The morning sunlight spilled through the window. A thin streak of gold traced across Sosuke's face, cutting through the still air of the room. He groaned, rubbed his eyes, and yawned. "What the hell."
Dragging himself upright, he stumbled toward the washroom. The sound of running water filled the silence, followed by the dull clink of dishes as he fixed a small breakfast. After eating, he collapsed onto his bed and stared at the ceiling.
His eyes widened. "What did I do yesterday." Both hands pressed over his face, muffling a quiet groan.
He rolled out of bed and opened the closet. A crisp white dress shirt, dark slacks, and suspenders hung neatly beside a matching wool coat. He dressed quickly, buttoning the collar before glancing at the mirror, then away.
A sharp knock came from the door.
Sosuke sighed and went to open it. Reid stood in the hall, grinning ear to ear.
"How ya feeling?" Reid leaned forward slightly. "I take it you're alone?" He brushed past and stepped inside without waiting for permission.
Sosuke shut the door behind him. "What are you doing here so early?"
"Early?" Reid's brow lifted. "It's two in the afternoon. You really did drink too much."
Sosuke slumped into the nearest chair and rubbed his temples. "So that's what happened. It feels like I'm remembering things in pieces."
Reid sat across from him, one leg crossed over the other. "What pieces?"
"Nothing. Not past… my dance with Rin."
Reid tilted his head. "Why the pause?"
"Just remembering."
"Now you're lying."
"No I'm not."
"I know about the kiss. You told me yourself."
Sosuke froze. He let out a quiet sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Of course I did. What else did I say?"
Reid grinned. "Oh, not much. You're surprisingly tame when you're hammered. You mostly rambled about philosophy, insulted a few nobles, and forgot social norms existed."
Sosuke stood, pacing across the carpet. "You had me thinking I killed someone." He ran a hand through his hair and exhaled. "What are you doing here anyway? Shouldn't Lyra be babysitting you?"
"Hey, I'm a full-grown adult." Reid pointed at him, then slouched back. "She went off to handle some Valcrest business. I couldn't tag along, for obvious reasons."
"What's she even doing visiting them? Was it serious?"
Reid's smirk faded. "It might be. Ever since the king died during the Blight invasion, the elite clans have been fighting over control. Only three left in the game now."
"Right, but what does that have to do with her?" Sosuke frowned.
"What do you mean? Even I know the ruler of our country matters." Reid shook his head, smiling again. "Things have changed. I'm the smarter one now. Feels exhilarating."
Sosuke swatted him across the head and kept pacing. "Why can't Aurelius just stay in power? He already took over by default after the king died. Why not keep it?"
"Dunno." Reid shot up from the seat. "I say we go out somewhere! It's our first day of relaxation! Early retirement has potential." His grin was as wide as ever.
"I can't." Sosuke sighed. "I was going to go see Rin."
"Ooooh, you're gonna talk about yesterday, huh?" Reid tapped his forehead. "It's all piecing together nicely. I'll leave you be then, my friend."
Sosuke let out a long breath, but a faint grin tugged at his lips as Reid waved and left. On the way out of his apartment building, Sosuke grabbed a letter from his mail. Aurelius. It wasn't stamped urgent, so he tucked it into his coat and decided to save it for later.
——
Sosuke walked up the rocky trail toward the Sakurai residence. The home sat nestled among trees, quiet and small, the kind of place that felt untouched by the world. The sight pulled at something in him, stirring faint echoes of his own childhood.
He raised a hand and knocked his knuckles gently against the door. Small footsteps pattered from within. The door swung open.
"Hey—"
A boy, maybe eight years old, blinked up at him. "Who are you?"
Sosuke froze. His mouth opened, then shut again. "W-well, I um, I—"
The boy turned and bolted. "Rin! Your boyfriend's here!"
Sosuke placed a hand over his face. "Oh boy."
Rin appeared in the doorway, her expression caught somewhere between embarrassment and amusement. She wore a cream blouse and brown slacks, sleeves rolled up from whatever she'd been doing. "Hi… sorry about that. That's my cousin."
"Well, I hope he's better than the rest of your family. Can I come in now?" Sosuke smiled awkwardly.
"Yeah, yeah, of course." Rin stepped aside, brushing a hand through her hair when he wasn't looking. "I didn't think you'd come today."
"Should I not have?" Sosuke swallowed and glanced around, uneasy in unfamiliar walls. "I didn't know what else to do today, and I thought it was time I meet your father."
Rin nodded. "That makes sense, I guess. He's in the kitchen. I made him something to eat. Maybe it's a good thing you came—he's feeling better."
"You know, I never actually asked what's… uh—"
"Wrong with him?"
"Yeah."
Rin met his eyes. "He's just been like this as long as I've known. It's been getting worse the last couple of years. Kind of like a permanent cold."
"Oh." Sosuke nodded. "Sorry."
"For what?"
"For asking."
"Why should you be? You just wanted to know."
"Oh. Sorry."
"You have a problem." Rin turned and walked down the hall, her tone half teasing, half serious. Sosuke followed, steps light, uncertain. The faint scent of herbs drifted from the kitchen ahead, where sunlight poured through the window and cut across the floor.
Eventually, they stopped at the doorway.
They sat together at the table, the faint aroma of tea filling the air. Rin poured each cup carefully, her hands steady despite the silence that lingered.
"What's your story, Sosuke?" Akio asked. "I read your name in the paper, and Rin never stops talking about you."
"That's not true!" Rin blurted out.
"But I'd rather hear it from the source." Akio smiled faintly.
Sosuke laughed, tension loosening from his shoulders. "That's a very open-ended question. I'm not sure where to start."
"My dad was in the military," Rin offered, trying to help.
Akio waved a hand. "I'm sure he doesn't want to talk about that now." His tone softened. "What do you like to do?"
Sosuke stared down at his hands beneath the table, fingers fidgeting. "I-I'm not sure…"
"You mean…" Akio covered his mouth, his eyes kind. "Poor thing. You probably haven't had much of a life outside of war. I'm sorry." He lifted the cup and sipped.
"It's okay." Sosuke smiled, though his shoulders tensed. He took a small drink from his cup. "But it's not too late to start, right? Just… hard to adjust."
Akio nodded, setting his cup down with care. "I understand. Things take time, but they do heal."
"Right." Sosuke smiled again, more genuine this time. His eyes met Akio's, steady.
"I'll leave you two be," Akio said, rising from his chair and leaning lightly on his cane. "The garden needs me more than this old chair."
Sosuke watched him go, then glanced at Rin. He tapped the edge of his cup and whispered, "He's not so bad, I guess."
"You were just overthinking." Rin leaned her chin into her hand, her lips curving.
"Can I see your bedroom?"
"No."
"Why?"
"Because."
"That's not a real answer."
"It's my answer."
Sosuke exaggerated a sigh. "Then I guess I'll just leave."
Rin's hand shot out halfway, hesitating in the air. "I-I just… need a few minutes. Go sit on the couch or something." Her voice grew small. "I'll come back."
"…okay?" Sosuke rose carefully, unsure, and stepped toward the living room. The wooden floor creaked under his boots. Family photos lined the wall—snapshots of warmth and quiet years. He stopped in front of the fireplace, eyes tracing a faded picture. "Guess the cousin wasn't always around," he muttered.
He dropped onto the couch, the cushions sinking beneath him. A long sigh escaped his chest.
"Why are you still here?" a small voice asked.
Sosuke turned. The boy stood beside the couch, frowning.
"I'm a friend."
"No you're not. You're her boyfriend."
Sosuke blinked. "How do you even know that?" He shook his head and eyed the scattered toys on the floor. "Those are some… nice toys."
The boy climbed up beside him, legs swinging off the edge. "No they're not. They're boring." He glanced over. "Can we do something fun?"
"I'm waiting for your cousin." Sosuke smiled awkwardly. "She's in her room."
"She's probably cleaning her junk." The boy huffed, tugging at the couch cover. "Sometimes I pretend her room's a war zone. My toys are the soldiers."
Sosuke chuckled under his breath. "I don't doubt that's true."
"Theo!" Rin shouted. "Go to your room or something!" She waved him off, her patience snapping.
The boy pouted, arms folded tight. "Fine." He stomped away, muttering under his breath.
"That was a little harsh," Sosuke said, raising a brow. "He didn't exactly reveal state secrets."
"I had to plug the leak before it flooded the house." Rin crossed her arms, trying not to smile. "So, are you coming or not?"
"Yes, ma'am."
"Don't call me that."
"Alright."
They passed through the kitchen, the faint scent of tea leaves still hanging in the air, and stepped into the hallway. A small painting of a distant coastline hung crooked beside her door, its frame chipped from age.
Rin opened the door and spread her arms. "My humble bedroom," she said with a nervous grin. A bead of sweat slid down her cheek.
Sosuke peered inside. The room was small but warm, faintly smelling of lavender and old wood. Lace curtains framed a single window. A desk sat in the corner, cluttered with quills, letters, and an oil lamp. A patchwork quilt covered the bed, the fabric worn soft from years of use. Books were stacked unevenly by the wall, and a half-finished sketch rested on the nightstand.
"I don't even want to know where you hid the mess," Sosuke muttered, stepping in.
Rin kicked at the floor lightly. "Trade secret."
They both dropped onto her bed, side by side, staring at the ceiling. The quiet between them wasn't awkward, just… still.
"I'm surprised you stayed," Rin said, a faint laugh under her breath. "There's not much to do here. I'm only staying until I find my own place."
"It's not bad." Sosuke raised his hand toward the light filtering through the curtains. "Quiet's good. Reminds me of home."
"You could've bought something better with what we earned." She nudged him with her elbow.
"Maybe." His voice softened. "I'm not sure where I belong yet."
"What are you planning?"
"Something like the house I grew up in. Deep in the woods."
"That explains a lot." Rin rolled onto her side, watching him. "You were born for this kind of life."
"Weren't you?" He turned his head slightly, a faint smile touching his lips. "It's peaceful here. Feels safe. Maybe I'm just holding onto what's gone."
"Maybe."
Her gaze lingered on him, quiet and curious.
"You're staring," Sosuke said. "It's weird."
"Are we gonna talk about last night?"
"No."
"Why not?"
"I don't want to."
"That's not an answer."
"It's mine."
Rin's lips curved. "Touché." She turned onto her back again, hand slipping under the pillow. "Why's it make you nervous? Wasn't it a good thing?"
Sosuke's eyes widened. "Huh? Of course it was! I mean, yes! It's not— it's not bad or anything!"
She reached over and placed her hand gently on his. "I know. I just want things like that to feel… normal."
"Normal?" His breath hitched.
"Yeah." Her voice softened. "Normal." She leaned closer.
The air tightened. Neither moved.
Sosuke shot upright, his heart hammering. He ran a hand through his hair, pacing. "I-It's just too fast, you know? I'm not ready for that yet."
Rin sat up slowly, leaning back against the wall, arms crossed to hide the flush spreading across her face. "You could've just said that."
He stopped, exhaling. His hands fell to his sides. "I don't count what we had during the war. We never got to be anything real. In my head, it's only been weeks since everything ended. I don't want to rush. Even if it's just… kissing."
Rin smiled faintly. "Okay."
Sosuke's expression shifted, a thought clicking into place. "Oh, right." He reached into his coat and pulled out a sealed envelope. The gold emblem of Aurelius gleamed faintly in the light.
"Guess I might as well read this now," he said.