Archive of Our Own

                Hajime is 6 years old when they make it to Seijou. The village itself is in the middle of a forest clearing. People have made homes in the sturdy bark of trees and under the shade of reaching limbs. The land there is emerald and lush, grass growing everywhere and vines and moss climbing their way up buildings with vigor – the plants are as much a part of the village as the people themselves. The animals stay back in the forest, the lining of trees serving as an informal barrier between the two communities. For Hajime the quaint village is love at first sight; if being nomadic hadn’t been the only thing he knew, maybe he would have toyed with the idea of staying for good. But they’re only staying for the night, according to his parents, so the thought doesn’t even cross his mind. He can’t help but stare into the forest though, an endless sea of trees begging to be explored.

                They’re in the village bar, now. His mother tells him she and his father need to loosen up because Hajime’s been getting on their nerves. As per the usual, they drop a pint of ale in front of him and tell him to keep quiet. He doesn’t like the alcohol, not one bit. It makes him gag and get dizzy, but even worse is how it makes his parents. They get loud and boisterous and jovial, but if Hajime makes even a peep, they get mad at him. So he stays quiet and swirls his pint with his finger.

                At some point they get up to dance to the festive music playing through lutes and drums, laughter filtering through the air, heavy as the smoke coming from the old man’s pipe on the other side of the bar. Hajime sits alone at the table, watching them dance and have fun. He supposes if he drank more of the ale, he would be as happy as them. He looks at the menacing liquid but then shakes his head; tasting it once was good enough for him. He carefully and discreetly pours the ale back into the flagon it came from.

                After looking back to see his parents further into the ring of people dancing, he decides to leave the bar. He’s only done this a few times before, but he’s never been caught. The thought of his parents catching him leaving terrifies him to his core, but he can’t help it. He’s bored. Most of his life is spent sitting in the horse-drawn wagon, sorting his rock collection or playing with a beetle he picked up. His parents only let him walk around to look for food, which is one of Hajime’s favorite things to do. The food is always easy to encounter, sometimes it will be bundled up in leaves or he’ll see animals next to bushes. But that’s not the best part. The best part is when Hajime comes back with food, his parents look genuinely happy to have him around. They pat his head and tell him he did a good job and sometimes they buy him a treat from a nearby vendor.

                Lately, though, the food has become easier and easier to find, and his parents are patting his head less and they aren’t buying him any treats. One time Hajime had purposefully walked slowly after finding the food so they would show him affection again, except his father had caught him and flogged him for taking so long when his mother was hungry. Now he finds the food as fast as he can and stays in line as much as possible.

                When Hajime finally exits the bar, he looks around. The village is flourishing grandly, busy in the rush of the afternoon. There is a line of vendors selling various items, and he figures this must be one of the crossroads his parents have told him about. He liked visiting these the best – they always had the most exciting things to buy. He reaches into his pouch to see how much money he has, thinking of buying one of those kendama he saw a couple of villages back. He only comes up with 4 coppers fisted in his hand and sighs – he thought he saved more than that.

                Dropping the coppers back into his pouch, Hajime’s head swivels around once more to find something to do. It takes him a while, but he sees it. A brilliant white bird, staring right at him from the line of trees around the village. At first he’s a little unnerved, but the bird flies away the moment he steps forward, gliding further into the forest. Intrigued, he walks hesitantly towards the forest, noticing a slightly worn path cutting through the dense amount of trees. Next to the entrance, there is an old wooden sign, the words AOBA FOREST carved almost illegibly. Hajime had heard of Aoba Forest several times, but he never knew it was a part of Seijou. Stories went around of the magic that surged through this particular land, causing all of the plants and animals to spring to life, thriving no matter the circumstances.

                His parents made a point to stay away from mages and their communities. He wondered if they knew about Aoba Forest being right next to Seijou. Hajime has always been excited by magic, despite their opinions. He feels a certain type of jealousy towards those who could use and harness magic, wishing he could conjure sweets or light fires whenever he needed to. Building fires was always such a pain.

                It’s with his excitement for magic that Hajime ventures into the forest, curious to find something cool, like one of those enchanted rocks he had heard about, or maybe catch some weird bugs.

                The atmosphere here is different, he notices. In the village, the smell of various foods being cooked, of tobacco being smoked, of flowers being picked permeated through the air. But here, it smells earthy and crisp, like the fresh loam his boots sink into on the forest floor. The air is charged, making the hair on his arms stand on end. Butterflies flutter about among scarlet birds and mushrooms begin to glow as the sun lowers for the day. This is truly a forest worthy of being called enchanted. Hajime’s heart pounds with excitement as he hops across a log that’s covered in spider webs that shine with dew, the weight of his landing shaking the drops from their hold. Dandelions glitter and glisten mysteriously, and Hajime fights the urge to ruin its splendor by blowing on it. He doesn’t see any cool rocks yet, but his venture has just begun, so he isn’t that upset.

                By the time he lifts his head from surveying the ground and also making sure he doesn’t trip on any wayward tree trunks, he realizes he doesn’t see the village entrance anywhere in sight. But Hajime is a brave boy, so it doesn’t bother him, not at all! As he keeps travelling, his shoe connects with a small stone. The edges are jagged and sharp, but the face of it is smooth. He bends down to pick it up, admiring the pearlescent sheen it takes on. He runs his fingers along the polished surface thoughtfully and straightens himself back up, dusting off his knees.

                A sudden crack behind him makes Hajime turn quickly, only to come face to face with a pair of glowing yellow eyes. His eyes go as wide as he thinks they can go as he stares into the gaze of a dark gray wolf.

                Hajime screams and turns immediately on his heel. “Mommy!” He cries, willing his short legs to carry him as fast as they can. “Daddy!” He wails again, vaulting over the tree trunks that once interested him, now only an obstacle on his way to safety. He tries to angle back his neck to see if the wolf was going to eat him, but his boot hooks on a sturdy vine, falling off and dragging him down to the ground. There’s dirt on his face and in his mouth but he doesn’t stop to spit it out or to pick up his shoe as he continues to run. Just when he thinks he won’t be able to sprint for much longer, he sees a cottage that’s built into a tree just like the houses in the village.

                Desperate for safety, he uses the last of his energy to get to the door as fast as he can, wrenching it open and slamming it immediately behind him. He breathes heavily, clenching the handle of the door with a vice grip. His heart pounds with the comfort of safety and he can only register one thought: Wow, I just outran a wolf! Excited, Hajime peers through the peephole to see if the wolf is mad about being beaten, but it doesn’t seem to be there.

                “Who are you?”

                Instantly, his senses are filled with a sweet smell. He can’t tell what it is, but it smells like honey and pine and flowers, and it immediately soothes his nerves somewhat. Even so, Hajime jumps and screams, hoarse throat warping his yell into a screech.

                Behind him stands a boy who looks the same height and age as him. He has brown wavy hair and big brown eyes, but what’s really cool is the staff he’s holding. It’s taller than he is – almost twice his size – and it winds up from the bottom all the way to the tip, swirling, gnarled bark twisting around a stone that looks cooler than the one Hajime found earlier.

                He sniffles a little, “I saw a wolf and I don’t know where my parents are…” Tears threaten to spill over onto his cheeks.

                The boy looks disgusted. “Are you crying? I thought you were my age but you’re just a baby!”

                “I’m not a baby! I’m 6 years old!” Hajime protests.

                “Well, if we’re the same age then you must be a human. Are they all this pathetic? I think this is my first time meeting one.” The boy says, crossing his arms petulantly.

                Hajime crosses his arms too, glaring at the boy. “Why do you talk like a boring old grown up?”

                The boy laughs and Hajime flushes with embarrassment. “You’re not from around here, are you?” He throws his arms into the air, staff barely managing to miss hitting a nearby table. “I’m a mage of course!”

                “You’re a mage? Cool!” Embarrassment forgotten, Hajime gets closer to the boy in wonder. “But how does that explain why you talk like that?”

                “Yes, yes, I’m very cool!” The boy puts his arms down and sticks his nose into the air. “Unlike you normal humans, we mages are on our own the moment we can cast the basic spells! Also our brains are more advanced so we both learn easier and live longer.” He points to himself and smiles confidently. “In short, mages are better than humans!”

                Hajime grins in excitement. “Show me a spell, show me a spell!”

                Ready to oblige, the mage lifts his staff, only to stop when he looks at Hajime’s hand. “You’re bleeding.”

                “Huh?” Sure enough, a thick line of blood is running from the dirty surface of his palm to the tips of his fingers. “Ah!” He shouts. “It was probably that sharp stone…” The reality of his situation sinks in again, weighing down on his heart and fillings his eyes with tears again. “Mommy…” He sobs, wiping the blood from his hands onto his pants. “What if I never find them again? What if the wolf went into the village and ate them?”

                “Eugh, why are you crying again? We were having fun weren’t we? Now you’re just being annoying.” The boy’s complaining only serves to make Hajime cry harder, and he gets more aggravated. “Shut up!” He yells.

                The crying grows in volume and the mage puffs his cheeks in anger. “Okay, fine! If you stop crying I’ll help you get back to the village.”

                “B-But what about the wolf?” Hajime asks.

                “Listen, if the wolf really wanted to eat you it would have. I doubt you can outrun a wolf.” Hajime wanted to protest, yes, he did outrun that wolf! “Plus I’m here and I’m amazing, so shut up.” That didn’t seem to soothe Hajime’s doubts much so the boy gives a long-suffering sigh and starts rifling through a trunk by a bed. “And, I have an extra shoe and a cloak that will disguise you if you’re quiet. The only one who will know you’re there is me.”

                Hajime’s tears are all but a memory when he and the boy are outside of the cottage. The cloak on him is light and it smells like that sweet smell that follows the mage next to him. He doesn’t feel invisible but when he tries to look down at his hand to check if he’s still bleeding really badly, he can’t see it. He doesn’t talk on the way back but he figures he’s allowed to at least breathe. If the wolf hears him, will it find out where he is? He doesn’t want to take that chance, so he keeps even his breathing as quiet as possible. The mage stays silent as well, but he hardly even looks phased by the possibility of the wolf coming back. Hajime figures maybe if he gets to eat something he’ll be able to outrun the wolf again. Right now, though, he’s tired.

                The walk back to the village doesn’t take as long as he thought it was going to, and soon enough Hajime is back into the busy streets of Seijou. He yanks the cloak off of his head and turns to the boy who’s standing at the edge of the forest. “Now if you’ll excuse me I have business to take care of. Do yourself a favor and stay out of the woods.”

                “Ah, thanks!” Hajime says, bowing deeply and then taking off in the direction he remembers the bar being in. When he looks back to the forest entrance, the boy is gone.

                By the time Hajime finds the bar, the tears have already returned to his eyes. He hates how much he’s cried today, because he knows he’s brave, but his dad always said that brave people don’t cry. So when he can’t find his parents in the bar, he bites his bottom lip and he doesn’t let the tears spill. Remaining calm, he asks the bartender if she’s seen his parents. After a quick description of them, the bartender immediately replies that she had to kick them out for being too rowdy. This was typical behavior for the two of them when they spend the night somewhere. With no incentive to be decent human beings because they would be there for such a short amount of time, they often passed the time getting drunk and letting themselves go. Often they’ve told him it was because he stressed them out, so they needed to take special care to relax at night, but Hajime thinks it’s just because they like to have fun.

                Boots beating against the paved dirt, Hajime’s head swivels around. The village is so different at night from the bustling market town it is during the day. All the shops have curtains drawn over their displays and torches lit to illuminate the pathway. There’s still a copious amount of people walking around, but at least Hajime has a little elbow room now. He wishes he knew which inn they were staying at for the night so he could have a starting place to look for his parents. Instead, he retraces his steps to get back to where they had parked their wagon, letting his fingers brush the occasional vine that reaches out into the expanse of the walkway. He likes the way the plants grow regardless of the humans that inhabit their space. The plants are brave, too.

                Hajime stops at the wagon shed, trying to find their carriage. He could sleep in the wagon and they would find him in the morning, he decided. Mom and Dad seemed to want to leave pretty early the next day, so Hajime wouldn’t have to wait long. However, when he reaches their spot, he doesn’t see the wagon, but he does see the lines and the indentations the wooden wheels left on the soft loam. There are many wagons parked along the shed, but he knows for a fact this is the spot where they put theirs. He remembers the swirled pattern of the grass beneath his feet. It looked like a small whirlwind had spiked the blades up into its swooping fashion. This is where they put their wagon.

                They’re looking for him, Hajime decides. They’ll get tired and return back to the shed eventually to turn into the inn for the night. They’ll come back.

                His stomach growls, reminding him that he had not eaten since that morning. The four coppers in his pouch won’t get him anything, but he thinks that maybe if he tells the seller how hungry he is that they might give him some food anyway. Resolved, Hajime walks his way to the food stands, hoping to get some fresh bread or some cheese. The stands are located on the center edge of the market, and appear to be the only places open when the torches are lit. In the center of the market is a small bonfire and in front of it, a man speaks animatedly about the wolves of Aoba Forest. Reminder of his time in the forest setting a chill in his body that only emphasizes how empty his stomach is, he rubs his belly tenderly and searches for the cheapest looking thing. His eyes are immediately drawn to a stand that’s selling some type of soup, the smell of broth riding the wind and travelling to Hajime’s nose.

                “Hey mister,” he greets the shopkeeper. “I’m really hungry but all I have is four coppers.”

                The man turns around, grunting. “Not my problem, kid.”

                “Can you please give me some soup? It smells really, really good and I’m really, really hungry!” He says.

                “I don’t care. No free food.”

                “Please?”

                The shopkeeper leans ominously across the counter dividing them. “Get out of my shop if you don’t have any money.”

                Why won’t he give Hajime food? He said ‘please’ and he was as polite as he is with his parents. “You’re stupid!” Hajime concludes.

                One look from the man makes Hajime yell and back up. “What did you just say to me, you little shit?”

                “I said you’re stupid…” He replies dutifully, hating the way he feels his body shake.

                “That’s it!” The shopkeeper moves from around the counter, face fierce and teeth bared. He looks just like Hajime’s dad does when he’s mad, and he can’t help but cower down and cover his head, waiting for the blow.

                It never comes.

                Hajime looks up, vision blurry with tears. The boy from the forest stands before him, blocking the path between him and the shopkeeper. “Forgive my human, he’s still just a baby. You know how it is.”

                Hajime wants to protest – he’s not a baby – but the shopkeeper takes a charged step forward, staring the boy down. “You mages think you’re hot shit, looking down on humans, huh? Guess what, buddy,” the shopkeeper sneers, “you’re no different from us.”

                Wordlessly, the mage lifts his staff and points it toward the shopkeeper, who falls backwards with an invisible force. Fire strikes the grass around the man but stays contained, forming a circle around him.

                “Mages are better.” The boy says, turning his back to the shopkeeper to face Hajime. He grabs Hajime’s wrist and pulls him up from the ground. “Let’s go.”

                He tries to pull his arm free from the boy’s vice grip. “Hey, let me go! I don’t want to go with you!” he protests. They’re going to the forest, and Hajime doesn’t want to go back in there. “I want to find my parents! I hate this stupid forest!” A lie, but he’s hungry and tired and he just wants to be back on the wagon on a trail he doesn’t recognize.

                “Stop being a baby! You told me you aren’t a baby right?” Hajime nods enthusiastically. “People who aren’t babies need to realize that their parents are gone and that they obviously don’t care about you.” The boy finishes, smiling like he just said something groundbreaking.

                “They do too care about me! You don’t know anything, you don’t even know my name!” Hajime grinds his feet down into the soft soil of the forest floor, glaring at the boy across from him.

                “Okay, listen, it’s dark and I bet you’re tired and hungry. Let me feed you and you can look for them tomorrow. I’ll help you out of the forest and everything.” The mage reasons, pulling out the cloak Hajime had worn before.

                Fireflies light up around them, leaving their homes and flying through the air. Hajime had never seen them like this before – there were so many and they lit up all sorts of different colors. A few landed on his arms and tickled his skin, making him laugh. One of them flew up from Hajime’s body and landed in the mage’s hair, forcing him to make eye contact with the boy. “Fine,” he says. “I’ll go.”

                The boy grins, teeth shining in the light of the fireflies and glowing mushrooms. “I’m Oikawa Tooru, what’s your name?”

                Hajime is 8 years old when he wakes up that morning on the floor of Tooru’s cottage. His back cracks painfully as he stretches his arms up toward the ceiling. From what he can tell, the sun has just barely risen past the horizon, which he is thankful for. He has more time before it sets, now – more time to find them. He makes his way to the kitchen and catches sight of Tooru still sleeping soundly on his bed, and his muscles ache as a reminder of a bed he could have. The mage had mentioned several times that he would be happy to get Hajime a bed too, but the boy had refused. He didn’t want to get too comfy, he could find his parents soon, after all. Today will be the day, he tells himself, heart surging with painful excitement at the idea of seeing his parents again.

                He grabs an apple and bites into the crisp flesh as he hops down the stairs with fervor. The shop is dusty and the walls are cracked where the vines battle against the wood to gain control, but Hajime likes it anyway. Tooru had been talking about how he was wanting to open this shop up some day, but that he had wanted to refine his potion skills more first. Despite his demeanor, the mage was staunch in his belief in selling only the best products, and Hajime liked that about him.

                “It’s been 2 years, Hajime-chan, why don’t you just give it a rest?”

                He doesn’t look at Tooru as he throws the apple core outside the window. “Just because you gave up on helping me doesn’t mean I’ll give up too.” He says, grabbing for his already packed bag and the cloak beside it.

                Tooru steps into Hajime’s line of vision, swaddled in a blanket, his hair sticking up on one side and his eyes swollen with sleep, never looking more his age than in this moment. “I gave up because they obviously aren’t coming back. You told me your family is nomadic – how many time have you guys visited a place more than once?”

                Hajime pulls on the cloak angrily and wrenches the door open. “Shut up! Also I hate being your assistant because you’re mean and it’s not fun!” He slams the door closed behind him and hooks his bag on his shoulder. His boots – shiny, well-fitting, and new thanks to Tooru – pound into the soil as he hears Tooru yell, “yeah, well you suck at being an assistant, too!”

                During Hajime’s stay with Tooru, fights became a common occurrence.  Almost every day begins with arguments about his parents and his unwillingness to be Tooru’s assistant. Being a mage’s assistant means going outside often to collect potion ingredients which means Hajime has to wear the cloak. He hates that stupid cloak; it smells like Tooru and it calms him down but the scent reminds him of what a coward he is for wearing it. That time with the wolf scared him more than he’s willing to admit, so he just keeps wearing the cloak and he thanks the stars that Tooru doesn’t bring it up.

                The entire village of Seijou knows Hajime, now, maybe even more than they know Tooru. It’s common for mages to take refuge in forests, and it’s even more common for them to have assistants, but Hajime wasn’t just an assistant, he was also a lost 8 year old boy. Every other day he leaves the confines of Tooru’s cottage to ask after his parents. It takes him a while to draw up all the posters, but he thinks they look pretty good. Tooru says they look ugly but Hajime doesn’t believe him. After about a year of putting up posters in every nook and cranny of Seijou, someone started to take them down. When Hajime’d first seen someone rip one off of the town board, he’d laid down and cried, but now he just makes more, and faster.

                Arms full of parchment, Hajime sets to work on pinning them down on every surface. People are staring at him, like they always do – some looks are pitying, some are annoyed. He knows everyone’s given up on him, but they still sell him paper and ink, so he keeps making posters. After he hangs the posters, he typically makes rounds in the town to ask if they’d seen his parents. It’s a lonely affair, and Hajime would give anything to have Tooru walking with him – not that he’d tell him that. He made two new friends, though – the bartending couple Hitoka and Kiyoko. They were a lot older than Hajime but treated him just the same, and sometimes they have snacks whenever he walks in.

                Today wasn’t one of those days. Today, Hitoka stands alone at the bar, face buried in her hands. “Hitoka?” Hajime asks softly.

                “Oh, Hajime-kun, you scared me.” Her face looks haggard, but she smiles gently. “Sorry, no treats today. And I haven’t seen you’re parents yet. Kiyoko did kick out some patrons who were talking about taking down your posters, though.”

                Surprisingly, he feels like he could care less about the promise of snacks or the people taking down the posters. “Are you okay?”

                She stands up straight, an attempt at appearing like she usually does. “Yes and no.” She replies cryptically. “The bar might not be here for much longer, though. Kiyoko and I might have to leave town.”

                “No, you can’t!” He protests, climbing on top of a bar stool. “You and Kiyoko are my only friends.”

                A real, genuine smile cracks through the tired expression on Hitoka’s face. “What about little Tooru? You’ve gotten happier since you’ve become close.”

                “Tooru’s mean and he doesn’t help me find my parents like you guys do. I don’t need him.” Hajime says, pouting. “But are you guys really leaving?”

                Hitoka sighs, and threads their fingers together. “Most likely, Hajime-kun. We’ll always be friends, though, okay? Kiyoko and I will write and we’ll send you cool things from the capital. How does that sound?”

                “Cool things don’t matter if I can’t share them with you.” Hajime feels the tears prick his eyes, but he blinks them away like he’s practiced. “You won’t leave without telling me, right?”

                She nods enthusiastically, smile warm and inviting.

                “Okay, I guess I can forgive you, then. I’ll see you in a couple of days, Hitoka!”

                The blonde grins and waves at Hajime as he hops off the barstool. “Bye bye, Hajime-kun, I’ll try to have sweets for you next time.”

                When he’s back outside the bar, Hajime feels more alone than when he had walked in. If Kiyoko and Hitoka leave him, then he really will be all alone. His parents left him too. Is he a bad person? Is it because he cried too much?

                He doesn’t feel like looking for his parents anymore. The day is beginning to end, which didn’t stop him before, but the finality of the sun reaching to go below the horizon buried his will to keep looking. Tomorrow, his motivation would return and he would make more posters, but for right now he just wanted to return to Tooru’s cottage and cry.

                Aoba Forest looks stunning as always in the light of the setting sun, despite how low Hajime feels. The mushrooms glow along the worn path he takes back home, the cool teal colors casting strange shadows along the ground. He pulls the cloak on over his head and tugs it close, letting the strange, familiar smell envelope his senses. It dulls the ache in his chest, somewhat, though he can’t bring himself to look up from his feet. The evening breeze blows strongly, forcing the blades of grass to caress his boots and his cloak to billow magnificently.

                A high-pitch chirp makes Hajime look up from the ground, and he looks into the black eyes of a snow-white bird. It’s quite the distance away, but its stare never wavers from where Hajime walks. It beckons him over, calling him to the branch it’s perched upon. He recognizes it from that day, back when he first came upon Aoba Forest. Everything about that day is so vivid in his brain, and the bird registers as something astoundingly significant. But he’s tired – so tired – for a young boy. He blinks at it, but turns his gaze, continuing on the path to go back to Tooru’s cottage. Suddenly, the already strong winds blow against Hajime so mightily that he struggles against it, hunching forward to break the current. Forgetting to watch his feet, his boot catches on a wayward tree trunk, strangely reminiscent of the incident with the wolf. He doesn’t let himself dwell on it as he spits the dirt from his mouth, wiping his face with the sleeve of his tunic. He’s tripped in this forest numerous times, so he’s somewhat used to the taste of dirt on his tongue.

                The feeling of wind caressing the back of his neck is what makes him jolt, gaze quickly looking behind him. The cloak, hooked on a high branch, mockingly waves in the now-gentle breeze. Oh, no, Tooru is going to be so mad at me, Hajime thinks, letting his forehead hit the soft soil below him once more. He groans inwardly for bit, wallowing in how terrible the day has been. He must have done something to annoy some divine being. When he finishes pitying himself, he heaves a sigh and sits on his knees.

                It’s then that he notices he’s surrounded by animals.

                Hajime yells and scrambles back, arms flailing until his back connects with the rough bark of a tree behind him.

                They maintain the same berth they had before, countless pairs of eyes watching his every move. “W-What do you want from me?” He peeps.

                There’s all kinds of animals – wolves, deer, rabbits, and birds – all different shapes and sizes. The white bird is here, too, perched atop the head of a dark gray wolf. Hajime wants to scream, he wants to call out for his mom and dad just like on that day, but before the words can leave his mouth, and crunching to his right brings him out of his panic-induced reverie.

                Tooru appears instead, his bouncy locks and too-big staff a welcoming sight. Hajime had been about to call for his parents, when the one who had protected him for these past years was the mage, not them. He feels sick.

                “Why didn’t you tell me you were an animapath?” Tooru asks.

                “What’s that?” Hajime sputters.

                A cloak falling in between them is his answer. They both look up to the tops of the trees to see a large squirrel staring back from where the cloak was once hooked. They sit in shocked silence, the only noise being the sound of fireflies buzzing around to start their day. A group of them flock to Hajime, the yellow tint of their light turning shades of green. They tangle into his hair and rest on his forearms, burning bright. He laughs when one lands on his nose, causing them to all fly off, only to immediately land back on him again, bathing the area around him in emerald light.

                “Have you heard about the fireflies of Aoba Forest?” Tooru has a few fireflies on him, too, although a lot are attracted to the stone that rests in the gnarled bark of the staff. When Hajime shakes his head, Tooru sits down next to him on the forest floor. The animals are crowded around them like he’s telling them all a story.

                “Before humans or even mages inhabited this forest, the fireflies lived here and legend has it that they carry on an old wisdom. The natives of this land, the ancestors of the people of Seijou, worshipped them as divine beings. They only interact with those of the forest, or those who are considered worthy – though really it’s whoever the fireflies took to that day. Sometimes the village people would use the lights of the fireflies to cast judgement upon other people. It was a flawed way to treat people, sure, but those of the forest respected them all the same. The fact that they’re on you right now means that they like you, which is a high honor.” Tooru finishes. “It’s probably got to do with being an animapath.”

                Hajime’s confused, but he thinks he gets it. “How come they’re on you too, then?”

                “They just like me because of my magic.” He gestures to the staff resting next to him.

                The fireflies resting on the staff are shades of purple, concentrated highly on the part next to the stone. The ones on Tooru are light blue shades and they’re nestled in his hair just like Hajime’s, wings buzzing gently against the soft strands. There aren’t as many as the ones on Hajime, but the bugs drift down onto Tooru’s shoulders, dancing on the curve of his arm. It isn’t just because he has magic in his body, Hajime thinks, they like Tooru.

                He pushes himself up off the ground, dusting off his trousers. “I’m done looking for my parents.”

                Hajime is 13 when he and Tooru start getting more customers. It takes a terribly long time for the shop to look presentable, but Hajime eventually gets it done after he finally convinces Tooru to help out. The vines no longer fight against the wood and the roof is mostly patched up. The only repairs necessary now are to the furniture and the flooring, from the several times Tooru’s potion mistakes got acidic enough to melt through the floor when he accidentally drops them.

                Hajime is nailing down a plank of wood when 3 girls enter the store, giggling excitedly. “Welcome,” He says, setting down the hammer to walk halfway up the stairs. “Tooru, customers!”

                When he returns, the girls are facing away from him but they look back at him every so often and speak in hushed whispers. He shrugs it off and continues nailing the boards down. “Hajime-chan, would it kill you to stop working for a bit?” Tooru grumbles in passing, handing him a cup of water before hurrying over to assist the trio. Hajime says nothing but sets the hammer down and removes his gloves.

                “Why, hello, my lovely ladies. You’re all looking very cute today.” Tooru says, bowing slightly. “What can I help you with?”

                The smallest one in the group blushes thoroughly, but she’s not looking at the mage. “Um, we were wondering – what’s his name?” She asks.

                Tooru looks back at Hajime who’s watching the conversation with vague interest, sipping his water. “Him?”

                “Y-Yes.”

                “He’s just my assistant, you don’t need to pay attention to him – he’s just a minor character in our story. I’ll help you to the best of my abilities.”

                “Oh, but I -” Before the girl can protest, Hajime spills a bit of his glass of water onto Tooru’s head.

                “Sorry about him. I’m Hajime.” He says over the indignant squawk Tooru lets out. “What’s your name?”

                The girl smiles up at Hajime, blushing. “I’m Rei. I’ve – I mean – my friends and I have seen you around town and through the forest and we think it’s really cool that you’re an animapath.”

                “Ah, thanks,” he says, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly. He wasn’t used to such open praise. He doesn’t know what to say back, so he just blurts, “Your hair bow is pretty cute.”

                Rei begins to thank him, but one of her friends behind her starts screaming. “Rei-chan, there’s spiders on your foot!”

                Immediately, Hajime turns to Tooru, who’s gently putting down his staff and looking suspiciously smug and dry. “Tooru, what the hell?” He demands.

                “What?” Tooru says, face slack with false surprise. Then, he looks down at the ground at the trail of 8-legged fiends and laughs. “Better run, Rei-chan, looks like there’s more coming!”

                The girls scream even louder before running so fast out the door that Hajime swears he sees skid marks on the wood panels. He can hear their shouts even as they quickly exit the area. When he turns back to the mage, Tooru is busying himself with a potion display. “Wonder why the spiders acted like that all of a sudden,” he muses aloud.

                “Oh, shut up.” Hajime groans. “Why did you just chase away a potential customer?” He asks, stepping in close.

                Tooru’s cheeks flush. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He says, covering his face.

                The human rolls his eyes, walking over to the door sign and flipping it to ‘CLOSED’. “Let’s just close for today if you’re gonna act weird. I have to work on the floors anyway.” He pulls off his tunic, using it to dab the sweat off of his forehead and neck. “Can you cast a wind charm in here? The air’s barely moving today.”

                He’s answered with silence. He looks up, pulling on his gloves.

                Tooru’s eyes are locked onto his chest, face devoid of emotion besides the royal pink blush swirling on every visible patch of skin. Hajime crosses his arms, uncomfortable with Tooru openly staring at him. “W-What?” He demands.

                “Huh?” The mage blinks several times before his eyes slip up to meet Hajime’s. “D-Did you say something?”

                “It’s hot in here,” Hajime supplies shortly, ready to go back to work. Once Tooru casts the wind charm, Hajime turns to him again. “Did you see where I put my hammer?”

                Tooru crosses the room to a shelf and picks up the tool, handing it to Hajime. The human grabs for it, but it doesn’t give. “Tooru?”

                Letting out a weird choked noise, Tooru quickly relinquishes the hammer to Hajime. “Sorry,” he breathes. “It really is too hot in here.” He says, lifting his staff to strengthen the wind.

                Hajime slots a wooden plank that he had cut earlier into place and glances up at Tooru, who is staring pointedly at the floor, though Hajime can tell his mind is elsewhere. “Really, what’s wrong with you today,” Hajime insists, setting the hammer back down again, eyebrows knitting in frustration. “You’re acting really weird.”

                Tooru looks shocked, but he quickly schools his expression into one of annoyance. “It’s nothing.” He kicks at a patch of sandy wood, boots scuffing up dirt. “It’s just that Tobio-chan guy.” He says unconvincingly.

                “Uh-huh.” Hajime says, pinning Tooru with a look, but lets it go. “You saw him once, how is he already under your skin that much?”

                “Once was enough for me! I don’t know who he is but I don’t trust him.” The mage crosses his arms, lips curling into a sneer. “What kind of mage his age doesn’t have any friends? He just popped here all of a sudden and now he’s running a shop! I’ve been here for ages, and I’m not like that.”

                Hajime laughs, resuming his work on the floor. “You don’t have any friends either, dumbass.”

                A shocked gasp erupts from behind him and he feels his grin grow at Tooru’s fake indignation. “What are we then, Hajime-chan!”

~

                When Hajime finally acknowledges Tooru – who’s been trailing him the entire way to the village, the mage lets out a peep and averts his gaze. “Why are you following me?” Hajime asks.

                Tooru petulantly sticks out his bottom lip in his signature pout and quickens his pace to catch up. “You always buy the wrong shape of vials. Totally messes up the composition of my potions.” He explains, gripping the human’s arm.

                Hajime thinks it has more to do with the fact that he recently found out that Rei apprentices at the glass store, but he doesn’t mention it and just leans slightly towards Tooru. “When will you trust me to buy things?” When will you stop holding some grudge against random girls? He wants to say.

                “When you start coming home with the proper stuff.” Tooru says, eyes twinkling as he pulls Hajime past the village’s exit. A few people greet them and Hajime offers them curt nods, occasionally forcing Tooru’s head down too. He’s reminded that it’s Cleansing Day when the smell of cleansing herbs flow into his nose. He inhales sharply, instantly feeling his head clear a bit. When he looks to Tooru, the boy is smiling back to him.

                “What?” He grumbles, stopping at a stall to buy a few bundles of herbs.

                Tooru chuckles, smile sweet as he buries his nose in the bouquet of rosemary, basil, and white sage leaves, the red string holding them together tickling his knuckles. He looks pretty like this, Hajime thinks, the wind tousling his locks and his eyelashes caressing his cheeks. “It’s nothing,” he says, “You’ve just always really liked this smell. It’s probably your favorite scent, right?”

                Hajime actually prefers the smell of the days following the one of cleaning, when the village people burn a cocktail of orange peel, cinnamon bark, and patchouli to attract well-wishes but he finds his favorite scent is really the honey and pine and flowers that collect on all of Tooru’s things. He shrugs instead.

                Wanting to avoid spoiling the day, Hajime saves the glass store for next to last. He knows Tooru will leave in a sour mood thanks to Rei’s presence – not that he knows why.

                “Good afternoon, Hajime-kun!” Rei greets as they step in, though her smile falters somewhat at the sight of Tooru behind him. “Shopping for flasks with Oikawa-san?”

                He nods his head, but says nothing more. Tooru seems to perk at that, his grip on Hajime’s arm loosening. He feels rude for not talking to Rei, but he finds it best to just keep quiet around her until Tooru loses whatever grudge he has against her. The mage separates from him only to grab other glasses he decides he wants last second.

                They duo sets their haul on the counter as Rei counts up their total. “70 silvers, please.” After Hajime sets the proper amount onto the counter in place of the flasks and readies himself to leave, the girl stops Hajime with a hand on his shoulder. “Hajime-kun, could I talk to you – uhm, privately?”

                He shares a look with Tooru, whose face is deceptively blank, then turns back to Rei and nods. He pulls his arm from Tooru’s grip. “Can you head to the next stop? I’ll meet you there.” He asks.

                Tooru doesn’t hide the curl in his lip, but shrugs and turns on his heel quickly. This probably isn’t the best for the mage’s temper, but it would be rude just to tell Rei off.  He heaves and sigh and then smiles at the girl waiting patiently at the counter. “What’s wrong?”

                Her face blossoms to a bright pink, and Hajime’s reminded of the face Tooru makes sometimes if he gets to teasing him too much. “Would you like to spend the day with me tomorrow? I really like you, Hajime-kun.”

                Oh. He wasn’t expecting that. Her wide eyes glisten as they peer up at him, lips quirked into a wobbly smile. The poor thing looks like she’s about to cry, but his mind is picking the perfect time to remind him that he has a commitment to helping Tooru before his own leisure. “I’m sorry,” He begins, and her form becomes tight and unmoving. “Tooru’s been really busy lately developing potions for the store, and I’m his assistant.”

                “But…how do you feel about me?” She asks.

                “I, well – ” He stops when he sees a tear roll down her cheek, but steels his resolve. “I’m sorry, I’ve been so caught up helping Tooru that I haven’t been able to really get interested in anyone.”

                “Ah.” Rei says, hugging crossing her arms and smiling up at him. “I guess I’m no match for Oikawa-san, huh?”

                Hajime splutters, “No it’s not like that, I – ”

                “No, it’s fine.” She says, “Don’t keep him waiting.” She turns and busies herself wiping down a glass, effectively ending the conversation.

                In lieu of goodbye, he whispers, “I’m sorry,” and exits the store quickly.

~

                By the time he finds Tooru, it appears to be a little too late. The boy is nose-to-nose with another man, lip still curled like when he left, cold animosity seeping out of every pore. “Stupid humans,” he’s grumbling.

                The other man winds his shoulder back, ready to bash Tooru in the face, before Hajime catches the man’s fist. “Forgive my mage, he’s not used to being around humans. You know how it is.”

                “You’re with him?” The man asks, squinting suspiciously at Hajime.

                He nods rubbing Tooru’s head vigorously. “He’s a little unruly. I’ve tried to train him to be a respectable person, but he just won’t budge.”

                The two ignore Tooru’s squawk of “hey!” and the man crosses his arms. “Whatever. Keep that thing on a leash, why don’t you?”

                Hajime laughs, cupping the man’s shoulder in a vice grip. “He’s not an animal, asshole,” he says, keeping an amicable grin plastered on his face. “Apologize, why don’t you?”

                The man worms his way out of Hajime’s grasp. “You’re just as crazy as the mage,” he mutters, backing off quickly out of sight. Hajime moves to follow him, but Tooru stops him with a gentle hand in his own. He turns back to him, nerves still singing with the urge to beat that guy up.

                “It’s fine, Hajime,” Tooru says, “Let’s go home, okay?”

                Hajime sighs loudly. “Please quit picking fights with the humans, Tooru.”

                “No promises.”

                When the two finally make it through the forest, it’s night and the fireflies trail behind them slowly as they walk the rocky pathway to the cottage. The moon is full and low, illuminating the already glowing forest bright enough that the sun may as well have not gone down. A snow-white bird greets them, perched atop a glittering tree limb – tell-tale signs of fairies – and bows its head almost imperceptibly. Only when Hajime turns his head to smile curiously at the bird does he noticed that Tooru is not beside him. He turns back with a jolt, jostling the fireflies that rest in his hair. “Tooru?” He whispers.

                The mage has his eyes pointed at his feet, wringing his hands and worrying his lip. Before he can say another word, Tooru crosses the gap between them with his long legs – the likes of which Hajime denies are looking like they might getting longer than his – and stands in close to the human. They’re the same height so it’s easy to look into Tooru’s eyes, to see the raw something filling him. Tooru blinks once, hard, and then leans in until their noses touch. His eyes are closed. He waits.

                For what?

                “What are you doing?” Hajime asks, jumping when his lips brush something as he speaks.

                Tooru pulls away, instantly, smile thin on his face. “Just kidding!” He singsongs, running up the pathway, leaving him behind. Hajime feels like some part of him went with him.

                Hajime is 18 when he starts going further into the forest. The more advanced Oikawa gets in his potion-making skills, the rarer the ingredients – though the mage insists that almost all of it can be found within the confines of Aoba Forest, so Hajime continues his search in the deep depths of the trees. It doesn’t bother him much. The huge perk of being an animapath is that the forest takes care of him, helps him. Sometimes the animals will bring him gifts – like cool rocks that he would have killed for as a kid and various fruits and herbs. But now, Hajime needs something specific. He digs in his pouch for the parchment Oikawa gave him, letting out a little “aha!” when his pulls it out.

                He bends down onto a rock and studies the picture on the paper. The lines are wobbly and harsh, dents in the paper where Oikawa’s quill had been. He can tell it’s a leaf or herb of some kind but there’s nothing particularly defining about it. There’s a collection of weird circles that he guesses are bubbles around it, so he assumes it’s underwater. Heaving a sigh, he beckons his following over. A fox sniffs at his knee curiously and he shakes the paper to get its attention. “We’re looking for this,” he says, “it’s probably underwater so look around any waterbeds in this area.”

                He still doesn’t know if the animals can understand him, but they all watch in rapt attention when he speaks and he does eventually find what he’s looking for, so he talks to them anyway. He scratches the under a rabbit’s chin with his finger and then stands up. “Thank you for your help. Let’s do our best today!” The animals disperse evenly at his clap and he himself makes his way down the steep hill, fiddling with his map.

                Even after endless hours scouring both Oikawa’s and Seijou’s respective libraries, Hajime had yet to find any sort of map of Aoba forest. So, Hajime had begun to make his own map. Every day the map grew bigger, a new river added or a new stone unturned, and more often than not he finds a lack of room on the parchment. Lucky for him, he had a mage for a best friend who was more than willing to enchant the map for him. It became smaller or bigger at his call, and the corners extended with every stroke closer to the edge.

                After hours of several close inspections of every body of water he comes across and more additions to his map, he still can’t find want Oikawa needs. There’s plenty of underwater plants in the forest, though they’re ones he recognizes as other herbs. His feet ache for rest, but he refuses that luxury. The animals are working hard; it would be shameful for him to not do the same.

                Shortly after a doe brings him a crisp apple, the fox from before returns, dark eyes twinkling with the knowledge Hajime seeks. He breaks off a piece of the apple with his teeth and offers it to the fox. “Lead the way.”

                The orange-red body of the fox slinks carefully around trees and rocks, nimble yet slow enough for Hajime to keep up. They travel for almost 20 minutes, and the further they travel the lusher the green around him is, giving him a vague sense of being the first human to be in this part of the forest in a while. The morning dew settling on the grass beneath his feet is beginning to evaporate at the sight of the rising sun, the light hitting the trees at such an angle that the rays make the air glow with warmth.

                Ahead there’s a break in the line of trees, opening up to a clearing that surrounds a sizeable lake, which must house the herbs. The water is clear, abnormally so. Hajime can see straight to the bottom, where fish and turtles dwell, brushing against the green growth. It occurs to him that the bubbles Oikawa had drawn around his plant were not extraneous details as Hajime peers down into the water’s depths. Waving with the gentle currents, blue-green leaves are caressed by a considerable amount of bubbles. Hajime grins with relief as he wonders why the bubbles act so strangely, but after 12 years with Oikawa, he learns not to question everything.

                He begins removing his various pouches and bags, untying his shoes and taking off all his clothes down to his underthings. He re-ties his dagger to his thigh, strapping it tight before diving cleanly into the lake. It’s deeper than it appears thanks to the illusion of the water, but Hajime has no problem swimming down with the dense, hard muscles in his arms and legs. Quickly and smoothly, he retrieves his dagger from its holster, he digs at the ground around the herb, careful to keep the root intact. Urgent with his depleting air supply, he pushes from the ground with his feet and makes his way to the top. He gasps for air once he breaches the water’s lines, dizzy with the excitement. Floating leisurely back to the lake’s beach, he puts his dagger away and observes the herbs. With the bubbles gone, the plant just looks like a strangely covered leaf. The roots themselves are strange, glowing almost unnoticeably in the daylight. Shrugging, Hajime lays the root in the pouch with the rest of Oikawa’s ingredients and then perches himself atop a rock to dry off. As he looks for his map among the pouches, he finds a rock. The edges are jagged and sharp, but the face of it is smooth. He smiles thoughtfully, letting his finger trace the edge, then he pulls out his map and some lead and gets to work.

                By the time he’s almost back home, his stomach is growling loudly. The animals try to gift him different foods, but he rejects them partially because he fears that if he accepts everything the wildlife tries to give him, they won’t have anything for themselves, and also because he always eats with Oikawa, with the exception of breakfast.

                Distracted by his hunger, Hajime almost yells when he runs into a couple – human from the looks of it. Wary of the strangers, he puts his hand on the handle of his knife as he calls to them. “Hey, are you lost?”

                These two, unlike him, do shout with surprise, but quickly calm down when they look at him. “You’re that mage’s human, right?”

                “I’m his assistant, yes,” Hajime bristles, scowling at the two. “Are you customers?”

                “We’re trying to be,” the man grumbles, earning a nod from the woman at his side. “You ought to put up signs. It’s a wonder you get any business, what with how easy it is to get lost.”

                “Right.” Hajime says, and then continues his path forward. The animals have stopped following him, and he figures it’s because of the new company. The snow white bird isn’t even here.

                “Where are you going?” The woman demands, stumbling to follow him.

                Hajime sighs and turns around, making the couple almost bump into him. “I’m leading you to the shop.”

                On the way back home, strangers in tow, he slightly realizes that they were right: he should put up some signs. He’s reluctant to admit to himself that they’re right, though.

                The moment he steps onto the threshold of the cottage, he’s assaulted by Oikawa, his arms suddenly full of the mage. “Iwa-chan! You were gone for so long I thought a bear kidnapped you and tried to marry you!”

                “Marry me?”

                “Well they wouldn’t eat you, now would they?” Oikawa pouts stepping back and eyes lighting with recognition at the people behind him. “Customers?” His smile changes, smooth and professional, straightening his clothes. “How may I help you?”

                Hajime steps out of the way, his presence forgotten in the face of potential gold and heads upstairs to put away his things. He sets everything down onto his bed, which is suspiciously made. Not to his surprise, his side of the room is a lot cleaner than it was when he left in the morning. It doesn’t quite match the straight, organized set that is Oikawa’s side of the room, but he can tell the mage had been through there. By the time everything is unpacked and he’s left lying on the bed with the pouch containing the glowing root, and various other ingredients in his hand, Oikawa is bursting upstairs.

                “Iwa-chan, you made me lose a customer!”

                He sits up. “Me?”

                “Yes! They said they’d feel more comfortable if you were here instead of me but then they said you looked tired so they would come back later.” Oikawa sits on the edge of Hajime’s bed and crosses his arms petulantly.

                “How is this my fault? Plus they said they’re coming back.”

                The mage squints at Hajime, “C’mon, Iwa-chan, you and I both know that means they’re coming back never! Plus,” He lays back, torso draped on Hajime’s lap. “If you weren’t here in the first place they wouldn’t have wanted you.”

                “They were probably just in a bad mood because we have no signs and people keep getting lost.” Hajime shakes his legs to get Oikawa to sit up. “Shouldn’t you be downstairs tending the store?”

                “No, I’m in a bad mood now so we’re closed for the day.” He clasps his hands together, and rests his chin on them. “Does Iwa-chan have my ingredients?”

                Dropping them into Oikawa’s lap with a “yes, your highness,” Hajime steps around him to grab an empty bag, preparing to go out again. “I’m going into town.”

                “You just got back! Take a break. We should have lunch!” Oikawa protests.

                Hajime tucks his money pouch into his tunic and shakes his head. “I have to get the things to make signs before the lumber salesman hits the ale for the day. We’ll eat after.”

                “Then let me come with you; we can eat in town.”

                “Hell no, you’d just spend the whole time hitting on people and complaining about that Kageyama guy.”

                “You haven’t met him, Iwa-chan, that guy is so annoying! I want to crush him.” Oikawa looks at his fist like he’d really like it to be connecting to Kageyama’s face, expression sour.

                Hajime ties his shoes back on and shakes his head. “I brought you your ingredients. Make some goddamn potions, why don’t you?” He knows he’s won when there’s silence behind him. He smiles to himself and turns to pat Oikawa’s head.

                “Fine, I’ll just stay here.” The mage says, pure passive aggression seeping from his very being.

                Shit, Hajime thinks, I’ve made him upset. Heaving a sigh, he runs a hand through his hair. “I found somewhere cool in the forest today. We can go there together when I get back?”

                Oikawa looks up from the hole he had been burning into the floor – literally – eyes excited, but he quickly schools his expression. “I guess. I may be busy though, after all, I have potions to make.”

                Rolling his eyes, Hajime smirks and makes his way outside downstairs. “That hole better be fixed by the time I get back,” he says, by way of saying goodbye and steps outside of the cottage.

                Seijou had become a bustling crossroads – even more so than it already had been when Hajime’d first arrived – over the past years. It’s hard to walk through the village quickly now as from sunup to sundown there are thick crowds of people populating the streets. Hajime hated it, if he were to be honest, preferring the quiet afternoons when he and Oikawa would go shopping together. The main benefit of this new development was that there was now a more diverse selection of items to peruse and purchase, but he didn’t know if it was worth it. Gazing upon the endless stalls, careful to keep walking lest he fight against the current of people, he wondered how much wood he was going to have to get. He should probably replace the one by the entrance for starters. Would they sell the wood already cut or would he have to do that himself? Most people that are shopping in Seijou probably don’t live here, so they wouldn’t benefit from having wood that was cut too inconveniently. Of course, he still has the problem of finding the wood stall itself. They change every day, so the spots are never the same. It’s hard for him to think and find the shop with this many people around him, so he ducks out of the wave of the crowd and into a nearby stall.

                It’s an accessory shop, he notices, and an expensive one at that. Cursing his luck, he avoids the gaze of the shopkeepers, hoping to deter them from trying to sell him something. He thinks about the most likely place for the wood shop to be moved as he pretends to look at their merchandise, but something catches his eye. It’s a velvet pouch, blue-green like the herb he had found earlier in the day, and covered in swirling silver designs. There’s a pattern of leaves embossed in the fabric itself, and the design makes him think of Oikawa’s staff, the ridges of the gnarled bark almost identical to the feeling on the pouch.

                On a whim, he buys it.

                He leaves the shop several gold poorer and with a clear head. He finds the wood stall relatively quickly and is pleased to find that it does, in fact, carry pre-cut wood. After bartering shortly with the shopkeeper, he carries 5 sheets of wood with accompanying bases, arms full. He feels clumsy like this, but it can’t be helped. It’s hard to see over the bulk of the wood, and he finds himself muttering ‘excuse me’ more times than he ever has before. People are giving him horrible glares, so he takes it as a sign to try and find a way out of the stream of the crowd. Up ahead he can see a cove of closed down shops, the wave of people avoiding it altogether. He considers that his way out, and waits until the crowd carries him towards it. Once they reach the spot, he quickly darts across the throng of people as quickly as he can, trying not to bump into anyone.

                Hajime finds himself cursing his luck for the second time that day. The moment he leaves the salmon stream of humans, he bumps right into the chest of another person, wood slipping from his hold. He lands on his ass, which he rubs tenderly as he pries open an eye to look at who he ran into. There’s two men, one who looks very pretty – almost Oikawa-level pretty – who’s fussing over the other – who’s very handsome – and hurriedly picking up the wood Hajime dropped. Shaking the daze from his head, he rushes to go pick up the wood too. The overly-attractive couple apologizes to him profusely during the whole affair.

                “I’m the one who should apologize. I wasn’t looking at where I was going.” He says, struggling to hold the wood and bow at the same time.

                The handsome one holds up his hands, ready to catch anything Hajime might drop. “No, I understand. It’s tough in those crowds.”

                The pretty one smiles behind him. “I’m Sugawara Koushi, and this is my partner Sawamura Daichi. I’d shake your hand but they both seem pretty full.” When Hajime looks like he’s about to try and put a hand out, Sugawara waves his own quickly. “It’s fine, it’s fine.”

                “You look familiar,” Sawamura muses, a hand on his chin.

                Ah. “You might know me as ‘the mage’s human,’” Hajime grumbles.

                Sugawara bursts into laughter, and Sawamura grins. “We’re both mages as well.”

                That’s a surprise. Oikawa and Kageyama had been the only two mages he had known until now – though he supposes he doesn’t really know Kageyama. “I’m Iwaizumi Hajime. Pretend I’m shaking your hand right now, if you’d like.”

                “Why do you have so much wood, Iwaizumi-san?” Sawamura asks.

                “’s for Oikawa’s shop,” He explains, tacking on a muttered ‘can’t believe it’s taken us 7 years to put up signs’.

                “We have a shop as well, but it’s a little further past Seijou.” Sugawara informs, smiling amicably at Hajime. “You won’t have to worry about us for competition over your customers.”

                Hajime smiles back, nodding. Sawamura claps a hand on his shoulder and moves with Sugawara past him. “We won’t keep you here. Tell Oikawa Tooru we would be interested in talking about some business between stores, if he’s interested.”

~

                Oikawa looks suspiciously ready to go when Hajime gets back, boots laced up and cape at the ready. He chooses not to comment on it, instead setting the wood down on the table and collapsing on the floor next to it. “Welcome back, Meanie-chan!” He greets. When Hajime grunts in response, Oikawa drops the potions book he’s holding and sits beside him on the floor. “Are you dying?” He asks, cooing mockingly.

                “You try carrying that much wood on a 45 minute trek.”

                The mage laughs, running his fingers through Hajime’s hair. “Your hair’s getting long. Want me to cut it for you when we get back?”

                Hajime opens an eye to glare at him. “You cut my ear last time.”

                “Iwa-chan! You said you forgave me for that! You can’t forgive me and then bring it up every time I offer!” Oikawa whines.

                “What if you forget and get careless again?” Hajime sits up, groaning when his muscles ache with protest.

                Oikawa looks concerned, hands immediately going to knead the harsh lines of Hajime’s back. “Are you sure we should go out? You look pretty tired.”

                Hajime shakes his head. “I can relax where we’re going. Plus, I promised you I would take you there when I get back.”

                “Alright,” He says, smile fond.

                On the way to the lake, Hajime complains about the crowd when he was in town earlier, and he tells Oikawa about Sawamura and Sugawara. He gets teased, Oikawa calling him an old man and saying that maybe he should have been born a mage. Hajime wishes he was born a mage, too. Oikawa whines about every 5 minutes that his feet hurt and that Hajime is walking too fast, so eventually he slows down and grabs Oikawa’s hand to lead him quickly down any steep rocks.

                Hajime knows when Oikawa sees the lake when he gasps sharply, smile growing on his face. “It’s so pretty! This is where you found that root, isn’t it?” He steps forward, tugging Hajime’s arm playfully. “Let’s swim, Iwa-chan!”

                “Not much else to do at a lake,” He sighs, pulling away from Oikawa to set down his things, careful to keep the velvet pouch well away from the splash-zone.

                Oikawa is undressed before him, diving straight into the water without warning. When he surfaces, Hajime notices that he looks odd without his hair curling upward in its usual fashion. “Ah, it’s the perfect temperature,” He muses, floating onto his back. Hajime opts for a cannonball and when he comes back up Oikawa is coughing. “You got water in my mouth!”

                They swim for almost 2 hours, talking about everything and nothing, splashing and teasing each other. Hajime feels a lot better despite the exercise, letting himself be carefree in the mage’s presence. The sun is low in the sky by the time they call it a day, laying on the lake’s beach to dry off. Oikawa offers to use magic to dry them off, but Hajime says he would rather do it the old-fashion way. After a grumble of ‘magic is old-fashioned’ they lapse into a comfortable silence, Oikawa’s head laying in Hajime’s lap. Eventually, groups of animal begin to crowd around them, desperate for the touch that Oikawa’s receiving.

                The mage has one hand scratching behind the ears of a rabbit, his other hand resting gently on Hajime’s. “You know, I don’t really like animals all that much,” Oikawa says, fiddling with the rabbit’s fur. “But knowing they’re here because of you makes them pretty alright.”

                Hajime’s feels his ears get hot, and he can’t fight the kneejerk ‘shut up’ that works its way from his lips. Desperate to change the subject, he blurts, “I have a gift for you.”

                Oikawa sits up quickly, eyes alight with excitement. “A gift?”

                Reaching over to grab the pouch, Hajime can sense that his heart is dangerously close to permanently living in his throat. He puts it in the mage’s hands without looking at his face.

                “Can I enchant it?”

                That does the trick, he thinks, his heart sinking a bit. “It’s not good enough for you?”

                Oikawa looks shocked, quickly putting up his hands and waving them. “No, no, it’s not that it’s,” he pauses, and his face turns a beautiful shade of pink. “I love it so much – I never want to use another pouch again besides this one. I can enchant it so I can carry everything in it!”

                “Oh. Okay.”

                He laughs, clutching the pouch so gently like he thinks it might break. “Thank you, Hajime.”

                “Yeah,” Hajime says lamely, dropping his gaze back to the ground. It’s silent as Oikawa observes the pouch, his finger tracing the delicate designs.

                “Iwa-chan.”

                Hajime looks back up, eyes widening as he sees the animals that usually crowd around him begin to close into Oikawa. They’re all dropping things into the mages lap, fruits and herbs, feathers, and other various gifts. Recovering from his initial shock, Oikawa grins at Hajime. “It must be because you love me so much,” he teases. “The animals can sense it.”

                He does love Oikawa, more than he would care to admit. It’s not that farfetched to guess that the animals can probably sense that. So Hajime shrugs, standing up and offering a hand to Oikawa. “Maybe,” he breathes. “Let’s go home.”

                Oikawa’s face is beaming red the entire way back.

~

                “Iwa-chan, where is my gold dust? I spent so much money on it I can’t just lose it where is my gold dust, Iwa-chan where is it – ”

                Hajime almost snaps the stirrer he’s using in half. “You told me to alphabetize your cabinet yesterday. If it’s not in the correct spot then you must have moved it.”

                “Ah, you’re right, it’s next to the gardenias.” He says. “I was just testing you. How much should I put in? It says a pinch, but is it an Iwa-chan pinch or normal pinch?”

                He’ll bite. “What’s the difference?”

                “With your gorilla hands, a pinch for you is probably a whole spoonful!”

                He smacks the mage’s head without missing a second. “I’ll beat you with these gorilla hands.”

                “Don’t warn me after you already do it!” Oikawa whines, rubbing his head before putting in a pinch of the gold dust. The mixture Hajime’s stirring turns into a shimmer-y purple, its strong floral scent lessening somewhat.

                “What is this we’re making?”

                Oikawa tuts, waving his hand rhythmically through the steam rising from the potion. “Special order potions are confidential, my dear Iwa-chan, you know that. Let it simmer for an hour.”

                Who am I gonna tell, Hajime thinks, you’re my only friend.

                Right on cue, the door rings, signaling the arrival of a new customer. Oikawa hurried pulls the hairpin out of his bangs, running his fingers through his hair. “How do I look?” He asks hurriedly.

                “Disturbingly good, as usual,” Hajime says monotonously, setting the stirrer aside to assist with the customers.

                “Iwaizumi-san, it’s good to see you again!” Sugawara and Sawamura stand in the entrance of the shop, look fresh and beautiful with scarves around their necks and leather coats on their backs. “We got your letter about the shop collaboration and we figured it would be easier to just talk about it in person.”

                “Wow,” Oikawa drawls, “Iwa-chan can make friends? I thought he made you guys up.”

                Hajime smacks his head again and coughs loudly. “Don’t mind him, he’s an idiot.”

                The couple looks as if they’re about to burst into laughter, but they maintain their polite smiles. “I hope you don’t mind, but we came with our apprentice.” Sawamura sticks his head out the door, calling for who Hajime presumes is the aforementioned apprentice. “Kageyama, Hinata, quit throwing snow at each other and come here.”

                Shocked, Hajime turns to Oikawa to share a look, but the mage is looking away with such abject horror that he misses it. The moment a dark haired guy steps in, Oikawa screeches. “Oh my god, Tobio-chan go away!”

                Everyone looks shocked besides Hajime and Kageyama, who is wearing a rather sour expression himself. “Don’t call me that!”

                Behind him, a short boy with glowing orange hair steps in, clenching the back of Sugawara’s coat. “I hate mages why are they so mean…?” He whines pathetically.

                Kageyama whirls around with a loud “Hey!” and the two start bickering loudly.

                Next to him, Oikawa scoffs, and crosses his arms, looking pointedly away from the two.

                “Sorry about them, they haven’t been friends very long.” Sugawara is saying, gesturing for them to step a little aside. “There’s no use stopping them, they always go until they get tired.”

                Sawamura clears his throat authoritatively. “We have a proposal. Kageyama here, well…”

                “He sucks at brewing potions.” Sugawara says, point blank.

                “Right,” Sawamura continues, “We were wondering if we could sell your potions at our shop as well, and in return you get both a large cut of the profits, and you can refer any of your customers who need especially complex charms to us. Kageyama is excellent in charms, at least far better than Suga or I.”

                “No.” Oikawa is saying, tone firm. “No way in hell am I – ”

                Hajime pushes him away towards Kageyama and Hinata, almost surprised when Oikawa instantly starts bickering with them in record time. Hinata instantly looks scared. “Yes, we’ll do it.” Hajime says to the couple next to him.

                They hash out the details, often having to raise their voices to speak over the trio behind them. Oikawa will surely have added profits in this scenario, as his potions are available in multiple locations, not just in a forest that’s easy to get lost in. After finalizing the deal, Hajime shakes hands with the two and then turns to the group of bickering children. “Fuck, Oikawa, let your stupid grudge go.”

                Hinata looks at Hajime, blinking. “W-Why do they keep fighting?”

                “I don’t know, I think most mages are like this.” He says, crossing his arms and gazing disapprovingly at Oikawa and Kageyama.

                “You’re human?” Hinata asks, “So am I! Woo, another human!”

                “The village is literally full of humans.” Kageyama butts in.

                The orange-haired boy bristles. “Shut up Kageyama, I’m always so busy because of you that I never get to meet any of my own kind!”

                Hajime laughs, “I’ve been there.”

                Hinata’s eyes sparkle, “Right! Being an assistant to a mage is the worst!”

                “Hey!” Kageyama and Oikawa exclaim.

                “Alright, that’s enough.” Sawamura is saying, ushering Hinata and Kageyama out the door. “We’ve overstayed our welcome. It’s a pleasure doing business with you, Iwaizumi-san.”

                Hajime waves them goodbye, and the door shuts tightly behind them, leaving the store in an uncanny silence. Oikawa is still for a beat, and then instantly sprints upstairs.

                “Oikawa, what are you doing?”

                In a second, the mage is jumping back down the stairs, a smudge stick of sage and rosemary lit in his hand. “I’m cleansing my home of the evil spirits Tobio-chan brought in.”

                Hajime is 20 when it happens.

                Oikawa is testing a newly developed luck charm (“Being dependent on Tobio-chan makes me feel sick!”) he made out on Hajime (“I’m not your goddamn guinea pig.”). He stands atop a limb in a tall tree, looking down at Oikawa. The mage looks small from here, which is jarring to Hajime as Oikawa had been taller than him for the past 5 years. “Alright, Iwa-chan!” Oikawa claps his hands together. “I’m like 85% sure this charm should do the trick! So if you jump, you shouldn’t get hurt.”

                “85%. That’s reassuring,” Hajime grumbles to himself.

                “Don’t worry, I’ll catch you, Iwa-chan!”

                “Yeah, that’s what you said last time and I ended up breaking my leg.”

                Oikawa scoffs, “That was during the early days; you can’t blame me for that.”

                “Early days? That was last week!”

                “Iwa-chaaan!” He whines. “Trust me this time, okay?”

                Hajime heaves a sigh and shuts his eyes. He trusts Oikawa, but he can’t help but be a little wary because of the earlier incident. He knows Oikawa can fix a broken leg in an instant, but the pain of actually breaking a limb still happens. “I’m jumping now.” He warns.

                The sensation of having nothing under his feet immediately sends his brain into a panic, but he doesn’t have much time to ponder his fall as it ends almost instantaneously. He lands in a wobbly fashion, but still on his feet. The uneven ground that should have maybe him slip and fall remains firmly planted under his boots.

                “Yay, we did it!” Oikawa cheers, hugging Hajime close with one arm. “How do you feel, Guinea Pig-chan?”

                “Like I didn’t even jump.” His heart is still beating loudly in his ears. “Magic sure is amazing.”

                “Trial 1 of 3 complete,” Oikawa says, pulling Hajime back in the direction of the cottage. “Phase 2 begin!”

                Hajime groans. “What’s phase 2?”

                “I hid your money pouch, and you get to find it.”

                “That’s a lot different from what we just did.”

                Oikawa laughs, “No sense in doing two dangerous things in a row.”

                Blanching, Hajime mutters, “Then what is phase 3?”

                Stepping into the cottage, Oikawa pushes Hajime ahead of him. “I hid it somewhere in here! Let’s see if this charm will help you out.”

                He doesn’t even know where to begin looking. It could be anywhere. Oikawa could be lying. Who even knows? He decides to start with the kitchen. He opens the door to the pantry, search inquisitively among the rice bags. He hears a creaking noise coming from one of the shelves. Are they weakening? They’re one of the few original pieces of this cottage – the one thing that Hajime hadn’t fixed up yet. Curious, he splays a hand on an empty part of the shelf and pushes down lightly.

                The whole thing comes crashing down, food tumbling onto the ground. Okay, that wasn’t Hajime’s brightest move, but he forgets the food the moment he sees the dark brown leather of money pouch, which is resting gently atop the mess before him. Snatching it up, he tucks it into his tunic before turning back to see Oikawa’s face scrunched up.

                “Not sure if that’s good luck or not.”

                “Yeah, now I have a shelf to fix.” Hajime sighs, stepping around the mess to get to Oikawa. “What’s phase 3, oh great magician?”

                Oikawa grins deviously. “Come with me, assistant!” The mage leads him back outside to the fire pit.

                “No.”

                “Iwa-chaaan!” Oikawa whines again.

                “You’re not setting me on fire.”

                He squawks, “What! No, I’m not setting you on fire, you ape! You’re just gonna try and reach into the fire and see what happens.”

                Hajime gapes at him. “How is that any different?”

                “One, I’ll be close by, staff at the ready.” Oikawa begins, setting fire to the logs lying in the pit. “Two, if the charm works, which it has so far, then the fire won’t even hurt you. C’mon, Hajime. You know I wouldn’t be doing this if I thought it would kill you, you’re too important to me.”

                Oikawa’s playing dirty and he knows it, but Hajime’s heart soars nonetheless. “Fine, fine.” He inhales and exhales slowly, heart steadying even more when he feels Oikawa’s hand slip into his own. He doesn’t know whether he should go fast or slow, but the luck charm spares him the decision by blowing the strong fire out immediately when he raises his arm.

                “It works!” Oikawa exclaims, pulling him in close for an embrace, nose nuzzling the side of his cheek. “We did it! I don’t have to deal with Tobio-chan anymore!”

                His happiness contagious, Hajime laughs and squeezes him back. “Just because you’ve mastered one charm doesn’t mean you know them all.”

                Oikawa begins to say something, but tilts his head curiously at something behind Hajime. “Customers?”

                Hajime cranes his neck slightly to see two forms walking their way. “Guess so. Let’s get back to the shop.” He pulls away from Oikawa reluctantly and starts heading back.

                The customers come in shortly after Oikawa and Hajime, the bell on the door being the last thing Hajime hears as he looks at the visitors.

                The door stays propped open, letting in a frigid air that freezes him where he stands. He feels both searing hot and icy cold, he feels his nerves spasm in shock. His vision tunnels, and all he can see is them. Their eyes are drooping and their hair is graying significantly but it’s them. The boy in Hajime’s heart can’t help but recognize his parents.

                “Mom? Dad?”

                His father looks at him with disdain, a familiar expression on the face of his parents, yet Hajime only just realizes the hate coming off in waves. “We take our eyes off of you for one second and the next thing we know we can’t find you. And now we return to hear you’re practicing witchcraft?”

                What? “What are you talking about?” He’s so baffled he doesn’t even know what to say. “Why are you even here? You abandoned me.”

                His mother glares at him, but it doesn’t have the same power over Hajime as it did when he was little. “Ever since we lost you, we’ve only had misfortune after misfortune. Food is so hard to come by now. It must be the gods punishing us for not being stricter with you, so we come back to look for you again and what do we hear? You’re some mage’s assistant now?” His mother scoffs, pulling her shawl tighter. “I thought we raised you better. But now we can fix our mistakes. We even found a new trail that’s been made, one that’s bound to have plenty to harvest. So let’s go, Hajime.”

                “Oh my god.” Hajime must be hearing things. “It’s been 14 years! You think you can just show up and be like “woops, sorry we missed you!” and expect me to come with? I’m an adult now, and – ”

                “Iwa-chan.” Oikawa interrupts him. Hajime turns to him, surprised. “You don’t have to stay with me. Plus, I know you don’t like being my assistant that much.” His voice cracks here, and Hajime feels his heart break a little. “And it was only a matter of time before your parents came back to get you – you’re a good kid.” A tear drops out of one of his eyes, and he blinks in shock, causing more to fall. “I’m sorry, I don’t know what’s come over me…” He bows quickly to Hajime’s parents and darts out the door.

                Every fiber of Hajime’s being aches to follow Oikawa out the door, to catch him in his arms, but his father stops him with a vice grip on his bicep. “He’s not a human, you know. He trying to tempt you to stay with him so he can experiment on you.”

                Something inside snaps, and instantly Hajime whirls on him, grabbing his collar and slamming him against the wall. He vaguely registers his mother screaming, but he pays her no mind. “Listen, you soggy piece of shit. Ever since you guys abandoned me – and don’t deny it, you abandoned me with no regrets – Tooru has been the one taking care of me. That magic that you hate so much? That’s what’s been keeping me alive. You think I survived out there alone? No.” Hajime slams him against the wall again. “In fact, the only reason why we stayed alive being nomadic is because I’m an animapath. The reason why you fuckers had food to eat was because of my own magic. So fuck you.”

                The moment he lets go of his father’s collar, the man’s arm winds back to punch Hajime in the gut. He dodges it cleanly, causing the man to stumble awkwardly afterwards.

                “Get the fuck out of our house.”

                His mother grabs his father’s arm worriedly and yanks him towards the door. They leave without another word.

                Even with the threat gone, Hajime’s nerves sing wildly, pulsing with adrenaline, and he has to pace a bit to take the edge off. Once the thrash of anger simmers down, it’s replaced with worry. Oikawa didn’t bring his staff or cloak or anything. He leaves the cottage immediately, legs pulling him fast against the unsteady terrain. He has a feeling he knows exactly where Oikawa is.

                He hears Tooru before he sees him. Almost to the lake, ugly sobs echo through the trees, drawing the attention of the forest animals. They all pass him, forming a line in front of him and going straight towards the lake, like they know exactly where he wants to be. The animals remind him of a bridge, almost – a bridge between him and Tooru. With a renewed resolve, he strides forward as quickly as his legs can carry him.

                As he thought, the animals surround Tooru. The mage doesn’t seem aware of them yet, blubbering with wild abandon. Before he can bring himself to attention, a wolf nuzzles Tooru’s shoulder, causing him to jump in surprise, and swivel his head around.

                His gaze connect with Hajime’s. “Why did you run away? Did you honestly think you could live without me?”

                Tooru wipes the tears from his eyes, but more slide down his face anyway. “Listen, I know it’s been hard letting go of your family,” his voice sounds terrible, which is a given, what with how loudly he had been wailing earlier, “I can see every day how stressed you are about it. And now they came back to get you. So, please, be happy and go with them.”

                “Are you stupid?”

                “What?” He asks, voice small.

                Hajime shakes his head in disbelief, crouching down next to Tooru. “You’re the one I’ve spent the past 14 years with. I could have left you so long ago, but I didn’t. You know why?”

                He shakes his head.

                “Because you’re the only family I’ve really ever known. And you’re all I’ll ever need.”

                Eyes wide, Tooru stares at him, unblinking. He’s beautiful like this, Hajime thinks. His hair is still perfectly tousled and the red area around his eyes blends perfectly with the blush of his cheeks. His gaze is damp with unshed tears. His lips are puffy and pink, probably from him biting them in worry, an old habit of his. Despite the ugly blubbering, Hajime can’t help but want to spend the rest of his life with him.

                His breath stuttering, Tooru leans forward and latches onto Hajime tight. He can feel the mage shiver against him, body shaking slightly. “I’m in love with you, Hajime.”

                “I love you too.” He responds, not skipping a beat. From that moment in the forest when he was 8, when he discovered he was an animapath, when he gave up on looking for his parents, he had felt nothing but love and devotion for Tooru. “Always have.” At first it was so strong he didn’t know what to do with it, but with age he found a place for his feelings. As his love evolved, transformed, reconstructed, he promised himself that he would protect Tooru just as the mage had done for him from the very beginning. It was just a given at this point that he would want to spend the rest of his life with him.

                Tooru pulls away enough to look him in the eye, expression honest. He had never been one to be shy, and this time was no exception. Hajime grunts as Tooru presses his lips against his own, mouth warm and inviting.

                Hajime feels like he’s coming home all over again.

~

                On the way back home, Tooru wonders aloud the mysteries of whether or not his lucky charm actually worked. Hajime tells him that life is a double-edged sword, and no magic could change that.

                “You sound like such an old man, Iwa-chan!”