Kismet—Chapter Ten

by taitofan

Rated R for yaoi, sexual content, hits of yuri, and some language

Disclaimer: I don't own Majora's Mask, Minish Cap, or anything else Legend of Zelda related. Trust me; I'm sure that many people are happy about that.

Author's notes: Honestly… So much happens in this chapter (it's the longest chapter so far) that I don't know where to start… I suppose that first off, I should apologize that I don't write angst well. And since this chapter deals with just that… Ah, well, so much goes on in this chapter that hopefully it won't matter too much. Yet another arc of the story is done after this, and we'll start in with the next one right in the next chapter. There's still plenty of story left everyone! Lots more fluff, angst, smex… Oh yes, lots of the first and third especially. There will eventually be a new character or two introduced…have fun guessing who it'll be. But for now, just read away and enjoy how this long part plays out.

Flames do nothing but make me laugh, although I'll listen to any CC you have. Please read, review, and enjoy! Finished 07-03-07


"Kafei… Have you noticed anything strange about Anju lately?" Kafei scratched a few things in the guestbook before setting the quill down with a small sigh. Said woman ran to the market to get extra food, as they'd just gotten in a large party. A group of travelers was staying for three days while they rested, and feeding them was part of the deal. These things were good for business, but not so good for affairs. Even with Anju gone, they had to be careful, lest someone walk downstairs and see them…

"She hasn't been the same since she talked to my mother last week…" It was painfully obvious that she was pretending to be her normal cheerful self, but her smile never met her eyes. He wasn't sure what was bothering his wife…but as soon as all these people were gone, he'd have to find out.

"Do you think that maybe she found out about u—" Vaati stopped short as the sound of footsteps met their ears. Seconds later, one of the children in the group—a teenage girl—came down the stairs. She was a green-eyed blonde with fashionable clothes from the city that clung in just the right places. She was beautiful and no doubt had her fair share of admirers...

"Oh, Mr. Kafei! We've run out of towels. Do you have any more? Unless you want me running around naked that is…" …Alas, she'd taken a shine to Kafei, despite the fact that he was married and gay—even if she didn't know the latter.

"We have more in the laundry room. I'll go get some…" He quickly got up to fetch them, not wanting to see anyone naked but Vaati. The girl certainly knew how to lay it on thick…

"Thank you very much Mr. Kafei!" She smiled as he left the room, her expression full of teenage lust. Vaati couldn't help but feel a bit sorry for her… She stood no chance, but at least she'd be gone in just a few days, at which time she was likely to forget all about him. It was better than the situation he had with Romani at least. The poor girl was still infatuated with him…

"Here you go." Kafei was back in record time with a large stack of towels, which the girl took with a smile, making sure to touch his hand as she did so.

"Thanks again!" With a wink, she bounded back up the stairs, a broad smile adorning her face. Once she was out of earshot, Kafei sat back down with a groan.

"They haven't even been here a full day and she's smitten… Honestly, that's insane…" Vaati couldn't help but laugh at the irony of that statement.

"Oh, I don't know about that… I was attracted to you the moment I woke up and saw you, so I can sympathize with her. Besides, she's a teenager and you're attractive. Why wouldn't she become smitten with you?" Kafei frowned as he reached out and caught a bit of Vaati's hair between his fingers and twirled it around. He'd taken a liking to the long lavender strands lately, and any excuse to play with them was gratefully taken.

"That's different. You're old enough to know what you want, and she's practically a child. How can a teenager know what love is? All they know is lust…" Vaati could sense he was taking from experience, so he wisely said nothing. "Most girls in town prefer you anyway. You're more approachable than I am after all."

"Only because you scowl at most strangers that aren't paying customers and no one knows I'm an ex-megalomaniac. …Perhaps she doesn't like men with hair longer than hers?" Kafei snorted at the ridiculous explanation, but who knew? Maybe he was right… He'd never completely understood girls, his two best friends included.

"I suppose…" The chime of the clock on the wall alerted them to the new hour. Normally, Anju would take over the shift then so he could start cooking, but since she was out buying food… "I hope they don't start rioting if lunch is late."

"There're only seven of them. I could take them on…" Kafei had the sudden mental image of Vaati turning the family upstairs into stone… It was oddly satisfying.

"I'm sure you could, but Anju would probably be upset, so we'd better leave them alone." Vaati carefully took back his hair and got up from his chair. Kafei was about to question his actions until the younger man sat back down in his lap.

"I'll leave them alone as long as they leave us alone…" He knew he should say it wasn't a good idea; he should say that Anju would be back soon or that someone could come downstairs, but honestly, kissing the beautiful creature on his lap was far too tempting to ignore. So he didn't.

Tongues danced with practiced ease, hands wandered further and further down… Vaati broke the kiss with a gasp as Kafei's hand slipped under the waistband of his pants. He tried to protest—that was going too far for their current location—but no words would come out. Despite the fact that he was still a virgin, he was no longer a stranger to these types of sexual activity, and Kafei knew just how to make him squirm. Through the haze in his mind as Kafei's fingers worked their magic, he realized that he had to be quiet… But how? If he kept going like that, he would—he was going to…

Vaati's muffled moan and Kafei's startled gasp came at the same time as the sorcerer bit down at the junction of Kafei's shoulder and neck as he climaxed. Damn Kafei never let him last long…

"You bit me…" He wasn't so much angry as he was surprised. "Is that some Picori thing I don't know about…?"

Vaati opened his mouth to reply—or at least try to—when the sound of a door handle caught his attention. Honestly, how many times could they be interrupted in a day? But it didn't matter; right now, he had to get off Kafei and…and his pants were a mess. Anju was gonna— Wait. No she wouldn't…

Anju opened the door, shopping bags in hand, only to see Kafei staring ahead of him as if he'd just seen a Ghini. She looked around, only to find someone important missing.

"Where's Vaati?" Kafei was wondering the same thing… Luckily, or perhaps unluckily, something else caught his wife's attention before he had to answer. "Oh my! Kafei, what happened to your neck?" …He was going to kill his impulsive boyfriend…

"Well, you see, I…" As Kafei struggled for words, Anju assessed the situation. A bite on his neck, tousled hair, a flushed face… Oh. Vaati must have gotten away before she came in…

"You know, I'm sure our guests are getting hungry. You should start cooking; I'll take over here. We wouldn't want me poisoning them, right?" He was rather surprised that she dropped it, just like that, but he took the reprieve and got up to take the bags from her without a word. Anju watched him rush into the kitchen before she sighed and went to sit down. She stopped right before she sat, instead staring at the chair. What exactly had they been doing on it…?

After a few seconds she dragged a stool from the corner and settled down to think.


Kafei was stirring a pot when a swooshing noise filled the air. He spun around, only to see Vaati materialize a few feet behind him. The sorcerer had fixed his hair and put on new pants since he'd last seen him. Kafei could only stare for a few moments as Vaati smiled proudly.

"You…got enough strength back to teleport." Vaati nodded, his smile widening.

"Well, it's been over a month since I was sick. I wasn't sure if I could do it, but I tried, and I ended up right in my room where I'd envisioned. I feel fine now too, so I suppose it'll be all right to assume I can do it whenever I please now. That'll certainly make things easier…" Oh yes, Kafei could see it now. Every time Vaati used his powers, he ended up on his butt… This one was sure to give him an even bigger advantage…

"Sure it will…" Vaati could see that his lover wasn't quite as enthused as he was.

"Well, I can teleport people with me if I'm touching them. That could prove to come in handy, don't you agree?" Kafei perked up at that. Why yes, that did indeed sound handy …

"I suppose that could be useful in the future… And that disappearing act you pulled probably saved us, even if Anju did notice where you bit me. Luckily, she didn't press me for answers…" The sorcerer let out a nervous laugh and scratched the side of his face in embarrassment.

"Right, that… There's no big hidden meaning or anything. I just didn't want anyone to hear us, and I wasn't really thinking about it…" He didn't mention that looking back on it, it seemed…sexy.

"I see…" And Kafei didn't mention that the gesture had turned him on even more than he'd already been.

"I did have to leave awfully quickly," Vaati mused, stepping closer and looping his arms around Kafei's neck. "Did you want me to return the favor…?" Well, of course he did, but…

"I need to cook without burning the inn down. It'll have to wait until tonight." Vaati shrugged as if to say 'Your loss,' then pressed a quick kiss to Kafei's lips before stepping away.

"Then cook away, oh master chief."

As they settled into their normal routine at meal times—Kafei cooking and Vaati either helping or watching—neither was aware of the figure watching them through the keyhole. Well, at least Anju now had a pretty good idea as to what happened in that chair…


Lunch had been rather uneventful, despite all of the extra guests. Amusingly enough—to the three permanent occupants at least—the family had mistakenly congratulated Anju on the delicious food. Vaati still hadn't ever tasted her cooking, but judging by the horror stories he'd heard from Kafei, Cremia, Romani, and even Anju herself, he was lucky…

After lunch, Anju resumed her desk duties while the family went into town and the other two cleaned. Rather than brood, she made up her mind to pay someone a certain visit a bit later… And when the men were done and took over the shift, she quickly went to her grandmother's room. She couldn't go to her mother for obvious reasons, but maybe Elain could help… She'd always liked Kafei after all, even when they were children. She just hoped she could trust that the elder woman wouldn't tell anyone…

"How was lunch grandma?" Elain, who'd noticed that her granddaughter had been one step away from depression for the last few days, smiled kindly at her and motioned for her to sit down.

"Child, there is no point in small talk when it's obvious that you have something on your mind. You should tell me what's wrong before you decide against it." Anju nodded and sat down slowly, wondering what she should say…

"Well, you see… It's just… I saw… And… I don't know…" If she hadn't looked so miserable, Elain would have laughed at her indecision. Luckily, she had a pretty good idea that she knew exactly what the problem was…

"Does this have to do with Kafei and Vaati?" Anju perked up at the mention of their names. Did her grandmother know…?

"Well, yes, but I don't know if I should tell you… It's sort of a secret, and mother can't know…" Elain thought as much. It seemed Anju had finally stumbled upon the truth. And she was right—if Riria ever found it, disaster would strike. Her daughter-in-law had always had something against that boy, and even she wasn't sure why…

"No, Riria is the last person who needs to know of their affair, you're right." Anju's eyes widened as her question was confirmed, causing Elain to chuckle. What an innocent girl she still was… "I've known for quite some time. It wasn't my place to tell you though. You'd needed to realize the truth for yourself."

"Yes… But, you'll talk about it now right?" She nodded and shifted in her wheelchair to get comfortable. She had a feeling they'd be there for a while.

"Of course dear. Tell me whatever you're feeling. This must be quite the shock for you after all." Anju bit her lip softly as she thought over her next words. There were things she'd wanted to say for years… It seemed that now was the time she finally got them out.

"Well…not really, to tell the truth. I always had a feeling that he was interested in men. There was that Sheik boy he was so enthralled by when we were teenagers… And he never cared about any of the girls who chased after him, no matter how pretty they were. Even when he proposed to me, part of me thought that I must be an exception to the rule… And now seeing him with Vaati… Grandma, I just don't know what to do! I love Kafei so much, and I like Vaati too. I don't want to hurt anyone, but…he's my husband! Should I really just sit by, knowing he's cheating on me, and let it happen? At first I thought it was just a phase, but now I'm not so sure…"

Ah, what to say to the young woman…? She loved Kafei with all her heart, there was no doubt, but Elain knew—she'd always known—that Kafei was not her soul mate. He could never love her, and she half-wondered if Anju herself wasn't mistaking her affections… But that was something she had to figure out on her own.

"That is your decision. If you really feel that he's just going through a phase and your marriage will remain in tact, then you can say nothing. It doesn't sound like you even want to confront them about it…" Honestly? No, she didn't. When she saw them together now, her stomach twisted in knots. Part of her wanted to rip Kafei away, but the other part wondered if she really should… "You are a smart girl Anju. Just follow your heart and don't let anyone else influence your view of the situation. Do what feels right."

Anju was silent for a few moments, soaking in the advice. Do what felt right… Follow her heart… But what was she supposed to do when her heart wasn't sure either? Deciding that she didn't have to decide right then, she stood up and enveloped Elain in a hug, which the old woman gratefully returned.

"Thank you Grandma. I'll keep that in mind. I just want to know one more thing… How long has their…affair been going on?" Elain thought for a few moments, trying to recall how long ago it had been since she'd talked to Vaati…

"It must be close to two months now…" Almost two months… Then Vaati had only been there about a week before he and Kafei…

"I see. Thank you again Grandma. See you at dinnertime." Without waiting for another word, Anju left the room, shutting the door gently behind her. Kafei and Vaati were at the front desk still, talking and laughing about something… She didn't stick around to find out what was so amusing, instead heading straight upstairs to her room. Their room. Even if it seemed that Kafei had done more in Vaati's bed than theirs…

'How can I want him so badly,' she thought as she sat on the bed and hugged a pillow to her chest, 'when I don't want to take him away from Vaati? Maybe I've been reading too many books… He's my husband after all…'

It was just too bad that their marital status didn't seem all that important anymore.


The rest of the day, no matter what Anju was doing, she was thinking. When she was working, eating, trying to relax—it didn't matter what was going on, she was thinking. Even when she and Kafei went to bed, she didn't say a thing. She had to decide something very important, and she had to do it quickly. Her thoughts kept her up most of the night, allowing her notice when Kafei got out of bed in the middle of the night. She hoped that he was just going to the bathroom…but when he didn't came back within ten minutes, she forced her mind to go blank so she could sleep. She couldn't deal with it tonight…

The next morning, things went smoothly all morning long—as smoothly as they could go considering how many guests they had at least. Breakfast was filled with the teenage daughter trying to flirt with Kafei, only for him to utterly ignore her. Interestingly enough, it seemed that one of her brothers fancied someone too.

"That's a lovely shade of purple your hair is," he said to Vaati, charm oozing from is voice. "Would you call it lavender or lilac?" No one in the family batted an eyelash at the blatant flirting, leaving the regulars to wonder if the pair of siblings did this a lot. However, Anju couldn't help but notice that Kafei glowered at the boy when he thought no one was looking…

"Well, lavender I suppose…" Vaati, on the other hand, seemed to be oblivious to the finer nuances of human flirting. Kafei smirked as the boy sighed and went back to eating.

Anju wondered how she'd managed to miss all of the signs for so long.


Kafei was getting rather…nervous. Anju hadn't gotten any of her usual spark back, and both he and Vaati were worried. What could possibly have happened…? As selfish as it sounded, he hoped that it was a personal matter for her, and that Vaati wasn't right about her knowing of their affair. But what if she did? They should have told her before—he knew they should have. All those lies were just going to make things worse if she found out on her own…

She had barely said a dozen words to him by the time the day was done. Therefore, as he headed upstairs for bed, he decided to take the initiative and talk to her. After all, they were best friends… He didn't get the chance to though, as once he entered the room, he saw Anju sprawled across the bed in only a green and white negligee. He could only assume that to a straight man, she would have looked absolutely breathtaking… Unfortunately, he only felt extremely uneasy at the sight.

"Anju…" She looked up at him, a smile on her face, but apprehension apparent in her eyes. This was her last chance…

"Hello Kafei. …Sorry I didn't wear the purple and black one I got for our honeymoon, but I couldn't find it…" Kafei couldn't help it—he felt himself flush as he thought of Vaati, who still had the teddy in his possession. Anju noticed his reaction and suddenly looked hopeful, thinking that he was responding to her. "It's been over half a year… I think we should try for children—tonight."

"I've told you," he sighed, hoping that this wouldn't take long, "I'm not ready for children… I…I don't really want any." Anju wasn't so easily defeated. Not tonight. She'd put a lot of thought into this plan after all.

"Well, that's okay. We can still go through the motions." Kafei had to try very hard not to flinch at her sultry tone. It seemed so…wrong.

"I really don't think… I mean, you're not taking any pills; we don't have any contraceptives… You might get pregnant regardless, and…" It took a lot to anger Anju, it really did. Normally, she had a fuse the size of Termina, but she was at the end of it. She'd heard every excuse in the book in the past seven months, and she was sick of being lied to. Why couldn't he just tell her the truth?

"Stop lying to me! Why can't you just admit that you don't want to sleep with me because you're alredy sleeping with Vaati?" Kafei felt his insides freeze at her last words. She knew… He supposed that technically, he could have denied it. They'd never actually had sex after all… But no. No more lying. It was time to lay their cards on the table, for better or worse…

"…I'm not sure how much you know or how you found out, but you're right. I…I love Vaati. I've never felt this way about anyone before in my entire life. I know we should have told you, and I'm sorry that we didn't. I understand that you're upset…" In love… He said he was in love… And it wasn't with her. Her heart broke more with every word. "…but it's not any fault of yours. I'm gay, just like everyone thinks. You were all right, and it was equally wrong of me to lead you on by marrying you. I thought maybe I could change, but I was wrong. I…I really am sorry Anju. You're my best friend, and I honestly didn't want to hurt you."

Anju was quiet for quite some time, soaking in all he'd told her. Kafei was about to ask if she was all right when she lifted her gaze to meet his, a strange smile on her face.

"I always had a feeling… It's okay, really it is. You don't have to love me. You can love him but still be with me, even if it's just this once. I don't care if you don't really love me; just for tonight you can pretend. You can pretend I'm him if you want, scream his name, I don't mind… I'll let you do anything you want…"

If it had been any other girl saying those things to him, he would have laughed. But this was Anju, and she was serious… Did she not understand what he had said?

"I told you, I'm gay. Pretending isn't going to work… Anju, please, we need to talk about this and—" And he never got the chance to continue, because Anju chose that moment to launch herself to him and press their lips together. Kafei froze as she slipped her tongue within his slack jaw. This…this wasn't happening… It couldn't be…

"Stop it!" he shouted, pushing her away and back onto the bed. She fell back and stared up at him, tears clearly glistening in her eyes. But now he was too upset to stop himself. "I know I'm scum for leading you on, but I did. I can't go back and change it, nor would I want to. I love Vaati, not you. Nothing is going to change that, so you might as well just accept it. Now do you want talk rationally or not?" She didn't say anything at first. She just couldn't believe… Didn't he understand…? How could he just…

"…Just go. If you want to be with him so badly, then just leave me alone…" He scowled at her bitter words. Part of him knew he was being a bastard. She loved him, and he'd lied to and cheated on her. But the other part argued that this was about him and Vaati too, not just her… That part one out.

"Fine. I'll be in his room." Without another word, he stalked out of the room and slammed the door shut behind him. Anju could only stare at it for a few moments before breaking down and crying.


When Vaati heard muffled shouting from two doors down, he knew something was wrong. Then a door slammed and seconds later Kafei was entering the room and locking it behind him, and he was even surer that things weren't right. And when Kafei quickly crossed the room and captured his lips in a deep kiss without a word… Well, it was nice, but something was still wrong.

"Mmm, Kafei," he struggled to say while his lover was obviously trying to lick his tonsils, "what's going…on?" With his last word, he managed to pull away enough to get a good look at Kafei. He looked nothing short of miserable… "Does this have something to do with the yelling I heard from your room?"

"…Yes." The younger man nodded. He'd thought as much. "She knows…about us. I'm not sure how, but she knows I love you, and I told her my sexual orientation. She just…didn't want to accept it though. I lost my temper… I'm the worst person on the face of the planet, aren't I?"

"Well…" He hated seeing Kafei like this, but he was hardly the best person for comforting words… So he supposed he'd just have to say what was in his heart. "We've both been selfish by keeping it to ourselves. Anju should have known before we even started this. But… It's still for the best that she finds out. She deserves someone who she can be happy with and who'll be happy with her. That's not you. We make each other happy. And probably, in the morning, everyone will be calmer and we can talk it over. Tonight she can think things over, and we can…" Kafei raised an eyebrow as Vaati flushed and leaned over to rummage through the drawer of his bedside table. Everything he'd said made sense—and now that he'd calmed a bit he could see it—but what was he—?

Oh.

Kafei accepted the bottle of oil from Vaati, whose face was still a deep shade of red that especially stood out on his oddly pigmented skin. It didn't take a genius to figure out the meaning behind his actions…

"Are you sure? I don't want to hurt you…" Vaati nodded, then slipped his nightshirt off and tossed it to the floor. Kafei took in the pale skin he loved so much with utter appreciation. Vaati was offering himself completely… And who was Kafei to deny him? "All right. We'll have to try to be quiet though. There are lots of people here."

"Of course." Vaati knew that now probably wasn't the best time to offer his virginity to his lover. There were lots of people around, and only the goddesses knew what Anju was going through… But they both needed a distraction, or they'd brood all night long. And what sweeter distraction could there possibly be? Besides, he'd been thinking about it lately… And he wanted this so badly. He needed to be one with Kafei.

As they slowly undressed each other, Kafei wondered if this was the best idea… By the time they began kissing while Kafei prepared his lover with the oil, he started to forget about it. And as he entered his lover with a groan and heard Vaati's not-quite-restrained cry, he honestly couldn't have cared less. Vaati was so hot, so tight… He hadn't lied about being a virgin. It was the best feeling he'd ever experienced… And judging by the way Vaati was soon rocking back against him, he had a feeling that the sentiment was returned.

And as they consummated their relationship, all thoughts about anything but each other left their minds.


Morning came, and as Vaati awoke, the first thing he thought of was how wonderful the night had been…

Then once he tried to move, he realized how sore he was.

"Oww…" Kafei woke up from the combination of his lover's movement and voice. Seeing Vaati wince as he tried to sit up made him proud and amused at the same time.

"Sore today, love?" Vaati glared halfheartedly at him. As if he didn't know…

"What do you think? Weren't you sore after you were with Sheik?" He was surprised that Vaati would bring up his old lover while they were naked in bed together after a night of incredible sex… But he supposed that was good. He obviously wasn't jealous about it.

"No, not particularly. I was on top then too." Vaati's surprise was clear in his eyes, which were both visible for once due to the fact that he hadn't had the time to style it as he normally did. Kafei wished he'd wear it like that more often.

"But you said you gave yourself to him…" He nodded, sitting up himself and putting his arm around Vaati in a half-hug.

"I did. And he wanted me to take the lead. How else would I have know what I was doing if I hadn't gone through the trial and error process before?" …Honestly, Vaati had figured he was just a natural. But Kafei hardly needed to have his ego fed…

"Just assumed you'd remember what Sheik had done I suppose…" He leaned into Kafei, enjoying the warmth that radiated from his body. Life was almost perfect… Of course… "When should we talk to Anju?"

"It's still fairly early, so we still have some time before breakfast… So once we get up I suppose. But for now…" He let his hand wander down his lover's lithe body, loving the feel of his soft skin. "I think we should do something to get our morale up, don't you agree?" Whether he agreed or not—which, for the record, he did—it didn't matter, because Kafei had him pinned to the bed and he wasn't going to be saying much of anything for a while.


By the time they finally got downstairs…no one was there. There was a note left on the counter from Anju saying that the family had left early for some reason and that she'd already checked them out. She also mentioned that she had a lot to think about and would be back later that day and asked them not to come looking for her. Kafei felt guilty, yet relieved. He couldn't face her if she was still upset… Hopefully, by the time she got back, they'd all be ready to straighten things out once and for all… And Guardians knew they had a lot to straighten out.

"Shall I make breakfast for two then?" Vaati nodded as he slowly made his way to the kitchen.

"Sure, but let me help. I don't think I can sit on anything hard right now… Maybe that'll help take my mind off from the pain you caused my poor butt…" Kafei could only laugh at his pouting… Until a strong gust of wind knocked him onto his own butt. "Turnabout is fair play…"

…Oh well. It had all been worth it.


Right after lunch, there was a knock on the door. The door was locked—Vaati had insisted that he be allowed to sit in Kafei's lap while they waited for her, as it was his fault he was in pain; Kafei thought he was overreacting, but was hardly about to say no—and Kafei figured it was Anju, having forgotten her key again… So Vaati let him up, and Kafei went to unlock the door… Only to find his father standing outside instead.

"Hello son. We need to talk." Those were never words Kafei liked hearing… Vaati, who had never seen Mayor Dotour before, could only gape at the strange looking man. That explained where Kafei got his hair color… He just really hoped that Kafei aged better than his father had.

"Did mother send you?" Dotour shook his head, and Kafei stepped aside, allowing him to enter, and then locked the door behind him. Who knew what the purpose of the visit could be… "All right, what do you want?"

"The family making their way through town… They stayed here, didn't they?" Kafei nodded, wondering what that had to do with anyth— A sudden panic gripped him as he realized that it probably had a lot to do with this visit.

"What did they say? Who did they say it to?" Dotour looked between his son and the man he'd heard so much gossip about. He was highly exotic looking—obviously not from Termina. But he didn't look like the evil maniac some people on the streets claimed he was…

"Calm down; they were only talking amongst themselves. You're lucky that I was the only one around to hear them too. If it had been your mother or Riria, things would be highly unpleasant for the both of you…" The lovers didn't really need to hear it to know, but Kafei still repeated his query of what they'd said… "Oh, it seems that the children had the room next to…Vaati, isn't it? Yes yes, it seems that the walls are too thin. You might want to look into that if you wish to copulate when guests are staying in the future."

Great. What was the count up to now? Far more than Kafei liked to think of, that was for sure. He could have tried to deny it…but his father had guessed his feelings before he'd even been sure himself. It just didn't seem worth it.

"I see… I'll have to remember that…" Vaati thought that maybe he should have told his boyfriend what Elain had said about hearing him and Sheik all those years ago… Oops. "All right, you know the truth. What are you going to do next? Will you tell mother, Riria, or maybe both? Should I begin writing my will?" Ah, Kafei had always been a bit on the melodramatic side, even as a child… It was good to see that some things never changed.

"Hardly. It's not my place to tell anyone about your personal life. You're an adult now after all. However, I might have to tell Anju if she does not know…" A few days ago, Kafei would have been highly upset by that. But now…

"She knows. We…fought about it last night. She's out thinking right now, and the three of us are going to discuss things when she returns. Honestly, I'm not sure what will happen… I assume she'll want a divorce though. I can get those papers from you, can't I?" As Dotour nodded and they began discussing what to do if that was indeed the outcome, Vaati stayed quiet and thought that over. Divorce… It hadn't existed in the Picori world—his people mated, not marry—but he'd read all about it when he'd been studying humans. He supposed he should have realized that was what would happen…but he honestly hadn't thought about it. Though if it left him with Kafei and Cremia to have her chance with Anju…then it couldn't be as bad as the books made it out to be. Picorian literature on humans did seem to be rather outdated…

"Then I will leave the two of you alone…" Dotour turned to leave, having heard what he'd come to confirm, only to stop suddenly. He turned around, looked straight at Vaati for a few moments, and then walked towards him. The sorcerer was certainly capable to holding his own, but still. This man wasn't exact a ray of sunshine… "Vaati… Your presence has certainly stirred things up…"

"Uh, yes…" Vaati and Kafei were both apprehensive when Dotour raised his hand…only to offer it for Vaati to shake. The sorcerer let out a breath of relief and shook his hand gratefully.

"I'm Dotour, the mayor of Clock Town and Kafei's father. If my wife gives you problems, come to me. I know my son likes to try to handle the world's problems on his own…" He leaned in and lowered his voice so that only Vaati could hear. "And thank you, by the way, for making my son so happy. I've heard many rumors around town, and they all seem to point towards him being happier than most have seen him in years… You have my blessing in your relationship." He stepped away then, and nodded to his son, who only looked at them suspiciously. Then he finally left without another word, leaving them alone once again.

"…What did he say to you?" Vaati laughed softly and ran his fingers though his hair in a lightly embarrassed manner.

"He thanked me for making you happy… I didn't realize that people were talking so much in town. We don't go out too often…" Kafei sighed in relief that his father wasn't causing trouble. He relocked the door, sat down behind the counter, and patted his lap. Vaati gratefully took back his previous spot.

"No, not together. But when I go out to get groceries by myself, I suppose I have been more…cheerful. I didn't snap at the girl running the fruit stand when she gave me the wrong change… I still think they're all idiots, but you could say that I just don't show it as much these days." Vaati chuckled and leaned into Kafei's chest. To think he was the reason Kafei was in higher spirits than he'd been in such a long time was empowering. Love was such a funny thing…

They didn't say any more as they settled back down to wait for Anju. There was really nothing more to say.


By the time Anju found herself back at the inn, it was close to dinnertime. She'd done plenty of soul searching that day… And she finally knew exactly what she had to do.

She went to open the door, only to find it locked. Of course, now she realized why Kafei took to locking the doors when he and Vaati were alone… Just another thing to add to the web of lies he'd caught her in. Luckily, she had her key on her for once, and was in seconds later. The sight she was met with…

"Well, he certainly looks comfy." …made her smile. Kafei was sitting in a chair with a slumbering Vaati curled up in his lap. He looked up at her, relieved to see that she wasn't angry…for now at least.

"Yes. He must have been more tired than even he thought… He's been sleeping since after lunch." She laughed lightly as she shut the door and sat down on the counter so that they could talk without awaking the sorcerer.

"And I wonder why… You two were awfully busy last night. You must have worn him out." It wasn't often that she made him blush—not since they were kids at least—so she highly enjoyed it when he did just that.

"You don't seem very upset at the thought…" She shook her head, looking down at him with a touch of sadness in her eyes.

"No… Not anymore. I've thought about it since you left last night… That blond boy…Sheik. He was your first love, wasn't he?"

"Not technically," he replied, smiling as Vaati murmured something incomprehensible in his sleep. "He was my first crush, he was the first person I had sex with… But I didn't know him well enough to love him. The position of my first love belongs to Vaati." She nodded in understanding. She was thinking about crushes and love throughout the day… She came to the conclusion that she really did love Kafei. She loved him so much… And that was why she was going to say what she had planned next.

"Kafei… I decided something very important today…" This was it. Here was the part that she told him to leave, or that she was going to tell the whole town what a cheating jerk he was… "I'm not going to stand in your way." ...What?

"You're not…" She leaned down and lightly knocked him on the head, sticking her tongue out at him.

"You heard me. I do love you Kafei…and that's why I'm letting you go. I want you to be happy—I've always wanted you to be happy. And if I make you stay with me, or if I'm a witch about this, you won't be happy. But Vaati has changed you, if only a little. You two are perfect for each other; I can tell that you're both very much in love. So I'm not going to tell anyone. We can get divorced right away, or we can stay married for a while until we have something more concrete worked out. But whatever you decide, I won't stop you from being with Vaati. Your secret is safe with me." If Kafei had been the crying sort, he knew he would have been doing so after that. How did he get such a great lover and a great best friend?

"Thank you Anju. That really does mean a lot to me, and I'm sure it does to Vaati too. And…I really am sorry. You deserve better than me. I know you'll find someone who's right for you in no time."

"Don't worry about it. We'll always be best friends. …But I'm not so sure that I'm going to find anyone else…" He thought about Cremia. If she and Vaati thought he was too blind to see her feelings for Anju, they were wrong. He'd always wondered, and the events that took place the last time she was there only strengthened his hunch. If anyone could love Anju the way she deserved, Cremia was it. He just hoped that Anju was bisexual…that was the one thing he wasn't sure of.

"I think it will be easier than you think… Have you eaten yet?" She didn't question the change of subject, because quite frankly, she was starving.

"No, I haven't eaten since earlier in the afternoon. Are you going to wake Vaati?" Kafei opened his moth to reply, when—

"I'm awake…" Kafei sent his lover a pseudo-glare. He didn't even sound tired…

"How long have you been awake you little brat?"

"Oh, long enough. You just make a nice pillow."

"Pillow you say? How many pillows do you know that can do this?"

"Eeei! Kafei! I'm still sore you jerk! Take this!"

"Ah!"

Anju couldn't help it—she laughed at the sight of them fighting like little kids. Kafei had pushed Vaati off his lap, Vaati had used those powers that amazed her so to knock his chair over, and they were both glaring at each other, though the smiles on their faces betrayed their true feelings. If she got to see more scenes like this now that they didn't have to hide from her… Well, that wouldn't be so bad.

Maybe she could write a book about all of this and get it in the alternative romance section…


That night, it was just the three of them. Though the happy couple had freedom now, they still toned it down for Anju's sake. It was still new for her after all… They didn't completely act like platonic friends though—they sat closely during dinner and Vaati returned to Kafei's lap afterwards, Kafei added Vaati's pet name of love in the conversation, and Vaati wasn't about to let Kafei forget that it was the older man's fault that he was in pain. Kafei had a feeling that he was going to milk that one for all it was worth…

Anju, truth be told, enjoyed seeing it. She knew that other women in her position would be more upset, but her Grandmother had told her to follow her heart… And her heart told her that she wanted to see Kafei happy no matter what. Besides, they were a cute couple, like something out of one of her books.

Thus, when it was time for them all to go to bed, Anju refused to let him in their bedroom.

"You should stay with your boyfriend! Just don't make too much noise…" Kafei gaped at her insinuations.

"You actually want me to—"

"Didn't you hear a word I said earlier?" she admonished. "I accept your relationship, and I want you to be happy with him. So go sleep in his room, and tomorrow we can move your things in too. There's plenty of room after all." With that, she slammed the door in his face and clicked the lock. All he could do for a good minute was stare at it…

"Can't I have my pajamas at least?"

"Nope," she said through the door. "I think you can make due without them. You did last night."

As he walked back to Vaati's room—soon to be their room—he wondered when she'd gotten so perverted…