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Mushiki was the anomaly, in a way, of the world. There were 12 countries around them, with their own cultures and specialties, yet they’d given Mushiki a certain authority such as being in charge of the very own organization of the Tsukihana Kagura, the festival honoring the sacrificial dance that avoided the complete destruction of humanity during the Second Blooming.
Makoto doesn’t dislike it.
Mushiki is special in their own way. He’s proud to have been born there, and proud of his status as son of the head of Mushiki, the Sugai family, those that ensure the process between changing powers is always smooth and abiding to all the rules. Those that have no loyalty to a family or country but to the system.
He’s proud to be part of the soldiers of the country, even when he’s still training. At the same time, he’s not proud of the side that Mushiki has after the festival, when people try to rob the different stalls from merchants from other countries, trying to take advantage of their slips due to their happiness.
Thankfully, they have plans for those situations, and he’s already considered good enough to participate, too.
He has never dwelled too deep in his life- Makoto knew his goals and desires and how to get to them.
It’s mid-fight that he finds him.
Someone that he didn’t even know was missing, someone he didn’t remember, yet someone that had a clear space at his side, a space no one else would fit- It was crafted only for him.
“Behind you!”
The merchant pushes him, and Makoto needs to avoid giving a serious injury to someone as everything from the past passes through his head.
When everyone is on the floor, with proper binds to be taken to prison, he stares at him.
Teal, long hair, and those light purple eyes that lock in him immediately.
Crossing his arms, he also raises his eyebrow as he clearly checks him out before talking.
“You cut your hair?”
“You left yours long.”
“I can show off pretty hair products. You?”
“Easier for everything.”
“I liked it long.”
“Well, you weren’t around. It was time I stopped giving into your every whim.”
“You missed me.”
Makoto can only chuckle at that.
“So? Hishida?”
“Yeah.”
“So the son of the old merchant house… Fraudulent products?”
“Excuse me?! Nothing like that. I’ve cleared up those rumors, my shop sells imported goods of high quality.”
“Cheating wasn’t above you, before.”
“Well, I’m not a war escapee who takes on mercenary jobs to survive with the only guy I know from my destroyed country anymore. I have a stable life now.”
“I see. That’s good.”
“And you? Still a Sugai?”
“Yeah.”
“You’re… Son of the governant, then?”
“And a guard. I can take these jobs now.”
“Eh~”
They both stare at the amount of robbers that are already being taken away, as more experienced guards take over.
“I now realize that the weird feeling I had was that I miss the thrill of blood sometimes, though. Can we go hunt? I want to do that.”
Sighing, the other looks around, before finally deciding to sit near him. Having him that close, he can pick out some details, like he’s certainly dressed differently, in more delicate clothes, looking much more innocent than before. And yet…
“You’re horrible. You’ve remembered our past for what, ten minutes and your first instinct is to go pick a fight?”
“Well, sorry, it sounds like you got ahead of me, sir guard!”
“Mh, and what do you use that sword for?”
“I’m just a poor merchant defending his store~”
“Of course you are. So defenseless.”
“Yeah. I’m glad you get it~”
The smile is immediate on his face.
Something only he managed, time after time.
Watching as the other sheats his sword back and grabs his bag, he realizes that he should be leaving soon.
“So? What now?”
“I have to present charges… I guess the attractive savior of my shop can lead me to the proper building for that?”
“I guess we do have to do that. Come on, Mitsuru.”
It’s natural for him to offer his hand, as it is that Mitsuru takes it, grinning as he hugs his arm, pulling him.
“I owe you a bottle.”
“Uh?”
“You said you were going to make your shop big. It is. I should’ve realized the name was yours.”
“Took you a thousand years to accept I was right.”
“An exception. Take it.”
“Yes, yes. Ah.”
“What?”
“We’re not even of drinking age now. Why did it go up?”
“I…guess you’re right. Dinner, then?”
“I can accept that~”
It was strange, yet fitting for them.
Mitsuru was someone that Makoto didn’t realize he was missing, but now that he had him by his side, he can’t imagine it any different again.
He remembers. Remembers escaping, forced to join the invaders, escaping when helping those boys as well, those two that ended up being part of the ones stopping war for good.
There were losses, but he got a happier ending. They got a happier ending.
He’s not ashamed to say he was glad about it.
“We’ll play dumb about this?”
“Is there anything you want to talk about, Makoto?”
“...No. That’s not our style.”
“Right? You already know what you need to know.”
He also remembers similar words said to him before, when they escaped.
“By your side or no one’s side, Makoto. Really, you know saying these things is not my style. Now, don’t bring it again. You already know what you need to know.”
The only thing he can do is pull him closer as they walk to the government office to do what they had to.
—o—
To think that years from that moment have passed already. Even if he’s now a proper guard, he was also the son of the Chief of Mushiki, which put him in the place to keep an eye on the organization of the festival. Mitsuru has grown in those years as well, and he was now in charge of one of the most known shops from Mushiki, bringing objects from the entire world.
That’s what puts them together yet again, Mitsuru organizing some boxes as they make sure everything is okay to start delegating their work.
“Makoto, you have a package from Momo, it came with their stuff for the festival.”
“Ah, yes. Thanks.”
“You ordered something? How rare. What did you get?”
Of course Mitsuru would have the attention to the detail to know he wasn’t one to do that, usually.
“You’re really asking. Didn’t you consider that I’d tell you if I wanted you to know?”
“You’re so mean to me!”
He couldn’t talk about it yet, though, so he chose to comment on something similar.
“Yes, yes. I saw that Akane brought you something privately, too.”
“And? No one says we can’t~ I think considering all the trouble we had to go through to get their gunpowder to work for the closing event, we deserve it!”
“Right. What was it?”
“I’d tell you if I wanted you to know~”
“Come on, get this done, I have a shift in an hour and I have to go home to change.”
“I brought your change of clothes to the office, don’t be so annoying. I need help here, all these boxes need to go to the deposit to be picked later.”
“So you brought me here to be your personal mover?”
“Of course.”
“You…” Shaking his head, he wonders briefly what the other had to make him go along with him every time.
More than a thousand years had passed, and yet, he still enjoys that provoking grin in his face. The one that kept him on his toes, that kept pushing him as staying back wasn’t an option, that one expression that kept some humanity in him when it felt like it’d be easier to give up.
As he stays still, Mitsuru pouts a little, before moving to give him a small kiss, followed by pressing his finger against his cheek.
“Please?~”
“One day, I’ll stop falling for your tricks.”
“When that happens, I’ll have more. It’s cute that you think I have only a set of tricks.”
“Ah?”
“What? It’s not my fault you always fall for the same ones.”
“As if you’re one to talk.”
“What type of tricks do I fall for, Makoto-kun?”
And if Mitsuru could read him right, the same could be said about him.
It's immediately that he blushes when Makoto pulls him into another kiss, pulling his body closer to his, not leaving him any escape.
When he pulls away, Mitsuru tries to hit him, but he can predict that, catching his hand while grinning.
“Ah?!”
“Serves you right. Come on, let's get to work.”
“Wait! That’s not fair!”
“It isn’t?”
“No!”
“What a pity.”
With that, he moves away, taking the last word as he knew Mitsuru hated when that happened.
“Wait! You jerk!”