrible. Awful. Covering his face with both hands, he grunted. He didn’t need to feel this way, not now, not ever. It made him feel vulnerable and silly, and most of all, he felt fear.
In his life, Giyuu had known loss. As a young child he’d lost both his parents and older sister in an accident, leaving him completely alone in the world. He’d spent some time in foster care before getting adopted into a loving family. He’d known he was lucky, and was happy to be with them, but there were still certain things he couldn’t help. It was difficult to let love in when he was so painfully aware that at any point in time life could take it away, without a single warning. It’d taken time and the love and patience of two caring parents, plus two adorable younger siblings, to make life feel right again.
Still, there had been times were Giyuu would get lost – days where he’d stop seeing the sun, he’d look up at the sky and see nothing. No colors, no light. It made him feel alone, as if he would never be able to live a life full of emotions again. That’s why he danced, even if he couldn’t see or feel, he could always dance. He trusted the music to show him the way back, all he did was follow wherever it lead him. And sometimes it lead him right back to the sun, once he opened his eyes.
But that week, Rengoku wasn’t there. Nor the next two. And before he knew it, the season was over and there’d be no more shows.
After the last one, he walked back home barely feeling his own steps. It was a silly thing, he thought, for exactly what he feared to end up happening. He had no way to know what had occurred to Rengoku and he resigned himself to this being his fate. Lonely Tomioka Giyuu, walking home by himself once again. But it didn’t matter. He got home, ate his dinner. It was like any other day.
Giyuu turned off every light in his apartment and went to bed. It didn’t matter, he repeated to himself as he closed his eyes. It didn’t.
Once again, Giyuu spotted him immediately. At first he almost didn’t believe it. What were the odds of him being there, at his brother’s birthday?
But there he was, sitting down at a table eating a piece of cake and talking at the same time. He gestured a lot, and there was a small crowd around him. Judging by the expression on everyone’s faces, it must have been one hell of a story he was telling. Standing next to him there was a younger version of Rengoku, looking down with a slightly worried face as Rengoku kept speaking.
“There you are!” A loud but familiar voice said behind Giyuu, right before getting a big slap on the back. “I was starting to think you wouldn’t come at all!”
“I wouldn’t miss your birthday,” he said, turning around to look at his younger brother, Tanjirou, and his smiling face. “It almost offends me that you think I would.”
“Don’t be like that, I was just teasing!”
“If it offended you so much,” said Shinobu coming from the side, handing him a drink, “you would have gotten here on time. And stop standing here all by yourself. You’re scaring people.”
“I’m not scaring anyo- is this alcohol? Are we having alcoholic drinks in a party with kids?” Giyuu’s horrified tone was just a little bit exaggerated, considering his brother was now turning seventeen, but he’d never stop seeing him as the little kid that one day appeared in his life.
“It’s just soda, relax! You looked thirsty,” Shinobu said as loud as possible. But then, getting closer to Giyuu’s ear, “With just a little something, to loosen you up,” she whispered.
“Hey, I heard that,” Tanjirou got between the both of them, “behave yourselves, please? I have more guests to greet. I can’t wait to see your presents, thank you for coming!” and with that, he whisked away to overwhelm someone else with his sunny demeanor.
“Don’t worry about us, dear! You have your fun with your friends!” Shinobu said in a sing-song tone, before turning back to Giyuu. “So, as I was saying about you looking thirsty,” she paused to take a small sip of her beverage, which coupled with the new look in her eyes made Giyuu suddenly worry, “that guy, huh.”
That... guy?
He followed the direction of her stare, and landed right back on Rengoku.
“Stop.” Giyuu couldn’t have said it more firmly if he tried.
“I haven’t even begun!” she pouted, “Now you offend me. I just wanted to gossip a little. Have you heard what happened to him? It’s incredible.”
“No,” and really, it should have been followed by and I don’t want to know about it. But Giyuu did want to know, more than he could admit.
His hesitance was all Shinobu needed. “So, he’s a firefighter, right? You heard about the train accident that happened a couple months ago?” A light bulb turned on inside Giyuu’s head, realizing that was right when he’d stopped appearing. “He was one of the first rescuers on the scene,” Shinobu looked at Giyuu briefly, “So brave, don’t you agree? There were more than 200 hundred people trapped in there and not a single one died. But right as they were almost done, some debris fell on top of him. Apparently, they almost gave him for dead; there was so much blood on him! But he ended up surviving, can you believe it? He lost an eye, and that’s why he’s wearing that eye-patch.” Shinobu paused just long enough to let out a sigh, “He’s going to be awarded with a medal of some sort. He’s basically a hero.”
And with that, Shinobu stayed quiet, taking small sips and not looking at Giyuu.
“It is… pretty incredible,” he said, but his chest felt weird. He suddenly understood why the younger kid had been looking at Rengoku with that dismayed face. Giyuu kept hearing the words so much blood and almost dead, over and over again. The thought of the danger Rengoku had been in created a peculiar anxiety inside of him. It made little sense, but Giyuu was slowly giving up on the way Rengoku made him feel to make any sense.
“Yeah,” she said, “I wouldn’t be able to judge if anyone just fell in love with him right here, right now.”
“Are you speaking for yourself?” Giyuu asked. It was nice to be able to tease her, he felt comforted by his friend’s presence.
“Don’t be silly! You know I don’t go that way,” and then, with earnest eyes, “I just don’t think you should stay here standing all alone.” She finished drinking her whole cup. “Alright! I need to go get more juice, I mean, soda. And see what Kanao is up to! It’s getting late,” she patted him on his arm. “See you around, Tomioka.”
He greeted her goodbye, and watched her disappear to the other side of the room.
Giyuu looked around nervously, it wasn’t that he was uncomfortable, he was used to being part of a crowd without really participating. Standing alone was to him just fine, but he couldn’t ignore the way he was feeling. He wanted to look at Rengoku, and not only look at him, talk to him. He wanted to sit down next to him, and hear the story from his own lips. He wanted to be in awe, like everyone else, but not like everyone else. Giyuu wanted to ask about his eye, if it hurt, if it didn’t. Most of all, in a selfish, completely besotted way, he wanted to ask Rengoku if he had ever thought about a certain dancer again.
The crowd around Rengoku had dispersed, and he was still sitting in the same spot, with a new serving of cake—a very large serving. Certainly, it would take him some time to finish eating it. Time enough for Giyuu to guzzle down his drink, go to the bathroom and gather his courage.
It would take him just five minutes, really. There was nothing wrong with postponing his embarrassment for five minutes; except when he came back from the bathroom, Rengoku wasn’t there. Where he once had been sitting, there was nothing but an empty plate. Giyuu scanned the room a few times, feeling frustrated with his own actions, but he was nowhere to be seen. He knew almost everyone in the place, but without Rengoku it felt like he was in a room full of strangers.
Wait, he thought, wait for me. And with that in his mind, he started making his way to the door. They’d rented a big restaurant for Tanjirou’s birthday, it was necessary to fit all of his friends, but he crossed it in a few seconds. Outside the street lights were on and the city was still full of people walking around, but he saw him. Like he always did, he saw Rengoku. Without a single second to spare, he ran after him.
Rengoku heard hurried steps behind him and wondered if his little brother had changed his mind and wanted to go home with him. But when he turned, he saw a familiar face.
“Hello,” the dark haired man said, “Hi” he was out of breathe, “Hey” and repeating himself.
“Hello,” Rengoku replied, before Giyuu could say it any more times. “That’s… Hello.” Well, now he was the one doing it. But he was having trouble grasping the situation.
He liked Giyuu. He’d known from the very first time they'd talked. Before that, he admired him for his talent and loved seeing him dance, but the little bit he had gotten to know him made him realize that there could be a lot more there. However, he hadn’t wanted to make Giyuu uncomfortable, so instead of being bold and upfront he had chosen to not act on his feelings.
Seeing Giyuu here in the cold of the night all of a sudden made Rengoku get lost in those feelings. He felt happy, in the most simple of ways, to just see him again.
“How… are you?” Giyuu asked, and Rengoku realized he had been staring. But the light of the street lamps was more than favorable on Giyuu’s handsome features.
“I’m fine! How are you? I did not expect to see you again,” he answered. He really hadn’t, and it had weighed on him.
“Me neither,” Giyuu said, with a small smile “I don’t want to make this awkward, it’s just that… that was my brother’s birthday and I heard… about what happened to you. I just wanted to know if you’re okay.”
Rengoku chuckled, “You heard? Guess everyone knows the tale by now!”
“Sorry! I don’t want it to seem like I was gossiping. It’s just, you know, everyone’s talking about it and I-”
“That’s really okay. I love telling it! Not every day you get to cheat death.” Rengoku was getting ready to begin his recounting, like he always did, but Giyuu interrupted him: “It’s amazing. But I was wondering, how have you been doing? It must have been very hard to recover from all of that.”
And it had been. Rengoku was grateful for still being here, and for being able to help save so many people. But it hadn’t been easy, he had broken a few ribs and he was missing an eye. It had been a painful process, at times very lonely – if it hadn’t been for his younger brother and friends. His life and body had changed, but he didn’t regret it.
“I’m fine, I told you. I really am.” He said to Giyuu. “But it’s nice of you to ask. You’re good, Tomioka Giyuu.”
He swore he could see Giyuu’s face softening, just before a group of people walked past them, slightly bumping into them.
“Careful! Can’t you see us?” Giyuu exclaimed behind one of them as they kept walking on, completely ignoring them.
“I think it’s our fault, we’re the ones standing in the middle of the street.” There was an awkward silence as they looked anywhere but at each other. Rengoku looked for something to say, but surprisingly, Giyuu took the lead, “Are you going home?” he asked. Rengoku nodded, “It’s not very far away from here.”
“Do you mind if I walk with you for a bit? I have to take the subway, either way, and I wouldn’t mind a walk.” Rengoku noticed a small tinge of insecurity in Giyuu’s voice, and it made his heart twinge.
“I’d like that a lot! I love company.” Rengoku gave Giyuu’s the brightest smile he could muster, hoping that would put him at ease.
They walked in silence for a few minutes, under the full moon. Everything was gradually getting quieter, the only people still roaming the street were co-workers or friends going back home in small groups. It was peaceful, and Rengoku enjoyed it immensely. It was easy to be next to Giyuu, his presence soothed him and made him want to slow down and enjoy the quiet.
“When I didn’t see you again, I was worried.” Giyuu’s words took Rengoku out of his own thoughts. “I thought I’d done something to offend you. Or that you stopped being interested in our show. I didn’t imagine…. I could have never imagined you almost died.” He was practically talking to the floor, head downcast.
“I’m sorry. I wish there had been a way to let you know.” Rengoku had been stuck in a hospital room, and after that, it had been too late. It saddened him but he’d forced himself to accept it. “I didn’t think you’d notice, but it makes me...” Rengoku chose his next words carefully, “Feel very nice that you did.”
“Of course I did.” A small sigh, and this time Giyuu looked at him while talking, “I don’t do well, you know, with people disappearing.” He stopped and Rengoku figured he was trying to tell something important. He just waited patiently.
“I’m adopted. We’re adopted, my siblings and I. I’ve lost people. So it’s hard. It’s even more difficult to...” Rengoku almost didn’t breathe, waiting for him to continue. “It’s even more difficult to find someone new, and realize I don’t want to lose them.”
Warmth spread inside Rengoku’s chest, and he wanted nothing more than to grasp both of Giyuu’s hands inside his own, but he didn’t. He knew they weren’t there yet and he respected that, but he thought of doing it. He thought of taking Giyuu in his arms, feeling his soft hair against his cheek and giving him all the comfort he could. It almost hurt to not do it, but it hurt even more to see the vulnerability in Giyuu’s eye. In that moment, Rengoku swore to himself he’d never let him down.
“I understand,” Rengoku said, and it was enough. They kept walking in silence for a bit. Rengoku realized Giyuu needed the space to think, so he let him be.
“So… yeah… I was wondering if you’d like to go out some day?” Giyuu finally said. His expression was different now, it was as if he’d left behind a weight. “Maybe the movies?”
“I would love that! There is this new movie I’ve been dying to see.” He couldn’t hide the enthusiasm in his voice, “I’ve been off work all this time and the boredom, you cannot even imagine the boredom. I keep going to the movies by myself! I tried taking a friend with me once, Uzui, but he was too loud.” Giyuu asked him about his friends, and that gave Rengoku the perfect excuse to start talking way too much. He told him about his co-workers and old college buddies, even told him about the time one of them tried to fight him over the last piece of pizza. Judging by Giyuu’s slightly worried face, Rengoku decided he’d wait to introduce him to Sanemi. Their conversation went on for longer and they walked as slowly as they could. Giyuu told him more about his family and his siblings. They shared silly, little details of their life.
Rengoku had always been a big talker, it was how he interacted with the world. Words came easily to him, and he loved connecting with others through them. But with Giyuu it was different, it felt even better. Everything with him did.
“I’ve been meaning to ask all this time.” Rengoku stopped under one of the street lamps, right next to the subway entrance, “are you not cold? You’re only wearing a sweater, and have no gloves or scarf on.”
“Oh,” Giyuu looked embarrassed, “I guess I forgot my coat behind. I was… in a hurry, I must have left it at the party.”
The knowledge that it was more than likely because Giyuu had come running after him made Rengoku’s heart flutter. He started taking his scarf off when Giyuu tried to stop him. “No, don’t. I’m not that cold.”
“Yes, you are,” he said, feeling Giyuu’s hands over his – they were like ice. Rengoku grabbed one of them, gently. “You’re freezing.”
“You’ll get cold,” was Giyuu’s low protest.
“My house is five minutes away, and you’ve been getting cold all this time.” Rengoku finished taking off his scarf, and put it around Giyuu’s neck. Then he took off his coat, and also put it over him. “I wouldn’t want you to get sick.” He echoed what Giyuu had said to him the first time they met, and smiled. “You need to take care of yourself.”
“Thank you,” Giyuu said, settling inside Rengoku’s clothes. “But I think it’s you who needs to take care of himself.” And with that, Giyuu brought one of his hands to Rengoku’s cheek. The one under Rengoku’s missing eye. His touch was gentle, tentative, but it melted every bone in Rengoku’s body. For a second, he felt nothing else but Giyuu’s fingers caressing his face. “Will you?”
“Will I… what?” It was impossible for Rengoku to remember what he’d just said.
“Take care of yourself? Try and stay safe?”
“I will. I promise!” Giyuu’s hand left his face, but Rengoku wasn’t ready for them to stop touching just yet. They were roughly the same size and height, so his coat fit him perfectly, but he still took to arranging the lapels. When he was done with those, he buttoned the first button. And the second, and the third. “You don’t have to worry about me.” It was time to go home, he thought. He wanted to stay with Giyuu the whole night, see the dawn rise on his face. Rengoku was pretty sure he had never wanted anything more in his life. “I’ll see you soon, right!” He put his hands back in his pockets, which felt incredibly wrong, and nodded towards the subway before saying, “You should go home before it gets too late.”
“Yeah, you’re right,” Giyuu said with the softest smile. “I have rehearsal tomorrow, but after that… after that we can meet?”
“That’s a date!” Rengoku’s loud voice boomed in the night. “I wouldn’t miss it for my life.”
“I wouldn’t, either. Good night, Rengoku.”
Rengoku observed quietly as Giyuu disappeared inside the subway station, and then started to make his way home. He did a one-eighty turn and retraced their steps. They’d actually passed his house almost half an hour ago, but it didn’t matter. His skin felt like it was on fire and he touched his cheekbone right where Giyuu had laid his hand. Smiling his widest smile yet, he felt like the greatest man on earth.
What a night. What an incredible night!
A YEAR LATER
When Giyuu opened his eyes, he was the first thing he saw.
He stared as the blond man whooped and applauded. A small old lady next to him patted him on the back, and asked him to shush. Giyuu couldn’t blame her.
Giyuu left behind the audience, walking backstage and picking up all his things. He was in a hurry to get home and get some rest. He walked out the backdoor, and welcomed the crisp night air.
“That was amazing! You were incredible up there!” Rengoku was waiting for him right outside. He envoloped Giyuu in a big, warm hug. “I’m so proud of you!”
This was Giyuu’s favorite part, to indulge in Rengoku’s constant warmth. He nuzzled his neck, smelling the soft scent of his blonde hair – chamomille, his favorite shampoo. He always smelled just great, but every now and then he’d pick up something a little different. It was incredible how after a year of being as close to Rengoku as physically possible, he still felt new sensations every time they were near each other. It was the kind of thing Giyuu was certain he’d never get tired of.
Tilting his head up, Giyuu glanced at Rengoku’s handsome face and kissed him. His lips were soft and welcoming, and most important of all, they were his. The way Rengoku kissed him back always made him feel loved, in a way that made words useless.
“I didn’t ask,” he said, breaking the kiss, “how was your day? How did it go?”
“Just great!” Rengoku had stopped being active as a firefighter, and was teaching about fire safety instead. Giyuu noticed he always woke up with the biggest smile on his face on the days he had to go teach at a school. He’d been slowly nudging him towards the idea of pursuing a teaching career. “The kids loved the eye-patch,” Rengoku chuckled, “so many asked me if I was a pirate! You should have seen their faces!” It was enough for him to see Rengoku’s.
“That’s great. I’m glad you had fun.” Giyuu laid his head on Rengoku’s shoulder, enjoying the sound of his voice.
“You know it’s your brother’s birthday next week, don’t you.”
“Again?!”
“One does usually get a birthday every year, yes. Stop pouting! I’ll get him the present! God, it’s cold tonight.”
Giyuu snuggled closer to him before replying, “Ah, but I’m so warm.” Inside Rengoku’s arms, there were no cold nights. Giyuu had found his own personal sun, and he’d never let go of him.
Rengoku looked at him with that familiar sparkle in his eyes, and smiled. “Let’s go home.”