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Once upon a time, a prince fell in love with the stars. But little did he know, the stars had fallen in love back.
The stars decided to meet the prince, and together a friendship began to grow.
But when the prince was no longer able to visit the stars, the stars kissed him goodbye.
Once it came time for the prince to leave his castle for the last time, the stars welcomed him with open arms and together they fell in love once more.
Tsukishima Kei walked barefoot out of the castle, concealing his footsteps lest he alert the surrounding guards of his whereabouts. Once outside, he could feel the blades of grass tickling his feet as he walked to the lake in the forest. For as long as Tsukishima knew, there was a large body of water in the clearing within the forest that immediately backed the castle. He had stumbled upon it one day as a small child playing tag with his older brother, Akiteru, laughter bouncing against the trees as they chased each other through them.The sun had just set when they accidentally stumbled upon the lake. There, Akiteru had pointed out the few constellations he knew to his younger brother. The older boy had traced the outlines of hunters and bears and scorpions with his finger, unknowingly causing Tsukishima to be absolutely mesmerized by the twinkling lights in the sky.
It had been that day that Tsukishima Kei had first fallen in love with the stars.
Ever since then, he had tried to make his way to the lake almost every day to watch the stars as they slowly shifted overhead. Sometimes he’d speak to them, informing them of his day and what he’d done. He’d tell them of his frustrations, his loves, his disappointments... Tsukishima knew that the stars must have been aware of every aspect of his life, but what he didn’t know was that the stars remembered. And slowly, the stars fell in love back.
It had been years since that day, and forever it held a special place in Tsukishima’s memories. Yet despite the time that had passed, he still spoke to the stars every night. A part of him wondered if the sky above anticipated his talks as much as he did.
Tsukishima was suddenly pulled out of his thoughts as he approached the lake. There, on the shore, sat an unfamiliar boy. He wasn’t sure how the boy had gotten there as the property technically belonged to the king because of the proximity to the castle, and most guards would not have allowed him to get as close to the castle as he did. Tsukishima approached the boy. He tried to make his footsteps as silent as possible, but soon realized he failed when the boy spun around and smiled at him.
The boy by the lake had an olive skin tone, yet despite it seemed to glow in the moonlight. His clothes were such a pure white it seemed almost unreal. His top was sleeveless, exposing his slender arms. There was a small gap between the hem of his top, and the belt of his long pants, and Tsukishima tried his best not to stare. Connected to his shoulders was a shear cape, and Kei couldn’t help but think his attire was odd for a midnight jaunt through the forest and view of the lake. The wind tousled the boy's choppy, almost shoulder-length brown hair- a very different effect than the mess it caused of Tsukishima’s short curly locks. Kei subconsciously ran a hand through his own hair.
“Hello there.” the boy called. His voice was soft yet sweet and seemed almost to be carried on the wind. Tsukishima waved in response, tentatively approaching. As he walked closer, he could see freckles on every exposed part of the boy’s skin, and he could almost swear it looked just like a map of the constellations. “I’m Yamaguchi Tadashi.” the boy spoke again.
“I’m pr- Tsukishima. I’m Tsukishima Kei.” he said. He was so used to introducing himself with his royal title that he almost did so reflexively. But at the last minute, he decided not to tell the boy, Yamaguchi. For once he just wanted to feel like a normal seventeen-year-old boy instead of a prince.
“I know.” Yamaguchi smiled. Kei thought his statement was strange, but brushed it aside. He tentatively approached Yamaguchi, sitting next to him as he stared at the sky.
“That’s Polaris.” Tsukishima explained, noticing where the other boy was staring. Yamaguchi turned his head towards Tsukishima and smiled again. He could almost swear that Yamaguchi’s freckles sparkled in time with the stars. “It’s the brightest star in Ursa Minor, uh, more commonly known as The Little Dipper,” Tsukishima continued.
“You seem to know quite a bit about the stars, Tsukki.”
A blush creeped up his face but he did his next to will it away, “Tsukki?”
“Is it alright for me to call you that?”
“Yeah. Yeah, it’s okay.” For some reason, the nickname sounded much more pleasant when coming from Yamaguchi’s lips than it ever had from anyone else.
Tsukishima continued to point out the constellations to Yamaguchi, tracing them with his finger just like his older brother had many years before. Tadashi listened attentively, his eyes locked on whichever stars Tsukishima was pointing to. Once the sun rose, they bid each other farewell, Tsukishima turning around to adjust before he entered the forest, but Yamaguchi had disappeared.
The two boys continued to meet every day by the lake. Tsukishima would sneak out of the castle and make his way to the shore, where Yamaguchi would already be. Every day he was dressed in the same pure white garments. No matter how long Yamaguchi sat in the grass, his clothing never seemed to stain. Tsukishima was almost jealous, as he had to hide his own clothing from the maids and wash them in private just to make sure the secret of his late night escapades wasn’t revealed. Yet, despite the trouble he went through to keep his private meetings from the rest of the castle staff, he still would not trade them for the world. In fact, despite his reputation as aloof and a loner, he valued his newfound friend more than anything he had before.
But as the two spent nights together, Tsukishima could tell his feelings for Yamauchi were changing, and he was terrified at what it meant. Before he’d always look forward to seeing his friend, but now a mixture of nervousness and excitement would stew in his belly until the sun finally set and he’d make his way to the lake. When they sat together, Tsukishima could feel his skin buzzing and heart pounding, as he prayed to any deity above to make sure Yamaguchi couldn’t hear his rapid heart rate.
“I won’t be able to meet with you tomorrow.” Tsukishima said one day, lying in the grass next to Yamaguchi. The shorter boy was sitting up, knees hugged to his chest and cheek against his knee, facing Tsukishima. Kei fought the urge to lean forward and kiss him.
He turned to face the blonde. “Why?”
Tsukishima hesitated, wondering how he could twist the truth to make it sound like a commoner's reasoning. “There’s a party for my brother tomorrow and it’s going to last into the night. I don’t think I’ll be able to get away.” It wasn’t a full lie- there was going to be a party for his birthday. A formal ball was being held for him, mainly so he could find a fiance. Despite not wanting to go, Tsukishima was forced to attend due to him being a part of the royal family. Kei had always found these fancy balls to be boring and partly a waste of time. Why would he want to dance with strangers into the night when he could instead watch the stars from his telescope? Or now, when he could go to the lake and sit with Yamaguchi.
“I understand.” Yamaguchi said. His voice sounded almost sad, but a smile was still splayed on his lips.
“I’ll still be able to see you the day after, right?” Tsukishima said.
“Who knows, maybe then it’ll be my turn to be busy.” Yamaguchi laughed at his own sarcasm. Somehow, despite his biting words, his face still appeared soft and kind. Tsukishima would be jealous if he didn’t think he looked so beautiful. Kei’s expressions had always been the opposite, having been accused of not being as sincere as he actually was on countless occasions. Before meeting Yamaguchi he almost believed his face was broken, never showing an emotion, but now he couldn’t help but offer a small smile to the other boy.
“So what constellations are you going to show me today?” Yamaguchi nodded his head upwards, but soon looked back to the blond next to him. Tsukishima tried not to blush under Yamaguchi’s intense gaze. Kei turned away first and began tracing more of the constellations in the sky with his hand. He retold every story he could think of that corresponded with the stars. But the time eventually came where the sun was rising, and Tsukishima had to bid Yamaguchi farewell. Tsukishima turned around just before he was stepping out of the clearing and into the dense forest. But Yamaguchi, once more, was gone.
By the time Tsukishima arrived back to his room and found himself back in bed, the maids woke him up for breakfast. He feigned sick, causing the maids to bring his breakfast to him instead of forcing him to the dining room with his family. Tsukishima couldn’t help but feel slightly guilty as he ate his breakfast alone in his room. He genuinely loved his family, even if he didn’t always clearly show it. But, with the ball that night and the fact they expected him to socialize, he decided it would be best to rest after his late night escapade.
Once the time for the royal party came around, he was quickly awoken and taken to get dressed. He was forced to wear navy pants tucked into shiny black boots. His white collared shirt seemed to crisp against his skin, and the matching navy vest with gold detailing too heavy. The matching formal coat was stifling, and he felt it was much too thick for a celebration held in spring. Finally, a gold sash was placed around him, extending from his right shoulder to his left hip. “You look amazing, Prince Kei.” said one maid as they fixed his rowdy curls, and an echo of compliments rang through his chamber from the few others that were there with him. Tsukishima didn’t respond, instead electing to look away towards the window.
Someone soon ushered him to wait behind a large door, knowing they were going to announce his family members' names as they entered the ballroom. First were his parents, the queen and king, soon followed by the announcement of Kei’s name. He walked down the stairs and peered down to the sea of people he didn’t know, nor cared to know. With a stoic expression plastered on his face, he made his way to stand next to his parents at the bottom of the stairs. Finally, Akiteru was called, and he walked out, all smiles and waves. Kei almost rolled his eyes at how princely his brother was before he stopped himself. He knew he had eyes on him as well, and needed to make sure all guests saw the perfect version of him he was to display.
After Akiteru had descended the staircase, the guests approached the royal family in an attempt to talk. Many female suitors talked to Akiteru, attempting to gain his attention. Tsukishima rolled his eyes then. He knew many girls wanted to marry the future king, but he still found it ridiculous that these female suitors would trip over their own heels to get a glimpse of his older brother.
“Good evening, Prince Tsukishima.” a nervous voice said from behind him. “My name is Princess Yachi Hitoka.” she curtsied after she finished her introduction. Her indigo ball gown swished around her as she nervously shuffled her feet.
Tsukishima politely bowed. “Would you like to dance?” He knew that was most likely the reason she had approached him.
“Okay!” she replied. Tsukishima extended his hand, and she cautiously took it. He could tell she was shy, most likely pressured to ask for a dance by her mother, whichever queen she was.
“You must tell your brother I wish him a happy birthday.” she said as she intertwined her fingers with his and tentatively placed her left hand on his shoulder. She somewhat struggled with his extreme height, and their standing next to each other was almost comedic.
“Okay.” The conversation died. He placed his hand on her waist and guided her in a waltz. Their conversation was stunted, more awkward than anything he had experienced before, and once the song was over, he was quick to bid her a farewell and leave.
As the night progressed, Tsukishima just became more and more bored. He danced with a few of his own female suitors and was forced to speak to many of the guests. Slowly he drifted his way towards the exit when he saw a brunette with familiarly choppy hair in all white making his way to a balcony. Tsukishima was stunned, as he was almost positive it had to be Yamaguchi. He racked his brain for how he would be there, and slowly pieced together that he must be a noble himself. It would definitely explain his constant fancy attire.
Kei pushed his way through the dense crowd, empty apologies passing through his lips as he shoved through conversations in an attempt to catch up with his friend. Once he had arrived at the double glass doors, his heart pounded. He had never told Yamaguchi that he was a prince, and he hoped his friend wouldn’t be angry at his omission. Kei pushed the doors open.
“Good evening, Prince Tsukki.” Yamaguchi said, but there was no malice in his voice; he sounded genuinely pleased to have seen him.
Tsukishima let the door close behind him. “How are you here?” Yamaguchi just smiled in response. Tsukishima knew then that he wouldn’t get a straight answer. “I’m sorry I never told you I was a prince.” the blond apologized.
Yamaguchi turned around to lean against the balcony railing. “It’s okay. I knew.” Tsukishima swallowed the lump in his throat. Now that his friend was facing the opposite direction, he couldn’t help but stare from how beautiful Yamaguchi looked. He wasn’t wearing his normal attire, instead opting to wear fitted white pants tucked into cream-colored boots. He wore a white jacket with gold details and buttons that extended to his knees in the back, but ended at the top of his belt line in the front. The boy had even put his hair into a half-ponytail, with small strands of hair framing his face. Tsukishima walked over and leaned against the railing next to him, and couldn’t help but notice how beautiful Yamaguchi looked bathed in the moonlight.
“How did you get here?” Tsukishima asked again.
“Thank the stars.”
“Thank you, stars.” Tsukishima said, half-sincere. Whatever force had brought Yamaguchi to him that night, he was bound to thank. “You look great, by the way.” Tsukishima impulsively tucked a strand of hair behind Yamaguchi’s ear. A fiery blush burned across Yamaguchi’s cheek bones.
“Thank you.” he whispered as he turned his body to face Tsukishima. Yamaguchi closed the short distance between the two boys' bodies as his eyes darted down to Tsukishima’s lips. The prince did the same, reaching out to gently hold Yamaguchi’s face as they both tilted their heads and slowly leaned in.
The kiss was better than anything Tsukishima could have ever imagined. His heart was racing in his chest, and his entire body felt like it had been lit on fire, heat stemming from every point of contact with Yamaguchi. Kei pulled away for a moment, searching for any reaction in Yamaguchi’s brown eyes. But Tsukishima wasn't prepared for what he saw. He saw a look of pure adoration, pure love , dare he say. Their lips connected again, although neither boy could tell who initiated the second kiss. The second kiss was rougher, more intense, as if making up for lost time, for every time they could've been doing the same at the lake.
“I like you, Tsukishima Kei.” Yamaguchi mumbled against his lips.
“I like you too, Yamaguchi Tadashi.” Tsukishima could feel Yamaguchi shiver from his words, and a sense of pride swelled in his chest at the effect he had on his requited crush.
For the rest of the night, Tsukishima stayed on the balcony with Yamaguchi. They talked between kisses and exchanged content expressions when doing neither. But eventually the night had to end, and Tsukishima had to bid Yamaguchi farewell. He placed a chaste kiss onto the back of Yamaguchi’s hand before heading back to the ball. He passed through the glass double doors and once he was inside the ballroom; he turned around to look at Yamaguchi once more. But the boy had disappeared, leaving behind the memory of his lips in his wake.
Time continued to pass after that day, and the two boys still met by the lake every night. Talking and exchanging glances, but now kisses were intermingled in their interactions where before it had just been silent admiration, floating in the air between them.
But one day, Tsukishima unexpectedly didn’t show up at the lake. There was no way to warn Yamaguchi beforehand, but he felt guilty at abandoning his friend. He knew it wasn’t his fault and family grief came first, but regret burned within him anyway.
An unanticipated war had just recently broken out, and Kei’s older brother had gone to calm down the enemy side. But on his way to a diplomatic meeting, he had been murdered, leaving the kingdom without their rightful heir. Akiteru’s death meant not only had he lost his only beloved older brother, but he now had to continue intense studies to be prepared to be the next ruler. No longer was he allowed to wed out of love either, but an arranged marriage would now be in his future. Kei had never envied his older brother’s duties, but whether he liked it or not, he was being forced to fill in Akiteru’s position in the family. Tsukishima swore he had seen a glimpse of Yamaguchi at Akiteru’s funeral, but if he had been there, he disappeared just as quickly as he appeared.
Because of his new future, Kei barely had time to grieve. They thrusted him into Akiteru’s place so fast his head was metaphorically spinning, and he was expected to take over his brother’s duties as soon as he could. Not wanting to let down his family, Tsukishima put his emotions under lock and key and made sure to do his best job in all of Akiteru’s responsibilities. But because of this, he rarely ever got to see Yamaguchi again.
“I’m sorry.” he apologized one day when he was able to find time to go to the lake.
“It’s okay.” Yamaguchi was always understanding, offering his support and promising to wait for him until his life calmed down. But things would never calm down again.
“I can’t see you anymore.” Tsukishima’s voice broke. Yamaguchi nodded, sadness filling his eyes as he gave an understanding smile. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay.” he repeated. Tsukishima had left early that night, leaving Yamaguchi behind him in his past. That day, he didn’t look back. But if he had, he would’ve seen Yamaguchi watching him disappear into the forest.
An arranged marriage soon followed, yet, surprisingly, was with someone he knew. That girl he had danced with the day he finally kissed Yamaguchi was the girl he was supposed to marry because of her family’s position. Out of all the arranged marriages he could've been put into, he figured this was the best version of his options. Yachi and Tsukishima eventually became friends, sharing secrets and childhood stories with each other.
“I’m gay.” Tsukishima had admitted one day, not wanting to hide his sexuality from his fiance.
“I’m a lesbian.” she laughed as she responded, and he couldn’t help but smile too. Yachi spoke to him of her crush, a neighboring princess by the name of Kiyoko who was set to marry another prince named Tanaka. Yachi knew her crush was unrequited, as she was aware of how much Kiyoko loved Tanaka. Tsukishima held her as she cried that day, and the two became even closer.
Yachi and Tsukishima never fell in love, but still married. They had grown to become close friends, but Tsukishima never forgot Yamaguchi just as much as Yachi’s crush on Kiyoko never faded. The first time he had formally met Kiyoko was after he was married. Yachi had invited her to the castle, and the two had talked well into the night. Tsukishima couldn’t help but notice just how quiet Kiyoko was. Her voice was soft and her eyes held a sweetness he couldn’t place. Tsukishima could tell she was pretty with her silky black hair and welcoming gaze behind glasses. He could see why Yachi liked her so much. After Kiyoko had left that night, Tsukishima held Yachi as she cried for the rest of the night.
Tsukishima wasn’t without his own tears. Once the anniversary of Akiteru’s death had arrived, he had locked himself in his office and refused to come out. He didn’t want anyone to see how broken he felt as tears slipped down his face. He had forgotten Yachi had a key to his office, and unexpectedly felt a light hand placed on his shoulder. There was his wife, looking at him with a smile so gentle he couldn’t help but think of Yamaguchi again. Tsukishima hadn’t cried for the rest of the day, but Yachi sat with him in silence anyway, her presence more comforting than he could ever express.
Sometimes Yachi would leave to visit her family back in her native kingdom, and during one of those trips the unexpected happened. Tsukishima had been walking outside in the middle of the night by himself when he saw a young man sitting on a bench in the moonlight. Kei immediately recognized him. There in the middle of his garden sat his beloved Yamaguchi.
“How...how are you here?” Tsukishima was stunned.
“Thank the stars.” Tsukishima laughed at the familiar response and quickly pulled Yamaguchi from his sitting position and immediately into a kiss. When Tsukishima pulled away, he saw an expression of pure sadness on his lover’s face, and his heart dropped into his stomach.
“What’s wrong?”
“This is the last time I can see you. I’m sorry.” Yamaguchi said, tears beginning to silently stream down his face.
“Why?” Yamaguchi hesitated.
“You wouldn’t believe me.”
“Try me.” Tsukishima was adamant. So Yamaguchi explained everything. He admitted he was the prince of the stars and soon it was his turn to rule over the kingdom of the night. As king, he wouldn’t be able to leave his position. The entire time Yamaguchi talked, Tsukishima wiped away his tears with his thumbs.
“I’m confused.” Tsukishima admitted when Yamaguchi finished his explanation.
“I figured you would be.” Yamaguchi reached into his pocket, “so I brought you this.” In his hand was a beautiful navy gem on a black chord. Tsukishima looked at Yamaguchi, confused. The brunette stepped away from him and made sure he was watching. Yamaguchi wrapped the cord around his wrist, the gem loose and hitting his forearm, and brought his hands together. He cupped both hands as if holding something and brought his hands to his mouth. Yamaguchi blew air in between his palms and opened his hands. There, in his palm, was a constellation.
“I’ve never seen this constellation before.” Tsukishima admitted.
Yamaguchi nodded. “It’s because it’s a gift for you. It’s us.” he said sheepishly, almost as if he was embarrassed by his own gift. Yamaguchi took the constellation and placed it within the gem. “This is a night stone. They aren’t found on earth and can hold certain elements, such as stars. Whenever you look into it, you’ll be able to see the constellation.” Tsukishima just looked at him, stunned.
“This is the most amazing gift I’ve ever received from anyone. Thank you.” a tear rolled down his cheek. Yamaguchi kissed every one of his tears away.
Tsukishima eventually spoke again. “I noticed on our first meeting your freckles are in-”
“The pattern of the constellations?” Yamaguchi chucked, “Yeah, I’m basically a living map. Every person in the night kingdom has a couple constellations on their skin, but I was born with them all.”
“It’s beautiful.”
“Thank you.” Yamaguchi blushed as Tsukishima kissed every visible freckle he could.
They spoke for the rest of the night, and as the sun rose, it forced Yamaguchi to kiss Tsukishima goodbye. But once Tsukishima opened his eyes, Yamaguchi had disappeared, and in his hand was the gemstone.
After that day, no matter how many times Tsukishima walked to the lake in the middle of the night, nor how many midnight strolls in the garden he took, Yamaguchi never appeared. Tsukishima constantly wore the cord around his neck, holding it in his hand and peering through it whenever he missed him. Tsukishima couldn’t help but wonder if Yamaguchi missed him just as much as he did.
Decades passed. Wars started. Wars ended. Despite the passage of time, Tsukishima’s love for Yamaguchi was as constant as the sun rising. Never did a day pass that he didn’t love Yamaguchi. Tsukishima spoke to the stars every night, imagining his love was sitting there next to him and smiling.
When another war was started by the same kingdom that killed Akiteru, Tsukishima was adamant on going to battle himself. He was older now, around forty or so, with scars littering his hands from battles and his face even stonier than it was as a teen. Yachi had grown in the opposite, her features softening even more and her kindness growing with each passing day. The two never did fall in love, but they were content with that. When Tsukishima announced his plans of fighting on the front lines, Yachi couldn’t help but grow concerned. But no matter how much she tried to convince him not to, he was adamant on avenging his older brother.
He gave a valiant fight on the battlefield, but after a particularly gruesome battle, they had slaughtered his entire army. Tsukishima lay there, dying, blood seeping into the soil beneath him. The sun began to set just as the light in his eyes began to slowly dim. Tsukishima took a shallow breath, hoping he could hang onto his last thread of life just so he could see the stars once more. He closed his eyes for a moment from the pain.
“Hello, Tsukki.” His eyes snapped open, and of course, there before him was Yamaguchi. He still looked young, only around twenty, the same as he did at their last meeting.
“Yamaguchi.” Tsukishima whispered. He felt as if he was hallucinating. He could barely believe he was there. Yamaguchi smiled, and Tsukishima noted it was the same smile he received the first day they had met. It was a smile of pure happiness and anticipation.
“I’m sorry.” Yamaguchi apologized.
“Why?”
“That I couldn’t protect you.” Yamaguchi extended his hand as he spoke, “and I know you can no longer be king here on Earth, so I would like you to be king with me.”
“What?” Tsukishima was stunned.
Yamaguchi knelt on the ground, pulling Tsukishima’s body into his lap. “I would like you to rule the night kingdom with me. If you’d like to.”
“Please.” Tsukishima’s voice was strained. Yamaguchi smiled and placed a soft kiss on Tsukishima’s lips.
“It’s time for us to go.” Yamaguchi whispered against Tsukishima’s lips.
“Okay.” he mumbled back. Yamaguchi helped Tsukishima stand up, leaving his mortal body behind. Tsukishima noticed he was no longer in pain. He looked at his and Yamaguchi’s interlocked hands and noticed the scars had faded into porcelain skin. He looked down into the pool of blood at his feet, and mirrored back to him was the same twenty-year-old Tsukishima who had said goodbye to his lover all those years ago. He looked back towards Yamaguchi.
“I think you’ll enjoy the kingdom.” Yamaguchi kissed the back of Tsukishima’s hand and there appeared the same constellation Yamaguchi had gifted to him years ago. Yamaguchi disappeared for the last time, hands intertwined with his lover.
It was that night that an astronomer found a new constellation that appeared to form the shape of two people holding each other. The astronomer fondly named the newfound constellation, ‘The Lovers’.