The comment flustered Ame and made him become more aware of his own actions. He gripped the broom he was holding tighter in his hands. “I have? I’m sorry.” There were plenty of people around them at the shrine currently, and the young priest had completely forgotten about them. Eventually, they cleared the area and Ame was left alone with Kuon once again, though this time he tried not to stare instead. It was hard with Kuon standing so close, though, and even harder once he had spoken. “I’m leaving soon, actually.” Ame lifted his head to stare at the younger male. He was a samurai who had come with a group, but they had occupied the area for a while now, and he and Kuon had become quite close.
Close was probably an understatement. They had kissed and they had slept together. More than that, they had developed an actual romantic relationship in the short time that Kuon had been there. Ame wasn’t unfamiliar with sleeping with others, though the interest that men had took in him had dwindled since he turned nineteen, and then even more so after he had turned twenty. The interest from women had grown instead, but the only other person that Ame wanted to touch at the current moment was Kuon. “I knew that you would have to go eventually,” he began, leaning the broom against a wall and clasping his own hands together, rubbing them against each other nervously. “I just didn’t realize that it would be so soon, especially since we just started taking this seriously.” He knew better than that, though. He had always known that relationships between men wouldn’t last long, and were rarely ever serious. As if his hands had been familiar with Kuon’s skin for a long time, he touched his face gently, holding it in his hands as he closed the space between them slowly. The kiss felt soothing and calming, his thumbs stroking over Kuon’s skin. When he pulled away, Kuon spoke instead. “Let’s just run away together. We’ll find somewhere to live and get other jobs.” His voice sounded light and whimsical, as if he were already daydreaming about it. Ame simply shook his own head. “Stop joking. You know you have more honor than that, Kuon.” Besides, he already knew that he was destined for sadness and heartbreak. It coursed through his veins, side by side with the love that he had for the other male
