Work Text:
That day. It all still feels too real.
“Hey, did you hear? There’s a strange man who challenged General Kujou for a duel before the throne.”
Did it really happen? Was that really him?
“No way. The Tengu General? What’s he thinking?”
It can’t be him. No way. That’s not my Tomo.
“Something about challenging the Vision Hunt Decree? It sounds like a suicide mission to me.”
No, it.. It can’t be.
Swift footsteps sounded against the stone-paved streets of Hanamizaka. The shrouded samurai clutched his sword close. He was a wanted fugitive. Both of them were. What was he thinking marching up straight to the Shogunate like this?
“Tomo? Tomo!”
He called out, noticing the crowd that had gathered around the Statue of the Omnipresent God. He made his way past the sea of people. These were the times he was grateful of his small figure.
“Tomo!” He noticed the tuft of dirty blonde hair peeking above the crowd. Right as he broke through the final line of people, his eyes landed on a severed blade. His severed blade. Realization struck him, freezing him in place.
“To-”
His words were cut short by a sudden flash of lightning, the brightness enough to blind anyone who dared to look. His breath hitched, feeling teardrops form in the corners of his eyes.
No.
____
Kazuha’s body shook awake. His lip was quivering, his skin glistening with sweat, though the night air was frigid. His eyes darted open, his breathing akin to a marathon runner. His hand was clutching onto the sheets covering his paralyzed body.
It was… another nightmare. That’s it. Just a nightmare.
Kazuha tried to calm himself down, keeping his eyes shut tight as he concentrated on his breathing.
In and out… 3, 2, 1, 1, 2, 3…
He opened his eyes, greeted by the familiar sight of the wooden ceiling above him. He was at the Watasumi Resistance camp. The cogs in his brain started to turn.
It’s dark. What time is it? It’s still dark, so... must be around 2 AM.
As he slowly started to gather his energy to sit up, he heard the creak of his bedroom door opening.
“Kazuha?”
That voice.
“Tomo?”
With one word, all muscles in his body seemingly simultaneously woke up. He sat up in his bed, eyes aimed straight at the door. Standing in the crack of the door was the same dirty blonde haired tall figure he had dreamt of. Yet, he was safe. Unscathed. He was… right there.
“Tomo. It’s you…”
Kazuha croaked out, his voice still hoarse from sleep. He tried to get up, but the gentleman had stepped closer, placing his hand upon his shoulder to stop him from moving any further.
“The one and only!” He chuckled, which brought a wide smile upon Kazuha’s lips. “Now, scoot. You’re not going to let me sleep on the floor, are you?”
Kazuha obliged, shifting closer to the other side of the bed, making room for the rather broad-shouldered man who was now lying down next to him.
Still curious, he reached a hand out, pressing his fingertips against the man’s rather exposed chest. It felt… warm.
“Woah, didn’t know you were so eager. Don’t worry, there’s plenty more where that came from,” Tomo responded with a smug smirk etched upon his lips.
Kazuha let out a gentle laugh. “Just checking.”
They both lay in silence in each other’s embrace, the distant chirps of cicadas accompanying their breathing. All the while, the smaller man’s mind was racing. This is real, isn’t it? It has to be. I can feel him here. There’s no way.
“Hey, Maple Leaf?” Kazuha lifted his head to look at the other. Tomo was smiling, his fingers carding through his soft ivory locks. “Thinking of something?”
Kazuha shook his head. “No, it’s nothing.” He bit his lip. “I’m… glad you’re here.”
A deep chuckle, followed by the feeling of a pair of lips pressed upon the boy’s forehead. “Hey, I am, too. I take it you had a nightmare, hm? Would explain all the sweat.”
Kazuha shot him a playful glare. He was composed most of the time, but around Tomo, all his walls came crumbling down. He felt safe. He trusted him. He loved being vulnerable around him.
“I guess you can say that. Though if you don’t like the sweat, the floor is always free.”
“Nah, I’ll take my chances. We could both use a morning shower, anyways.”
A shared laugh, then it was back to silence. Comfortable silence. One that you could bask in for hours on end.
“Hey, Tomo?”
The taller one shifted his position, now staring deeply into his eyes. “Yes?”
“I just… I want to thank you.”
Tomo’s eyebrows furrowed. “For… cuddling you?”
“That. And for being with me. For standing up for me. For being a constant pain in the neck. For making me laugh. For raising Tama with me. For… grilling fish with me.” He paused for a moment, leaning closer into their embrace. “For being my Tomo.”
Tomo rested his chin on Kazuha’s head, keeping his partner’s face buried in his chest. “I could say the same about you. I mean, except the… pain in the neck part, you know. I’d say I’m the bigger nuisance around here.”
“That you are.” Kazuha smiled, closing his eyes as he inhaled his scent. With his arms loosely wrapped around Tomo’s waist, three words came into mind as he took in the boy’s presence.
“I love you, Tomo. I don’t say that enough, but I do.”
Tomo seemed taken aback, evident by the sudden skip in his heartbeat. “I…” His words hung from the tip of his tongue. It was clear even the loud and confident, sometimes clumsy and ridiculous, Tomo was struggling with feelings. Yet, he opted with a simple reply. One that Kazuha had been dying to hear.
“I love you too, Kazuha.”
Kazuha pulled away for a moment, creating a small gap between their two bodies, just enough for them to get a good look at each other. Kazuha seemed confused, puzzled. “You… really mean that?”
“Well, have I ever lied to you?” Tomo leaned in close, pressing their foreheads together. Kazuha could feel his breath against the tip of his nose.
Kazuha shrugged lightly. “Well, there was that one time you lied about where you got the fish we had for dinner. That poor fisherman…”
Tomo sighed, rolling his eyes as he pulled away, a playfully serious expression on his face. “Listen, that wasn’t my fault, okay? First of all, he was one of those corrupted Kanjou Commission scum. And two, he just… left his boat right there out in the open! Good thing I was the one who came upon it or else someone else might have taken the boat AND the fish.”
Kazuha burst into giggles. “Alright alright, fine fine. You’re a saint.”
He placed his hand upon his cheek, pulling him back in. “As innocent as the first drop of snow on a winter’s day.”
“Hm, poetic.”
The gap between them closed completely, a loving yet tender lip lock engaged as his fingers continued to card through the soft locks of his lover. Kazuha complied, his head tilted ever so slightly to deepen the kiss.
This is what love is. Something I can only feel when I’m with him.
____
The cold night air soon dissipated, as the first beams of sunlight shone upon Inazuma. Tomo was the first to arise, right before the sun had completely shown itself. He glanced down at the man in his arms, smiling affectionately.
With a disappointed sigh, Tomo carefully left the bed. Kazuha was usually a light sleeper. Though with Tomo around, he felt safe enough to let his guard down. Tomo was pretty sure Kazuha would sleep through an earthquake if that ever happened. Without making too much noise, Tomo slid out of the room, carefully closing the door behind him.
He snuck out to the training ground. It was quiet. Seems that even the hardest trained guards were still asleep. The war between the Shogunate and the Resistance had ceased, after all. It was a happy ending for all of them. Well, most of them.
“Well, you certainly took your time.”
Tomo knew exactly who it was. He chuckled quietly, turning around to meet the sly gaze of a certain fox-eared pink-haired lady.
“Can’t help it. It’s been a while since I last saw him, you know.”
“Hm, understandable.”
The lady stepped closer, eyeing him from head to toe. “Well. Have you done what you came here to do?”
Tomo paused for a moment, looking back at the building where his lover was still peacefully asleep. “I told him what I wasn’t able to do. Before the incident. He’ll probably wake up and think it was all a dream, but I’ve made amends.”
“Good. I’ll have you know that my powers aren’t only to be used for yearning lovers, you know.”
“Understandable, Lady Yae. I’m sorry to have bothered you at that time.”
Yae paused for a moment, fiddling with her fingers. “Well, you did assist in bringing back Ei. I suppose I do owe you one. Though I sure hope this doesn’t become a habit of yours. Dead people should remain dead, after all. Messing with that fine border isn’t something I’m particularly fond of. I’ve only done it once for the sake of the Thunder Sakura, though it’s the first time I’m doing it for… personal reasons.”
Tomo chuckled sheepishly. “I know, and I won’t be needing any more of your help. I think I got my point across, however brief.”
“Good. Now…” Yae put her hand out. “You have something of mine?”
Tomo reached into his pocket, producing a stone amulet in the shape of a fox. Its eyes were glowing a bright purple. Before handing it over, the man took a deep breath. “Lady Yae, if it’s not too much to ask, can I ask you to keep watch over him? Make sure he lives his life however he wants it to be. Make sure he’s… happy. Even if I’m not physically there with him?”
Yae smiled. She could feel the sincerity in his voice. “You really do care about the boy, hm? I’ll try my best. It is my duty to keep Inazuma at peace after all.” She paused for a moment. “Plus, I know how it feels to lose a friend you hold dear.”
“Thank you.” Tomo mumbled, closing his eyes as he placed the amulet back in the Guuji’s hand. His physical form started to fade. He felt the ground below him start to disappear. With what little form of energy he had left, he looked at the house to his side where the bright-eyed wanderer lay resting and whispered.
“Until we meet again, Maple Leaf.”