Hijikata had be drafted into the army and was forced to leave his family behind as he was shipped off across the sea. He made sure to write to his family every week but after a few months the letters slowed down and soon stopped coming altogether. One day an older gentleman in a uniform showed up at Sochins door. "I'm sorry." He told him, barely able to keep eye contact with the other. "But there was an explosion, your husbands entire troop was wiped out." He informed him, watching as the young man sank to his knees and tears flowed from his eyes. Not wanting to hear another word he slammed the door shut and went to phone the main office, hoping that this was just a cruel joke. He dropped his phone when they confirmed the news.
The funeral was held a few days later, Sochin had cancelled his next tour, not really wanting to do anything. Since the body was never recovered they buried an empty casket. When it ended everyone else left but Soji remained next to his husbands grave, Kondo took the children so that he would be able to have some time alone. He eventually did go home but only to crawl into bed as he held the elder mans picture to his chest.
Things never really got better but over the next couple weeks he slowly started to come to terms with Hijikata's death and was eventually able talk about the elder man. The weeks turned to months and before he knew it just over a year had passed. He hadn't sung since then so that he could take care of the children who had all but forgotten about their father. They would still set a plate for the man, and always got him presents for fathers day or christmas, visiting his grave quite frequently
Valintines day was the first time Sochin had broken down since the funeral, even after so long he still hadn't moved any of the others things and didn't think he ever would. On that day Kondo came early to take the kids, knowing Sochin would want to be alone once again. He slept in later than usual and as he finally managed to get up and dressed he found the others pipe in the closet which caused him to fall to his knees and start crying. After a while longer he finished getting dressed and just put the object in his pocket.
He was about to leave and visit the others grave when he heard the doorbell, not wanting to talk to anyone he didn't answer and hoped they would leave but the doorbell continued to ring. Soji sighed and went to the door planning to snap as he opened it but what he saw stopped him from being able to move or speak as tears started to flow down his cheeks once more. He backed up a couple steps and shook his head slight, not being able to believe what was I front of him.
Sitting in a wheelchair at his door was the man he thought had been lost over a year earlier. He fell to his knees and moved closer to the other as he gripped the mans clothing tightly, relaxing wen he felt his husbands gentle touch. "What happened?" He asked quietly, not wanting pull away incase the other disappeared again.
Hijikata gave the man a small smile as he held him. "There was an explosion but I had been trapped and was found by the enemy." He started to explain. "I was only released last week, I came home as soon as I could." He told him. "Can we go inside?"
Soji nodded and hesitantly stood up, wiping his eyes before starting to push the other inside. He didn't call Kindo just yet, wanting some time alone with his husband. They sat on the couch together and just stayed close. When the children came back that night they saw their father and ran to him as they cried.
The young man was laying on the couch covered in blood. As he continued to grieve for his lost love Sochin got sick and his condition just kept getting worse, there was a slight smile on his face as he met up with the other in the afterlife. He was buried beside the elder man at a funeral service a couple days later, just as the lives of the people who were closest to the pair had started to brighten, they grew dark once more as many days after were full of sorrow.
Kondo raised the children just as he had the two young men many years before. They both moved just after high school and went to college. One year after they had finished school Kondo had them over for dinner at christmas time, and just as they had done in the many years since their fathers deaths they got each of them a present and visited the grave. They laid the gifts down and stood there in silence for a while as the snow fell around them…