Azul considered this just another business meeting.
Sure, he was dressed fancier than he might be, a little stiffer too as he was out of his element when it came to socializing for fun. If he hadn’t been invited by such an important client he wouldn’t have thought twice about turning down the invitation, but they were rich, powerful, and had a full list of friends with pockets just as heavy. He had come up with a few topics to breach to see if anyone might be interested in cutting a deal with him, his business card tucked into his inside pocket (which he double-checked before entering the party).
He’s thankful he didn’t have to pretend to be interested in a bride and groom sharing their first kiss, the afterparty being much better for his business. He greeted them both politely and with a simple gift, something ‘on the house’ from his restaurant that he hoped would draw them and their rich friends in, but he was quick to find himself a table to get a moment to himself. The dance floor was full of excitement which meant he wanted a safe distance, close enough to watch and reveal potential interesting secrets but not close enough to get drawn in.
He didn’t think this party might flip everything on its head for him, but an opportunity was an opportunity. He wasn’t holding his breath for anything groundbreaking to happen nor did he suspect he’d stay long; if he had brought along Floyd he was sure he’d be making a scene on the dance floor while Jade would be talking about the types of poisonous mushrooms you could slip into punch and no one would notice.
This moment would be even worse if he had brought them, he thinks in hindsight, and perhaps it was luck that he had decided at the last minute not to drag them along.
As fate would have it his eyes drifted over to the bride and grooms special table, where they were surely being disgustingly in love. He respected his parents for understanding boundaries when they remarried, especially when he was present, but he supposed it was this couple’s happy day so he couldn’t judge them too harshly. But as he did look over he caught sight of something, someone, he hadn’t seen in so many years. He thought he might be seeing things.
He wasn’t.
Azul is shell-shocked, knowing that he’d never be able to mistake another person for you. No one but you could give him a full body reaction like this, his chest tight, his hands bawled into fists as he tried to regain his composure. You were on the arm of another, leaning casually against them as you spoke to the bride; it seemed you were good friends, sharing a cheery laugh and a brief hug before you returned to your dates side.
No matter how he tried he couldn’t pull his eyes off you, thinking how well the formal wear you were in tonight suited you. The colors made your skin practically glow, a deity here on earth meant to bless everyone who saw you. He watched as you laughed, covered your mouth to avoid laughing at something that was clearly not meant to be humorous, his mind had veered completely off of business onto something else entirely.
And then his card appeared.
He couldn’t possibly know what had triggered the bride to speak about him, or his gift, but she flashed you the card with a bright smile. You seemed to have no reaction at first but Azul thinks your eyes might’ve widened the tidiest bit. You processed the information for a moment longer before you suddenly turned your head to scan all around you, eyes seeking him out even if unintentionally. He felt himself sink lower into his seat, just enough to hide behind a few dozen people in the crowd but it wasn’t enough.
Your eyes met, and they lingered, and you refused to be the first to break.
Azul had always been a tricky one to deal with but when it came to emotions it seemed he was even worse. You didn’t blame him for not wanting to get into a relationship in your early days at NRC together but even when you tried to connect as adults, he was simply too busy. He went home for a bit, but he always seemed drawn back to land, having successful restaurants across the board. You had almost gone to a few of them but the thought of him being there, of seeming him again, it made you too nauseous to eat.
Your family friend who had escorted you continued the conversation unbothered even as you and Azul engaged in a staring contest, neither of you willing to break. He was as stubborn as you were even if he was the one who had turned tail first.
“I’m going to sit over there.” You boldly declared, regretting it the second you said it out loud. Your friend nodded and told you he’d be right over with drinks, leaving you to slowly make your way through the crowd. You could’ve moved faster but you wanted Azul to really sweat it out, wondering if he’d make a great escape or simply deal with the problem presented to him.
“Hello.”
“…It’s been a long time since we’ve seen each other.” Azul offered up, standing and politely pulling out your chair. It seemed his manners hadn’t died even if his romantic interest in you had. “How are you?”
“I’m fine. How are your businesses? I see you’ve got a shiny new card.”
“Would you like one?” It’s a reflex now to reach into his jacket like it was nothing, holding a card between two fingers and presenting it to you. You stared at his hand like you might slap it but instead you took the card, delicately turning it over so you could see the intricate design he’d gone with.
“Thanks. This’ll help me contact you since I know you won’t let a potential business deal go to a voicemail.” Oof, vicious as ever, Azul had to fight not to visibly wince at the venom in your comments. “We have things to talk about Azul. I miss you. You think you can schedule time with an old friend into your busy life?”
An old friend? That’s all? Azul would’ve laughed if he knew he could get away with it.
He doesn’t think you’ve ever been so direct before, and it was causing his face to grow hotter by the moment. He was from a world of carefully crafted verbiage, so he didn’t know how much meaning to pull from your statement. Shouldn’t he be tearing it apart and applying meaning where you might have meant nothing? And those words, that you missed him, what could that be about?
It wasn’t so unusual to think a fan had sent him something, right?
The chocolates had been waiting in the back, delivered by one of his people, a note pinned to the front. He hadn’t read it quite yet but his stomach was growling and his nose had picked up the scent of chocolate, he simply had to dig in first and read second. As he shoveled them in he received a text alerting him to your presence, and that you were on the way to his room; he tucked the chocolates away, didn’t want to give you the wrong idea about him having suitors or anything like that, and stood near the doorway so he could properly greet you when you arrived.
A tingling sensation started at the tips of his fingers, moving slowly up his body until it invaded his chest cavity. His nerves were suddenly alight, a ticklish feeling thoroughly distracting him for a moment before his mouth involuntarily opened.
“You look beautiful tonight.”
“Are you flattering me so I won’t heckle you at your show? Don’t worry. I’m on my best behavior tonight.” You’re wearing your embarrassed smile, a look Sasara knew well since he flirted with you through his favorite form of art: Jokes. You never knew whether you could take him seriously.
“I’m not. I always think that, I just… never say it.” It feels weird to hear words coming out of his mouth that he’s pretty sure he didn’t formulate in his brain, because there’s no way he could find it in himself to be this direct. The little song and dance of flirtation was what had kept you interested in him, sometimes flirting back, sometimes telling him to get it together, it was harmless fun. He was harmless fun.
This was making the relationship unfun. If he couldn’t make you laugh, then what could he bring to the table? He was growing more on edge by the second but he couldn’t just tell you to get out. That wasn’t what he actually wanted, as scared as he was to admit it.
“Se-seriously, are you playing the straight man tonight? Did Rosho give you some pointers?”
“This is just how I… feel.” He almost successfully fought back against his words that time but his resolve broke at the last minute, the look on your face softening as you took a few steps closer.
“Are you actually feeling okay? We could just sneak away somewhere together but I don’t think your manager would be too happy—”
“I don’t care what he thinks, I want to do what you want to do.” This time his body betrayed him along with his mind, his hands cradling yours delicately. “I would explore every inch of this city with you, it would be more fun that way.”
Now this was an interesting Sasara, a man who never let you know what he was thinking before seemed to be playing some sort of prank on you. Your head tilted as you tried to figure out his motives but it was like reaching out for a solitary fish swimming in an oceans worth of water, there wasn’t a chance in hell.
“I like this new honest you, admittedly.” You squeezed his hands in yours, “I hope I get to see him more often but… I like the side of you that has those awful jokes, too. There’s a balance, you know?”
He opened his mouth but you pressed a finger to his lips, tracing along the ridiculously soft skin he had.
“We’ll talk more when your nerves are settled, okay? Drink some water and put on a good show.”
The words burst out the moment you left the room, the click of the door causing his mouth to open.
He wouldn’t call it breaking up as you had never officially been an item, but his mother hadn’t agreed with that at all. You had been near inseparable when he had time off, as she put it, and he had softened his hard edges around you. She could see a change in him that only a mother who wanted the best for her son could see, yet all he was worried about was dragging you down with him. There was that side of him that, no matter how much his mother supported him, made him feel like he could never provide the type of life you needed.
Sakyo wasn’t a fool. He knew that you had loved him, and he knew that you knew he loved you back. But there’s an odd song and dance that two adults who aren’t quite on the same wavelength do. Mindlessly spending time together was fine as children but as adult it ended with purpose, with marriage, and to think of you being stuck with him for an eternity… He was selfish, he supposed, in pulling away from you without much explanation but he didn’t think one was needed. You knew him better than anyone, knew why he acted the way he did and why he made the choices he did, and you had even boldly defended him from his mother.
She had seen through you both, though.
He had agreed to go to the wedding because his mother hardly had the chance to get out of the house these days, and she seemed excited to pick out a new dress. There was something conspiratorial about her attitude but he assumed it might have to do with flirting with other men, and that was not a topic he was about to breach with her. He’d take her, make sure she was safe, and then when she was ready to leave he would escort her home. Conveniently enough it was on one of his free weekends so all he had to do was get his suit cleaned and he was ready for a wedding.
With his mother on his arm he found himself seated at a table, keeping to himself and engaging in polite conversation only when he was approached. His mother was a little friendlier as these were people and families she knew well, smiling, laughing, joking, it made him happy to see her so relaxed. He had quick flashes to the past where they had struggled but he quickly brushed them aside, knowing he had to continue looking forward.
He didn’t think anything of the action at first but he swore he saw his mother switch some papers around when she had stood up to greet yet another old friend, but he had brushed it off as simply being a napkin. Sakyo’s head had been turned as he listened to a group nearby talking about theatre but a familiar scent hit him head-on, his head turning back to his table where his mother was enthusiastically greeting…
You.
It had been years this point since he had last seen you but your beauty hadn’t dimmed a bit, there was still this soft glow about you that made you the center of his attention. You wore an easy smile as you brought his mother into a hug, asking a few simple questions here and there about what she had been up to. You were as painfully aware of him as he was of you and yet you both said nothing to acknowledge each other, not until his mother pointed him out very clearly.
“Surely you remember my son.”
“Hard to forget,” You smiled at her, then him briefly, before your eyes settled on the table. “It’s nice to see you again, Sakyo. I heard everything is going well with your theatre company?”
“…Yes, we’ve actually managed to turn a profit.” You have to fight back the giggle, politely covering your mouth to hide your too wide smile.
“Still focused on money, I see. How about having fun? Are you enjoying being on stage?”
The way you had poised the conversation at first made it seem like you knew nothing of Mankai, that his last few years were a mystery to you, but if you knew he was actually part of a troupe… His eyes met yours and you found yourself weak in the knees, swallowing nervously and glancing down at the table again.
“Your name is at our table, dear, so please sit, join us. I’ll get us drinks.”
“I can get them—”
“No, you won’t.” His mother fixed him with a firm look that told him to sit back in that seat or so help her—
“U-uh, thank you very much. So, Sakyo…” His mother left as Sakyo sat himself back down across from you, trying to keep his cool gaze on you. “You didn’t answer my question.”
“You’ve come to see us.” More of a statement then a question but you figured the jig was up, nodding your head. “I—Which play did you enjoy the most?”
“I liked Ginji the Wanderer,” You leaned forward, clearly recalling the time you had seen it, “I remembered you talking about acting once in awhile but whenever I tried to press you’d just change the subject. I’m glad you’re finally doing something you’re passionate about.”
“I’ve always been…” Sakyo doesn’t know why he was going to lie to you, there was no point to it. You could see through him now just as easily as you could then, the dangerous thought coming to mind that it was like nothing had really changed between you. But things had changed, and there was a distance between you, one that he had himself. “Never mind.”
“Ooh, and you’re less willing to argue? It seems that things have changed with you~” You teased, laughing in a way that made his heart clench. How long had it been since he’d heard that melodic sound? So often when he tried to call back to it, it was quickly replaced with the sound of you sniffling and holding back tears on the other end of a phone line.
What had he just told himself earlier? To stop looking at the past, and to look toward his future?
Sakyo’s eyes met yours again.
“I can get you tickets to our next play, if you want.”
“Free?” He twitched at the word, but…
“Yes.”
“Well how can I deny something free from Mr. Frugal himself! I look forward to it. I hope I get some real VIP treatment~”
Sakyo scoffed, but you could see the slight upward tilt at the corner of his lips, “Don’t press your luck.”
Jakurai was patiently waiting for a call from the hospital to shatter his overall quiet night. There always seemed to be more accidents in the rain, and while there were plenty of other doctors on tonight, it had never stopped them from calling him before. He had learned to use every ounce of downtime that was offered lest he go insane, though his work was his passion and he found a certain satisfaction from his job that didn’t have him too upset at the hours he worked.
Finding his team, finding you, getting a family again, it brought a little more perspective back and he learned to value his free time more. Camping and fishing, spending cozy nights in without a single obligation, there were little pleasures that lined up to allow him to experience really, truly living.
When he laid himself down in bed that night he could hardly believe it, it was normally you who was crawling into it alone. You had to work late that night, shooting off a quick, frustrated text that let him know you were upset with not being available when he was around. While he missed your presence as well it gave him a bit of a taste of what it was like to be you, to have to occupy his time in other ways, to miss you wholeheartedly despite seeing you off that very morning.
When he closed his eyes that night he was alone, but the sun woke him early the next morning. He felt the weight of a warm body pressed against him, an arm slung over his chest; he was careful, turning his head slowly to see your peacefully sleeping form. He hadn’t managed to stay up late enough to greet you but you had made yourself comfortable in his home anyway; he had given you that key early on for just that reason. He trusted you with not just him but his home.
“Mmm, someone turn the sun off…” You grumbled, and Jakurai quickly realized his mistake. While he had left the curtains open last night to get a nice view of the rain falling from the moonlit sky he had forgotten to close them before he laid down, and you must have been too tired to notice when you got in last night. He gently shifted your arm and moved out from under it, dutifully rectifying his mistake before joining you back in bed.
“I don’t normally get you back that quick,” You mumbled sleepily, peaking one eye open now that the sun wasn’t burning your retinas. “What’s the occasion?”
“I was simply thinking… About how wonderful it is to wake up next to you.” Jakurai laid himself down so you were on eye level, his nose brushing up against yours. There was a playfulness to his tone that told you he was being flirty and it sent shivers down your spine, having to fight to keep the goofy grin from overtaking your face.
“That’s my favorite part too. Well, not my very favorite, but it’s up there.” You paused purposefully, and Jakurai patiently waited for you to continue. “You wanna know what my favorite is?”
He nodded, and while he wasn’t a mind-reader, he did think he could see what you wanted written all over your face.
