Chapter Text
One Year Ago
Keiji pulled back on the reins, quietly telling his horse to ‘whoa,’ at the crest of a hill. His small wagon slowed to a stop, and he took a deep breath of fresh air. His gaze roamed the valley, taking in the brilliant green trees against a bright blue sky, with mountains rising above him. Down below, his eyes followed a lazy river that ran past a small village. The road he traveled was one of a few that led to the village, which was built in a sort of circular pattern. Homes dotted around the outside of the circle, but closer to the center, he saw bigger buildings, and in the middle was what he knew was the shopping and market place.
He’d visited before, a long time ago, falling in love with the quiet life of the villagers, the smallness of the village, and just the overall vibe. Nestled in the heart of the valley, the village was far enough off the beaten path that it felt kind of isolated, but not so far that kept tourists and curious visitors away.
It was definitely a far cry from his life in the city, and he was ready for this newest chapter to begin. He clicked his tongue and flicked the reins, calmly urging his horse forward again.
He stayed a few nights at the only inn in the village, run by a kind, portly older gentleman, until he found the place that he’d call home. It was part shop, part apartment, and it was perfect for what he wanted to do. He contacted the seller, and they negotiated a price and with a good chunk of his savings, he bought it outright. He wasn’t going to rent anymore; he wouldn’t owe anyone anything anymore. Keiji was going to live his own life, and it would start here.
Moving in was easy, especially when he quietly cast a spell to make the heavier furniture easier to carry. He first decorated the upper level. This was his space and this was where he felt most comfortable. An overstuffed recliner sat in the corner, with a tea table next to it, complete with lamp and pile of books to read. His bed, big enough for his six-foot frame, with a little room to spare, was nestled into a nook in the wall. The room was already painted in an off-white color he liked, so he wasn’t going to change it. But now, those plain walls were decorated with art he chose himself. There were only a few actual pictures with people in them, but since Keiji would be the only one to see this area, no one would ever know.
He finished moving in with a wardrobe and a desk set up in front of the window, a table and pair of chairs placed in front of the other window, a full length mirror, and finally his mother’s old phonograph with his meager collection of cylinders. He hung curtains over the windows, and laid a few small rugs on the floor. Last but not least, he carried in the trunk with his clothing, and hung it all up in the wardrobe.
Once he was satisfied with his living space, he started on the ground floor, which had been an old bookshop in a previous life. There were still some books left behind, so he decided to keep them instead of giving them away. He spent the next few days cleaning the shop up, and getting rid of the extra bookshelves he wouldn’t need. He installed a few glass cases to show off some of his wares, but he took special pride in the selection of honeys and varieties of apples that would surely bring in customers.
One month later, on a warm, sunny Tuesday, he opened his doors to the public. He met several of the other shop owners nearby, who came to welcome him, as well as numerous villagers come to see what he had to offer. With the location of the village, he knew tourists would be few and far between, but he was pleasantly surprised by the small handful who visited his shop on their way to the next town. Keiji greeted each customer warmly, and cheerfully helped anyone who asked.
He kept his own hours, often from 10am to 8pm, and was open Tuesday through Friday because he refused to start his weeks on Monday. On weekends, he either stayed up in his room, listening to one of his music cylinders and reading a book, only coming down to buy food to eat, or bought a picnic lunch, fetched his horse from the livery, and went for a long ramble along the river. Life was quiet, life was good, and best of all, he was alone. No one could tell him what to do, what to wear, or where to be.
One Year Later
“Thank you! Please come again, soon!”
Keiji smiled and waved as the small group of tourists left his shop and then slumped down on his stool. It was late afternoon on the first day of the village’s annual fair, and he’d had the good sense to open earlier than he normally did. Of course, Makoto told him it would benefit him to do so, considering the influx of people that would be coming to the village for the fair. And the older man was right. This was the first chance Keiji had to sit down all day. He was tempted to close for an hour or so, but even now, people were wandering in.
“Welcome! I’m so glad you came! Please let me know if you need any help,” he said once again, sliding off his stool and walking around his counter.
He busied himself by straightening up the display cases, slightly rearranging his current collection of nesting dolls and wooden toys. Taking a dusting cloth out from under the case, he began wiping invisible flecks of dust off the rows of colorful pottery. If he was close enough to a customer, he’d ask if they needed any help, and cheerfully answered questions and gave his opinions. When someone was ready to buy something, they rang a little bell, and he’d go to them, wrapping their purchases and taking their money.
Keiji loved everything about his shop. He actually enjoyed the interactions and he loved it because he was often able to lose himself to the work.
After he rang up another customer, sending them on their way, he went to help someone who had a question about his selection of kitchen wares. By now, the bells over his door were ringing almost constantly, so he barely had time to welcome everyone who came in. Makoto told him the first day of the fair was usually the busiest, and he was right. Keiji hadn’t had much time to himself, and was beginning to regret not eating a large breakfast. He hoped there would be another lull so he could temporarily close and find something to eat and maybe rest for a bit.
At sunset, he was really feeling the need to just close his shop and end business for the night. He was pleasantly surprised that his wish for a lull came when it did. Looking around the shop, he didn’t see anyone, and so rushed to his door and flipped the sign, and posted one below it saying he’d be open again after two hours. Makoto had been kind enough to bring him some food from his bar, and Keiji snatched the bag from behind the counter and raced upstairs to his apartment.
The fare was simple; a hot ham and cheese sandwich, crisp salad and flavorful dressing, and a bowl of the local seasonal fruits. His first bite was heaven and he practically moaned at the flavor. Even the salad was delicious, and the sweetness of the fruit delighted him. Devouring the meal, he wiped his mouth of crumbs, and reached for the glass of juice that sat neglected until now. The clock on the bedside table said he still had an hour and a half to rest, and so he rose from the table and went to sit in his recliner.
The next thing he knew, he was opening his eyes and blinking in the dark. But that wasn’t what woke him up. Reaching over to the lamp, he turned it on and rubbed his eyes, wondering what woke him up, and how long he’d been asleep. Then, he heard it; the sound of the bell he kept at his counter, and a muffled “hello?” from downstairs.
A customer? But how? He remembered locking his door before eating dinner, and he didn’t see anyone in the shop before he closed for two hours. Even so…
Ding ding ding… “Hellooo? Is anyone here?”
Keiji jumped up from his recliner and crossed the room in a rush.
“I’ll be down in a moment!” he called down through the crack of his slightly opened door.
“Okay. I’ll be over by the apples and honey.”
“I’ll meet you there.”
Keiji leaned against the wall next to his door. The voice of this mysterious customer had a low baritone timbre, was just a little raspy, and sent a shiver racing up his spine. He had to cast a calming spell over his racing heart. It had been years since a voice had affected him this much, and for reasons he couldn't comprehend, he had to see this person who’d somehow evaded him earlier. As soon as he calmed down enough, he opened the door and went downstairs.
“I’m terribly sorry,” he started to say before he reached the bottom. “I thought the shop was empty, so I closed for a little while.”
“I figured as much.” The man chuckled and Keiji felt himself shiver. Again. “I got to look at your selections in peace, which I’m grateful for.”
“Oh, well, still… my apologies.”
Keiji went behind his counter and put on the apron he wore, and then looked around until his eyes stopped on his lone customer. Oh gods. He was in trouble. The man was perusing his apples, but Keiji only noticed his tall, muscular form. He let his eyes drag down that solid back, trim waist, generous ass, and thick thighs. He filled out his clothes nicely, tight in all the right places. The calming spell he casted earlier wasn’t working anymore, and he couldn’t find it in himself to care.
“Can you tell me about your apples? There are a few varieties here that I don’t recognize,” that voice interrupted his leering, and Keiji had to forcibly shake himself from staring.
“Sure,” he answered readily, hoping his voice didn’t sound as shaky as he heard it. He made his way over to the man and kept his eyes on the apples. “Which ones are you interested in?”
“Well, I already know most of the apples you have are on the sweet side, but these here,” he pointed at the Jonagold apples, the Pink Lady apples, and Braeburn apples. “How do they taste? Are they also sweet, or are they tart?”
“A little of both, actually,” Keiji replied. “They all have a delicious mix of sweet and tangy.”
“Hmmm. Still, the recipe I’m thinking of needs something that’s a little less sweet and more tart or tangy. The honey should take care of the sweet part.”
The man cooks, too? Dear gods, he was in danger.
“Uhh… maybe you can tell me more about your recipe? I can also let you sample each apple until you find one you like.”
“I was thinking of a sweet, dessert onigiri. Mixing a little honey into the rice and filling it with apples and cinnamon.”
Farewell life. Keiji was a goner and he still hasn’t seen this man’s face.
“Let me go get a knife and a plate, and you can sample the apples you think might fit your recipe.”
“Alright.”
Keiji beat a hasty retreat and went upstairs to fetch a knife and small plate. He didn’t usually offer samples of his apples, and his customers often just chose what they were interested in trying. Either a single apple to try, or a bag full to take with them as snacks for another leg of their journey. But a simple request to try his apples, and Keiji was nearly falling over himself to oblige. Trying once again with another calming spell, he came back down and went to stand next to his customer.
“Which one would you like to try first?” he asked as pleasantly as he could.
A strong hand with long fingers entered his vision, choosing a perfectly round Jonagold apple, and placing it on the plate.
“How about this one for starters?”
“Alright.” He picked up the knife and sliced into the apple, offering the plate to the man. “Tell me what you think?”
The plate was taken from him, those fingers feathering over his, and then it set down in front of them. Yeah, no. That calming spell was a dud. Again. Keiji had to keep from balling his hands up and holding them together to keep that feeling.
“Before I do, maybe I should introduce myself. I’m Osamu Miya, and I co-own a restaurant with my twin brother.”
“Nice to meet you, Osamu. My name is Keiji Akaashi.”
“The pleasure is all mine,” his voice rumbled. Keiji had to catch himself from leaning forward to hear more of that voice. “May I ask you something else?”
“S-sure,” Keiji stuttered. Oh hell. Now, he really did hold his hands, nervously playing with his fingers.
“Look at me? Please? Don’t get me wrong, your profile is pretty fine to look at, but I’d like to see the rest of your face, too.”
This was it. This was the night Keiji would die, and he knew he’d die happily. Everything about Osamu Miya was perfect, at least for him, and now he’d finally see his face. He took a deep breath and let it go slowly before he turned to face the man who stirred his heart. Dark hair, gray eyes with slightly hooded lids, angular face, and a smirk that said he knew Keiji had been staring at him this whole time. Osamu Miya was a god among men.
“I knew your profile was pretty, but, dear god… you’re beautiful,” Osamu whispered, the awe plain in his voice.
Keiji felt himself blush. “So are you,” he replied.
Can the floor just open up right now and swallow him whole?? He covered his face with both hands, embarrassed. Gentle, warm hands grasped his wrists, and pulled them down.
“Pink is a good color on you,” Osamu said. “Please don’t hide your pretty face from me.”
“Okay,” he agreed quietly. Osamu was still holding his wrists. “D-do…” he stuttered again, and took a deep breath. “Do you still want to try the apple?”
Osamu nodded. “Yeah. I do.” He let go, but his touch lingered.
Keiji picked up the slice of apple, and nearly put it back down. It wasn’t exactly hygienic to just pick up food to hand it to someone. But just before he could, Osamu took a hold of his wrist again, and brought it up to his lips, apple slice and all. Watching everything, he was enthralled by the way Osamu’s lips wrapped gently around the slice of apple. He felt his teeth bite down, and with a little tug, Keiji let go of the slice as he ate it.
“Perfect. I’ll take a bag of the…”
“Jonagold.”
“Yeah. Jonagold. I’ll take a bag of them.”
“You said that already.”
Now, it was Osamu’s turn to look flustered, and Keiji felt a little better. At least, now he knew the feelings he was experiencing were mutual. He smiled, and so did Osamu. They stared at each other until the ringing of a bell sounded from outside.
“The Fair is closed for the night! Please come back tomorrow!”
The village crier broke the spell that had been weaving around them. But they didn’t part so quickly.
“Do I have to go?”
“Do you want to stay?”
Keiji blinked at Osamu who was looking just as surprised. They’d both asked at the same time.
“Uhhmm… maybe not tonight,” Osamu recovered first. “Not that I don’t want to, and believe me when I say I can’t wait until we do, but…”
“Let’s get to know each other first.”
“Yeah. That.”
Keiji snickered and Osamu bit his lip to keep from laughing. Keiji’s eyes snapped to those lips.
“I should go…”
“Kiss me?”
“Yeah.”
Keiji knew he was a goner, but he was truly lost the moment Osamu’s lips met his. A little chapped, but still so soft, Keiji melted into the kiss, letting Osamu take over. And he did, but only after he leaned back, cupped his face with gentle hands, and urged his mouth open with his thumb. He almost took that digit in his mouth to taste and tease this man he’d inexplicably fallen in love with. Instead, he moaned when Osamu sealed their mouths together, licking deep inside. He didn’t know exactly how he stayed upright; his knees seemed to have vacated the premises.
He clutched at Osamu’s shirt, behaving himself and not copping a feel of those pecs. Why did he have to suggest getting to know each other first? Could he take it back? He was certain Osamu would stay if he asked again. But the kiss ended when they needed air. Breathing heavily, they held each other in the dim light of Keiji’s shop.
“I should go,” Osamu said again, reluctantly releasing him.
“Will I see you again?” Keiji asked, and then immediately hated how desperate he sounded. But Osamu smirked.
“Yeah, you will. We have to get to know each other, right?”
“Right.” Now he sounded way too relieved. Gods, he was hopeless.
Osamu winked, packed up a few apples and a small jar of honey in a bag and left some money for his purchase. When Keiji tried to give him his money back, he shook his head and made his way to the door.
“I’m an honest man, Keiji,” he said, stopping to unlock the door. “And honestly, if you’d have asked me again, I’d’ve stayed.” He winked and sent a flying kiss. “I already know I love you, but if you want to go slow, I can respect that. Later, my love!”
“Yeah,” Keiji nodded, still befuddled from their kiss. “Later. I love you, too.”