Story Title: My Love, Your Love
Disclaimer: I don't own YYH.
Author's Notes: It's been way too long since I've written anything Jin x Touya. I just adore these two together. I'm so happy that someone submitted a prompt for them over at the yyhkinkmeme on Tumblr. As fun as this prompt was, it was not without its development woes. I hope that whoever submitted this prompt enjoys the end result nonetheless.
As always, thanks for reading.
-o-
Story Title: My Love, Your Love
-o-
There was lot Jin and Touya did not yet know about the human world. Everything was new and different or not quite the same but it was wonderful and exciting. Like how it was apparently normal for shops, businesses, and even people to go red, white, and pink before and during the month of February. A special day was coming, a holiday, Yusuke and Kuwabara explained as the four chatted over a hot pot fit for sumo wrestlers.
"I guess this year Keiko will be upgrading me from obligation chocolate to love chocolate," Yusuke said, as he pushed aside a leaf of bok choy in search of another fish cake or a piece of chicken. "Damn, that means I have to get her something really nice on White Day. ...Hey, Kuwabara—"
"Don't even ask, Urameshi," Kuwabara said, as he closed his eyes and outright refused to look over at Yusuke. "I've got one day, one shot to treat my princess the way she deserves so I can't loan you a yen."
Miffed, Yusuke went from grinning at Kuwabara to glaring at him. "Does Yukina even know about Valentine's Day?"
Kuwabara blinked at Yusuke. "I'm sure she's heard my sister and Keiko talk about it..." he said, not sounding entirely certain of himself, and then added quietly, "But you could tell Keiko to mention it to her. Just in case."
Yusuke said that he would but only if Kuwabara agreed to loan him a little if he came up short by White Day.
Before Yusuke and Kuwabara's friendly argument grew any more heated and wound up rattling the table, Touya asked, "So there are two days and two chocolates?"
"Three if you count the chocolate you get for yourself because you're worth it," Kuwabara said.
"Humans must be the hardest beings in the world to romance," Touya said, blinking in astonishment. Demons didn't have holidays devoted to expressing their love for one another and the concept of love and romance varied from species and class of demons. While both Touya and Jin had been exposed to demonic love and romance that was comparable with human customs, even they thought the rules of this holiday was more complex than it needed to be.
"You think that's odd," Yusuke said, as he picked up his beer bottle. "Across the ocean, couples buy chocolate and gifts for each other and sometimes family but not their coworkers. Plus no White Day over there. Not all of us humans even celebrate the same holiday the same way."
"It's no wonder why human men look so damn frazzled on the telly, trying to remember what the rules are and what to buy when," Jin said, through a stuffed cheekful of rice and crab. "You all should tosh the holiday and love your partner every damn day. Be a hell of a lot easier to remember, I'd say."
"Mom left and let the tv babysit Jin until I got back, didn't she?" Yusuke asked Touya, who nodded yes.
After a light and very brief discussion over the differences and the surprising similarities between television in the human world versus television in Makai, Yusuke suddenly asked with such a wicked grin slapped across his face, "So, Jin, who would you love to spend your first Valentine's Day with?"
"Now don't be playing and poking at nonsense, Yusuke," Jin said, a firm tone slipping into his otherwise merry voice.
"I'm not poking at nonsense," Yusuke said as he eyed the giant fish cake dangling precariously between Kuwabara's chopsticks. "Come on, there's got to be someone."
"Yea, you can't tell us that Shishi-what's-his-face was the only one of you with any lady fans," Kuwabara said, his calm and cheer shattering into panic and horror as the fish cake slipped out of his grasp. Of course, the very second the fish cake plunked back into the hot pot broth, Yusuke snatched it up and stuffed it into his gaping mouth. Scrunching up his face with a silent vow to kick his ass later on, Kuwabara snarled at Yusuke's smug, victorious grin and kicked Yusuke's shin underneath the table.
"That's got nothing to do with the other, let me make that clear first," Jin explained, waving and pointing at Yusuke with his chopsticks. "And second, I know what you're thinking, Yusuke, as one crazy bastard to another, so I'm gonna call bosh on either one of you setting me up with anyone before we start playing that game. I don't need no help 'cause I already got someone."
That was news to Touya. For a multitude of reasons, it was terrible news to Touya.
Looking over and staring at Jin, a perplexed Touya asked, "Who?"
"Doesn't matter," Jin quickly insisted, waving his chopsticks as if he could literally clear the subject out of the air.
"Now it does," Kuwabara said, smirking right alongside Yusuke.
"It don't," Jin spat back.
"So tell us who they are," Yusuke said.
"There's no point in making a fuss about it," Jin said, looking away at the wall beside him as his face turned a bit red. Though the four of them had been drinking, it would take a lot more than three human world beers to make Jin's cheeks red from drink. "...I haven't exactly told them yet."
"Yea, that right? So why not tell us?" Kuwabara said, leaning forward and over his part of the table. "Who do you think might hear you?"
"Everyone, if you two great louts keep flapping your gums," Jin said, raising his voice and drawing the stares of every table and server within his earshot.
"Okay, now you've got to tell us," Yusuke said.
Back and forth Yusuke and Kuwabara pressed Jin to speak and Jin refused, growing increasingly uncomfortably hot and bothered. They even tried to get Touya in on the friendly interrogation but Touya wanted no part in the matter. With his attempt to inquire about Kurama and Hiei's well-being quickly answered and then cast aside, Touya decided to remain quiet and steadily drained his beer, then a second in hopes that a surge of alcohol would either ease his nerves or let him find the humor in what was otherwise a personally troubling realization for Touya.
Because it was all right, absolutely all right that Jin was in love with someone and refused to say who and had never told Touya, even though they had known each other for decades upon decades, had very few secrets from one another, and were each other's closest and dearest friend. It wasn't really something he should know or be let known—despite the fact that they had known Yusuke and Kuwabara for far less time and they both knew far more of their love lives. Hell, they knew that Kurama and Hiei were sickeningly-snarky sweethearts but not who each other might be interested in.
Why hadn't Jin told him? Why didn't he know? They had trained and traveled together for so long and yet Touya had never noticed or heard Jin talk to or about anyone in a serious romantic way. Sure, he would point out an attractive demon at a bar in a city they were passing through and he would chat with fans that managed to find him backstage or in the public halls at tournaments but nothing had ever went beyond mutual friendly flirtation. Touya had never seen him held-over-heels and hearts-in-his-eyes enamored for anyone like Chuu or Rinku.
"Fine, I'll talk but I'm not saying who," Jin at long last gave in. "You used to be detectives, then you'll have to be detectives about it."
"Great, I'll put my multiple choice skills to test," Yusuke smarted back.
"Ah, bless the wind, how do I start?" Jin thought aloud as he crammed a lump of rice into his mouth to help him think. Feeling as if his head could only be fuzzier if it was wrapped up in wads of cotton, Touya started to regret slurping down those two, now three beers back to back.
"I suppose it's safe to say that it's someone we've all met at least once. One of the reasons I love them is 'cause they can give me balance and be the calm to my chaos. A quiet thinker to rein me in is what a tomfool like me needs. Can't be tossing fire into the wind, 'least you shouldn't and I won't. I love that they're patient and more serious than I'd ever be. One of us has gotta keep my feet on the ground."
Someone steady, someone that could keep you safely tethered but know when to give you slack, Touya thought, as he ate more and quicker in hopes of soaking up the alcohol in his stomach. I could be that for you.
"I know you're skirting around this because it's probably a dead giveaway," Yusuke said with a smirk, "but give us how they look. They cute? Pretty? Otherworldly beautiful? What are we talking here, a face like Kuwabara's or Kurama's?"
"Or are they hideously deformed like Urameshi," Kuwabara said, kidding around as he put his hands on his own cheeks and stretched out his face, "but manage to have a cuddly, pudgy blue penguin inner soul?" Yusuke jabbed his elbow into Kuwabara's side as he laughed.
Jin's shoulders shook with his own suppressed laughter. "You're both a little right but I'm not saying which or what," he said and then both his shoulders and his grin fell and stilled. "I just wish I could tell them how much I love them. You ever not been able to tell someone how you feel? Let me tell ya. Fucking hurts, it does. Rather have my head and arse kicked across the three worlds than deal with this."
"You especially know this, Yusuke, 'cause you and me, we love to fight, made it our reason to live for so long, we did. But when the day's done, whether you're on top or eatin' dirt, a fight's a fight and they're everything. You get up in the mornin' to see them smile, to make them laugh, and keep 'em happy. One day you wake up and see that they matter and that it's always been them. I want to tell them every day something I love about them 'til the day I die and I'm never gonna have nothing to tell them. But I'm too damn aflutter to tell that to their face."
I wish you would tell me this, Touya thought, stuffing his mouth full to keep the alcohol from talking. …I wish that you were talking about me.
"How'd you ever tell your little lady that you loved her?" Jin asked Yusuke.
Yusuke scratched his cheek and grinned sheepishly. "I'm still working on saying the L-word to her but I promised Keiko that we'd get married for the thousandth time when I returned in three years," he said. "Then I made sure to show up. I was a little late but I came back."
"I can never figure out what to say. I start blabbering, more than I always do that is, but I never actually get to saying what I feel."
"Well, no one knows more about confessing their love than Kuwabara," Yusuke said. "I'm sure he can teach you a thing or two. If you can bear with him talking your pointy ears off about Yukina."
"Sure, no problem. I'd be glad to help," Kuwabara said, with a grin.
"Be much obliged to ya, I would. I'm sure thankful that we made some great friends, didn't we, Toy?" Jin said. "Ah, that's right! We've been jabberin' on and haven't heard a peep out of you in so long, Toy—"
Jin stopped and pressed his mouth shut as he looked over and saw Touya with his cheeks bulging out from stuffing his face. Touya sucked in the little leaf of bok choy sticking out of his mouth and asked, "What?" and from there, Jin couldn't stop himself from laughing.
-o-
On the night before Valentine's Day, Touya followed Jin and the others into the mountain countryside to the temple grounds for a gathering at Genkai's. It was a happy occasion filled with friends and family and yet Touya was not happy, though he put on a smile and greeted their friends and allies warmly. It became quite obvious to him between the hellos and hugs and the start of dinner that the majority of the room was there with a significant other. He suddenly felt like this gathering was just as much a couples' night as it was a chance to see one another.
He supposed he could smile with a little less sadness if it weren't for the fact that Yusuke was convinced that the person Jin was in love with was Ruka. After watching her on tv talking about her mystery crush and hearing that her new single was called 'Love is in the Air', Touya had to admit that he thought the same. She sounded a lot like who Jin was talking about the other day in the hot pot restaurant. Or in the least she checked all the boxes Jin had left hints for.
"How much of the sauce did you drink before you got here?" an irritated Jin asked Yusuke as he aggressively tossed food into his mouth. "Told you once and I won't again. I don't want you to set me up with anyone."
"I'm not." Yusuke grinned as he feigned innocence while doggedly pressing the subject. "I'm just saying the demon Ruka was talking about sounded an awful lot like you. And you still won't tell us who you're got your eye on."
"It could be anyone she was crooning about. Could of been you, ever think about that?" Jin said, pointing his chopsticks at Yusuke.
"Yea, but she doesn't know that I'm a demon...part-demon..." Yusuke closed his mouth and scrunched up his face as he considered what he was. "Check mark 'other' category."
"I like to be a bit of an entertainer when I fight," Jin said, "but I am not interested in being in the spotlight, cameras flashing, and all that performing monkey malarkey."
"Nothing says you have to become famous," Yusuke said.
"Yea, there are plenty of stars who are married to people no one knows," Kuwabara added.
"Gettin' hitched is where this stops now. Not another word outta either one of ya," Jin snapped back.
Touya wasn't sure if Yusuke was trying to be supportive or pushing his fun a little too far but neither he nor Jin were being particularly quiet and any other conversations going around the table were hushed as everyone looked and listened to Yusuke and Jin. Asking as to what they were fighting about was a reasonable question that shouldn't have been answered but Yusuke told the entire room about their talk and that was it for Jin.
"People say I've got a big mouth but you, Yusuke Urameshi, have the biggest mouth I've ever heard," Jin said, quickly pushing off from the floor. Jin stamped out of the room, coursing the wind to open the sliding door for himself and rattling the paper screens as he forced it closed behind him.
It had been years since Touya had seen Jin get that angry. Sure, he and Yusuke had their friendly squabbles but Jin had always made sure they never stopped laughing, or in the least that the fight never escalated beyond a brotherly headlock. Touya suspected that the only reason he hadn't hit Yusuke was because he believed in the competition of battle and never fighting angry.
While he didn't think Jin was in the wrong for storming off, even so, Touya was going to talk to him.
"Hey, Touya," Yusuke said, ignoring the others chastising him for ticking off Jin, as Touya walked by behind him. Touya paused mid-step and looked back at him. "Tell him it'll all be worth it. How ever you have to say it, tell him. Don't be stubborn like him."
Raising an eyebrow, Touya didn't know what Yusuke was talking about and right now that wasn't important to him. Touya followed Jin's path outside. It was cold and it had recently snowed. The chill didn't bother Touya at all but it wouldn't be long for Jin before his temper cooled and Jin would be wishing he had his coat and layers.
Touya found Jin farther down the verandah. Sitting cross-legged on the wooden floor, Jin sat scowling and staring at a clump of snowflakes swirling about through the air. Touya wasn't certain if he was manipulating the wind himself.
"I'll be all right," Jin said, without looking back at Touya. "There's been so much hot air blowing in there that the cold feels nice."
Touya walked toward Jin and stood behind him. He then wrapped his arms around Jin's neck and shoulders, sat down on his knees, and hugged him from behind. The fine hair on his arms prickled and rose as he felt the heat of Jin's skin against his naturally chilled body. Resting his head in the bend of Jin's neck, in time Touya felt Jin relax and softly laugh.
"I know I shouldn't holler on about it, but it damn well fouls my wind that he keeps pestering me," Jin said, turning his head so that his cheek pressed against Touya's.
"In his own way, Yusuke is probably trying to help you," Touya said. "You did say you wanted help."
"What help would it do to say it out loud?" Jin said.
"Maybe it's a dress rehearsal for when you do get the chance to say it to the one you love."
"I don't need a dress rehearsal," Jin said.
In time, as a stiffness and ache spread down Touya's spine, he slid his arms away from Jin and sat down beside him. White wisps of visible breath curled out from between their lips as they sat in silence. Touya noticed Jin shivering and yet, despite no longer being mad, he did not choose to head back to the party. It seemed to Touya like Jin preferred staying out here with him.
"Jin, whoever it is that you love..." Touya said with a small measure of hesitation. By no means did he want Jin to feel pressured into answering him. "I'm sure that they would want you to tell them. Even if they don't share your feelings, it's better to know."
"I know you're right, Toy. You usually are..." Jin said and smiled. "You know, in all this nonsense, I never got to ask you who might you want to spend Valentine's Day with."
Touya quickly looked away. "It's not important—"
"It's always important," Jin said and he leaned toward him, tapping his shoulder against Touya's. "Will you humor me at least?"
Touya couldn't say no to Jin's smile. "All right..." he said as he softly smiled. "Someone warm, spontaneous, and full of life and curiosity for everything around us. Someone who makes me laugh and I can trust to pull me back when I look too far within. I want to travel across the human world with them and learn and experience all the freedoms and gifts this world has and yet be happy simply being together. ...It's not much, especially since it's just off the top of my head, but it's what I want."
"You deserve that and more, Touya," Jin said as he gave Touya's shoulder an affectionate shake. "Hope you find them, I do."
"I did...I mean, I have," Touya said, pink on his cheeks. "I haven't told them yet."
Jin chuckled softly. "Funny how you and I have the same problem," he said. "No one knows either one of us better than the other, so let me propose this. We lighten ourselves and tell each other who it is we're really talking about. You think we could?"
Touya nodded yes.
"Good, then we'll say on three..." Jin said and then began counting.
On three, Touya said, "You." His heartbeat thrummed and his eyes grew wide as he realized that only he had spoke. "You didn't say anything."
"I know. I wanted to hear you before I jabbered over top of you," Jin said. "Had no idea if I'd be able to stop myself from telling you all I love about you, I did. Be especially awkward if you didn't say you love me too."
All this time, he had been talking about me… Touya reeled from the surprise and joy. "I feel foolish," he said as he swept a few loose hairs out of his eyes.
"Ah, well, how do you think I feel?" Jin said as he tried to kiss Touya's neck, only to find out that the ice master was very ticklish. Touya tensed his shoulders and wriggled away, laughing the entire time as Jin tried to hold him still and kissed him wherever his lips could touch. "I made an arse of myself trying to keep a secret I didn't need to keep."
By the time Jin relented and Touya could rest, Touya found himself laying on his back on the cold wooden verandah with Jin leaning over him. "You don't play fair either," Touya said and slid his hands into Jin's long, windswept hair as Jin bent down and kissed his lips.
Hot and cold sensations spread throughout parts of Touya's body as Jin pressed against him, with Jin's mouth being the strongest source of heat and the most active. To Touya's concern, however, he felt more chill than heat radiating off Jin. He told Jin that they had to stop. Jin didn't want to but he agreed to, joking that he'd have to miss the opportunity to say in the afterlife that he died of hypothermia while making out with an ice demon. Touya didn't find any humor in any part of his joke.
"Do you think when we get back I should finally tell Yusuke?" Jin said as he held out his hand and helped Touya rise from the floor.
"I think he already knows," Touya said. "He told me to tell you any way I needed to. That it would be all worth it. I didn't understand then." He did now, though.
"That rotten bastard," Jin said, crooking his grin, as he put an arm around Touya's waist, pulled him toward him, and walked with Touya back to the party. "I ought to square up his jaw and buy him a drink."