When word reached the city that the Prince of Iwatobi had returned, it was not a surprise that they had missed it. The Prince was mysterious and refused to draw attention to himself, so it was likely that he had arrived disguised as a weary traveler. It would not be the first time that had happened.

His year long absence, as the nobles had reasoned, was to pay homage to the emperor and to solidify his standing as a Prince of the region. However, Iwatobi was just a few days journey from capitol and the Prince was not one for elongated visits. Rumors had spread quickly of the real reason for the long travel, the most popular being that he had been searching for a mystical oasis that was said to exist somewhere between Iwatobi and Samezuka. Those who still believed that the Prince had been training to be an assassin- a rumor that had originated because of his cold nature and secretive habits- since he was young would whisper on the street corners that he had been on training mission that took longer than expected. Others said that he had run away because of his dislike of his duties as a Prince and that he was just now being brought back. Those who were closest to the Prince didn't deny or confirm any of the rumors that circulated.

Haruka chose to ignore the gossip. He was not one to partake in it, or any kind of social interaction for that matter. But as he passed vendors and patrons in the marketplace he couldn't help but overhear their theories.

"I heard that he has not made it back to the Iwatobi palace yet." a mother whispered as she comforted her crying child.

"We have hardly seen him at the palace since his naming as a Prince of the region." another woman added.

"Doesn't he like being a Prince?" the older child beside her asked.

"I wouldn't be surprised if he is already fed up with the nobles. He has had to deal with them on a regular basis since he was ten. I can barely stand them on the rare days they come to the market." an aging vender joked.

"The Prince was not the one to choose his title." an elder pointed out. "His naming ceremony came on the eve of his parents passing. It was his duty to take his father's inheritance."

"The poor boy was forced to stop being a child." the young mother murmured sadly. Her three acquaintances nodded in agreement.

"They speak as if they know the Prince." Haruka muttered to himself. He never got the fascination the villagers had with their Prince. He was their governor with the slightest chance of becoming the next emperor. It was nothing exciting and their romanticizing of the role annoyed him.

He passed many more villagers having similar exchanges about the Prince before he reached the shop he was looking for. It was small compared to the other shops of its standing. The owner did business with many of the merchants who passed through, so he had many desirable and exotic items of good quality in his inventory. Haruka was not interested in buying and didn't take notice of the shop's interior. He was here to visit a good friend and present a gift. The changes since his last visit would prove a good distraction later, but he wasn't interested at the moment. The new carpet was a nice addition, though.

"You're usually waiting at the doorway for a customer." He stated in a casual manner. "Did something change while I was away?"

He heard something break behind the curtains that led to the store owner's personal quarters before they were opened to reveal the frantic owner. He stared at Haruka with his mouth opened in disbelief and his green eyes shining in excitement. "Haru?! You're back!" he exclaimed.

"I told you I was only going to be gone for about…" Haruka was unable to finish his sentence as the larger man ran towards him and encompassed him in a crushing hug.

"I missed you." He murmured close to Haruka's ear. Releasing his guest, he placed his soft hands on Haruka's shoulders, looking down at him with a concerned smile. "You never sent word of anything. We were starting to get worried about you. I was worried about you."

"You're always worried, Makoto." Haruka responded. He looked up-god, he was tall-at his friend with a straight face. "You know I was unable to contact anyone where I had gone." He reminded him.

Makoto sighed, rubbing a hand through his already tousled brown hair. "I know. It was for the best. But I just… I just wanted to know if you were safe."

"Well, I'm back now." Haruka reassured him, looking around at the shop while trying to look disinterested. He had been on many long journeys before and Makoto had never been this worried when he came back. I wonder what has happened since I left….

Makoto laughed and swept a hand towards the curtains. "You'll want to hear what has happened since you've been gone. Why don't we get comfortable before I start on that? A lot has happened since your departure." He suggested as he led Haruka past them and into a sitting area overlooking a small courtyard. An ornate wooden table sat low to the ground amongst a nest of colorful cushions and tapestries, colored with varying shades of blues, greens, purples, reds, and oranges, all favorite colors of Makoto and those close to him. Only family and friends were allowed to enter this area. It made it much easier to entertain guests while still attending to the shop. Another sitting room had been built into the shop to be used for business and trade deals, since Makoto did not want to have to deal with those transactions in the shop as they could turn ugly.

Makoto clapped his hands once and a servant came out of a side room with a tray holding a kettle of freshly brewed tea and two small cups. They placed them on the table and poured tea into both cups before bowing to Makoto. Makoto nodded, giving them an encouraging smile, and then signaled that they could leave. As the servant disappeared from sight, he motioned for Haru to take a seat first.

"Usually you would have no qualms about serving me wine." Haruka stated as he sat on the bluest cushion. "Is there a reason you want to stay sober?"

Another worried look passed over Makoto's face before he gave him a weak smile as he sat on the green cushion beside him. "I don't want to forget what to tell you because of a hazy mind. The story is best told sober."

Haruka sat quietly as Makoto regaled him with the tales of the past year. It was mainly common gossip that was heard among the villagers, something he was not interested in hearing, but Makoto was just as bad as any housewife when it came to gossip- even if he wouldn't admit that he gossiped at all- and he enjoyed seeing the shopkeeper in this happy mood. But then the subject of how raiders had attacked the city when news of the Prince's absence had spread came up, perking his interest in the conversation.

"The guards drove them off shortly after they came, but there have been rumors of sightings of them. One of the Chancellors had to step in to make important decisions just in case something else happened. " Makoto warned. Haru had to assure him that he was not leaving again in the near future and that he would be careful enough not to run into raiders.

"Is the chancellor still in place?" He asked as he took a sip of the tea.

Makoto nodded, solemn. "That is what I'm worried about. Originally, it was one chancellor, but then the whole court of nobles began to enforce rules. That kind of power does not suit them. They have not shown themselves to be good men."

Haru made a noncommittal sound as a response. That would be a problem.

Seeing Makoto's discomfort on the subject, he decided to start a different conversation. He'd rather have a smiling Makoto than a serious one. Their talk continued for another hour before Makoto reached another subject of interest; the engagement of their friends Rei and Nagisa.

"…surprised the party was not a bigger one. Nagisa is always so boisterous. I thought he was going to throw a ball and invite the whole kingdom!"

"Rei must have reigned him in." Haruka pointed out.

"True, true. He does have better luck with keeping Nagisa grounded." Makoto agreed. He looked back at Haruka with a smile. "They wanted to wait until you came back."

Haruka shrugged. "I'll give them my blessing when I see them next."

"I don't think it works that way, Haru…" Makoto sighed, running a tanned hand through his hair.

"Why not?"

Makoto smiled and shook his head. "I don't know, Haru. I don't know."

Haruka tried to hide his smirk by taking a sip of the tea. He had missed these talks with Makoto. Even when they were younger, he was withdrawn from the world and apathetic to daily life and Makoto had taken it upon himself to keep him informed. At first it had annoyed him, but Makoto's company was always preferred over Nagisa's. But he became accustomed with their conversations and enjoyed how enthusiastic Makoto be when they had them.

He leaned in closer, resting his chin on the shopkeeper's shoulder. "I'll have to go home soon. I hear they are making a mess of my house."

Makoto laughed. "Then you'd best be off." He looked down at his companion. He was visibly nervous. "I was thinking of having a small get together with Rei and Nagisa to honor your return to Iwatobi, just the four of us, no one else, if you'd wouldn't mind…"

"Will there be wine served?" Haru asked, looking up at Makoto with teasing eyes.

Makoto laughed in relief. "As you wish. If I did not serve it Nagisa would surely sneak some in with him."

Haruka smiled at the joke before he stood up to leave. "Thank you for your generous hospitality." He said as he pulled back the curtains to leave.

Makoto stood and walked over to give him warm hug. "May you return home safely." He stated. His grip around Haruka's waist tightened. "Ren and Ran will be leaving to visit our parents in the capitol tomorrow morning." He whispered.

Haruka glanced back up at him. "Then I shall return to you tomorrow night." He stated. He continued to stare at Makoto. He had missed having the shopkeeper's tanned skin at his fingertips. He had missed the warmth from his body as it was pressed against his. It had been a year since he had been able to gaze into those green eyes in person. He had dreamed of this several times on his journey and this moment made him start to think that maybe he was still dreaming.

Makoto's eyes locked with his. His cheeks were slowly turning a light shade of pink, whether from embarrassment or lust Haruka couldn't tell. Both were possibilities with Makoto. His hand let go of the curtain, closing it for privacy, and moved to rest on the back of Makoto's neck. His fingers brushed up against the taller man's skin, light enough to send shivers up his back. He watched as he swallowed a lump in his throat, nervousness dancing in his eyes as he leaned in closer until his lips were almost touching Haru's. "May I?" he asked.

Haru rolled his eyes at Makoto's attempt to ask for permission. Of course it was granted. Deeming verbal consent unnecessary, he pressed their lips together. It was a slow, deep kiss. Passionate enough to make Haru's knees weak and for the burning sensation in his gut to swell. His hand gripped the back of Makoto's neck and he had no intention of letting go. He could feel all the bottled up longing from their year apart surfacing. He could taste the tea they had shared on Makoto's soft lips and it made it even sweeter than his dreams. It made him want more. It made him want to forget that he really had to leave. The moan from Makoto told him that he wanted to forget the world with him. It was with regret that he pulled away.

"Tomorrow." He whispered before he pulled back the curtains and left the shop.

Dusk had fallen and the streets were nearly empty. Shopkeepers had begun to close their doors for the night while villagers hurried home. Not many noticed as he made his way to the palace walls.

"Who goes there?" a guard called out as he approached the gates.

"Haruka Nanase." He answered, pulling his hood off.

The guard's eyes widened. "Nanase-sama! You've returned." The guard turned towards the palace. "Open the gates!"

There was a loud groaning, clanking noise as the gates were raised from the ground. Several servants rushed to the entrance and fell to the ground, bowing, once they spotted Haru. "The Prince! He has returned!"

Haruka nodded in acknowledgement and motioned for them to rise. "Return to your duties."

One servant rushed forward. "Nanase-sama. Would you like for me to inform the nobles of your return?"Haru nodded again in affirmation.

"Tell them I have returned, and that I would like for them to explain what they have done with my palace in my absence."