Author's Note: Uhh...This is a story I'm quite proud of, as it has a lot of real research involved, including traditional Japanese marriages, student-sensei relationships and general stuff about life in Feudal Japan. It's obviously an alternative reality and I'm striving for historical accuracy. Each scene, so to speak, is about a page or two long and will be posted as chapters. It contains shonen-ai based in fact.

For those who might not know: Naotoki Naaza (Sehkmet, for you dubbed people) and Jirougorou Rajura (Dais).

Enjoy.

The stars outside Mito, Naotoki thought absently, were exactly the same as the stars painting the sky above the castle. They shown just as bright and told the same story, no matter where one went. They were lucky; why could his lot in life not remain as unchanging as those of the stars?

It was late at night; Jirou was snoring away beside him, curled on his side on the hard ground. He reached over, brushing a lock of wavy hair out of the older man's face, then gazed back up at the sky again. Though he was tired after a full day's travel, Naotoki found it impossible to sleep.

Tomorrow they would arrive in Mito, the place where Jirou had been born and raised. The comfortable routine they had fallen into was about to be disrupted forever, all because of that damnable letter.

The previous fall, Jirou had assigned castle guard to the daimyo as a lower-ranking soldier and they had lived comfortably in the castle while Jirou fulfilled his duties and trained Naotoki in the way of the samurai. After months and months, a truce had been declared between Satake-sama and his enemies and a tentative peace fell over the land.

It was during this time –a mere fortnight ago- that Jirou had received the letter from his father stating it was time for him to fulfill his family obligations and marry his betrothed. The letter had been delivered to their quarters one night and handed to Jirou, who was polishing his katana. Naotoki had crept over, peering over his shoulder and trying to make out the few words he could as Jirou read it through several times.

"Naotoki," He finally said after a long, dreadful period of silence, "Do you understand what this means?"

Naotoki bit his lip, uncertain. "I cannot read it all, sensei…" He faltered, knowing this news was no good news.

"My father," Jirou glanced back down at the parchment in his hand, expression evening out to something Naotoki could not describe, "Wishes me to come home to be married." He didn't look up, simply kept his head down, hair curtaining to hide his face.

For a moment, Naotoki had felt as if time itself had stopped.

When time resumed its slow crawl, it felt as if icy fingers were creeping through his chest, squeezing his heart and making it hard to breathe. He stared at Jirou, eyes wide, and shook his head. "No." This could not be. "No; no…Jirou, no!" Desperate; it had to be a joke. "No…Please no!" A familiar prickling feeling stung at the back of his eyes and he tried to choke back the tears that were already forming.

"Come here." Jirou set aside the letter and held out a hand to his younger friend. Naotoki burrowed against him, face buried in Jirou's shoulder, and he simply held Naotoki, stroking his hair. "I will not abandon you. This is something I must do, but you are still my student. I still want you."

"Everything will change." Naotoki's voice was muffled by the fabric of Jirou's gi, and he clung tighter, fingers digging in.

Naotoki burrowed down in his bedroll, rolling over and sulking at the memory. Although he agreed that, yes, things would change, Jirou had promised him it wouldn't be too different. Their lives would go on as normal, the woman would just be involved as well. Naotoki knew he was young and being foolish, but he wanted to believe Jirou so badly…

It wasn't fair.

He hated change.