Story summary: Two men are trying to find their place under the Martian red sky. In a society drowning in luxury and greed, will they give in to a chance at romance or take a path more beaten and void of such excitement? Will Iruka, whose life is full of tragedy and secrets, accept a charming duke's hand? Will Tenzō, who wishes to be accepted by this wretched society, lose his chance at happiness with a kind viscount? Only red heavens know. | KakaIru, GaiTenz, Regency Sci-Fi AU
Chapter summary: Our heroes, Tenzō and Iruka, are dealing with the aftermath of that one fateful ball.
While the first chapter's goal was to introduce the characters and give clues here and there about this unique world, this chapter has a lot more to say about the world itself! I had to give it a lot of thinking and figure out the intricacies – it's not perfect but still nice 3 Also, when doing my research into the Regency period, I realized that religion played a very big role in society. So, I included some religion in this fic, but hear me out – I made it up. There are some parallels with the catholic church but not much, really. It is totally made up and I hope you enjoy it!
Essential slang/French vocabulary:
L'amour - le plus beau des cadeaux! - "Love - the greatest gift!"
OF TWO MOONS AND A RED SKY
Chapter 2. Second Moon
"The hell is wrong with you?!" Tenzō would have woken up in fright from the ferocity of Kakashi's voice if he wasn't wide awake already way before the doors slammed open. He was sitting on the side of his bed when Kakashi barged in. Tenzō looked worse for wear, without a doubt (certainly felt like it), but his host obviously decided to ignore the fact. "Have you lost your wits? Gai?! You just met the man! And after I explicitly told you that he is not a match for you?!"
Tenzō stood up, wiping both hands over his face and trying to ignore the discomfort of the same breeches he wore yesterday to the ball. His shirt (or the wrinkled mess that was left of it) didn't provide much comfort either. After getting home last night (in the company of a half-empty bottle of Titan's golden ice whiskey), he tried to fall asleep, but the look of betrayal on Gai's face haunted him. As such, Tenzō continued to drink until he passed out only to wake up at the crack of dawn with a splitting headache, which he totally deserved.
"He told you, didn't he?" Tenzō asked not looking at Kakashi, but the answer was obvious. The man introduced Gai—Lord Maito (he needed to start referring to the man by the title as after last night there was no reason to assume they would be on the first name basis)—as a lifelong friend. So, obviously, Kakashi would be the first to know. However, it wasn't the answer he heard.
"What? No. The whole of Mars knows about it!" Kakashi threw his arms up in the air, and Tenzō winced at the increased volume.
"What?"
"What were you thinking, Tenzō?!" His host continued. "People have seen you dancing, they paid attention, they talked, for Phobos' sake! You know how people like to talk around here! But if you are that curious to know who told me, it was Itachi."
Tenzō massaged both of his temples to will the headache away. What Kakashi was saying couldn't have been right. Itachi Uchiha was an old friend and comrade from their Royal Navy days, who for the past few years was living with his great uncle, the Duke of Hellas Planitia, on the other side of the planet, and hasn't set foot in Konoha for way longer than Tenzō.
"When did he get back?"
"He didn't, Tenzō."
"Oh," that could only mean one thing – the whole planet indeed knew about his rush proposal yesterday... He gulped down a ball of shame with the water that was left by the help on a table and asked something he didn't want to know the answer to: "What else does the whole of Mars know?"
"That he proposed! Itachi called to ask if you accepted, and also threatened to end you if anyone other than him plans your bachelor party," Kakashi sounded on the verge of ireful and continued, ignoring Tenzō's perplexed look. "Please, tell me that this is just a rumour gone wild. There is no way Gai would propose knowing your intentions. Unless you lead him on?" Kakashi suddenly was near him a pushed him on the shoulder, "Damn Deimos, Tenzō, tell me you didn't lead him on!"
"Kakashi!" Tenzō brushed off the man's hand off his shoulder and shouted back, "I was the one who proposed!" For Phobos' sake, this couldn't be happening. Tenzō sat back on the bed and took his head in both hands. What was he supposed to do now? He was only trying to help. How could this turn out this way? And would the world stop spinning for just a fucking second?!
"Why would you even do that?" Though Kakashi's voice tuned down a little, it was still full of the man's exasperation. "Did you not hear at all what I said last night? He is family! Is a title that important to you? Take mine if you need it that badly!" Tenzō tried to interrupt, but Kakashi continued: "I always thought of you as a friend but after this... We can go to the church right now to get the paperwork done and over with, as long as I don't get to see your face after. I'm sure that the Reverend Umi—"
"Just. Stop. Talking, Kakashi!" Tenzō finally cut off the nonsense. "The title wasn't what I was after with my proposal!"
"What else then? Surely you didn't fall in love with him so soon."
"No, I didn't fall in love with him but—" Tenzō sighed deeply and recalled the events of last night. Gai was so cheerful and bright throughout the whole evening that there was no need for lights in the room. Tenzō was generally awkward around other people who either wanted some money from him or simply didn't want to bother with his presence. However, talking to Gai was the easiest thing in the world! He was patient, too, while teaching Tenzō how to dance. "He is charming, kind, and so pure that— When I heard people talk ill about him, I wanted to help. You know how these people are— The only way to make them stop is title and money. He only got one of those, so I— Why do you even let them talk that way about him?"
It seemed to Tenzō, sitting there with both hands still fisted in his hair and eyes shut tight, that Kakashi was watching him hatefully, judging him. He expected the duke to lash out again but instead felt the weight on the bed shift.
"You idiot," the words were said without malice as Kakashi sat next to him and placed a hand on Tenzō's back. "You, big righteous idiot. I should have known," he sighed and repeated, "I should have known."
"Kakashi," Tenzō looked at his friend, puzzled, but the man only sighed again.
"It's not my place to explain why, but Gai— he allows these rumours flying around. He doesn't care for them at all, you see? Maybe, one day, he'll share this with you. For now, though, let it go. You have a bigger issue now. I assume he wasn't at all happy with your proposal, was he?"
Mars was a harsh planet known for its rough landscapes and unforgiving climate. Outside the towns, the dangers followed people every step of the way: tall dunes of dust were moving across the planes constantly changing the scenery, so, without proper equipment, navigation by ground landmarks was next to impossible; the gravity was lower than what humans generally required to survive, so walking around for a long period of time was not an option; the atmosphere was so thin that you could hardly hear a sound through the oxishield. However, the biggest danger was not the planet's uninhabitable landscape but the infestation of gossipers within its towns.
Kakashi wasn't kidding, the whole planet indeed knew about the proposal at the Hyuuga's ball. As soon as Tenzō appeared on the town's local teleporting platform, the newsies on the street shouted at the people and each other:
"Breaking news! A surprise engagement at Hyuuga's ball!"
"Did the Duke arrange the engagement?"
"Find out Sir Tenzo's estimated net worth!"
And people were listening, starving for the new scandal in the community, and excited about the names involved. They would line up and pay the kids to get the rumours uploaded to their devices. They would later discuss them with their friends while at an afternoon tea or gentlemen's club.
Only the facts were all messed up, it seemed. Someone confessing to someone at the last night's ball was the only true piece of news – the rest was just speculation. Most papers leaned towards Lord Maito proposing to him, and Tenzō spat out in distaste, walking right past the newsies towards the residential area of the town center. He learned from Kakashi that the man maintained a townhome there during the season. Rumours had it, this was the only property of the viscount's that hasn't yet been possessed by a bank. but Tenzō was tired of rumours.
Upon reaching his destination, Tenzō paced in front of the building for at least half an hour before finding enough courage to go up the stairs and knock. When the door didn't open immediately, he went down the stairs (fully ready to just forget about the whole thing, take another assignment at the Asteroid Belt, and leave this damned planet for good). He, of course, was not a coward and stopped himself halfway. Then went up and knocked again, prepared for the worst. This time, though, the door opened to reveal a middle-aged man wearing a neatly ironed dark suit with a simple tie.
"Sir Yamato, please do come in," he said and stepped aside. "Lord Maito is in the garden. Allow me,—"
Tenzō followed the man into the house through the main floor and again outside, where he was met with an unexpected view. When the butler mentioned a garden, he expected to see a large hall with sculptures, glass ponds filled with sparkling marbles and minerals that were rather of fashion lately, and love seats here and there – these were the common places of informal gatherings and meetings of friends. Lord Maito's garden was not large but more impressive than he has ever seen before – it was full of flowering plants.
It seemed that his heart would burst out of his chest as Tenzō strode towards one of the bushes to see it up close and check whether or not they were synthetic, meant to imitate those from the distant Earth. He heard that some imitations were incredibly realistic and even emitted a similar aroma, and, dear Deimos, these smelled heavenly. When he reached out to touch a pale pink blossom, he felt the delicate velvety texture and could not believe it.
"Are these—" he asked eagerly, forgetting all the manners, and looked at Lord Maito that stood with long pruners just a couple of feet away. "I've never—"
"Pierre de Ronsard," the viscount smiled warmly at the rose bush, "or Rosa Eden. The only one of its kind on Mars. Its ancestor was brought to Konoha from Earth after the Fifth Rain, and it's been looked after by my family ever since then."
"Impressive," Tenzō breathed out. Plants on Mars, or anywhere, really, in the Solar System were rare. At some point in the past, humanity outside Earth learned to survive on synthetic produce that carried even more nutrients than grown ones, so there was no need for plants. Growing them without any real use was too costly and even a hazard – they absorbed too much water and could get inflamed too easily. They were completely forbidden within major oxidomes on Mars and other colonies in the system. When he thought further on it, this plant right here, that survived generations since the Fifth Rain, was at some point completely illegal.
"You saddened me, Sir Yamato," Lord Maito said suddenly, and Tenzō felt the blood drain from his face to form an uncomfortable lump in this throat. Of course, the viscount was mad, and that was the whole reason he came here. Feeling utterly shameful, he released the delicate bud from his hands and bowed deeply before the man.
"I will do everything, my lord, to dispel these rumours. I,—"
"Rumours?" Tenzō heard notes of frustration in Lord Maito's voice and was instantly thrown back to last night. He never meant to anger the man further and stayed with his head bowed low. But the next thing out of the viscount's mouth startled him enough to straighten out. "Why would I care about such a trivial thing? I care about our gentlemen's agreement, which you didn't honour."
Tenzō wasn't sure what the man referred to and simply stood there with a questioning gaze, while the viscount pruned another flower from the tree and had him hold it.
"I was expecting you here this morning for our training. You never came," another flower was entrusted him and Tenzō finally found voice again.
"I beg your pardon, Lord Maito, but what training are you referring to?"
"Your dance lessons, of course," the viscount added as it was the most trivial thing in the world. Tenzō could not believe the words, why would this man still offer to train him? He was still mad about the proposal, this was evident in the much colder demeanour and the lack of the endearments in the language very few people still spoke (outside Europa, at the very least).
"You would do that for me, still?"
"Are you insinuating that I would go back on my word?" Lord Maito turned sharply and looked at him again with the exactly same expression as at the ball. "I might not hold the wealth you do, Sir Yamato, but never have I given up my honour."
"I have misunderstood, my lord. Allow me to apologize,—"
"There is no need."
The delicate flowers were taken from Tenzō's hands and gently arranged in a vase that the butler brought just a moment earlier. The wave of bitter fondness struck him right there on the spot. He wanted to do something meaningful for Gai—Lord Maito, to ensure that his status is never challenged or questioned, to dispel the rumours, and promise life without hardships but,—
—there was no need.
If Kakashi was right, and the insufferable duke always was, Lord Maito didn't need his help. It was his choice to live the life as he saw fit. It seemed to Tenzō then, that this life didn't have a space for him at all in it. There was no need. For him.
Tenzo's heart sank at the thought.
He was about to turn around and leave when the viscount continued:
"I feel bad." This startled Tenzō once again and he looked up. "You acted as a noble man last night but I, out of surprise, reacted less than respectfully. It would be understandable if you decided to pull out of our agreement. However, should you not, perhaps, I could redeem myself? Your absence this morning saddened me because I thought have lost the opportunity." He wanted to blurt out that Gai—Lord Maito—wasn't the one who should be redeeming himself but swallowed the words and nodded. There was going to be another time.
The viscount proceeded to guide him from the garden to a ballroom. It wasn't big by any standards of the ton, but spacious enough for gatherings of closest friends and left enough room for a few couples to dance without fearing to bump into each other.
On the far end of the room, adorned with a grand frame, Tenzō saw a portrait of a woman with long red hair. She stood full height, surrounded by the same rose bushes from the garden, wearing not a pretty dress that Tenzō was used to seeing women wear but a loose sheer blouse held tightly at her waist by an extravagant corset; her pants—yes, pants,—were also loose and flaring at the ends but not reaching the ground. Her ankles were scandalously bare, with shoes bejewelled to match the corset. To finish this beautiful but odd outfit, she had a fancy cloth around her head, tied at both sides so as the ends of the material protruded upwards.
This must have been the late Lady Maito, the Viscountess of Solis Planum.
It seemed to Tenzō that she was watching him intently with her dark gaze. It never wavered when the viscount placed the vase on a pedestal right at her feet and only intensified when their dance lesson began.
Without fail, Tenzō showed up at the Maito residence each morning after. The awkwardness between them faded quickly but their conversations remained scarce, still. He wasn't sure if they would ever return to the same ease as at that ball but refused to lose hope. As for mastering the dance, he lost all hope by their third lesson.
Tenzō was either too quick to turn or too slow on the tempo, kept stepping on the viscount's feet or tripping over his own. Lord Maito's patience deserved odes to be sang about, really. So, he continued with their practice, not for himself, but for the viscount and his belief in Tenzō.
Rumours continued spreading, distorting into unfathomable stories with Kakashi being mixed in as well: as either a matchmaker or another partner in this love triangle. It bothered Tenzō, but he was getting used to ignoring them, especially after he talked to Lord Maito about it.
"Allow them, Sir Yamato, to gossip. They are bored! They'll be in town for the season before disappearing to their respective estates and going about their silly lives. This kind of entertainment pleases them, so let them have it."
"But,—"
"No matter what they say or do, you know your truth. Don't doubt it's beauty. And don't let your worth be defined by other people's opinions, only your own."
Though Tenzō wanted to counter that to say that there was no beauty in his rush proposal and ask of what to do when one's own opinion didn't account for much, he stayed silent. Because at that moment, Lord Maito smiled at him again in the same way as that first night, and he was beautiful. So beautiful that Tenzō tripped again as they continued with their dance and laughed, forgetting of the viscountess' heavy gaze on his back.
A month into the social season, Tenzō was nowhere closer to finding a spouse than that first day. He hasn't given up the task, but between dance lessons with Lord Maito and his business in town, he hardly had enough time to attend the balls. Kakashi promised him a few introductions, but the man was busy trying to find the mysterious person who happened to steal his heart.
Tenzō thought the whole ordeal ridiculous. One moment Kakashi makes fun of him for wanting to marry (reasons aside), the other – he runs around town, speaking to lords, help, and merchants, in futile search of an elusive stranger, who might have just as well been an object of the duke's imagination. Lord Maito kept saying that love changes a man. Something, for sure changed Kakashi that night, but Tenzō didn't believe it to be love. Curiosity, perhaps, but not love as such a thing was just a myth.
"I swear, Kakashi, with every day you seem gloomier and more pathetic than before. This new look isn't fitting for a duke," Tenzō assessed his cards, then placed a few more chips to the pool at the centre of the table, drawing a few groans out of his opponents. "Still no luck finding your Cinderella?"
"He isn't Cinderella, Tenzō," Kakashi at his side spat out, then threw his cards away and gulped down the rest of his drink. "Cinderella at least left a clue to how to find her. He left none! I've asked everyone around town! It's like he doesn't exist!"
"Well, it's hard to find someone without a name. And that description that you keep giving—"
"—is beautiful and most poetic!" the viscount waived his flute with such excitement that the starwine changed its colour. "Skin like a liquid bronze, eyes warm like melted chocolate from Jupiter's Europa, and hair fall in thick and gentle waves, colour reminding of the roasted chestnuts over a campfire of the ancients!"
"Yes, this part about campfires," Tenzō side-eyed now blushing Kakashi, "was that from a book? Because there hasn't been a single campfire anywhere near Mars for over a hundred years."
"This is just,—"
"Don't you make fun of him, Sir Yamato!" Lord Maito banged on the table in his friend's defence. "He has been blessed with love! L'amour - le plus beau des cadeaux!"
"Brown eyes, brown skin, and hair – anyone can fit that description!" Tenzō deflected, "for Phobos' sake, Lord Maito fits that description. Yet, I do not see you fawning over him."
"You will find him, my friend! I'm sure you will. Love forces us to travel the most mysterious of roads!"
This did not cheer Kakashi up, though, who excused himself shortly after and left the club as there was some sort of errand he had to do at the church in the morning. Tenzō knew, though, that the man was going to spend another day searching for his mysterious stranger. He could, without difficulty, understand the curiosity, but the duke and viscount spoke about love. Was it indeed possible to fall in love so quickly? And even if it was, what value was in it?
When later that night Tenzō walked with the viscount to the town home, he couldn't stop himself from asking: "What is it about love that fascinates you so?"
Maybe it was the wine in him talking, but for once, he felt the urge to understand both Kakashi and Lord Maito. His companion visibly brightened up at the question, enough to cause Tenzō to squint his eyes. He began excitedly reciting one of the old poems about the beauty of love and magic of human connection, how soulmates were bound to meet each other, destined to—
"I'm serious," Tenzō had to interrupt him there. "How can you be so sure that such a thing exists? You cannot touch it, or hear it speak, there is no aroma, or distinctive taste. Desire to be close to someone can be fickle, depending on the mood or chemical reactions in your body. So what is it about love that has a duke running around town frantic? Or you? Why do you want to find someone to love, haven't you been in love already, with you late wife?"
"I haven't."
The man's voice was so quiet that Tenzō wasn't sure he heard that right.
"What?" He had to ask...
The viscount slowed his pace and then came to a full stop, avoiding his gaze, seeming to contemplate whether or not to give Tenzō the full answer. Clearly, it wasn't the easiest subject to discuss, and Tenzō thought to withdraw the question, regretting to have brought it up in the first place, but the man continued.
"I cannot know the taste of love or tell you of its sound. So far, in all of my years on Mars, love has eluded me, you see? My wife—" he took a deep breath that made Tenzō come closer. "Ameyuri found herself in the most unfortunate of circumstances – she lived with some distant relatives who didn't care of her well being, hiding an illness that was slowly consuming her body. And yet, she was so full of life and pride! She wished for people to not know of her illness and to live the last days free and happy, so I offered my help."
They stood there, under a lamppost, in silence before the man continued.
"In our short marriage, we became friends, but no, not lovers. She had no love for me nor I for her, only compassion. However, she was luckier than me. Ameyuri used to talk about her lost lover – a soldier that fell victim in a battle in the Asteroid Belt. When it was time for her to go, she had me make a promise to look for love and only marry someone with the power to touch my heart. But there has been no one. Perhaps—"
"I am so sorry, Gai," Tenzō could not stop himself from interrupting as with every word this man, this proud, joyful man was looking sadder. He could not withstand the look of gloom on this gorgeous face created to smile and laugh to tears. He stepped in closer and brushed away dark bangs slowly to draw the viscount's gaze from the pavement to himself. "If there is love in this world, indeed, I do not know a man more worthy of it than you. So please, do not continue this thought."
And then, right there was that smile he grew so fond of. It made his chest expand with warmth before being compressed again, as Gai embraced him tight. Under that lamppost, Tenzō's heart hammered – it called for love. Not for itself but for the viscount's gentle heart, which echoed just as wildly.
Everybody had something to hide. No one in Konoha knew this better than Iruka. People entrusted him with the deepest secrets, mortal sins, and he kept them well hidden away. Upon returning to the orphanage that night after the ball, Iruka decided that he could keep one more. This time, one of his own. And what a sweet, sweet secret it was.
Kids cornered him when he came back, and asked many questions – how was the food, the music, was the Queen there or any of her Kings, was everything as extravagant as motion pictures in the papers showed? After telling them off for staying up so late, Iruka shared all details of the grandiose Hyuuga Manor with large halls, sculptures and paintings. He spoke about the painting that reminded him of their home and they listened to every word, fascinated. They were so disappointed to learn that neither the Queen Tsunade nor her husbands were there, but cheered up immediately hearing about the Duke of Elysium Planitia.
Sai and Shin, the older ones, asked if his grace was just as broody and intimidating as during service at the Church – it was the only time the kids would see the man. Iruka told them that he was quite charming and an amazing dancer, contrary to everyone's opinion. He left off the details of their conversation and obvious flirting and filed these memories deep inside his heart. Naruto, while being tucked in for the night, wanted to know if the duke's eye scar was just as badass as Iruka's, to which Iruka laughed and said that this simply couldn't be: his grace earned it in a battle against space pirates while serving the Queen in the Asteroid Belt, and Iruka's wasn't at all this honourable. Naruto argued with him, of course, but other younger kids quickly jumped in to talk about the pirates and noble knights that defended the Martian border from them.
Iruka thought that his little adventure would not be noticed by anyone. However, the very next day, the rumours spread around Konoha. Most of them were focused on the supposed engagement of the Viscount Maito, but some mentioned the duke. Some of the orphans worked as newsies and immediately showed him a motion picture of Iruka and Kakashi in the middle of a dance. The quality wasn't that good enough, to which Iruka sighed with relief, but the sole fact sent his heart racing. He couldn't possibly allow others to connect this mystery person to himself. Thankfully, no one other than the orphans made the connection, and soon, the papers forgot all about him.
The same couldn't have been said about the duke. It seemed that Iruka made an impression on his grace—the fact that made him feel all fuzzy on the inside. On the outside, though, Iruka panicked. Day in and out, he held his head lower and lower, spoke softer, and stayed out of the duke's way as much as he could. Which seemed to work out pretty well as it was now a month since their encounter. Soon, hopefully, his grace would forget all about him. He winced at the thought but continued on.
Today's service at the Konoha Ōtsutsuki Church was to praise Kaguya, the Rabbit Goddess, and the attendance was high. People of the ton greatly enjoyed the story that spoke of their society's origin and journey to its current glory, but Iruka always felt ill after it. He felt drained to the point of just an empty shell. Though, he endured it all, of course, with the head bowed low and solemn robes weighing heavily on his shoulders.
The church was grand and spacious – the building itself was the tallest one in town, right at the centre of the oxidome. The most prominent feature inside was the statue of the Goddess herself in all her eerie glory. One of her arms was held high, calling for the stars descending from the ceiling, but her gaze fell downwards, to her people. Nine animal figures, the Tailed Beasts of Heaven, stood at her feet like guard dogs, ready to pounce at their mistress' call. They were also known as Celestial Rains, sent after those who dared to defy Kaguya's will. Iruka looked at each of their faces with dull pain filling him up to his throat.
The people listened to the story of the ancient Earth – a planet divided by the wars, haunted by devastating plagues, and suffering from the hand of man. Destined for ruin, it was on its final trip around the Sun when the heavens showed mercy. Kaguya lightened up the sky and shone so bright that there wasn't a single soul that didn't stop to look up at her. She spoke of bringing peace and saving grace to the planet and its people if they followed her wisdom and cleaned all their lives off sin. They listened, and twice a year she bestowed upon them the Ōtsutsuki – the gifts from heaven filled with holy chakra that fuelled and healed the ancient Earth.
Chakra has been at the centre of everything since then. This energy flowed through every device, oxidome, and even produce – it ultimately was what made space travel possible, too. With it, people expanded their horizons and spread across the Solar System to as far as the moons of Saturn, carrying the kind word and wisdom of the Rabbit Goddess.
By the time the service ended and people began emptying the church, Iruka's face was paler than the robes. Beads of cold sweat dampened his forehead. He wanted to do nothing more than set loose his tight ponytail, discard the robes and wash away the smell of incense, but a cheerful voice called out to him.
"Iruka!" A young woman made way to him through the crowd and narrow spaces between benches, her countless skirts rustling loudly (thankfully, as the sound masked the graphic swearing under her breath that Iruka knew for a fact was there).
"Dear, you should address the Reverend Umino properly," a gentle voice followed from behind her, and he saw another woman moving much more gracefully. As they finally reached him, he took a levelling breath to gather what strength was left from the service he just performed on the most difficult for him subject and greeted both with a neutral smile.
"Lady Mitarashi, Ms. Yuuhi, how can I be of help?"
"You could help me castrate each filthy bloke in this goddessforsaken tow—ow!"
"Please forgive her manners—" Ms Yuuhi smiled at him sweetly while pressing her heel further into the baroness' foot. "—or the lack thereof. We came to you with an announcement. You see, my dear Anko just proposed last night but is very anxious to start on the wedding preparations."
"What wonderful news! I presume you want the wedding to take place here, right? Let's take this to my office right away," he tried to not show any signs of exhaustion. At least, his office was a quieter space, where he would be more at ease. Iruka began turning when the couple held him back.
"We will in just a minute," Ms Yuuhi rushed to add. "His Grace should join us any moment now, but you know him. He is often late."
"Ah, yes, of course," Iruka's heart almost jumped out of his chest at the mention of the duke. Today turned out to be much more tiring than he thought. He forgot that the baroness did not have any living parents. As such, it was a duke's responsibility to oversee any negotiations of her marriage. That meant he would be seeing and speaking with Kakashi yet again.
Before this thought had even had a chance to really sink in, Iruka heard the baroness yelp as the duke appeared behind her. He turned around swiftly and headed towards the office, knowing that the trio would inevitably follow. Iruka knew that there was no chance for Kakashi to recognize him – they spoke so many times before and, if the duke didn't recognize him at the ball, then there was no worry for it now. He was much more concerned about the pang of disappointment that prominently took place in his gut, where, really, he should have felt relief.
Iruka liked his simple office at the church. It was bright and full of books, with a window facing the busiest street, from which he liked to observe the townspeople. Sometimes, he would get a glimpse of the kids from the orphanage as they worked selling news at the corner or delivering pastries and other goods from the marketplace. This little office was usually the source of comfort for him throughout the day, but not today.
"Now, with that, we have sorted out the administrative details of the wedding. You, Lady Mitarashi, have also acknowledged that after the wedding and through this marriage Ms Yuuhi will share with you the land, responsibilities, and the title of baroness in her own right."
"You sure you don't want to include Tenzō in this little union of yours? The lad's been searching for a partner the whole season." Kakashi winked at the couple but received a fist in his shoulder from the baroness. It had to hurt, Iruka thought.
"This is because of blokes like him, I had to rush with my proposal! Like vultures, they are circling around my Kurenai every single ball! I was about to book a sailboat to Suna, my love. They have the most amazing night skies this time of year."
"There-there, dear," Ms Yuuhi gently patted her future spouse and granted her a sweet kiss on the cheek, causing a rose blush to appear there.
"I do have one more question," Iruka started, scratching nervously at his scar. He always tried to ask this of new couples but dreaded the answer. "Have you considered adoption? Our children at the church orphanage are educated and well mannered."
"No, no, Mr Umino," the baroness responded and moved the loving gaze to her bride, missing the dejected look that crossed Iruka's face before being replaced by usual neutrality. "We have already made arrangements for the children of our own. I'm sure that your kids are wonderful, but could there really be another with the eyes as red and beautiful as my Kurenai's?"
"Of course," this was the answer Iruka heard many times before. This sophisticated society had no use for orphans – he knew this all too well. Recent technologies allowed each couple (regardless of gender) to produce a biological heir. They needn't worry about anything. Life, though, couldn't be stopped, and whether it was because of illness, heroics in the Asteroid Belt, or other unfortunate circumstances, some children were left without parents. Iruka would look after them, of course, with some help from the crown and church wishing to be able to give them more. They were good kids.
Iruka saw out the baroness and her fiancée then turned to say goodbye to the duke to find him only a step away.
"Your Grace," he sucked in a breath and leaned in further into the door to create some space between them, but for nothing.
"Iruka," the man breathed out, stepped even closer and reached up to cup his cheeks before leaning in to steal a kiss, which he would have gotten if not for Iruka's instinct to push him away.
Iruka couldn't quite catalogue every emotion he was feeling, but there was glee (sheer glee at being recognized and found) mixed with panic (at the consequences of all of it) and fear (of losing the duke, and so much more than him). He walked to the furthest corner of the room, thoughts rushing through his head, palms sweating. He was so sure that his identity was safe that never truly prepared for—
didn't quite know how to—
Was he to beg the duke's forgiveness? Or run away—
Where? What about the kids?
"Whatever rushes through your mind," Kakashi said, voice calm and gentle like before, at the ball. "I'm certain that we will figure it out. That is if you allow."
"I can't!" Iruka finally found the strength to look at the duke who was still standing near the door, watching him. After a silent moment, he added dejectedly: "It's improper."
The duke, though, unconvinced, continued: "I felt like I have finally met my match that night. Someone with whom I could share life. Did you not feel this too?"
Iruka did. He wished to have not noticed the feeling, but, since that night, his heart has been calling in yearning for the duke. He felt all-powerful with Kakashi's arm in his, then, among the stars with their lips locked. But there was no future, no hope for them.
"What I did or didn't feel is of no importance."
"Iruka—"
"Your Grace, I would prefer that you address me appropriately as Mr Umino," Iruka had to interrupt as through the ringing in his ears and head consumed with fluster, he couldn't bear to hear more at that moment. This seemed to have taken Kakashi by surprise because he straightened out and opened the door.
"I will leave now," he said. "But know that our conversation isn't over. Having finally found you, I refuse to be brushed off without hearing true reasons." Then, he was gone.
AN: Please tell me what you thought of it! It took me like six months to write lol I wasn't kidding when I said that I am a slow writer xD
I haven't been posting stuff to ff recently as ao3 has become the home of my fics, so if you want to connect, find me there (JKirin) or on Tumblr (jinxkirin).