From now on and Forever

by Alice2795

Mikazuki and Ichigo celebrated their first Christmas together at Ichigo's house with his little brothers. He also promised to celebrate the New Year's Eve together as well but an unseen problem came up and he had to call it off. Mikazuki was understanding enough to mind such things but something inside him made him felt discomfort and distressed at one point as he waits for Ichigo.

This is my first IchiMika's fanfiction that was meant to be finished IchiMika's day and Toyotomigumi Event. But, with finals right behind me, I couldn't get it done on time. TwT that is my only regret. I'm still posting it anyway. lol As this is my first time writing about this fandom, I'm not quite used to their characterization so they might sound a bit OC. Well, I still have fun writing it. ^^ Have fun reading, everyone~

Disclaimer: I do not own Touken Ranbu.

---

Evening of December 25th

Celebrating Christmas together has always been the tradition that the Awataguchi family held dear for it was one of the special occasions that the Toushiros got to spend more time together with their workaholic elder brother who lived away from home because of his work. They were all eagerly waiting for this day especially since their brother told them that he had someone special he wanted to let them meet.

"It's definitely his lover!" Namazuo exclaimed excitedly with sparkled eyes. Yagen looked up from whatever he was doing with blank eyes. "Namazuo nii-san, you have been repeating that phase for the tenth times today..."

Namzuo pouted at his brother's remark. "How come you guys are not interested? It's not very often that Ichi-nii would bring someone home, especially during this kind of occasion."

"We're as excited as you are, brother. But, right now, we're busy as you can see." Honebami pointed out as he started putting some icing on the cake. "If you're not gonna help with the cooking, you can go help Atsushi and the others with the decorations."

"Oh, alright..."

He headed to the living room where his other siblings were like he was told. While helping Gokotai, Maeda, and Hirano decorating the Christmas tree, Akita cheerfully beamed as he glanced through the window.

"They're here, everyone! Ichi-nii's here!"

This simple announcement got almost everyone's attention; including the ones in the kitchen. Some of them, including Namazuo, put a halt to their work and quickly sprinted towards the front door to greet their brother; ignoring Atsushi's yelling that was telling them not to ditch their work.

Once arrived at the front door, they all stood together and listened to the sound of the doorbell rang. But, they decided to remain quiet and watched as the doorknob slowly turned.

"I'm back-OOF!"

As soon as a sky blue-haired came into their view, they immediately ambushed their victim by leaping towards him with cheerful shouts. "Welcome home, Ichi-nii!"

"Ah...I'm home." Ichigo Hitofuri responded with a gentle smile as he hugged them all in return; his voice filled with relief at his brothers' presence despite he was tackled to the ground.

"Fufufu..."

All the siblings looked up when they heard a soft chuckle from another person and the Toushiros' breath was taken away once their eyes met with those beautiful deep blue eyes with Crescent Rings in them.

"Indeed...You little ones are quite lively just as Ichigo said." The stranger commented with an amused smile while continuing to watch fondly at the scene before him.

"Guys...really, Ichi-nii's gonna have back problems if you continue to greet him like that!" Yagen scolded as he walked up to them along with the rest of the Toushiros.

Ichigo stood up and dusted himself after his brothers moved away from him. "I'm back." He greeted once again to the ones who have just come. "And, I'm not that old yet, just so you know..."

Yagen snickered. "Welcome back, Ichi-nii." His eyes then landed on the person standing behind the sky blue-haired. "Ichi-nii, could that person be...?"

Ichigo blinked before he scratched his cheek nervously. "Oh, right...I almost forgot..." He grinned sheepishly before stepping aside to let his guest stood beside him. "Everyone, I would like to introduce you to someone dear to me." He cleared his throat while his brothers watched in excitement.

"This person here is Mikazuki Munechika, and..." Ichigo's face flushed slightly as he tightly held Mikazuki's hand in his. "We're dating...for a while now..."

Mikazuki tilted his head to the side and smiled. "Nice to meet you, little ones."

There was a short silence after their brother made the announcement. Ichigo became slightly worried when he received no reaction from his little brothers. He was about to say something when Midare suddenly squealed like a school girl, startling the two adults. That was when the others also joined in before they rushed over to the two's sides and started bombarding them with questions.

"Congratulations, Ichi-nii!"

"We're having a new family member!"

"He's such a pretty person!"

"How long have you been going out?"

"How did you guys meet?"

"Was Ichi-nii the first one to confess? Are you guys gonna get married?"

The last question from Houcho left the two lovers with burning cheeks, especially Ichigo. "Guys, please!" Gosh, was he already feeling embarrassed enough! Mikazuki laughed amusingly although his cheeks were also flushing pink slightly.

"That will have to wait for another time." He replied while patting Houcho's head. The Toushiros shot a teasing grin at their brother at Mikazuki's answer. Ichigo sighed and rubbed his temple. At least, his brothers had accepted Mikazuki and that's all it mattered at that time. Although, he did make a mental note to brace himself to be endlessly teased by his brothers in the future and he didn't really mind. Hopefully, he would get used to that soon...

"ACHOOOO!"

A small sneeze broke him out from his thought and he looked over to his brothers. "Why don't we all go inside? It wouldn't do if you all catch a cold."

It was a good excuse as well before they would start shooting him with embarrassing questions again. "Yes, Ichi-nii!" The little ones chirped in unison before they headed for the living room; cheerfully dragging their brother and their special guest with them. Despite being small, together, they were strong enough to pull the two adults with them. Yagen watched in amusement at his brother trying to tell them to slow down and Mikazuki laughing light-heartedly.

'Tonight's gonna be livelier than before." He closed the door and followed after his siblings. Ichigo then introduced each of his brothers to Mikazuki one by one; Mikazuki repeated all of their names after Ichigo. Despite being a self-proclaimed old man, Mikazuki was able to remember all their names. Right after that, the kids went back to quickly finishing their task so they could begin the party with Ichigo and Mikazuki helping them. Ichigo was there to help his brothers with the cooking and Mikazuki in the living room giving them a hand to finish the decorating. Since all the preparations were more than halfway done before Ichigo and Mikazuki arrived, it didn't take long for them to finish the rest of the work. After setting the table, everyone gathered in the living room to finally begin their party.

Ichigo waited until his brothers were all seated before he cleared his throat to catch their attention. "Now that we've all settled down, let's get started!" Everyone nodded and raised their drinks.

"MERRY CHRISTMAS!" Everyone cheered as they have a toast with their drinks.

"And, congrats to Ichi-nii and Mikazuki-san!" Namazuo added raising his glass again. "KAMPAI!"

"KAMPAIIII!"

"...really...there's no need to..." Ichigo coved his face slightly, flustered by how all his brothers naturally went along with the extra toast. He had a feeling that this was just the beginning of the teasing. There would definitely be more in the future.

"Ha ha ha. Thank you, little ones and thank you for having me in this exclusive occasion." Mikazuki said, smiling; clearly, he was genuinely happy. That put Ichigo at ease. He could see some of his brothers' face flushed at the charming smile that enchanted him as well.

Yagen waved his hand. "Not to worry, Mikazuki-san. Thank you for joining us and for taking care of our brother."

Mikazuki chuckled. "On the contrary, I believe this old man is the one being taken care of. Right, Ichigo?"

"Ah...right..."

"No surprise there. Ichi-nii's the type who likes to look after the others. He's caring but quite overprotective at times. I hope he doesn't cause much trouble for you."

The Crescent Blade shook his head. "Not at all. I found that part of him quite cute. It makes me feel like I'm being loved, ne?" He playfully smiled at the other adult whose face has already turned as red as a tomato.

Ichigo wasn't sure how to respond at Yagen and Mikazuki's conversation that sounded like a mother checking on how her son's newlywed life... He turned to Yagen and saw the boy smirked at him. 'I'm being double-ganged...' He sweatdropped.

"Alright! Enough with the chit-chat and let's do something more fun!" Namazuo exclaimed standing up, interrupting the talk. It's not like he didn't want to know what else was going on between his brother and Mikazuki, but for now, they wanna have fun and the Toushiros have something secretly and freshly planned just for the two adults. Ichigo unknowingly shivered. He had a really bad feeling.

"Ohhh. What do you guys usually do for fun?" Mikazuki was expectedly obvious to this, unlike Ichigo who knew by instinct when his brothers were up to no good. Seeing the little Toushiros gave them a grin along with a hint of mischievousness in their eyes confirmed his worry.

"This year, we're going to do something different and we've already talked it out among us." Atsushi stood up, grinning as cheekily as Namazuo.

"Wait...how come we didn't hear any of that?" Midare raised the question, looking confused as well as Honebami, Shinano, and Yagen.

"Geh...we forgot about them!"

"No need to worry. It's not something complicated." Namazuo assured them before pulling out a small package from his pocket. "It's just a simple present exchanging."

Ichigo almost dropped the drink he was holding as his face turned pale at the word present. Shaking, he raised his head and uttered. "P-Present?"

Why? Why present? He was expecting a game, but not present! Out of all people, he thought Namazuo already knew their schedule! Yagen and Mikazuki also looked slightly troubled, especially Yagen. But, somehow, Yagen figured something out and smirked.

"Sure. Why not? Let's exchange the present this year."

"YAYYYYYY!" All his brothers cheered, and Ichigo had to interrupt them for a little.

"Ummm...guys...I'm sorry to say this...but both I and Mikazuki didn't expect this so...we didn't really prepare anything..."

Mikazuki smiled apologetically at the kids.

"Me, neither..." Honebami muttered blankly making the other Toushiros gaped at him. 'He doesn't get it?!'

Namazuo mentally facepalmed. 'Well...it can't be helped...Sorry, Honebami...' He cleared his throat again. "W-Well...is there anyone else who is unprepared?" He asked, glancing at the others. They all shook their heads and took out their gifts.

Ichigo deadpanned. 'So...they're all prepared? Since when?'

Atsushi faked a sigh of disappointment. "...Man, I was looking forward to it, too...We probably won't be able to exchange presents with some of us haven't prepared like this..." He murmured sadly. The others also followed his lead and dropped their head and shoulders; feigning childish sadness.

"Don't be sad, little ones. Tonight is supposed to be a happy night for everyone." Mikazuki stated in an attempt to comfort them. "Why don't we do some other things besides this? I'm sure there're more fun things we can do other than exchanging presents."

The little ones' eyes sparkled as they looked at each other and smiled. Ichigo cringed. Mikazuki has taken his brothers' bait and by this point, he could guess where this was going. He wasn't able to outwit his brothers! He heaved a sigh. 'Well...I guess I'll let them have their fun this time...'

Gokotai who was sitting beside Mikazuki timidly asked. "Anything?"

The Crescent Moon responded with a smile and a nod. "Yes, Gokotai. As long as it'll make you all happy." He gently ruffled the white-haired boy's hair.

Gokotai gave Namazuo and Atsushi a glance before he spoke up. "T-Then...I-I want to play Twister..."

...

Mikazuki blinked once...

Ichigo stiffened. 'NAMAZUOOOOOOO!'

Mikazuki blinked again before tilting his head to the side. Surely, he was confused. Ichigo sighed. Now, he knew what they were planning. Too bad for them...Mikazuki probably wouldn't-

"Sure, why not?"

"Mikazuki?!"

The Crescent Moon turned to Ichigo who has the look of disbelief on his face. "I have heard of this game but, I have never once got to play it. I'm quite curious." Was he for real? "I'm sure it'll be fun, plus..." Mikazuki continued gesturing towards the children. "You brothers want to have fun."

'Fun from teasing us, Mikazuki...' Ichigo almost bumped his head with the table.

"Ichi-nii..." Two small tugs on his clothes made him looked at Maeda and Hirano. "You don't wanna play with us?" They asked with puppy eyes that he was very much weak to. He couldn't find himself to turn them down no matter what...

"Of course not." He replied with his usual brotherly smile. "I would love to play with you guys. After all, we didn't get to play together much for so long."

Seeing his brothers' happy faces brought joy to Ichigo. He was willing to do everything to keep them this way for as long as he could. He felt a hand gently placed on his and glanced at Mikazuki who smiled at him. He grinned sheepishly in return.

"Shall we get started then? The night's not waiting for us." Everyone nodded in agreement.

"If so, let's start with our first three players, the unprepared ones!" Atsushi exclaimed suggestively, making Ichigo's eyes went wide. "It's your punishment for being unprepared." He added when he saw Ichigo almost protested. "Who else agrees with me?"

"ME!" Everyone had their hands raised as they cheered at the same time, excluding Honebami who wasn't too pleased, and Ichigo who could only huff and went along. They looked for a free space across the table and spread the map with six rows of different colored circles. The players stood by, each with their own feelings; blank, excited, and nervous.

"Let the fun begin!" Namazuo shouted in declaration as he spun the spinner. Ichigo made a mental note to have a talk with Namazuo later after this. The game started very simple and easy at first with each player having to move to the color that was quite near them without having to get near one another. But, then, it became very heated after the game has been going on for 15 minutes.

...

"Next is...Mikazuki, right hand, red!"

"A-Ah...red...red..." Mikazuki looked around before finding the red circle on his right side which was beside Ichigo's head. "Ichigo, bear with me for a little."

"Y-Yes..."

Ichigo's heart pounded rapidly as Mikazuki's face was only inches away from his as the man placed his hand on the spot beside his head. The two of them were in a very awkward (imitating) position with Ichigo hovering over the map on all four and Mikazuki was straddling him from the top, one knee between his with each hand on either side of his head. He could feel their bodies touched even if they moved just a little especially their lower part. Ichigo's face heated up till his ears. Ichigo always has perfect composure but, whenever they're like this, his self-control slipped and somehow, Mikazuki would always playfully stir him even more. Even now...

Ichigo gasped slightly when he felt Mikazuki ground against him. "M-Mikazuki!" That beautiful, yet sly grin on his lovers' face...

"What is it, Ichigo?" Mikazuki asked, tilting his head innocently. That was it...Mikazuki was going to get it tonight! He stole a quick glance at his brothers and saw them; cheering, laughing all merrily while spinning the spinner. A sigh of relief left him. It seemed like they didn't notice anything.

"Ichi-nii..." Ichigo flinched at Honebami's voice. He had forgotten that Honebami was also in this game and was now straddling him and Mikazuki from the top; his legs shaking. "Ichi-nii...sorry...I can't..."

"Honebami? GAHHH!" Honebami's legs gave out and finally let go of himself, resulting in crashing Mikazuki and Ichigo...Ichigo was at the bottom, being stamped by his brother and his lover.

"Oh my...that surprise me...Ichigo?" For a moment, Ichigo was knocked out of his breath.

"Please, get off me before I pass out..." He managed to mutter this much making everyone laughed. Ignoring the state that he was in, Ichigo couldn't help but chuckle a well.

"Wah...that was close. You guys should have hanged in there a little more..." Atsushi whined, crossing his arms behind his head with a pout. Untangling from the mess, Ichigo sat up and shot him a sweet smile.

"Atsushi, would you like to play so that you can experience this fun game like us? Namazuo, too." The mentioned boys froze at the overly gently and polite tone that their brother used. He was having his revenge against them.

"Let me play, too!" Gotou stood up excitedly.

"Me, too. Yagen, let's go."

"Wait! Why me, too?" Midare dragged Yagen along.

And, just like that, time passed by as they all continued to play more games other than the twisters; surprisingly, his brothers were more agile and flexible than he and Mikazuki were. Mikazuki joked that it was probably because of their age. Honestly, he could agree with him on this one. Once they got tired, they would take a short break to eat the foods and talked. And, after that, they would continue to play together once again. They've played a lot; board games, card games, sumo wrestling and even had a short performance. The household was filled with laughter of the Toushiros and the two lovers. Mikazuki seemed to get along with his brothers already. They all seemed to be having fun. He was glad that he decided to bring him along.

Everyone was so absorbed in the merry night until Ichigo noticed some of his brothers began to wobble a little. Normally, he wouldn't mind if they want to stay up late in this kind of family gathering, but one glance at the clock. '01:00 a.m.' Alright, time to call it a night.

"Sorry to spoil the fun, everyone, but I think it's time to go to bed." He said, standing up.

His brothers whined as expected. "I have to agree with Ichigo, little ones." Mikazuki patted Shinano who had his head on the older male's laps. "You little ones should probably rest. I can see that some of us are really exhausted." He pointed out.

"Yes..." Another sigh came from the children as they stood up; some of them stretching their body a little. "Good night, Ichi-nii, Mikazuki-san." They gave their brother a group hugs before they left for their bedrooms.

"Good night, everyone." Ichigo watched as his brothers left one by one and closed the door behind them. Namazuo, Honebami, and Yagen stayed behind to help Ichigo and Mikazuki cleaned up. They could have done it the next day, but unfortunately, Ichigo was told to attend a meeting at 11:00 so he wanted to get things done by the night. They were lucky that the room wasn't that all messed up as they only had to put the things back in place and cleared up the table.

"You guys can go to sleep, Yagen, Honebami, Namazuo," Ichigo told the trio after putting the empty dishes in the dishwasher. "Mikazuki and I can handle the rest."

They nodded. "Ichi-nii, are you guys staying over?"

"Yes. We'll be here till 10 in the morning."

"We didn't expect any guest today so we didn't prepare the guest room." Yagen glanced at Mikazuki. "Mikazuki-san probably has to crash in your room, tonight."

Mikazuki nodded. "Sure. I don't mind." Ichigo didn't disagree. It's not like they hadn't slept in the same bed before.

As if knowing what he was thinking, Namazuo repeated what he had just said to himself. "Well...it's not like you guys haven't slept in the same bed before. But, mind your noises, okay? It wouldn't be good if our bothers wake up." He playfully winked at his brother.

"NAMAZUO!" The boy left in a hurry; laughing together with Yagen and Honebami; leaving a flustered Ichigo and a snickering Mikazuki in the kitchen.

"Such cute little brothers you have there, Ichigo. They really take after you in some part." Mikazuki remarked while rinsing the plates.

"Really? How can you tell?" Ichigo wiped his hands after he was done with the washing.

"While they each have their own uniqueness, they are really considerate and kind, just like you," Mikazuki replied, turning off the tap water. "There's more than that but, I would like to keep that to myself." He placed a finger on his lips mischievously.

Ichigo laughed and shook his head. "Really...you're always like that." And, it was one of that parts that made Ichigo fell in love with him.

Seeing his lover's gentle smile, Mikazuki's eyes softened slightly before he walked over to Ichigo and pecked him the cheek; surprising him. Mikazuki then placed his arms around Ichigo's neck and leaned against him. Ichigo's snaked around Mikazuki's waist; feeling warm breath against his ear as the other male leaned against him.

"Shall we proceed, Ichigo? Your brothers are probably soundly sleeping now." Mikazuki whispered seductively. Lost in the moment, Ichigo nodded in response. All of a sudden, Mikazuki pulled away and walked past him. "Then, let's go."

Ichigo was dumbfounded when the heated tension was gone; his hands remained as they were as he was too confused to move. Mikazuki saw the confused look that his lover was giving. "The presents?" He pointed out helpfully.

Only then did Ichigo realize what Mikazuki meant by 'proceed', and he was yet again, tricked by his teasing lover. "...really...please, give me a break..." He murmured, rubbing the back of his neck. His response was only a playful chuckle from the deep blue-haired male.

The two left the kitchen and headed outside to the car parked beside the house. Unlocking the back seat, Ichigo took two big bags and handed one to Mikazuki. Inside the bag were the gifts that they had prepared for his brothers like every year.

"Seriously...it's like I was lying when I said I didn't have any presents..." He murmured staring at the bags. He did figure that most of them were aware of it but, it was because what he always did for them every year, it became like a tradition and he didn't want to break it. And, thanks to that, his brothers have had their ways with him today. Maybe he should stop.

A light pat on his shoulder snapped him out from his thoughts. He turned to Mikazuki who smiled at him. "Don't dread over unnecessary things. Everything is fine the way it is now, Ichigo."

Ichigo raised a brow at the statement but didn't get to respond as Mikazuki headed back inside, pulling Ichigo with him. "Let's quickly deliver these so you can rest, Santa."

"Ho ho ho. Very funny, Mikazuki." The two laughed as they entered the house and closed the door. After taking off their shoes, the two headed upstairs to where the Toushiros' bedrooms were. They stopped at the long hallway before they entered the first room on their left. They peered inside to see Gokotai, Akita, Maeda, and Hirano lying peacefully in their respective futons.

Ichigo gave Mikazuki a nod and turned to the other side of the hall. Mikazuki walked into the room, trying to keep quiet as much as he could. Once he reached their bedside, he took out four presents from the bag and placed them beside each of the boy's pillow after making sure that he had the right ones. After that, he left for another room where Atsushi, Midare, Yagen, and Goutou were and did the same. When he was done, he left the room and found Ichigo waiting for him.

"You're done with your side?"

Ichigo nodded. "Yes. Thank you for helping me out, Mikazuki."

"Nah. This much is nothing. It was easy because you carefully sorted out the presents. If not, I'm sure I would have troubles."

The sky-blue haired grinned sheepishly. "Actually, there's one more left, but, he couldn't make it because he already has plans with a friend around his university."

"Ohhh, is that so? Too bad. I would really love to meet him."

"I'm sure you will. He did say he would come back for New Year."

Mikazuki clasped his hands together "That's great. My brothers said they might return for New Year as well. I would like them to meet you, too."

Ichigo scratched his cheek nervously. "I don't know about that. I'm not sure if I'm ready to meet them yet."

"Don't worry. They're all understanding people. You don't have to worry about anything." Mikazuki assuring smile said it all. Ichigo huffed at his lover's eagerly pleading eyes.

"Sure, why not? They sound like great people." He could see his lover's eyes sparkled with glee at his response. That part reminded him of his little brothers. "Well then, let's get some sleep as well." He said offering the Crescent Moon a hand.

Mikazuki chuckled as he placed his hand in Ichigo's. "Lead the way, my Prince." He saw Ichigo's face flushed all the way while they were heading to Ichigo's bedroom. From the corner of his eyes, Mikazuki sneaked a glance at his own gift in his pocket that he had prepared for his lover. He huffed and smiled. Upon reaching their destination, Ichigo walked over to his closet to look for a change of clothes.

"I hope you wouldn't mind wearing my pajamas for tonight, Mikazuki."

"Yeah. I'm good." Perhaps now was the good time to hand it to him. Mikazuki felt his heart beating rapidly as he eyed Ichigo's back. He was starting to feel nervous and anxious at one point worrying about what he should say to Ichigo. Normally, Mikazuki was a laid-back, easygoing person, but after meeting Ichigo, there were times when he found himself working up, or getting flustered very easily and even nervous; though he was able to hide them quite well. Shaking his head, he straightened himself and calmed his nerves.

Ichigo turned around and holding a pair of clothes. "What's the matter, Mikazuki?" He asked, noticing how fidgety the other male was. With one deep breath, Mikazuki took out a small box from his pocket.

"A little bit late, but...Merry Christmas, Ichigo." He held the box in front of Ichigo; accompanied by his beautiful angelic smile. Ichigo was left stunned for a moment before he accepted the small box from his lover.

"Thank you, Mikazuki...May I open it now?" Ichigo asked, eyes locked on the blue gift box. He was still in the state of a big surprise but still manage to find his voice. Mikazuki nodded.

"Go ahead."

He gulped before opening the cover and what he saw inside made his eyes constantly go wide. A necklace with a small pendant lied inside the box. However, what made his eyes went wide was the handmade golden pendant that was shaped like two Crescent Moons that reminded him of Mikazuki's eyes. They were very captivating and enchanting; just like Mikazuki.

"Do you like it, Ichigo?" The question from the deep blue haired broke him out from his daze. Mouth still parted slightly, his hand went over to gently touch the pendant.

"Mikazuki...This is..." He couldn't even find the appropriate word to describe his feelings at the time. "They're very beautiful, Mikazuki. Thank you very much." His voice was a bit shaken at the time because of the emerging happiness that he was feeling. "Did you make it yourself?"

Mikazuki blinked. "You can tell?"

Ichigo nodded. "Yes, I can tell from how it's been shaped." ...only because he had read about it once in an article. "Plus...this part of the pendant is kind of intentionally shaped to put something, isn't it?" He asked; taking out the pendant and staring observing at the tip of the Crescent Moon.

"Ha ha ha. You got me there, Ichigo. You are correct." Mikazuki's gaze lowered slightly as he fiddled with something around his neck. "I asked a friend of mine to teach me how to make them."

"Them?"

He nodded before he took out the necklace from his neck for Ichigo to see. Ichigo blinked until he noticed the shape of the pendant on the necklace.

"That's..."

"Yes, Ichigo. It's your Crest." It was the Crest that Ichigo once playfully drew in his school days and used it as his ID in his office in the present days. Mikazuki took the necklace from Ichigo and his pendant in-between the Crescent Moon.

"I made it so that the pendants could be put together. When you do it like this, doesn't it match? It's like saying we're always by each other side no matter where we are." He grinned sheepishly at his own phase. "Or... does it sound cheesy?"

Ichigo was at loss of words. For a moment, he was worried about Mikazuki's quivering voice but it was because of this? He wasn't sure what kind of words would be able to express his feelings so he only took a step forward and pulled Mikazuki into a tight embrace.

"Mikazuki...I...Honestly...I don't know what to say...I'm so happy that I don't know what to do anymore..." This almost brought him to tears. They love each other and he knew that...but, this...he wasn't expecting this at all!

Mikazuki chuckled and returned the hug; his hand gently caressed those sky blue locks. He felt so relieved. He felt so joyful at Ichigo's response to this. Only Ichigo was able to make such reaction felt so precious to him. "I'm glad, Ichigo."

It felt like forever as they continued to stay like that for a while; enjoying each other's warmth and they would have remained that way till morning had Ichigo not pulled away from the embrace.

"I apologize, Mikazuki. I...I don't have to give you anything in return now..." Ichigo's voice sounded really sad like that of a guilty child. Mikazuki found it way beyond cute. He definitely got it from his brothers.

"Oh my...In that case then...I have one request." He thoughtfully tapped his chin for a second before he smirked and pushed Ichigo against the closet. "...how about we continue from where we left off this evening?" His eyes glinted with desire and playfulness as he planted soft kisses on Ichigo's skin.

Ichigo responded with a smirk of his own before he grasped Mikazuki and pulled him into a deep, passionate kiss. The two moaned against the kiss whereas Ichigo licked Mikazuki's lower lip, asking for entrance and Mikazuki complied without wasting any time. Hands wrapping around Mikazuki's waist, Ichigo slowly led them to his bed and pushed his lover down without separating their kiss.

Only once the lack of oxygen kicked in that they promptly pulled away. Ichigo took a look at his lover lying beneath him with steamy eyes. "That really reminds me...It was very naughty of you back then, and right in front of my brothers."

Mikazuki chuckled as he slid his arms around Ichigo's neck. "It excites you, does it not?"

"While it does, it still isn't very appropriate." Ichigo leaned down to kiss his lover's exposed neck. "...And, I'll make sure you wouldn't pull that stun in the future."

Mikazuki shuddered in excitement at the tone he was being used at. "Well, we wouldn't know that, would we?"

"I'll make sure we will." The two shared another deep kiss before they immersed each other's warmth that night without a caring in the world. But, obviously, Mikazuki had to mind his voice so that he would wake the sleeping Toushiros up.

---

Morning of December 26th

Mikazuki was woken up from his slumber by the beeping sound of the alarm clock. Groaning softly, he tried to move his hand to stop the noisy clock but he couldn't as he found himself trapped in his beloved's strong yet gentle arms. Slowly, his eyes fluttered open to see the peaceful face of his sleeping prince. Blood rushed to his cheek slightly when he realized how close their faces were. Nonetheless, he was amused at himself for getting embarrassed even though this wasn't his first morning greeted by the handsome sky blue haired male. Chuckling quietly, he freed himself from Ichigo's arms and turned off the alarm. Sitting up from the bed, his eyes roamed around and landed on a nearby shirt. Without thinking much, he got out of the bed, taking the shirt with him.

"Mmnn...Mikazuki...?" A sleepy voice from came from the bed while he was putting on his pants. He glanced to the side slightly to see his partner sluggishly moving his arm around, in search for the missing warmth. Smiling, Mikazuki approached the bed and leaned down, softly pecked the sleepy prince on the lips.

"Good morning Ichigo." He pulled away with a smile only to be pulled down into another deep kiss by the supposedly sleepy Ichigo. 'My...how sweet...'

The two pulled away after finally running out of breath. "Good morning, Mikazuki." He responded with a sleepy smile; gently caressing Mikazuki's cheek. "What time is it already?"

The Crescent Moon leaned into the gentle hand's touch purring in bliss. "Mmmmm... It's still 7:00... We still have time before we leave." he murmured. "I'll go prepare breakfast for us. You can go back to sleep."

Ichigo grunted as he sat up from the bed; ruffling his messy locks. "Give me a few moments and I'll go down to help you."

Mikazuki nodded and walked to the door after putting on a shirt. "By the way, Ichigo, I'll be borrowing your shirt for a while." He winked teasingly before he left; leaving behind a flustered Ichigo.

"Ah...please refrain yourself from teasing me first thing in the morning..." Ichigo murmured; despite knowing the culprit had already left, as he struggled to fight back the red shades on his face. When would he ever get used to this nervous feeling of being worked up by his lover?

He noticed the necklace around his neck. He wasn't sure when or how it got there but a gentle smile curved on his face as he gently fiddled it in his hands.

"...together wherever we are..." He choked a small chuckle while covering his mouth. "It really is cheesy." But, it also made him happy. How fortunate of him for being able to meet Mikazuki.

Snapping out from his daydream, he got out from the bed and quickly got himself ready for the day. He had to find another shirt to wear since Mikazuki took his. His face flushed once again remembering Mikazuki's appearance in this shirt. He facepalmed. 'He's too cute...'

Shaking his head to stop himself from daydreaming again, he put on his clothes and tidied up his bed before he left the room. Heading downstairs, he went to the bathroom to wash his face and brushed his teeth before entering the kitchen to help Mikazuki with the breakfast.

"What are you making, Mikazuki?" He asked, walking over to his lover and rolled up his sleeves.

"Omelet rice. I hope your brothers would like it." Mikazuki replied as he stirred the rice in the frying pan.

"They definitely will. Your cooking is really delicious." Having been praised by Ichigo, Mikazuki was proud of himself for polishing up his formerly hopeless cooking skill.

"Could you set the table? Your brothers should wake up soon."

As if on the cue, they could hear footsteps from upstairs along with the cheerful chattering from the kids as they headed towards the kitchen.

"Good morning, Ichi-nii! Mikazuki-san!"

"Good morning, kids. You're all so energetic even though it's early in the morning." Mikazuki responded while setting the food down in the plate. "Did something good happen?"

"Yes!" Hakata beamed holding up a box in his hands. "Santa left us a present again this year. Look!"

A couple of the youngest Toushiros also held up their gifts with sparkling eyes. "We thought he wouldn't come any more this year because Yagen nii-san said we've grown up."

"Growing up does not equal getting any presents just so you know..." Yagen murmured from behind the group. Ichigo laughed at the remark. Yagen was just being Yagen as always and he meant no harm.

Mouri seemed to notice something as he voiced out. "Mikazuki-san, is that Ichi-nii's shirt that you're wearing?"

Ichigo almost choked on his breath when this was pointed out. He could feel the sneers from Namazuo, Atsushi and Yagen. He cleared his throat before regaining his composure. "I couldn't find any clothes that fit Mikazuki other than this one so I lent it to him. Mikazuki forgot to bring extra clothes to change."

Thank god his brothers bought this and the boy nodded in understandings. He could make out his lover's snickers from behind, but he decided to shrug this away.

"Now, breakfast is almost ready. You should go wash your face if you haven't yet. We're having omelet rice." Ichigo told them; gesturing at the food on the table.

He didn't need to repeat what the gas just said as his brother disappeared in a flash, most likely in the bathroom as he heard voices coming from there. "And, take it easy, too! The food's not going anywhere!" He added; worrying that they might hurt themselves by accident.

"Ha ha ha. Such a worrywart, Ichigo."

Ichigo glanced at Mikazuki with a sheepish grin before continued to set down the tableware for them all. No longer than 20 minutes, his brothers returned to the kitchen having finished what they were told to do. They took their seats on the large table, mouthwatering at their meal in front of them. The smell of the freshly fried omelet filled the room, provoking their hunger even more. However, they all waited until the two adults sat down before they dug in.

"Itadakimasu!"

Ichigo's eyes roamed over his brothers before he took the first bite. "Delicious as always, Mikazuki."

"Thank you. But, I'm pretty sure that you cook better than I do, Ichi nii-sama." Mikazuki sang, making Ichigo blushed.

"No flirting while eating, please!" Yagen said teasingly from his seat; flustering his older brother. "It tastes really good, Mikazuki-san. You'd definitely make a good wife!"

"Oh my, I'm flattered. I'm glad it suits your taste." The man replied; trying to hide the nervousness that he felt from the younger male's comment. Yagen didn't look his age despite being small...

"Gochisousama!" They said once they're done eating. Ichigo insisted that Mikazuki took a shower while he cleaned up the dishes and Mikazuki didn't decline the offer since they hadn't taken one last night. While Mikazuki was in the shower, Midare and Atsushi helped clearing the tables while the other children gathered in the living room to unwrap their gifts from Santa.

The four of them joined in with their brothers in the living room with Ichigo watching his brothers chattering about the gifts from the couch.

"Looks like someone in a good mood this morning." He flinched when Namazuo popped out from behind. "Did something good happen?"

Ichigo smiled. "Yeah...sort of..." His hand playfully tapped against the necklace underneath his shirt.

Namazuo blinked before he evilly smirked. "Does it have anything to do with the muffling sounds I heard from your room last night?"

Ichigo turned pale as he looked at his brother disbelief. "You were supposed to be sleeping!"

Namazuo laughed at the priceless expression that his brother was making. "I'm just kidding. Don't take it seriously, Ichi-nii."

That didn't make him feel better at all because of last night...

Blood rushed to his face once more remembering what took place in his room. He reminded himself to be extra careful in the future. His brothers were still pure and innocent and he would like it if they remained that way a little longer.

"What are you guys talking about?" Mikazuki suddenly appeared beside the two; startling them; fully dressed.

Ichigo shook his head. "Nothing. Nothing at all."

The other male blinked but didn't question anything more. "The bath's free now, Ichigo." He told his lover; who nodded left the room. Mikazuki shot Namazuo a confused look and the boy responded with a shrug and a grin.

It was already 9:00 by the time Ichigo had returned to the living room to see Mikazuki mingling around with his brother. They still had some time before they left. He joined in with the group to see them looking at their family photos. While it felt quite nostalgia, it was quite awkward when they saw some of the photos from his high school days that he didn't want to see; like a photo of him dressing Juliet during the school festival.

"My...aren't you cute in this one, Ichigo?" Mikazuki remarked teasingly.

"...please move onto the next page already..." He murmured blankly. They snickered at the deadpanned tone he was using. They didn't know their brother would want to hide this that much. Everyone continued to chatter lively until the time came for the two adults to excuse themselves.

"Ichi-nii, would you be back for New Year's Eve?" Midare asked with a glimpse of hope in his eyes. He and the other Toushiros were outside, standing beside the car to send their brother and his lover off.

Ichigo smiled and patted the blonde's head. "I'll try to come back, but, I can't say for sure yet." Their heads dropped at his response making him felt bad. "There, now. Don't be so down. I'll make it up to you if I couldn't come back." He told them. "Nakigitsune said that he would be back though. Why don't you guys spend the day with him? He couldn't make it back for Christmas after all."

The Toushiros sighed. At least, they would get to meet their brother who was absent for the Christmas Party. Ichigo felt slightly guilty for not being able to compromise anything. It has always been that way ever since he has started working. His brothers were good kids and understood the situation and he felt blessed for that. He glanced at his watch.

"Now, then, we would like to excuse ourselves, everyone. If not, I'm going to be late." His brothers nodded with a small response.

"Yes, Ichi-nii." Ichigo huffed as he knelt down and opened his arms, gathering all his brothers before pulling them into a group hug.

"Be good and take care of each other, okay?" His voice was soothingly soft and gentle; comforting his brothers.

"Yes!" They all responded. Once he pulled away, Gokotai tugged his coat gently. "Ichi-nii...we have something for you." He said before pulling out the small gift that he prepared supposedly for exchanging present last night. The rest of them also did the same, holding out their small gifts for him.

"Guys...aren't those...?" Ichigo blinked in confusion.

"Sorry, Ichi-nii," Atsushi spoke up. "Actually, these were for you and we meant to give it to you last night but...Aha ha ha..."

Now that he thought of it, the presents were forgotten after they played Twister. Finally getting the pieces, Ichigo let out a hearty laugh. "I see...so that's how it was. No wonder Yagen looked troubled..." He got played by his adorable younger siblings.

He took the gifts from them all and smiled. "Thank you, everyone. I'll treasure it a lot." He said, bringing smiles to their faces. He would want to open it there and now if he could.

"Don't open it here! It's embarrassing!" They exclaimed knowing what was going on his head. He blinked and chuckled.

"I understand. Thank you, everyone. We're off."

"Safe trip, Ichi-nii. Mikazuki-san."

The two male waved at the children before they got into the car. Mikazuki offered to drive so that he could drop Ichigo off by his work so Ichigo got into the passenger seat. Once they're set, Mikazuki started the engine and drove off not before waving at the children for the last time.

"Aren't they adorable, Ichigo?" Mikazuki asked the light blue-haired who was opening his gifts in the passenger seat.

Ichigo nodded. "Indeed, they are. Though, I'm not sure if this was a get-back from them for saying that I didn't prepare anything for them." The gifts were small and simple; one that children like they could afford and they were handmade. They consisted of letters, drawings, protective charms, small bracelets made from beads, small bottles with decorations inside; they almost brought him to tears. "That's unfair of them though...It's too sudden and cute..."

Mikazuki laughed. "That's good for you. I really had a great time with them as well. I would love to spend more time with them again."

Ichigo chuckled. "That depends on your work schedule, Mikazuki."

"Ho... only mine?"

"Well, after today's meeting, there's nothing much for me to do other than scanning and overseeing the rest of the project. So, I might have some free time." Ichigo said thoughtfully.

"Is that so?"

Ichigo sneaked a curious glance at Mikazuki who had his eyes on the road as they drove down the road. "Ne... Mikazuki, how do you usually spend the New Year's Eve?"

The other male hummed. "During the daytime, I would try to get all my manuscripts done so that I can relax in the night time. If not, I would continue to work all night." Was that the only thing Mikazuki would do? "...and but, no matter how busy I am, I would always go to catch the first sunrise of the year at my secret place."

Ichigo tilted his head slightly. "Your secret place? You mean that hillside we went during our first date?"

Mikazuki nodded. "Yes. The sunrise view from there is as exquisite as the night view of the city."

"I see... So, you mostly are alone..." Ichigo's gaze dropped. Should he have asked this question?

"Well, there are times when I would go to the main house because of my brothers' return. But, it's not that often." Mikazuki told him. "They're quite busy with their work as much as I am." Despite how calm Mikazuki sounded, Ichigo could sense a hint of loneliness from his lover's voice.

"This year...would you like to spend that day with me?" Mikazuki glanced at him at his suggestion. "...just you and me..."

He continued to stare at Ichigo for a while. "You're not going to see the little ones?" He asked. Ichigo shook his head.

"I can pay them a visit the next morning after that. True, I would love to be with them ...but..." Ichigo stiffened as he tried to hide his blush under his bangs but failed to do so. "...I would want to be together with you more...like...this will be our first new year..." Ichigo tried to come up with a good excuse while fiddling his fingers.

Mikazuki stared at his lover's ranting from the corner of his eyes before he let out a chuckle. "I'm being loved, aren't I?" His heart raced in joy. Never once he thought he would find someone who cared so much about him. "Thank you, Ichigo. I would love to be with you as well."

Ichigo again had his breath taken by the captivating smile that he had seen so often but could never get used to it. His gaze softened. "Then, it's decided."

---

The drive from Ichigo's house took less than an hour until they have finally arrived at the Ichigo's workplace; Touken Ranbu Corporation. Once Mikazuki pulled over at the entrance, Ichigo took off the seat belt before checking the necessary documents that he might need during the meeting.

"What would you like to have for dinner, Ichigo?" Mikazuki asked.

"Hmm... I'll cook tonight." Ichigo responded; smiling. "Is there anything you want to eat?"

Mikazuki shook his head. "Whatever is fine, darling." He smirked at the deep red shades on the sky blue haired's cheek.

"You just don't know when to stop, do you?" Ichigo murmured.

"Ha ha ha. Only when I'm with you."

The two then shared a quick kiss before Ichigo got out of the car. "I'm off, Mikazuki. See you later."

"See you, too, Ichigo." Mikazuki waited until Ichigo walked into the building before he drove off, heading back to their place.

---

The meeting began shortly after Ichigo's arrival. Most of the members consisted of the staffs from his project and his co-worker; Koutetsu Samonji and his boss; Uguisumaru, who were managing the project with him. Looking around, he noticed one of his friends missing but he saved that question for later because he has to focus on his work first.

The meeting was quite a short one since they've already got most of the job done since a week ago and Ichigo had to thank his staffs' and co-workers' hard work for that. There's probably nothing much left for him for the next few days until they got a response from the other branch. After a quick summarizing from his boss, Uguisumaru, the meeting ended and all the staffs left to finish things up, except for Ichigo, Uguisumaru and Koutetsu.

"It seems like things are going well as planned, doesn't it?" Uguirsumaru said to the other two. "Thank you for your hard work, everyone."

"The same goes to you, too, Uguisumaru-san. By the way...is Tsurumaru-san not here today?" Ichigo asked; looking around for the missing person.

Uguisumaru and Koutetsu looked at each other before the green-haired male stepped forward. "About that, Ichigo, there's something I would like to ask of you.

---

As always, Mikazuki was sitting in front of his desk in his studies; typing his manuscript. A cup of warm tea was placed beside his laptop in case he was thirsty. He had been at it for quite some time since he had got back. He wanted to finish this one quickly so that he would have some spare times during the holiday so he started working right after he put their things away and brew himself a warm cup of tea.

He glanced at the clock placed on his desk. 'Ichigo should be back soon...' He thought; smiling. 'I wonder what he'll cook for us today...'

The sound of his phone ringing reached his ears so he stopped typing to pick up the call. 'Speaking of the devil...' He grinned looking at the caller ID.

"Hello, Ichigo."

"Hello, Mikazuki." came Ichigo's response from the other line. "I'm sorry for calling all of a sudden. Did I disturb your work?"

"No, not at all. I was just about to take a break."

"Ah...I see..." He noticed Ichigo's voice lowered slightly when he was about to ask when his lover would come home.

"What's wrong, Ichigo?"

...

"Ichigo?"

Mikazuki became concerned at the short silence from the other line. Did something happen? Ichigo's acting a little bit weird. He was about to speak up again when he finally got a response from the other side.

"Mikazuki, my deepest apology! I'm so sorry! I'm really sorry!" Ichigo said dreadfully from the other side. He sounded very troubled and that worried Mikazuki a lot.

"Wait, Ichigo. What's the matter? Why are you apologizing?" He asked. "Did you get into troubles?"

He could hear Ichigo sighed. "The thing is that...I might not be able to come back tonight..."

The Crescent Blade heaved a sigh of relief. "What? It's only that? You had me worried for a moment." He murmured. "It's okay. Something probably came up didn't it?"

"Well...actually..." Ichigo muttered; his voice dragging. "...I might not be able to return for a couple of days..."

...Mikazuki stiffened for a while; confused. "Why?" He questioned.

"I was asked to go check the things at the Haneda Branch with Ugusiumaru-san in Tsurumaru-san's place because he couldn't go..." Mikazuki listened quietly as Ichigo continued to explain. "Tsurumaru-san fell down the stairs and twisted his ankle. He said it wasn't very serious but he was told to take a few days off until he recovered. At first, Koutetsu-san was to go in his place but both his brothers got a fever and there's no one to look after them. So...there's only me left..."

Mikazuki remained silent for a moment after Ichigo finished what he was saying. The silence somehow got Ichigo scared. "For how long will you be gone?" He asked after managing to find his voice.

"...Maybe four or five days..." came the reply. So, that was Ichigo was troubled. It was because they had already had plans and he might not able to come back in time.

"I understand, Ichigo. You don't need to worry about me." He said calmly; smiling. "It can't be helped because things just randomly happen. Are you leaving after this?"

"...Yes..."

"I see. Then, let's talk again later. Concentrate on your work or you'll get the others into trouble."

He sounded as easygoing as he always would, but it didn't lessen Ichigo's worries. "Yes. Mikazuki...about the New Year's Eve...I'll try to make it back on tim-"

"Ah...if it's about that, you don't need to worry." Mikazuki cut him off. "I've just got a call from the editor about some changes about the drafts so I probably won't be free, too. Guess both of us won't be available on that day." A lie...he said smoothly with a laugh. "That's quite unfortunate, don't you think?"

"Mikazuki..."

"Ichigo-san, there's a parcel forwarding to you!" He heard a voice said from the other line; probably one of Ichigo's co-workers.

"Hang on just a minute. I'll be right there!" Ichigo responded.

"It seems like you're quite busy. Maybe we should hang up now." Mikazuki told his lover. "Work hard, Ichigo."

"Okay..." He waited for Ichigo to hang up the other male didn't. "Mikazuki, I love you."

Another short moment of silence for he was somehow left wordless. Coming to his senses; he replied. "I love you, too, Ichigo..."

He could hear Ichigo laughed weakly from the other side. "Then, I'll be going. See you soon."

"Safe travel, Ichigo." With that, they both hung up at the same time.

Putting his phone down, Mikazuki leaned back against his chair with a blank expression while staring at the ceiling. 'I was able to deal with just fine, right?' He asked himself. Even though he tried to sound calm and mature, he couldn't help but get upset a little. He felt a little pathetic for that.

He couldn't blame Ichigo. 'It can't be helped...' He kept telling himself before shaking his head. 'No good. I shouldn't let this bother me. Ichigo has always been trying his best so I have to hang in there, too!' He lectured himself. 'Now, then...let's get back to work.'

---

December 27th

"Ichigo, could you look over these files please?"

"Yes. Just a moment. You can put them there first." Ichigo responded while scanning some of the documents in his hand.

Uguisumaru put the files on top of the other documents on Ichigo's desk. He stared back and forth between Ichigo whose eyes didn't leave his work and the mountain of paperwork on his desk. "Shouldn't you take a break, Ichigo? You have been working non-stop since we arrived last night."

Ichigo looked up from his work and grinned sheepishly. "Yes, thank you for your concern, Uguisumaru-san. I just want to finish this as soon as possible."...so that I can go back soon...

His boss raised a brow at that. "Could it be that...you have already had plans with Mikazuki?" Ichigo stiffened a little. "It seems like I was right. Why didn't you say so earlier? I could have asked the other staffs to come instead."

"That's... This is the job that only we can handle. With Tsurumaru-san getting injured and Koutetsu-san having to take care of his brother...there would be no one to take care of you if you slack off, Uguisumaru-san." The last part came as a polite tone and a sweet smile that sent shivered down the green-haired's spine.

"...that's what you're worried about, huh? But, is it okay for you to cancel your plan just like that? What about Mikazuki?"

Ichigo shook his head. "It's okay. He understands..." But, deep down, he could tell that Mikazuki was a little bit disappointed. "...but still...who wouldn't want to be with their loved ones during this kind of occasion?" He went back to checking his work. "...which is why I'm trying to get these done. I want to finish this as fast as I can so that I can return to be with him. That person may look nonchalant but he gets lonely very easily." He added with a smile.

Uguisumaru's gaze softened as he huffed. "...You're really devoted, Ichigo. Just don't push yourself too much, okay?"

"Yes, sir."

"Well then, I guess I have no choice to work hard as well for my subordinate's love life." He said; placing a hand on his hip.

"You should have done that since the very beginning..." Ichigo blankly retorted back.

"...My apologies..."

---

December 28th

Mikazuki's morning routine returned to the way it was before he started living with Ichigo. Waking up to the alarm clock's echoing and rolling around for a few moments before actually getting up. He was already used to this daily routine but there was one thing that ticked him off a little.

'Cold...' He murmured. One of the differences he was facing right now was waking up to find no one beside. He has gotten used to being enveloped in Ichigo's arms and warmth and its absence just didn't feel right for him.

He fetched his phone to see if there was any inbox and there was one. It was from Ichigo.

'Good morning, Mikazuki. Today's quite cold, isn't it? Be careful so that you won't catch a cold. Stay warm. And, don't forget to eat your meals.

P.S. I love you.'

Mikazuki chuckled. 'Somehow, he's become my mother.' He thought remarkably while typing his reply.

'I got it. Take care of yourself, too and don't slack off during work. I love you, too.'

He put his phone down after hitting the 'send' button. 'I Love you...' The phrase that was used more frequently than he did before... He never found himself getting tired of saying this phase at all. Living a stable life as a well-known author, Mikazuki had never once worried over anything other than the deadline of the manuscripts. He never once thought anything like 'Love' would be introduced into his life.

This brought him back to the first time he met Ichigo by chance while he was visiting his cousin; Tsurumaru Kuninaga. As soon as their eyes, it only took a moment before the two felt a slight connection that led them to become close friends. Over time, their closure grew to something more than that of a mere friendship. Mikazuki could still recall that time how cornered he felt; not knowing how to deal with this feeling. That was when Ichigo stepped forward and confessed his feelings first. The overjoyed emotions and feelings from that time when he was left without words...

First, love came into his life and the other emotions followed behind. One of them that bothered him more than anything was the fear of being left alone. He was used to staying alone but ever since Ichigo came into his life, loneliness made him felt very uneasy and insecure. He was pretty much unfamiliar with those feelings and didn't know how to deal with it so he hid it away from everyone around him; including Ichigo.

Even though those feelings have disappeared at one once they have moved in together, it has returned once again two days ago when he had his last talk with the sky blue haired male.

'Only two days and I'm already like this...how laughable...' he thought; playing with the pendant around his neck.

December 29th

"Uguisumaru-san! Stop sipping your tea so relaxingly! We're gonna be late for the meeting!" Ichigo scolded his superior in frustration while gathering his documents.

"Give me a few second, Ichigo." But, he wouldn't have any of that and pulled Uguisumaru by his collar and practically dragging him along to the conference room.

"Ichigo, I can't really breathe if you grab me like that..."

Ichigo sighed and let go of him. "Please, be hasty then..."

Uguisumaru complied and straightened himself; fixing his clothes. "Gosh...it's been a while since I've pulled an all-nighter. You sure are in a hurry, Ichigo."

"Yes, yes." A simple response came from Ichigo as he looked over their papers while walking down the hall.

Uguisumaru glanced at Ichigo who looked very very uptight at the moment. His brow was furrowed to the point they almost touched each other. Smiling; he quickly approached Ichigo from behind and placed his hand on Ichigo's shoulder.

"What is it now-?" Ichigo turned his head and had his face poked by Uguisumaru's finger.

"Got you~" Uguisumaru teased and laughed at the blank look he received. "Come on, now, Ichigo. I know that you're in a hurry, but you keep up with this pace, you'll increase the wrinkles on your forehead." He crossed his arms.

"It's good to see that you're giving your all, but you're pushing yourself too much. It's not good for either of us or him if you suddenly pass out." He lightly slapped the sky blue haired's shoulder. "Now, relax. We'll get this thing done in no time. Have a little faith in your superior."

Ichigo sighed and relaxed his shoulders. "Yeah...you're right. I'm sorry if I took it out on you, Uguisumaru-san."

"Don't worry about that. We're all good. Now, Let's head to that meeting."

"Yes." The two then continued on their way.

---

December 30th

Despite trying to delay as much as he could, he somehow was able to get his manuscripts done a day before the New Year's Eve and he thought he would be able to distract himself while focusing on his work.

"That's all for today. Thank you for your hard work, Sensei. I'll take it from here." His editor said while putting the papers in his briefcase. "I'll keep you update about the next work but will probably be during New Year. You can take this chance to relax. You looked really tired." The man told him.

Mikazuki mentally rolled his eyes. "Yes, thank you as always. Have a safe trip." He walked his guest to the door.

"Yes, sir. Have a nice day, sir."

Mikazuki kept his smile until the door closed and the footsteps became fainted to his ears. He huffed. "I wonder if I'll be able to have one though..." Usually, he would rejoice for having free times after submitting his work. But today...he wished he would prolong his work period. He checked his phone; hoping to see if Ichigo had left any message for him, but none for now.

'He's probably busy...' Mikazuki thought pouting slightly. Ichigo hadn't called him since that last time...only messages that he would receive twice a day; one in the morning and one at night. 'Ah...I miss him already...'

He sighed and ruffled his head before heading back to his bedroom. He had planned to check on Tsurumaru who was bedridden at his place. He had already informed the guy beforehand since he didn't want to surprise the man by showing up uninformed. Though, Tsurumaru might be fonder of the idea of being surprised. He quickly got dressed in his casual clothes, getting himself ready for the visit.

---

Tsurumaru was repeatedly told (threatened) to stay in the bed by Yamanbagiri. He whined in complaints at first but was silent by a deadly glare from the blonde. He was bored. There was nothing to do while just lying in the bed with bandages on his ankle; plus, no one to tease with his cute lover out to buy some things at the convenience store.

The doorbell rang, snapping him out to his thought. 'It's probably Mikazuki.' He sat up and was about to get out of the bed when he remembered he wasn't allowed to be out from bed. '...but well...it's not good to keep a guest waiting and there's no one here...I guess he can overlook this.' It wasn't like he couldn't walk, but he was advised to stay in bed.

The doorbell rang again and he finally got out of the bed to answer the door. "Coming!" He made his choice but still braced himself for the lecture that he might receive later.

"Good afternoon, Tsurumaru." He immediately received a greeting from the Crescent Moon as soon as he opened the door. "I hope it's not a bad time for a visit."

Tsurumaru shook his head. "Of course not. Come on in." He stepped to the side to let Mikazuki in and once he did, the crane closed the door and walked inside.

"Tsuru, are you sure you should be walking around? Where's Yamanbagiri?" Mikazuki asked looking around.

"He's at the convenience store. He'll probably be back soon."

"Oh...I heard that he was going on a trip with his brothers but he canceled it?"

Tsurumaru nodded. "Yeah. He said it would be troublesome to leave me on my own so he didn't go with his brothers." He tilted his head slightly. "But, he only decided to go in the first place because their destination was Haneda."

Mikazuki smirked. "Ohh...now I see. You were supposed to go to Haneda with Uguisumaru but now that you couldn't, there's no reason for him to go, too, right?" He laughed lightly. "Aren't you loved, Tsuru?"

"Ha ha ha. I wish he would just be honest with his feelings, but, that tsudere part of him is not that bad either." The two arrived at the living room and Tsurumaru gestured towards the couch. "Sit down. I'll go prepare some tea."

But, Mikazuki stopped him. "You don't need to, Tsuru. The injured one should be resting." He said before pulling his cousin to sit down. "I'll make it."

"Sorry for bothering you, Mikazuki."

"No worries. This much I can manage in my own." Mikazuki replied while pouring down some warm tea in the cup and putting them on a tray before heading back to the couch. "So, how's your leg? Ichigo told me it wasn't serious."

"No, it's not really...But, they're worried because it's a bit fractured so that's why I was told to rest..." Tsurumaru replied; accepting the warm tea that Mikazuki handed to him. "Thanks."

Mikazuki sat down beside him and took a sip. "It's a relief that it wasn't critical. Falling down the stairs...It was really careless of you."

"I don't want to be told that by someone who almost burnt his own kitchen!" Tsurumaru retorted back.

Mikazuki only laughed in response. "That's in the past. My kitchen's safe now."

"Only because you decided to learn how to cook like normal people..." Tsurumaru murmured. "...and it was thanks to Ichigo...I'm still surprised..." He remarked with a teasing grin.

"Ha ha ha. Anyone would want to make delicious foods for their lover and the same goes for this old man."

Tsurumaru smiled. "I guess that's love for ya. You really changed a lot, Mikazuki."

"Why, thank you, Tsuru."

The white-haired male noticed the dropping gaze of his guest, his smile faltering a little; the expression that he subconsciously showed only when he's with his family. "Hey, Mikazuki...Is everything okay with you?"

The Crescent Moon blinked at Tsurumaru's worried expression. "Yes. Everything is fine. Why are you asking?" He tilted his head slightly.

"Umm...it's just that...you're making that face again..." Tsurumaru pointed out. "...it feels like you're unnecessarily forcing yourself to appear...'you'."

Mikazuki wondered just what kind of expression that he was having to make his cousin think that. He was pretty sure he was always like this. Or was he? He's not too sure about that but one thing he knew was the fact that he felt very uneasy...

"Say, Tsuru..." He started after a short silence. "Have you ever experienced this kind of thing?" He asked. "...like in a situation when you're in a good mood, but suddenly felt everything crashes down for a moment because something you're looking forward to is called off..."

"...That's..." Tsurumaru paused for a moment before he replied. "...I've encountered that a lot but, there's nothing much I could do. Unanticipated things happen in a lot. Even though I'm frustrated, I just have to suck up with it."

Mikazuki nodded. "I know. It can't be helped, can it? I know that it can't be helped...I know that I just have to deal with it, but, I..." His grip on the teacup tightened up as he tried not to lose his cool. "What is this feeling I'm having now?" His head dropped slightly; his bangs covering his eyes. "I feel so restless...so..." He bit his lower lip. "...so irritated...I know it's childish but I...I just don't know how to deal with it..."

Tsurumaru was debating with himself whether he should be amused or sympathized with Mikazuki. This was the first time Mikazuki was bothered by such things. Honestly, he's really dense and too reserved sometimes. Now, the Crane was beginning to feel bad for injuring himself but had he felt that way, it would make Mikazuki felt regret as well because it's like he was blaming Tsurumaru. He didn't want that so he pushed it aside. Right now, Mikazuki was struggling with something he had rarely dealt with. As a friend and a family, what should he do?

"You know what, Mikazuki..." He started. "...what you've told me just now...I think you should say it to Ichigo as well." He received glare for that.

"No! I can't trouble him with such a trivial matter! It's a disturbance to his work!" Mikazuki said with narrowed eyes.

Tsurumaru sweated a little at that. What the hell was with this old man?

"Look, Mikazuki... the two you have going out for almost a year now and you've been through a lot of things together already. I know that sometimes, there are things that you might want one another to find out, but there are also things that you can't deal on your own."

He paused to take a breath. "Bottling up your feelings will only end up hurting both of you. While you want to keep it to yourself cuz you didn't want to trouble him, there's a chance he'll be hurt by that because it's like you don't trust him."

"But, I do trust him! More than anything! It's because of that that we are able to reach this point!" the Crescent Moon argued.

"Then, depend on him more!" Tsururmaru argued back. "Don't deal with this on your own. Tell him how you feel when you're in this kind of situation. Let him know what you're feeling. I'm sure everything will be solved if you do that."

Mikazuki was about to speak again but kept his mouth closed; averted his eyes from the gaze that his cousin was giving him. "...you...are you speaking from your own experiences?"

The white-haired grinned. "I wouldn't be this confident if I hadn't experienced this first hand." He lightly patted Mikazuki's shoulder. "You and Ichigo...I've always believed that you were meant to be together ever since you guys met. Don't let this kind of petty thing get into your way, Mikazuki."

Mikazuki smiled at the Crane's encouraging words. "It's really unlike of you to be the one who would advise the others."

A vein of irritation twitched down Tsurumaru's head because of that. "Thank you, Tsurumaru...for cheering me up."

The Crane huffed and leaned back against the couch. "Seriously...you need to read between the lines a little more. Aren't you supposed to be an author?"

"Ha ha ha. It's my first time experiencing love in real life and not in a fiction." Mikazuki reasoned.

Their conversation was interrupted by the sound of the front door opening and footsteps heading to the living room. A blonde hair came into the view.

"I'm back," Yamanbagiri said before noticing Mikazuki. "I didn't know you were coming over."

"Welcome back, Kunihiro. I hope you'll forgive me for not being in bed." Tsurumaru said with a playful grin.

The blonde sighed. "Whatever. I was at fault for not being here, too."

"Ha ha ha. Hello, Yamanbagiri. Sorry for intruding." Mikazuki greeted and he could hear the blonde returned it with a simple "Hi". He watched as the blonde proceeded to walk over to him and ask Tsurumaru if his foot was okay. 'What a lovey-dovey couple.' He thought, watching the two interact. Now, he was starting to feel out of place.

"Well, then...I'll be taking my leave now." He said, standing up, and put the teacup down.

"Eh? Already? Why don't you stay for dinner?" Tsurumaru asked; staring at his cousin with a raised brow.

Mikazuki smiled. "Thanks for inviting, Tsuru, but...I don't really want to disturb your time together." His smile playfully widened. "I wouldn't want to be in your way when either of you starts to get in heat."

"We're not rabbits!" Yamanbagiri growled in response; his face turning a thousand shades of red.

"I didn't say that you were~" The older male tilted his head innocently.

"Why, you old man..."

Tsurumaru laughed in amusement with his hands clutching his stomach. "Alright alright. Thanks for dropping by, Mikazuki." He said; still laughing. "Be careful on your way."

The Crescent Moon nodded. "Recover soon, Tsuru. No need to send me off, Yamanbagiri. I'll leave Tsurumaru in your care. Have a nice day."

Shortly after Mikazuki left, Tsurumaru stopped laughing but was still snickering; annoying Yamanbagiri.

"Enough already, Kuninaga! It wasn't that funny!" Yamanbagiri scowled as he walked over to the counter and placed the things down before putting on an apron; getting ready to cook.

"Hahahaha. Sorry, sorry." Tsurumaru wiped the tear from the corner of his eyes. "I-It's...It's just that...Your face...You should have seen your expression. It's too cute! Gosh! Hahahahaha..."

Murderous auras began to leak from the blonde as he blankly said in a low growl. "If you won't stop laughing soon, Kuninaga, something will definitely come flying at your face."

The Crane stopped laughing and blinked. "Hmm? Like what? You?" He cocked his head slightly. "Aww...I wouldn't mind that. My arms are always wide open for you, my cute Kunihiro."

"Urgh...I give up..." Yamanbagiri groaned; frustrated and went backing rinsing the rice; his cheeks turned pink slightly.

Tsurumaru chuckled softly at the blonde's reaction. "Now then..." He murmured; taking out his phone before typing a message.

"What are you up to now?" The blonde asked when he saw the grin on the Crane's face. "You're not gonna pull another prank on someone, aren't you?"

"No, I'm not." The white-haired replied while typing. "I'm just reporting to Ichigo that his honey is feeling lonely and all. I doubt that Mikazuki would have a talk with Ichigo unless there's a push." He hummed. "They still have a long way to go~"

Yamanbagiri sighed and shook his head. "You have way too much time in your hands, Kuninaga..."

---

December 31st

Ichigo stretched his arms and cocked his neck a little feeling the tension in his bones. He has been working since non-stop since morning and now he's taking a break before the finalizing meeting with the head from the branch. He glanced at the clock on the desk. 'Ten minutes...I should get ready...' He was about to gather the papers when his eyes trailed a small box that he placed beside the clock.

With a smile, he picked it up and gently gripped it in his hands. 'I wonder what he'll say about this...' He thought. 'I hope it'll cheer him up...ah...I really want to see him now...'

"Is that the package that was forwarded to you?"

Ichigo also let out a yelp when his boss suddenly popped out from behind. "Uguisumaru-san! Please, stop sneaking up from behind! I'm gonna have a heart attack at this rate!"

"I think you're still too young to be having that..." Uguisumaru replied; deadpanned. "I was gonna let you know that it's almost time for the meeting."

"Yes, I am aware. Please, give me just a second!" Ichigo quickly put the box away and picked up his documents before tidying up his shirt. "Now, then, let's go."

The two were walking towards the conference while reviewing the final drafts at the same time. "Ne, Ichigo, that box just...Is it wrong if I guess that it's a gift for Mikazuki?" Uguisumaru asked; changing their topic.

Ichigo could only sigh. "Yes. I was going to give it to him on Christmas but the delivery was delayed."

"Ohhh~ Can I take a look what's in there?"

"No way." An immediate reply...

The green-haired pouted. "Stingy..."

"Yeah yeah..."

Uguisumaru sighed; deciding to stop their conversation there since they could see the conference room a few steps away. Some of the staffs were entering the room in a hurry.

"Hang in there, Ichigo. This is gonna be the last meeting." He told the sky blue-haired. "After that, we're done."

"Yes, sir." It was what Ichigo had been wanting to hear. 'I want to see him soon...'

---

Meanwhile, Mikazuki arrived at the Awataguchi household earlier than he had expected because of the light traffic. Getting out of the car, he took a look at the house; holding a bag of sweets that he had bought for the Toushiros.

'I hope they wouldn't mind my sudden visit.' He thought walking past the gate and stood before the front door. Ringing the bell, he waited patiently till there was a response from inside of the house.

"Yes. Wait just a minute."

Mikazuki raised a brow questioningly at the voice. He could remember all of the little ones' voice. The voice that has responded to him just now...it wasn't that of a child or any of the Toushirous. 'Is there a guest?' Though...the voice sounded oddly familiar to him.

"Yes. Who might you be?" The door opened and Mikazuki was greeted by a certain greyish silver long hair male with sharp red eyes.

"Kogitsunemaru?"

The stranger male blinked before his eyes went wide in surprise. "Mikazuki?"

It was one of Mikazuki's brothers, Kogitsunemaru; who was supposedly coming back to visit him with the rest of his brothers. What was he doing here at the Awataguchi's residence? Neither of them said a word or move until Atsushi popped out from the end of the hall.

"Ah, Mikazuki. You're here to visit us?" The boy asked walking towards the two frozen men. "It's nice to see you again...and...Why are you two freezing like that?"

"What are you doing here?" Kogitsunemaru asked; his mouth gaped slightly.

"That should be my line..." Mikazuki uttered after he had recovered from his surprise.

"You two know each other?" Atsushi questioned with a raised brow.

---

After the somewhat eventful encounter and a small talk between each other, both Mikazuki and Kogitsunemaru were now sitting across one another on the couch in the living room while the Toushiros were at the other table, enjoying the cake that Mikazuki had bought for them. There was a silent tension between the two adults as they formally sat on the couch as if having a really serious discussion.

"Here's your tea." A teenage boy with silver hair approached them and set down the teacups. He was also wearing a mask, covering his mouth.

"Yes, thank you, Nakigitsune."

Mikazuki later found out from Yagen that this teen was their brother whom Ichigo was mentioning before, but he was actually a distant cousin that has been living with them since they were young. And, like Ichigo, the teen lived away from the house because his university was in another prefecture. Nakigitsune nodded in acknowledgment before he left to join the other Toushiros. Mikazuki could see him picking up a fox with him before he's gone.

"So..." Mikazuki started after a few more seconds of silence. "...you have been going out with Nakigitsune and happen to be here because he invited you to meet his family?"

"And you're dating Ichigo Hitofuri who is the eldest brother of this house?" Kogitsunemaru finished. "Now, that's a coincident surprise. Why didn't you tell any of us before that you're dating someone?"

"What about you? You've never told us anything about dating someone? In fact...someone who's underage?!" The Crescent Moon accusingly but jokingly argued.

"W-What are you saying? We haven't gone that far yet! And, Nakigitsune is already 20 years old!" Kogitsunemaru stuttered.

Mikazuki hummed at his brother's reaction. "Ho~ I see you haven't."

He burst into laughter when his brother's face exploded in different shades of blushes while trying to come up with an excuse. "Ha ha ha. I was only joking, brother. Ha ha ha."

The red-eyed male could feel his shoulder tremble as he tried to hold himself back from punching his brother. "You're quite entertained, aren't you?" He huffed. "You haven't changed at all...not even a little."

"Heh...Of course, I have. I'm starting to have wrinkles under my eyes, can't you see?"

"Please, don't start with that old man joke..." Kogitsunemaru murmured blankly while carefully eying his brother. "...Mikazuki...are you...Is everything okay?"

Mikazuki blinked at the déjà vu feeling he got from his brother's question. "Yes. Everything is fine, Kogi." He replied, smiling.

The Fox's eyes narrowed at that nonchalant smile. "Are you sure?" He asked in a serious tone. "Don't be ruthless with yourself. You can tell us anything."

The Crescent Moon's gaze softened. So his brother noticed, too. Has his composure slipped that much because of his inner troubles? But, he had already got his answer and he shouldn't let this worry his brother or anyone else.

"Thank you, Kogitsunemaru. I'll definitely be fine. You need not to concern about me." He firmly replied.

Kogitsunemaru wasn't convinced but he didn't push any further. Once Mikazuki has his mind set on something, he refused to back down from it and the Fox knew that better than anyone. "Well...if you say so... Still, don't push yourself, alright?"

"Yes, brother. Sorry for making you worried." He responded softly with a sheepish smile.

"...Speaking of which, why are you here all by yourself? Where is Ichigo Hitofuri?" Kogitsunemaru asked, decided to change the topic.

The Crescent Moon flinched slightly at this. "He's not available at the moment. But, he'll come around soon." He replied; slightly hoping his lie would come true.

"I see...Quite a busy one, isn't he? I was really hoping to meet him, too."

"Ha ha ha. I was just thinking the same thing."

Little did they knew, their conversation was overheard by some of the Toushiros and Nakigitsune who were sitting away from them.

"So...Ichi-nii really couldn't make it..." Namazuo murmured; staring at Mikazuki. "He's trying to hide it, isn't he?"

"Yup...probably..." Atsushi responded.

Midare stood up. "Well...let's cheer him up a little."

The boys nodded at the blonde's suggestion before standing up and approached the two men.

"What is it, little ones?" Mikazuki asked.

"Mikazuki-san, we're going to be some New Year soba. Can you give us a hand? Like, you are a better cook than us." Atsushi nervously scratched his cheek.

The Crescent Moon nodded. "Sure. I'll help."

"A-And...will you stay with us for the night?"

There was a pause from Mikazuki before his expression saddened a little. "I'm sorry. I still have some work left so I don't think I can stay..." The children's head dropped slightly just like that night on Christmas. "Well...I can at least stay until midnight."

"YAYYYYYYY!"

Kogitsunemaru watched amusingly as his brother was urged to stand up and was dragged into the kitchen by the little kids. He could hear cheerful laughs coming from the kitchen. He then blinked realizing something.

'Since when did Mikazuki learn how to cook?'

---

Ichigo stood outside of the Haneda Branch building; waiting for Uguisumaru. Miraculously, they were able to wrap up a one-week work within four days. This was mostly thanks to the staffs' flexible work and Uguisumaru's strong lead; despite him slacking off at times, that they were able to manage this. He really should that the man later. The man was still inside the building; having a word with some of the staff members.

Tiredly exhaling a breath, his eyes roamed around his surrounding to see people walking around; chattering merrily. The roadside and the buildings were decorated with lights to celebrate the New Year. His gaze dropped slightly. It has already passed midnight...He didn't make it back on time.

'Mikazuki...' He wondered what his lover would say. Would he just simply accept his apology again given the situation? Even though that part was very mature of him...

Ichigo pinched the bridge of his nose. "I wish he'd be clingier to me..." Ah...he's becoming slightly greedier as times passed by.

'I should text him...' He didn't get the chance to this morning because he was busy. After taking out his phone, he found out that there are a couple of messages left for him...and a missed call from Yagen?

He decided to check the first message which was from Tsurumaru.

'Hello, Big Brother. How's the project going on? Just now, your Honey stopped by to check on me. You should hurry back soon. He was so lonely that he cried in front of me. Poor him~'

Ichigo stiffened. 'Mikazuki cried?' Usually, he wouldn't want to trust what Tsurumaru has told him because the Crane really loved to pull a prank on him. But, this...He still has his doubts but he decided to put it aside and move onto the next one. It's from Yagen and it was a really long one.

'Happy New Year, Ichi-nii. It's unfortunate that you couldn't be here with us, but well...I understand that your work wouldn't let you. Today, Nakigitsune came back and he brought his boyfriend with him, too.'

'Wait...what?' Ichigo's eyes went so wide that they almost popped out from his sockets. 'Nakigitsune has a boyfriend?!' He scrolled down to see if there's anything more said about this topic.

'And, Mikazuki-san also came by and he helped us make some soba. Did something happen? Mikazuki looked a little different from when he first came here. He looks kinda down and lonely even though he tried to hide it.'

The sky blue haired's eyes narrowed slightly. Tsurumaru has also said the same thing. His chest tightened slightly with worries.

'He was with until a moment ago. He said he still has works to finish. You should give him a call. I'm kinda worried about him. Anyway, sorry if I disturbed you during work. Hope to see you soon.'

That was the end of the message. Mikazuki did tell him that he had works but...it didn't sound convinced to him. It was more of an excuse that the Crescent Moon had come up so that he wouldn't worry Ichigo. But, now, Ichigo was worried! And, the last message...

'Mikazuki!' It was from Mikazuki. He quickly clicked on it; feeling nervous and happy at the same time.

'Good work for today, Ichigo. Happy New Year. I love you, Darling~'

Ichigo stood there staring at his phone for a couple of minutes. Just then, Uguisumaru exited the building; waving at Ichigo.

"Sorry for making you wait, Ichigo. Now, then, let's go get something to eat-"

He didn't get the chance to finish what he was saying as his shoulders were suddenly grasped by Ichigo. "Whoa! Wha-?"

"Uguisumaru-san! We have to go back! Now! Now!"

"Wait, Ichigo. Wait. Stop shaking me! I can feel my brain bouncing!"

---

Mikazuki was all alone as he sat in his car's trunk that was parked on a hillside. The view of the bright night city unfolded before him from where he was. The place resided outside of the city, but not very far and it was on the top of the hill where one could see the sun rises. Not many people came here because of the rocky road so it was an excellent place for him once he wanted to be left alone or just simply relax in the past. But now, this was the place where one of his precious memories took place; his first date with Ichigo. During that night, he was with Ichigo, but tonight, he was by himself and he didn't think it would feel this uncomfortable. Leaning his head on his knees, he was hoping that the landscape would at least cheer him up, but it didn't.

'Should I have stayed at Ichigo's house a little longer?' No... he wouldn't. It sounded better than being alone like this but he didn't want the kids to see him the way he was. He figured that his emotions and composure were a little bit out of control and it would be bad if he accidentally broke down.

He clasped his hands and rubbed them together, feeling a little chilly. The weather was cold as expected. He could literally see his warm breath each time he exhaled a long sigh. Thank god he wasn't dressed lightly. He would definitely catch a cold.

'Ichigo's probably still working...' He thought. 'I did send him a text but he hasn't replied yet...' He shook his head before returning to looking at the city view. '...Nah...he's probably taking a break...it's already new year and all...'

His gaze dropped slightly at the thought of Ichigo. He glanced at his watch. 'It's already 4:30 in the morning...and already the beginning of a new day on a new year...'

For most people, New Year is the time of change...to start a new beginning...the time when they were given a chance to experience new things. It's supposed to be like that but at that time, Mikazuki argued that he'd rather kept these past feelings with and not starting a new. It was because he was scared...scared that he wouldn't experience the same feeling that he had felt or a better feeling that might be waiting for both of them out there. If something bad were to happen at one point, he would still have the past memories that he cherished so much to remind him that even he could have this kind of feelings.

'What am I thinking now?' He shook his head of the thought. He had been pessimistic for a while now and he didn't like it. He didn't like it but he didn't know what to do either. This was troublesome. Standing up, he leaned against the fence in front of him. He took out his pendant and held it up over his head.

"...I really was exaggerating back then..." he murmured, staring at the pendant. "...saying things like always by each other side no matter where we are..." He gripped the pendant in his hand and brought it to his chest.

'If only that's true...' He almost scoffed at himself; tears leaking from the corner of his eyes.

"Mikazuki!"

He blinked. Just now...someone called his name, right? And that voice...He wiped his head around to see Ichigo who had his hands rested on his knees while panting heavily. He was still wearing those same clothes that he did when Mikazuki dropped him off by his workplace. Mikazuki blinked again and again and even rubbed his eyes. What was Ichigo doing here? Was he so troubled that he was starting to see things?

He took another look at Ichigo, eyes narrowed slightly to make sure he wasn't being pranked by any ghosts or even Tsurumaru. He watched as Ichigo was trying to catch in as much breath as he could before his eyes met with Mikazuki's. With quick steps, Ichigo marched towards him and he subconsciously backed away.

He let out a tiny shriek when Ichigo took his hand and opened his palms to see the pendant. The sky blue haired male sighed in relief.

"Please, tell me you weren't planning on throwing it away." Ichigo murmured; tightly holding Mikazuki's hands in his.

The warmth that he felt from the hands holding his... It was what convinced Mikazuki that he wasn't delusional and it took him a few more seconds before he could find his voice. "Ichigo...Why...How did you..."

Ichigo took out his scarf and wrapped it around Mikazuki's neck. "I got on the first train as soon as I was done. I went back to our place, but, you weren't there, and you didn't pick up my calls either."

Mikazuki blinked. "Ah...my bad..the battery's down."

"As I thought... I remembered you said you would always catch up the New Year sunrise so I figured you should be here." Ichigo traced his fingers against Mikazuki's cheeks. "Dear god, you're freezing. How long have you been out here?"

Mikazuki sniffled and held back his tears. "I'm surprised you knew I was here." He chuckled lightly. "Happy New Year, Ichigo. And, welcome back." He pulled Ichigo in a sudden hug.

Ichigo was stunned for a moment, but he smiled and responded. "Happy New Year, Mikazuki. I'm back."

"But...I thought you would be gone for a few more days." Once they pulled away, Mikazuki blinked, tilting his head slightly.

The sky-blue haired scratched his head and grinned sheepishly. "...yeah...but, I was able to push the schedule and finished earlier thanks to Uguisumaru-san. ." He briefly explained. "I wanted to come back sooner but..."

He was shushed by a finger on his lips. Mikazuki's gaze softened as he caressed Ichigo's cheek. "...I see...You came back for me, Ichigo..." His voice shook a little at the joyful feelings that almost burst out from his chest.

"Well...I still couldn't make it back for the New Year's Eve though. I'm sorry..." Ichigo murmured; gazing to the side in regrets. He could feel Mikazuki's hands stiffened for a moment followed by an uncomfortable silence between them.

Mikazuki opened his mouth to speak. There were too many things he wanted to say. They were boiling inside of him; waiting to burst out. But, he couldn't let that happen...not when Ichigo made the best effort to come back for him. Swallowing all those words that he deemed unnecessary, he took a deep breath before putting a smile on his face.

"Thank you, Ichigo. You don't need to apologize. Some things just wouldn't go our way. Just knowing that you tried your best for me...that much is enough, Ichigo. That alone has already made me happy."

Ichigo frowned at those words...the Crescent Moon's voice...his forced smile...and that tear on the corner of his voice that he tried to wipe away...gritting his teeth in frustration, he pulled his lover in another embrace; this time, much tighter than before as if the Crescent Moon was the most fragile thing in the world.

Mikazuki, on the other hand, was dumbfounded but nonetheless found the embrace comfortable and cozy. "Feeling lonely, aren't we?" He nonchalantly laughed.

"Mikazuki..." he froze at the seriousness in Ichigo's voice. "...Mikazuki...We've been going out for a while now. Even though it's not that long, it's long enough for me to figure when you're restraining yourself."

Mikazuki bit his lower lip, hands clenched on Ichigo's jacket as the sky blue haired continued. "I can guess why you behave the way you are right now. You are very mature...kind, considerate...and such a tease..."

His shoulders shook a little as he tried to hold back an amused laugh. Ichigo was trying to sound seriously, wasn't he?

"But even so...please don't push yourself when you're with me, Mikazuki. Even if I know that you're troubled by something, I wouldn't know for sure what is troubling you unless you tell me!"

Ichigo finally pulled away and looked at him in the eyes, his expression slightly scrunched with emotional pain. "Mikazuki...is me coming back is really enough? Isn't there anything you want to tell me more?" He asked; hands trailed on Mikazuki's shoulders.

"You don't have to hold anything back. Nothing you say will make less in love with you or change the way I see you. Share your troubles with me...let me feel them with you...and we'll overcome this together."

Ichigo finished with a gentle smile...one that has made Mikazuki's heart fluttered and now has made him reached his end. He gritted his teeth, trying to bite back a sniffle of whimper. But... it still came out as a gasp and a choke.

"...Ichigo..." He couldn't how to start.

"Yes?"

"...Ichigo..." He called again, and Ichigo responded with a smile.

"Yes, Mikazuki?"

"I was restless..." He finally found his words and let those boiling feelings inside him surfaced. "I was lonely...but most of all...I..." He stuttered.

"...I was mad, Ichigo. I was upset! I was really upset!" His voice finally cracked; tears forming at the corner of his eyes, cascaded won his pale cheeks.

"Yeah...I knew you were..." Ichigo's eyes softened as he gently caressed his lover's cheek, wiping the tears away.

"I was looking forward to this day...I really was..." The Crescent Moon continued; breaking down in front of his lover. "...I know it's not your fault. I know it's because of work. I should know that better than anyone because we're together...yet I...But still I..." This was one side that he wouldn't want Ichigo to ever see, but he couldn't contain it any longer.

He would have been on his knees without Ichigo's support. "I know, Mikazuki. I'm sorry for not keeping our promise." Ichigo let his lover leaned against him. "I'm sorry for making you feel lonely..."

Mikazuki shook his head as he snuggled more against his lover's chest. "I'm sorry, too, Ichigo. Even though I'm supposed to be used to this kind of feeling already...I don't know what got over me to make me...like this. I hope I can get used to this soon..."

"You don't need to, Mikazuki."

The Crescent Moon looked up, shocked. Ichigo smiled at the cute confused face his lover was making. "Because of this feeling, you're yearning for me...calling out for me...waiting for me to quickly return. It makes me feel so happy to know how much you want to see me...to be with me. Although, admittedly, I'm kinda bothered by how lonely I've made you felt. However, Mikazuki..."

He paused to lean his forehead against Mikazuki's. "Know that I will always come back for you. I will always return to stay by your side. I will always be there to heal you of your loneliness...to comfort you when you're crying like this."

He smiled and cupped Mikazuki's face. "Just like how you're always with me, I will always be with until my last breath. That's why... you don't need to bottle your feelings or getting used to them. As long as I'm still here, I will never leave you alone. This is my lifetime promise to you, My Love."

More tears cascaded from his eyes as Mikazuki was left wordless. "...Ichigo...only you can make me feel like this." He murmured. "Only you...no one else..." He choked a little as he continued.

"If you ever leave me...I would definitely be miserable...I would definitely be lost...that's why please...don't ever leave me, Ichigo." He cried in despair. He couldn't care less about his composure anymore.

"Hush now, Mikazuki. No more tears." Ichigo whispered soothingly. "I would never leave you no matter what happens." He let go of Mikazuki and fumbled through his pocket. He held up a small box for Mikazuki to see.

"Oh, my...are you returning the favor from Christmas?" Mikazuki asked, tilting his head to the side. Ichigo chuckled at how his lover could joke around even though he was still in tears.

"Well...it was supposed to be my Christmas gift for you but...there was a little problem and it didn't make it on time." He put his hand on the box's lid and opened it. Mikazuki's instantly eyes widened when he saw what was inside. It was a pair of golden rings.

Ichigo was quite happy with this small reaction. "From now on, there'll surely be ups and downs that we may encounter. Be it the newfound emotions...or the unseen troubles...I am ready to face any obstacles with all I have. I will never leave your side nor let go of you." His gaze pierced Mikazuki's as he spoke the last phase.

"Mikazuki...will you remain by my side as I promise I will?"

The time stopped right there for Mikazuki. His heart raced, more tears appeared from his eyes, the Crescent Moons wrapped around his pupils seemed to be glowing as well. He brought a hand to cover his mouth as he felt sniffles approaching his throat. He couldn't believe this was happening. Was he dreaming? If he was, he wouldn't even want to wake up.

"Ichigo..." He gasped slightly as he tried to respond. "Could you please stop making your elderly soak in more tears? I'm going to dehydrate at this point."

Ichigo laughed. "You can still joke around at times like this?"

"I don't know what to do. I'm happy..." A smile graced Mikazuki's face. "I'm so happy that I'm at loss of words. I can't even find the most appropriate word to respond to this."

"Ha ha ha. You don't have to think that much." Ichigo told him. "Just simply say what you're feeling right now, Mikazuki."

The other male laughed heartily at that before he threw himself in his beloved arms. "Yes, Ichigo. I will remain by your side forever and ever. I love you, Ichigo."

Ichigo smiled as he wrapped his arms around his lover. "Yes, Mikazuki...I love you, too. I love you much, my love."

"...that's kinda cheesy of you." Mikazuki teasingly commented; pulling away.

"Aren't you the one who make me like this?" Ichigo responded with a pout and pink flushed cheeks that made Mikazuki laughed.

"Oh, am I?" He took a look at the rings and glanced at Ichigo. "Ne, can you put it on for me?" He said, holding out his left hand. Ichigo nodded and took Mikazuki's ring from the box. "But, you have to put it on for me as well."

Mikazuki stared at his ring in amaze once it was on his finger. He looked at Ichigo. "Now's your turn." He said, taking out Ichigo's ring and slide it on his ring finger. The two of them then gaze into each other's eyes lovingly, smiling. It was a short moment of emotional exchange for them.

"From now on, I'll be in your care once again, Mikazuki Munechika."

"Likewise, Ichigo Hitofuri."

The sun eventually rose into the view as the two lovers shared a passionate kiss, the first kiss of the year.