In the Woods Somewhere (Tsukkiyama)

Love Was A Long Time Coming

Convincing Yama to someday adventure with him was perhaps the greatest moment in Kei's life. Silly pacts as children meant nothing, but now they were almost men, and Yama had made a promise. There was no trickery, no hidden meanings, no carefully worded and deceiving requests. Yama knew how promises worked with the fair folk, and the thought filled Kei's chest with euphoric joy. With Yama there to heal him, to serve as a safe foundation, they would be unstoppable. Life as an adventurer had long lost its luster when Akiteru left, but at the prospect of traveling with Yama, Kei found himself investing a new vigour into his studies.

While others his age tittered with excitement over courtship gifts and handsome faces, Kei's blood thrummed with a newfound thirst for knowledge and progress. If he wanted to make Yama proud and keep him safe, he would have to be the best adventurer out there. Gone were the days of comfortably staying in the middle with lackluster performances instead, Kei climbed the ranks of his peers with a ravenous lust for improvement. Often, Kei found himself consumed with the same drive to succeed as Kageyama and Hinata. The thought of sharing an interest with those single-minded animals almost made Kei curb his ambition, but he had a reason beyond fame for his actions, so clearly, he was still better than them.

Rather unsurprisingly, Yama became Kei's greatest motivation, his reason to extend effort into most things. If it meant he would get to spend more time with the human, Kei would do it without complaint. Perhaps the control Yama had over Kei's actions should have concerned him, others were certainly interested in his change of tune, but if anyone had known both of them they would have seen it as inevitable. Yama was, after all, an exceptionally compelling human. His first friend, his first real connection, when Yama was hurt, he ran to Kei, when Kei's life shattered in front of him, it was Yama who stayed at his side.

Kei was well aware that he had not originally treated Yama well. He hadn't even planned on befriending the human rather, he had sought to trick him and gain power. He had been cold and distant at first and had returned to petulant bitterness after the betrayal of Akiteru. But Yama, delightful, patient, loyal Yama had stayed through it all. Kei did not deserve such a wonderful friend as Yama, and the human deserved much better than Kei, but for as long as Yama would be willing to put up with Kei's attitude, the faerie would stick around. Yama was, after all, the best thing in Kei's life.

Earlier, far earlier, in their friendship, it had been Yama who would bring treats to Kei. Mostly sweets and edile goods, but sometimes human trinkets. And for no other reason than that it might please the human, Kei found himself bringing trinkets and delicacies of his own to their weekly meetings. Sometimes he would bring a pastry or sweet that only the fair folk knew the recipe to, other times, he would gift Yama with finely crafted baubles, animals spun of colorful glass and sunlight, sometimes he could even convince Yama to accept delicate jewelry of precious gems and moonbeams. Each and every time Yama's face would all but glow with happiness, and that alone was worth the effort Kei put into finding and crafting the gifts. It wasn't until his mother brought it up that he noticed how strange his behavior might have appeared to others.

Kei had just finished up his studies and practices with Hinata and Kageyama, he had not invited them but they came anyway, and was rather desperately searching for Yama's latest gift. He found it, not in his sleeping quarters like expected, but held delicately in his mother's hands. She grasped the ribbon lightly in her hands and peered at it with a scrutinizing gaze, turning it over and looking at it from all angles. When she noticed Kei's presence, she turned and gave him the same appraising stare that had been previously focused on the ribbon.

His mother had been quieter since Akiteru had left, sadder for both herself and Kei. It was the fact that Akiteru never came back that had really shattered the family, and behind his mother's curious gaze Kei could see traces of fear and resignation. She smiled a smile filled with warmth, but Kei could tell it hid a sadness. Lightly, his mother stroked the ribbon and spoke.