Work Text:
"Did you hear the news?"
"There's been attacks in Ritou over the past week."
"I hope Lord Ayato is doing okay."
It would be more strange if no rumours were floating around the Kamisato estate, but even still, the worry in Thoma's heart doesn't settle. A month had already passed since his lord had departed on a business trip to Ritou, and while it would be as simple as walking over for a visit, someone had to tend to the estate while he was away. Such duties fell on his shoulders; as the head housekeeper of the Kamisato clan, he tended to pick up the slack when Ayato departed for extended periods. Surprisingly, and thankfully for Thoma, that wasn't very often. It's not like he would object to a task given to him anyway, especially not one from Ayato.
However, with the increase in crime and assassination attempts in Ritou as of late, Ayato's return home, having been put on hold, is currently driving Thoma up the wall. His work ethic has slowed down to the point that even other housekeepers are noticing. A part of him knows that he must keep working, but for once, he doesn't want to. He misses seeing Ayato every day, misses their casual banter as the latter would do paperwork. And now, with the added fact that his lord might potentially be in danger, it doesn't calm the swell of emotions weighing down his mind.
Thoma misses Ayato.
He misses the warm hand running through his hair, the hand that gently rests against his back whenever Thoma is cooking dinner. He misses the way Ayato calls his name, gentle yet firm, purposeful. The blonde sinks his head against the kitchen counter, mentally chastising himself for thinking about such little things while he's trying to prepare some snacks. But he can't help himself, as the more he tries to work, the more he's reminded of his lord being miles away from him. It causes pain in his heart; Thoma is well aware that Ayato is a powerful man, both mentally and physically, but that doesn't mean he can't worry about him.
The thoughts in his mind start to become overwhelming, so Thoma does the next best thing to distract himself. He grabs a knife and starts mindlessly cutting up the ingredients in front of him. Part of the reason he likes cooking so much in the first place is because it allows him to empty his mind and focus solely on one thing. He gets to appreciate how the smallest of ingredients can have the biggest impact on a certain dish. It's the same with his time spent in Ayato's study-
"I'm supposed to be taking my mind off him." Thoma sighs, setting down the knife. He mumbles to himself, a habit he picked up on from when the Traveller visited Inazuma. "I just hope he's okay."
Seconds of leaning against the counter turn into minutes, and Thoma finally decides to finish making those snacks. He grabs a few small boxes, placing all the cut-up vegetables and rolls of meat neatly into each one. He runs his hand through his hair, sighing contently for once, then begins to clean all the utensils he used. After everything is left to try on a few towels, Thoma wipes at his forehead, getting rid of some sweat that is starting to form. It felt oddly warm in the estate at the moment, but Thoma didn't question it; he undid the top two buttons of his shirt to cool off and continued cleaning up the kitchen.
Part of his mind shuts off as he cleans the kitchen, working on autopilot and accidentally starting a deep clean. Thoma spends extra time cleaning the stove, making sure to clean off any residue left over from cooking, as well as any dust collecting on the sides. In the back of his head, he swears he can hear a faint voice calling for him, but Thoma ignores it, wanting to finish the cleaning he had started. It's not until he feels a familiar hand on the center of his back that he stops in his tracks, jolting a little. The hand is warm, firmly pressed against his back in a way to get his attention, and that's exactly what it does.
"Hard at work, I see?"
That's Ayato's voice. That's Ayato's voice.
Turning around, Thoma sees blue hair, long and well taken care of. He sees soft skin hidden underneath the formal attire his lord is wearing. He sees Ayato, who has the warmest smile on his face and a conflicted look in his eyes. Thoma sucks in some much-needed air, as holy crap, he thinks he might be hallucinating from the cleaning supplies. But the warm touch to his waist is real, and the soft hand tracing his cheek can't be anything but reality; how long had it been since they'd been this close together?
Thoma let out a shaky breath, backing into the freshly cleaned kitchen counter as the taller leans against him. "My Lord?" He let the blue-haired man push his back onto the cold marble, shivering at the hand placed on his chest. A thumb hesitantly brushes against his bare skin, and Thoma looks up with confused eyes. "Ayato?"
Ayato closed his eyes as he leaned forward, his voice low. "Forgive me, Thoma."
Soft lips met with Thoma's, the man above him caging him against the counter. He gasped at the light kiss, waiting a few minutes before reciprocating. It was light and warm, a soft feeling growing in his chest the longer it went on. The blonde felt dizzy, his head spinning as they broke apart minutes later. They stared into each other's eyes, green mixing with purple before both males pressed forward once more.
It was nothing like anyone else described. Kissing Ayato always felt like safety and serenity all at once. It felt right, like his sole purpose being to do this for the rest of his days. They moved slightly with the increasing force of the kiss, Thoma sliding his arms around his lord's neck to ground himself. It felt so right; everything about this moment felt like a dream to him. It felt like home, welcoming him in after a long and tiring day.
A quick nibble on his bottom lip drew a gasp out of the blonde, causing the two males to break apart. Ayato leaned back, giving Thoma enough room to sit up. The commissioner known to the public would never be seen like this by anyone else; Ayato's face turned a light shade of pink, and he looked away with sheepish eyes. Thoma was breathless. It was only a short while, and although taken by surprise at these events, he still enjoyed them. He wouldn't trade an exchange like this for anything.
Ayato looked into his eyes again, almost seeming regretful in a way. "Apologies. You just looked so breathtaking, working away without expecting to see me; I couldn't help myself and let my emotions take control. I'm deeply sorry, Thoma."
Confused by the sudden change of tone, the blonde adjusted his weight on the counter, moving to sit on the edge. He reached a hand toward the other's face, flinching when Ayato pushed his cheek against his palm. His cheek felt warm to the touch, Thoma's face turning red at the feeling. He used his other hand to guide Ayato closer, both their faces nearly touching at the lips again. The blue-haired male shook nervously, watching his dearest friend with wide eyes.
"Thoma? I don't understand- "
"My Lord." Thoma leaned to whisper directly into Ayato's ear, smiling gently at the shiver he gave. "I've missed you for the past month. Now, here you are, back in the estate, safe and sound. I worried for you when I heard the rumours; I couldn't rest some nights. I'm so glad that you are alright." He gently bit down on the other's earlobe, smile widening at the shaky gasp Ayato let out. "I think it would be acceptable if you indulged yourself every once in a while, my Lord."
With those words lingering in the air, Thoma quickly wrapped his arms around Ayato's neck once again, pulling him closer for a hug. He took in the scent of the other's cologne, relaxing at the smell. It felt commanding yet welcoming at the same time. Thoma let his head rest on his lord's shoulder, waiting for him to do the same. It didn't take very long for Ayato to give in.
Letting his head rest, Ayato leaned forward to embrace Thoma. Strong hands gripped at the blonde's back, warm arms wrapping around his waist. He felt the sobs more than he heard them, reaching his hands to tangle into blue hair. Gently tugging on the strands, Thoma hummed a gentle tune. He comforted the man who was leaning on him, rubbing at his head to soothe him.
"Thank you, Thoma."
"Anything for you, my Lord."
"Anything, you say?" Ayato pulled away from the hug, peering down at Thoma like he was a meal. "Be careful with what you offer now. You might get more than you bargained for."
A small huff left Thoma's chest. "You're all talk, and we both know it, Ayato."
Ayato couldn't help but let out a chuckle, lowering his head to Thoma's chest. "Perhaps I am."
Thoma used his hand to raise Ayato's head, gripping the other's chin firmly. "Are you sure there's nothing you want right now? If not, I'd love to get back to cleaning this kitchen."
"Hmmm. Maybe you'll let me help you make dinner tonight?" Ayato pressed a small kiss to the blonde's cheek. "You always insist I stay out of the kitchen when you're cooking."
"Yeah, because you always find a way to ruin my perfectly good food."
"I'd prefer to say I enhance it." Ayato fakes a pout. "Besides, you said you'd do anything for me, didn't you?"
Sighing fondly, Thoma returned a kiss of his own on Ayato's forehead. "I did say anything, didn't I?"