After finally managing to befriend the wonderful moon-like fae, Tadashi was walking on air. He finally had a friend and a real one at that. Tsukki had no social status to gain by tricking Tadashi, and the faerie knew that Tadashi was too smart to be tricked anyway. Which meant Tsukki had a genuine interest in befriending Tadashi. He couldn't be happier.
In the year following the new friendship, life in the village did not change much for Tadashi. Adults still whispered when they thought he wasn't listening, children and teens still hassled him, but their words seemed to hurt less. As long as Tsukki was in Tadashi's corner, he had nothing to worry about. If worst came to worst, after all, Tsukki would protect him.
The prospect of being half-faerie didn't bother Tadashi much anymore either. After all, that would mean he was like Tsukki, if only partly. Anything that was like Tsukki, or that Tsukki liked was incredible, if just by the transitive property. Tsukki was amazing; a pillar of everything Tadashi wished he could be wrapped up neatly into one person.
Aside from his slightly improved confidence, Tadashi learned many exciting things from Tsukki. The fair folk knew healing and medicine better than anyone, and with Tsukki's help, Tadashi learned enough about natural medicine to rival his own father.
Not that Tadashi was the only one to gain from the friendship. Tadashi rather liked to believe that their situation was mutually beneficial and that he helped Tsukki in at least some ways. Mostly in terms of socializing, as Tsukki had admitted to having trouble interacting with other faeries his age. So that was their situation; Tsukki taught Tadashi about nature's magic, and Tadashi taught Tsukki about friendship and the human world. So it became that the two boys were inseparable as long as they were both in the forest. As wonderful as Tsukki was, Tadashi still had to keep him a secret. His father, ever paranoid and hostile, was likely to flay Tadashi alive if his secret friendship was discovered. Tadashi, however, was never known for his ability to keep secrets.
Two years into their friendship, just after Tsukki's tenth birthday, Tadashi made the mistake of mentioning the forest. It was an offhand comment, a casual mention of the quality of the herbs that grew close to the border of the fae realm. But one slip-up was enough, and Tadashi's father was livid.
"You've been wandering around that cursed forest again, haven't you!" the man growled, eyes alight with the fear and rage of a wild beast. When Tadashi said nothing, his father grabbed him and shook him, hard. "Haven't you!" He shouted again.
Panic and bile started to well up in Tadashi's throat as he tried to speak, "Y-yes, father. Bu-but I, I-"
A harsh crack rang out in the cottage as Tadashi's face stung and burned. Tears of fear and pain ran freely down Tadashi's grimy cheeks as his father stood before him, clutching his belt menacingly. "You're just like your whore mother, always out in those blasted woods. You're a worthless weakling, just like her. I wish those creatures had taken you instead. Believe me when I tell you I would feel no remorse and will feel no remorse when I have to drive an iron stake through your useless heart." Tadashi had started sobbing, the pain from the blow and his father's harsh words shattering his spirit. But his father continued with his tirade, "You think I don't hear what the village says about you? Oh, how I wish it was true that you were some horrendous faerie child. Maybe it is true, and you are too weak and worthless for even those wretches." Tadashi's father was no longer looking at him, instead staring off into nothing and ranting angrily into empty space.
Tadashi took the chance to scamper up to his room and buried himself in his thin, scratchy blanket. There he sobbed more, body shaking, and curled up into a ball. Still, he tried to stay silent, not wanting to incite more violence from his father.
By the time Tadashi managed to gain control over his tears, the moon was high in the sky. He had missed his daily meeting with Tsukki for the first time. The thought did not sit well with him, and against better judgment, Tadashi contemplated going into the forest anyway. While he was technically the reason for the scolding, Tsukki was also Tadash's primary source of comfort. Ostracized from both the town children and his father, Tadashi really only had Tukki to rely on. So, in the dead of the night, when the forest was at its most dangerous, Tadashi snuck out of his home and headed towards the faerie ring.
The forest was different at night, Tadashi realized. The path was hard to follow and even harder to find when he lost track of it. The deer, bunnies, and songbirds that were active in the daytime had been replaced by haunting owls, sly foxes, and hares that stared into Tadashi's very soul. Even the plants seemed more menacing, casting strange shadows and brushing his ankles when he least expected it.
Somehow, Tadashi made it to the circle, unsurprisingly void of Tsukki. Tadashi didn't know why he thought Tsukki might be there in the middle of the night, but he drew closer to the ring regardless. A great tiredness came over Tadashi, both from the emotional and physical exhaustion of the day. Without properly thinking, Tadashi sullenly stepped into the faerie ring and proceeded to weep for the second time that day.
Only minutes after he started crying, however, Tadashi felt comfort. In his distress, he had failed to notice that his head had been gently moved onto someone's lap and that a pair of hands were carding through his tangled hair. Tadashi almost didn't want to look up, maybe he could pretend that this comforting stranger was Tsukki or his mother, here to erase his pain. But alas, Tadashi was not so stupid as to think Tsukki was the only fae to frequent the ring. So slowly, whilst trying to think of a reason for the fae to not smite him, Tadashi raised his head.
Instead of a wrathful being, however, Tadashi looked into warm honey-gold eyes that shone with worry and confusion. Tsukki had come to comfort him. Relief and fondness overflowed in Tadashi as he clung to his friend and released all the pain he had kept bottled up. Tsukki kept quiet and simply held Tadashi, allowing him the moment of weakness.
When Tadashi had somewhat calmed down, Tsukki's silken shirt was soaked with tears. After sitting in tense silence for a few minutes, Tsukki finally spoke.
"You didn't show up at our usual time today. I-" Tsukki paused and scrunched his nose, a habit that Tadashi knew indicated Tsukki was struggling with his words. Having come up with what he wanted to say, Tsukki continued, "I assume that the cause of your tears is the same reason for your tardiness?" If Tadashi had not known any better, Tsukki's words would have seemed cold and uncaring. But Tadashi knew that Tsukki was worried for him.
Tadashi nodded and took in a deep breath of the cold night air, readying himself for the explanation he was about to give. His father had never given him any of the answers he needed, nor had any of the other people from the village. Maybe it was time to see if the fae had any answers.
So Tadashi told Tsukki everything. He spoke of his mother and how she died when he was a baby. He spoke of the village peoples' cruel speculations, of the horrid insults thrown at him by his peers, and the hushed whispers of the adults. Tadashi told Tsukki everything, from the constant bullying to his father's neglect. And finally, he told Tsukki of the painful words his father had thrown at him, and of the reason behind the large red welt on his face. It was the first time Tadashi's father had hit him, but he now feared that it wouldn't be the last.
Tsukki sat through all of it, taking in and absorbing Tadashi's words. The faerie didn't move from his position by Tadashi's side, but his fists clenched tighter as Tadashi spoke. When the whole of Tadashi's woes had placed out into the open, Tsukki's eyes were narrowed to near slits, and he bore a menacing sneer.
Tadashi turned to Tsukki, worrying his lower lip and wringing his hands, "Am I really that useless, Tsukki?" The question was nothing more than a hushed whisper, but it rang throughout the forested space nonetheless.
In an instant, Tsukki had grabbed Tadashi's shoulders and forced him into determined eye contact. "You are not useless, Yama. Those people in your town are just blind. Besides, what reason is there to shame someone with fae lineage?"
"Nothing, but what if-" Tadashi was interrupted before he could continue his speculation.
"If you were really one of us, we would have gladly welcomed you. My people certainly would not have left you in that horrid village. Your father lies." Tsukki asserted, the confidence and determination in his tone leaving no room for argument.
Tadashi nodded weakly and leaned onto Tsukki. He was tired from everything and did not want to walk all the way back to his turbulent home. Fortunately, Tsukki seemed to notice, and instead of sending Tadashi home, he simply opened his arms for Tadashi to snuggle into. Sleep was starting to pull at Tadashi's eyes, and while it was dangerous to spend nights alone in the forest, Tadashi was not alone. He could wake up in the early morning, but for now, he wanted to rest. For the first time in his memory, Tadashi fell asleep in the safe arms of someone he loved.
