Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

“I stubbed my toe,” Yuuji says woefully, wiping a tear from the corner of his eyes, and Sachirou glances up from the crystal display he’s arranging with a raised eyebrow. He quite clearly does not care that Yuuji is in pain, which is offensive and Yuuji has half a mind to go to HR, except they don’t have an HR so that would be pointless. 

“On what?” Sachirou asks, and Yuuji brightens considerably. He does care! Of course, Yuuji knows Sachirou cares, because he wouldn’t be Yuuji’s best friend if he didn’t tolerate and encourage his dramatics, but it’s nice to be reminded of such a solid fact of life. Yuuji grins. 

“On life!” He answers cheerfully, and Sachirou sighs through his nose in exasperation. He doesn’t even try to feign concern, or amusement, no, he’s far past that point. Yuuji pouts. Once upon a time, Sachirou laughed at his dumb jokes, but not anymore. Pitifully, Yuuji thinks that it’s because of how much time they spend around each other. They own their shop together, live together, and do almost everything else together. Yuuji wonders if Sachirou is going to grow tired of him, before promptly banishing the thought. Sachirou wouldn’t. He made a promise.

“Didn’t you get a papercut yesterday?” Sachirou wonders and Yuuji tilts his head curiously, trying to remember. He has such a horrible memory.

“Oh, yeah! From the Lexicon of Pain and Confusion.”

“Please stop calling the spellbook that,” Sachirou replies, amusement dancing in his eyes, and Yuuji snorts. 

“I will not! I swear, that book hates me. I think it’s ‘cause it knows I’m not a Hirugami, and it only likes to serve your family,” Yuuji mentions off-handedly, and Sachirou raises an eyebrow again. Yuuji winces, knowing very well that Sachirou does not like his family being mentioned, and pointedly glances down at the spellbook open on the counter in front of him. It is the Hirugamis’ spellbook, though it fell into Sachirou’s sole possession when he left them. The spellbook is like any other magical creature, Yuuji reckons, and it resents being taken away from home, and resents an outsider using it even more.

That’s why it’s dubbed the Lexicon of Pain and Confusion, because all it does is give Yuuji spells he can’t use, or ones that don’t work, and it only ever works like a charm for Sachirou. Yuuji half-considers proposing to his best friend just so the spellbook would accept him as a Hirugami, but he isn’t sure if that would work. Still, it’s worth a shot, considering witch marriages are really just a mixing of each individual’s magick, and it’s nothing incredibly binding in the way normal marriages are. Yuuji shudders at the thought of being tied down to someone for the rest of his life. 

“Sachirou? What would you say if I asked you to marry me?” Yuuji wonders, flipping a page in the Lexicon of Pain and Confusion only to come face-to-face with a spell for necromancy. Necromancy is not Yuuji’s field, and although he doesn’t really mind the idea of it, he can’t use necromancy magick anyways. As a witch with particular strength in light and positive emotions, Necromancy is sort of Yuuji’s opposite, and therefore his weakness. Doing Necromancy magick would be more hassle than it was worth. 

See? The book hates him!

“Uh. I mean, if this is your way of telling me you’ve had hidden feelings for me for years upon years, I’m afraid that ship has long since sailed, Yuuji⎯”

“What!? No, you stupid- Wait, what? What do you mean, long since sailed? ” Yuuji gasps, looking at Sachirou with wide eyes and a teasing smirk. Sachirou pales. “Oh my gods, Sachirou! Did you use to like me? Oooh, I bet you had the biggest crush on me⎯ I am, after all, wonderful,” Yuuji says smugly, and Sachirou groans, burying his face in his hands. 

“Shut up, Yuuji,” Sachirou complains, muffled, and Yuuji laughs. Oh, this is the best thing since he learned Sachirou didn’t know how to ride a bike! Knowing that Sachirou had a crush on him at some point in time is extremely ego-boosting, after all, because Sachirou is hands-down one of the prettiest people Yuuji has ever met. And that’s not Yuuji being polite, or biased, Sachirou just is that pretty.

“I can’t believe you used to like me! That’s so cute, Sachirou, goodness,” Yuuji says happily, still smirking smugly, and Sachirou lifts his face from his hands to pierce the blond with a glare. 

“It was a long time ago, before I realised how insufferable you were,” Sachirou grumbles, and Yuuji laughs again, flicking his hand so a beam of sunlight gets directly in Sachirou’s eyes. The latter splutters, moving carefully out of range as he scowls at Yuuji, whose mood was quite buoyed. 

“Now, now, Sachirou, that’s no way to speak to someone you had a crush on!” Yuuji teases, clapping his hands together for emphasis, and Sachirou groans dramatically. There is a reason they are friends, after all. “ Anyways, I asked if you wanted to get married because I was thinking we could do the ceremony so I would officially be a Hirugami. Then, maybe, the Lexicon of Pain and Confusion would finally quit acting up,” Yuuji informs Sachirou cheerily, acting as though this is an entirely rational idea and not something borne of slight insanity and boredom. 

Sachirou blinks at him. Yuuji blinks back, pointedly not backing down. 

“In what world does that make sense?” Sachirou asks, finally, after a few minutes of silence, and Yuuji shrugs. It makes sense in his world, and really, that’s all that matters to Yuuji. It’d be nice if it made sense for Sachirou, too, and Yuuji is sure it will, after a few carefully laid out pro points. 

“Well, think about it! The Lexicon is a Hirugami spellbook, whether or not you recognise that, Sachirou, and it doesn’t trust me because I’m an outsider. However, if I took your last name…” Yuuji trails off, looking hopefully at Sachirou, who has quite grasped his point by now. Sachirou wrinkles his nose.

“That seems stupid.”

“It’s not stupid, Sachirou! Look, I don’t even have to take your last name⎯ As long as our magicks are intermixed, I’m sure the Lexicon would recognise me as a potential heir. Thus, it would behave itself, and I could finally get some magick done without straining my personal reserves,” Yuuji points out, pouting at Sachirou, who actually seems to contemplate it this time. 

“Hm. Fine, I guess it’s not like it’d be a real marriage,” Sachirou sniffs, giving Yuuji a dirty look, as though he’s daring Yuuji to mention his former romantic feelings. Yuuji gives him his best guileless smile in return, and Sachirou’s eyes narrow further. 

“And on the plus side, being in a fake marriage means I could start turning down all those stupid proposals with a legitimate reason, though I think ‘not wanting to’ is a sufficient enough reason on its own,” Sachirou complains, and Yuuji nods vehemently.

He hadn’t even thought about that convenient aspect of their fake marriage. Yuuji wouldn’t have to commit to anyone, not if he was married to Sachirou. He smiled smugly, suddenly very pleased with himself for having chosen a best friend who was as insane and had as many commitment issues as Yuuji did. Great minds think alike and all that jazz. 

“Should we do it somewhere nice?” Yuuji wonders absentmindedly, because even if he generally does not want to be married, he does want to have a nice memory to look back on. And, also, Sachirou deserves the best fake marriage. Sachirou shrugs, unperturbed. 

“If you want,” He agrees, and Yuuji beams. This is going to be the best fake wedding Sachirou has ever seen!

⎯⎯⎯

Heisuke blinks groggily, the last thing he remembers is collapsing in the mess of fabric and mattress that made up his bed. He’d done… something taxing earlier that day, and such was why he’d taken a nap, or maybe he’d learnt of something taxing? He has trouble remembering things right after he wakes up. There’s an abrupt, vicious pounding on the cottage door once more, reminding Heisuke why he’s awake. 

He grumbles an insult in the witch-tongue under his breath, managing to haul himself out of bed and into a reasonable state. Somewhat, at least. 

“We strive for good enough in this household,” Heisuke mutters to himself, rubbing at his eyes as he picks his way through his messy cottage towards the door. He opens it, squinting at the bright sunlight that streams in through the opening. There, standing in all his glittery metal glory is… Well, actually, Heisuke doesn’t know who he is, except he looks sort of familiar. 

“Finally! I’ve only been knocking for a half hour!” The man wearing a full set of polished, albeit clunky, armour practically shouts, puffing up angrily like a bird. Heisuke blinks. The stranger wastes no time before pushing past Heisuke and into the cottage, either uncaring or used to the mess as he makes his way to the pitiful little dining table. Heisuke follows after him stupidly, shutting the door behind them. 

In Heisuke’s defence, he’s grown rusty with his sword, and he doesn’t doubt that the knight in front of him is exceptionally skilled. Plus, Heisuke doesn’t have a weapon on him, anyway, and he isn’t magick, so there’s no point in resisting whatever this is. A robbery, maybe, except Heisuke absolutely does not have anything of worth that a knight could be interested in.

“Could ya hurry with the robbery, please?” There’s a nagging feeling he’s forgotten something, but Heisuke largely does not care and would prefer to go back to sleep. The knight (Heisuke decides he is a knight, but he doesn’t care from where) gives him a strange look. Heisuke blinks back. 

“You’re so weird. Did the letter not reach you? Also, why wouldn’t you FIGHT the robber?! Ridiculous. No wonder you retired,” The knight shouts, again, and Heisuke winces. Goodness, why is he so loud? And for his information, Heisuke didn’t retire. He was kicked out of the guild for being utterly incompetent. So, there! Heisuke wrinkles his nose, memories coming back. He’d received a letter about how a knight would be staying in his little village and would expect Heisuke’s help. That is why he went to sleep. Heisuke sighs.

Trust his past self to avoid his problems until the last minute.

“I forgot,” Heisuke says simply, moving to the stove so he could start some tea. Say what you will, but he isn’t a monster and he’s not about to be rude to his guest just because his guest was rude first. The strange knight snorts in amusement, and pointedly does not ask anything about Heisuke, because, well, that would be polite, wouldn’t it? And we’ve already established that the stranger isn’t polite.

“What’s yer name, again? And why are ya here?” Heisuke asks politely, a little bit to prove a point and a little bit because he’d feel horrible if he didn’t. The knight looks at him weirdly again, but Heisuke chooses not to comment on such. 

“My name is Hoshiumi Kourai, and I’m the best knight these lands have ever seen!” Hoshiumi boasts proudly, and Heisuke wrinkles his nose. The best knight might be a little exaggerated, after all, because Heisuke has heard very good stories about the Miya twins from further North, and the freak duo from the South. He’s never heard of Hoshiumi, however, except perhaps in the letter sent to Heisuke that’s coming back in bits and pieces. 

“Y’ah, I’m sure.” Okay, maybe Heisuke sounds a bit more sarcastic than necessary, but in his defence, this is his home! And Hoshiumi is simply a well-dressed, rude intruder! Heisuke reserves the right to be sarcastic in return. Of course, two seconds later, a horrible feeling of guilt washes over him, but still. Not everyone can be thoughtlessly rude. Hoshiumi gives him a dirty look. 

“Tea?” Heisuke asks hurriedly, eager to change the subject, and Hoshiumi brightens considerably. Which, that’s a bit odd, the self-declared best knight of the lands getting excited over tea of all things, but Heisuke is quite a bit odder, so he figures he has no room to judge. Even though the judgy feelings remain, Heisuke assures himself that’s just because he doesn’t like Hoshiumi so much right now. 

“It’s, er, a dandelion brew I made myself,” Heisuke mumbles, wisely avoiding mentioning the way his hands shake as he pours them each a cup, and Hoshiumi surprisingly does not remark upon it either. Heisuke thought he would, perhaps, if only because the other man does not have any sort of concept of personal boundaries. Clearly.  

“Thank you!” Hoshiumi says cheerfully, bringing a poorly made clay mug to his lips and gulping down some of the drink. Heisuke looks at him doubtfully, waiting for the knight to shriek about how near-boiling liquid was just tossed down his throat, but Hoshiumi gives away nothing. Heisuke blinks, sitting down on the rickety chair across from him. This knight is weird, and while he might not be the best, he’s intimidating enough for Heisuke to keep his silence. (Of course, a particularly large bunny is also intimidating enough for Heisuke to keep quiet, but that’s neither here nor there.)

“That’s good. You should start sellin’ it, I’m sure you’d make a profit,” Hoshiumi hums, quite happily drinking the rest of his tea while Heisuke observes him in bemused silence. “Anywho, since you’re obviously unprepared, I’ll tell you why I’m here. As a former knight, you owe your duty and honour to housing any member of the Guild if they so ask. Well, I’m asking. I have…a duty, of sorts, in your village, one that won’t take too long.” Heisuke gets the impression that Hoshiumi is trying to make his mission sound far cooler than it is, but he doesn’t comment on that. 

 “Um, okay,” Heisuke agrees hesitantly. “My house isn’t really suited, but I guess I can’t refuse ya. Ya can stay as long as ya’d like, Hoshiumi-san,” He says, quite graciously in his opinion, and Hoshiumi grins. There’s something sinister about it, sort of, or maybe Heisuke is just woefully inadequate at reading expressions. 

“Much appreciative,” Okay, Heisuke does not miss the way Hoshiumi’s canines gleam, far sharper than they have any right to be, as he smirks wider. Heisuke chooses to poorly ignore it anyways. “I think I’ll tag along with your routine for a bit, get to know the town, y’know?” Heisuke suspects he has no choice in the matter, but he nods in response to Hoshiumi’s question regardless. No need to make an enemy of the so-called best knight in the land. 

“Okay,” Heisuke sighs and curls his hands around his mug of tea as he wonders why he ever tried to join the Guild in the first place.

⎯⎯⎯

“Why are you moping? Isn’t it Wednesday?” Sachirou asks, absentmindedly flicking his hand and reshelving several spell books a string of young witches had left lying open on the counters. Yuuji glares at him as his pout deepens. Sachirou has the gall to look confused, which proves that he really would be lost without Yuuji because he clearly doesn’t listen in on the village gossip. Yuuji sighs. It’s tough work, being this pretty and caring for his clueless best friend.

“You haven’t heard!” Yuuji bemoans, covering his face with one hand dramatically. Sachirou huffs. “Well, I heard from Yukie who heard from Kaori who heard from the owner of Raven’s Crawl who heard from Hana that my favourite customer has a boyfriend. Apparently, they visited the farmers’ market yesterday and were giggling all over each other like a pair of schoolchildren. I’m going to cry,” Yuuji announces with a somewhat convincing sniffle-sob, except Sachirou has known him long enough to know that he cries without warning and oft without reason, too.

“You know that all that prattle is unreliable, Yuuji, I don’t understand why you continue to listen to it. I am sure that Heisuke-kun will be here momentarily and need just as much help from you as always. He is still a witchling, boyfriend or no,” Sachirou informs him cheerfully, causing Yuuji to shoot him a dirty look.

“It’s unreliable prattle most of the time, but it came from Hana! And she was at the farmers’ market selling her blooms, I checked with Yukie. Twice,” Yuuji replies stubbornly, intent on being allowed to mope and sulk about his favourite customer not returning his affections. See, Riseki has been visiting their little shop every Wednesday for two months now, and while he doesn’t always buy something, he does always greet Yuuji. It made Yuuji feel special, even though logically, he knew Riseki was simply a young witch in need of guidance. 

“Hm. You’re being silly, I think. Heisuke-kun likes you too much to suddenly stop visiting, you know,” Sachirou says calmly, tilting his head. Yuuji glowers at him, flicking his finger and making a beam of sunlight shine directly in Sachirou’s eyes. The latter splutters, shielding his eyes from the glare, and Yuuji smirks smugly. His mopey feelings quickly return, however, not to be put off by momentary fun in bothering Sachirou.

“Stop calling him Heisuke-kun! You’re too familiar. And I don’t know what you’re talking about, we aren’t even friends. Riseki has been given no chance to like me,” Yuuji grumbles, crossing his arms over his chest. Yes, he knows he’s being a prat and stubbornly jealous, but he also knows Sachirou will not scold him for it. The perks of being friends with him for over a decade, and married for a little less than half of that. 

“You’re preposterous. If you don’t stop acting like a fool, I swear I will fill your bed with live rats⎯” Sachirou says, the little ding of the shop’s bell interrupting what Yuuji’s sure was going to be a terrifying threat. Within a second, the irritated expression Sachirou’s wearing fades, replaced by his picture-perfect customer service smile. Yuuji wants to throttle him. 

“Welcome to Brewing With the Bitches, how may I serve you today?” Yuuji says reflexively, turning to face the people who have entered their shop, only to be greeted by Riseki’s cute little face. Yuuji brightens immediately, his customer service smile fading to be replaced by a real one⎯ Until he catches sight of the white-haired stranger standing a little behind Riseki. 

“Um, good morning, Terushima,” Riseki says, stammering just slightly, his cheeks bright red. Yuuji might love him just because of how damn cute he is. Yuuji’s eyes narrow at the stranger, who appraises both him and Sachirou with a critical eye. Yuuji has already decided that he does not like this stranger, which may or may not have to do with the fact that he’s pretty sure said stranger is Riseki’s boyfriend. 

“I don’t understand what we’re doing here, you’re not a wi⎯” The stranger complains, loudly and annoyingly, but Riseki quickly clamps a hand over his mouth. Yuuji blinks, eyebrows furrowing as Riseki gives him a tight-lipped smile before sidling over. Riseki says something in a heated, low whisper to the stranger, who scowls in return. Yuuji glances over at Sachirou, who gives him a hapless shrug and a bemused look. He’s just as confused as Yuuji is, which is saying something. Normally, Sachirou can keep up in even the weirdest of situations.

“This is my…cousin, Hoshiumi Kourai, by the way! He’s visiting for a little while,” Riseki says cheerfully, holding onto Hoshiumi’s wrist tightly as the latter glowers. Yuuji’s lips curl into a broad grin. Hoshiumi is not Riseki’s boyfriend. Oh, Yuuji feels like dancing with joy. The gods have been kind today, and Yuuji decides he’ll remember that the next time he goes to the temples (he won’t). 

“Oh! It’s nice to meet you, Hoshiumi-kun,” Yuuji says with a friendly smile, inclining his head respectfully, and Hoshiumi surprises him by tapping his first two fingers on his forehead before gesturing to Yuuji⎯ A witch’s greeting symbol. They’re not used commonly nowadays, but since Yuuji grew up around the palace with Sachirou, they’re more familiar with them. It’s odd that Hoshiumi would use it so casually. 

“Are you a witch yourself, Kourai-kun?” Sachirou asks smoothly, saving Yuuji from the awkward pause in conversation. Riseki looks lost, which isn’t so surprising. He’s lived in this town all his life, according to Hana, and witch symbols aren’t a common language. Even for all of Riseki’s insatiable curiosity when it comes to learning languages, he didn’t know about this one. (Yes, Yuuji does snoop on Riseki when he has free time… Shut up.)

“Ha? No, not a witch. Picked some stuff up on the road, ‘s all. Why?” Hoshiumi asks suspiciously, his bird eyes narrowed, and Sachirou offers a placating smile. There’s a glint of curiosity in his eyes, though, and Yuuji can’t help but pity Hoshiumi. Sachirou likes to… not play with people, exactly, but he likes knowing what makes them tick. If they fall in love while he does, and inevitably get their hearts broken, Sachirou isn’t really the type to care. Of course, once Sachirou has decided to figure you out, it’s only a matter of time before you fall for him. He’s irresistible like that. 

“Come on, Riseki-kun, what were you thinking about today?” Yuuji has come out from behind the counter by now, distracting Riseki from watching Sachirou and Hoshiumi’s exchange. He thinks that Riseki must be an overprotective cousin because the brunette is wearing the sort of furrowed-brow expression that Yuuji gets every time he thinks about someone hurting Sachirou. Riseki startles a little as Yuuji approaches him before his expression smoothes out into a blissful smile. 

“Riseki-kun?” Yuuji prompts after a minute, and Riseki blinks, eyes going a little wide. They’re the prettiest shade of hazel green, the kind that Yuuji would want to drown in. Riseki progressively gets redder, taking a slight step back that Yuuji immediately mimics, except he steps forward so they’re still the same distance apart. 

“Um, so⎯ Sorry, what did ya say? I wasn’t, uh, listening, I guess,” Riseki says sheepishly, nervously twisting his hands together, and Yuuji snorts, bumping their shoulders together. It has the opposite of the calming effect he intended⎯ Riseki only seems to grow more flustered and embarrassed, if possible. 

“I just asked what you were thinking about getting today, Riseki-kun!” Yuuji repeats happily, offering what he hopes is his best calming smile. Riseki blinks, then frowns, his eyebrows furrowing. Idly, Yuuji entertains the thought that Riseki didn’t come into their shop for anything , but rather, just to see Yuuji. 

“Oh. Right. Do ya have any more crystals that help with nightmares?” Riseki asks after a beat, dispelling all of Yuuji’s nonsense daydreams. Yuuji nods, grabbing Riseki’s hand and pulling him deeper into the store. They reach the massive display of polished stones and crystals soon enough, standing there in all their glittery glory. Predictably, Riseki’s eyes widen to the size of saucers, a little awed smile on his lips. And, predictably, Yuuji’s heart goes thump-thump-thump because that expression is so adorable his heart has to work overtime. 

Yuuji never tires of showing Riseki their crystal collection, even though he’s seen it several times by now. 

“You still have the amethyst I gave you, right? It’s the best for protection overall, though, so I suppose we’ll have to get a little more specific this time. You’re meditating before bed, right, Riseki-kun?” Yuuji stops talking momentarily, glancing at Riseki, who was already staring at him. An embarrassed pink flush spreads across Riseki’s cheeks to his ears as he ducks his head. Yuuji’s heart squeezes in his chest. For the first time, he has a sneaking suspicion that these feelings aren’t temporary. Riseki has been hanging around for two months, and Yuuji’s still smitten.

“Um, sometimes I forget ta do it…” Riseki mumbles, looking ashamed, and Yuuji arches an eyebrow. 

“I don’t tell you this stuff for fun, y’know, Riseki-kun! Meditation really will help you keep the nightmares away,” Yuuji reprimands lightly, not all too bothered by it. Riseki pouts, his lower lip sticking out a little, and Yuuji has the urge to bite it. He quickly returns his gaze to the wall of crystals in front of him, lest his impulsive nature wins out against common sense. (It often does.)

“I do it most of the time… I do get better sleep, but I’m really forgetful, and I fall asleep too easily,” Riseki admits begrudgingly, and Yuuji’s lips twitch. He can’t help but smile around Riseki in general, but especially not when the younger is being so cute. (So, pretty much all the time, because Yuuji doesn’t know a time when Riseki isn’t being cute.)

“Ah! Here we go,” Yuuji reaches up, up, up until he manages to grab the crystal he was looking for, offering a triumphant smile once he’s safely back on his feet. Riseki’s looking at him with wide eyes, and Yuuji feels a little confused before he realises that he probably just levitated in order to grab the prehnite crystal. Yuuji’s core element is Air, which means Air magick comes a lot easier to him… Easy enough that he does it without realising half the time.

“Sorry ‘bout that,” Yuuji apologises sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck with his free hand. Riseki shakes his head, likely rejecting the apology, but Yuuji is off talking before he can say anything else. “Anyways, this is a prehnite crystal. Its particular element is Earth, which means it’s great for grounding yourself, and it should help develop your intuition, plus quiet your mind,” Yuuji explains happily, he could talk about crystals for days, as he deposits the smooth, oval crystal into Riseki’s open hand.

“Oh! That sounds interesting,” Riseki admits pleasantly, holding onto the prehnite stone tightly. “Do ya… Um, do ya have anything to help with snoring? Kourai is a pain to sleep with.” Annoyance flickers across Riseki’s face as he frowns, making Yuuji struggle to stifle a snicker. He so rarely sees Riseki anything other than flustered or happy that it’s sort of amusing to see him visibly irritated. 

“I think we do. Sachirou snores, too, so I’m usually stocked up on chamomile. If you prepare it with honey and lemon it helps with decongesting, so it should alleviate Hoshiumi’s snoring,” Yuuji chatters on brightly, leading the way amongst teetering shelves and displays that threaten to fall over with how much stuff is loaded down on them. Riseki’s footsteps follow him closely until they reach the tea corner, where all of their tea brews are stocked (magical and otherwise). 

“Here you are, Riseki-kun! Over time, Hoshiumi’s snoring should get better on the whole if he drinks the tea regularly. Each night, about a half hour before bed, should do the trick.” Yuuji beams and Riseki’s cheeks burn red again. 

“Thank ya, Terushima,” He says, ducking his head sheepishly, and Yuuji laughs. He swings an arm around Riseki’s shoulders, steering him back to the counter. Hopefully, Sachirou hasn’t gotten into a fight with Hoshiumi. Yuuji wouldn’t put it past his husband. 

“How many times have I told you to call me Yuuji, hm, Riseki-kun?” Yuuji teases, flashing a bright smile, and the tips of Riseki’s ears turn red. 

“If I call⎯ If I call ya Yuuji, ya have to call me Heisuke, then,” Riseki shoots back in reply, giving Yuuji the sort of stubborn expression that he’s sure is meant to be taken as cool and determined. Instead, all it does is make Yuuji think of an angry little chipmunk. Adorable. 

“Alright, Heisuke-kun, whatever you want,” Yuuji offers with a wink, watching gleefully as Riseki⎯ Heisuke, now, turns the darkest shade of red he’s seen yet. Heisuke coughs, artfully ducking out from underneath Yuuji’s arm and hurriedly placing his objects on the counter. Yuuji bites back a laugh. 

“Hm, that’ll be 11 gold pieces and three bronze,” Yuuji says, placing Heisuke’s tea and prehnite crystal in a little pink paper bag. Heisuke nods, fishing out the coins from his wallet and handing them to Yuuji without preamble. Sachirou and Hoshiumi are nowhere to be found, but Yuuji is sure they’ll turn up soon. Sachirou has the weirdest knack for knowing when someone’s about to leave the shop. 

“Say, Heisuke-kun, are you free anytime soon? The flower festival is the day after tomorrow, and Sachirou doesn’t want to go because he’s allergic to pollen⎯ It’s minor, he’s just being a sissy⎯ so I don’t have anyone to go with,” Yuuji says woefully, sticking his lower lip out in a pout. Heisuke blinks, looking surprised by the turn in conversation. 

“I don’t, uh, have plans anytime soon. Did ya want my help finding someone ta go with?” Heisuke asks, and Yuuji stares at him, momentarily confused before he bursts into snickers. 

“No, of course not! I’m asking you to go with me, silly. I love the flower festival, but going by myself isn’t nearly as fun as hanging out with you would be,” Yuuji explains, giving Heisuke his biggest smile, and Heisuke flushes (again. It’s endearing as hell.)

“Oh⎯ Oh. Yes!” Heisuke says, rather loudly, a hand coming up to cover his mouth a second later. “I mean. Um, I’d love to. This Friday? Do ya want to meet at the festival…or?” Heisuke wonders, practically bouncing, and Yuuji smiles. He is so endeared to the man in front of him it hurts. 

“I can pick you up,” Yuuji suggests smoothly because he is smooth, thank you very much, regardless of what Sachirou says. Heisuke blinks a couple of times before nodding with a serious expression on his face.

“That will work. I’ll actually hafta clean, though..” Heisuke complains, pouting, and Yuuji laughs.

“Don’t worry, I’m used to messes! Sachirou nags at me all the time,” He replies warmly, and Heisuke grins, brightening considerably at the prospect of not having to do as much cleaning. 

“Are you ready to go, or are you going to flirt with Blondie forever?” A loud, annoying drawl interrupts their conversation, and both Heisuke and Yuuji turn their heads to see Hoshiumi waiting by the entrance to the shop. Sachirou is a little ways away, looking very interested in their display of self-help books. Yuuji wrinkles his nose. He does not like Hoshiumi. 

“Kourai!” Heisuke protests, gathering his bag and hurrying to the front. Hoshiumi looks unimpressed, and Yuuji wonders if that sort of aloof expression has made itself permanent on Hoshiumi’s face. 

“Bye, Yuuji! See you Friday,” Heisuke says loudly as he forcibly moves Hoshiumi out of the shop, sparing the time to wave at Yuuji, who waves exuberantly back. Not even rude Hoshiumi Kourai can dampen Yuuji’s mood, after all, because he finally got a date with the guy he’s been crushing on for months! And their first date is going to be at a flower festival. Damn, Yuuji is so romantic. 

“What’s this about seeing Riseki-kun Friday?” Sachirou asks with a raised eyebrow as soon as Heisuke and Hoshiumi have left the shop, thoroughly distracting Yuuji from asking about what was going on with Sachirou and Hoshiumi in the first place. 

“Oh my gods, Sachirou, I finally asked him on a date⎯”

⎯⎯⎯

“I don’t understand why we had to visit that place today,” Kourai mutters, half a grumble because he’s still put off by his weird encounter with the witch Sachirou. Kourai is used to being scrutinised⎯ He’s smaller and weaker and he doesn’t look like much of anything, especially amongst the other knights, but that’s something Kourai can do something about. He can prove that he’s better and faster and stronger with time. But Kourai isn’t used to being studied, as if someone could figure him out if only they stared long enough. That’s how Sachirou looked at him, like if he made enough polite conversation he’d figure out what made Kourai tick.

“Hm?” Riseki glances away from the path in front of them, a dreamy sort of lovesick smile on his face. Kourai wrinkles his nose. He hasn’t decided how he feels about the man housing him just yet. “Oh. I always visit Brewing With the Bitches on Wednesdays. It has nice employees⎯ I mean wares,” Riseki covers, flushing red, and Kourai rolls his eyes. 

He’s almost positive Riseki doesn’t think he’s that stupid or anything, but Kourai is equally as positive that Riseki doesn’t much think before he speaks, and tries to correct his mistakes far too late. It’s endearing, or it would be if Kourai spent much time thinking about what was endearing and what wasn’t. 

“Why are you lying about being a witch, then? It’s not like non-witches can’t shop at magical stores. If you’re that obsessed with that guy⎯ His smug look got on my nerves⎯ then keep visiting the shop, but why lie? ” Kourai really does not understand it. He doesn’t like the concept of lying, anyways, and believes that any man of honour would confess the truth before lying, but to do it so frivolously is ridiculous. It’s another part of the complicated list of reasons why Kourai does not know how to feel about Riseki. 

“I’m not obsessed with Yuuji⎯” Riseki protests futilely, blushing a darker red. “I just. Yuuji wouldn’t help me out if he knew I wasn’t a fledgling witch. I’ll tell him eventually, but I don’t want to lose his friendship.” Riseki looks so lost and upset that Kourai almost feels bad for pressing. Briefly, Kourai wonders if Riseki has had to grapple with his own weakness before⎯ and if he didn’t come out on top. He knows how cruel kids can be, and Kourai knows Riseki’s parents aren’t in his life. It’s not hard to imagine Riseki growing up and being forced to change his personality, lying just so he could survive. 

See? It’s hard to figure out how Kourai feels about him, especially because he’s sure if he asked Riseki about any of this outright he’d get told some stuttering, red-faced excuse or lie. They continue walking on the dusty, beat-up path to Riseki’s little cottage, which is deeper in the woods than Kourai would expect. From what he knows of his houser, Riseki is not fond of anything that looks like it could remotely do any damage. 

“Yuuji recommended chamomile tea, by the way, Kourai,” Riseki hums as he bustles around the cluttered space of his cabin. Kourai doesn’t know what he’s talking about. “For yer snoring, ” Riseki adds two seconds later, and Kourai blinks, suddenly affronted. He doesn’t snore , thank you very much!

“I don’t snore!” Kourai retorts immediately, crossing his arms with a surly glare at Riseki, who looks faintly bemused. 

“Sure ya don’t, Kourai. Anyway, if ya drink it with lemon and honey about half an hour before bed each night, hopefully, yer snores alleviate. If not, ya can sleep outside!” Riseki says cheerfully, giving Kourai an impish smile, and Kourai scowls at him. 

He’s changed his mind. Kourai hates Riseki. 

“I am not sleeping outside,” Kourai says resolutely, and Riseki gives him the sort of look that makes Kourai think it does not matter what he wants very much at all. He sighs, pulling out a chair at Riseki’s rickety old, circular dining table. Honestly, it’s not even deserving of the name dining table because it can only comfortably fit one person’s plate. Riseki sits across from him, casually rubbing a pale green stone with threads of black throughout it.

“What’s that?” Kourai asks, interested, and Riseki blinks. He looks down at his hand, somewhat startled, like he hadn’t meant to pick the stone up. Kourai withholds a snort. Sometimes, he’s sure Riseki would forget his head if it weren’t attached to his body. 

“Oh. It’s, um, a prehnite crystal, I think? It’s meant ta help me with my sleeping, ‘cause I get bad nightmares.” Riseki divulges the information so easily. Kourai isn’t sure what to make of it, but he knows Riseki is too open for his own good. “I’m s’posed to meditate with it before bed. I have a couple of others, too, but I forget ta use them a lot.” He laughs sheepishly, and Kourai is suddenly very sure Riseki doesn’t know crystal meanings at all. 

Kourai isn’t an expert by any means, but he’s learnt to recognise most basic crystals in cases of spellwork being used against his charges, and memorising their meanings came easy enough.

The prehnite crystal symbolises unconditional love.

Kourai is beginning to think Riseki’s little flirtation goes way beyond a simple crush, and he can feel the protectiveness rise in him before he can stop it. Kourai doesn’t like Terushima Yuuji, and he certainly doesn’t want him pattering around Riseki. The other man is younger than Kourai, and clearly inexperienced, which means someone like Yuuji would chew his heart up and spit it out, mangled and destroyed. Kourai scowls reflexively. He hasn’t decided how he feels about Riseki, truly, but that doesn’t mean Riseki deserves to have his heart broken. In fact, Kourai plans to do everything in his power to stop that from happening. 

“Ya still haven’t told me why you’re in town, you know,” Riseki mentions, bringing Kourai out of his increasingly violent thoughts. He blinks, shaking his head. Riseki doesn’t need to know why Kourai is in the village. Kourai is reluctant to admit it, but Riseki doesn’t seem like the gossiping type. Still, that doesn’t mean Kourai can risk divulging classified information to him. 

Kourai has one job while he is in the village, and it’s to locate the Hirugami heir and bring the Hirugami spellbook to his parents. The only thing is, Kourai is sure he’s already found him. Sachirou, with his odd stares and weird, polite conversation topics. Kourai just has to get close enough to Sachirou to ensure that he’ll be shown the location of the spellbook because he doubts that the witch will leave a priceless artefact lying around somewhere. It doesn't feel like it will be that difficult. After all, Sachirou didn’t even try to use an alias when Kourai met him. He gave his family name freely.

“Kourai?” Riseki asks, giving Kourai a sort of timid look, and Kourai quickly schools his expression into one of casual nonchalance. He feels a little guilty for leaving Riseki out of the loop, especially when he’s obviously close with Sachirou and Sachirou’s… Terushima. But that’s just the problem, isn’t it? Kourai can’t trust Riseki because Riseki would tell Sachirou, leaving him free to flee this village, and possibly to another country again. Kourai hates this. He doesn’t keep secrets.

“Sorry. I was lost in thought,” Truthful, but not an entire explanation. “What were we talking about? Oh, right, that punk Terushima. Where are you going on your date with him, again?” Kourai asked curiously, the bite of guilt nipping at his heels. He was genuinely interested, despite his ulterior motives for changing the subject. Riseki’s eyebrows furrowed before he flushed pink, pointedly avoiding Kourai’s gaze.

“It’s not a date, shut up, Kourai. We’re going to the local flower festival. Hana, um, that’s the owner of the flowershop we met when we went to the farmers’ market the other day, she has nature powers. It’s really quite pretty,” Riseki says with a wistful sigh, which is confusing because it’s not like he’s going to miss out. Why be wistful when your wish is going to come true? Kourai does not understand the kid across from him. At all. As he appraises Riseki, he thinks that maybe that’s not so bad, though. 

Some people don’t need to be understood as long as they’re happy.

“Hm, sounds romantic, ” Kourai shoots back with a teasing smirk, just to watch Riseki turn red. It’s funny. Sure enough, the other man turns redder than a cherry tomato as he splutters in indignation. “Hey, wait, is that guy going to be there, too? Sachirou?” Kourai asks suddenly, and Riseki forgets his indignation in favour of menacingly arching an eyebrow. See, it’s not quite intimidating, but it’s an attempt, certainly. 

“No, why do ya ask?” Riseki replies suspiciously, and Kourai flashes his best innocent look, which isn’t particularly convincing at all. At least, let it never be heard that Kourai didn’t try to lie. “He’s probably going to stay at home. He’s allergic to pollen, but usually, he and Yuuji go together.” Riseki doesn’t look uncomfortable at the prospect and Kourai wonders if it’s because he doesn’t think he has a chance with Terushima, or if there’s just something deeper about Terushima and Sachirou that Kourai is missing.

“Ah. Well, you know, I was thinking about keeping him company…?” Kourai phrases it like a question, but it isn’t one, not really. He’s going to do whatever he pleases, and if that means having a little hangout with his target while his houser is off on a date with Terushima Yuuji, that’s fine. Riseki blinks.

“Oh, would ya? Y’know, Yuuji hates it when Hirugami is left alone. Besides, y’all seemed ta get along well!” Riseki says gladly, looking mightily grateful, and Kourai half entertains the thought that he’s only so eager to make sure Sachirou has a friend so that the witch won’t interrupt the date. Of course, Kourai promptly scolds himself for thinking that, because Riseki really is the type to go out of his way to make sure someone had a friend. Whether or not there are additional motives isn’t Kourai’s place to question. 

“Yeah, sure,” Kourai agrees like it’s no big deal. His veins buzz with excitement. He hopes that Sachirou will prove to be a challenging opponent, at least mentally for now. Kourai thinks Sachirou is hiding a sharp wit underneath all that probing politeness, but he can’t be sure until he gets the witch alone. 

Riseki beams and Kourai notices that his sleeves are too long for his hands. There’s a raggedy hole wearing itself thin midway up his arm, and Kourai’s eyebrows draw together. Mending isn’t his favourite chore, but he’s done it a lot for himself and other Knights in exchange for battles and other help. Fixing Riseki’s clothes is the least Kourai can do, especially since Riseki hasn’t been anything other than perfectly kind after the day of his arrival. Riseki hasn’t even asked how long Kourai will stay, after all. 

⎯⎯⎯ 

“You’re going to wear a hole in the rug with all the pacing you’re doing. Calm down,” Sachirou says without looking up from his spellbook, earning a frustrated huff from Yuuji. Sachirou’s lips tilt at the corners at Yuuji’s predictable reaction as he glances up to find the other witch glaring at him. He smirks lazily. Yuuji flicks his hand, presumably to do that annoying sunbeam thing he always does, but Sachirou has a magical shield in place before it can happen. Yuuji scrunches his nose, flipping Sachirou off. 

“You are the worst. I want a divorce!” Yuuji demands imperiously, the way he already has twice this week, and Sachirou rolls his eyes. He’s secure enough in the knowledge that Yuuji is incredibly dramatic, and that a divorce would be too inconvenient for him to go through with, to worry that Yuuji means his words.

“Sure, we can pop down to the courthouse later this weekend. After your date with Riseki-kun,” Sachirou tacks on pointedly, giving Yuuji an unimpressed look. Yuuji pouts, crossing his arms over his chest as he fixes Sachirou with a pleading stare. After so many years, it’s ineffective, but Sachirou admires his dedication. 

“What if he hates me? Oh my gods, Sachirou, what if I’m a horrible date?! WHAT IF THAT’S WHY NOTHING HAS WORKED OUT?!” Yuuji shrieks, working himself into a panic, and Sachirou sighs. He massages the bridge of his nose, refraining from pointing out that Yuuji has been on exactly four dates in the time that Sachirou has known him⎯ And all of those hadn’t worked out because they’d been with women. Women who wanted a committed relationship, which was undeniably a factor, too, but mostly it was the fact that they were women. 

“That’s not why nothing has worked out and you know it, Yuuji. I’m serious, calm down, ” Sachirou stresses, and Yuuji continues to ramble about more anxieties. He sighs. “Yuuji, if you don’t stop talking I swear to every god out there that I’ll spell your mouth shut. And then your date with Riseki really will go bad,” Sachirou threatens with exasperation, and Yuuji’s mouth shuts with an audible click. He knows Sachirou will go through with the threat. 

“Listen to me. Riseki-kun likes you, and you like him. You want to make this work, correct?” Yuuji nods, and Sachirou mirrors the motion. “That’s what I thought. Your date will go wonderful, and then you’ll go on a bunch more, so Riseki-kun will have no choice but to fall in love with you. ‘Sides, who wouldn’t?” Sachirou said teasingly, smirking at Yuuji, who turned a lovely shade of pink. He shook his head, opening his mouth as if to protest, and Sachirou held up a hand to cut him off.

“Shut up, Yuuji. You’re amazing, and anyone who doesn’t see that is stupid. Now, run along. You promised to pick him up, didn’t you?” Sachirou all but physically shoves Yuuji towards the front of the shop, herding him out of the door. Yuuji digs in his heels about it but follows Sachirou’s lead anyway. For all his dramatics and anxieties, he really does want to go on this date, and he isn’t about to let that ruin it. Sachirou smiles slightly. He’s glad his best friend has found someone. 

“Will you come with me?” Yuuji asks immediately after he’s one step out the door, and Sachirou arches an eyebrow pointedly. Yuuji gives him a bright smile, absent-mindedly twisting his fingers. Something must be wrong with Sachirou because his heart goes out to his friend, and he decides it’s not too much inconvenience to tag along. Just to Riseki’s house, though. He will not be third-wheeling today, not like how he’s had to in the past for Yuuji. 

“Fine.” Sachirou sighs, cursing his soft heart. Yuuji brightens considerably, gallantly offering his arm. Sachirou gives him a dirty look but accepts the offer regardless because he’s not actually mad at Yuuji. Knowing Yuuji, he’d get the wrong impression and spend his entire date worrying about whether or not Sachirou hated him. Ridiculous , Sachirou thinks fondly.

“Do you think Riseki-kun likes flowers? Ooh, maybe gladiolus?” Yuuji conjures the flower, twirling it in his free hand as they walk. Sachirou examines it before shaking his head. “No, you’re right. Camellia?” Yuuji agrees, and the gladiolus in his hand changes into a pink camellia. The colour leeches out of it until it’s white, which was a little more suitable than the pink, but something is still off. Sachirou shakes his head. Yuuji pouts, getting that little crease in his forehead he got whenever he was thinking hard.

“You know, you are going to a flower festival. I’m sure they’ll have something good enough for Riseki-kun there,” Sachirou says, trying to ease some of the frustration on Yuuji’s face, and he frowns. Yuuji shakes his head, rejecting that idea out of hand. 

“No, Sachirou. I want it to come from me, from my magick. I want it to be…personal.” Yuuji flushes a dark red under Sachirou’s surprised gaze. He almost shrinks back, looking for all the world like he expects Sachirou to start yelling at him. Never mind the fact that they’re not even out of the village yet, Sachirou is sort of hurt that Yuuji would ever think he’d yell at him regardless. 

“Of course,” Sachirou agrees calmly, hiding his hurt deep inside. “It was just a suggestion,” He says, wearing his usual teasing smirk, and Yuuj grins. He bounces a little as he walks, and warm feelings settle comfortably over the hurt in Sachirou’s heart. It doesn’t matter that Yuuji didn’t tell him that he was planning on courting Riseki, and it definitely doesn’t matter that Yuuji really thought Sachirou would be mad about it. It doesn’t matter because the sun is shining, and Sachirou’s husband bounces when he walks, and Yuuji is wearing the happiest smile Sachirou’s seen in a long time.

“I’ve got it!” Yuuji exclaims, snapping his fingers. “A honeydew dahlia!” He conjures the flower, twirling it across his fingers, and Sachirou has to admit it’s sort of the perfect flower for Riseki. Yuuji is serious about this, Sachirou realises. He plans to court Riseki, probably to enter a committed relationship with Riseki, and where does that leave Sachirou? Divorced, alone once Yuuji moves out… Sachirou’s throat closes. 

“It’s perfect,” Sachirou manages while Yuuji blabbers on, extolling Riseki’s many virtues, he’s sure. It’s not like he hadn’t seen this day coming, you know. Sachirou’s not in love with Yuuji, so he can’t give the other witch what he wants, but he’d done a damn good job of ignoring their eventual separation. Sachirou works to keep his expression the same polite, blank facade it always is. Yuuji would notice if he got upset, and then he’d cancel the date with Riseki because he’d want to mother over Sachirou, and Sachirou refuses to ruin this for him. 

Sachirou and Yuuji walk further into the forest, following a beaten, dusty path until they come upon a little cottage sitting pretty in the middle of a clearing. The path leads directly to the cottage’s front door, like something out of a fairytale. There’s a well off to the side, vines climbing all over the stone. The thatched roof of the cottage dips a little in the middle like it’s sagging under the weight of something, and more vines climb the trellis on the left side of the house. The front steps are crowded with potted plants, various shards of ceramic littering the ground. The door itself is a cheery red with a gold knocker, a little ornate for the otherwise simple cottage. 

“Whoa,” Yuuji exhales, making Sachirou glance at him in concern. Yuuji looks awed, a soft smile on his lips as he looks around them. Sachirou blinks. “This place feels so loved. Almost as much as home does,” Yuuji says, which explains the moony look in his eyes. Since he’s a Light witch, Yuuji can sometimes feel when a place or person is particularly loved. The shop has always felt the most loved to Yuuji, so a close second is certainly something to marvel at. Sachirou resists the urge to scowl.

“Coming!” A shout echoes from inside the cottage, after Yuuji and Sachirou have walked to the door. Sachirou allows his gaze to wander absentmindedly, catching the eye of a wolf lurking at the border of the clearing. It looks harmless enough, but Sachirou sends an insistent push towards the wolf anyway. The wolf sneezes before ambling off in the opposite direction, making Sachirou smile with satisfaction. He doesn’t always get to play around with his powers, after all. There are few animals within the village.

“Oh! Hello,” Riseki says as he opens the door, looking up at Yuuji softly. Yuuji grins, the honey-dew dahlia hidden behind his back. “Come in, I still have to get my bag ready,” Riseki coaxes, pulling Yuuji inside his cottage, and Sachirou follows close behind. He isn’t sure what else he’s supposed to do because staying out on the front steps by himself seems…sad. The living space they step into is round and composed of a small kitchen, a rickety dining table, with a bed against a wall with a window wedged between two more tightly. There are two doors, one shut tightly and the other slightly ajar to reveal a bathroom. 

“Here we go!” Riseki holds up a knitted, dark brown bag triumphantly, colourful flowers embroidered on the front. It’s cute if a bit messily made. Sachirou half-wonders if it’s homemade. Yuuji beams. 

“Um, Heisuke,” Yuuji begins nervously, clutching his flower tightly as his eyes dart to Sachirou. Sachirou resists the urge to frown as he takes the dismissal for what it is and quietly backs out of the cottage. He doesn’t know what he expected⎯ Of course, Sachirou would be expected to walk home by himself. Tears sting at his eyes, which makes Sachirou feel even more ridiculous.

“Oi. You okay?” A snappy, firm voice calls out, lifting Sachirou’s gaze to the tree line. Kourai, Riseki’s cousin, stands there between a birch and an oak tree, one hand on his hip. He arches an eyebrow loftily, piercing Sachirou with a curious gaze. Almost habitually, Sachirou fixes a faux-casual smile on his face. 

“Fine, why do you ask, Kourai-kun? I can’t imagine that you’d actually care about my well-being,” Sachirou teases, just to see the way Kourai flushes red and tries to bluster his way out of the question. They hadn’t talked much, but it had been enough for Sachirou to figure out what kind of person Kourai was. The emotionally-closed off type, the kind that would rather choke before admitting their feelings. 

To be honest, Sachirou had been a little disappointed. He’d hoped the newcomer would prove to be more interesting, but it had been laughably easy to classify Kourai. He lost almost all appeal to Sachirou the minute he’d left Brewing With the Bitches. Harsh, perhaps, but Sachirou didn’t waste time on people he wasn’t curious about. 

“I asked ‘cause I was worried , asshole,” Kourai snaps, jutting his chin out, and Sachirou blinks. That wasn’t the reaction he’d expected. Since Kourai fit into his box so nicely, Sachirou expected him to avoid the question, to deflect. But.. Kourai hadn’t done that. He just answered. It’s a marvel. Sachirou recovers his cool quickly enough, crossing his arms over his chest. 

“I feel oh so honoured, Kourai-kun,” Sachirou replies, sketching a mock bow, and Kourai rolls his eyes. It’s a little amusing, but Yuuji says that Sachirou’s sense of humour is broken, so maybe it isn’t. 

“Yeah, yeah, shut up. Have they left yet?” Kourai asks, gesturing vaguely in the direction of the cottage, and Sachirou shakes his head. Kourai scowls. Sachirou realises, suddenly, that he doesn’t know why Kourai is in the forest in the first place, especially since he isn’t carrying hunting or gathering supplies. That’s weird. “Ugh. I don’t want to see all that gross lovey-dovey crap⎯” Kourai pauses, and gets the sort of gleam in his eye that Sachirou is sure means trouble. 

“Whatever you’re thinking, don’t do it,” Sachirou warns. “You can’t mess this up for Yuuji.” Because no matter his thoughts or the insecurities Sachirou feels, Yuuji is his top priority, and he isn’t about to let a Knight with a God complex ruin Yuuji’s date. Kourai wrinkles his nose, looking put out. 

“I wasn’t gonna do anything,” Kourai mutters with a scowl, and Sachirou snorts before he can help it. 

“Sure you weren’t,” He retorts, making Kourai narrow his eyes, but hey, they both know Sachirou is right. Kourai is impulsive, he’s pretty sure, and so Sachirou adds that to the growing list of Kourai’s Attributes. He’ll figure out what box the other man fits in soon enough, even if his first assumption was wrong. 

“So, what are you doing here?” Kourai asks before the pause in conversation can grow awkward, and Sachirou shrugs, toeing at the dirt. He doesn’t want to get into it, and it must show on his face because Kourai asks something else before Sachirou really gets the chance to answer. “And, uh, do you wanna hang out? Since Heisuke will be busy with Terushima.” Kourai’s nose wrinkles in disgust as he says Yuuji’s name. It makes Sachirou scowl. 

“Excuse me, don’t say it like it’s a curse to go out with Yuuji. He’s worth more than you ever will be,” Sachirou replies hotly, his laidback attitude forgotten in the face of slander from Kourai. The other man blinks slowly before holding his hands up in the universal sign of surrender. 

“Sorry, didn’t mean to press a nerve there,” Despite the lazy apology, it seems sincere, and Sachirou can feel his anger dim slightly. “I just don’t want Heisuke to get his heart broken,” Kourai explains, falling into step with Sachirou, who has, by now, started along the beaten path. He wants to get home sometime today, after all.

“I guess I can understand that,” Sachirou admits, keeping his eyes on the ground in front of him. He’s not clumsy like Yuuji is, but it can never hurt to be too careful. Besides, Sachirou doesn’t want to look at Kourai. He’s too afraid of what he’ll find there, wary of the way Kourai changes too quickly for Sachirou to pin him down. 

“Yeah. So, how’d you get started in the village? Heisuke says you didn’t grow up here,” Kourai asks curiously, making Sachirou stiffen before he can help it. Sachirou takes a deep breath and reminds himself that Kourai is just making conversation, that this is the type of question people generally have during their second real conversation. 

“We moved here together when we were young and assimilated into the community... Yuuji’s too attached to leave for long, so we put down roots, and, well, you’ve been to the shop. Bit hard to up and move a business,” Sachirou replies with a casual shrug, keeping his answers vague intentionally. He believes Kourai has good intentions⎯ call Sachirou naive, maybe, but someone from Riseki’s family can’t be evil⎯ but that doesn’t mean he’s so inclined to reveal everything about himself, either. 

“Terushima means a lot to you, huh?” Kourai wonders, making Sachirou glance up. The other man offers a broad smile, highlighted by the rays of the sun behind him. It’s almost too much, the perfect lighting, Kourai’s smile given so freely. Sachirou’s cheeks warm before he can help it. 

“Yes. Always. I don’t know how to classify it, exactly, because I don’t love him like a brother, and I’d rather eat my foot than think about kissing Yuuji, but yes. Yuuji means a lot to me,” He answers simply, not seeing a reason to disguise the truth. People tended to figure out that Sachirou and Yuuji were a pair within the first few conversations with them. Whether or not they thought it was romantic wasn’t Sachirou’s problem as long as they left him alone about it, but he wants to make it clear to Kourai that he isn’t involved with Yuuji.

Sachirou chooses not to look too deeply into why that is, exactly. 

“You moved here with him?” Kourai asks, and Sachirou glances at him sharply. They’re getting too close for comfort here. Kourai can pull answers out of Sachirou in a way very few people are able to do, and it makes him worried. Sachirou hasn’t had to worry about his family for a very long time, but questions like this make his defences rise. 

“Yes,” Sachirou retorts, if a bit snappishly, and Kourai blinks, eyes widening before he relaxes. Sachirou would feel bad, except this will get Kourai to stop asking questions, so he decides it’s worth it. Kourai shrugs. 

“Why are you in town?” Sachirou wonders a few beats later, trying to make polite conversation. At the shop, they hadn’t talked about it, only touching on superficial things like favourite colours and the weather. Kourai gives him an odd look before his expression smooths out into a casual grin. 

“Oh, y’know, this and that. Someone needs to make sure Heisuke doesn’t burn his house down and kill himself in the process,” Kourai answers playfully, smirking, and Sachirou laughs before he can help it. He feels a bit vindicated, too, before berating himself. Riseki is a good person, it’s not his fault Sachirou doesn’t know how to keep his emotions in check. 

“So, are we gonna walk into the village like this, or are you gonna call off the army?” Sachirou pauses, raising an eyebrow at Kourai’s question. What army, exactly? Sachirou thinks before Kourai points behind them, making Sachirou turn around. Immediately, he groans. There is all manner of woodland creatures following them, squirrels, foxes, and birds hopping along the ground. The wolf even hangs at the very back with a predatory gaze, like it's debating whether or not it’s worth it to snap up one of the furry animals in front of it.

“This army, huh,” Sachirou mutters to himself before frowning, making a shooing motion with his hands. He really can’t have the rumour that he’s a princess in disguise floating around again. It’s too close to the truth. “C’mon, go away. I don’t need you! Go!” Sachirou snaps, stepping closer as he continues trying to shoo the animals away. The group takes a collective step back but makes no move to disperse. Kourai bursts into raucous laughter, but that doesn’t scare them off any more than Sachirou. 

“Don’t laugh at me, Hoshiumi Kourai,” Sachirou scolds, glaring over his shoulder at the other man, and Kourai just laughs harder. Sachirou rolls his eyes, turning back to their little group of followers. “ Go away. ” Sachirou commands, dipping into his reserves of power. His voice becomes deeper as a result because Sachirou’s core element is Earth. Grounded, stabilising, strong. Sachirou usually feels anything but, so maybe having such an element is simply a weak hope in disguise. 

At least, the crowd of creatures listens to him this time and quickly runs off. Sachirou realises he must’ve accidentally called them when he was hurt by Yuuji’s dismissal. Magick isn’t an exact science, so while it’s unusual, magick acting of its own accord to protect its user isn’t unheard of. It’s a good thing Sachirou doesn’t have a more volatile power or element. He’s heard of grief-crazed Fire witches causing infernos the size of tornados, sweeping through their hometowns, and Water witches making tsunamis in deserts. Earth is relatively safe, especially since Sachirou is connected to animals instead of nature, so earthquakes are extremely rare.

“You’re good at that, aren’t you? Controlling them?” Kourai asks, eyebrows drawn together in a way that makes his face seem more sombre. Sachirou decides he doesn’t like it. He shrugs, turning around and walking in the direction of the village. Sachirou can see some houses starting to appear and smell the sweet floral scent on the breeze. 

“I’m no better than any other sort of Earth witch,” Sachirou replies dismissively. Kourai snorts. 

“There’s no way a regular Earth witch could accidentally call forth about, what, twenty animals to do their bidding at the drop of a hat? You don’t have to play down your talents, you know,” Kourai says insistently, like it’s a point of contention for him that Sachirou isn’t openly bragging about his powers. In all honesty, Sachirou really doesn’t think they’re anything special.

His family is made up of Fire and Water witches, strong elements that they use to crush their enemies underfoot. When they figured out Sachirou had a penchant for Earth, they did their damnedest to train it out of him, which obviously didn’t work. Still, Sachirou is used to thinking of Earth as the weakest element. He can’t even do an earthquake properly, there’s nothing special about controlling a few woodland creatures. Sachirou scowls. 

“It’s nothing. Drop it, ‘kay?” Sachirou phrases it like a question, but it isn’t one. Kourai purses his lips, giving Sachirou an odd look, but nods regardless. Sachirou almost sighs with relief. He didn’t expect Kourai to drop the subject so easily, maybe he respects boundaries more than he lets on. 

They arrive at Brewing With the Bitches soon enough, Sachirou dispelling the wards around the shop with a few muttered words. In the village, there’s almost nothing to fear. These people have known Sachirou and Yuuji for years at this point, and would rather choke than steal from a neighbour, but protection spells are ingrained in Sachirou as a habit.

“Man, I can’t believe Heisuke comes here so often,” Kourai mumbles as they walk inside, making Sachirou give him a curious look. Riseki, as a fledgling witch, needs more supplies, and his crush on Yuuji is obvious, so it makes sense that he’s visiting their shop as much as he is. 

“Why not?” Sachirou asks. Kourai offers a half-hearted shrug, looking apologetic.

“I can’t tell you. I mean, I’m a shit liar, but Heisuke’s got me sworn to secrecy. A Knight doesn’t break people’s trust,” Kourai explains, thoroughly making Sachirou even more curious. He won’t push, though. Kourai is serious about this, or so it seems, and Sachirou doesn’t like to make people dislike him. 

“Hm. If you say so,” Sachirou hums in reply, thinking of the many scumbag Knights his family had in his employ that acted very differently from Kourai. “I’ve got chores to do, so you can hang out here while I do them or go into town and browse, if you want,” He suggests, picking up his spellbook and flipping through the pages. The spell he’s looking for is basic, a simple dusting spell, but Sachirou can never remember the order the words go in. 

“Ah. There we go,” Sachirou murmurs the spell in witch-tongue, a brief wind picking up and tousling his hair before it sweeps away through the store. When he looks up, Kourai is staring at the spellbook with wide eyes, seemingly frozen. Sachirou frowns. He expected Kourai to be used to magick from the way he acted in the forest, especially considering his cousin is a witch and likely uses his own family spellbook all the time.

“Kourai? Is there a problem?” Sachirou asks, shutting the spellbook with a raised brow. Kourai snaps out of his daze, looking up and giving Sachirou a broad smile. 

“Nah! I’m not used to seeing magick performed with spells, ‘s all,” Kourai informs him cheerfully, crossing his arms over his chest. Sachirou’s eyebrows furrow. “Anyway, what are these chores you gotta do? I can help out, keep you company,” He suggests, and Sachirou brightens considerably at the prospect. It’s just a lot of boring stuff, like cleaning and doing inventory, but having Kourai around should help alleviate the boredom. 

“That’s perfect, actually, because inventory goes a lot faster with two people,” Sachirou says, grinning. 

⎯⎯⎯ 

“Um, Heisuke,” Yuuji pauses nervously, shooting Sachirou a look that means help. Instead, Sachirou seems content to throw Yuuji to the wolves, slipping out of the cottage and leaving Yuuji floundering. Heisuke looks up with big green eyes, the kind that makes Yuuji a little weak in the knees for no reason at all. “I got you something!” Yuuji chokes out quickly, bringing out the honeydew dahlia and showing it to the man across from him. The flower hums with magick, and if Yuuji squints, he can make out the flower’s aura, which is a miniature version of Yuuji’s own. 

Of course, he doesn’t really expect Heisuke to be able to discern the individual aura yet⎯ he isn’t that far in his studies, after all⎯ but there are only so many conclusions another witch can draw when they’re given a personal gift like this. Yuuji grins, desperately hoping he doesn’t appear as nervous as he feels. Heisuke blushes, smiling prettily in return as he takes the flower with gentle fingers. 

“It’s so beautiful,” Heisuke marvels, bringing the dahlia to his nose to sniff it. “I love it, thank ya, Yuuji,” He murmurs, holding the flower close to his chest like it’s something precious. Yuuji flushes, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. That’s..gotta count for something, right? It’s not an outright rejection. Sure, Heisuke made no move to give anything back to Yuuji, but maybe he’s unprepared. That makes sense. Yuuji shakes his head to dislodge his pesky thoughts, gallantly offering his arm to Heisuke.

“It reminds me of you,” Yuuji teases playfully as Heisuke takes his arm, watching as the younger man turns a brilliant shade of red. Yuuji is never going to get over how cute Heisuke is. Ever. Heisuke shakes his head with a slightly nervous giggle.

“So, why is your cousin in town? You’ve mentioned him before,” Yuuji asks conversationally as he leads Heisuke out of the cottage, Sachirou nowhere to be seen. He must’ve made his way back to the shop, or, at least, that’s what Yuuji assumes has happened. Heisuke’s eyebrows furrow at the mention of Hoshiumi, which is quite possibly the last thing Yuuji wants.

“You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to!” He tacks on quickly, feeling his cheeks warm. Gods, he was nowhere near as awkward as this on his other dates. Hell, he wasn’t this awkward around Heisuke before they were on a date. Luckily, Heisuke simply snorts, apparently finding Yuuji’s tactlessness amusing. 

“No, it’s okay, yer fine. I just… Don’t really know what Kourai is doing here, ‘s all. He won’t tell me.” Heisuke shrugs, looking worried. “I guess he doesn’t trust me enough.” Yuuji rolls his eyes, huffing in disbelief before he can help it. Heisuke’s eyes widen and his lips dip into a frown, but before he can say anything, Yuuji is already steamrolling ahead.

“That’s ridiculous. Who wouldn’t trust you? You’re so easy to talk to and so kind, what could he possibly have to be afraid of? Y’know, ‘Suke, no offence, but I really think your cousin is stupid at times.” All the time , Yuuji thinks but doesn’t say. He won’t stick his foot in his mouth that soon on this date. Heisuke gapes at him, lips parted like he wants to say something but can’t find the words. Yuuji raises an eyebrow, a little confused and concerned. 

“Ya think I’m kind?” Heisuke squeaks, turning red, and Yuuji blinks before bursting into laughter. He knocks their shoulders together, amusement dancing in his eyes. Heisuke manages a wobbly smile, though there’s still surprise and awe written all over his face. It’s endearing. Yuuji thinks everything about Heisuke is endearing. 

“Of course! Jeez, Heisuke, of course I do. You are kind, ridiculously so,” Yuuji says proudly, smirking, and Heisuke rolls his eyes, apparently having come over some of his surprise. He bops Yuuji on the head with his flower carefully. 

“ Yer the ridiculous one. And I’d shove ya right now for it, but I don’t want to hurt my flower,” Heisuke says importantly, nodding to himself as he brings the dahlia close to his chest once more. Yuuji laughs again, delighted. Heisuke is cute when he’s flustered, but he’s cute like this, too, acting all self-righteous and cocky. 

“Here, let me,” Yuuji coaxes, taking the dahlia and tucking it behind Heisuke’s ear. He spells it silently so that the flower won’t fall or get damaged, just to soothe Heisuke’s worries. Since the dahlia is something that’s made up of Yuuji’s essence, it’s not at all hard to do so. Heisuke smiles at him, cheeks pink, and Yuuji beams. “Cute,” He comments idly. 

“You’re cuter,” Heisuke quips in return not even a second later, and suddenly it’s Yuuji’s turn to blush red. He splutters, already shaking his head before the compliment has even fully sunk in. Yuuji’s feet tangle from underneath him and he trips, now fully resigning himself to falling onto his ass in front of the guy he likes. Heisuke lunges forward in what could’ve been a really cool save, except unfortunately he’s just as uncoordinated as Yuuji is, and they land in a jumbled heap on the beaten ground. Yuuji laughs, Heisuke half-on top of him trying to gather his bearings before he’s laughing, too.

“Oh my gods, we’re a mess, aren’t we?” Yuuji asks in exasperation, shaking his head even as giggles still catch him unawares. Heisuke puffs his cheeks up as he pouts, which is so goddamn cute Yuuji is going to lose his mind. Heisuke shakes his head stubbornly.

“Nope. I think we’re quite accomplished adults, actually,” He replies cheerily, so blasé about the whole thing that it makes Yuuji laugh uproariously again. He can’t help it, Heisuke is funny⎯ Although, Yuuji’s laughter also admittedly might’ve been due to his and Heisuke’s close proximity, too. But he’ll never tell. As if realising their predicament for the first time, Heisuke blushes and looks away, quickly standing up before Yuuji can enjoy him anymore. He offers a hand to Yuuji, who takes it as he stands and pointedly doesn’t let go. Heisuke gives him a mystified look but doesn’t pull away, making Yuuji’s lips stretch into a smug smirk. 

Yuuji is holding Heisuke’s hand! This feels like a real accomplishment. Yuuji knows Sachirou would be proud of him for not avoiding intimacy in the ways he normally does. He swings his and Heisuke’s hands back and forth between them absentmindedly. 

“At this rate, we’ll never get to the festival,” Heisuke says playfully, just as the village comes into view, and Yuuji snorts. Their fingers interlock perfectly, and Yuuji thinks maybe the guy who said that people are meant to hold each other’s hands was actually correct, because this feels right in a way it’s never felt with anyone but Sachirou. 

“Sure we will! I promised Hana I’d buy a bouquet, I owe her after wrecking her stall last year,” Yuuji mentions nonchalantly, forgetting for a moment that Heisuke doesn’t usually attend town events because he lives on the outskirts of the village. He remembers when Heisuke gives him the sort of aghast look Yuuji usually only gets from relatives who are shocked he doesn’t want to find ‘the perfect girl’ and ‘settle down’. 

“Why would ya do that to Hana?! She’s the nicest person ever!” Heisuke protests and Yuuji thinks that he’s clearly never been scolded for doing something reckless in the way Yuuji has by Hana. Yuuji pouts, a little miffed. Why is he the one who always has to suffer Hana’s wrath? He sighs. Pretty people really do have the most struggles. 

“She said I couldn’t control fire! So I had to prove her wrong, obviously.” Heisuke’s eyes widen with horror, and Yuuji can tell he’s figured out where this story is going. “So, y’know, I maybe sort of summoned a fire dragon to prove to her that I could control it, but then he got out of hand and… Yeah. His name is Balthazar. He ate all of her flowers, but I did pay for them! Still, we have a running gag now that I have to buy flowers anytime I visit her.” 

Fishing for information about Heisuke from Hana alone resulted in more flowers and bouquets than either Yuuji or Sachioru knew what to do with. Heisuke didn’t need to know about that , though, because Yuuji would like to preserve some of his dignity for a while longer.

“Ya have..a fire dragon named Balthazar?” Heisuke asks, eyes even wider, comically so, and Yuuji snorts. He nods, and Heisuke looks a bit pale. Yuuji’s eyebrows crease and then he realises he forgot to add one crucial piece of information. 

“No! He’s a teacup dragon, oh my gods, I can’t believe I forgot to tell you⎯” Yuuji blabbers quickly, ease stealing over Heisuke’s face as he breathes a sigh of relief. “And, really, it’s not like I have him, per se, ‘cause he’s a free creature, but he usually answers when he’s called. Of course, sometimes he’s a stubborn ass, but y’know, I live with Sachirou, so it’s not all that different.” 

Somewhere back at the shop, Sachirou sneezes, accidentally making a bunch of mushrooms spring out of the woodwork. 

“Oh,” A curious expression comes over Heisuke’s face as his pretty hazel eyes light up with interest. “D’ya think I could see ‘im, then?” Yuuji blinks, not quite having expected this, but Heisuke looks incredibly hopeful, and really, they’re far enough away from the flower festival that Balthazar won’t do any damage, and okay, Yuuji’s already whistling. So. This is happening. For a few long, excruciating moments, nothing happens after the three sharp notes Yuuji whistled. Then, there’s a bunch of abrupt squawking, and a sound like wings flapping vigorously. 

Yuuji sighs, turning so that his body is angled towards the forest as he holds out his free hand palm-up. A bright orange blur streaks out of the woods, disturbing several birds that squawk in offence and take to the sky. Balthazar awkwardly lands onto Yuuji’s hand, having to tuck and roll before he’s shaking himself upright and giving Yuuji a goofy dragon smile. 

Balthazar is a glaring, neon orange with red markings around his muzzle and streaking down his wings, which are folded tightly to his tiny body. Even for a teacup dragon, Balthazar is pretty tiny. Smoke curls from his nostrils, little wisps of grey, and his tail flicks back and forth with excitement. Yuuji doesn’t call for him very often, after all, so this is a momentous occasion⎯ for the dragon and Yuuji, though for different reasons. Balthazar’s eyes are a beady black, no white in sight as he tilts his head quizzically.

“Yeah, yeah, hey, little dude. I got someone here for you to meet, okay? This is Heisuke.” Yuuji explains, turning and holding his palm out towards Heisuke, whose eyes have gone all adorably amazed. “Heisuke, meet Balthazar. He’s pretty chill, so don’t let him fool you with this intimidation shtick,” Yuuji says firmly, nudging Balthazar with one of his fingers and nearly making the dragon topple over because of how Balthazar had puffed up to make himself seem bigger. 

“Oh my goodness,” Heisuke says, marvelling at Balthazar. “Can I hold him?” He asks eagerly, addressing Yuuji, who shrugs. 

“It’s up to the little man,” He explains. Balthazar is usually a pretty good judge of character, so Yuuji knows he’s going to take to Heisuke like a duck to water. Sure enough, after a few puffs of smoke (used as another intimidation tactic, of course), Balthazar happily clambers onto Heisuke’s palm.

“Little traitor,” Yuuji groans dramatically when Balthazar focuses his attention entirely on Heisuke, who coos at him. Yuuji grins despite himself, squeezing Heisuke’s hand absentmindedly. “Nah, I get it. If ‘Suke paid that much attention to me, I’d drop you in a heartbeat, too,” He teases and Balthazar snorts fire at him, skimming the skin of Heisuke’s thumb. Yuuji frowns. 

“Balthazar! You can’t just go around burning people, even if they’re witches like me,” He scolds half-heartedly, expecting Heisuke to heal himself. After all, the healing arts are the first thing every witch learns. Heisuke winces but makes no move to do so, taking long enough that Balthazar trills apologetically. Yuuji’s frown deepens as he looks at Heisuke, who seems to be carefully avoiding his gaze. 

“Heisuke? Why aren’t you healing yourself?” Yuuji asks even as he brings his hand over Heisuke’s own, helping the skin knit back together until all that’s left of the burn is shiny, new pink skin. Balthazar flaps his wings, flying the short distance to land on Yuuji’s shoulder, his little claws digging into Yuuji’s shirt sleeve. Heisuke is still avoiding his gaze, lower lip trembling.

“...I can’t.” 

It’s said so quietly that Yuuji thinks he must’ve misheard. Witches, regardless of element or skill or background, can always perform healing spells. Young witches usually can only do it for themselves instinctively unless they’ve been taught otherwise, like Yuuji, but still. Heisuke should be able to heal himself, unless…

Unless he’s not a witch.

“You’re a liar,” Yuuji says blankly, his hand going slack as he takes a step away from the man in front of him. The man he doesn’t know. Heisuke meets his gaze, then, eyes shining with unshed tears. 

“No, no, I didn’t mean to, Yuuji, please, I didn’t mean to lie, it just happened, I swear, Yuuji, I was going to tell you, I was, I just, I couldn’t find the right time, and you⎯” Yuuji shakes his head, cutting off Heisuke’s rambles. Heisuke’s lips wobble. 

“Don’t talk to me again.” Yuuji whispers, hurt lancing at his heart, and the tears fall from Heisuke’s eyes, glittering in the sunlight on his cheeks. It seems incredibly, horribly cruel that Heisuke can still look so pretty after betraying Yuuji’s trust and stomping on his heart like this. 

Yuuji turns around and practically sprints towards the shop, towards home, towards Sachirou. Tears blur his vision and Balthazar chirps gently at his shoulder, still holding on tightly despite the jarring motions. Yuuji sobs, relief coursing through him as he sees Brewing With the Bitches come into sight. He shoves inside, rubbing fiercely at his eyes, hardly noticing the pleasant murmurs of conversation come to an abrupt halt when he stumbles into the living room in the back. 

“Yuuji? Yuuji, are you hurt? Please, sweetheart, I need you to talk to me.” Yuuji dimly registers that it’s Sachirou talking to him as sobs wrack his frame. Sachirou is holding his face with warm hands, his magick washing over Yuuji in a way that’s achingly familiar and safe. “Yuuji, please, just tell me what’s wrong so I can fix it, sweetheart, please. Did something happen to Riseki?” Sachirou asks, painfully concerned, and Yuuji shakes his head as he falls into Sachirou. 

“No, no, he’s a liar , ‘chirou, he’s a liar, and I hate him, he lied, he doesn’t care about me, he’s a liar ,” Yuuji says through shuddering breaths, feeling Sachirou tense. He doesn’t care, can’t care, not when he feels like his heart is being ripped in two. He thought he knew Heisuke. He was actually stupid enough to think that someone like that would care about him⎯ But it was all a lie. Yuuji thinks Riseki was probably just messing with him all along, waiting for Yuuji to do something really foolish, like fall in love, and then yank the rug from underneath him. 

“What is he talking about?” Sachirou’s voice is freezingly cold, but it isn’t directed at Yuuji. 

“I⎯ I didn’t think it’d come out this way, honestly, and I told him not to keep it a secret, but⎯”

“Get out.” 

“ Sachirou ⎯”

“Get out before I make you , Hoshiumi,” Sachirou hisses, holding Yuuji close, protectively. Hoshiumi doesn’t protest as he leaves, but Yuuji hardly notices it through his tears and the misery consuming him. 

“You’re so much easier, ‘chirou, you’d never hurt me like this, you wouldn’t,” Yuuji rambles, half to himself, as he clutches at Sachirou’s shirt because he’s afraid Sachirou will disappear if he doesn’t hold tightly enough. Everyone else has. Everyone else has left Yuuji. Sachirou can’t do the same. Yuuji won’t let him.

“Shh, of course not, Yuuji, of course not. I’ve got you. I’m right here, okay? I’m not going anywhere. I’m right here,” Sachirou says, soothing as he rubs circles on Yuuji’s back while Yuuji cries into his neck. “I’m right here. Always, Yuuji, always,” He promises, and Yuuji manages a nod. 

Always.