May 31, 2022
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
New chapter of Without Words 2: Our Orbiting Paths is up!!
In this chapter, Kunzite makes up for his mishap on White Day. Very fluffy and soft!
seen from United States
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seen from Egypt
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seen from China
seen from United States
seen from Türkiye
seen from United States
seen from Yemen
seen from United Kingdom
seen from France
seen from Belgium
seen from Malaysia
seen from Germany
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seen from Belgium
seen from United States
seen from Brazil
seen from United Kingdom
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
New chapter of Without Words 2: Our Orbiting Paths is up!!
In this chapter, Kunzite makes up for his mishap on White Day. Very fluffy and soft!
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
I finally updated! In this chapter, Kunzite makes a grave mistake in his relationship with Izou, and has to work hard to make amends.
In other words, Kunzite learns how to emotionally comprehend and communicate ...better LOL!
Enjoy!
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
I did it! I finally finished writing this chapter! I’m so sorry it took ages; it has 4 different scenes so it was a bit tricky to be in the right zone for all four of them! I hope you all enjoy!
As usual, link goes to A03, or you can also read under the cut!
Chapter Summary: After their first fight, Izou senses Kunihiro has withdrawn. His anxieties take him all over Tokyo, where he bumps into someone who seems strangely familiar.
“Thank you, we’ll let you know if we’re interested.”
Izou accepted the resume graciously and thanked the man for his time. As soon as he had left the establishment and was greeted with the open air, Izou couldn’t help but let out a groan.
“What a waste of time,” he moaned to himself, crossing The Jazz Heart off his list.
With another annoyed sigh, Izou ran a hand through his bangs. He had only a few resumes and business cards left, and had to choose wisely. To remain in the area would mean applying to more businesses in which he had little experience: high-end jewelry and retail outlets, flower shops, or elegant dinner venues. A wistful part of him had even hoped to win a position at the up-and-coming jazz bar, despite his lack of official musical experience.
“I should have known better,” Izou muttered to himself, as he scanned the list and chewed on his knuckle absently. “As if I actually know anything about any of those things…”
But, as quickly as that thought came, another arrived. It rose from his gut, soft and illustrious but tenacious in its roots.
But you do, this voice whispered, echoing into his bones. You would know better than most.
As loudly as he could, Izou tried to squash the voice.
“Let’s try further afield!” he announced, trying to pep himself up. So long as it wasn’t as far as the coffee shop from last year, anything would be reasonable. With a newfound sense of determination, Izou stuffed the list back into his pocket, and marched off.
---
As Izou meandered his way through the city, however, he found himself struggling to concentrate. At every coffee shop and bakery, his mind would drift to his home: the empty apartment, in which he and Kunihiro had been regularly in and out of since their first “fight”.
It hadn’t been an easy few days since that fateful interaction. Although neither of them had spoken of the incident again, the apartment had fallen with an unusual hush. Izou couldn’t tell how much of the quiet was due to their usual mismatched schedules, or if Kunihiro was intentionally avoiding him. The only exchange they regularly had was Izou handing a daily lunch box to Kunihiro. The man always accepted it with a nod, but Izou couldn’t help but notice that Kunihiro’s eyes never met his.
I’m reading too much into this, Izou scolded himself, as he rounded the corner to yet another hopeful location. This one, like the others, was a bit of a long shot. Izou had seen ads for this particular milkshake shop flash in all his magazines. It was new, hip, and set to open later this month. Izou hoped that by coming here early, he could convince the owner to hire him as part of the opening staff.
After checking the address once more, he stepped back to take a better look at the establishment.
Starlight Parfaits...
The windows were a slick shade of dark purple, gradually transparent like the facets of an amethyst. Posters of dark chocolate sundaes, fruity gradients, and swirly sorbets hung like pillars between the windows. As Izou tilted his head, he tried to gauge his feelings about this particular place. Even though it was so new, there was something about it that seemed strangely familiar. In addition, strangely comforting. Izou could see himself regularly popping up in a place like this.
Deciding it was worth a shot, Izou readied his resume. However, just as he was about to knock on the door, he caught sight of a familiar silhouette. Curious, Izou lowered his hand.
Past the bustling workmen and supervisors, a man and a woman were chatting behind the main counter. Although she had her back to the door, the woman was significantly shorter, and so Izou could see past her stature to the man towering over her. He was tall, broad-shouldered, and handsome. A cloud of dark curls cascaded down his back. Despite his rising heartbeat, Izou squinted closer. Where did he know this man…?
Suddenly, as though the man had sensed his presence, his head jerked up.
For the briefest moment, their eyes locked. Bright ivy green and startling cerulean were frozen in time. However, as soon as the man shifted from the counter, Izou recoiled back. When the shadow began to solidify closer and closer to the door, Izou bolted from the corner as fast as his feet would carry him.
By the time the man had arrived at the door and opened it, all that remained of Izou’s presence was his resume and business card, lying motionless on the sidewalk.
---
It seemed ages before Izou’s feet began to slow down. The echoes of the pavement pounding were comforting; as if each step could breach him further from the dread that was rising within him. When he felt he had gained enough distance, Izou stumbled to a halt, crouching down to regain his breath.
Just great, he thought, as he gulped air with his hands on his knees. On top of everything else, he hadn’t needed this. Although deep in his gut he knew who that man was, Izou was forcing all his focus to stave the recognition at bay. Think of anything else, he kept telling himself. We are not going to open this box.
When his lungs were eventually functioning normally again, Izou finally collapsed onto a nearby bench. With the adrenaline wearing off, the heaviness of regret began to sag in. Defeated, Izou hung his head in hands, trying to hold himself together. His messenger bag knocked hollowly against the seat, his silken love-charm dangling silently.
I wish Kunzite-sama would talk to me, Izou finally whispered.
The name almost brought tears to Izou’s eyes, which he angrily pushed away with his sleeve. That name was so precious, so miraculous, yet as forbidden and dangerous as cursed treasure. To own it would be an elixir, the saving grace from the danger of the ghost that lived inside him. But to touch it at all was to unleash the rest of the monsters from their prisons, to drown in fool's gold in a cave of wonders.
The past doesn’t matter, Izou kept telling himself. We have a new life. A real life.
But how can it be real, a different voice asked, if you’ll never know the truth?
Letting out a frustrated groan, Izou buried his face in his hands again. If only there was someone else he could talk to. Some higher power who could understand the nuances he was struggling with. Izou didn’t consider himself particularly religious, but at this point, he couldn’t think of anything else to turn to. What human could possibly help him navigate adjusting his first real relationship, a spotty memory of an equally questionable past, and possibly some supernatural elements thrown in the mix?
At that moment, Izou felt something brush against his cheek. As he looked up, he thought he saw a pink petal float out of the corner of his eye. How strange, he thought. Cherry blossom season wasn’t set to open for another month…
But that’s when he realized where he was. Before him stood an immense stone staircase, lined with green cherry blossom trees that lined its ascent. As Izou’s gaze slowly drew to the top, the grand majesty of the temple slowly dawned to view. It was the same temple he and Kunihiro had visited on his birthday.
Before he knew it, Izou began to slowly make his way up to the temple once more.
---
When he arrived at its peak, Izou was dismayed to see that the temple grounds were practically deserted. Not a single attendant could be found, and Izou didn’t feel entirely comfortable approaching the grand establishment on his own. Biting his lip, he unhooked the enmusubi from his messenger bag. Perhaps if nothing else, he could find someone to buy a new one from…
Come back in six month’s time, or when the charm has run out, the attendant had said. Izou gazed upon the charm agonizingly. Only three months had passed, and with Izou’s love and care, the enmusubi practically looked as good as new. Its magic, if he believed in such things, should still be working…
But this isn’t an ordinary situation, Izou thought desperately, closing his eyes. Maybe I should try something more powerful…
“Can I help you?”
Startled, Izou opened his eyes. An attendant with yellow-blond hair had opened the door to the temple, and was stepping out with a broomstick in hand. From this distance, Izou thought he recognized him, but he wasn’t sure from where.
“I’m just hoping to say a little prayer,” Izou answered, but his voice was distant as he struggled to place this man in his memories. His gait, his serious, slightly condescending voice. The way his bangs hung over his eyes, as though he didn’t really want to meet Izou’s gaze unless necessary. How his short hair was the color of summer wheat, or freshly ripened corn.
Without looking up at Izou, the attendant began to sweep briskly.
“That enmusubi isn’t meant to work overnight,” he answered matter-of-factly. “Trust in it, and let it do its work.”
Although Izou understood where the man was coming from, he couldn’t help but feel uncertain as he glanced back down at the omamori in his hand.
“I just need a little more help,” Izou whispered. “Or maybe a different type of luck…?”
The attendant sighed shortly and paused in his sweeping. Suddenly, he turned to face Izou straight-on, and Izou was startled to see his features so clearly. Though he had boyishly handsome cheeks, they contrasted so sharply with the seriousness of his bright blue eyes.
“With all due respect,” the attendant said bluntly, “praying for change is a waste of your energy.”
Once more, Izou was taken aback with the man’s words. “Excuse me?” was all he could say.
The attendant didn’t look impressed, but he also seemed to understand that Izou wasn’t going to absorb his advice immediately.
“Praying only gets you so far,” he explained, gesturing to the charm. “And the omamori can only do so much. The rest is up to you, and your own effort to actively do something about your problem.”
Izou eventually closed his fingers over the amulet. As much as he hated to admit it, he knew the man was right in principle. Even if magic was real, it wasn’t as if Izou could summon such powers to bury away the obstacles that laid before him, or force Kunihiro to open up to him. The only thing he could do was to rely on himself - his own bravery, tenacity, and quick-thinking. He looked back at the man, whose sky-blue eyes remained steadfast.
“What if I’m doing all I can,” Izou finally asked, “but the other person isn’t responding?”
The attendant’s expression hardly changed.
“How do you know they aren’t?”
Izou blinked. “Er, well…” He scratched the back of his head awkwardly. ”They haven’t exactly talked to me about it. How would anyone solve a problem if they don’t even discuss it?”
“People process things in different ways,” the attendant shrugged. “Just because they’re not talking about it doesn’t mean they’re not working on it.”
It took a moment for Izou to process the man’s words, which seemed to have been spoken from a place of personal experience. Speaking came so naturally to Izou that it was hard for him to imagine anyone struggling with it, much less Kunihiro, who seemed so eloquent when he did speak. But perhaps that’s what Izou had been seeing all this time: a perfect facet, polished from practice.
He looked really upset, Izou recalled from their fight. Perhaps that night he had stumbled upon a crack, and Izou had not given Kunihiro enough time to address it before calling it to attention. Maybe the crack even ran deeper than it first appeared. But Izou understood now that it was unlikely for Kunihiro to trust him with it again so soon. Izou would have to earn it.
Slowly, Izou tilted his head at the attendant, gauging him up and down. Although there was something familiar about him, the sensation was entirely unthreatening. There were no shadows or pinpricks of dread, no echoes of ghosts. Instead, the man felt like a safe harbor, a neutral impasse. Izou decided then and there that this man was a friend.
“What’s your name?” Izou asked. “I’m Kozakura Izou.” He nodded respectfully. “A pleasure to meet you.”
The man blinked at him, as though he hadn’t expected Izou to be so forward. Eventually responded with a nod in kind.
“Daito, Jay,” the attendant answered. “Same to you.”
---
Upon his return home, Izou felt much better. Although his discussion with Jay hadn’t solved his various problems immediately, it certainly lightened Izou’s emotional load considerably. It was still early days yet, and Izou had faith in his self-efficacy to navigate himself around Kunihiro. He had made it this far, after all. They could talk about all that messy stuff when the time was right.
“I’m home,” he sang habitually as he stepped inside. As he hung up his items, he was surprised to see that Kunihiro was indeed home. There was a pot stewing quietly on the stove, and the smell of sweet curry wafted around him like a hug. From around the corner, Kunihiro appeared.
“Welcome home,” he greeted. “How was your day?”
“Good,” Izou chirped back. He decided it wasn’t worth telling Kunihiro about his worries from earlier that day. This was the first the man had spoken to him since their fight, and Izou wasn’t going to ruin it with something he could solve himself. “How was yours?”
Kunihiro passed Izou his lunchbox, all wrapped up in its fabric. Izou blushed when he realized he had accidentally sent Kunihiro to work with a pattern dotted entirely with flowers. He hoped he hadn’t embarrassed Kunihiro.
“Good,” Kunihiro answered. He looked like he was about to say something else, then quickly changed his mind.
“Why don’t you get yourself settled. I’ll plate for you and we’ll eat on the sofa.”
Izou smiled as Kunihiro went to busy himself with their curries. This was the most normal and relaxed they had felt in some time. When Kunihiro disappeared around the corner, Izou slid open the knot to sort out the lunchbox. Since Kunihiro was a much better cook, Izou was happy to do the cleaning.
Upon opening the lunchbox, however, he discovered it had already been cleaned. Not only that, but a single pink rose laid in its center. His heart warming, Izou slowly brought it up close.
This is his apology, Izou realized, his eyes closing. He just needed some time.
With the lunchbox and the rest of Izou’s things put away, he hurried to join his partner in the living room. As he tumbled into Kunihiro’s side on the sofa, he flung his arms around his partner and pressed a chaste kiss on his cheek.
“Thank you,” he said, referring to the rose. “It’s a lovely gift.”
Whatever tension Kunihiro had been reserving seemed to evaporate with relief.
“I know I’ve been a bit distant lately,” he murmured quietly. “I’ve just needed some time to think.”
“I know,” Izou said, resting his head on the crook of Kunzite’s shoulder.
“But I wanted you to know my affections have never changed,” Kunihiro continued quietly. “To me, you are…” The most important, but somehow Kunzite couldn’t finish the sentence. It felt like making a deathly promise, a vow to beckon fate to break. “My care for you will always remain the same.”
Izou beamed and gave his partner a big, tight hug, before unwinding his arms and settling in next to him.
“Don’t worry, I know,” he said cheerfully, as he picked up his plate from the coffee table. “So long as we have time together like this, nothing else matters to me.” He curled up his knees and looked up at his partner. “I know how you feel, Kunihiro-sama.”
A great weight seemed to have been lifted from the room, and Kunihiro’s smile rose along with it. Reassured, he even turned on the stereo so they could enjoy some quiet, easy listening.
“Thank you for understanding,” he murmured quietly as they began to tuck into their food.
“No worries,” Izou replied, around a mouthful of rice. “Just don’t forget about the special days, you know? Those are the best days to spend some time together.”
“I promise I won’t forget.”
Without Words II - Our Orbiting Paths, Prologue
Happy New Year everyone!
The saga continues! Info below, and chapter under the cut. If you enjoyed, please leave a comment and let me know what you think <3!
Summary: In their third life, Kunzite has finally won the heart of Zoisite's civilian reincarnation, Kozakura Izou. However, as their lives become progressively more intertwined, certain challenges begin to crop up... Between the stresses of work, adjusting to modern expectations, and old familiar faces flashing from the shadows, can Kunzite maintain a meaningful relationship with his partner successfully?
Rating: T+
Characters Featured in Fic: Kunzite, Zoisite, Nephrite, Jadeite, Naru, Umino
AO3 Link Here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27826732/chapters/68125192
Beneath his feet, the ground trembled. With every beat of the bass drum, Izou’s heart climbed with excitement. Above the dark sea of patrons, the elegant acrobat grazed the air, her lithe limbs wrapped among silk strips. Effortlessly, she hoisted and floated to and fro with power and grace, her shadow contorting and unravelling like petals blossoming and shrouding in the wind.
Beside him, Kunihiro remained silent - a quiet, weighted presence - while Izou’s eyes swelled with awe. As her shadow darted across the moon of the spotlight, Izou’s heart stirred deeply with feelings from long ago. It rose from the mire of his blissful ignorance like honey: a comforting sense of familiarity, a deep, admiring respect, and a touch of longing for a language he felt he could once speak. The acrobat’s poetry sung to him with every curl of her wrist around the silk, every dramatic release of her fingers would either unfurl her with grace, or pitch her through the sky.
But then - suddenly - the acrobat’s fingers slipped. The silk had just come short. Amongst the horrified, stricken silence, the acrobat began her free fall.
But before she reached her demise, another strand of silk swooped in fast. It arced around her, and its commander managed to grab her arm with his. It swept her from her short end, and back up to the safe of air where she belonged. A sigh of relief rippled throughout the audience, followed by grateful, tearful cheering - perhaps the fall had been intentional. But as Izou clapped along with the others, he couldn’t be sure - for he had seen how tightly the partner had held her close. How her eyes had briefly squeezed with relief. The determination that lined her partner’s face, but couldn’t hide the brightness of fear that had been in his eyes.
How amazing, Izou thought as everyone rose to their feet in thunderous applause. To be caught in beauty and grace...Even Kunihiro joined in, his claps firm and resound.
Izou’s heart stirred wistfully once more.
---
As the autumn breeze flitted around them, Izou wrapped himself tightly around Kunzite’s arm. His face bright from excitement and pink-cheeked from the cold, brisk air.
“Ahh, Kunihiro-sama, that was so amazing,” he was saying, still aglow. “Thank you so much for taking me.”
“Think nothing of it,” Kunzite reassured with a soft smile. The sound of their footsteps echoed peacefully as they made their way through the quiet streets. Above them, the sky seeped with the beautiful watercolors of fading twilight. “I’m glad that you enjoyed it so much.”
Izou’s bright green eyes twinkled again.
“It was an incredible birthday present.” Another squeeze around the arm, and Izou’s head leaned peacefully against Kunzite’s shoulder. “Thank you again.”
Briefly, Kunzite thought back to their very first date. How he had arrived at Izou’s door, bouquet behind his back, both excited and faintly self-conscious. It was surreal to think that this was where they were now, strolling as naturally as old lovers would, through the emptying city sidewalks and the rustling autumn leaves. It was hardly imaginable that they were even alive, but to be alive and together…
Well, Kunzite could not remember another single time when he had felt this content.
“Oh, Kunihiro-sama!” Izou stopped abruptly to point at a lone, majestic temple sitting on top of a hill of steps peering before them. It was surrounded by lush trees that were at the height of brilliancy: gold and blood ombre, with bright red leaves still fully intact. “Could we walk up there for a moment? I bet the sunset would look amazing from the top.”
Kunzite agreed, and the two of them made their way up the stone steps. It was so wonderful to be able to go with the flow like this, to follow Izou’s lead wherever his heart leapt. Although Zoisite had also pulled him along in the past, there was a certain innocence now to Izou's tugs. They were full of bliss rather than urgency, and to see them followed by true happiness filled Kunzite’s heart with a warmth he had long forgotten.
He enjoyed making Izou - Zoisite - so happy.
The moment he arrived at the top of the stairs, Izou twirled around. The air was fresh and crisp, filling his lungs with life. A leaf grazed past his hair, while the earliest stars began to twinkle in the fading sunlight.
“Hurry, Kunihiro-sama!” he called down the steps. “We’ll miss it!”
Behind his shoulder, Izou caught sight of a little wooden stall in front of the temple. A tray of fabric charms spanned its ledge, and immediately Izou was drawn to one. It was a light, spring green, with pink floral embroidery and gold stitching. He slowly drew it up, admiring the threads of the green fade into shades of ivory in the light.
“This one, please,” he told the shrine attendant.
As he handed over the money, however, Izou felt a sense of familiarity, as though someone was watching him. Looking over his shoulder, he caught sight of another shrine attendant: a young man with short, straw-blonde hair and striking blue eyes. He was dressed in white and blue, and though he kept most of his face hidden by his bangs, Izou knew he had been watching him.
“Remember to come back in a year’s time,” the shrine attendant in the stall reminded him.
His words broke Izou out of his thoughts. “I’m sorry, could you repeat that please?”
“That particular charm will expire in about a year’s time,” the shrine attendant explained. “Please bring it back to us when it has stopped working.”
Izou’s fingers pressed into the soft surface of the charm.
“Thank you,” he said sincerely, as Kunihiro rose up to the final steps of the stairway. But I don’t think I’ll have to, he thought to himself, as Kunihiro joined his side. He bade the attendant farewell and turned to lean against Kunihiro again. As the two made their way to a nearby bench to admire the sunset, Izou glanced once more behind his shoulder. But the blonde-haired man was gone.
“Have you made your wish yet?” Kunihiro asked, as Izou fastened his new charm to his keyring.
“Not yet.”
“Well.” Kunihiro leaned against him slightly, nodding towards the final glimmer of the sun in the sky. “I’d say there’s not a more magical time to do it.”
And as Izou sat close to his new boyfriend, his fingers curled tight around the charm. Before the sun sank completely, Izou closed his eyes and held it close to his heart.
Let us stay this happy, he whispered deep inside. Let this all be real.
The sun evaporated from the horizon, and a sea of new stars glimmered in the fresh night.
Without Words II - Our Orbiting Paths, Chapter 1
Summary: In their third life, Kunzite has finally won the heart of Zoisite’s civilian reincarnation, Kozakura Izou. However, as their lives become progressively more intertwined, certain challenges begin to crop up… Between the stresses of work, adjusting to modern expectations, and old familiar faces flashing from the shadows, can Kunzite maintain a meaningful relationship with his partner successfully?
Rating: T+
Characters Featured in Fic: Kunzite, Zoisite, Nephrite, Jadeite, Naru, Umino
Chapter Summary: It's been a few months of dating now, and Kunzite thinks they're ready to take it to the next step.
AO3 Link Here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27826732/chapters/68145631#workskin
“Oh, you should’ve seen it, Kunihiro-sama,” the voice was saying over the phone. “Absolutely atrocious, I had never seen anything like it!”
“Hmn,” was all Kunzite said, albeit with a bit of a smile. He didn’t usually have much opinion on the matters of Izou’s latest gossip, but he was happy to hear Izou talk about anything at all. He took another bite of his dinner - plain white rice and grilled salmon. “And then?”
“Oh, I took myself right out of that business,” Izou continued, and Kunzite could just imagine his curls frazzedly waving in exasperation.
“It sounds like you might be out-growing that coffee shop,” was Kunzite’s observation.
Izou huffed over the phone. “Entirely possible. The staff is completely different now. Honestly, Kunihiro-sama, these new girls, sometimes their attitude is just appal- ow! ”
Kunzite quickly pushed some loose grains of rice past his lips. “Mn. Izou? Are you alright?”
There was a little hiss, and then a whine.
“Yes, I’m fine,” Izou answered. “Just a prick, that’s all.” The words came out mumbly as Kunzite could hear him suck on his finger. “Shoot, that smarts!”
Kunzite shook his head fondly. “Be careful,” he chided as he began to clean up the remnants of his dinner. He had about another five minutes of his break left. “Perhaps we shouldn’t chat if you need to concentrate...”
“Mn, oh no!” Izou insisted. The sound of the phone being adjusted to his ear cackled over the receiver. “At any rate, what time are you finishing tonight, Kunihiro-sama?”
“Late,” Kunzite answered. He glanced at the clock. “About midnight, I think.”
“Oh.” Izou sounded disappointed. “It’s been so long…”
It had perhaps only been a week since they'd last seen each other in person, but to both it had felt like an eternity. Between Kunzite’s long and odd working hours at the precinct and Izou’s equally erratic shifts at the coffee shop, it was difficult to set a real date time consistently, and every window of opportunity was never wasted. Although they chatted every night (and occasionally stumbled to work from either other’s homes), it seemed that their craving for the other’s physical presence was only growing exponentially by the day.
“I know,” Kunzite said kindly. He missed Izou too.
Izou seemed to gather up some strength. “Were you able to eat? You’ve mentioned before it’s tricky to get a meal in sometimes…”
Kunzite threw the plastic container out into the garbage under the sink.
“I managed to grab something. Although I must be hanging up soon, Izou…”
“Oh, okay,” Izou said in a rush. “Well, um, maybe I could drop by tomorrow, before my shift? I start late in the afternoon…”
Kunzite smiled. “That’d be lovely. Whatever works for you.”
“Okay.” Izou paused as though to say something pressing, but Kunzite chalked it up to their usual anxieties of never wanting to hang up. “Take care,” he finally said.
Kunzite tilted his head warmly.
“You as well. Chat soon.”
After hanging up the phone, Kunzite finished tidying up the break room and returned to his desk. In one corner stood the small rosebush that Izou had managed to resurrect. It was Kunzite’s pride and joy in the office, a perfect reminder in lieu of their photo from the Dark Kingdom. As he settled himself amongst his papers and computers, he thought briefly of how lucky he was. It was so surreal to think that this was where they - he and Izou - were now.
In the past few months, Izou’s memories of his third life had rapidly solidified, and it had been fascinating to Kunzite to learn everything about Kozakura Izou. His parents - a concept that Kunzite was still struggling to come to terms with - lived in the countryside, on a small, modest farm. His mother was an artist, and his father was a photographer. Izou himself had moved to Tokyo at age fourteen to better his schooling and career opportunities. In between part time work and school, Izou loved to read, thrift, garden, and shop. His creativity energy would burst into little endeavours - sketches, doodles, collages - and was increasingly weaving into his sense of style and fashion. It wasn’t uncommon for Kunzite to hear a little yelp or hiss over the phone as he had earlier- followed by the endearing dismayed whine - from sewing accidents wherein Izou had stabbed himself at his fingertips. As Kunzite flipped through his briefing updates in his hands, he wondered which project Izou had been working on today, and if he would be seeing it soon.
“Saitou-san.”
Kunzite glanced up to see a younger officer leaning over the corner of his cubicle. He was holding two folders in one hand, while the other was scratching his head under his cap. Behind him, Kunzite caught a glimpse of the civilian as she left the precinct, her dark auburn hair swinging behind her.
“Yes, Kobayashi-san?”
“I just got another statement about the nondescript white van. That makes five so far.”
“No attacks?”
“None, just trailing.” Kobayashi scrunched up his nose. “It’s hard to get an idea though on where to begin. No identifiable markings, and none of the license plates line up. Still seems worth investigating.”
Kunzite’s eyes drifted to the other folder. “And the other case?”
“Mn? Oh. Just another sighting of the cargo truck with the black star. No attacks yet this week, but it’s definitely suspicious.” He looked at Kunzite sheepishly. “I guess you’ll probably want the more exciting one, huh?”
If it was one thing Kunzite knew very well, it was patterns. And he knew what would follow the cargo truck with the black star all too well.
“I’ll take the van,” he said curtly, taking the folder.
The younger officer grinned in excitement, holding the remaining case to his chest.
“Maybe this means I’ll get to meet a Sailor Senshi…!”
“I think you have much more pressing concerns than that,” Kunzite said crossly. He gestured to some of the boxes stacked up at the farthest wall of the precinct. “Why don’t you start setting those up instead.”
Flushing embarrassedly, Kobayashi straightened immediately.
“Yes sir!”
As the younger officer hurried off to set up the precinct’s newest surveillance testing program, Kunzite shook his head. Although he was the senior officer, occasionally Kunzite felt more like an unofficial mother hen than a leader. Quickly, he brushed the thought aside and returned to his paperwork with a sigh.
And when else had he felt like that before…?
---
It had been a long night. While his precinct also technically dealt with thefts, burglaries, and other emergencies, Kunzite found the public-facing aspect of his job far more draining. Although he usually could leave it to the younger officers, the fact remained that most of them still needed guidance and training, which Kunzite had to deliver. By the time he climbed his way up to the top floor of his low-rise apartment, Kunzite’s stomach was rumbling, and he was ready to hit the hay.
However, upon arriving at his door, Kunzite was greeted by a little surprise that woke him right up.
“Izou?”
The young man had been sitting by the door, shrouded in a thick winter jacket with a backpack to his side. Seeing Kunzite, he jumped to his feet. “Kunihiro-sama, welcome home!” It was the biggest grin Kunzite had seen all day.
Despite himself, Kunzite couldn’t help but reflect a slightly confused smile back. He gently laid a hand on the small of Izou’s back. “What are you doing here?” he asked. “Is everything alright?”
“Oh, yes,” Izou assured, lifting what looked like a large stack of lunch boxes wrapped in a spring green cloth. “I thought you could use something heartier so late after dinner time,” he said cheerfully. “It’s just some takeout, but…” His cheeks glowed faintly. “But...I couldn’t wait until tomorrow.”
As Kunzite inserted his key, he had to do his best to keep from growing into a ridiculous grin. Izou was just so sweet and thoughtful.
“You really shouldn’t have,” Kunzite finally said, as the bolt unlocked. Izou glanced up uncertainty.
“Was it too forward of me?” he asked.
Kunzite finally let the fondness of his smile show, and gently nudged Izou into the door.
“Not at all.” I’ve missed you too. “Please. Come in.”
Splitting into a grin, Izou slipped off his shoes and leapt inside. As he got settled and began to unpack the food, Kunzite’s smile faded when he realized how late it truly was. One in the morning, and while his area was safer than Izou’s neighbourhood, the city could still be a very dangerous beast at this hour.
“How long were you waiting for?” he asked as he slid out of his own shoes, watching Izou for any indication of polite refrain.
“Oh, not long,” Izou answered merrily, now plating the food into bowls. He gathered up the paper and plastic and swirled around to throw them into the garbage, not noticing Kunzite’s knitting brows.
“Izou.”
The boy paused for a moment to look up at Kunzite hesitantly. “About an hour,” he answered quickly. “But I knew you might be late so I brought a book, so it’s okay, really.” He then returned to cleaning up and setting the kettle for some tea.
Kunzite glanced down at the key that was still in his hand, and made up his mind. As Izou began undoing the tea tin, Kunzite gently but protectively began to wrap his arms around the younger man’s waist, bringing him close to his chest. Izou was clearly delighted by the closeness and looked over his shoulder to shyly smile at Kunzite.
“The city can be dangerous this late at night,” Kunzite murmured quietly into Izou’s soft hair. “You should be more careful…”
Izou was obviously touched by Kunzite’s concern, and brushed it off. “I’m fine, I can take care of myself,” he insisted. He placed one of his own hands on Kunzite’s forearm. “Don’t worry.”
Of course Kunzite couldn’t help but worry, he’d been worrying about Izou even before he had met him in this life.
“Maybe you should consider a different place to live,” Kunzite suggested. “Somewhere safer.”
Izou shrugged and began to swirl the tea leaves budding in the hot water. “Maybe once I have a little more money,” he agreed.
It took Kunzite a few moments to consider what his next words were going to be. Eventually, he pulled one arm away from Izou and placed the key, with purpose, onto the counter in Izou’s line of sight.
“I was thinking…” Kunzite mumbled softly, “that maybe you’d like to live with me.”
At first, Izou blinked at the piece of metal on the counter, not entirely sure if he was understanding, or had correctly caught what Kunzite had said. Unawares, Kunzite tightened his hug marginally, hoping that his suggestion wasn’t a step too far.
Slowly Izou turned his head around to look up at him. When Kunzite saw those big, bright and breathless eyes, he knew his fears were unfounded.
“Really?” Izou whispered, almost shyly. “You...think we’re ready for that?”
It was clear by Izou’s exhilarated whisper that he clearly was delighted to think they were, and Kunzite was definitely certain they were. Well, he was also certain because of how well he and Zoisite had lived together in the past… So, surely they were more than ready to move in together by now.
“Absolutely.”
It was clear Izou could hardly believe this turn of events, trying his best to hide the big grin Kunzite could tell was growing on his face. Finally, after rolling his bottom lip between his teeth, Izou beamed and nodded.
“Sure.”
It took nearly all of Kunzite’s willpower to not pick up Izou and swirl him around in his new home. Instead Kunzite simply broke into a smile again, followed by a short, relieved chuckle...Very quickly, the two of them were grinning and flushing together with excitement. Was this it? Were they really ready for this? It was as if both men were suppressing an armory of feeling that they were not yet ready to give words to, and giggling and laughing was the closest way they had to release the tension of mounting exhiliation that they were both trying to restrain.
“I’ll help you move in, the next time you’re free,” Kunzite said earnestly, seeing that he wasn’t alone in wanting to live together as soon as possible.
“I don’t have much stuff,” Izou replied, who couldn’t stop grinning behind his hands. “Although...I don’t have much money for my share of rent...”
“You don’t have to worry about any of that,” Kunzite reassured immediately. “I’ll take care of everything.”
Izou’s eyebrows stitched up together. “But...what about food?” He glanced around. “Utilities…”
“I’ll take care of everything,” Kunzite repeated again, firmly but gently. “I want to share my home with you. I want it to be our home. I’ll get everything ready.”
It was clear Izou couldn’t believe his luck. He was practically dancing into Kunzite’s arms when suddenly realization flickered across his face. Kunzite caught it instantly and his smile disappeared. “What is it?”
Izou didn’t say anything, but green eyes darted over to the bathroom. There was a moment of silence as both of them realized what Izou had just remembered... and Kunzite suddenly felt a bit awkward and unprepared.
“It’s okay,” he insisted, although he knew the memory of it wasn’t exactly pleasant. “Everything’s been removed, I promise.”
Hesitantly Izou glanced up at Kunzite, and it was clear how conflicted he felt about the situation.
“It’s empty,” Kunzite insisted again. “You can fill it with your things when you move in. Izou’s things.”
This seemed to make Izou feel a bit better, and the smile slowly resurfaced back up a bit. “Well it’s...not like I didn’t like the stuff ,” he mumbled a bit. “I mean, I did like that stuff and I still do like it but...it was just a bit weird seeing it all there ready for you, you know?”
“I understand.” Kunzite gently gave Izou a bit of squeeze.
“Did you really throw it all out though?” Izou asked. “It would’ve been a waste...I suppose I wouldn’t mind using it if you still have it.”
At that, Kunzite paused. He had gotten rid of it from the bathroom, but hadn’t actually thrown the items out…
Izou looked up curiously. “Kunihiro-sama?”
“Truthfully?” Kunzite asked.
“Truthfully,” Izou answered, but the smile on his face gave away that he was going to be okay with whatever Kunzite answered.
“Don’t look in the closet.”
Despite himself, Izou couldn’t help but giggle, and Kunzite’s shoulders released with relief. As Izou tried to hide his laughter behind his hand, Kunzite glanced up at the clock and saw how even later it was getting.
“Let’s eat.” He slowly undid his arms around Izou and lightly grazed Izou’s cheek as he pulled away. “I’ll undress and we’ll have supper.”
“Wait.” Izou took a step forward and placed his hand on Kunztie’s chest to stop him. There was a moment, and Izou’s eyes slowly trailed up from the bottom of Kunzite’s uniform, from its hem to his belt, to finally his eyes. “...Keep them on?”
Kunzite could tell that look anywhere and, hiding a smirk, he obliged. Gathering the food from the counter, the two of them made their way over to the couch to settle in for some cozy dinner. As Izou made himself comfortable nestling in Kunzite’s arms as they flicked the television on, Kunzite couldn't help but relish this humble but incredible moment between them.
Zoisite was finally home.