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Eiden has spent a long time in Klein, since that fateful day where Aster and Morvay summoned him from Earth instead of Huey. Since the day he was declared as the successor of the Grand Sorcerer, a mantle too big and too great for him to possibly fit into, someone who cannot use even a sliver of magic properly.
Yes, it has been a long time since that day Eiden’s life turned for the best. He had met a lot of people since then, from friends who stayed and left, to cute and sexy familiars who are wholly devoted to him as they were devoted to Huey, and amazing clan members whom Eiden cannot possibly trade for anyone or anything else.
Although there had been problems happening in Klein since his arrival, from the altars going haywire, his ‘twin brother’ Rin, and many other notable events… It was a good life, well lived.
Eiden can say that he is a happy man, having lived this long thanks to his immense essence that he can share with his fellow clansmen.
Indeed, Eiden has lived for far too long.
The problem is that, despite having the same abundance of essence as the Grand Sorcerer Huey, Eiden is still a mortal first and foremost. He is still the poor human orphan who had to grow up and be independent on Earth, who had to work his ass off to be recognized and accepted by his clan members and the citizens of Klein.
And the rule for a mortal, is that they grow old.
Even though he may have a long life span, the body of an old man is still frail, and it is bound to fall apart eventually.
Eiden, the Grand Sorcerer who manages to reach his hundred, is already too old to even move.
…He is dying.
He knows that he is dying.
Just like his other human clan members, who are now living in Aster’s mansion as they have gotten too old to continue their previous duties.
Eiden cannot even move his body anymore. He has to be helped if he wants to sit, he has to be carried if he wants to go anywhere, or by using a wheelchair crafted with care by Quincy, with expensive materials gathered by both Dante and Aster, the best of the best for their lover.
Still, it is fine. Living the last days in Aster’s mansion, regularly visited by his fellow mortal old men, the immortals and yokai. It is a good experience, to be doted on by these men that he loves so much, who loves him so much in return that sometimes it hurts to look at their expressions, when they realize that Eiden will leave soon.
Especially the expressions often seen on the faces of his clan members and familiars who have a long life span; how they had to watch him and his human clan members grow old, while theirs are basically stagnant… How their expressions twist or turn blank as they look at Eiden, withering on the bed they used to cuddle and spend so much lovely time with.
Eiden wants to comfort them, but sometimes his words of encouragement and his little jokes, his gentle touches and hand holding, can only create a small, brittle smile, one that makes Eiden’s heart ache in uncomfortable ways.
Even still, there’s nothing he can do about it, so Eiden can only try to comfort them as best as he can, whenever they come to visit him.
However, one day, Eiden notices something odd.
Kuya, who used to come tri-weekly with a new trinket to amuse himself with and chat with the ‘frail young master’… Has suddenly disappeared.
No, it’s more accurate to say that Kuya has not deigned him with a visit at all.
At first Eiden thinks that Kuya is just suddenly busy, or maybe he’s trying to amuse himself to who knows where, since there’s no way accompanying a dying old man on his bed is anywhere near ‘fun’. He thinks of it with good humor, having grown up from that young man so scared of abandonment to someone who acknowledges how deeply his clansmen treasure him. Including Kuya.
However, this good humor vanishes the longer Kuya’s nonexistent visit stretches on. It has even come to the point where Eiden has to inquire the fox demon’s whereabouts from Quincy and Rei, both of whom cannot give him any satisfactory answer.
(Quincy pats him on the head and tells him not to worry about it; and even though Eiden should be too old to even find comfort in head pats anymore… He can’t deny the warmth the gentle giant’s hand brings to his whole body, and Eiden finds himself relaxing on the bed despite his worries about Kuya.
Rei, on the other hand, simply clicks his tongue and spouts off some sarcastic comment about the fox, which… Is on brand for Rei, but doesn’t really help in the long run.)
In the end, Eiden can only worry in silence as Kuya’s absence continues, like a certain hole in Eiden’s heart that cannot be filled even as he withers away.
Eiden remembers of the years long ago, when the fox told him of the inevitable mortality of humans, and the worth of memories shared between an immortal and mortal. He remembers of his answers towards Kuya’s inquiries, and the beautiful, satisfied smiles that the fox gave him, like the tranquil rain that falls upon a drought. He also remembers the argument they had as they talk of sacrificing own lives, and the painful lesson Kuya drove into him, including the heartbroken expression that Eiden will never forget in his entire life.
Despite his answers, regardless of whether they satisfied Kuya or not, he knows that the fox has always paid attention to how Eiden grew old. He noticed the whites of Eiden’s hair, he traced his fingers on Eiden’s wrinkles, he held Eiden’s weak hands that could no longer grab his with as much strength as when he was young.
He wonders now, if Kuya’s disappearance has something to do with that worry, that anxiety that guts the fox demon to the very core: the fact that Eiden is a mortal, and that he will leave the world soon.
It is very unlike Kuya to run away from such an event, despite his feelings regarding Eiden’s eventual death, but who is Eiden to begrudge him? Kuya likes to defy Eiden’s expectations, finding joy in doing the unexpected and the expressions Eiden gives him as a result.
If Kuya’s disappearance really has to do with Eiden’s lifespan ticking down… Eiden thinks that all he can really feel is slight disappointment.
He thinks he’s not exactly angry, after all, he is old and wizened by age. Therefore he simply reasons it as Kuya sulking off and not wanting to see Eiden die a pitiful death, rotting away on his own bed.
…Even so, he wishes he can see Kuya for one last time.
He really… Before he dies, he really wants to see Kuya for one last time…
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Eiden spends his last days with his clan members, saying his goodbyes and thanks, wipes the tears that come from some of his clansmen, and offers smiles for those who look solemn and silent.
Even through all that, Kuya is still not there.
Eiden tries to be strong and understanding about it; there’s nothing he can do if Kuya has already decided on something, and if he wants to ignore Eiden as he breathes his last, then who is Eiden to demand things for him?
Even still.
Even so.
Eiden cannot help it.
He likes to say it out loud, even when he thinks that Kuya might not hear. He says it out loud, with the faint hopes that Kuya is actually there to hear.
“Kuya, I miss you…”
After all, Kuya has always showed up unannounced whenever Eiden even so much as to mention his name, if only to surprise the shit out of Eiden.
“I wish you’re here with me…”
Is it selfish to wish that Kuya will appear again, this time around? When Eiden selfishly, greedily clings onto that hope, that the fox will show himself in accordance to Eiden’s wishes?
“Kuya, I—”
“The young master is always so greedy, indeed,” the smooth voice of the fox demon cuts off his pathetic mumbling, and the Grand Sorcerer snaps his eyes open to look towards his bedside. There sits Kuya, on the chair by his bedside, his legs crossed and lounging there as if he’s always been there, as if he has not disappeared for nearly a month by now. “Even after many have come to visit you, you still want another person to join in?”
Eiden cannot help it, he laughs in surprise, joy blossoming on his expression even as his laughter cuts off into painful coughs, the old man wheezing on the bed as he calms down.
“Kuya,” he greets warmly, as if it is just any other day, as if Kuya has not disappeared and left him behind for a month straight with no one the wiser. “It’s nice to see you.”
However, Kuya is silent. He doesn’t tease Eiden as he usually would’ve, nor does he look sad or gloomy, unlike Yakumo, Garu and Morvay who couldn’t stop crying their eyes out, unlike the silent Quincy, and despondent Aster.
His heterochromatic eyes are unreadable, staring towards Eiden’s old, frail body like one would mechanically look towards a corpse.
…Oh. Kuya is not in the mood to play anymore.
That’s fine. He’s already dying anyway, Eiden thinks peacefully, helpless at the sight of the fox demon’s bad mood.
If Kuya isn’t going to say anything, then Eiden will proceed.
After all, he needs to say his goodbyes to everyone.
Including Kuya.
“Kuya, I—Before you leave again, I want to say my goodbyes. You know, I—”
“Young master,” Kuya’s voice interrupts him, and Eiden’s lips click shut in habitual obedience, brown eyes peering towards the handsome fox demon as he waits for Kuya to continue. “Do you want to spend more days together with me?”
“…What?”
“I reckon the young master is not so deaf, with the hearing aids Master Rei graciously made for your sake…” Kuya trails off, his usual mocking disappointment inexplicably relaxing Eiden’s shoulders. “Regardless, I asked a question: does the young master wishes to spend more nights together with me?”
What a peculiar question. And yet, it brings Eiden to the memories of many years ago, and Eiden cannot help but to answer truthfully, as he always does whenever Kuya gives him these kinds of ‘tests’.
“I do,” he laughs, his voice raspy. “I want to spend so many more nights with you. But I know that my days are about to end, so how could I selfishly demand you so…? I only wish I can spend the rest of my days with everyone, so I can fall asleep happy.”
So that even if he doesn’t wake up anymore, he’s still happy.
“But you wish to spend more days together?” Kuya inquiries even further, his tone unreadable, as if he is holding himself back from saying something. “Create more stories together?”
Eiden… looks at Kuya. He looks towards this purple haired fox demon, the handsome yokai who still seems expressionless as he asks those questions to Eiden, ‘testing’ Eiden for reasons unknown to the Grand Sorcerer.
Although he cannot understand the reason behind Kuya’s questions, he nods.
“…Yes, I do,” he says, “I want to spend more days with you, find more stories, create more memories…” He trails off in the end, the disappointment and the sting of perceived abandonment resurfacing in his chest at that moment, which causes him to start complaining to the fox demon.
“Why did you have to disappear for a month, you bastard… You mean fox… We could’ve spent more time together before I finally die. I could’ve talked with you some more…”
“I don’t quite fancy myself talking with the dead and dying,” Kuya says dryly, and Eiden cannot help the sigh he lets out at that blunt answer.
“Asshole fox,” he says, fond despite it all. He coughs a few times after that, his chest twinging in pain every time he does so. He ignores it in favor of paying all of his attention towards Kuya, smiling as if nothing is wrong in the world.
“Ah, whatever. At least you’re here now,” he says, his voice light. “I missed you, Kuya.”
Then, because he knows he needs to say his goodbyes before he really dies—or before Kuya vanishes again, or interrupts him again, Eiden opens his mouth despite the wheezing pain spreading throughout his chest.
Ah… Tonight might be his last night, after all.
“Hey… Kuya, I…”
It takes Eiden one blink to look away from Kuya, before focusing back on the fox demon again, only to stop himself from speaking more as he registers the sight in front of him.
The Grand Sorcerer’s eyes widen in surprise, a look of disbelief plastered on his face when he spots the thing held delicately in Kuya’s hand.
“…Master Kuya, that’s… Why… Is that a… frog?”
Yes, it is a frog.
It’s a frog that shines gold. Like, actually shining. He may be bad at biology during his student days on Earth, but Eiden is pretty sure that the frogs that look the most pretty and colorful are usually the most poisonous. Right?
The gold frog looks absolutely poisonous, despite its frozen status in between Kuya’s beautiful fingers.
…No, but, in the first place, why is he holding a frog…?
Looking at the upward curl of Kuya’s lips, including the mirth in Kuya’s eyes, the Grand Sorcerer has a sudden sense of premonition.
You see, as Eiden has gotten more frail as he gets older, the mean pranks Kuya likes to play on him has tapered down to a tamer level. By Kuya’s standards, of course, but it is still better and kinder than the mean pranks that happened when he was young.
However, if there’s one thing that never changes from Kuya, is that whenever he plays a prank on Eiden, he will have that particular look in his eyes.
…The same look he’s having right now.
…….Did Kuya come visit him today to finally prank him for one last time?
“Kuya?” He can’t help but ask, staring dead straight towards the frozen frog as if afraid it will leap out of Kuya’s hand any second. “What do you want… What’s that frog for?”
The fox demon chuckles.
“What do you think, young master?” Kuya smiles, seemingly finding joy in the way Eiden starts to sweat and shift lightly on the bed he’s lying on. The movement jolts some pain in Eiden’s abdomen, but it goes ignored as Eiden focuses wholly on Kuya’s new ‘prank’.
“No, no, wait, Kuya—” Eiden says, trying to distance himself from the approaching frog (why is Kuya hovering it closer to him!!?!?!?!), to no avail.
After all, he is old and frail, he cannot even walk anymore, much less run away from the naughty fox demon.
In the end, Eiden can only watch in trepidation as Kuya presses the frozen frog right onto Eiden’s lips.
Like that kissing scene in Princess and the Frog. Holy shit. Why is Kuya making Eiden kiss a frog?!
“Young master,” Kuya’s voice is full with satisfaction, and Eiden realizes that kissing the frog is not the full extent of Kuya’s prank. “Say, aaaaah~~”
Eiden is going to fucking die eating a frog.
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Of course, then again, since when has Eiden been strong enough to stop Kuya when the fox is really determined to do something? At most, what he could do was try to reason with Kuya, and usually the old fox would listen to him if his argument was particularly good, but—
This time, with a frozen frog in his mouth (!!!!) he can’t really say anything. His mouth is wrapped around the frozen frog, his eyes unable to look away from whatever small part of the frog that he can see, and somehow he can’t even move his hands, because of course Kuya pins them down with magic.
“Don’t just suck on it,” Kuya says from beside the bed, giving instructions like a particularly disappointed babysitter. “Chew, young master. You don’t want the ice to melt and feel the frog start wiggling inside your mouth, don’t you?”
Eiden wants to cry. The frog is still alive!!! And it’s inside of his MOUTH!!!
In the first place, why must you stuff a frog inside of my mouth! Eiden wails the injustice in his heart over and over, crying imaginary tears as he complains and complains. My last moments in this world, and Kuya makes me eat a live frog!
“Chew,” Kuya instructs him again, his fingers holding onto Eiden’s lower jaw to help him chew manually. “I know you still have perfectly working teeth.” His tone has turned a bit gentler by now, and Eiden sobs a bit over how he can feel the ice chips away by his teeth.
“Chew it, young master,” Kuya’s voice is soothing, and the scent of his essence helps Eiden to relax on the bed. “It will be okay.”
…Eiden can never win against this fox.
No matter when he was a 23 years old young man, or when he’s a 113 years old man, Eiden is always weak against his clan members, including Kuya.
It doesn’t help that Kuya is still so damn sexy and handsome, thanks to his yokai genes. And Eiden is weak against hot men.
…Therefore, Eiden chews, feeling himself tear up as he can feel the ice breaking in his mouth, the soft and slightly slippery skin of the frog, and the telltale crunch as the poor frog is bitten. Weirdly enough, the frog is so easy to eat as if it is just tender meat, and neither does it have a weird taste like one would have when eating raw meat.
Eiden doesn’t notice any of this, of course, as he is too busy distracting himself from the knowledge that he’s eating a living frog right now.
Kuya is chuckling right beside him, sounding entirely too satisfied for Eiden’s wailing heart. When the frog is all swallowed, Eiden will complain again about him, Eiden swears.
For some reason, however, as he finishes chewing and swallowing the frog, Eiden begins to feel weird.
He’s feeling incredibly dizzy all of a sudden, his body feels hot, and his eyesight is quickly turning blurry.
…Oh. Oh no, is the frog really poisoned after all? Or having some sort of weird properties? What kind of frog did Kuya even feed him?!
“Ku…” He doesn’t even have the strength to speak anymore, staring at the blurry figure by his side that must be Kuya.
The fox demon is holding his hand, he realizes belatedly. There’s a press of lips on his wrinkled knuckles, and his finger twitches in surprise.
Kuya is kissing the back of his hand.
“Go to sleep, young master,” he can hear Kuya’s voice, muffled as if underwater. “And you better wake up.” The last words are said akin to a threat, and Eiden has no chance nor strength to reply to it, as he finally falls into a deep sleep.
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When Eiden finally opens his eyes once again, it is to the sight of Father’s face being mere inches from his.
“Uwagh!” Eiden yelps, his body jumping a bit in surprise. “Father, you scared me! …Wait, huh?”
Father coos at him like he’s the disappointment of the century, flying away from Eiden’s chest to perch on the nearby table.
By that table, Eiden finally notices Rei standing there leisurely, staring towards him with a notebook and pen in his hands.
“Finally awake, huh? Tell me how you feel.”
“…Huh?”
Actually, something is really weird.
Eiden touches his body. He touches his chest, his stomach, and he looks towards his hands. He touches his face, feels the texture of his face with his palms.
…This… This is…
“I’m… Am I young again?”
His body looks and feels as if he is still in his prime time. His voice has returned to that same warm timbre he used to have when he was in his 20s, and he feels energized in a way that has not been for many months.
He feels young, instead of an old man waiting to rot away on his own bed.
“It… It doesn’t even hurt to breathe anymore,” Eiden says, full of wonder. Then, he moves to sit up on the bed, eyes widening in surprise at the lack of pain the movement causes.
“Rei! I can sit! I can sit up on my own!” He exclaims with surprised joy, directing his gaze towards the clan member present in the room.
Rei’s gaze is soft as he looks towards Eiden, his smile warm in a way that has appeared more and more often as he spends a lot of leisurely and fun times together with Eiden, Garu, Karu and other clan members.
“That’s good,” Rei says, walking closer to Eiden’s bed and cupping the Grand Sorcerer’s cheek with one hand. Eiden feels himself blushing and growing hot from the familiar touch. Oh, did his libido come back to him now that he’s back to his young body? “We need to run more tests to make sure nothing is wrong, but… You should be okay.” The assessment given by Rei is as warm as the gaze in his eyes, and Eiden finds himself trusting Rei’s judgement with his whole heart.
However, there still lies that one question.
“Buit… How? I know my body couldn’t hold on anymore, and I don’t think Aster knows any way to make me younger, or he would do that in a heartbeat… And yet…” Eiden trails off, squinting his eyes suspiciously. “…What the hell is in that frog?”
Rei smirks then, tilting his head towards the empty, yet open, balcony.
“Why don’t you ask him yourself?”
“…Kuya?”
No answer.
“I’ll leave for now, don’t exert yourself too much yet,” Rei says, rolling his eyes when Kuya doesn’t appear. He mutters a few choice words towards the fox, one that Eiden is happy to ignore. His smile is true, however, when he directs it towards Eiden once again. “See you later, Grand Sorcerer.”
“Oh, um,” Eiden coughs, still finding it a bit weird that his voice has reverted back to its youthful setting now. “Sure, Rei. See you later?”
“Mm. See you later.”
Rei leaves, Father perched on his shoulder. All that’s left in the room is Eiden, and the suspiciously empty, yet open, balcony.
He remembers Rei’s words, and the last words that Kuya told him before he passed out.
He calls out for the fox once again.
“Kuya? Are you there?” Eiden squints towards the balcony, finding nothing but the swaying curtain. “Kuya…?”
Then a voice comes right by his right ear. “Yes, young master?”
Eiden jumps slightly on the bed for the second time today, his body jolting in shock as he finds the fox on the opposite side of where Eiden had expected him to be at.
“Waaagh! You scared me!”
“Hehe,” Kuya chuckles, lying down on the bed beside him. He looks particularly just like a fox satisfied after a hearty meal, and Eiden pats his thundering chest with some exasperation.
“You really… Stop scaring me like that…”
“Now where would be the fun in that?” Kuya tilts his head, mock disappointment present in his tone that Eiden sheepishly laughs at.
Still, Kuya is now here, which means that Eiden can ask him the important questions.
“…Hey, Kuya?” He calls out, tentatively.
“Yes, young master?”
“You know, I feel like I should be thanking you, but… What the hell is that frog about?”
“…Hehe.” Kuya’s chuckle tells Eiden that the story afterwards will be something fascinating, and Eiden is proven right soon after.
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As it turns out, the frog is something called a thousand years old frog, a creature from a local folk tale in another continent. Kuya, who had heard about the properties of the frog, had gone to the other continent in search of this particular frog, which would explain his month long disappearance from Klein and Eiden’s bed.
The frog is well known for its rarity, how it is incredibly hard to find, and its incredible healing properties.
“…This is beyond any healing, it turned me young again…” Eiden says, sighing. “There are really so many amazing things in this world…”
“The legend did say you can live up to a thousand years if you eat it,” Kuya says, twirling Eiden’s bangs with his fingers. “Though… Finding them was such a hassle, don’t ever make me do it again, young master.”
“In the first place, who asked you—Nevermind,” Eiden shakes his head, knowing where gratitude is due, despite never asking for such a help in the first place.
Certainly, he feels gratitude towards the fox, and although he is surprised over this sudden change of his body, Eiden isn’t going to look at a gift horse in the mouth.
If he’s going to be young again, he’s going to make the most of it! Besides, it feels great to be able to breathe, move and talk normally without coughing out his lungs and having chest pain!
“Wait,” Eiden suddenly stops, realizing something odd from Kuya’s words. “Kuya, you got more than one?”
Kuya sighs then, as if he feels aggrieved. “The prideful king, the priest and the retired knight should be waking up by now as well,” he waves his hand leisurely, as if they’re just an afterthought and that they do not matter.
However, Eiden latches on to the fact that Kuya had actually… also procured the frog for his human clan members.
He cannot help it. His chest bursts with warm affection at that gesture.
“Kuya… Thank you.”
The fox demon narrows his eyes.
“Do not thank me, young master, I did not do it out of the kindness of my heart,” Kuya sneers, pulling on Eiden’s shirt so that Eiden properly lies down beside Kuya on the bed. Eiden gets moved into position with a yelp, wide eyes staring towards Kuya’s burning, heterochromatic ones.
Those beautiful eyes curl up with obvious having satisfaction, obviously liking what he sees. Kuya’s palm is rubbing and pinching Eiden’s cheek, now smooth and free of the wrinkles he used to trace with the tips of his fingers.
“After all, young master, it is you who promised to spend more days together with me. So you have to live up to that promise.”
Lips press against his forehead, and Eiden feels something in his heart settle and burn hot at the same time, desire and love taking over his mind as he clings onto Kuya’s figure.
The fox purrs, pressing light kisses on his brow, his nose, and his lips. Eiden gasps for each one of them, squirming on the bed and wishing for more.
“Young master,” he can hear Kuya say, in between the fox’s kisses. “We still have a lot of stories to create together.”
Therefore, don’t think that you can get away from me that easily.