1. Jachdwalt
“Jachdwalt, I like you,” Ougi says one day, tugging on his sleeve.
“Hm?” Jachdwalt looks over his shoulder to find Ougi staring up at him, a light blush dusting his cheeks.
They’re on a mission for Haku (well, really for Oshtor) to exterminate some bandits in the area. The bandits in question have already been subdued and taken away by the authorities, so now all they have left to do is some cleanup.
Ougi tugs on his sleeve again. “Please go out with me.”
“Uh… We’re already outside, yeah?”
“I believe you’ve misunderstood.” Ougi leans in. “Jachdwalt, I like you,” he repeats himself slowly. “I greatly enjoy your company, and I find myself wanting more of it. So please, go out with me.”
Oh, what do ya know, Ougi wants to hang out. Nosuri is out escorting Rulutieh and some goodwill gifts back to Kujyuri on behalf of the Mikado for the next couple weeks. Maybe he’s feeling lonely without his sister around. It’s kind of a roundabout way to ask, but that’s really part and parcel of dealing with Ougi at this point, and Jachdwalt doesn’t see any reason to refuse the poor guy.
“Sure.” Jachdwalt turns around, a lazy grin on his face. “I'll go out with ya.”
Ougi’s eyes open a fraction of a centimeter more than usual. At this rate, Jachdwalt might actually be able to see them. Regardless, Ougi seems to be staring at him intensely. “Are you sure?” he asks. “You’re saying this because you do want to go out with me, correct?”
Okay, now this is starting to get weird. “Of course, yeah?” Jachdwalt replies, raising an eyebrow. “I know we usually joke around, but you don’t think that little of me, do ya?”
Ougi stares at him for a few more seconds, before he finally shakes his head. “No, I would never,” he answers firmly. “Shall we go somewhere tonight, then?” Ougi closes his eyes again, expression relaxing into a small, soft smile.
Jachdwalt whistles, “Heck yeah. We can head out on the town. I’ve heard of some good spots ‘round here that I've been wantin’ to try out myself. Just leave it to your ol’ Jachdwalt, yeah?”
They go to a local bar and have some drinks. They drink so much that by the time they make their way back to the Hakurokaku, Jachdwalt’s stumbling over his own two feet. Ougi gets him to his room and helps him change into his nightclothes.
And then he pushes Jachdwalt down onto the bed and kisses the ever-living daylights out of him.
Jachdwalt absent-mindedly ruffles Ougi's hair as he sleeps next to him the following morning. Well, he’s really half on the bed and half on Jachdwalt. If Jachdwalt pushed Ougi off him now, he’s sure he’d find numerous bite marks on his chest from when Ougi started going ham on him before Jachdwalt tossed him out of the bed last night. He must have snuck back in while Jachdwalt was asleep. Crafty little bastard.
Jachdwalt sighs. He supposes he can leave him be for now, but man…
…evenkuruga do some wild things when they’re drunk.
2. Shinonon
“Dad, do ya like Ougi?”
Jachdwalt’s hand stops from where it was brushing Shinonon’s hair, the little one in question tilting her head back to look up at him with wide eyes.
“Mm. I like him well enough, yeah? He’s reliable. Good in a fight. Minds his business an’ all that. Why d’ya ask?” Jachdwalt nudges Shinonon’s head upright and starts running the brush through her hair again. He takes any stray locks into his other hand and sections them away from her ears, the soft fur brushing against his knuckles.
“Ougi said that he likes ya. Like, likes likes ya. He asked me if I wouldn’t mind sharin’. Since you’re goin’ out an’ all that,” Shinonon relays this information to Jachdwalt like she’s talking about a mildly interesting cloud she saw in the sky that morning. Her tail leisurely drags back and forth across the tatami, occasionally bumping into Jachdwalt’s knee.
“He told ya— Huh ?” Jachdwalt almost drops the brush. To say that he’s dumbfounded at his daughter’s words is an understatement.
Him, going out with Ougi? As in dating? Courting ? There’s no way.
“You’re goin’ out with Ougi ‘cause you like him, yeah?” Shinonon notices the brush has stopped again, and turns around. “It’s okay, Dad. I don’t mind. I can share ya.” She stands up and starts patting Jachdwalt’s hand, her tiny hand running back and forth across his hair. “There, there, Dad. Even if it doesn’t work out, I’ll always be here for ya.”
“Uh, don’t think too much about it, Shinonon.” Jachdwalt gingerly removes her hand from his head and turns her back around so he can start tying her hair up. It’s not like he doesn’t appreciate her concern, but Jachdwalt really doesn’t need this right now. “Ougi can like what he likes. Your old man ain’t goin’ anywhere. It’s like I told ya before— you’re the only one I need, yeah?”
Shinonon hums happily. “An’ Dad’s the only one I need! Oh, but ya gotta let ‘im down gently, yeah?” She turns around again after Jachdwalt ties her pigtails into place, setting her hand on his knee with a serious look on her face. “Hearts are fragile, Dad.”
Jachdwalt’s eye twitches. He takes her hand into his.
“You can leave ‘im to me, yeah?”
He needs to find Ougi, and fast.
2.5. Ougi(?)
"Ougi." Jachdwalt catches him in the hall on their way back from dinner. "I heard ya told Shinonon about"—Crap. How is he supposed to say this—"uh, us?"
Ougi tenses up for a brief moment, and Jachdwalt's worried he's said something wrong, but then he relaxes and nods. "Yes, it's best to inform children early on so they know what to expect. This is especially important for a long-term commitment like ours."
"A long-term commitment," Jachdwalt echoes, nodding along like he's definitely been aware of this the entire time. "'Cause we're datin'. Courtin' each other an’ all that. Makes sense, yeah."
Actually, no it doesn't. Weren't relationships supposed to start with a confession or something? He doesn't remember Ougi confessing his burning love to him at all. And if he did, then that means Jachdwalt forgot. And that would make him an awful partner all around. What in Denebokshiri is going on here?
"...I didn't think it needed to be said, but yes, we are." Ougi frowns. He walks up to him and grabs Jachdwalt’s shoulders to pull him down slightly so he can place his hand on his forehead. "Jachdwalt, are you feeling alright?"
“‘m fine,” Jachdwalt mutters, closing his eyes. His brows seem to have knit themselves together of their own accord, and he can feel a headache coming on.
“You’re a little warm,” Ougi murmurs. “Perhaps you overdid it with the drinks tonight.” He feels the pad of Ougi’s thumb press into the space between his eyebrows, rubbing in slow but firm circles to help release the tension.
The floor’s starting to feel unsteady under Jachdwalt’s feet. He leans into Ougi’s touch a lot more than he should. Jachdwalt’s either the biggest idiot or the biggest asshole alive. He’s starting to feel like it might be the latter.
“Jachdwalt?” Ougi’s voice is awfully close. Jachdwalt can feel him leaning in, breath softly brushing against Jachdwalt's cheek. He remembers this sensation. It's the same as that night. His lips tingle from the memory. He takes a shaky breath.
Ougi leans in even closer, concerned.
His heart’s thumping real loud in his chest. It pulses through his ears. A thud, thud, thud that knocks against his mind.
Jachdwalt thinks back on the past couple of weeks.
Ougi’s taken to hanging around him while Nosuri is still out on her assignment. And it's not like Jachdwalt minds, really. Ougi makes decent company when he's not messing with Jachdwalt for the heck of it. But maybe he's gotten a little too close, considering what happened the last time they went out for drinks. He could have easily gone out with Haku, or Kiwru, or even Oshtor.
Yet he went with Jachdwalt, the guy who managed to always take him seriously except when it mattered most, the guy who just realized they’ve committed to a long-term relationship with each other for who knows how long, the guy who's still leading him on—assuming he hasn't been figured out by now—because…
“Jachdwalt, I like you. Please go out with me.”
Oh.
Oh.
Jachdwalt slumps over. He wraps his arms around Ougi’s shoulders and leans his full weight into the other, exhausted. Ougi goes with the flow and effortlessly shifts his own weight so he can hold both of them up, allowing Jachdwalt to hold Ougi as tightly as he can to himself. Ougi can probably feel Jachdwalt’s heart hammering in his chest now that they’re pressed up against each other like this, but Jachdwalt can’t bring himself to care.
He noses at Ougi’s hair. The soft strands tickle his face, and Ougi's eyelashes flutter against the side of his cheek. He sighs.
Ougi’s warm. So damn warm.
He doesn’t want to share this warmth with anyone else.
Dear god, Ougi isn’t a bastard, after all. Jachdwalt’s just an idiot.
“Ougi.” Jachdwalt takes a deep breath and looks Ougi in the eyes. Well, as much as he can look him in the eyes when he’s always got them closed, anyway. “I like ya, yeah?” He’s blushing. (Jachdwalt doesn’t blush. Not for another man.)
There’s a frankly embarrassing lack of reaction from Ougi at Jachdwalt’s confession. It feels like Jachdwalt’s taken a torch and thrown it into a lake. He might have splashed some water on himself and gotten a face full of smoke in the process, but there’s hardly any ripples in the lake’s surface as the torch sinks below its waters, consumed without so much as a trace.
It’s only natural. This is a life-changing revelation for Jachdwalt. For Ougi, it’s just another day.
Yet Ougi smiles. It’s not a big smile by any means, a simple curve at the corners of his lips, but it makes Jachdwalt’s breath stutter regardless. He brings Jachdwalt closer, until their foreheads touch.
“I’m glad you return my feelings,” Ougi whispers, and presses a soft kiss to Jachdwalt’s lips. The heat on Jachdwalt’s face intensifies. “To tell you the truth, I was beginning to worry. But it seems my concern was for naught.” Jachdwalt doesn't notice himself leaning in for more until Ougi pulls back and neatly adjusts Jachdwalt’s collar, dusting some yet unseen substance off his shoulders.
Wait, what?
“Well, then.” Ougi takes a step back and clears his throat. His face seems a tiny bit pinker than usual. “I still have some matters left to attend to. If you’ll excuse me.” And then he casually turns on his heel and leaves, just like that.
Jachdwalt stands there, dumbfounded for the second time that day.
So were they going out or not!?
On second thought, Ougi’s still a bastard.
( His bastard now, he supposes. But still.)
3. Nosuri
“Jachdwaaaaalt! Are you in there!?”
There’s a pounding at his door that’s only slightly softer than the pounding in his head. Jachdwalt groans, resisting the urge to roll over and cover his ears with his pillow. “I’m here, I’m here! Gimme a second, yeah!?”
The pounding stops, and Jachdwalt sighs. If someone’s yelling at him this early in the morning, it’s probably urgent. He gets out of bed, tossing the blanket over the unmoving lump at his side. His sleeping robe is falling off his shoulders, so he tightens it over himself to make sure nothing’s showing and quickly ties his hair up.
He slides open the door, ready for anything.
“Jachdwalt,” Nosuri says, “I need to talk to you.”
Oh. Nosuri’s back. This is the one thing he wasn’t ready for.
Jachdwalt immediately tries to slide the door shut, but Nosuri sticks her foot in the doorway.
“Jachdwalt, I said I need to talk to you,” Nosuri repeats herself, gritting her teeth. “Why aren’t you letting me in?”
“Nosuri,” Jachdwalt replies with a smile, holding onto the door with a death grip. Holy shit is her foot made of iron? “A good woman lets a man get dressed before bargin’ into his room, yeah?” Maybe Ougi coddles her too much, because Jachdwalt doesn’t see where else she’d get the audacity to do this. Usually he’d laugh it off, ‘cause it’s more funny than annoying, but right now—
“You look plenty clothed from here, Jachdwalt. Please let my sister in.”
Fuck!
“Ougi!” Nosuri peeks over Jachdwalt’s shoulder to see her brother sitting upright in the bed. The blanket has been draped over his shoulders to cover himself, but it’s clear that he’s wearing even less than Jachdwalt. “Where are your clothes?” she asks innocently.
“They’re right there.” Jachdwalt can’t see him, but knowing how much of a pushover Ougi is for his sister, he’s probably pointing to the mess on the floor. “I just woke up, Sister. I haven’t had the chance to dress myself,” he explains.
Why are you doing that, Jachdwalt wants to scream at him. Can’t he see that Jachdwalt's clothes are there, too? Open your eyes for once, dammit!
Nosuri deflates. “Is this a bad time?” Now she remembers her manners? Jachdwalt’s going to pop a blood vessel. He’s about to take the chance to shoo her out when he feels a hand on his lower back. It grabs his hastily-tied toupai and pulls , threatening to take his robe with it.
He whirls around, using both hands to stop his toupai from unraveling completely. Nosuri’s iron foot slams the door open with a bang!
Jachdwalt jumps at the noise. Somehow Ougi’s managed to dress himself (and nearly undress Jachdwalt) in the span of approximately ten seconds. Jachdwalt knows for a fact that his clothes don’t even come off that fast. How in the world?
“Not at all,” Ougi tells Nosuri. “A brother’s duty is to assist. Please, come in.” He grabs Jachdwalt’s shoulders and steers him to the closet, wholeheartedly inviting his sister into a room that isn’t even his. “I’ll put on some tea.”
“Oh, do you think you could put rintan juice in it? That tasted pretty good last time.”
“Of course, Sister.” Ougi produces an unlabeled jug from seemingly nowhere, and begins pouring its contents into a smaller serving cup.
“There’s a lot of your stuff in here,” Nosuri remarks. “Jachdwalt’s been keeping you company while I was away, huh? I’m glad you two have become such good friends.”
Jachdwalt gets in the closet. Maybe he’ll stay there.
(Nosuri later gives him a stuffed animal she picked up in Kujyuri for Shinonon. It’s a nice gift. Shinonon’s happy with it, and so’s Jachdwalt. But as he watches Shinonon play with her new toy, he can’t help but feel like he’s lost an important part of himself.)
4. Haku
“Oi, Jachdwalt.” Haku waves at him from a table as he walks into the lobby of the Hakurokaku. “Are you going somewhere? You’re dressed nicer than usual.”
“Boss,” Jachdwalt raises his pipe at him in greeting, nodding. “I’ve got a date, yeah?”
“Oh?” Haku immediately crosses the distance between them, suddenly much more interested in Jachdwalt’s appearance. He’s covered in grime himself, presumably from cleaning the gutters again. Jachdwalt bends down a bit as he carefully smooths out any wrinkles in Jachdwalt’s clothes and picks off any miniscule specks he can find. Thankfully, he’s got clean hands.
“You seem awfully happy about this, boss.” Jachdwalt lets Haku finish his impromptu inspection, straightening his back.
“Well, I wasn’t ever going to bring it up, but I’m glad you’ve found someone. I’m sure Shinonon will be happy to have a new mom.” Haku sniffs, wiping an imaginary tear from his eye.
Putting aside the fact that Shinonon isn’t actually his biological daughter, Jachdwalt needs to clear this up before anyone else in their group can get any weird ideas.
“Boss, it’s Ougi.”
“Hm?”
“My date. It’s Ougi.”
“Pfft, what does Ougi have to do with your date? Waitwaitwait, don’t tell me— you got him as your wingman?” Haku whistles, stroking his chin. “Nice going, Jachdwalt. I dunno how you did it, but he does have a way with words. Well, when he’s not messing around, anyway. If you can keep him in check, all the ladies will be yours.”
“Uh.” Haku’s a sharp one, Jachdwalt knows, but right now it feels like he’s banging a stick against a rock. “Boss. I should get goin’, yeah? Gonna be late at this rate.”
He starts to walk away, but Haku gestures at him to come back. “Actually,” Haku says, pulling out a piece of paper. “If Ougi’s going to be there. Do you think you two could handle this on your way back?”
Jachdwalt gives it a quick look-over. It’s a posting for a lost orke. Poor thing hasn’t been seen in three weeks, apparently.
“I don’t mind,” Jachdwalt says slowly. “But this is gonna be pretty out of our way, yeah?”
Haku waves his hand dismissively. “Bah, that distance is nothing for Ougi. He’s probably got some info on it already. Oh, but if you get tired you can just head right back. Ougi takes care of this kinda thing in a jiffy.”
Jachdwalt blinks. Does Ougi usually get treated like this? He knows that Ougi’s a reliable guy, but this seems a little excessive. Oh no. He thinks back to all the times he’s asked Ougi to run errands for him. Jachdwalt hasn’t been contributing to this himself, has he?
Slightly more distressed than before, Jachdwalt takes the paper from Haku’s hands. “I can’t guarantee we’ll get it done today,” he acquiesces, “but we’ll make time for it when we can, Boss.”
Haku nods. “Sounds good. Enjoy your date, man!”
--*--See AlsoЭов 6/3 инструкция - edomhnx
“Jachdwalt,” Ougi calls out to him with a smile on his face. “You made it.”
Jachdwalt finds Ougi waiting for him off to the side on one of the busier streets in the capital. Like Jachdwalt, he’s also dressed up for the occasion. Clipped atop one of his ears is an earring that Jachdwalt got for him a while back. It's made out of lapis lazuli, and glitters a nice deep blue as it dangles amidst the soft downy feathers. The shade complements his eyes.
(Jachdwalt would know, he thinks smugly to himself. He’s had plenty of opportunities to see them. He knows what they look like.)
“Sorry for the wait, yeah?” Jachdwalt easily falls into step beside Ougi. Their hands brush against each other as they start to walk off. “I ran into Boss on my way out.”
Ougi hums. “Did Haku say anything?”
“Eh, not much.” Jachdwalt takes out the paper Haku gave him and shows it to Ougi. “He gave me this, though. Wants us to complete it today if we can.”
“That seems awfully far from where we’re headed,” Ougi comments. “You took it anyway?” He's careful not to show any obvious signs of displeasure, but after spending so much time around Ougi, Jachdwalt can see the beginnings of a frown on his face.
“...I'll handle it, yeah?” Jachdwalt mumbles, ashamed. He is going to pop his leg out of his hip joint and use it to kick himself in the face.
Ougi pats him on the back. “No, it’s okay, Jachdwalt. It'll be faster if I do it. You needn’t worry, it's no trouble at all.” He's smiling, but there's a resigned air around him.
Make that two kicks in the face, damn it. Jachdwalt is part of the problem.
5. Kuon
“Jachdwalt, you know you can come to me if anything’s bothering you, right?”
“Hweh?” Jachdwalt rubs the remnants of sleep crust out of his eye from where he’d been taking a nap under a tree. The sun is out in full force, so the shade is particularly good today. “Bosslady? What’s this about?”
Kuon stands in front of him, hands on her hips. Her tail swishes back and forth through the air agitatedly.
“That’s what I should be asking you, I think.”
“...Did I do somethin’?”
“No, not you, I think.” Kuon squints. “It’s Ougi. I couldn't help but notice that he’s been hanging around you a lot lately.”
Oh, it’s just this. Jachdwalt’s almost relieved. Kuon is Haku’s guardian, so explaining this to her will be quick and simple.
“I was meanin’ to tell ya, Bosslady. Ougi and I are—”
“I’ve banned him from coming near you for the next couple of weeks. You’re welcome.”
Jachdwalt’s pipe almost falls out of his mouth. “Uh, say what?”
“I caught him leaving a stink bomb outside your door,” Kuon deadpans. “I could smell it from down the hall, so I threw it away. A rather mean-spirited thing to do when you’ve got a child with you, I think.”
Oh, that. Kuon makes it sound like Ougi was committing an act of terror against him, but Jachdwalt figures she must have found a box of those exotic confections Ougi introduced to him last week. They're made out of a fruit grown in one of the warmer regions along Yamato's coast. Anything made with them smells worse than a rotting corpse at first, but it's surprisingly delicious once you actually try it.
Jachdwalt himself likes the taste, so he asked Ougi to get him some more if he could. Knowing Ougi, he would have sealed those things airtight to prevent the smell from leaking out, and Jachdwalt can't imagine he would've forgotten, so...
“You don't needa worry about that, yeah? Ougi didn't mean any harm,” Jachdwalt sighs. Looks like Bosslady’s got sticky fingers.
“It's not just that, I think,” Kuon stresses. “I’ve also seen him going through your stuff, messing with your food, wearing your clothes, even…” She shakes her head as she lists off Ougi's various offenses, exasperated. “He's weirdly obsessed with you for some reason. So I thought I'd step in.”
“Hokaaay,” Jachdwalt says, dragging out the last syllable as he processes this information, “you're as observant as ever, Bosslady. But this is still a little much, ain’t it?” Have they really been acting that obvious this entire time? Actually, where was Jachdwalt when Kuon was seeing all this? He's the one dating the guy. He wants to see Ougi in his clothes, damn it.
“Jachdwalt.” Kuon crouches down so she’s at his eye-level, brushing her skirt over her knees. “You’re a little rough around the edges, but I know you’re a nice person at heart. That doesn’t mean you have to put up with this. No one’s getting bullied on my watch, I’d think.”
“It’s not bullyin’, yeah?”
Kuon puts her hand on his shoulder.
“I heard you crying Ougi’s name last night,” she says in a grave tone. “What else would it be?”
Jachdwalt blanches. Actually, clearing this up might make things worse.
Kuon sits down next to him. “Jachdwalt,” she says his name again, sighing. “You don’t understand. Ougi’s a little special, I think. As long as Nosuri’s happy, I’m sure he means well. But he also has the tendency to throw others under the bus for that same reason. I’ve straightened him out before, and he’s generally mindful towards anyone in our group, but these”—Kuon leans over and pulls down Jachdwalt’s collar in one smooth motion—”aren’t just some bug bites, I’d reckon.”
“...Bosslady.” Jachdwalt's faith in Kuon is plummeting into the ground at record speed. “You really shouldn’t be doin’ that, yeah?”
“I’m an apothecary,” Kuon huffs. “This is normal, I think.”
Your thinking is wrong , Jachdwalt wants to shout from the bottom of his heart, but he holds his tongue.
This isn't good. Jachdwalt is rapidly losing ground in this conversation. If he doesn't do something quick, he might actually lose his Ougi privileges for the next two weeks. And after living with an affectionate Ougi for the past few months, he doesn't think he'd survive going back.
He doesn't have a choice. Kuon’s gonna get grossed out, sure, but she's brought this on herself at this point. He's gotta tell it to her straight.
“Bo— Kuon,” Jachdwalt says, dropping the title in his desperation. “This ain't what ya think it is. Sure, Ougi can be kinda annoyin’ sometimes, but I really don't mind it. ‘cause, ya see, we’re da—”
Kuon holds her hand up, silencing any and all protests.
“It’s okay. You're just confused, I think. I know you didn't join us under the best of circumstances, and you've got Shinonon to take care of, as well. I can see why you'd be hesitant to do anything that’d ‘rock the boat’, so to speak. But this level of denial isn’t healthy, I think.”
“Kuon, this ain’t denial, Ougi and I really are go—”
“—That's why I'm placing the same restrictions on you as I am on Ougi.” Kuon blatantly ignores Jachdwalt and stands up, pointing down at him with a triumphant smile on her face. “You're banned from seeing each other for the next two weeks. This is for your own good, Jachdwalt.”
Since when did you become my guardian, too!?
--*--
Left with no other choice, Jachdwalt goes to the only person he can think of who'd be able to stop Kuon.
"Boss." Jachdwalt doesn't bother announcing himself as he abruptly opens the door to Haku's room. "We needa talk. It's urgent, yeah?"
"Oh, Jachdwalt. What's up?" Haku's lying on his stomach next to a plate of nori, holding a piece of nori halfway to his mouth.
Jachdwalt lowers himself onto the seat cushion across from him with a deep sigh. "I told ya this before, but I don't think ya really got what I was sayin'. Me"—he points at himself—"and Ougi. Are. Dating. We're goin' out. Courtin' each other. Maybe even gettin' married one day. Like, for real."
Haku blinks owlishly at him and shoves the nori into his mouth, chewing on it like he's seriously considering what Jachdwalt's saying.
"For real, for real?" Haku asks.
"As real as it can get, Boss." Jachdwalt nods solemnly. “Even kissed him goodnight yesterday.”
"You're shittin' me," Haku says suddenly, rolling onto his side so he can sit up. His hands hold his ankles in place, keeping his legs criss-crossed. "Ougi would never go out with a hick like you."
Jachdwalt nearly falls over in shock. He hunches over in his seat, wheezing in disbelief. What the fuck , Haku?
"Boss," he gasps, clutching his chest, "I know ya don't mean that, yeah?"
"I do." Haku doubles down. "Just what did Ougi offer to put you up to this, man? Is he actually blackmailing you? Has the bullying gotten that bad?"
"The what." Jachdwalt's last hope is rapidly fading away.
"The bullying," Haku stresses, not in a wholly unfamiliar tone. "You really think I wouldn't notice? You looked so crushed coming back from that date, dude. Ougi must have torched it for you, and he probably did it just 'cause. He’s been torturing the hell out of you these past few weeks. I even had to tell Kuon about it."
Aaand there it goes.
As Jachdwalt sits there — partially because he's still in shock, mainly from defeat — Haku reaches over and puts his hands on Jachdwalt's shoulders with a reassuring smile.
"Don't worry, Jachdwalt. You don't have to say anything. We've got your back."
Et tu, Haku?
--*--
If Jachdwalt walks around looking like a kicked puppy for the next two weeks, everyone assumes it's due to the toll Ougi's bullying has taken on him.
Anju , of all people, ends up sending him an assortment of sweets from the Imperial Palace out of pity. Jachdwalt sniffles as he shares the snacks with Shinonon that night. She's going to be bouncing off the walls like a rabid kopor from all the sugar. He doesn't care. He wants his boyfriend back.
“Stop snickerin’ and get in here, asshole,” Jachdwalt hisses at the bushes quivering suspiciously outside his window. They only shake more in response.
“Jachdwalt, who are you talking to? It better not be Ougi, I think,” Kuon calls from down the hall.
“Asshole!” Shinonon echoes gleefully. She's got way too much energy at this hour. The sugar rush is absolutely starting to kick in. He isn't getting a wink of sleep tonight.
Jachdwalt thumps his forehead against the wall, groaning. The snickering outside his window grows louder. Whatever’s out there is losing their shit. And at his expense. He hurls a particularly dense and hard cookie at the source of the noise without looking, effectively shutting it up. He hopes it’s ‘cause the cookie hit its target. He hopes it hurts.
Forget the time he spent as a Nakwan, this is the worst two weeks of his life.
+1. An Unexpected Visitor
"I must say," Ougi whispers, his voice muffled further from where his face has been shoved into Jachdwalt's chest, "though I was hoping you'd be more on the physically affectionate side, I never expected you to be so clingy ."
"Shut up," Jachdwalt groans, cupping the back of Ougi's head with his hand to push him in even more. He wonders if he can smother Ougi like this. He'd probably like it. Freaky little bastard.
Jachdwalt knew their two weeks of forced separation were over when he woke up to Ougi crawling into his bed in the middle of the night. He, of course, promptly rolled over and trapped him in the futon for some much-needed cuddles. They haven't left the bed since.
Jachdwalt takes his hand off Ougi’s head and starts running his fingers down his hair, scratching gently along his scalp. When he reaches his ears, he strokes the feathers with the back of his knuckles, feeling them quiver against his skin. Ougi mutters something unintelligible and nuzzles into Jachdwalt. He seems content.
It’s still relatively early in the morning, so no one would have realized they’ve gotten back together yet. But when they do… Jachdwalt shudders at the thought.
“Ougi,” he sighs. They can’t push this aside any longer. “Y’know, I really thought I’d be fine with keepin’ things on the down low, but I can’t go on like this, yeah?” Jachdwalt doesn’t mean to sound downright miserable when he says that, but he’s honestly reached his limit at this point.
Ougi takes his face out of Jachdwalt's chest to look up at him, frowning slightly. “Is it really that bad?” he asks softly.
“Not a soul in the Hakurokaku thinks I’m good enough to date ya,” Jachdwalt answers tearfully, pouting.
“Nonsense.” Ougi cups the back of Jachdwalt’s neck and kisses him until the pout is gone from his face. “You’re very good for me, Jachdwalt,” he breathes when they finally pull apart. “An exceptional partner, I’d say.”
Well, now Jachdwalt’s blushing.
“Would be nice if everyone thought that,” he mutters without thinking, not meeting Ougi’s eyes.
“Is that what you’d like?”
Jachdwalt remains silent as he nods, not sure why he’s embarrassed all of a sudden.
“Understood.” Ougi gives him one last kiss on the cheek before he disentangles himself from Jachdwalt’s arms and rolls out of the futon, expertly dodging Jachdwalt’s attempts to reel him back in. He makes his way to Jachdwalt’s desk and gets out a brush and a piece of paper. “Just leave it to me.”
Jachdwalt squints at him, displeased. He appears to be writing something. But for what?
“Ougiiii.” He reaches his arms out, wiggling his fingers in a ‘come hither’ gesture. “You can do that later. Come cuddle?”
Ougi ignores him.
Jachdwalt sighs and spends the rest of the morning huddled underneath the blankets, Ougi-less.
--*--
"'Scuse me, young'un. Do you know where I can find the Hakurokaku?"
Young'un? That's a new one. Jachdwalt turns around when he feels someone tap him on the shoulder.
Behind him is a man with red hair and feathers for ears. He's a little taller than Jachdwalt, which is saying a lot considering Jachdwalt towers over most of their group already. He's dressed casually, a traveling robe tossed over his shoulders and a shortsword hanging at his hip. Laugh lines stretch out across his cheeks as he stares at Jachdwalt with a lazy grin on his face, stroking a somewhat respectable mustache. Honestly, it looks more like he forgot to shave. But like, for the past three years.
He looks vaguely familiar, though Jachdwalt can't put his finger on where he might have seen him before.
"The Hakurokaku?" Jachdwalt repeats. "What a coincidence. That's where I'm stayin'. If ya got some time, you can walk back with me soon as I finish gettin' some things, yeah?" Jachdwalt waves a list of items Kuon had asked him to buy from the market.
The stranger nods in understanding. “Sure thing, boss.”
“Aw, you don't gotta call me that. You can use my name, yeah? I'm Jachdwalt, by the way.”
They walk and talk as Jachdwalt goes about his shopping. Turns out the stranger's name is Genho, a traveler hailing from one of Yamato's rural countries a little ways to the north of the capital.
Genho overall seems like a chill guy. He's easy to talk to and happy to assist Jachdwalt in carrying the groceries once they start spilling out of his arms. He's also pretty knowledgeable, easily crossing off a couple of the more obscure items off Kuon's list.
Perceptive, too, because he immediately notices when Jachdwalt's attention strays to a cart filled with colorful bolts of fabric and other trinkets. He doesn't protest as Jachdwalt walks over, instead watching him peruse the items on display.
"That's not on your list," Genho remarks after Jachdwalt finally settles on what to buy, the first of which is a peach-colored aperyu, much too small for someone of his stature to wear.
"Nah," Jachdwalt chuckles, neatly packing the tiny garment away. "This one's for my girl. She'd look real cute in this."
"And that?" Genho points to the second item Jachdwalt purchased: a small glass-blown heart filled with tiny paper hororons of various colors. It glitters in the sunlight.
"Ah..." Jachdwalt scratches his cheek. "That's for someone else, yeah?"
"Hmm?" Genho leans in, and Jachdwalt can feel a burning air of curiosity practically emanating from the man. "You got a special someone? A new mother for the littl’un, maybe?"
"Why does everyone keep thinkin' he's a mom?" Jachdwalt mutters to himself in dismay, not realizing he's spoken aloud until Genho leans in even more.
"Oho?" Genho's smirking now. Somehow, the way he's acting is starting to feel familiar, too. "Gotten yourself a boyfriend now, have ya?"
Okay, yeah. Jachdwalt walked straight into that one. "Yeees..?” he stretches out the word, hesitating.
Genho raises a brow.
“Okay, okay. Definitely yes, but no one ever believes me when I tell 'em I'm goin' out with the guy," Jachdwalt says, slumping his shoulders. " My boss even said he was too good a catch for someone like me," he sniffs. “I can't lie, that kinda dealt a blow to my confidence, yeah? He can be so distant, too. Sometimes I don't even know if the guy really loves me back or not.”
“Oh, Jachdwalt, if only you knew,” Genho snickers.
“Huh?”
Genho clears his throat. “I mean, I'm sure he loves ya as much as you do. Probably even more. Someone that aloof wouldn’t be datin’ anyone unless they really wanted to.”
“Eh, you make a good point. But if that was the case, everyone else woulda been convinced we're datin’ by now,” Jachdwalt sighs.
"They really don't see it, huh?" Genho muses. "Well I believe you, man. Hang in there." Genho gives him a few hearty slaps on the back for good measure. It's such a ridiculous gesture to receive from a dude he's just met that Jachdwalt can't help but burst into laughter.
"Thanks, Genho." Jachdwalt wipes a tear from his eye. "That helps a lot, actually."
"Don't mention it. Ou— Your boyfriend's back at the inn, right? Shouldn't keep him waiting." Genho helps Jachdwalt re-adjust his hold on their bags and confidently starts to walk off like he already knows where to go.
…Except he definitely does not.
"Genho, my man,” Jachdwalt calls the poor fellow back over, barely managing to stifle another bout of laughter. “The inn's this way, yeah?"
“Jachdwalt, my good friend!” Genho swiftly returns to his side, guffawing. He claps his hand on Jachdwalt’s shoulder, grinning. “Please, do show me the way.”
Jachdwalt and Genho part ways after they get to the Hakurokaku. Genho checks in at the front desk and makes his way up to his room. He puts down his things and manages to get a pot of tea brewing when he senses a presence behind him.
"I believe I included a map," a familiar voice says in lieu of a greeting.
"You call those scribbles a map?" Genho laughs, setting down two cups on top of the kotatsu. "If it wasn't for your boyfriend, I would've never found this place on my own. Those doodles of you and your sister were cute, though. Your artistic skills are improving." Genho nods to himself.
He turns around, casually tilting his head to the side to avoid getting a bath hororon to the face. It lands on the floor. He picks it up, beaming.
“Ougi,” he says, holding up the small toy with a grin. “You gotta hide the bloodlust, not project it, yeah?”
Said bloodlust increases a hundredfold after those words leave his mouth. This may be the one and only time Genho has ever seen Ougi openly pissed off. His grin widens.
“Father,” his son finally greets him, nodding, but he's got another bath hororon readied in his hand. There's an entire bundle of them in his arms, ensuring ample ammunition. “I have no idea what you're talking about.”
“Hmhm,” Genho huffs. He sets the hororon he’s holding down on the table next to the pot of tea and lowers himself into a proper stance, his smile never leaving his face. “Guess your old man's got no choice but to show ya how it's done, then.”
Ougi scowls. The hororon is unceremoniously launched at Genho once again, kicking off their duel.
--*--
To his credit, Ougi puts up a valiant fight, but he ultimately gets taken down right as the tea finishes steeping.
“The tea in the capital really is something special, ain't it,” Genho sighs. “Just can't grow leaves like these back home.”
Ougi squirms from where he's been pinned to the ground. “I can pack plenty of tea leaves for you to bring back to the village, if you’d like.” His voice is strained from the force of Genho’s legs holding back his torso. Not that Genho’s using that much force to begin with.
“Mm. Tempting, but I prefer to travel light. Give me some time to think about it.” Genho continues to sip his tea, ignoring his son’s struggles. He hasn’t had to do this to Ougi since he was a kid. It’s actually turning out to be quite good exercise.
“Father,” Ougi says after a minute passes in silence. He almost sounds petulant.
“Still thinkin’,” Genho replies. He reaches over and unties a small pouch full of candied fruit that he brought with him. He pinches a piece between his thumb and his forefinger and holds it to Ougi’s mouth. “Here,” he says, prodding his son’s pouting lips, “your favorite.”
Ougi manages to resist for a grand total of five seconds before he begrudgingly eats the candied fruit from his father’s hand.
“Good?” Genho asks as he feeds him another.
Ougi grunts as he chews.
Genho pinches his cheek. “Manners.”
“...Thank you, Father,” Ougi says, but he nips Genho’s fingers on the next bite of fruit.
Genho sighs, flicking his forehead as he continues to feed him. “You conduct yourself better, so it’s not as obvious, but you’re just as bad as your sister. Actually.” He pauses in his train of thought, thinking. “You might be worse.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Ougi says once again, “but I believe you’ve made your point. Please release me, Father.”
“If I let you go, will you stick around for tea time?” Now it’s Genho’s turn to pout. “Or will you leave your old man to finish these by himself?” He holds up the pouch of fruit. They’re almost halfway through it at this point.
“I do believe it was you who told me that eating too many sweets would rot my teeth,” Ougi plainly tells him, “but I accept your bribery.” His calm tone does nothing to betray the desperation in which he scrambles out of Genho’s lap the moment Genho relaxes his legs. He barrel-rolls under the kotatsu, popping back up on the other side.
Genho wordlessly leans across the table to feed Ougi another piece of fruit, rewarding him for his escape. Maybe he is starting to get on in years.
“Have you had your fun?” Ougi asks. He makes grabby hands towards the pouch in Genho’s hand. Genho slaps them away and pours him a cup of tea instead.
“You kids are so impatient,” Genho laughs. “Drink that and wash some of the sugar down, for goodness’ sake.”
“Perhaps my eyes were deceiving me, but I could’ve sworn I saw you adding more sugar into the pot earlier,” Ougi huffs, but he dutifully sips at his tea anyway.
“Who do you think you got your sweet tooth from?” Genho finally takes one of the pieces of fruit for himself, munching on it happily as he ignores his son glaring at him. “Eh, as long as we both like it, it’s fine.”
Ougi leans over the table and makes another grab for the pouch. Genho pulls it away and holds it up in the air, just out of reach.
“Now, now, Ougi. I’ll let you have this, but first…” Genho opens his eyes and looks down at Ougi, the smile fading from his lips. “I’ve got a question for ya.”
“Yes, Father?” Ougi hesitates from where he’d been halfheartedly waving his arm after the pouch, caught off-guard by Genho’s sudden change in demeanor.
Genho sets down the pouch in the middle of the table, holding his hands in front of him. Ougi follows his lead and settles back down in his seat, face carefully set in a neutral expression.
“You’re serious about Jachdwalt, aren’t you?”
Ougi immediately frowns. “I believe I explained everything in my letter. May I know why you're asking this?”
Genho sighs, scratching the back of his head. “Your reports are nothing if not thorough, that’s for sure. I thought I had a pretty good understanding of the situation coming here, but when I talked to Jachdwalt today, things seemed… how do I put this… It’s a little different than I initially thought.”
“How so?”
“Well, you two have been openly dating for a while now. Not that you’ve gotten in anyone’s face about it, of course, but most people would be able to recognize courting when they see it. Jachdwalt’s done his part in telling anyone who’s bothered to ask, too. So the fact that this remains a problem can only mean one thing.
“You”—Genho rests his elbow on the table, pointing at Ougi with a simple flick of his wrist—”have been feeding into everyone’s misconceptions for your own amusement again, haven't you?”
“I have no idea what you mean, Father,” Ougi says for the third time, though now he actually seems to be serious about it.
“See,” Genho clicks his tongue, “this attitude is what’s gotten the two of you here in the first place. A relationship requires effort on both sides. And I’m not talking about you two showing yourselves how much you love each other. What I mean is, if Jachdwalt’s goin’ around telling everyone he’s dating you, courting you, maybe even trying to marry you, then you’ve gotta match him. I can help ya as much as you want. But in the end, it’s going to come down to you. There’s no more dancing around this, Ougi. You’ve gotta come out and say it with your whole chest. That you—”
“That I love Jachdwalt?”
“—Huh?”
“I love Jachdwalt, Father,” Ougi says solemnly. “I’ve been in love with him for a long time. Hence, I confessed to him, and now we're dating.”
“Oh, that’s… That’s good…” Genho deflates like a balloon, having had his momentum mercilessly taken away by Ougi.
“Father… I fear it may have been too long since we last saw each other.” As if mirroring Genho, Ougi also droops in his seat. “You seem to have confused me for Sister. This speech of yours would be better suited for her, wouldn’t you say?”
“Nosuri’s dating someone, too?” Genho shouts, slamming his hands on the table.
“Father, tha—”
“That thick-headed idiot was able to recognize love!? Why didn’t you tell me that , Ougi?” By Kotuahamaru, what’s happened to his children? When did they grow up so fast?
“Father.”
He thought Soyankekeur was just talking shit the last time they met up but that washed-up casanova wannabe might’ve been right— Maybe… Maybe Genho really is that ol—
“Father!” Ougi circles the table in the blink of an eye, grabbing Genho's shoulders. “Father, I may not be qualified to speak on this, but to me, at least, you’re plenty youn—”
“Ougi,” Genho rasps, holding up a hand to put a stop to his son’s bullshit. “Sometimes the best thing to say is nothing at all, yeah?”
“...Yes, Father.”
(The ever-responsible Ougi does eventually clear up the misunderstanding before taking his leave, partially abating his father's worries. It doesn't stop Genho from feeling a tad melancholic as he sips his tea alone afterwards, reflecting on the passage of time.)
Elsewhere in the Hakurokaku, Jachdwalt helps Shinonon put on her new aperyu, clapping when she twirls around to show it off. The fabric itself is light and ruffly, shimmering as it flutters in the air after her.
“Am I cute, Dad?” Shinonon asks. Her tail excitedly swishes back and forth behind her, causing the back of the aperyu to flap up. Jachdwalt reaches over and pats it back down.
“Of course! My Shinonon's the cutest girl in the whole wide world!” He scoops her into his arms with a grin. “Everyone'll be gushin’ over ya at the party tonight. Let's head on down, yeah?”
“Yeah!” Shinonon raises her arms in the air, cheering. Jachdwalt slides the door to their room closed behind him and starts heading downstairs.
They usually have a group dinner at the end of the week, but tonight’s a more special occasion. According to Kuon, Oshtor roped in some other guy to take care of the more labor-intensive jobs that’ve been coming their way. This means no more gutter cleaning for Haku, much to his delight. But more importantly, it proves that he's risen that much higher in Oshtor's eyes. It's essentially a soft promotion.
Naturally, as with all their other achievements, they're throwing a party about it. They've reserved one of the private dining halls in the Hakurokaku for themselves tonight. Kuon's teamed up with Ougi and Rulutieh on the logistics of it, ensuring plenty of food and drink to go around.
All in all, Jachdwalt's pretty hyped.
By the time they arrive, the party's already in full swing. Small decorations hang from the ceiling and walls. Paper lanterns bob in the breeze flowing in from the open window. Their group is gathered around a large table at the center of the room, piled high with food and drink.
“Startin’ without us, are ya?” Jachdwalt cackles, ducking under a row of colorful streamers strung over the doorway as he ambles into the room with Shinonon.
“Jachdwalt,” Ougi calls, “over here.” He's sitting beside his sister at the end of the table, but on his left are two seats that have been left open for Jachdwalt and Shinonon. Jachdwalt slides into the open seat furthest from Ougi, placing Shinonon in between them.
There's sheets of amam on the plates in front of them, accompanied by an impressive spread of ingredients for them to assemble their own amamunii. He grabs an amam sheet for Shinonon and loads it up with some of the juicier-looking pieces of meat. They're smothered in spices and oil, glistening on top of the amam like little jewels.
Jachdwalt smiles at the sight, nodding to himself. Only the best for his girl. He starts searching for more tasty cuts of meat to finish it off before he spots Shinonon's wondrous meaty pile getting desecrated by big, flat leaves in the corner of his eye. Those exquisitely marbled jewels of meat are blotted out by a dull, veiny green.
There's only one person here who has the guts to commit such an atrocity in front of him. Jachdwalt grits his teeth, slowly turning to his right.
Ougi’s chopsticks are a blur as he nonchalantly lobs a couple more leafy vegetables onto Shinonon's plate, crisp and freshly-washed. Jachdwalt intercepts the healthy little bastard with his own chopsticks and tosses the offending ingredients onto Ougi's plate, sticking out his tongue at him. Ougi takes the chance to shove one of his damn vegetables into Jachdwalt's open mouth, making him gag.
It's some sort of girthy root, long and hard. The butt of it sticks out of his mouth, its base cradled by Jachdwalt's soft lips while the other end of it stabs the inside of his cheek. Enraged at the mere presence of plant-based nourishment inside his mouth, Jachdwalt vehemently gnashes the vegetable in between his teeth like a rabid kopor, gobbling the entire thing down in seconds. He can feel a pair of eyes boring into his back as he does so, and turns to see Kuon looking at the three of them with narrowed eyes. She's obviously suspicious.
Jachdwalt freezes. The last time she got that look on her face, he was banned from seeing his boyfriend for two whole weeks. He can't have that happen again.
“Aw, don't look at us like that, Bosslady,” he tells her before she can say anything, putting on the best puppy-eyes he can muster. “I swear we're gettin’ along, yeah? Made up an’ everythin’. We're just messin’ around.” He looks over at Ougi in a silent truce, the other nodding supportively.
Kuon doesn't look convinced.
“Don't worry, Bosslady,” Shinonon says, “I'll make sure they behave.”
Ougi snorts to his right, causing Jachdwalt to look over and find that he's snuck the vegetables onto Shinonon's plate again. Jachdwalt scowls. He reaches over to eradicate the leafy green blemish from his daughter's meal, but Ougi is faster, wrapping up the amam into an amamunii in the blink of an eye.
Jachdwalt’s jaw drops. He's left awkwardly holding his hand in the air as Ougi elegantly drizzles sauce on top for the finishing touch, portioning the remaining sauce onto the plate with an artistic smear. He presents the humble, perfectly-balanced amamunii to Shinonon with a flourish. She eagerly picks it up and takes a large bite, squealing at its deliciousness.
Jachdwalt genuinely doesn't know how to react, and it shows.
Kuon stifles a giggle behind him. Jachdwalt's eye twitches sporadically.
Mission accomplished, Ougi gets up from his seat, leaving Jachdwalt to stew in his anti-vegetable rage as he approaches the two sitting at the head of the table. “Haku, Kuon,” he greets them with a bow. “This is a gift from my sister,” he says, holding out two small boxes to them, each the size of his palm. “Congratulations on your success.”
“Uh, hold on a minute, Ougi. I don't remember gettin’ anything for Haku and Kuon. Was I supposed to?” Nosuri leans over, nervously chewing on the end of her chopsticks. She doesn't get an answer.
“Thanks, Ougi.” Haku takes the gift, nodding. “My thanks to Nosuri, as well. This is really thoughtful of y'all. I appreciate it.”
“But I—”
“The pleasure is ours,” Ougi smoothly interrupts his stammering sister. He directs Haku and Kuon's gaze towards the entrance to the dining hall. “Although I didn't invite them for this specific occasion, I also have someone here that I’d like to introduce to you, if you’d be willing.”
“If they're a friend of yours, Ougi, then I'd love to meet them, I think.” Kuon smiles, ears perked up in curiosity.
“You could say that.” Ougi nods, turning his head to the doorway. “Please, come in.”
Jachdwalt, who'd been grumpily munching on his own meat-stuffed amamunii, looks up just in time to see Genho of all people walk into the room. Red hair and feathered ears and all.
Wait. Red hair? Feathered ears? Where has he—
Jachdwalt chokes, eyes flicking rapidly back and forth between his boyfriend standing at the head of the table and the man at the door.
There's no way. There's actually no way.
“This is the man that raised my sister and I. A veritable artist of the sword, a wonderful fisherman, and second to none in holding his drink: our father, Genho.”
Genho meets Jachdwalt's gaze from the doorway and winks at him. Jachdwalt's going to scream.
“Father?” Nosuri screams for him, standing up and pointing straight at Genho in an exemplary display of table manners. “W-W-Why are you here?”
“Sister,” Ougi says slowly. “I invited him.” He motions for her to sit down, but is predictably ignored.
Genho nods. “Got a letter from Ougi and made my way over. Simple as that.”
Well shit, if it's come to this, Jachdwalt needs to hurry up and get off his ass. He hurriedly wipes his mouth and stands up. Shinonon, noticing his movements, sets down her perfect amamunii and reaches her arms toward him. He scoops her up without a second thought. Should he have kept her in her seat? Probably, but honestly at this point he needs her for emotional support.
“I've also sent you letters,” Nosuri splutters to her father, “I've also asked you to meet us. Why have you only come now?”
“You've still got some growin’ up to do, I see.” Genho crosses the room in an instant and ruffles Nosuri’s hair, gleefully ignoring her protests. “Of course I’d come here. What kind of father wouldn’t want to see who their kid’s dating?”
“Huh?” Nosuri’s voice abruptly dies down. “Father, what are you talking about? I-I-I’m not dating anyone!”
She looks to Ougi for help. “Am I?” she whispers.
Ougi shakes his head.
“I’m not!” Nosuri announces triumphantly.
Genho’s smile doesn’t falter, but Jachdwalt thinks he can see his mask crack just a little. He feels a sense of kinship with this man.
“Father, I believe you’ve already met,” Ougi pipes up in a tone that’s slightly more formal than usual, “but allow me to properly introduce you.” He walks over and places his hand on Jachdwalt’s lower back, ushering him close to his side. “This is Jachdwalt. He’s the one I’m dating.”
Multiple shouts come from their rowdy, probably-drunk friends behind them at Ougi's words. Okay, yeah. This is actually happening. Shinonon reaches up and pats Jachdwalt's cheek reassuringly. His grip on his daughter tightens.
“Yo. Nice to see ya again, man. This here’s my girl, Shinonon.” Jachdwalt does his best to take everything in stride and shifts Shinonon to his other arm so he can offer his hand to Genho.
They share a firm handshake. Shinonon holds her hand out, wanting to be involved, and Genho offers her a high-five. She smacks his hand, but the serious expression on her face as she does it makes it look more like she's killing a fly on the wall. Jachdwalt snorts.
“As you can see, he already has a child of his own,” Ougi says, sounding oddly proud for some reason. ”He’ll make an excellent father.”
“Hoh, you’ve thought that far ahead, huh? Hmhm… As expected of my son,” Genho chuckles, stroking his mustache.
Jachdwalt’s stomach drops. “Uh, Ougi. I appreciate the sentiment, but y’know you’re a guy, yeah? Unless we’re adoptin’, children ain’t somethin’ you can—”
“My,” Ougi cuts him off with a smirk, “when did I say it was going to be me?”
Jachdwalt blinks, looks at Ougi, and then at Genho. Both father and son stare back with smiles on their faces, too cryptic for him to tell if they’re being genuine or not.
Finally, Ougi leans in and discreetly whispers in his ear. “We’re joking, Jachdwalt.”
Oh, phew. That’s a load off Jachdwalt’s shoulders. But wait, is Ougi joking about Jachdwalt bearing children, or does he not want to raise any children together at all—
Genho loses his composure and bursts out into laughter at the sight of Jachdwalt’s increasingly distressed face. “You’ve got a good one, Ougi! With how seriously Jachdwalt here is thinking about this, I know the future of the Evenkuruga will be in good hands.” He puts his hand on Jachdwalt's shoulder, nodding sagely. “I'll leave my son to you, Jachdwalt.”
“Uh, thanks, I guess..?” Jachdwalt looks to Ougi for help, only to find him laughing his ass off, a hand clasped over his mouth in a pitiful attempt to muffle his laughter. Dear god, he hates this guy.
“Wait, so like… You two are actually dating?” Haku calls to them from the head of the table. His sheet of amam remains empty on his plate, the thought of assembling an amamunii forgotten in all the commotion.
“Boss…” Jachdwalt simply doesn’t have any words.
“But Kuon said she found bruises on your neck and chest, Ougi was stealing your clothes, and you were crying Ougi’s name at night ‘cause the bullying was so bad…” Haku slaps his hand over his forehead, gaping like a fish out of water as he points an accusing finger at Jachdwalt. “Oh my god, Jachdwalt, you devil! You and Ougi were shagging under our noses this whole ti—”
“Boss!!” Jachdwalt claps his free hand over one of Shinonon’s ears, pressing her head to his chest to cover the other, but it’s too late.
“Dad, what’s sha—”
“Not now, Shinonon.”
“Okay.” Shinonon drops the matter without another word. He loves his daughter. She looks up at him, eyes wide and a bright smile on her face. He smiles back. “Dad, I want a brother.”
Actually, he thinks she’ll be just fine skipping dessert tonight.
“Oh, a son as your firstborn would be nice.” Genho nods in agreement.
“We’ll do our best,” Ougi swears solemnly, placing a hand over his heart.
“Denebokshiri’d prolly freeze over first, yeah!?”
It’ll be a miracle if Jachdwalt manages to make it to the end of the night with his sanity (and possibly his dignity) intact. He needs a drink.
“Bosslady,” Jachdwalt calls over his shoulder. “Do ya think you could watch Shinonon while I—”
“Since when,” a whisper comes from directly behind him, low and gravelly.
Jachdwalt turns around very, very slowly, and comes face-to-face with a Kuon that looks like she's on the very edge of her sanity. He needs to tread carefully here, or he could be in serious trouble.
“Since about… six months ago? In my defense, I tried tellin’ ya, but you wouldn’t listen,” he sighs, scratching the back of his head.
“No, you were getting bullied six months ago,” Kuon says, more like she's trying to convince herself than anything. “Isn't that right, Shinonon? You’re with Jachdwalt all the time, you would have seen Ougi bullying him, I think.”
“Bullyin’?” Shinonon furrows her brows, confused. “I didn't see any bullyin’. I saw Dad and Ougi sittin’ in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N—”
A strangled noise, not unlike a dying orke, rips itself out of Kuon's throat before Shinonon can finish her impromptu song. “Jachdwalt,” she gasps, “what have you been doing in front of Shinonon?”
“Nothin’!” Jachdwalt cries. He looks down at his daughter in shock, feeling absolutely betrayed. “We’ve never so much as held hands in front of ya, where'd that song come from?”
“The princess taught it to me.” Shinonon puffs out her chest, looking way too proud of herself. Jachdwalt's starting to think they should also cut out snack time for the next week.
“Anju…” Kuon sighs, rubbing her temples.
Ignoring the very real possibility of Anju sharing her… questionable hobbies with his impressionable young daughter for now, Jachdwalt takes a deep breath and addresses the subject at hand. “Bosslady, Ougi an’ I are seriously together. I'm real sorry for any concern Ougi's caused ya in the past, and I appreciate you lookin’ out for me all this time, but if all this still ain't enough to convince ya, then… I really dunno what t’say.”
Kuon clutches her head, shaking it back and forth. “Uuu…” she squeezes her eyes shut, groaning. “I believe you, but this is all so sudden, I'll need a little more time to process everything, I think.”
Jachdwalt nods in understanding, slouching over in relief. “Don't stress over it too much,” he tells her. “Now, about Shino—”
“I just didn't think Ougi was so romantically inclined,” Kuon mutters to herself, but it's loud enough that Jachdwalt can hear her clearly, “he's never shown interest towards anyone that I can recall, and now he's dating you? Even though you're both—....” she trails off, physically unable to finish that sentence. “Yamato really is different, I think.”
Ah. Jachdwalt's starting to see why Kuon had such a hard time believing him in the first place. For all her worldly knowledge and expertise, this was the one thing that wasn't in her worldview. He pats her on the shoulder reassuringly. “Ain’t nothin’ wrong with two guys goin’ out with each other, yeah? It’s just a lil’ different.”
“J-J-Jachdwalt's right,” Rulutieh suddenly interjects, yelling as loud as her naturally soft voice will let her. “R-Romance between men is—”
“Okay Rulutieh, I'm glad you're expressing yourself and all but I'mma just stop ya right there.” Haku comes out of nowhere as he smoothly wraps his arm around Rulutieh’s shoulders and whisks her out into the hall.
“Rulutieh.” Haku looks her dead in the eye. “I know this is a very exciting day for you, but RPF is a no-go.”
“Ar-pe..?” Jachdwalt, having followed them out of concern for the poor girl, is completely lost.
“Don't worry about it,” Haku and Rulutieh say at the exact same time. “Just go back inside,” they tell him, again in complete sync.
“Okaaay…” Some higher instinct tells Jachdwalt he doesn't want to get involved in whatever this is. He promptly turns around and heads back to the banquet.
The atmosphere when he gets back in is, uh…
It sure is lively, yeah.
Nosuri is crying a river about how her little brother's grown up so fast, which is possibly the most mature thing Jachdwalt's heard her say in the entire time he's known her. Genho is peacefully enjoying an amamunii, oblivious to Ougi sending him discreet S.O.S. signals as a drunk Atuy pesters Ougi for his secrets in finding true love.
On the other side of the table, Kiwru is sneaking hopeful little glances at Nekone that go completely ignored as she focuses on her food. Kuon is watching Shinonon exactly as Jachdwalt had asked, attempting to mimic Nekone by burying herself in food and drink. Her cheeks have a bright red flush to them that Jachdwalt's certain isn't from the alcohol, though, as her tail is fluffed up and bushing out to the maximum behind her.
Jachdwalt sighs.
“Sorry Atuy,” he says as he comes up behind Ougi and wraps his arm around his shoulders, effortlessly extricating him from her love talk. “But I’m borrowin’ this guy for a bit, yeah?”
Someone wolf-whistles. Jachdwalt throws his pipe at them without looking, smirking when he hears a shocked yelp.
They walk past Haku and Rulutieh in the hall as Jachdwalt leads Ougi outside. The two of them are waving at their arms at each other for some reason, seemingly caught up in a passionate argument.
“But he wouldn't make a good uke! He's too big! Ukes that large aren't ukes anymore!” Rulutieh yells, stomping her foot. It's so out-of-character for her that Jachdwalt stops in his tracks, still holding onto Ougi's arm. Ougi, for better or for worse, doesn't make an effort to pull him away. Unbeknownst to Jachdwalt, he’s also listening intently to the conversation, albeit for a completely different reason.
“Listen, Rulutieh.” Haku crosses his arms. “You're a more conventional girl when it comes to this kinda thing, I know. But large ukes aren't something that can be appreciated with such a close-minded philosophy. When you pair them with their seme, their size is their appeal!”
What in Denebokshiri is a seme?
“S-s-size? H-Haku, does this mean— That with you and Oshto— Eeeep! I c-can’t! Oh gosh, I just caaaan’t—!!” Red in the face and on the verge of tears, Rulutieh runs away. Somehow, Jachdwalt doesn't think it's because she's upset.
“Me and who!?” Haku reels back, flabbergasted, before he starts running in the same direction. ”Hey, Rulutieh! Come back here! I'm not done talkin’ to you! Hey!!”
Jachdwalt blinks, watching Haku chase down a madly squealing Rulutieh, and then looks down at his own companion. “...Ougi, do I wanna kn—”
“You don't,” Ougi answers him before he can finish his question. Jachdwalt nods. He trusts him completely.
Haku and Rulutieh’s yelling fade into the distance as Jachdwalt takes Ougi to one of the more secluded hallways in the back of the Hakurokaku. A dark dead end hidden from even the moonlight itself, Jachdwalt’s never seen anyone come here except for the occasional inn worker. For two people looking to sneak away from any prying eyes, it’s perfect.
“Oh?” Ougi’s got a devious smile on his face when Jachdwalt pulls him around the corner. He likes where this is going. “For you to bring me to a place like this… What exactly are your intentions with me, Jach— oof!” He can hardly finish his sentence as his face is unceremoniously shoved into Jachdwalt’s chest, the taller man’s robe having opened up enough at some point to expose his bare pectorals. With his eyes, nose, and mouth smushed firmly in between those sizable mounds, the quick-witted Ougi’s usually boundless capacity for words is suddenly reduced solely to the thoughts of ‘Nice’, ‘Warm’, and ‘Must bite’ .
“Get your mind outta the gutter,” Jachdwalt groans. He quickly tugs Ougi out of his chest the moment he feels the other’s mouth start to open. “Your mouth, too!” Ougi stares up at him, blinking owlishly. “Dude, I just wanted a hug. Why do you always duck your head down there?”
“We could stand to test the limits of this rating a little,” Ougi says, blatantly refusing to answer Jachdwalt’s question. His hands move to open up Jachdwalt’s robe even more, causing Jachdwalt to shiver as his skin is exposed to the cool night air. “Some friendly touching never hurt anyone. As long as we keep it above the waist, that is.”
“What’re you talkin’ about?” Jachdwalt slaps Ougi’s hands away and fixes his clothes. “If we walk back in there lookin’ like we were all over each other, I’d never hear the end of it, yeah?” He wraps his arms around Ougi again, cupping the back of his head to keep it in place. “I haven’t seen ya all day, but I couldn't exactly do this without rousin’ the peanut gallery back there, y’see,” he says with a deep sigh.
“Hmhm. You never were keen on public displays of affection. I understand,” Ougi huffs and sets his chin on Jachdwalt’s shoulder, returning the embrace. His right hand pats its way down Jachdwalt’s lower back until it brushes against a suspiciously wiggling bump right under Jachdwalt’s toupai: his short, stubby tail anxiously wagging back and forth underneath his clothes after the events of the evening. It’s too cute for him to resist grabbing onto, so he does just that.
“Thought I told ya not to squeeze,” Jachdwalt whines into Ougi’s hair, “y’know it’s sensitive.” Despite this, Ougi can feel his tail wag even harder in his grip. It may be sensitive to touch, but that doesn't mean Jachdwalt is completely opposed to the idea of it being touched at all. He simply isn't used to the sensation.
Nevertheless, Ougi lets go. That's something they can work on another day. “My apologies,” he murmurs, “I quite like seeing your reaction when I touch it, that's all.”
“Evil little bastard,” Jachdwalt mutters, “how'd I end up with a guy like you?”
“You chose me,” Ougi answers serenely. “And I love you all the more for it.”
“Hnrgh.” The casual confession of love is a critical hit to Jachdwalt's heart. He squirms.
“Jachdwalt, I love you,” Ougi whispers once more into Jachdwalt's ear, his lips brushing against the soft fur. He laughs when he sees it flap around in response, his light breaths tickling it even more. “You're so cute.”
Jachdwalt, bright red, takes his head off Ougi's shoulder to face him directly. “You think bein’ sweet on me is gonna getcha what ya want? Is that it?” His arms slide down until they're firmly looped around Ougi's waist, keeping them pressed up against each other as he carefully backs them up against the wall.
Ougi simply smiles at him, waiting patiently.
Jachdwalt cups Ougi's cheek in his hand, resting his forehead against his. His eyes trail down Ougi's face until they land on his lips. Soft, pink, and parted slightly in anticipation.
“...You're the one doin’ the explainin’, y’hear?” Jachdwalt whispers, only a breath away.
“Mm.”
Jachdwalt closes the distance between them. “I love ya too, Ougi,” he murmurs against Ougi's lips, before he finally seals them with his own.
--*--
Genho hands Jachdwalt his pipe once they walk back in. “This is an awfully good one you've got here. Very sturdy,” he says, rubbing a suspiciously red spot on his chin. “Wouldn't wanna lose it, yeah?”
Oh fuck.
“Though I have a feeling you weren't too concerned about that, hm?” Genho smirks, and the hairs on the back of Jachdwalt's neck immediately start standing on end. “Occupyin’ your mouth with somethin’ else, were ya? Or someone else?”
“Dad and Ougi, sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S—”
“S-Shinonon! I told you to stop singing that song, I think!”
“Ehh, life's so unfair!” Atuy wails, surrounded by almost a dozen empty sake bottles. “How does Ougi , of all people, manage to get with someone before I do? There ain't anythin’ wrong with me, right love?” She asks Haku, but the poor dude is slumped unconscious on the table, presumably having passed out after indulging in too many drinks poured by Atuy.
Nekone, covering a blushing Kiwru’s eyes, takes one look at his disheveled appearance and hands down her judgement in precisely one word and one word only: “Disgraceful.”
Jachdwalt desperately looks to his right, waiting for Ougi to hold up his end of the bargain and explain all of this, but his boyfriend is nowhere to be found.
Why is he going out with this guy, again?
About a week after the banquet, Haku gets a knock on his door.
“It’s open.”
“Pardon the intrusion.” Ougi slides open the door, perking up when he sees Haku. “Oh, I see you’re using my gift. Is it to your liking?”
“ Your gift?” Haku raises a brow.
Ougi clears his throat. “My sister’s gift,” he corrects himself. There’s a faint red on his cheeks.
“Heheh,” Haku chuckles at Ougi’s slip-up, but mercifully decides not to comment on it. “This thing’s great,” he sighs. In his hand is a small handheld massage roller. The thin, curved handle fits comfortably in the grip of his hand, and the rigid row of wooden orbs at its other end does an excellent job of smoothing the tension in his shoulders. “It’s been undoing all the knots in my muscles like it’s nothing. I had no idea things like this existed in Yamato.”
Ougi nods. “It’s quite handy, isn’t it? My sister and I have found that it’s especially effective on the back.”
“Really?” Haku pauses from where he’d been using the massager on his left shoulder, looking at Ougi with wide eyes.
“Would you like to try?” Ougi holds out his hand.
“Well, if you’re offering…” Haku eagerly gives him the massager, rolling over to lie on his stomach as Ougi sits down beside him. “So, what’s up? It’s not everyday you come and see me for the heck of it.”
“Mm. Since our acquaintance, we've mainly worked with each other as fellow subordinates under Oshtor,” Ougi says, rolling the massager over the knots in Haku’s back quickly and efficiently. “But I must confess that as the days have gone by, I've come to consider you a friend. As such, Haku, I have but one humble request.”
“Sure, man.” Haku motions for him to go on, unfazed by Ougi's sudden formality. “Lay it on me.”
Ougi sets down the massage roller and places his hand on his chest, looking at Haku with earnest eyes. “Please, educate me on the merits of large uk—”
“Ougi”—Haku flips himself back over, wasting zero time in grabbing the Evenkurugan’s shoulders and shoving his friend's dumb ass out the door—”figure it out yourself!!”