CHAPTER 1

The morning's sunlight shone brightly through the east-facing windows, casting the room in the warmth of its glow. Summer was at an end, so the soft breeze entering through the open sliding door cooled the entire space. All in all, it was a pleasant morning, and Mikazuki was enjoying it with his boyfriend of 6 months, Kogitsunemaru...

"You cheated!" Kogitsune exclaimed, his booming voice shattering the morning's serenity. "I leave for two seconds and you switch the pieces!"

"Don't be ridiculous," Mikazuki replied, smiling sweetly at his lover from across the game board. "I would never cheat."

"There are more pieces on the board than when I left, Mikazuki. I'm not an idiot!"

"Is that so?" Mikazuki replied, tapping his finger to his chin. "How can you tell?"

"Because," Kogitsune said through clenched teeth, "we've been playing the game for over an hour. I think by now I'd know the setup of the board."

"Really?" Mikazuki asked, brushing the hair from his eyes as he selected another stone. "So you remember every placement of every stone right down to which color was which? That's quite impressive. I wonder," he continued, his tone light and airy. "If I removed all the stones from the board, do you think you could put them back in the right order?"

"Of course not," Kogitsune answered irritably. "That's not what I meant and you know it. I remember where I placed my last stone, and that," he emphasized, pointing to where one of his black stones now lay, "wasn't it."

"But how can you be sure? You said it yourself; you don't remember the exact position of each stone. Perhaps you're mistaken. Who knows, you could be confusing this match with the one we played last week."

"Or maybe," Kogitsune said mockingly, "you're cheating like you always do."

"I don't like your tone," Mikazuki replied, placing his stone on the board.

"And I don't like cheaters," Kogitsune shot back.

Mikazuki glanced up, meeting Kogitsune's heated glare. Though there was a smile on Mikazuki's face, the look in his icy blue stare spoke of silent warning.

"Funny," Mikazuki answered wryly. "You didn't seem to have a problem with 'cheaters' last night." His gaze returned to the board, "or the night before that."

Kogitsune started to speak, but when Mikazuki's eyes flickered up to pin him with another cautionary gaze, his mouth clicked shut. Mikazuki smiled in self-satisfaction, leaning back and lacing his fingers together on his lap.

"Your turn," Mikazuki said, fluttering his eyelashes invitingly.

Kogitsune's eyes narrowed on Mikazuki as he picked up his next stone. He said nothing as he examined the board. In fact, he didn't utter more than three words for the rest of the game. Mikazuki ignored the male's pouting, carrying on as if their brief argument had never happened. But when Kogitsune made his goodbyes without so much as a kiss on the cheek, Mikazuki couldn't help but feel the icy chill of his lover's cold shoulder.

Come dinner, it was even worse. Kogitsune made it a point to sit on the opposite side of the table, so engrossed in his conversation with Tonbokiri that he didn't even bother to play footsies with Mikazuki under the table. But the icing on the cake came after dinner. Like a blow to the stomach, shocking and unexpected, all one could do was curl into a ball and wait for the pain to pass...

All the Swords, with the exception of Mutsunokami Yoshiyuki and Yamanbagiri Kunihiro who were on kitchen duty, filed out of the dining room. Mikazuki slipped between Tsurumaru and Tonbokiri, grabbing Kogitsune's hand and dragging him down the empty corridor to the left.

"I haven't seen you since this morning," Mikazuki whispered, rubbing his body against Kogitsune's muscular frame.

"Yeah," Kogitsune muttered, trying to extract himself from Mikazuki's hold. "I had some... things to take care of."

"Well," Mikazuki said, shoving Kogitsune hard against the wall. "I've been thinking about you all day, and you know what?" he whispered, reaching between their bodies to cup Kogitsune half-hardened cock. "I don't think I can make it your room."

"Mikazuki, I'm not..."

Mikazuki pressed a kiss to Kogitsune's lips, cutting off his lover's protests. "Take me somewhere," he whispered, feathering kisses along the line of Kogitsune's jaw.

"I'm not in the mood," Kogitsune said, pushing him away.

Mikazuki smiled seductively, reaching for Kogitsune's cock again. "Doesn't feel like it to me."

"I said," Kogitsune repeated, moving out of Mikazuki's grasp. "I'm not in the mood."

Mikazuki snorted indignantly. "Is this some kind of game? If so," he replied, licking his lips enticingly, "I like it. You should play hard to get more often."

"It's not a game," Kogitsune answered impatiently. "I just don't feel like it.

"But you always feel like it," Mikazuki chuckled softly, reaching out to thread his fingers through Kogitsune's long white locks. "Usually, I'm the one begging for a break."

Kogitsune jerked out of Mikazuki's reach. "Yeah, well, not tonight."

Mikazuki's smile slipped from his lips. "Is this about the match this morning?" he asked, taking a step forward. "If it is, I..."

"It's not about the match," Kogitsune answered, taking a step back.

"Then what is it?"

Kogitsune snickered humorlessly, shaking his head. "Why am I not surprised?"

"Surprised about what?" Mikazuki asked, crossing his arms over his chest. "If something's wrong, just tell me."

"That's the point, Mikazuki. I shouldn't have to tell you."

"Then how else am I supposed to know?" he retorted. "I can't read your mind! And the last time I checked, things were fine until..."

"Fine?" Kogitsune hissed. "For you, maybe. But for me? Not so much."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Kogitsune took a deep breath, running an unsteady hand through his hair. "The fact that you have to ask is exactly why I can't do this with you anymore."

Mikazuki was struck speechless for several seconds, a flurry of responses forming in his mind, none of which he could seem to verbalize.

"Can't do this anymore?" Mikazuki repeated, his tone saturated with confusion. The words sounded so wrong coming from Kogitsune's lips that it was almost like the male was speaking another language. "I don't understand."

"I'm tired, Mikazuki. I'm tired of trying to force something that should've never happened in the first place. You might not realize this, but it takes two to make a relationship work, and I'm sick of being the only one trying here."

Mikazuki's entire body shook with disbelief. "So, what? You think I'm not invested in this relationship? I do my part, Kogitsune. I show you my love every night I warm your bed. I give you everything and deny you nothing! Even when I'm exhausted and my body is spent, I still..."

"You think this is about sex?" Kogitsune asked, his tone a mixture of anger and frustration. "Love doesn't equal sex Mikazuki!"

"I know that, I'm just saying...

"No," Kogitsune said, shaking his head in disappointment. "You don't know."

The walls of the hall seemed to constrict, closing in all around Mikazuki. His chest tightened, the air evaporating from his lungs. He blinked once, then twice, wondering why his body suddenly felt so very, very heavy.

"I'm sorry, Mikazuki, but I... I can't do this."

A burst of humorless laughter erupted from Mikazuki's lips. "A-are we... breaking up?"

"Yeah," Kogitsune said, the finality in his voice like a knife to the heart. "We are."

CHAPTER 2

Kogitsune leaned heavily against the handle of his flat rake, thankful for the cool autumn breeze blowing across his sun-kissed skin. He wiped the sweat from his brow with the back of his hand, grabbing the strip of cloth at his waist to dry the back of his neck.

"You done?" Mitsutada called from across the field.

"Almost," Kogitsune called back.

"Let's take a break. I'm dying of thirst here!"

Kogitsune nodded, grabbing his rake and setting it against the large wooden shed. He hiked over to where Mitsutada stood, stretching the muscles in his arms and chest as he waited for the Sword to stow his equipment.

"At this rate we'll be done before noon," Mitsutada said, lifting his eyepatch so he could wipe the sweat from his face.

"Looks like it."

"You still have Mika-chan's chores to do, right? If you want, I can give you a hand. Kuri is out on a mission, so it's not like I have anything to do after this."

"Nah, I'm not doing his chores anymore."

"Really?" Mitsutada snorted. "Has Mika-chan come to his senses then?"

"Like that'd ever happen," Kogitsune answered dryly.

Mitsutada frowned, his brow furrowing in confusion. "Everything okay between you two?"

Kogitsune wasn't in the mood to talk about his break up with Mikazuki, but he couldn't dodge the subject for long. It was only a matter of time before the rest of the household found out, might as well get ahead of it while he could.

"We broke up," Kogitsune said, making his way to the house.

Mitsutada jogged to catch up. "For real?"

"Yep."

"Do you... wanna talk about it?"

"Nope."

"And you're... okay?"

"Yep."

They entered through the kitchen door, wiping their feet on the woven mat before taking a seat at the small round table in the corner. Cook was making preparations for lunch, taking a moment to pour the two Swords glasses of ice water before returning to her task. Mitsutada was kind enough to drop the subject until Cook was out of earshot.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Mitsutada asked, eyeing Kogitsune over the rim of his glass.

"I said I'm fine."

"Yeah, I hear you, it's just... I know how you feel about him. It couldn't have been easy for you to end things."

"Actually," Kogitsune replied. "It was."

"So was he... upset, or...?"

"Honestly, I don't know. I said what I had to say and left."

"Damn," Mitsutada breathed, leaning back in his seat and examining Kogitsune from across the table. "That's cold-blooded."

Kogitsune laughed humorlessly. "Like you didn't know this would happen."

"Didn't know what would happen?" Mitsutada asked, feigning innocence.

Kogitsune stared at the cup in his hand, watching the condensation slide down the side of the glass and drop onto the table. "Who won the pot?" he asked, hesitating a moment before taking swig.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

Kogitsune snorted loudly. "Don't play dumb. I'm talking about the bet. The one everyone in the house was in on. Me and Mikazuki made it 6 months, so I'm guessing whoever bet the longest probably won, right?"

Mitsutada ran a hand down his mouth, his gaze dropping to the table. "It was just a bit of fun, Kogi. It wasn't meant to..."

"Who won?"

"It was, uh... Master. He bet 6 months exactly."

"Wow, even Saniwa-sama was in on it," Kogitsune chuckled, downing the rest of his water.

"It was a joke, man, I swear. It's not like we were rooting for you two fail or anything, we just... we all know how Mika-chan is, so..."

"How much?"

"How much what?" Mitsutada asked.

"How much money did Master win?"

Mitsutada fumbled through an answer, but Kogitsune stopped him before he could make his reply.

"You know what?" Kogitsune said, setting his glass on the table. "I don't care."

"We never should have cast the bets, Kogi. It was wrong and inconsiderate and I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize," Kogitsune replied, pushing out his chair and climbing to his feet. "You guys saw what I couldn't."

"For what it's worth, I feel terrible. I know how much you love him."

"Loved," Kogitsune said. "Past tense."

"If you want, I can finish the rest of the work. You know... if you, uh... want some time or... whatever."

"No need. There's not much left to do anyway. Besides, I've got another couple of hours before I have to meet Hana."

"Hana?" Mitsutada said, the shock in his voice more than obvious. "Isn't that the new servant girl?" He shook his head, the corner of his mouth turning up in a half smile. "That was fast."

Kogitsune shrugged. "It's not serious if that's what you're thinking."

"I didn't say it was," Mitsutada replied, lifting his hands in mock surrender. "Who am I to judge anyway? After Mika-chan, you deserve a little happiness, even if it's only temporary."

Kogitsune glanced over at Mitsutada, hating the way his friend could see right through to his real intentions.

"I'll meet you outside," Kogitsune said, leaving Mitsutada sitting at the table.

Kogitsune refused to feel guilty about moving on so soon. He hadn't known Hana long, and even though he had no intentions of getting serious with the young servant girl, he liked her and the way she made him feel. She was shy and beautiful; innocent and caring, and ever since Kogitsune had met her, she'd done nothing but try to make him happy. It was Hana's constant doting that had planted the seed of discontent in Kogitsune's heart, forcing him to ask the question, "Was he really happy with Mikazuki?"

The first time Hana had smiled at him, Kogitsune's first thought had been, "What I wouldn't give to see Mikazuki smile at me like that." To see sincerity and adoration in his lover's eyes, rather than secrets and manipulation... it was too much to hope for.

There was no limit to what Kogitsune would have done for Mikazuki, yet he'd never, not even once, heard the words, "Thank you" from his lover's lip. And though he'd said the words "I love you," to Mikazuki any number of times, the Sword would simply reply with an amused, "I know," or "Of course you do."

Was it wrong to want to feel loved? To feel appreciated? There was no question of Kogitsune's feelings towards Mikazuki. He'd fallen hard for the beautiful Sword from day one, doing anything and everything to prove his love. As a result, he'd become a laughing stock amongst his friends, often compared to a house-trained puppy following around its Master. At the time, Kogitsune didn't care. How could he? He was beyond infatuated, completely entranced by Mikazuki's calm demeanor and cool beauty.

He could still remember the first time he'd taken Mikazuki to his bed. From that glorious moment on, Kogitsune had viewed their love making as an expression of true intimacy. For him, it went beyond a physical connection; the joining of their bodies nothing more than a conduit for the union of their souls. It was a transcendent, almost spiritual experience, leaving him breathless and wanting more.

But then Kogitsune had met Hana, and slowly but surely his perception of his relationship had changed. With just the gentle touch of her hand, a simple glance from across the room, Hana had shown Kogitsune the real meaning of intimacy. She had opened his eyes, showing him what it felt like to be truly connected to someone. Imagine his surprise when he realized it had nothing to do with sex.

From that day on, Kogitsune never looked at Mikazuki the same way. With every impish grin and hooded gaze, the calculation in his lover's pale blues eyes became more and more apparent. Kogitsune could see the deception hidden behind Mikazuki's perfectly executed smiles; hear the fallacy in the male's charming voice and melodic laughter. He'd fallen under Mikazuki's treacherous spell, and he was ashamed...

It had taken close to a month for Kogitsune to accept the ugly truth of his relationship. Mikazuki would never love him the way he deserved to be loved, and no amount of sacrifice on Kogitsune's part was ever going to change that. It was then he realized he had a choice; stay or run. He chose to run.

Now, don't for one second think that Kogitsune was a fool. He knew Hana wasn't the person he'd end up with, and he knew she understood that as well. But Kogitsune liked the way he felt when he was around her, and at a time like this, when his confidence was as shattered as his broken heart, her solace was a much needed comfort.

Mikazuki would no doubt find out about his affair with the lovely servant girl, but after months of being treated like a stray dog begging for the love of its Master, Kogitsune needed to feel wanted and appreciated. Yes, it was selfish, and to some it would seem downright cruel. But when you've been used and abused for as long as Kogitsune had, you lose the ability to care about such things. He was finally happy, and he'd be damned if he was going to let Mikazuki take that away.