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Pointed ears flicked as the chill breeze nipped at them.
It didn’t snow often in Sisa, but the cold was still bitter as the tail-end of winter dragged on. A pale hand reached out to pull the shutters closed against its bite.
He hadn’t spotted Asato on the horizon yet, but he couldn’t be far out. The trip to Ransen had become significantly shorter in the days since the void retreated, which was a relief to the starved surrounding villages who could finally share in its prosperity. The other Kiran cats still mostly preferred to keep to themselves, but Konoe and Asato would regularly journey back to catch up with friends, visit festivals, or simply restock their pantry.
His touga had insisted on taking this week’s errand run alone.
Ever since the incident it had become a hassle and a half getting Asato to let him do anything by himself, but Konoe was finally adapting to the use of his left hand. It was both patronizing and overbearing, the way the black cat constantly treated him like a kitten, but in the end Konoe knew his heart was in the right place. As long as he could still get enough freedom to rebuild his strength and coordination for the basic necessities, he’d stopped arguing over the smaller tasks that Asato would rush in to take over. Besides, as much as he had grown to love Ransen, he certainly wasn’t going to complain about not having to walk all that way in the freezing cold.
Shuddering off the lingering chill, Konoe made his way to the kitchen and started searching for a kettle.
By the time he finally heard the door clatter open, Konoe’s fingers were warming around a mug of tea with a blanket snug across his shoulders. Black fur cocooned in travelling cloaks rounded the corner of the entryway shortly after, his nose tucked down as he rifled through the bag of goods he carried. When he opened his mouth Konoe expected to hear a cheerful greeting, or weary complaint of the weather, or most likely some question about the things he’d picked up.
But the words that actually came out–
“Hey, sweetheart?”
It was a miracle Konoe didn’t choke.
The rest of Asato’s request was muffled by his coughing and sputtering in attempt not to, though, causing the other cat to look up at him with a mix of concern and surprise. He hurried to Konoe’s side, carefully taking the cup from him while he recovered.
“Who taught you that word?!”
“Is it bad?”
Deep blue eyes locked onto Konoe’s, their wide, innocent shine showing no sign of mischief or hidden intent. No; as usual, the only thought going on behind them was the worry of having potentially upset Konoe. Merciful goddess, this man was going to be the death of him…
“N- no, there’s nothing wrong with it…” Konoe pinned his ears back, heat rising in his cheeks despite his efforts. “It’s just embarrassing when you say things like that.”
Asato blinked. “Bardo told me it’s what you call the person you love. I love Konoe, so I should call you that, right?”
Konoe squinted at him with a pout. “That old man is a bad influence on you, you know that?”
“I’m sorry.” It sounded less like an apology than just the response he hoped Konoe was looking for. With the coughing fit now subsided, Asato returned his cup to him – which Konoe took mostly to keep his hand occupied, not that it stopped his tail from twitching agitatedly.
“So… I shouldn’t use it?”
Those eyes stayed glued to him, watching intently and only making his blush worsen. Konoe turned away with a huff. “I didn’t say that, did I.”
He could feel the grin forming on Asato’s face without having to see it.
“Konoe!” Arms reached out to wrap around him, pulling him in from behind despite his halfhearted protests. “Sweetheart.”
The chin resting on top of his head trapped him in place and sent the vibrations of Asato’s purring echoing through his whole body. Konoe grumbled and squirmed in his grip, but it was hard to keep from purring himself. “Yeah, yeah, careful you don’t make me spill my tea.”
Reluctantly, the vice around him loosened until Konoe was able to twist himself to face his touga properly. The childlike smile and sparkling eyes before him were infectious, and Konoe could feel the corners of his lips pulling upwards against his wishes.
“What’s gotten into you today… why does it even matter what you call me?”
“Konoe is sweet. And Konoe likes sweets. So it makes me think of you.”
When Konoe sighed and nuzzled into his shoulder to avoid his gaze, Asato leaned down to softly kiss the tips of his ears. His tongue peeked out to groom the fur there, gently soothing their sensitive skin until the smaller cat had finally relaxed in his arms.
“Konoe also tastes– ”
“Ugh, forget I asked.”