Chapter Text
Seiichirou roused from his nap in the carriage, blinking bleary eyes and in no hurry to sit up straight. Aresh had a strong arm wrapped around him, keeping him tucked close to the knight’s side. He smiled contentedly, surprised by how at peace he felt. He had expected to be filled with anxiety at the thought of being off work for three entire weeks, but that simply wasn’t the case.
Sitting upright, he stifled a laugh as Aresh refused to let him move away, keeping their sides pressed tight together. So Seiichirou leaned across to slide open a curtain, rather than look out the one on his side as he had intended. The air felt different, more humid, with an old, familiar coolness to it. The scent on the breeze was the other indication they were getting close to their destination. All he saw out the window was trees, but even those had a different look to them than when they had set out earlier that morning.
“How much further?” he asked.
Aresh cupped the nape of his neck and the curtains fluttered close as he was gently urged back to his former position using the larger man’s shoulder as a pillow. “Perhaps a quarter hour.” So thirty minutes by his reckoning. “It’s good to see you so eager.”
Seiichirou smiled, reaching up his hand to lock fingers through Aresh’s, their silver rings gently clicking together. “I haven’t been to the sea since I was in high school. Until you mentioned it that first time, I hadn’t realized just how much I missed it. The salt in the air is… nostalgic.”
Lips teased at his ear as Aresh leaned close and nuzzled the side of his face. He closed his eyes and enjoyed the moment, even as his breath came a little quicker with excitement at the intimate action. Hot breath and that wonderful deep voice had him shifting in his seat as his pants suddenly felt a bit restrictive. “I’m glad you agreed to this vacation, Seiichirou.”
It took him a moment to find his voice to reply, “Me too. I’m really looking forward to it.”
Aresh turned towards him, bringing him into an embrace before tugging him onto his lap. Lips pressed together and tongues met as Aresh slid his hands under Seiichirou’s shirt. “You didn’t bring any work, right?”
“Geez, Aresh,” Seiichirou gasped, debating whether or not he should protest the rising intimacy in the carriage. It was barely private, as the driver could open a slot to peek inside at any time, and the sound proofing was fairly mild. “You examined my luggage, didn’t you? I left all of it behind. In good hands.”
“That’s right,” Aresh forcefully affirmed, dipping his head to suck on Seiichirou’s neck. “You don’t have to worry about it at all. Just focus on resting and enjoying yourself.”
Closing his eyes, Seiichirou smiled, running his fingers through velvety thick hair and scraping nails over his scalp. “I really have to thank you, you know.”
“For?”
He let out a shuddering sigh as that warm mouth continued to lavish sweet attention along his neck. “For challenging me all that time ago, to make sure I trained others on my work. I’m honestly, not worried about it at all right now.”
Aresh didn’t respond right away. Instead, he started to unbutton Seiichirou’s shirt. “Good,” he finally said, just before squeezing him through his pants.
“Ah! A-Aresh,” Seiichirou complained, though he put no real effort into urging that hand away. “Not here.”
“Why not?”
“Don’t you know the meaning of the word ‘shame’?”
Aresh snorted his objection and stroked him through his pants. Then he mumbled a soft song, setting up a sound-proofing. Seiichirou felt a bit light-headed as the magic surrounded them, but that mostly went away when Aresh kissed him once more. “Better?”
“Barely,” Seiichirou grumped, though he left it at that. For all his many, many complaints, he truly found it thrilling, how much Aresh wanted to always be touching him. Over time, his body had become far more used to their encounters, and he mostly complained just to see how Aresh would convince him. He was fairly certain the man knew it, too, as he usually had the hints of satisfaction in his warm, purple gaze during such moments.
Aresh deftly undid his belt and pants, pulling him free and stroking him with a callused hand. He let himself groan in pleasure, his fingers tightening reflexively, pulling on soft hair. He could feel the smirk against his throat as Aresh gloated, “Doesn’t seem to bother you that much.”
Seiichirou sighed, letting him have his moment if it meant that strong hand continued working over him. “You’re a terrible influence.”
“Is that a complaint?”
“...No.”
“Good.”
He couldn’t contain himself for long. Not with that husky, confident voice, that hand, those lips, all working in concert to unravel him. He groaned softly as his pleasure sprayed over his chest and onto Aresh’s shirt. He definitely would have complained about that, except…
Another faint wave of dizziness washed over him as Aresh’s magic had them cleaned up in an instant. He didn’t fuss as that wonderful hand moved up to stroke his chest, acclimatizing him to the magic. He leaned against Aresh as the man fixed up his clothing then wrapped him up in a protective hug, asking nothing in return for the pleasure he’d just given him.
Not yet, at least, Seiichirou thought to himself with amusement. They had come all this way to the Indolark secondary home in their seaside territory, but he had a feeling much of their time would be spent in the bedroom, if Aresh had his way. Though he didn’t actually hate that idea, he did hope to have at least a few days in the water and enjoying the relaxation businesses that the location was apparently famous for.
He leaned drowsily against Aresh, not noticing the time that passed or that the sound proofing spell had been dismissed until the carriage rolled to a halt and there was a knock at the door. Aresh gently urged him off his lap and informed the driver that the door could be opened. Stepping out together, Seiichirou paused as the glare of sunlight bouncing off of waves caused his sleepy eyes to water. He blinked to clear them, then stared out at a beautiful white beach and turquoise ocean.
Aresh watched him take in the sight with a satisfied smile. He stepped forward and brushed their hands together before interlocking their fingers. “What do you think?”
“It’s beautiful. It reminds me a lot of home…”
Hands squeezed together, and they stayed like that for a few moments longer before Aresh gently tugged him towards the large manor. “Let’s get settled, then we can come back out, okay?”
“Right,” Seiichirou agreed, turning a blindingly bright smile up at him. “That sounds great.”
Aresh could never get enough of that smile. It made his chest tighten with emotion, and he impulsively leaned in for a deep kiss. Stroking his lover’s cheek, he mumbled, “I’m glad I brought you here.”
Malin and Pavel had arrived several hours earlier to prepare the manor for their arrival, while Valtom stayed behind to manage their home. Aresh led Seiichirou to a room on the third floor, explaining to him which rooms belonged to who in his family. It was a vacation home, not one they ever stayed in for long, but even so, each family member had their own area of the home.
The room hadn’t had its decorations changed since Aresh was a teenager. Most of it was clearly picked out by either his parents or a professional decorator, but there were a few distinctly ‘Aresh’ pieces on the walls. Namely, several decorative swords. It amused Seiichirou that he so often displayed beautiful weapons, considering that the way Aresh spoke of his life before, he acted as if he had just been going wherever he had been pointed, not making any solid decisions for himself. Perhaps his family had seen his love of the blades, and had steered him towards knighthood not for the prestige it offered, but because they thought it truly fit him.
“What are you thinking about?” Aresh asked as Seiichirou took in the room.
“How ‘you’ this place feels.”
Aresh grimaced in confusion but let that one drop, shaking his head and tugging Seiichirou to a large dresser. “Here, do you want to change? Did you want to go swimming right away, or go for a walk? Or we can go into town, if you’d like.”
“I think I’d just like to rest after the trip, but I wouldn’t mind doing so on the beach.”
“Good. You should get some sun. Hm, should I put a barrier on you so you don’t burn?” The last seemed to be more of a thought than a real question, but Seiichirou held up his hands to forestall him.
“No, no, I’ll be fine. Well, I hope I will. I used to tan easily, at the very least.”
“Maybe just a thin layer, then, to guard against the worst of it. Don’t want you to burn.”
“Wouldn’t healing take less magical energy?”
Aresh frowned and took his nose between his fingers and tugged. “Why spend any time in pain from a sunburn? This is vacation, I want you to enjoy every moment of it.”
“Says the man pulling my nose,” Seiichirou complained in a voice made nasal by the pinching. He rubbed at it when it was let go, but smiled up at Aresh and shrugged. “Alright, whatever you think is best. I still barely understand magic.”
Shaking his head, Aresh led him to the bed and pressed him down onto a plush mattress. “Liar,” he mumbled, before singing a gentle spell. Seiichirou didn’t think that was the case, but as the magic enveloped him, that familiar drowsiness returned, and he had no will to debate the point. A warm mouth covered his and their tongues brushed together. His shirt was opened once again, and he sighed into that mouth as his chest was stroked.
Aresh sat up and began removing his own shirt, and Seiichirou watched through sleep-heavy eyes. “You really will take any chance, won’t you?”
“I believe I’ve told you that. Multiple times.” Aresh smirked, leaning over him once more. “Problem?”
“No,” Seiichirou smiled, wrapping arms around strong shoulders. “Not a problem at all.”
It was nearly a full hour later, by Romany reckoning, that they left the room to enjoy the sunshine. Fortunately, there was still plenty of daylight left. The trip had taken two full days plus the morning, and so there was no rush to make the most of the day of their arrival.
A pair of chaise loungers had been prepared for them on the sands. As they settled in, Seiichirou felt a hand brush his, and he looked over to see Aresh fully comfortable, reaching out to hold his hand. It wasn’t the most comfortable thing, to have his arm held out and hanging between them, even with how close the chairs were. But he didn’t complain, smiling as their fingers loosely intertwined and they relaxed.
The salty breeze and gentle waves were like a balm to what little homesickness lingered within him. He had truly come to love his life here, and this place, this moment, solidified that all the further. He had grown up in a seaside town, had spent much of his childhood in the water, so much so that he had gotten in trouble for it frequently. He softly laughed to himself at some of the memories, and felt a gentle squeeze of his hand pulling at his attention.
“What are you thinking?” asked that beautiful, deep voice.
“About my childhood. My parents used to have to drag me out of the water. Thinking back on it, as a kid, I never could have imagined living away from the ocean. I think I spent more time in the water than out of it, until I reached junior high.”
Aresh was silent for a moment, then asked with genuine curiosity, “Tell me more.”
Seiichirou nodded, setting his glasses on a table and taking a sip of the chilled juice Malin had brought out for them before he continued. “I had a lot of freedom as a kid. After school, I would go to the beach instead of home. Usually with friends, but even on my own. Even in the winter, even when there was snow and ice. I’d take my shoes and socks off, and walk along the edge of the water. Sometimes I’d even go swimming, if I thought I could hide it from my parents. They didn’t like me going into the water when I was alone, and especially not in the winter when the beaches were also empty and I could get sick.”
“Sounds like you. So you got in trouble a lot as a kid?”
“Yes and no. They never really punished me for it, they just lectured me a lot about the dangers.”
“I’m beginning to sympathize with your parents,” Aresh commented in a flat voice.
“Hush,” Seiichirou laughed. “There was one event that made me understand their fears though. Didn’t stop me, but I did understand.”
Aresh sighed in a familiar frustration. “So you’ve always been like this, have you?”
“Yeah.”
“Well?”
Seiichirou laughed quietly. Perhaps the memory should terrify him, but even though it had been a brush with death, he still looked on it fondly. “Are you familiar with rip currents?”
“If I am, not by name.”
“Right. Well, there’s a lot of energy in the ocean, between the water, its weight, and its movements. A rip current looks calm on the surface, but underneath, it’s a powerful current sending that energy back out into the ocean. For all that I grew up on the sea, no one ever explained that to me.” Aresh was watching him, seeming intrigued by his wistful tone, even as he explained such a thing.
“I think there may be one of those further down the beach. I didn’t realize it was dangerous under the calm.”
Seiichirou nodded, meeting his gaze and squeezing his fingers gently. “Well, one day I really wanted to be in the water, but I also felt a bit tired. Thought to myself, well, why not try that calm area, right? Should be pretty comfortable. I decided to dip under the water, expecting that it would be no problem at all. Next thing I knew, I was several meters out from shore, and my ears were ringing.” Strong fingers tightened around his, almost painfully so. “The current had grabbed me and tugged me under, down a lot deeper than I usually went, and spat me out. I was really lucky that it wasn’t a very strong rip current. I must have been underwater for only seconds, since I hadn’t run out of breath.”
“Your parents must have been furious.”
“I never told them.”
“Of course not. I should have known.”
Seiichirou ignored that bitter voice. “I figured they would be, though. My ears hurt for months. It got to the point where I was starting to think I should tell them about what happened, because I might need a doctor, but it finally cleared up on its own.”
Aresh sighed heavily, rubbing his thumb soothingly over the back of his hand in a comforting contrast to his irritated reply, “And you learned nothing at all from the experience.”
Rather than argue it, Seiichirou cheerfully leaned into the accusation, “Nope! Not a thing!”
“You little…” Aresh turned to his side to fully face him, frowning. “Have you learned now?”
He knew what was meant by that. Had he learned not to take his life for granted? Had he learned to get support from others? Had he learned not to hide his problems?
He had.
Smiling warmly, Seiichirou nodded, giving his hand another squeeze. “I have. Thanks to you.”
Aresh grunted, his expression softening with a grateful approval. “Good. Better late than never.”
“I’m sure I’ll need reminders here and there. But, I really have changed a lot in these past few years, even you have to admit that.”
“Do I?”
“It’s true!”
They shared broad grins, and settled back into their seats to continue to enjoy the sunshine and ocean waves. Seabirds called somewhere in the distance, their voices designed to carry long distances over strong gusts of air. Even here, in this other world, things like that were the same. The exact calls were different, but the voices were familiar enough that Seiichirou found it deeply comforting.
He might have fallen asleep, but it seemed every time he began to doze, Aresh would wake him up and urge him to hydrate. Seiichirou wanted to complain he didn’t need to be micromanaged like this, that it was Aresh’s vacation too, but the truth was, he was grateful for it. Heat exhaustion was no fun, and it was another experience he had hidden from his parents over his years of sneaking away to the ocean.
Pavel brought a light lunch out to to them, and after the meal, Seiichirou began to feel a bit restless. He got up and walked to the edge of the surf, feeling Aresh’s gaze on his back as he did. He had no intention of swimming immediately after a meal, if that’s what the man was worried about. He simply wanted to get his feet wet, to feel the ebb and flow against his ankles. Closing his eyes, he turned his face up toward the sun and breathed in deep.
He really had missed the ocean. Far more than he’d realized. Far more than he’d thought possible. He hadn’t realized just how at home he would feel here. The soft crunch of sand sliding underfoot let him know of Aresh’s approach, and he leaned back into a broad chest as arms enveloped him.
This was home. Not just the ocean, though that was certainly a large part of it. But Aresh’s arms. The combination had his chest feeling full and tight with a warmth and comfort he wasn’t sure he had ever felt. He relaxed fully, almost too much to continue standing, and a contented sigh slipped over his lips. “Thank you, Aresh. I can’t remember the last time I felt so at peace…”
Aresh tightened his hold and pressed lips to the crook of his neck. “Do you want to go for a walk?” he asked softly.
“Sure.” Seiichirou turned around in his hold and leaned up to lay a sweet kiss at the corner of his mouth. Aresh smiled warmly and once again laced their fingers together. The pair walked along the surf, waves lapping against their ankles. A comfortable silence settled over them as they simply enjoyed the time in each other’s company with no obligations over their heads.
The sky had turned a deep violet fading into brilliant pink by the time they made their way back to the manor. As they walked up the winding path leading from the beach, Seiichirou took in the view and smiled with a faint wisp of sadness. “The only thing really missing is Mount Fuji.” He could feel Aresh’s attention on him at the statement, and he looked up to meet the man’s gaze. “It’s a famous volcano in Japan. One of the most famous mountains in our whole world, I think. It’s nestled between Shizuoka and Yamanashi prefectures.”
“How does a mountain become famous across an entire world?”
Seiichirou was confused by that question for a moment. It seemed obvious to him. Then he remembered that the ease of worldwide communication that he took for granted simply didn’t exist here. Of course, art and trade had also boosted its popularity long before such things. But now that he thought on it, he rarely came across things from other nations here, and thought that the entire culture around trade was simply different here.
“Well, a few ways, I suppose. The most modern one is that in my time, in my world, worldwide communication is commonplace. We have machines that can send information to one another all across the globe.” He struggled with his words, trying to explain a concept like the ‘internet’ to someone who had never heard of anything like a ‘computer’ or ‘telephone.’
“That’s… commonplace?” Aresh sounded stunned by the idea.
“Yes. So, people across the whole world can communicate with one another instantly. Millions of people connected through these machines. As a result, most people have at least some familiarity with things in other parts of the world, though there’s certainly a large bias towards the wealthiest, most powerful nations.”
Aresh shook his head, having a difficult time wrapping his mind around it. He opened the door to the manor and they were greeted by Malin asking if they would like dinner or a bath first. “Dinner,” Aresh answered, then looked to Seiichirou for confirmation and got a nod in response. Sitting down at the table, he prodded for more information. “You said that was the most modern way for the information to get around. How else?”
Seiichirou smiled at the interest in his home. Aresh usually was attentive and engaged with such conversations, but they didn’t come up too often, so he rarely had the chance to talk about it. Perhaps that had been intentional on both of their parts, not wanting to remind him of a place he might never again visit. But Seiichirou no longer wished to return, and Aresh no longer feared that he would leave, and so, the topic was no longer one to be avoided.
“Well, Mount Fuji is of particular importance to my people, as it’s considered sacred. It’s also very beautiful to look at from afar. It’s depicted in many works of art, from paintings to poetry. So, during times of trade and sharing of culture with other nations, our art would introduce others to it.”
“Do such trades happen a lot in your world?”
“Very much. Things here feel very isolated to me, actually. I know there’s now trade with Egorova, but it doesn’t seem like there’s much trade between nations around here. Or is that a Romany thing? Japan has had many periods of extreme isolation, so it’s not unheard of where I’m from, but we’re also a small island nation with no land borders.”
Aresh grunted softly and considered it. “There’s communication with nearby nations, and my position has made it a necessity that I be familiar with other nations. But, I suppose there isn’t much in the way of trade at the moment. That’s been changing, in large part because of you.”
“Like with the magic exchange?”
He shook his head in response. “No. Because you’ve made the Holy Maiden obsolete. Just the name alone, the proof of having direct divine intervention, kept other nations away from us. There’s been an increase in foreign activity since she returned to your home world, too.”
Seiichirou frowned. “She’ll be back, though. Assuming she doesn’t change her mind. And just because the miasma is taken care of, there’s nothing saying there won’t be future Holy Maidens. Their role might just look a little different.”
“Perhaps, but every nation keeps spies. It may not be open knowledge, but our neighbors certainly know that she’s left and that she very well might not return. There’s no sign of war brewing, but things may get more active all the same. It’s in our best interest to encourage positive relationships with these nations now, too, since we’ve become more vulnerable.”
Cocking his head at that, Seiichirou nodded thoughtfully. The Third Royal Order didn’t just handle magical threats. They also guarded the borders. He’d also learned that in terms of responsibilities, a marquess was not much different from a count, but because they were custodians of border territories, their political power and benefits were that much higher. That meant that in both major aspects of his life - pedigree and career - Aresh had to be keenly aware of what went on in other nations. “It seems I’ve caused more work for you than I realized.”
Aresh reached out and placed a large hand on his head, pressing down and ruffling his hair. “Don’t say that word.”
“What word?” Seiichirou asked as he batted away the hand and fixed glasses that had been knocked askew.
“Work.”
He snorted at that and shook his head. “You’re ridiculous.”
“Not half so much as you.”
“If you say so.”
“I just did.”
They continued to playfully jab with one another as dinner was set in front of them and they took to their food. As usual, Pavel had served them a delicious meal that was a perfect capstone to their day. It was cool and light, refreshing after a day spent in the sunshine, and paired with a variety of fresh fruits.
Some time later, fed and bathed, they sat on a lavish balcony connected to Aresh’s rooms, looking over the ocean. The quarter moon reflected off the water in a long line disturbed by gentle waves. Seiichirou smiled and sipped at his tea, leaning against Aresh in the large chair, feeling warm even in the cool ocean breeze with that sturdy body behind him and a light blanket laid over them.
Lips were teasing at his ear, and he smirked into his cup at the unsubtle ways Aresh was silently asking for them to move to the bedroom. He forced the man remain seated, taking his time sipping at the warm drink and taking in the view. The ocean really was something. Even though he could only see it in the reflection of the moon from horizon to surf, he felt as though it were clear as day to him. That deep, dark expanse that frightened many was like a mother’s song to him. A part of him wanted to go back into the water now, but he decided a nighttime dip could wait for another night.
One where Aresh had a bit more patience, maybe.
Then again, he thought to himself with a mental laugh as a hand pushed up his shirt and fingers teased at a nipple, if he waited for that, it would never happen. Aresh’s other hand plucked his cup from his grasp and set it aside. “You’re ignoring me.”
“I am not.”
Aresh gently bit his neck, not trying to hurt or even to mark, but simply to let his displeasure be known. “You are,” he grumbled against wet skin.
Seiichirou shook his head and leaned back so that he could flash an amused grin up at Aresh. “How could I ignore you if you hadn’t said anything?”
“You’re so frustrating, you know that?”
“I get that a lot, actually, yes.”
“No remorse.” Aresh clicked his tongue in mild irritation before grunting with the effort of suddenly rising to his feet with Seiichirou in his arms. “We’re going to bed.”
“Oh, good, I was getting sleepy,” Seiichirou said, just to spite him.
“Who said you’re getting any sleep tonight?” Aresh dropped him unceremoniously onto the bed, smirking at the undignified yelp that came from the smaller man. He plucked the glasses off his face and set them aside before leaning in for a deep kiss.
Seiichirou grumbled more out of obligation than true annoyance as he was undressed. “I thought you hated it when I don’t get enough sleep.”
Aresh picked up a leg and slung it over his shoulder before sliding oil slicked fingers under him. He leaned in and nipped at gasping lips, watching his lover keenly as he pressed fingers deep within. “I didn’t say you won’t get sleep. Just not tonight. We can spend all day in bed tomorrow.”
It was impossible to reply right away, not when a thick heat earnestly pushed its way inside of him. He groaned and his head tossed back on the pillow, silky black hair curled in small waves around his face. Catching his breath, he gripped powerful shoulders as Aresh thrust slowly within him, taking his time to draw out the pleasure. “Y’know,” he mumbled between exertion, tilting to angle his hips just a little more so that the wonderful fullness would press just right against him, “we didn’t have, to leave home, if we’re just, going to, spend all day, in here.”
Aresh picked up Seiichirou’s other leg, dropping it over the crook of his elbow to keep the angle just right. “Hush,” he grunted, sweat dripping off his face and onto his lover’s. “There’s plenty of time, for sight-seeing. But tonight, I just want this.”
“You want this, every night,” was the breathless reply.
“So do you.”
He couldn’t argue with that. Another time he might have tried, if only because he liked the ways Aresh would retort. He was too lost in the pleasure to continue trying though, and he clung desperately to the powerful body on top of him.
Aresh seemed pleased by the lack of response, grinning down at him and increasing his pace. Hitting deep within him just right, he really couldn’t hold out long against that kind of onslaught. Even as his pleasure crashed over him, mouth hanging open as he gasped, it didn’t stop. Aresh gave him no break to take it in or to catch his breath. He was relentless, pounding harder and faster, ignoring the desperate clawing at his shoulders and the writhing below him. Violet eyes fixed on the sweat soaked face below him, Aresh didn’t stop until his own pleasure came to a snapping crescendo and he rode it out until the pulsing finally stopped.
He rolled onto his side, keeping Seiichirou pressed tight against him, and buried his face into cool black hair. The air quickly became chilly against their slick bodies, but he ignored it, instead curling himself more protectively around the man in his arms. Seiichirou moaned softly and nuzzled against his chest, his breathing finally beginning to even out.
“Aresh…?”
“Hm?”
“...I’d like to get clean, now.”
Aresh snorted and set a hand under his chin, tilting his face up for a deep kiss. “What’s the point, you’ll just get dirty again soon.”
“How soon is ‘soon’!? I don’t have that kind of stamina, you know!”