In the Woods Somewhere (Tsukkiyama)

Love is a New and Wonderful Thing

Tsukki was different after his brother left, quieter, angrier, sadder. To others, the change might not have been obvious. Tsukki was always rather standoffish and more than a little self-aggrandizing, but to Tadashi, the changes were as plain as the freckles that adorned his face. One action, one ill-advised trip, one mistake, was all it took to seemingly shatter Tsukki's confidence.

Tadashi was half afraid that Tsukki would no longer be friends with him. It was, after all, his idea to hold a stealth trip. Tadashi certainly blamed himself, but somehow, by the benevolent will of whatever higher powers existed, Tsukki didn't seem to blame Tadashi. Not for long, anyway. For the first six months or so after the occurrence, things were tense between the two boys. Tsukki was obviously struggling, and Tadashi ached with the need to soothe the pain, but the fae scoffed at and vehemently refused any sort of sympathy. Now, more than ever, weakness was unforgivable to Tsukki. It made Tadshi worry for their friendship.

Things reverted right back to the beginning when Tadashi spent his time talking to an empty faerie ring. Tsukki was there these times, but he was withdrawn. He rarely spoke to Tadashi and, more often than not, left at random times without returning. It all made the freckled boy want to cry, seeing the most important person in his life in such pain whilst refusing help. Luckily, Tsukki did eventually return to some semblance of normal.

He was different still; what was once sarcasm and good-natured ribbing had turned into cynicism and harsh insults, but at heart, Tadashi knew Tsukki was the same. He was a little bit meaner, sure, but never to Tadashi. Instead of glorious stories of his brother's adventures, Tsukki had started to tell tales of his other friend's stupidity. To them, he was mean and snarky, almost to the point of cruelty if his stories were to be believed, but to Tadashi, he was still the same sweet Tsukki. Against all odds and despite the best attempts from the outside world, Tadashi's friendship with Tsukki remained unchanged. They lived in their own bubble, unchanged by time and the pains of growing up. The two of them had changed, but their bond remained firm. And for that, Tadashi was ever grateful.

Despite their best efforts, though, it became harder and harder to meet up. Tadashi spent more and more of his time working at the apothecary as he came of age, and free time was harder to come by. At the same time, Tsukki's time was ever monopolized by his adventure training, a life path fueled entirely by spite and nostalgia. So, as the boys reached the age signifying adulthood, they decided to cut their meetings to once a week. Even then, their bond did not waver. In fact, Tadashi found an aching truth in the effects of absence on the heart.

While they spent less time together than in their childhood, Tadashi found himself growing more and more fond of Tsukki by the day. Most of the time, Tsukki's presence helmed the forefront of Tadashi's mind. Visits to their faerie ring had always been the best part of the day, but Tadashi had started to find that the time spent at their ring felt more like his real-life than the one in the village did. In fact, he couldn't even recall when he had started to refer to the faerie ring as theirs and not Tsukki's.

For the first few months after Tadashi noticed his change in perspective, he found it concerning. Time not spent with Tsukki seemed blurry and drab, whilst time with him was crystal clear and colorful. Tadashi honestly started to believe that one of the other fae had started following Tsukki to their meetings and had bewitched him. Almost immediately after the thought occurred to him, though, he brushed it off. There was certainly no way Tsukki would ever allow that to happen. With no real reason to feel concerned for his safety, Tadashi decided to think nothing of it. Tsukki had always been a focal point of his life, why should he deem it an issue now? Instead of worrying, Tadashi threw himself ever deeper into his work at the family apothecary and pushed his ever-growing focus on Tsukki aside.

Spending more time at the storefront, of course, also meant interacting with the townsfolk more often, something he previously avoided. Now that he was no longer a child, he found that people were kinder to him. The boys who used to chase him and call him names now frequented the shop to buy salves for cuts and burns acquired in their own apprenticeships. The old women who used to gossip about his conception now marveled over his and his father's medicines.