sailing miles away // tomokazu

10. behind the closed doors of kamisato estate

kamisato ayato put down the quill and massaged his temples.

in the dimly lit room, his desk looked like a battlefield. papers piling up and spilling, emptied bottles of ink littering the free space, and those three empty teacups staring at him accusingly, as if prodding him with "you haven't slept for three days, you're going insane."

kamisato ayato was well aware, but like most adults he had no time to bother himself with little things like sleep and sanity.

suddenly, a warm voice interrupted his tiny pity session.

"master," the voice said. "the young lady asked me once again to convince you to go to sleep earlier. earlier than six in the morning, i believe."

"thoma," ayato said quietly in an exhale. "i told you nearly million times. do not call me m-"

"master, i'm well aware. as well that you hate when people interrupt you, yes i know."

"you're going almost as insane as me. glad to know."

thoma cackled and entered the room, walking towards ayato's desk. it took him a while to move the papers and cups aside, but eventually he made himself some space and sat on ayato's desk, looking down at his hands.

it's true that they were both going a little insane. who in the boarders of inazuma wouldn't taste madness when the civil war bloomed and the shogunate collected jars of blood to satisfy the higher reasons unknown to the mortals? but unlike the mortals, both ayato and thoma faced a different taste of despair.

ayato drowned in work per usual. his social battery ran at 0% and he was still dragged in and out. on top of that, he was hiding a wanted criminal.

the said wanted criminal, on the other hand, couldn't leave the estate and it made his muscles twitch and his brain knock around the room. he was going insane from boredom and uselessness, wanting to either smash something or somebody, preferably himself.

little did it help that their routine was suddenly broken by the appearance of two most wanted criminals at their doorstep, one injured one carrying an unconscious one, both of them looking like death spit them out because their taste was disgusting.

ayato stared at thoma carelessly sitting on his desk, and very deeply considered smacking that ass once and for good.

"tell my sister that sleep was not in the contract i signed."

"what are you, the lord of geo? you can't pass out now, we don't have any spare beds anymore."

"right..." ayato sighed. "how are the two of them doing?"

"asleep again. tomo briefly woke up, threw up all over and went back to sleep. kazuha probably rebelled against the sleeping pills and still sits on his bed."

ayato leaned on his desk, taking a piece of fabric of thoma's clothes and rubbing it between his fingers, "is the medicine ready?"

"it'll be good in the morning, most likely in time for them to leave. unless you allow me to go now which will be faster and-"

"you're not leaving this house unless i say so or unless you step over my dead body."

"..."

"i said what i said."

"young master is truly heartless."

kamisato ayato could not restrain himself anymore. gathering the weak amount of power he had, he slapped thoma's butt to the sound of him yelping in surprise. ayato sat up straight and then got up, hearing all the bones in his spine creak and crack mercilessly. his vision went black briefly as the pounding in his head intensified.

"uh, gods..."

he had thoma's hands gripping his arms and firmly holding him in place within a sparkle of a second. the dizziness melted away to the blood pounding through his temples, and he opened his eyes ready to face thoma's wrath.

"bed. now."

no one could resist that fierce look on thoma's face, even though it was hilarious considering most of the time he looked and behaved like a puppy. ayato didn't really care about the possible consequences of his equally possible rebellion, but he didn't have much energy left in his muscle to protest.

the most he could do was slap thoma's butt again as they walked, hearing thoma growl into his ear.

"a change of plans."

kamisato ayato was then picked up bridal style and couldn't even feign surprise. he deserved anything that was to come, but he first remembered something important, "wait."

"no."

"someone has to tell kazuha and the other that-"

"kazuha knows, they'll do what they consider right."

"okay. one last request."

thoma rolled his eyes, "yeah?"

"be gentle, my back is killing me."

thoma laughed mercilessly.