Chapter Text
It was a bright and sunny day as Yu and Kou departed from Calystegia, which was a sharp contrast to Yu’s mood. ‘Why must this day depart from the norm?’ Yu pondered as the carriage set off to take them back to Izanagi. Most days were usually overcast if not drizzly, and it was almost as if the weather was mocking him with its pleasantness. When the carriage drew close to the cottage that Mr. Tatsumi and his wife lived in, Yu drew back away from the window of the carriage while unable to draw his eyes away, hopeful for one last glimpse. Unfortunately, no one from the household was outside, and Yu leaned back heavily in his seat once the cottage was out of sight. He wondered if Yosuke had read his letter yet – if he would even read it – and allowed his head to fall back against the carriage with a dull thud.
“Are you quite alright, cousin?” Kou asked. He had been uncharacteristically quiet, obviously allowing Yu some space, but it appeared his patience had finally waned. “You have been quiet since yesterday. Even for you that is quiet odd behavior.”
Yu sighed before crossing his legs and sliding his head so it rested on the corner of the carriage. He then stared back at his cousin who was looking at him with a raised eyebrow. “I take it you proposed even after I cautioned against it?”
“Apparently I should have paid more attention to your advice,” Yu replied. Kou rested his head on his hands before appraising his cousin.
“He did not seem well yesterday after we had gone out riding,” he said thoughtfully. “It may have just been a matter of timing.”
“He let me know in no uncertain terms that the answer would have been the same, regardless,” Yu replied. “Apparently there was no moment in time in which I stood a chance.”
Kou frowned. “I did try to speak on your behalf yesterday. And Mr. Hanamura has met you several times. I cannot see how he would not think you a good match.”
Yu remembered Yosuke’s first vehement reason for denying his proposal and winced. Kou’s heart had been in the right place, but it had definitely harmed more than it helped. Although in that accusation Yosuke was in his right and he found he could not think ill of his cousin for bringing up a topic that he did not see an issue with. Yu also had not until he had realized his mistake. “The girl that I had saved Yukiko from marrying was Chie Hanamura,” Yu said dully, and Kou’s eyes widened.
“I assume Mr. Hanamura’s sister?” he asked, and Yu nodded.
“Why would you wish to marry into a family that you were protecting Miss Amagi from?” Kou asked, and Yu let out a slightly bitter chuckle.
“I did not think that Miss Hanamura truly returned her affections. I discovered yesterday I was wrong in that assumption and in trying to help only caused harm.” Yu sighed. “And while Mr. Hanamura’s family is flawed, while they are truly below our station, I cannot help but feel a life with him makes up the difference. He is so vibrant and sees people instead of their stations. His music, his words, those eyes, move me like nothing ever has.” Yu clutched at his chest as he spoke, and Kou seemed surprised by the magnitude of affection coming from him.
“Well, while I did caution you from proposing,” Kou started after the carriage fell back into silence. “I have to say, I did not think you were entirely without hope.”
Yu’s eyebrows furrowed as he considered his cousin’s words. “What do you mean?” he asked.
Kou paused to gather his thoughts. “In the time that we all spent together, while I could tell from his stories that he had not truly gotten to know your true character, his eyes inevitably always drew to you. I could tell that sometimes you surprised him and if he truly did not like you, he would not have sought your opinion as often as he did. There is a certain sparkle that appears in his eyes when he teases you that I did not see in his interactions with his cousin and his best friend.”
Yu had noticed some of those things, which is why he had been so taken aback by Yosuke’s reaction to his proposal. “Do you think…” Yu took a shaky breath. “Are you under the impression he will read my letter? He had two main points of opposition that I addressed to see if I could make amends to his poor opinion of me.”
“From the stories you have told me, Mr. Hanamura always listens to those opinions that differ from his own. What you need to be ready for is what he may say, if he chooses to say anything at all. He could read your letter but there is no guarantee that he will address it,” Kou cautioned.
Yu nodded, and closed his eyes. All he could do at this point is wait and see if Yosuke chose to communicate with him again. Kou began to fill up the silence with discussion of his next assignment which would be at Shichiri and Yu would hum here or there to acknowledge he was listening. Kou, used to his cousin’s occasional moods, didn’t mind and they had a relatively pleasant trip back to Yu’s estate.
They would only be there for a few days, since Kou soon had to leave to return to his post, and Yu would be taking Nanako with him to visit Yukiko and Rise at their family’s estate. The idea was to allow Nanako time to experience the larger city with her two big sister figures before they would need to return so Yu could take care of some things at Izanagi ahead of the next season. Once they arrived, Nanako clocked her cousin’s mood. Kou and Yu were cousins through Yu’s father while Nanako was his cousin through his mother; even though they were not technically blood related, it did not stop Kou and Nanako from having a close bond as well.
“What is wrong with Yu?” she whispered to Kou, loud enough for Yu to hear.
“His beau turned down his proposal,” Kou loudly whispered back, and Yu let out a sigh.
Nanako gasped. “He did not!” she gasped.
“If only you knew the manner in which he proposed, you may understand why.” Kou had eventually needled the full story out of Yu toward the end of their trip, and he had rightly pointed out that Yosuke had a point to be offended by the proposal.
“What did you do?” Nanako asked, turning to face her favorite cousin. Yu was basically like her brother and had raised her more than her father due to his military career. She knew that her father had approved Yu breaking off his engagement with Kanami, feeling like something arranged before either child could consent to it wasn’t a true engagement anyway, and had given Yu his blessing to pursue Yosuke after reading the letters about him from his nephew. She had been rooting for him, for she could tell from what Yu wrote how enamored he was. She had been greatly interested in meeting the man who had so enraptured her cousin, especially after she learned he also played pianoforte.
Yu opened his mouth and then closed it. It was one thing to tell Kou exactly what happened; it was quite a different thing to say the same to Nanako who looked up to him as a role model. “He told Mr. Hanamura that he wished to marry him against his best judgement,” Kou spoke up once Yu failed to reply.
“You did not!” Nanako gasped. “Please tell me you did not.” Yu’s shoulders slumped. “No wonder he did not accept. I am certain Mr. Hanamura let you know in no uncertain terms that was an awful thing to say.”
“He did indeed,” Yu sighed.
“Did you apologize?” Nanako asked.
“I did, in a letter,” Yu acknowledged. Nanako pinched her lips.
“You must write him again,” she decided, and Yu tilted his head in confusion. “Why, do not tell me you are going to give up just like that. Mr. Hanamura is the love of your life!” Yu felt his cheeks flush as he gazed at the younger girl in wonder.
“I do not wish to force my feelings upon him anymore than I already have,” Yu replied.
“You can give him a little bit of time, but once we get back home from our trip you must write him again. Let him know you are still open to a friendship if he is amendable. Then you can start things off on the right foot and see where they go.” Nanako was enthusiastic at the idea, and Yu did not have the heart to assuage her confidence in her plan. He would be surprised if Yosuke was interested in such a friendship, but he supposed it wouldn’t hurt to try. He also knew that he owed it to Yukiko, Chie, and also Yosuke, to rectify his mistake in pulling Yukiko and Chie apart. Even if Yosuke did not speak to him again, they still deserved their happiness. He planned to speak with Yukiko once they returned to Izanagi since it was closer to Inaba and he would support her journey to Amaterasu if she chose to rekindle their relationship.
After spending some time in Tokyo, Yu returned back to Izanagi on his own so he could prepare to host the Amagis and for Nanako’s return. He chose to ride by horse instead of by carriage, and found his thoughts returning back to Nanako’s insistence that he write again to Yosuke. As time passed, his feelings of hurt about being rejected had begun to fade, and instead they were replaced with feelings of regret in how he had inadvertently treated Yosuke. He had disrespected Yosuke and hurt his sister, and Yu felt nothing but shame. While his first letter had meant to address Yosuke’s accusations, taking ownership where Yosuke was right and correcting where Yosuke was working on unreliable information, he felt Nanako was right and he should write something new to let Yosuke know how mortified he was by the manner in which he had spoken to him.
Once Yu finally reached his estate, he stopped at the pond for a dip, shedding his jacket but maintaining his breeches and shirt for propriety’s sake. He did not wish to alarm any of his staff by being indecent, even though a part of him wished to shed the clothing as well. He would certainly need a sponge bath and to change his clothes once he was inside. Yu dunked his head underwater, enjoying the reprieve from the heat, before climbing back onto the embankment. One of his staff had spotted him and arrived to take his horse to the stable, and Yu thanked him before folding his jacket over his arm and making his way to the house. He spotted Margaret standing outside speaking with what he assumed were visitors and headed to them.
“Miss Margaret!” he called as he approached. “I know I am back early – thank you for entertaining our visitors…” Yu trailed off as Margeret turned to face him, stepping aside in the process and revealing someone Yu had hoped but not dared to expect to see again. Yosuke’s eyes were trained on Yu’s chest, and he appeared to be equally startled to see him. “Mr. Hanamura, what brings you to my estate?”
Yu’s question broke Yosuke from his stupor, and Yosuke’s eyes shot up to his face in a panic. Yu noted the color that flushed on Yosuke’s cheeks as he replied. “You were not supposed to be home,” he started, then let out a wince at how rude it sounded. “I apologize, if I had known…”
Yu’s heart pounded in his chest. While Yosuke’s words could have crushed his hope, they were said in such an embarrassed way that Yu could not help but retain it. “I returned early,” he interrupted, trying to set the other young man at ease. “I was not set to return until tomorrow. I wanted to prepare the estate for my cousin and the Amagi’s stay.” As he spoke, he noticed a carriage being pulled around to the door – he apparently caught the party as they were about to leave. “Please, allow myself to change into something decent. I took a dip in the pond to cool off. I would like to show you and your guests the grounds, if you would allow me more of your time.” Yu spoke rapidly, unlike himself, and felt his heart pound in anticipation. Yosuke turned pale, and Yu felt his heart lurch before his view of Yosuke was interrupted by Yosuke’s companions. They quietly conferred with Yosuke, and Yu could not help but radiate tension as he waited for Yosuke’s reply.
“I would like to stay,” he replied, and Yu felt all the tension fade away. His gaze met Yosuke’s again, and he could sense the change in how he looked back at him. Yosuke had read his letter, it seemed. Yu may have another chance after all.
Yu woke up the day after the wedding to Yosuke pressed against his side with his head pillowed against his chest. Yosuke was clutching him in his sleep, and Yu felt at ease as he studied his husband in the early morning light. Yosuke truly was the handsomest man Yu had ever laid eyes upon, and he could not help but feel fortunate that after all they had been through they were now together. “Must you stare at me so?” Yosuke mumbled, his eyebrows furrowing adorably as he continued to keep his eyes squeezed shut against the morning light.
“Good morning, love,” Yu greeted, continuing to caress Yosuke’s figure with his eyes. Yosuke blindly reached forward until his hands brushed Yu’s face. He then slid his fingers up to press against Yu’s eyelids in an attempt to close them, and Yu could not help but let out a chuckle. He captured Yosuke’s hand and pressed a kiss to his palm instead. “Ready to meet the staff today?” Yu asked.
Yosuke’s eyes finally blinked open, and he gazed back at Yu with sleep lidded eyes. “I must make a good impression before I inevitably ruin it. They will think me a terror.”
“They will adore you,” Yu countered.
“Up until I help them with the chores. They will think me quite odd – I am certain no one from your household had done such a thing before.”
“And once they are used to it, it will only endear you to them,” Yu insisted.
Yosuke didn’t seem fully convinced, but he soon let out a yawn before sitting up. His hair was a sight to behold after their activities during the prior night. Yu’s fingers itched to run through his husband’s tawny hair, but he had to show some decorum since they planned to travel to the Narukami seaside cottage for their honeymoon. Instead, Yu got up to rinse off after their activities last night using cloth and a basin of water that had been set out for their usage, while Yosuke attempted to wake up. Yosuke finally joined him and they set to work helping each other dress and brushing each other’s hair. Yosuke teased Yu, rightly assuming that normally his valet took care of this task, and Yu could not help but pull his husband in by his collar and press a kiss to his teasing grin.
After a few moments, Yu pulled away, satisfied that he had quieted his husband. “Come along, Mr. Narukami,” he said, watching the flush form on Youske’s face. “Let us breakfast so you can meet our staff before our trip.”
“You do not play fair,” Yosuke grumbled as he followed him from their bedroom. They made their way down the hall to the breakfast room, taking seats next to each other since it was a more casual affair. Yu kept looking over at Yosuke, cherishing the fact he was actually here, in what was now their home. Yosuke was keeping a sharp eye on the staff, greeting all the came in to serve them, and working hard to remember their names. They seemed as curious about him as he was of them; he had visited briefly before but at the time it wasn’t known he would be the gentleman of the house in their future. Yu was happy to see the cook had pulled out all the stops at breakfast to welcome Yosuke to Izanagi as well.
“Everyone seems quite lovely,” Yosuke commented after he finished his meal and the staff had cleared the plates. Yu was perusing the morning paper while Yosuke sorted the letters that had been dropped off the night before from family and friends wishing him well in his new married life. He was currently looking at Naoto’s letter. “I do regret that I did not get to see her wedding,” Yosuke admitted. “If only I had not been so stuck in my head. I should have been a better friend to her in that moment.”
Yu had only heard of the situation tangentially and had not realized Yosuke hadn’t gone to the wedding. “What happened?” he asked curiously, and Yosuke flushed.
“Well…” he started, his fingers picking at the letter. He let out a sigh. “You were not the first person to propose to me.”
Yu had not kept up with the gossip in Inaba even when he had stayed there due to limiting his interactions with the locals, so this was the first he had heard of it. “My cousin, Mr. Tatsumi. He actually proposed to me before proposing to his wife.”
Yu stared at Yosuke, surprise evident in his features. He then let out a chuckle, surprising Yosuke. “Was it as awful as mine?” he asked.
“I actually felt guilty about his,” Yosuke said. “It did feel awful in the moment because I knew we were not a good match. I did hurt his feelings though and it did not take long before he proposed to my best friend. Your first proposal though…” Yosuke paused. “It was most certainly worse.”
Yu’s cheeks flushed a bit, and he was reminded again about what a fool he was. He could have lost his chance if Yosuke had been the kind of man to take the easy route; then again, if Yosuke had been that sort of man, Yu probably would not have fallen for him. “When I found out that he had proposed to her and that she had accepted, I felt betrayed. I did not think she cared for my cousin and I was upset she would make such a choice when I could not fathom it, for both of their sakes.” Yosuke let out a small sight. “I realize now that I should not judge her for her choice and I should have been more supportive.”
Yu reached out to grasp Yosuke’s hand. “It is still understandable that you were upset,” he said. “The proposal being made so shortly after your refusal.”
“I am just glad we were able to make amends, all of us,” Yosuke said. “My relationship with my cousin is far better than it ever was.”
“I am just glad that you did not accept and that you gave me another chance,” Yu replied sincerely. It was Yosuke’s turn to lean forward for a kiss.
“After truly seeing you, how could I not?” he simply stated. Yu began to consider the benefits of skipping the seaside cottage entirely and just taking his husband back to bed, when Yosuke abruptly pulled away. “Now, I must meet the staff. Please have the footman prepare our carriage, I will return to you shortly.”
Yu pouted as Yosuke left the room in a whirlwind of movement, before pulling a cord to ring for the servant in question. “Please prepare the carriage with our trunks,” he requested, and Kondo nodded and bowed before heading off to take care of the task.
Yu then went to see his valet, Theodore. He was Margaret’s younger brother and had attended Yu since he was a child. “Were you able to find it?” he asked. Yu had wanted to get Yosuke a wedding gift and had heard that one of the local bookstores carried a book of sheet music that had lighter pieces more in the style of what Yosuke liked to perform. He had also gotten a book of blank sheet music for Yosuke to use to transcribe his own pieces since he knew Yosuke intended to write a new piece soon.
Theodore grinned before pulling out the book in question from the bag he was carrying; he had gone out that morning as soon as the shop opened. “Excellent, thank you,” Yu said before gingerly taking the book and opening it. It wasn’t like he could actually read sheet music himself, but Nanako had recommended the book and he trusted her judgement. Yu closed it again before placing it within his personal belongings that Kondo was working on bringing to the carriage. He then headed to where the other servants were lined up to greet Yosuke. Yosuke had gone to introduce himself to each one, learning their names and a bit about their background, and was now speaking with Margaret who would be his personal attendant as the gentleman of the house. Yu watched them interact for several minutes, ignoring the knowing glances of his staff as they spotted his devoted gaze.
Once Kondo indicated the carriage was ready for their journey, Yu finally made his way to Yosuke to cut in. “I deeply apologize, Margaret, but I must steal away my husband now.”
She shot him a knowing look before bowing her head and stepping back. “Have a safe journey,” she said, as Yu took Yosuke’s arm and briskly walked him to their carriage.
“Do you think they liked me?” Yosuke asked, glancing back as they passed through the door.
“They adore you. They spent the past month listening to me wax poetic about you and somehow think now that you live here that will suddenly change.”
Yosuke gaped at Yu in surprise as his husband practically lifted him into the carriage before scrambling in after him. He then closed the curtains before tapping the top of the carriage to let the driver know they were ready. The carriage began to move and Yu could not help but stare at his husband intently. “They must despise me,” Yosuke whined, completely missing Yu’s intentions.
Yu let out a small sigh. “They truly like you,” he said. “Every one of them commented on how changed I was after I returned from Inaba and then later when you visited the estate." Yosuke looked appeased by his words, and he smiled widely at Yu.
“I am glad to hear that,” he said, before yelping as Yu pulled him into his lap. “Mr. Narukami!” Yosuke proclaimed, his voice indignant but his eyes alight with mischief.
“I did not get nearly enough time with you this morning,” Yu replied. “Yosuke.”
“Yu,” Yosuke smiled, accepting Yu’s kiss and refraining from moving from his lap the entire trip. Eventually, when things grew less heated, Yu allowed Yosuke to open the curtain again so they could watch the countryside fly by, Yu with his arms around Yosuke’s waist while Yosuke rested his head on his husband’s shoulder.
When they finally got close to the sea, Yosuke sat up and leaned closer to the window. His face as alight with wonder, and Yu realized it must be his first time seeing the ocean. “It’s so vast,” Yosuke said, and Yu suddenly understood some of his excitement around the venue for their honeymoon. Yu was looking forward to the reduction in servants; staff would take care of things during the day but leave at night so they would have the place to themselves. He had thought Yosuke had merely been excited about the same but now realized that it was more than that.
He pressed a kiss to Yosuke’s cheek, before pointing out the cottage as they came upon it. “That is where we shall be staying,” he said.
“How quaint,” Yosuke gasped. The cottage was smaller than even Kanji and Naoto’s home, and it had a thatched roof and was in the style of a Tudor home. It had been retrofitted with more modern conveniences but still felt cozy. As they stepped out, Yu swept Yosuke in to give him the tour, while Kondo and Hosoi the driver began to bring their luggage inside. Yosuke was distracted from the grand tour by the view of the seaside outside the back window, and Yu allowed himself to be tugged outside to take in the sea breeze and the view.
“Now this is romantic,” Yosuke grinned, and Yu allowed him his moment, taking the time to appreciate Yosuke’s wind tousled hair and giddy expression.
Eventually, it was time for them to return to the cottage, so they could eat the luncheon that had been prepared by the staff. They would be leaving early today to give both men their privacy; the cook Aika had left them some cold meats and cheeses to snack on for supper later. Once it was just the two of them, Yu took Yosuke’s hand. “I have a surprise for you,” he said, and Yosuke tilted his head before following Yu to the bedroom where their trunks had been stashed. Yu reached into his to pull out both books before handing them to Yosuke.
“But, I did not get you anything,” Yosuke said, looking ashamed as he opened the first book and began to flip through its pages.
“We have a small pianoforte here that Nanako uses when we visit,” Yu explained. “Your gift to me can be a performance every night.”
“I would do that anyway,” Yosuke muttered, before opening the other book. He realized what it was for and gave Yu a shy smile. “You spoil me.”
“I just provide what you deserve,” Yu retorted. “And truly, your music, your sharp wit, your dashing looks, your bright smile. They are all the gifts I need.”
Yosuke turned away in an attempt to hide his embarrassment at Yu’s praise, and he chuckled before encircling his husband in his arms. “I love you,” he quietly whispered in his ear. It felt so right, embracing Yosuke, like he was made especially for Yu to hold.
“I love you,” Yosuke concurred, his posture relaxing in Yu’s hold as if he agreed with Yu’s thought. “Now, take me to bed.” Yu grinned, scooping Yosuke up in his arms and causing his husband to shout, “Not like that, you demon!” Yosuke pouted at him, as Yu gazed back fondly, finding his annoyed huff quite adorable.
“As you wish, Mr. Narukami,” he teased as he began to make his way to the bedroom they’d be sharing during their visit.
“To think, you were hiding such a wild side to you this whole time,” Yosuke contemplated as Yu crossed the threshold and deposited Yosuke on the bed.
“There is much for us to discover about one another,” Yu agreed, before kneeling over Yosuke. “I cannot wait to spend the rest of our lives learning.”
Yosuke pulled him into a kiss, and they ended up skipping their supper that night, for they were too wrapped up in each other to leave the bed.