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The next time they met was when he was seventeen.
The day of his high school graduation, he was summoned home.
For ten years he managed to stay away. Without his grandmother, the sprawling estate was much too big. He had gone days without seeing another soul. The servants were too good at their jobs; often it seemed as though food appeared magically on the plate in front of him and his clothes were always freshly pressed regardless of how early he got up.
It was the first time he had looked forward to returning to boarding school. He had stayed there through the holidays; not a difficult thing to accomplish as his father seemed to have forgotten all about him after he left.
Seijuurou wasn’t fooled though. He knew that the school was sending regular reports to his father. As long as he maintained an excellent record, he would be left alone.
Though he had hoped that his father would overlook his existence for long enough for him to strike out on his own after graduation, he received a call from his father’s secretary on the evening of his graduation.
After a curt congratulatory message, he was told that he was to return to the Akashi estate in two days – so that he had enough time to pack. Thanking the man wryly for the advance notice, he had resigned himself to returning to the place that no longer felt like home.
xxx
“Welcome home, Master Seijuurou,” the butler bowed deeply as he stepped out of the car. “It is an honour to have you back.”
“Thank you, Teiga,” he replied. Leaving the servants to unload his luggage, he strode through the front gates. With a quick gesture from him, the butler fell into step behind him. He cast a lazy glance at his surroundings. “Not much has changed in my absence.”
“We have done our best to maintain the household in its pristine condition,” the butler said.
Seijuurou secretly thought that it felt like walking into a tomb.
He hoped that he wouldn’t have to stay for very long. There was only one bright spot in his visit.
“Is that tree still in the yard?”
“Yes, sir. In fact, it has just started blooming. It is a very lucky coincidence that Master Seijuurou will be here to see it in full bloom.”
With a small smile on his lips, Seijuurou wondered if it really was luck.
xxx
He dismissed the butler when they arrived at his room. Stepping through the doors, he noted how neat and clean everything was. Nothing was out of place – if he bothered to check, he wouldn’t find a speck of dust. The books lining the walls were as he had left them. He wondered briefly if the clothes he had left behind ten years ago would still be hanging in the large wardrobe across from his bed. The shogi board in the centre of the room looked like it had just been set up for players to sit down.
Yet, there was a hush in the air – a stillness that gave away his long absence. Walking in here put a weight in his chest.
He stepped back outside and a servant materialized next to him. “Is there something wrong, Master Seijuurou?”
“Are the guest rooms overlooking the gardens still unused?”
“Yes.”
“Prepare one for me.”
“As you wish, Master Seijuurou. We shall move your belo—”
“Leave this room alone.” He interrupted. “Prepare it as you would for a guest. I only want the things that I brought with me today.”
The servant bowed in acknowledgement and was about to leave when Seijuurou put out a hand to stop him.
“I’ll have tea on the patio. Make it for two.”
Another bow. “Excellent idea, Master Seijuurou. The cherry blossoms have just begun to bloom.”
xxx
It was a fine day to be outside.
His fingers were slightly numb though it was only a gentle breeze that brushed by him. He settled with a warm cup to counter the chill and breathed deeply, savoring the clean sharpness that cleared his mind.
The screen doors to his grandmother’s room were wide open behind him. She would have hated how stuffy her room had become.
Like his room, nothing had been touched here. He wondered if his father had forgotten to have the room cleared out, or if he had left it alone on purpose.
The older Akashi was not a man of sentiment. Seijuurou took a sip of the fragrant tea. It was likely that he just didn’t care.
Nonetheless, Seijuurou was glad to see that the room still carried a shadow of his grandmother. The spot he was sitting in was the only place in the entire estate that felt welcoming.
He looked up at the cherry blossom tree – the blossoms were in varying stages of blooming. The tree didn’t look as large as he remembered.
Out of the corner of his eye, he caught movement to his left. It took him a moment to realise that he was smiling.
“Rather presumptuous to assume that that’s for you.” He said, raising his cup to mimic his new companion. Had the tea always been this sweet?
“It was going cold.”
“Maybe that was my intention.”
“Lukewarm tea? I took you for a cultured man.”
He couldn’t help the huff of laughter. There was a part of him that longed to reach out across the tea table between them; to be sure that this wasn’t just his imagination.
He kept his hands to himself. What if it was?
“I am glad to see that you are well.” Kuroko said. “Time has been good to you.”
“Thank you,” he replied, smirking as he shot the blue-eyed man a look. “I’m still underage, though.”
Kuroko’s breathy chuckle brought up a wave of nostalgia that nothing else in the Akashi compound had.
“How is my grandmother?”
“She is happy that her room is being aired out again.”
Seijuurou smiled into his tea. “I thought she would be.”
They settled into a companiable silence. There were many things that Seijuurou wanted to say – to ask – but this calm that had settled between them was fragile and he couldn’t bring himself to break it.
Instead, he inhaled deeply, taking in the spring air and the gentle waft of tea and cherry blossoms.
xxx
“My apologies, Master Seijuurou,” Teiga said as he bowed his head. “I have received news that your father has been called away on urgent business and will not be able to return as planned.”
Unsurprised, Seijuurou asked, “When will he be here?”
“Perhaps in a month’s time.”
Seijuurou swallowed the sigh, thankful once again for the blank mask that he had learned to put on when hearing any news. “Thank you for informing me.”
He shut the door as soon as the butler turned away and sighed into the darkness. At least a month cooped up here. He had just returned from a solitary dinner in the informal dining room that was still much too big for one diner.
He wondered what life must be like for people without the misfortune of being born an Akashi. His contemporaries at boarding school had direct lines of contact with their parents. He didn’t even know where his father worked.
Walking across the room, he opened the large screen doors on the opposite wall. A shiver ran up his arms as the breeze blew in. He moved to where his belongings had been unpacked and pulled out a thick jacket and a wooden box.
Donning the garment, he settled on the patio just outside of reach of the moonlight and opened his travel set of shogi. It was possibly the only thing he had an attachment to. It had been a gift from his grandmother his first year of boarding school.
It had been made by loving hands and the wood seemed to have changed with his touch over the years. As he set it up with the ease of a seasoned player, he settled into the lull that the familiar touch and sounds brought him.
xxx
The cherry blossoms were at the height of their bloom. The huge tree was awash with pale pinks and so was the sprawling yard as the wind whisked petals away playfully.
Seijuurou lounged in what had now become his ‘spot’. An area of the patio that was between his grandmother’s and his room. It had the best view of the yard as there were no pillars blocking his vision. A tea table was permanently set up here at his behest with fresh water and tea leaves always available.
Occasionally the table was cleared to make room for his shogi board.
Today, he was reclining in a lounge chair that was also a new feature, reading the latest book in an installment that had been recommended to him by another student at school.
Something made him look up.
The wind had picked up - cherry blossoms blew by in a flurry of pinks and whites. Seijuurou watched the dancing flowers for a while, then noticed the flash of blue. He put down his book.
Kuroko stood several feet away. Seijuurou watched as a blossom seemed to fall out of the grasp of the wind and flutter gently down onto the open palm. There was a look on Kuroko’s face as he approached Seijuurou that made him sit up straighter.
“Is that another wish?” Seijuurou asked as Kuroko took the first step up to the patio.
Kuroko smiled. “Is that what you would like?”
“Is someone else going to have a stroke?”
The smile widened slightly. “I believe you will be able to use this for something else.”
Seijuurou held out his hand. Kuroko tipped the flower onto it. He studied it closely. It was more white than pink but it had a beautiful gradient in the centre.
“Do you like the flower I picked for you?”
The corners of his lips quirking upwards, Seijuurou locked eyes with bright blue ones. “It will do.”
A breathy chuckle tickled his ears and the words were left behind after he had vanished. “Think carefully before you make your wish.”
Seijuurou closed his eyes as his fingers folded over the soft petals. The faint smile on his lips grew wider.
He made his wish.
xxx
“That was an interesting choice. I was not expecting it.” Seijuurou looked up from the shogi board at the sound of Kuroko’s voice.
“You did say any wish.” He replied. A soft thunk punctuated the moment as he moved a piece.
“Indeed I did,” Kuroko mused, settling into the vacant seat across from Seijuurou. He looked down at the board and after some consideration, moved a piece.
Seijuurou watched him for a few moments then returned his attention to the board. Another thunk of a piece moving. “You’re not going to tell me it can’t be done now, are you? It’s a little late for disclaimers.”
“That is true.” Kuroko said, a smile in his voice. He moved another piece. “I suppose I shall have to do my best.”
xxx
“You make delicious tea.” Kuroko said softly after taking a sip of the freshly brewed cup that Seijuurou had placed by his elbow on the tea table.
“Thank you.” He said as he finished pouring his own cup. “I’ve been well trained.”
They settled into the companiable silence that had become familiar over the last week. It was a calm, lightly breezy day. It was warm enough now that Seijuurou had swapped out his thick jacket for a long-sleeved shirt and a vest.
“Tell me something.” Seijuurou said, no longer wary of breaking the silence. It no longer felt like Kuroko would disappear in a wisp of smoke at the slightest provocation. Yet, Seijuurou still sometimes approached him like a deer in the forest.
Kuroko said nothing, but he knew that the pale-skinned man was attentive.
“Do gods get bored of living forever?”
A pause. “I cannot speak for all the gods, but I have not found eternity to be particularly dreary.”
Seijuurou looked up at the passing clouds as he sipped his tea. “What do you do to pass the time?”
“Time passes differently for me than it does for you.” Kuroko replied, mimicking Seijuurou with his cup. “Eternity so far has felt like… years.”
“So the time that I was gone has felt like moments to you?” Seijuurou asked, ignoring the tightening in his chest.
Kuroko took a longer time to answer. “Yes and no.”
Red eyes turned to the blue-eyed man who was still watching the sky interestedly. “What does that mean?”
Kuroko’s smile gave nothing away as he finally met Seijuurou’s eyes. Something unspoken passed between them and Seijuurou looked away, deciding not to pursue the subject.
xxx
That night, Seijuurou had a strange dream.
The moon was high in the sky; full and nearly as bright as daylight. He sat in his usual spot by the large pond, legs dangling over the side. The water reached up to his calves. He kicked his legs lightly, sending a shiver through the water that caused the nearby giant lotuses to bob gently. He leaned back on his hands, surveying the stars that blinked meekly behind the moon. A lot of them were invisible at this time of night. The moon had taken centre stage and was not one for sharing.
Though the hand gripped his foot suddenly, he did not spook. Instead, he stilled, anticipating what came next.
Another hand found his other leg, this time reaching up to curl around the back of his knee. The hand leaving his foot reached up to use his other knee as a handhold.
A pale face broke the surface as Kuroko pulled himself out of the water far enough to fold his arms on top of Seijuurou’s knees.
“You came.” Kuroko smiled softly.
“Did I have a choice? You reminded me so many times.” The teasing was softened by the smile he saved for the blue-eyed man.
Instead of retorting, Kuroko stretched his arms up in a silent request. Obligingly, he grabbed hold of the other man’s forearms and pulled until they were both standing on the grassy banks. He cast an admiring glance over the blue and silver ensemble that Kuroko wore.
Aware of his scrutiny, Kuroko said, “Your robes suits you.”
He was wearing a gold and red ensemble that was in a similar style to Kuroko’s but was fitted tighter to the body and did not brush the ground when he walked.
“Thank you.” Seijuurou held out his hand with a smirk. “As do yours. Shall we?”
The fingers that slipped into his were cold – but they soon warmed up.
When Seijuurou woke, he stared at the ceiling, distantly aware of the creeping light of dawn that peeked through the screen doors he had left ajar. He turned his head and focused on the tree through the gap.
It was unusual enough for him to remember dreams, but this one felt… different. Familiar, like a piece from his travel shogi set. He turned away and closed his eyes against the niggling sensation in the back of his mind.
xxx
It had been three weeks since he had returned.
Any other person would have gone mad within the first week of solitary confinement, but Seijuurou was well-versed in the art of keeping himself entertained. He had been practicing since he was a child.
It helped immensely that Kuroko had begun to join him on the patio from the second week onwards. If the blue-eyed man really was a figment of his imagination, the servants would have spent the past few weeks worrying about him talking to himself. His lips quirked into a small smirk at the thought.
Somehow, he couldn’t bring himself to care.
Another thought occurred to him and the smile disappeared. He looked down at the hand that now felt empty without a cold touch he had never felt.
He remembered a warm hand when he was a child. He frowned. It had surprised him then. Was it because he had been expecting it to be cold?
The dream had not recurred and was beginning to fade from memory as expected. He wasn’t sure what to feel about the fact that he didn’t want it to disappear.
He exhaled roughly. Perhaps he was starting to lose it.
xxx
“Do gods fall in love?”
Kuroko took a moment to answer. “They can, yes.”
Seijuurou didn’t look up from the shogi board between them. “Have you?”
Kuroko stared at him. Blinked twice, then, “You’re a bit too young, Seijuurou-kun.”
Red eyes surveyed the game intently. “That’s not a ‘no’, then.”
“You have been asking rather unusual questions lately.” Kuroko said slowly. “Is something the matter?”
“Just curious,” he said. The game continued on in silence. He watched the pale hand move over the shogi board, curling his own into a fist against the itch to reach out.
xxx
“Any news from my father?”
Teiga bowed deeply and Seijuurou knew the answer before he spoke. “Master Akashi has not sent any word of his return yet.”
Seijuurou kept his voice flat. “Am I allowed to leave?”
“Certainly, Master Seijuurou. I will get the chauffeur to take you wherever you wish to visit.”
“I want to leave, Teiga.”
“Master Akashi has requested that you remain here until his return. He has something urgent to discuss with you.”
Whatever it was, it wasn’t more urgent than work, Seijuurou thought wryly. He waved the butler away. There was no point in taking out his frustration on the servants. It never made him feel better and tantrums had not changed any outcomes in the past.
He ate the lavish meal before him in silence, barely tasting the food. In the month that he had been back he had only gone outside the Akashi compound twice. There was nowhere that he wished to visit as he did not like the bustle of crowded places.
On the other hand, he hated how caged he felt.
xxx
“What is wrong?”
Red eyes looked down from the star-lit sky to see Kuroko standing at the bottom of the patio steps. He returned his gaze to the sky, continuing his search for a particular constellation.
“What makes you think something is wrong?”
Kuroko drew closer, settling on a nearby step. “It is very late yet you are out here alone.”
Seijuurou replied drily, “What is the point in keeping time? I am alone at all hours of the day.”
After a lengthy pause, Kuroko said softly, “I was under the impression that I was keeping you company.”
Seijuurou felt that weight in his chest again. He pushed it away. In spite of himself, he found his eyes drawn to the back of the other man. Kuroko was nearly his height, yet his shoulders looked incredibly fragile.
How ridiculous would it sound if he admitted out loud that he wasn’t convinced Kuroko was real? The man appeared and disappeared in the blink of an eye. He felt real – but sometimes he seemed to fade.
He looked upwards again. “Do you sleep?”
“When I feel like it.”
The silence that fell between them was different. No longer calm… it almost put him on edge. Seijuurou nearly convinced himself that Kuroko was gone before he spoke again. “Where do you go when you are not here?”
His heart leapt in relief when Kuroko answered immediately. “Home.”
“The tree?” Kuroko shook his head. “Is it nearby?”
“Yes and no.”
Seijuurou raised an eyebrow but said nothing. When Kuroko continued, he sensed the blue-haired man’s amusement. “It is in a different realm.”
“Ah.” Seijuurou said. He leaned back on his hands, stretching his legs out languidly. “Is it near water?”
Most of the time they had spent together had been in silence. Yet the silence they shared was nuanced. Words were not often exchanged, but Seijuurou had learned to read Kuroko. He could not fully explain it, but he somehow knew.
The question had startled him. “It is.” He said slowly. Kuroko always picked his words carefully when he was flustered. Seijuurou grinned. “How do you know that?”
He considered telling the truth for a moment, but the lie slipped out easily. “You seem like the type.”
Kuroko turned to eye him, a furrow between his eyebrows. “The type?”
Seijuurou caught his glance, and for a second, lost himself in a cerulean sea. “Yes.” He said simply, offering no further explanation.
Kuroko turned away abruptly. Seijuurou took a deep breath and began calculating the hours left until sunrise from the position of the stars in the sky as he bid his heart to calm down.
xxx
A few days later, there was a knock on his door as he was in the midst of getting ready for the day. Teiga bowed his head when Seijuurou opened the door.
“Master Akashi requests that you join him for dinner tonight, sir.”
“Thank you for letting me know.” He replied coolly. Teiga left, and Seijuurou walked across the room and out the open screen doors onto the patio. He stood with a hand on the fence, looking like he was surveying the yard.
Was he finally going to be able to leave? The cherry blossom tree rustled softly in the wind. He glanced at it then turned back to his room.
He wasn’t as pleased about the prospect as he should be.
xxx
“Arrangements have been made for you to attend Oxford.” His father said, interrupting the silence that had settled at the dinner table. “You will leave in three days for the new semester.”
Seijuurou said nothing for a while, continuing to focus on his food. When he was done with the plate before him, he put down the cutlery and sat back as the plate was whisked away. “Then what?”
His father finally looked at him, an eyebrow raised questioningly.
He continued, “Are you intending for me to take over the business once I graduate?”
“You are still young,” the older man replied, returning to his food. “And not yet fit for the task.”
Seijuurou swallowed the retort. He inhaled deeply then picked up the dessert spoon to start on the new dish that had appeared before him.
No more words were exchanged until they parted ways.
xxx
It was a beautiful day.
Seijuurou sat alone at the tea table, absently staring out at the yard as he sipped his tea. It was a sunny day, though he still donned a long-sleeved shirt sitting in the shade. The other cup he had prepared was beginning to go cold.
Out of the corner of his eye, he caught movement. Keeping his eyes focused forward, he mirrored his companion, bringing the cup up to take another sip.
“I am leaving.” He said. Seijuurou wasn’t sure what he wanted from Kuroko. There was a knot at the top of his chest.
“Is that so?” Kuroko said mildly. There was no hint of emotion in his voice. No waver, no hesitation, no carefully chosen words. “That must be a relief for you.”
“It is.” He replied. Why did it feel like a lie? He swallowed past the knot. “I may not return.”
He didn’t know why he said it. It was not entirely a lie – he really did not care to be in this estate. But there was a bright spot in his time here, and if Kuroko just—
“Is that so?” Kuroko repeated in the same tone. Seijuurou felt something in him tighten even more. “I have enjoyed the tea you made me.”
Seijuurou merely nodded. This would be the last time they met before he left, he knew.
There were many things he wanted to say – but he swallowed them with the tea, focusing on the bitterness on his palate.
xxx
The sky was beginning to darken from the lilac that he had spent many hours staring at. Alone, he floated in the pond, in the centre of a ring of lotuses larger than him. The air was still, yet the water swayed. He took a deep breath and the water began to calm.
How long had it been? How long was left? He let out the breath in a loud sigh, allowing himself to sink slowly into the cool embrace of the water. As he drifted down, his body shimmered slightly and lengthened. The pale skin faded to an almost translucent blue. His bright blue hair grew and his limbs receded into a scaled torso.
He settled on the bottom in a coil, glad to be back in the familiar darkness. The feeble streaks of purple light that penetrated this far down would soon disappear as the moon rode higher and the sky darkened to a purple so deep, it appeared black.
Closing his eyes, he decided to sleep. It could be minutes or days before he would see the other again.
He was in no hurry.
Kuroko had gotten good at waiting.