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Gorou couldn’t remember most of his earlier birthdays; only the recent ones within the past few years.
When he first applied to be a part of the Watatsumi Army, it was an obligation pushed by two things; his innate desire to protect the weak, and his own family’s encouragement to enter the force and discover his true calling in life. The former was something that he discovered when he was much younger, being born with an in-built sense of justice that led him to always do the right thing. Even as a young boy, he was determined to protect his younger siblings, even if that resulted in him getting a scraped knee or cheek.
This attitude had thus proved helpful during his early army days as a soldier, and later on as a general, as it drove him to stand up for the weak and defend the rights of the populace, especially when it came to their hopes and dreams for the future. It probably shined the brightest during the dark year of the Vision Hunt Decree, Gorou thought to himself. When he first heard the decree by word of mouth, it only strengthened his personal distaste for the Shogunate, and fueled him to do everything he could to rebel, despite their weakness in numbers.
That period of time, and many more, had consequently coerced him to latch tightly to the life of a military officer. Perhaps it was because of this that caused Gorou to be at a loss when it came to his birthday this year.
Birthdays in the army were simple. Nothing to extravagant or outlandish, reason being the minute amount of resources they could reserve for small celebrations that were not only more frequent than battle, but were many in number. Gorou is no stranger to birthday celebrations. Whenever any of his subordinates’ day of birth passed by, everyone would present their little trinkets, some handmade, some significant, but all in all, thoughtful and unique. Heck, even he would celebrate it with them, offering them a small congratulations and a short shot of sake, whatever sake they could find. Again, it was nothing too special, but since such small, bright occasions focused on the importance of one’s presence were hard to find, everyone enjoyed them all the same.
For him to receive the same practices on Gorou’s own birthday was expected. Still, he couldn’t help but yearn for more. Not just because the ensuing rivalry between the Shogunate and Watatsumi Army were (mostly) resolved, but because in the midst of the Vision Hunt Decree, Gorou found himself something else to focus his attention on besides fighting.
Gorou couldn’t tell when his heart was stolen by the samurai who traveled like the wind. There was no definite date for it; it just happened one day, and without any other options, the general was forced to submit to his unwavering fascination with Kazuha. It was a miracle that he had returned Gorou’s affections, or else the former would have done something unpredictable, and that when they were reunited on Nazuchi Beach, the pair could reaffirm their mutual love and care for one another.
But as soon as the Vision Hunt Decree was abolished, it became clear that Kazuha’s soul yearned for travel, a strange thought since he was no longer a fugitive, but it was something that Gorou wanted to support nonetheless. After all, it was Kazuha’s free-spirited nature that drew Gorou so close to him, and the last thing he wanted to do was to take that away, even if that meant he couldn’t be with him. So as he swallowed the hard pill down his throat, Gorou allowed Kazuha to continue his month-long journeys with the Crux Fleet, allowing him to explore the Land of Geo, to satiate his thirst for adventure.
Thinking back on that now, it certainly would be nice for Kazuha to be by his side. Gorou wouldn’t dare to cling so closely to him, but Kazuha just had the gift of calming him down, even if he was facing the wrath of Yae Miko and her mischief. The first few days after Kazuha leaves for a trip were always a somber few, Gorou having to do a double take when he turns to his side and remembers that Kazuha wasn’t with him now. It felt like the ronin would take a small part of Gorou’s heart with him in his travels, only for the two parts to be made whole whenever they met again and again, making their meetings all the sweeter.
Still, it was a shame that Kazuha wasn’t here in the days leading to Gorou’s birthday. That alone would be more than enough to quell his growing worry of acting aloof on an otherwise momentous occasion that would be shared between them.
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“Happy birthday, general Gorou!!”
After a whole morning of mediocre tasks assigned to him out of the blue (definitely to distract him from catching the surprise), Gorou was later greeted by a flurry of voices, a mixture of his soldiers, shrine maidens, and Bourou villagers, young and old alike, all wishing him well for his birthday. As he imagined the night before, the celebration Kokomi planned for him was much different than any birthday he had before. The whole team had purposely vacated one of the gathering halls for the occasion, with everyone pitching in to make it a rousing success.
While the village chefs were outdoing themselves with the food and desserts of the day, his soldiers were out and about to safely escort as many inhabitants of Watatsumi Island to join the party and celebrate their victorious general’s birthday. The shrine maidens took it to themselves to decorate the walls with teal and gold streamers and balloons, arranging the tables and chairs to fit everyone present, and decorated those too. By the time Gorou arrived, the hall had transformed from a common dining area to a lavish banquet hall. Gorou figured that everyone was doubling down in the hours of the morning to ensure that there would be no problems.
Truth be told, Gorou found it hard to focus on the party. Not because he didn’t appreciate it, of course. If anything, he was absolutely moved by everyone’s efforts in organizing the occasion for this. Hell, he almost cried in front of his soldiers, if that said anything. And yet, he still found it hard to direct his attention to everything that was happening. As if he was distracted by something…
“What do you think of it, Gorou?” His ears perked at the voice of Her Excellency, and Gorou would have knelt down before her as a sign of respect if it weren’t for how he was seated at one of the tables. Instead, he stood up straight, bowing slightly in greeting.
“Thank you so much for hosting this party for me, Your Excellency.” He began formally out of habit. “Though, all this effort isn’t really necessary for someone less significant such as myself.”
Kokomi laughed. “Firstly, there is no need for stringent formalities here, Gorou. You can just call me Kokomi if you wish to.” The satin fish tail trailing behind her legs flowed nicely as she took a seat next to him, motioning for him to sit down as well. “And secondly, of course it’s necessary. Especially for someone as significant as you, general. You have led these men to victory many times, and protected so many inhabitants of our small town. A celebration like this is certainly deserved.”
Gorou’s lips curled into a sheepish smile, a hand scratching the back of his ear awkwardly. This was most certainly not something he was used to. Despite his outlook as a lively, extroverted person when off the battlefield, he was actually the worst when the topic of conversation floated to him. Driven by his worry of flaunting or boasting too much, he often kept to himself, and indulged on others’ problems instead, offering them advice or a shoulder to lean on. Reverse that treatment on himself, and Gorou could turn into a bashful, awkward mess of a general in split seconds. “It’s just… I almost feel a little embarrassed, to be honest.” He finally stated after a period of not saying anything.
By now, the hall had descended into a quieter state, which made Kokomi’s soft giggle all the more noticeable. “Well, you should enjoy yourself for a little while longer! We’re almost at the end of it, after all.”
Right, the day was almost over, wasn’t it? The fuchsia-tinted sun peeking through the window confirmed his suspicions. Some families were already passing by, some composed of the soldiers and shrine maidens serving the duo, waving their goodbyes while carrying their sleeping children back to their homes. The mood in the hall had dimmed remarkably. Gorou could spot a few diligent villagers packing up the now-empty food pots and trays and gently tearing down the decorations as well.
“Let me help clean up, at least.” He spoke firmly, instinctively, as he stood up. After all, it was always his duty to serve others just as they have served them, something he came to enjoy doing so long as everyone was happy. “If I don’t do something at this party, I will surely regret it.”
“There’s no need for that.” Kokomi hurriedly stood up, as if to stop him, though deep down, she knew it was hard to convince him out of the idea.
Gorou completely understood her sentiment, even as he was determined in helping out. “I understand that you want this to be the best day for me, but I’ll feel much better about today if I lend a hand here-”
He would have completed his statement if it weren’t for the sudden breeze of wind blowing through the room, bristling past Gorou, and leaving him in so much of a daze that he didn’t notice footsteps approaching behind him. Before he knew it, his eyes were covered a stranger’s hands, albeit gently, and he was enveloped by a familiar scent of maple leaves.
His heart was bursting inside him. He knew that presence anywhere. Some selfish part of him wanted to debate that he was the only one who could recognise this stranger’s scent anywhere, too.
Kazuha chuckled in amusement at the sight of Gorou’s wagging tail. “Hello, my dear.”
No sooner did Gorou whip his body around, practically tossing away the hands over his eyes, and throw himself eagerly in the waiting arms of a white-haired samurai with scarlet eyes. He didn’t care if anyone was watching him, if an amused chuckle would pass around the remaining crowd of patrons in the hall. None of that mattered now, not when he was reunited with the only person who made him feel whole.
Hell, he barely registered his surroundings when Kazuha gently peeled him off of himself, and led him by the hand out of the party hall. From the corner of his eye, he caught the sight of Kokomi (and many others) smiling warmly at him, but it was all drowned out by the reality unfolding before him.
Kazuha was back.
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“I missed you so much.” Were his first tearful words to the samurai, accompanied by tight arms wrapped about him, desperately chasing after his warmth that only Kazuha could provide. How he missed their nights together, pressing his body next to him, and holding his calloused hands, unfettered by bandages and barring their (beautiful) scars to him. Their days together were not scarce, in fact, they were often fixed and thus Gorou should expect the empty feeling of waking up with no one next to him. Yet in this very moment, it was as if they were reuniting for the first time all over again.
The sentiment was shared with Kazuha as well, if the fondness in his own tear-filled eyes were any indication. “I missed you too, my dear general.” He mumbled into Gorou’s shoulder, familiarising himself with Gorou’s scent. He had argued with the canine hybrid again and again about how he smelled like, and that he certainly did not smell like vanilla or pine or the earth or even sakura blossoms, but in any case, it was a joy to be surrounded by his presence once again.
“I’m so sorry that I was late to your party.” Kazuha continued, gently parting from Gorou’s hug again to look at his lover’s eyes. A bewitching mix of blue and teal, like the emerald sea when the sun directly shone on it, staring back at him with overwhelming love, and the loveliest smile on his kissable lips. “I’m afraid that I got too caught up with your, present.”
“You being here is already enough of a present, Kazuha.” Gorou laughed. “I wouldn’t want anything else if it meant you’re not by my side.”
The samurai laughed as well, seating himself back on the old steps of Mouun Shrine, where the both of them had opted to visit as the sun continued to set on Watatsumi Island. Seeing the island bathed in a warm, gold glow had made their hug sweeter, a wonderful way for them to properly be reunited. “Perhaps the better way to put it is, that this is a gift that I have been wanting to present to you for a long time.”
“Oh? What is it?”
Kazuha gave Gorou a little kiss on his nose before he pulled a book out of the bag he brought along. It was rather grand looking, looking newer than any other book Gorou had ever seen, and definitely wider than most sheets of paper that were used for posters or forms that he was used to dealing with. “See for yourself.” The samurai declared with a mysterious smile, motivating Gorou to flip the book open hastily, while still gentle.
Unlike any of the paperback novels that were stashed around Gorou’s office, this one was bound with plastic pages instead, and each side was packed with pockets of varying sizes. Some of them were even slotted with small sheets of thick paper, accompanied by what seemed to be a diversity of exotic plants pressed against two more plastic sheets and slotted in the pocket as a keepsake. Each page was decorated with a wide array of small treasures from the lands outside of Inazuma, every pocket with a small note of what its content was, and where it came from; silkflowers from Wangshu Inn, windwheel asters from Windrise, wolfhook leaves from Wolvendom, glaze lilies from Liyue Harbour, cecilia from Starsnatch Cliff…
“I told you before that I wanted to show you the world, didn’t I?” Kazuha explained, shifting a little closer to Gorou to lean on his shoulder. “You keep telling me that you won’t be able to until you find a proper successor, and neither of us know when that would be so… I thought of bringing the world to you, instead.”
Gorou was speechless. “Kazuha, I…”
“No need for words. I know you must be tired by now, after all that’s happened today.” His partner insisted, curling an arm around Gorou’s own, snuggling it close to himself. “I just wanted to wish you a happy birthday, that’s all.”
Yes, he was tired, but even then, Gorou knew that nothing he said would solidify how happy he was right now. To have Kazuha return to him, filling him with so much joy and elation, had made his birthday so much more special this year. No words would be enough to describe what he was feeling.
So instead of using his words, Gorou decided instead to use his actions.
Upon setting the book to the side, he raised his hands to cup Kazuha’s face, bringing him close for a powerful, passionate kiss to his lips. It wasn’t a foreign sensation; both of them had their fair share of intimate kisses and touches so many times before. But just like the wave of euphoria that flowed through them as they saw each other again after a few weeks apart, this kiss felt just as special as their first one. Being the industrious one who gave it his all in everything he did, Gorou poured out all of his emotions into Kazuha’s lips, barring his undying love for him in its purest form, caressing his boyfriend’s hair in his fingers, humming softly into his mouth.
When they pulled away, Kazuha was absolutely breathless. “Since when were you so bold?” He managed to mutter, cheeks reddened and rosy.
“Since I fell in love with you, and you taught me to be one with my emotions more.” Gorou tenderly replied, equally surprised at how brave he was right now. “I just love you so much.”
“I love you too, my dear.” Kazuha beamed, leaning close to give him another kiss on the cheek. “Happy birthday, Gorou.”
It was certainly the best birthday of all.
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