For the ages

by BL-lover23

The mouth of the tiger on his neck slowly dripped blood as the knife carved along. Something gently touched his cheek and his eyes immediately snapped up. He inhaled sharply, eyes widening. Gold met Rusty Red. (“You’ll come find me, right?”) Bajitora Omegaverse

6. Chapter 6: sorrowed vengeance

Dancin' where the stars go blue

Dancin' where the evening fell

Dancin' in my wooden shoes

In a wedding gown

Laughing with your pretty mouth

Laughing with your broken eyes

Laughing with your lover's tongue

In a lullaby

When the Stars Go Blue - Tyler Hilton & Bethany Joy Lenz

It should have taken them three weeks to a month to arrive in the northern stronghold Omamori, so tell him why they were almost all of the way through the wolf's road leading up to the northern capital in less than ten days. They had crossed the river of three paths that connected District Five's meadows with District One's northlands three days ago. they had all but razed through the fifth in six days.

This was Kazutora's first time being in any of the other great Districts, but just like with District Two's Water Abyss, he scarcely got to see any of it (albeit there were different things of matter when the ship had made landfall on the continent then) this was ridiculous!

Baji had just blazed through the main road— the wolf's path, as if doom was chasing his tail. Kazutora did not even get to see any of the meadow's famed spring trees, that supposedly bloomed with soft pink petals all year long.

Kazutora had not been the only one, who was at odds with his behavior. the commander's own men were more than exhausted by the pace they were taking. They looked like death warmed over as they got to work on dissembling the camp. At this point, they should not have bothered with the tents at all, since they slept for less than four hours. None of them had the guts to say anything to Baji's face though.

Thankfully, he had no scruple about such things "did you commit a misdemeanor I was not informed of, your grace?"

calling each other by their titles had become a competition of sorts over the span of the trip. Kazutora had been more than uncomfortable when anybody had addressed him by his new title and aggravated when the commander had teased him with it, so two days in, he'd begun to retaliate. the bewildered expression on the alpha's face had filled him with pleasure, observing the man fumble through his own words.

that novelty had perished by the end of another three days. But now the habit was stuck and here they were. "not recently, no" he received the distracted answer from the alpha, as the dark-haired man packed the remainder of a tent away.

"Then why are you racing through the road, like the central police captain Tachibana himself is on your heels?"

"I want to get home before the harvest moon"

Kazutora tilted his head in confusion. That response had been an unexpected one. the harvest moon would be halfway through this month. At normal speed, they would have never reached it. his haste did make sense… but why was his presence needed in Omamori for the harvest moon?

the omega had never heard that the northlands took special inklings to the harvest celebrations. District One did not go through the four seasons. As far as he knew, they cycled through icy winter and muddy winter like the Third cycled through scorching and windy sand. He's certain the northern temperatures never reached past 6 degrees in the summer months. Currently, it was probably below zero, his shivering limps could attest to it. What could they possibly be harvesting?

"Why didn't you simply utilize a transportation seal and save us the trouble then?" he asked with all the temperence of a child.

"I don't have the skill to use 'em" the alpha muttered reluctantly.

Kazutora did have the skill, he was about to stupidly offer his help, but as he became aware of his arms, where the seals suppressing his mana were engraved, he discovered with disappointment that he would not be of much use, either. Sealing spells took years to master, if at all. so it was not possible to instruct the commander right now. "and under your thousands of men, nobody else can either?"

"northern folk are not known to bother with the fancy and advanced spells. Usually, we make do with the battling kind"

Kazutora was not surprised. but still, it was not completely true. He clapped the man on the shoulder "Do not sell yourself too short. you invented the undying flame. I am no expert, but making fire that cannot be extinguished, let alone burns so hot, it turns into the famed azure inferno, appears rather complicated to me"

Point in fact, as he watches the man's cheeks redden. He must overheat constantly as a side effect. He sighed, glad that his own body ran colder in moments like these as he removed the gloves the alpha had gifted him after they'd entered the northern border and cupped the man's cheeks to cool them down. His brows furrowed in worry as they seemed to heat up even more, his whole face now crimson.

"It's not"

"it's not what?"

"I still haven't gotten it to the point where it's unextinguishable.." to be stuck on that part of all things, Kazutora thought with exasporation.

"my, aren't you hard on yourself" the omega flicked his finger at the man's frowning forehead. He wasn't fond of the unsatisfied expression on the man's face. He was barely in his twenties. Most Mana specialists couldn't even invent a fire spell let alone a whole flame technique even fifty years into their careers. The northerner had no reason to be so hard on himself.

"Baji-san we gath- SORry! I didn't-" Kazutora's attention flew to the lieutenant who was waving his hand around his face, his eyes pinched closed as he walked backward, almost into the next tent. "watch-" too late "…out" Kazutora lamely finished as the blonde fumbled through the broken tent he was twisted in. A couple of men rushed to help him, he was about to ask Baji what this was about when Kazutora realized he was presently holding the commander's face captive in front of too many of his subordinates and promptly dropped his hands back to his sides.

To his dismay, this was not the first (or last) time that incidents like these had occurred. Throughout the journey, it had happened far too often..

there had been the incident in that one inn….

They had not even lingered for a full night of sleep, so it should not even have reached that point. Kazutora had no difficulty blaming everything on Baji.

It had started with the inn not having the capacity to house all of them (considering the sheer number of them, it was no surprise) The inn-owner did try to tell Baji, but the man would hear none of it. They were still in the fifth by then and if it weren't for that age-old feud between the Meadows and the Northlands… It seemed that wherever these two fractions collided a fight of some sort would follow. Nobody even knew which side had started it all, many say it originated back when the districts had still been kingdoms in their own right. some even believe it was the last rulers of both kingdoms that had bent the knee that had kickstarted the tensions between the neighboring districts.

one would think after the war with one district (his district) ceased, no one would be eager to kickstart another feud, so he'd expected Baji not to just threaten bodily harm to the man without causing problems with the locals. Not to mention there were some of the fifth's soldiers lingering around as well. but alas he'd forgotten which district he'd (unwillingly) married into.

No, Baji instead decided to upstart a whole brawl with half the town and their (supposed) allies after his Lieutenant had made it known to him that some of those soldiers had been Akashi loyalists, specifically followers of the former warden. the infamous Akashi Takeomi, who'd been most famously known for being under more skirts than war fronts. It made his moniker all the more ironic in hindsight.

It was all hearsay, so Kazutora had never seen any actual proof, but some of the mainland scouts had been very opinionated after it had been exposed that the last of the Akashi dynasty had been in cahoots with the fourth to overthrow the monarchy. By the venomous look on his husband's face, he most certainly had been of that opinion as well. He himself had never been able to figure out for sure, as he'd only rejoined the estate long after Alashi 'god of war' Takeomi had been removed from power by an unknown rebel. Godspeed to that blessed person. The Black dragons had been one thing, but if the fifth had also been involved than Central would have been long surrounded and overthrown.

Looking back, Kazutora still wondered how both districts had not killed one another while fighting on the same side for so long. he had trouble believing the first and fifth to be on the same front of the war.

at the time Kazutora had admittedly not been that entertained in years, so he had not seen a reason to put an end to it. He (might have even) stirred the fire.

allegedly.

"Nice punch, Lieutenant!"

he clapped as one of the fifth's men fell to the ground a few meters in front of him. He'd chosen to take one of the flung chairs and sat himself on the sidelines with some of the local omegas. Baji had ordered him not to get involved. so he wouldn't. They could all bash their heads into each other, for all he cared. the lieutenant tried his best to ignore him, which was rude.

"Oh my, that one still had a tab open in my bar"

"I think I see his coin pouch, you should give yourself a tip, too while you're at it" Kazutora cheered on her as the barmaid (Yuna was her name, his mind supplied) relieved the man of his finances.

"You must be lucky to have such a spirited husband" an elderly omega gushed and Kazutora almost choked on his spit, the barmaid all but forgotten. His brain still reeled with his new marital status. While they had been on and about in the last few days, it had become public knowledge, that they were now each other's respective.. spouses.

His thumb caressed the leather band on his finger as he followed her gaze to the dark-haired alpha, who was exhilaratingly bashing into more than one opponent, his ponytail swinging in the wind. A vicious smile on his face as he knocked two heads together. Kazutora swallowed, he had not even noticed that he'd pulled his hair into a hairband, the muscles on his shoulders now enhanced that the hair was no longer obscuring them.

Like he sensed he was being watched, red eyes turned to him and Kazutora froze at being caught staring. Before he could turn his gaze away, the alpha smirked and winked at him. An aborted sound came out of Kazutora's throat as his face began to feel rather hot. the alpha's grin widened and then he was back in the mids of the fight.

Kazutora distantly heard the women around him squeal, but he could pay it little mind. his stomach fluttered peculiarly. It felt like the organ had dropped next to his feet almost.

Every time his thought went back to his hus- spouse, yeah that. the feeling amplified. He was so preoccupied with the mental picture of the crinkling of the man's eyes in amusement to notice what was going on around him.

This is where blaming Baji for everything came in. This would have never occurred, if the man had not distracted him with his- everything.

"watch out!"

Kazutora blinked and a man of a rather sturdy size flew straight at him. The only thought in his mind, before the impact came, was 'Who could throw a person of this size like he'd weigh nothing?'

His instincts had reacted faster than his mind did, the man only landed partially on him, most of the weight absorbed by the (now broken) chair he'd been sitting on. But half of him was still obstructing Kazutora from breathing. The feeling of an unknown man on top of him did nothing for the rising sensation of dread in his body. static crammed his ears as his breathing shortened with every heartbeat. The smell of wrong, wrong, wrong! filled his nostrils.

Abruptly the weight was lifted from him and brownish-red eyes pulled into his view, as he was hastily put into a seating position. Baji's eyebrows were furrowed in concern and what a shame it was, that the man was no longer smiling, he distantly pondered.

"Kazutora say something"

He did not comprehend why Baji was so alarmed as the man cupped and held his face. Kazutora hadn't been harmed. He was more muddy than anything, but the stench of alcohol from the stranger still lingered on his nose, making it wrinkle in disgust.

"Ew"

Baji's shoulders untensed (he hadn't even noticed how strained he'd held them) with a sigh, the alpha picked him up into a standing position but did not let go of him, making Kazutora splutter.

The hold on his waist remained as the alpha barked something at his men. He blinked as he watched more than a proportionally necessary number of northern men go at beating the life of a single man. the man (weirdly singed) that had fallen on him suffered a similar fate to his utter confusion. He could not voice any of it though as Baji tugged at him. He weakly bid goodbye to the women with promises to write as Baji took him up the demolished stairs to one of the unoccupied rooms.

the door closed with a click, the only sound coming from the muffled brawl still proceeding downstairs. Kazutora took a moment to organize his thoughts.

"Sorry, I ruined your fun, didn't I.."

"you didn't," the alpha said firmly, as he caressed the back of his neck, making him shiver. Kazutora almost believed him.

"You should rest, we'll be on the road again in a few hours-" Kazutora still didn't know why he had done what he did. The alpha was about to turn back to the door when he panickedly grabbed his sleeve to stop him.

the man looked at him questioningly, Kazutora opened his mouth to say something, anything that would explain his actions but came up empty. He did not know why he had needed the alpha to stay.

He turned his eyes away scowling holes at the door past Baji's shoulders, so he would not have to peek at him, unable to rationally put into words what was bothering him, frustration built in him. His tense fingers were still grasping the man's sleeves.

A warm hand covered his fingers. Kazutora closed his eyes, bracing himself for the mortification that was bound to follow.

Instead, the hold on his wrist remained as he was pulled to the bed. Baji sat him down before kneeling in front of him. Kazutora's eyes widened at their positions. the man took his shoes and began unlacing them. Embarrassed Kazutora pulled away, but Baji gripped his calve and positioned it back. His stomach squirmed once more with the tingling feeling, that followed when Baji did something. an alpha should not be kneeling in front of an omega for anything- "I-I can do this myself-"

"I know"

Baji continued to unlace his shoes. and Kazutora did not argue again. When he'd finished, his rust-filled eyes turned up to him, sweat from the exertion of the fight glistening on his temple, Kazutora's trailed down to see the alpha's neck one drop of sweat rolling down to-

Kazutora had to take a deep breath to calm his chest. It must have been some bewitchment or other type of sorcery for him to still look so effortlessly striking. If he were to wink at him now, Kazutora might unwisely combust.

the noise from the back of his throat (yet again) this was definitely an assassination attempt. "Hm?" Oh, he had been asked a question. He tried not to squirm. the alpha caressed his thigh in comfort. he nodded absentmindedly, too distracted by the fuckin- hand on his thigh. "peachy, never better"

"you sure-" his voice stilled mid-question. Kazutora could feel the man take a deep breath. Baji's eyes were closed, and the hand on his thigh turned from a caress to a claw, digging into his skin. Kazutora let out a sound he didn't know he was capable of.

the alpha's eyes snapped open, and the glow of his red irises pinned him into place. Ashamed, Kazutora tried to cover his steaming face with the back of his palm.

A moment later the hand shielding his flushed cheeks was pulled to the side. with a gasp, he was forced to realize the alpha's face was only a couple of hair breaths away from his own. the alpha had an unreadable expression on his face. the fragrance of a forest filled his senses as he took a shaky breath. a fatal mistake on his part. the more of the intoxing scent filled his lungs, the more this instinctual part of himself took hold. his heart rate picking up the longer Baji's unblinking gaze remained on him.

Kazutora's own eyes mustered the man in front of him, noting the furrow of his brow in concentration. his pupils were more dilated than before. the air felt charged with electricity.

A match lit up in wait to envelop the forest in fire.

Neither of them spoke, bound to a spell neither had cast. Kazutora's eyes darted from the man's eyes to his lips, watching in fascination as a bit of his tongue swiped over his bottom lip, his sharp canines peeking through. he made a sound at the back of his throat, that he'd deny making later, when his eyes finally darted back to the alpha's waiting eyes. he froze, realizing the Baji had caught him staring.

a hand grabbed his chin before he could turn away, tilting it forward, his earring chiming. Baji was so close now he could feel every exhale on his lips. "..tell me to stop" he could hear the rugged whisper of the alpha, as he closed the short distance between them.

their lips slotted together and

Kazutora, he-

again, the sensation was so soft. Belatedly, he realized, he'd never been properly kissed before. something in his chest woefully eased with it as his eyes fluttered closed. He leaned forward, pressing himself more into the alpha's space.

It had only been a short press of their lips, but Kazutora could feel something stir in the deepest parts of him, that had lain dormant until then.

He craved more, something inside of him urged. he didn't need-

but he wanted. the alpha fingers tangled at the back of the omega's nape, making him shiver as he tilted his head the new angle brought them even closer and he gasped. it was even better now. Baji took hold of his bottom lip and Kazutora keened, his arms crossing behind the alpha's head for purchase. He felt drunk on it.

the hot tongue swiped over his lips and Kazutora shivered, invitingly opening his mouth without a second thought. He preened when the alpha groaned deeply before he instantly invaded Kazutora with his eager tongue. the alpha's hunger was palpable, making his stomach squirm. he tried to follow Baji's searing lead, tasting the burning of wood as he tried not to be engulfed by the wildfire.

It was exhilarating. nothing like the crow's nest, he noted absentmindedly, as he dived deeper. If he'd known it would initiate this reaction in him, he would have tried it much sooner.

Maybe kissing had more to it than he'd initially thought. Maybe if he'd kissed someone before he'd might have found the same joyment all those novels had marveled at.

His mind tried to think about, kissing someone just for the fun of it. The grip on him tightened and Kazutora let out another gasp at the growing heat. Something in him soured at the thought of another person touching him like this.

Maybe then only this one person, his mind conceded. This one indulgence.

A moan escaped his lips when one of Baji's legs slotted itself between his thighs. the only thing on his mind being Baji, Baji, Baji, Baji, Baji, Baji, Baji.

the kiss ended abruptly as the alpha shoved himself away, a choked out "I shouldn't have-"

he'd just gotten a taste of him, spit still trailed down his chin, as his instincts screamed at him. The burning scent of firewood clogged his senses. Kazutora was not done yet. his eyes narrowed in annoyance, as the man tried to hastily leave. How dare he begin this and then up and leave. Kazutora hadn't permitted him to just leave

He ripped the alpha back towards himself, crashing them both into the bed with the force of it.

If Baji had been hungry, then Kazutora was starving.

the alpha was not allowed to even gather himself, before Kazutora flipped them over and clashed their lips together, with more force than necessary. their teeth clacked together in his impatience, before a warm palm guided his head once again, the other settled on the small of his back. Kazutora relaxed into it.

unlike before the alpha did not immediately take the lead as he beckoned Kazutora's tongue to move first. He eagerly obliged, chasing the euphoric feeling from before as he connected their lips over and over, curling his tongue this way and that just to explore, to taste and when he heard the sounds the alpha was making, he'd do it again, satisfied with his findings as he grinned into the next kiss. His bell chimed with every motion.

They broke off when their lungs ached for air. Kazutora's head leaned on Baji's shoulder under him. He could feel the alpha's hot breath in his hair. with the heaving breaths, bone-deep exhaustion followed and Kazutora relaxed more onto the body under him. A part of him still wanted to continue, curiosity still itching under his skin, but he'd barely slept in the last few days.

"I wonder is my wife alive?" the all too familiar voice chimed in.

Kazutora scoffed at the amusement in the alpha's voice, licking his sore lips "you think yourself too high. it's your chest that was wheezing mere seconds ago"

"what can I say, my wife stole my breath away-" Kazutora threw a pillow at his face in embarrassment, but Baji just laughed harder.

It hadn't taken long for him to fall asleep. However..

When he'd woken up and remembered once more his scandalous actions, Kazutora had been mortified at the position he'd found himself in. Slowly, he removed himself, the ninety-five percent of his body that had chosen to use the alpha under him as a pillow (bed?), and promised not to let it happen again.

He might have wished to crawl under a rock. and he almost had, after everybody had stared at them for the rest of the day when they had emerged from the room. He'd gotten over it (not really) after they had a repeat of it that same night, and then another, then ano-

he didn't even know how neither of them had chosen to voice anything about the sudden arrangement - they had spent every resting stop, be it an inn or encampment after, the same way. He would rather be caught dead, than bring it up, and as long as the alpha wasn't going to, either - all was well.

He'd assumed that would be the worst of it. But he did realize there were other repercussions to this arrangement as well that he had not calculated for. for one his own casualness in touching the man. Spending a few nights in the same bed had made his body too comfortable it seemed. He took a few steps away to be safe. The alpha raised an eyebrow at his antics but did not comment further.

He coughed into his sleeve and quickly stepped away as the the red-faced lieutenant finally made it out of the tent and apologized to his commander profusely for something, before getting back to the topic he'd come to him for. "We gathered all of the tents. we are ready to depart"

"we should arrive before the next dawn then," the man said with a pleased smile, that did not make his stomach flutter one bit

And before dawn they did.

Barely.

Some of the men dropped as soon as the Wall gates closed behind them. Omamori was famously known for its encircling high walls that protected it from foreign invasions. In the night Kazutora had trouble making any of it out though. From what he'd heard, nobody had ever been successful in seizing the city or even its outer ring.

This late (early?) in the night the streets were empty. Only a few awake to prepare for the next day, that stopped to welcome the returned troops. It was an odd feeling to watch an officer burst into tears as soon as he recognized his grandmother, running to embrace her. More surprising it was, for none of the other men to mock him about it.

One by one soldiers departed into different directions of the city to reunite with their own families. The city was the third biggest in Toman, right after Central and the meadows capital, populated by at least 300,000 people. It made sense for most of the soldiers to have originated from the northern capital.

It still took them another two hours to reach Herald, the castle grounds the warden called his home.

at last, Baji had chosen to grant his horses and men some respite. By the time they arrived, dawn had settled around them, the early twilight making way for the first rays of sunlight. Most of the ground was covered in a milky sheen of mist.

almost like they were gliding through the thicks of a cloud, a childish part of him thought. If the castle weren't made of the dark materials of wolf's stone and blood iron, it would have never been visible through the fog. It was as grand as it was intimidating. It was a thousand times the size of the estate he'd grown up in. He shuddered at the thought of what the eerie fortress would look like if it was not shrouded by mist.

As Baji went to enter his home, Kazutora belatedly realized that the rest of his men had departed in a different direction. Not even his lieutenant had remained. Baji waited for him with an expectant look and Kazutora hurriedly followed to enter inside as well. The stone doors closed with a loud thud. Just as he was about to take a look around, a loud voice boomed through the foyer.

"Well. well. well. If it isn't my unfilial son" Kazutora had never thought he'd see the day Baji Keisuke would shrivel up like a forgotten grape in the heat of summer. But here they were. He didn't know whether to be concerned or laugh at the mix of dread and fear on the other man's face.

He suddenly was very excited to meet the -he presumed- matriarch of the Baji Household walking down the stairs.

With a snap the navy and silver fan closed as she arrived at the bottom of the dark wooden staircase. He had yet to see her face. "What do you have to say for yourself? My only son getting married, without a word to the woman who birthed him?"

Baji cringed and Kazutora was this close to bursting out laughing. He was doing a poor job of it, as Baji turned to him with a dirty look, and finally, the woman's face was clear to see…

for a moment, he wondered if Baji had suddenly teleported and changed his clothes into a blue gown with a silver lining. He didn't think he'd be able to pull off such a meticulous dress.. but he blinked and no, the man was still there shielding his presumed double from Kazutora.

The female version of Baji sighed with annoyance "I'm not going to kill them. Stop standing there like a guard dog, you idiot" Was that what the alpha was doing?

Now Kazutora felt insulted. He itched to make him regret it and side-stepped the alpha. "Hello~ it's so good to meet you! your son neglected to mention anything about you" he dramatically sighed like Baji had wronged them both so greatly with his actions. If it came to it, he would even shed a tear.

"Of course, that little shit wouldn't- …Kazutora-kun?" Her angry expression turned pale. like she was gazing at a ghost, her earlier vigor completely drained out of her body. Kazutora's hackles immediately rose in alarm. he was positive he'd never met this woman before. All of a sudden, the situation didn't feel all that funny anymore.

Neither of them spoke until-

"It was said you died…" she gazed at him with a sorrowful expression. It clicked in his mind. As a member of one of the six noble families, of course she would have known of his existence. so knowing his name was not too odd of a thing.

But many children had died throughout the war. the news of his demise or (now) survival should not be of much importance to her, noble-born or not.

He took a step back, not saying anything. An overwhelming headache throbbed through his mind's every fiber trying to think of an instance that would warrant such a reaction. Only nothingness greeted him. Yet his throat felt thick with emotion he couldn't place. Kazutora still didn't say anything. He was expected to answer, wasn't he? but what was he to say?

"Mother."

Both of them stilled at the tone of the alpha's commanding voice. A hand supported his back and a part of his rigidness melted with it. when he turned to the alpha, a silent conversation seemed to pass through mother and son, that Kazutora was not privy to. He felt like he was intruding, as his gaze focused away from them.

He could hear her clear her throat before she spoke once more. "I apologize for acting poorly, dear. I welcome you to this humble abode, I'll let head-maid Chiyo show you to your quarters. You must be exhausted after the long journey. I also took the liberty of having a bath drawn for you"

That was suspiciously nice… weren't mother-in-laws not meant to be territorial and mean-spirited towards their children's spouses? As he looked at the more relaxed face of the alpha, he recognized what was happening. The books had mentioned this as well.

Mother-in-Laws never acted out their evil urges in front of their children. He nodded to himself, he wouldn't trust her as far as he could throw her. Two could play the game. his eyes crinkled as he smiled at her "I thank you, your grace"

"None of that, call me-" she stopped herself with a strained expression "Ryouko at least, we're family now, are we not?"

"Yes.. we are." he tried not to cringe at the fakeness in his own words "I shall retire then, Ryouko-san"

He trailed after the old maid sporting a stoic expression and as Baji made to follow his mother stopped him with her fan "not you."

He would have laughed in Baji's face but the weirdness of the whole encounter had him anxious. He didn't know her, he kept on repeating in his mind. She was trying to unsettle him. The head maid stopped abruptly in front of a double door, she gave him a cold dismissive glance after opening the door and left as fast as she'd come. At least one person wasn't bothered to keep up the act of hospitality.

Kazutora slowly stepped inside. The footmen outside took the liberty of closing the door after him.

The room just like the dowager duchess was colored in dark blues and silver, not to mention the room was very spacious. A big bed, where at least four people would be able to sleep with a big window to its side, with doors leading to a balcony. In front of the bed was a large loveseat and small table with a fireplace - that had been freshly kindled if the wooden locks were anything to go by- to the other side of the wall with rows of books behind it. There was a door there too, just like next to the bed. Since he was closest to the bed he decided to check out that door first, which happened to be unsurprisingly a walk-in closet, with loads of garments and mirrors. There was even a table on the far wall with parchment paper and quills.

he then went for the other door to find the bathing chamber and just as promised a big tub filled with steaming water. Just what his freezing limbs needed. Off to the side lay a robe and a brush. It seems they'd thought of everything. He hastily removed the clothes he'd been wearing before he'd finally lowered himself into the steaming bath with a relieved sigh.

To his surprise the water had been stirred with chamomile and something else he couldn't name.. but he didn't think too much about it, enjoying the bath too much for something so minor. If the matriarch wanted to poison him, then he'd let her have the victory. the bath was divine.

He floated in there for a long while, just existing, at one point his eyes began to droop, and that's when he reluctantly decided it was time to get out. With the pace of garden snail, he stood up and put on the robe before leaving the chamber, not bothering with the brush.

He quickly realized that even with the fire going he was still going to be cold from either the bed or the loveseat, so he did what any able-bodied omega would do and took the whole bedding into his arms, before dumping it into a pile in front of the fireplace and laid right in the middle of it.

He wondered if he should search for a change of clothes, but for that, he'd have to get up and that in itself felt like too much of a task. The halfwet, halfdry robe it was. He'd barely closed his eyes when the doors opened. He snapped into a sitting position in alarm before he realized who it was. He leaned back into his pile. "My mother decided to parade us around the city since the people had to miss out on the wedding"

so that was her ploy? "can't I be there in spirit only?"

"'fraid not. Those people know what I look like. They want to know all about that exotic southern wife I brought with me"

"Never use that word again, I'm not a bird"

"no, you're more of a tiger" Kazutora's eyes slid half-open to glare at the man.

"Do you think an issue might arise because of the lack of mating bite.."

"don't worry too much about it, most people here are covered up and don't flaunt their mating glands" the alpha just waved off. "and you also have that tattoo of yours that does a pretty good job of concealing most of your neck, right?" If he weren't currently snug in between the heaps of pillows and bedding, he might have argued some more. but alas he was still freezing even like this. He would not have to play the part about covering himself in layers up later. his authentic lack of body heat would do the job just fine. "Does my wife need me to warm him up" Baji asked with a grin.

Kazutora looked to the side and didn't say anything, weighing his options. being warm did sound heavenly but at the expense of his pride?

Sudden hands snaked around his waist and hoisted him up, making him splutter at the unexpected tilting of body "hey-"

And with an oof, he was sitting on Baji's lap like a pet animal. and gods, he did not like that comparison. But as Baji's hands and body slowly rose in temperature, he felt himself reluctantly melt into it. the alpha played dirty..

"you don't seem to particularly mind" he didn't think, he'd voiced his thoughts aloud. the worst part was that Baji was right. He did not mind. And with that, his body decided an impromptu nap didn't sound too bad before he made himself more comfortable and closed his eyes. Twenty minutes couldn't hurt… "wake me up in twen…ty"

Baji snorted. the omega wasn't even able to finish his sentence before nodding off. He smiled into his hair as he encircled him closer. He'd be grumpy when he'd find out Baji let him sleep longer, but he couldn't help but indulge him and his stupidly attractive sleeping face.

"Do you need help by chance"

the alpha looked at him, or rather Kazutora's face that reflected in the mirror, doing a poor job of hiding the flicker of amusement in his eyes as he buttoned the rest of his coat. the long, flowing black coat he was wearing fit him well. Dark colors seemed to have been made for the alpha. ornate patterns wear covering most of it. The coat had a high collar, with buckles down the front, and draping sleeves. the dripping along the hem and sleeves gave the garment a tattered and rugged appearance. Baji did not fit the clean and properness of usual aristocratic wear. He surpressed the smile trying to form.

Underneath the coat, he wore dark blue slacks. Layered over the black coat were chains and belts with decorative buckles with the Baji Family Insignia depicting a wolf.

"I could get a maid to help you"

"no thanks." he narrowed his eyes at the excessive parts of the clothing. These were way too many layers. the robe he was wearing was made of black fabric and embroidered with some intricate patterns in shades of dark blue and gray. Not colors he'd typically wore. The patterns depicted some floral or vine-like symbols. It gave the garment a somewhat haunting or macabre appearance. The robe itself was rather long with clasps running down its front. It had taken him years, it felt, to button them all. billowing sleeves and a high, ornamental collar hid his unmarked neck at least.

as his eyes turned to Baji's reflection and then back to his own, he concluded,. They were a matching set… fitting considering where they were headed, he guessed.

Still, the clothing made him feel like a pretender wearing a costume unbefitting of him. Here he was playing the part of a wannabe duchess "Maybe this is a sign"

"for what?" the alpha snorted

"to cancel the festivities"

Baji began to laugh as he stepped closer to him, and Kazutora noticed his hair was partially pulled back. His perfectly groomed eyebrows, his thick black eyelashes hiding these haunting crimson- his thinking was immediately abandoned when their eyes met. He'd been caught staring (again)

He prayed for the gods to take mercy on him and open the ground beneath him so it could swallow him whole as he willed the blood circulating his cheeks away. he peeked and saw the smug smile on his husband. "stop that"

"stop what, I'm only looking at you"

Kazutora didn't take the bait and played dumb "and you should cease that right this moment"

the man cackled at the dirty look Kazutora was giving him before he was directly behind him. His hand caressed his shoulders, making him shiver. Seconds later it moved to his ear, his finger tapping at the bell for one moment. it took all of his willpower not to move at the ticklish feeling. the alpha head moved down as well and Kazutora could feel his hot breath on his ear. He took a sharp intake of breath.

"I won't be as unfair as my wife. you may continue to stare for however long you please" the velvety voice grazed against his skin. Kazutora wanted to die. "you may even touch-" Kazutora stood up with a start, he would die if he let the alpha continue. "We are late. we should not keep your mother waiting"

He hastily booked it for the door to flee the man's grasp. the alpha was not good for his health, his erratic heart spoke for itself. He could still hear him chuckle as he opened the doors to the hall.

"what happened to not wanting to go?"

"I never said that." he lied "I would love nothing more than to be outside and see all those people as they stare at me.." He lost most of his enthusiasm by the end of the sentence but he would not be deterred. "Let's not keep your mother waiting" he repeated.

He stalked through several hallways and down some odd stairs- midway through realizing that he had no idea where he was supposed to go…

he stopped dead in his tracks, thinking how much humiliation he'd have to endure before the day was over. Baji would laugh at him when he'd return with his tail tucked, admitting to getting lost. Aghh, but he could not remain in this empty corridor either. the lack of footmen and proper lighting was a dead giveaway that these halls were not well-visited. if he'd continued walking down this way, who knows where he would end up

defeated, he was about to turn back when something on the wall made him halt. an eerie sensation swept over him when his eyes finally fell on-

a painting..?

it was a portrait, worn and old- the face of the person— it was well.. portraying was no longer visible. they were wearing a wolf's mane on their shoulder, their clothing the darkest shade of ebony he'd ever seen. there was a silver-white crown on their short ink-stained hair. by all means, he was a strange relic from a time long gone..

the painting must have been at least a couple of centuries old by the poor state of it. even the plaque was no longer eligible to explain which ancestor (and he must surely be) of the Baji line he was. even the blood-soaked mask, shaped like a wolf's head in the hand of the person depicted in the portrait did not ring a bell. by all means it should not, he repeated in his mind. yet he could not shake the feeling that-

Kazutora knew him. unconsciously, his hand reached out to the stranger, melancholy washing over him as his fingers grazed the grainy surface of the cracked paint.

"I did not think you would be fond of the ancient times, Kazutora-kun" he jerked, quickly pulling his hand away from the artwork.

The dowager duchess appeared in front of him, making him take a step back. He hoped she didn't notice his uneasiness. "don't worry. the painting was hardly better off before you touched it. this is not a museum even if the furniture has not been changed in at least a couple of hundred years…" she trailed off spitefully by the end. there seemed to be an underlying tension between the matriarch and the state of the castle.

"who is he?" he couldn't help but blurt out.

"the last King of the Northern Kingdom. King -" Kazutora watched as her mouth moved, yet only static caught his ears. "-he was the youngest ruler in the north's history and ironically as well as the last, barely fifteen years old when he'd been crowned, I believe. he was also the first King to bow to the King of Kings, making us the first district of Toman" Again, that feeling of forlornness encircled him. Kazutora numbly nodded. had a spell been cast to blur his senses?

It could not have been the dowager duchess, mana suppressors or not, he could not sense any magical residue from her. she would have to have been one of the best illusionists in the country to pull it off and Baji Ryouko was known to not have any interest in the uses of mana energy. even her swordmanship supposedly relying solely on her physique, refusing to enhance herself with magical items or crystals. but he should not put his faith into hearsay. she might have some hidden card up her sleeve.

"I did not know you had such interest in the first kings… or in this case the very first king I suppose" she chuckled to herself.

he didn't answer, only gave her a thin smile. She seemed to get the hint, that he did not wish to continue the conversation and lead him back to the main hall. not long after, they arrived at the dining hall where a frantic Baji was giving the staff members an angry earful.

"aren't you too spirited this morning?" came the exasperated question from the woman next to him.

Baji's head whipped to his mom before his eyes landed on him. kazutoras shoulders scrunched up as the man stalked over to them. "where did you go?!"

"eh?" Kazutora pointed at himself, dumbfounded. he had not been gone for very long.

Ryouko-san softly pushed her hand against her son's chest. "must you be so aggravating in the morning? where should he be if not in the castle? the two of us were admiring art. now sit down and stop acting like you were not bestowed with a semblance of etiquette"

she herself sat down with a graceful swoop of her cascading dress, cutting her son's tirade short before it could begin. "I had the cooks prepare a feast. so you better shut up and eat. Kazutora-kun?"

"yes?"

"I had some baked goods prepared as well. I realize it is not something you usually break your fast with, but do you fancy a slice of lemon tart by chance?"

His face lit up. lemon tarts had been his guilty pleasure when he'd been young. He didn't know the last time he'd been this excited about a treat before his thoughts halted his excitement. he schooled his expression back to neutrality. he would not be bribed by delicious treats to let his guard down and cleared his throat to decline her offer.

"what are you asking for, if you've already had it made" Baji interrupted before he'd even had the chance to. "you there, bring it out" he addressed the staff member who was placing the teapot on the table. the man only nodded in understanding before leaving the dining room.

Kazutora blinked at what just happened.

"I did not expect you in the Omamori this early, I must say."

Kazutora thanked the man who put the more-than-just-saliva-enducing treat in front of him. He did not want to seem too eager though. "this reminds me, does Omamori have a certain tradition for the harvest moon?"

"Harvest moon? the north is not known…" Ryouko-san trailed off her eyes widening when they met her son's. "to not make a big festivity out of it, since we all do enjoy a good celebration of harvesting up here"

Baji for some reason massaged his temple at his mother's answer.

"oh? What do you typically harvest in the north, Ryouko-san?"

She looked at her son pointedly for some reason - it must be another one for their silent conversations, Kazutora was not included in, making him purse his lips with suspicion - before she turned back to him "Turnips! turnips mostly.. lettuce and potatoes, the only vegetables that can withstand the cold up here"

He was surprised at her enthusiasm but nodded and took his first bite, still not trusting her odd behavior, when that thought was abandoned as well, because-

his taste buds were flooded with a burst of bright citrus flavor. he was ready to shed a tear, eager to take another bite when he remembered where he was "when I was educated on the north, that was never mentioned"

"We don't boast too much about it.." she trailed off, taking another bite.

Baji continued to remain silent as he pointedly stuffed his mouth with food. Kazutora subtly followed his lead and happily took a few more bites.

"..I let Ryusei-kun coordinate your route for today. He was rather enthusiastic after the news of your elopement arrived"

"I bet he was" the alpha grunted before he registered her words properly "don't call it an elopement"

"you skipped the wedding procession, what else would you call it?" she scoffed.

"Ryouko-san has a point" Kazutora serenely chimed in as he finished the last piece of the biscuit crust, silently mourning that there was not more on his plate.

"I forbid you to agree with her" Baji half-heartedly glared at them, before motioning at the staff member from before. Kazutora tilted his head in confusion at the action not sure if he was supposed to be insulted right now.

"show some respect to your wife. I raised you to be a gentleman" Kazutora had not expected the sudden support, but he would take it, especially if it was at the expense of the dark-haired alpha.

"I don't remember you raising me at all" said man sniffed.

"show some respect to your mother." Kazutora mimicked, suppressing the gleeful grin on his lips, but Baji noticed anyway, with the glare he was searing into his body. But the omega did not mind and turned to Lady Ryouko. "has he always been like this?"

"worse even, can you believe it"

Baji groaned in frustration.

He would have loved to see some actual snowfall.

They were still in the muddy part of the season, so Kazutora could not really enjoy the white crystal snow the north was known for. But looking at the sky it did not look like it would happen any time soon. Not for a lack of temperature though. It was below zero degrees once again and Kazutora couldn't wait to launch himself in front of the fireplace when this day was over. If the cold didn't get to him first.

The route would bring them to the city square where people were already celebrating the end of the war. they would arrive and greet everyone and walk a bit around. En route they would pass by all the major checkpoints of the city they would also stop by the city walls so Baji could give his thanks to the wall men as well. Since Omamori was so large, it would keep them busy for the whole day. He sighed.

The sound of footsteps rose him from his thoughts. the lieutenant strode up to them with a messy pink-haired man by his side. when they stood in front of them, he realized there were a few black strands in the mop of hair as well.

He was like a sore thumb out amongst the northerners. Not only that, he showed none of the northern characteristics. Most northern people had an icy pallor to them, that alluded to their freezing birthplace. Moreover, there was a glint of ink on the left side of his neck. Tattoos were considered improper this far up in the continent. If it weren't for Kazutora's turtleneck, the northern folk who would see him today might just faint from shock.

the newcomer seemed to almost flow in his steps, and his eyes spelled trouble. "you must be the newly appointed duchess, I must say it is a pleasure to have another southerner in these mids" The man took Kazutoras gloved hand to kiss it "name's Sato Ryusei, your grace", when he was stopped by Baji, whose eyes were shadowed by his hair.

The man laughed, unperturbed by the threat in front of him "oh my~ who knew, you had it in you, commander! I did not believe it when little old Chifuyu told me, but this is truly one for the books-"

Kazutora tilted his head in confusion as the lieutenant gasped in betrayal, hitting the newcomer, before he could expose anything more.

"You originate from the southern isles as well?"

"Partially. I originated from what is now called Tenjiku, but my grandmother is from the Isles, your grace"

"Tenjiku is as south as it can go, so you're much more Southerner than I am. It is much larger than the isles and stretches much deeper south than the fourth district could ever hope to"

"Ah yes, it is now district four once more, is it not?"

"I do hope so, otherwise my stay here would be rather awkward" as if it wasn't already. The Beta laughed again and Kazutora noticed the markings on the man's clothing "you dabble in poison?"

"Indeed, I do~ How did you guess, your grace?"

"the symbol on your clothes is from the Yotsuya Kaidan-Clan or am I mistaken?"

He seemed to have caused some sort of blunder. Sato's grin had frozen, his back stiffened and the other two were no better. The awkward spell of silence that enveloped them was less than comfortable. Kazutora contemplated not speaking again, when the fellow southerner feathery jumped into step with him again, his face unreadable "it is, do you have any experience in the poisonous mana nature?"

Kazutora would take the offered branch if it meant not being forced into another bout of awkwardness. He cleared his throat "I am afraid I do not. poison is not common in the isles and there is not a lot of it in the archives I've read"

the man laughed again "I can tell you all you need to know, let me show you to the carriage"

"Are you not coming with us?" he wondered aloud

"No, Chifuyu and I will enjoy our lonesomeness until you shall be back~"

"don't make it sound like an insinuation!" Chifuyu screeched from behind.

"you wound me, I would never compromise your virtue"

Kazutora's eyes widened, oblivious to the choking screams of denial from the blonde Beta. it was like that between the two?

"now where were we, your grace?" the man spoke like he had not just caused mayhem.

"poison.." he weakly replied, his eyes still traveling between the two betas.

"ah yes! so poison-"

in the back Chifuyu and Baji looked at each other with dread, Baji still partially holding his lieutenant in place to stop him from committing murder. they listened as the other two continued to chatter in the front about poison and Baji was pretty sure he heard something about blood magic.

"Chifuyu."

"yes, Baji-san?"

"let Ryusei know, I will break his wrists if he tries to put his lips anywhere near him again"

Chifuyu turned to him, vengefulness blazing in his irises "I would recommend not taking any chances and break them right now, commander"

"Mean, Lieutenant! I was only trying to be courteous"

"Shove that courtesy up your ugly rear-" Chifuyu shouted back as Baji suddenly let go of him.

Kazutora looked curiously between the two subordinates, as the lieutenant continued to threaten the taller beta with bodily harm (gee, who could he have taken after?) while the other just laughed him off.

Courting in the north was a dangerous endeavor it seemed as he watched the pink-haired cradle his cheek from the hit he'd received.

Baji let him enter the carriage first before he turned to his man once more "I'm counting on you"

"don't worry, commander~ it will be finished within the allotted timeframe" he could hear the teasing tone of the taller Beta. said commander only clicked his tongue "tch. you better"

Kazutora wondered what they were talking about, but the alpha entered the carriage without explaining anything, not even meeting his gaze. He thought of hackling him into a confession, but before he could his husband took his hand (like he had done so a thousand times over, which he hadn't) in his, and every thought abandoned him as his eyes zeroed in on their connected fingers.

"-seals the walls from the inside. uhh.. the gate can't be opened unless-"

as they paraded around in their carriage, Baji was in the middle of rambling about the mechanism of the outer walls and Kazutora had a feeling the alpha barely comprehended what he was saying himself.

"Do you actually understand any of it?" he mused with a quirk of his lips.

"Fuck no" the alpha admitted without shame, Kazutora couldn't help but smile in amusement "My job is to reinforce the seals on these things and that's it" at least he was honest.

"sounds easy enough"

" 'supposed to be at least, the wall men complained that the current sealing mechanisms are beginning to fade. no wonder though, they are ancient. That storm two decades ago did not help the situation, either. I might have to either get rid of them and hire a seal master to make new ones or continue to come up here every other week to reinforce them"

"wouldn't the first option be the more preferable then?"

"Ideally yes, but there are only so many sealing masters in the country. Ryusei is skilled, but he already declined, saying the seal is too complicated for him and I don't want to get someone from the citadel"

"scared to be charged for the criminal activities of your past?" he smirked.

"nah, I could take'm." Kazutora swallowed. why did Baji have to sound so tempting confident in his matter-of-fact voice? Kazutora forced his eyes out the window to distract his uncouth thoughts "But I can't guarantee that they wouldn't make faulty seals to spite me. I don't want my men to pay for it. so the second choice it is"

At least like this, Kazutora was able to finally catch a proper glimpse at the walls after only seeing the husk of it in the night before. It was the highest man-made stronghold he'd ever seen. It was no wonder he hadn't seen anything the night before. Just like the castle, it was made out of obsidian stone, unbreachable. the structure had actual buildings carved into it. He could see wall officers go in and out of them, carting material around. A lift connected each floor of the walls with a steel rope attached that worked with enchantments to bring people up and down. It was like a small village had made its living in the structure. He could understand why Baji was unwilling to risk the ire of a faulty seal. It was their lives that would perish first if worse came to shove.

He didn't realize they had come to a stop until Baji's hand lifted, in an offer for him to take it. He could hear the people outside the carriage. It sounded like a lot of people had gathered. His stomach squirmed at the thought of so many eyes on him.

"ready to weather the storm?"

he was anything but "let's get this over with"

People happily greeted Baji, asking him about his health and congratulating him on winning the war and his marriage. They kept a respectful distance towards Kazutora, which he expected. He was a stranger to these people after all. He wished that with the distance they would also keep their stares to themselves but alas, it was only wishful thinking. Young and old gawked at him like he was some type of exotic animal. Baji had mentioned something like this the prior evening, it didn't mean he would like it any better.

some whispered to one another as they pointed at him. It was unnerving, did nobody teach these people that pointing at someone was rude? He understood the fascination with foreign things, he really did. Kazutoa didn't even look that exciting to be picked out in a crowd of people, so the stares were exaggerated at this point.

The crowd was getting bigger and Kazutora felt queasier the more people came. Nobody was close to him but it still was as if invisible walls were closing in on him.

He did the best thing his short-circuiting brain could think of and gripped the closest thing to him to keep him grounded which unfortunately happened to be the sleeve of his husband. He could hear more whispering as soon as he did.

He had the urge to hide in a hole and wait for death, letting go of the sleeve as if burned. Before he could get away from the alpha's arm altogether his arm was linked to the other's. Unbeknownst to him a hush had fallen over everyone else as their eyes remained glued to them. Kazutora stared in shock at their interlocked limbs. Baji didn't even aknowledge what he'd done and continued his conversation.

"-ful, your grace. we have prepared a jousting tournament for you and the duchess to enjoy"

"now that's something I can get behind, where can I apply?"

"your grace the tournament is supposed to be in honor of you…" the old man trailed off, much stiffer in his posture than at the beginning. His husband did not seem to get the hint though.

"and?"

Kazutora sighed at his husband's inability to catch a hint. "it means you are to watch only, I'm afraid"

"but I thought-"

"you thought wrong. give the lads at least a fighting chance, will you? You can crush the winner's spirit at the end if you must." Kazutora patted his linked arm in faux sympathy.

"I guess.." the crowd watched on in awe at the easy concession of their warden. usually, it would take more than that to convince the alpha to relent on anything.

The elderly man brought them to their seats as the contestants began to be called up. The contestants were all in their teens, most of them squires or knights-to-be. The jousting was as thrilling as Kazutora had expected it to be for a tournament, where two people charged with large sticks at their opponents, which was to say - not a lot. He kept an interested expression and even ooh-ed and ahh-ed when fellow spectators did. His husband certainly did not have the same issue, as he boorishly looked on at the fight, commenting about their wrong stances.

that was not to say, the boys weren't endearing in their enthusiasm. It was sweet actually how much spirit they brought into this contest. and when they looked at their leader, their expressions turned wooden with nervousness. Honestly, the alpha could at least act less opinionated. Kazutora began to feel bad for the poor kids.

"I understand you're cross because you are not participating yourself, but don't kill their hopes and dreams before they can even mount their horses" he whispered, making the other perk up in surprise before his eyebrows furrowed. "I did not think you'd be invested in their hopes and dreams"

Kazutora rolled his eyes. trust Baji to misunderstand "I assure you, I am not. I could not care less for boys pointing their sticks at each other-" he could hear his husband splutter, but he ignored it for now to finish his thought "but for some misguided reason, these children look up to you so you might keep your expression more neutral at the very least. you were once in their shoes"

"I would have wiped the floor them - at their age or not" Kazutora had no trouble believing that. It reminded him yet again, what a prodigy Baji actually was. and not just him but the rest of the commanders as well. at the age of the current contestants they had taken their first triumph at the battle with the ninth dragons when they had defeated his (now) former fiancee. what a humbling thought.

But it was not only that. His sire's own men had quivered in fear of the (then) teenagers, though they thought they hid it well behind their sneers and condescending words. Yashida specifically had been sour about the northerner next to him. Unsurprising, considering he had lost his only son to the Bloody Hallow. Junpeke.. he hadn't thought about him for some time.

It made him curious. "say, do you remember..shortly after winning against Madarame" Baji bristled at the name "in one of the first battles against the Isles' forces fighting against someone from the Yashida family?" Kazutora had only found out years later of Junpeke's demise. and only because the guy's father would not stop yapping about it after Kazutora had returned to the estate.

"nah, I don't recall anyone by that name. why yer asking?" go figure. well, it had been a shot in the dark. "just cause. wanted to know how Junpeke went out" he trailed off, his mind already wandering back to the tournament.

"Junpeke?" Kazutora's head whipped back to his husband, caught off guard by the venom in his voice. "he went out exactly like the little honorless bitch that he was"

the omega made a surprised sound at the alpha's sudden hostility. "I did not think you'd know him" it was not like Junpeke had been infamous like Baji had been. His sword skills had been subpar and he had been as talentless as a trashbag in manipulating mana. As far as he knew that fact had not changed into his teens, no matter how much his own father had tried to convince the masses otherwise.

"..that piece of shit" what could the deceased guy have possibly wronged him, for him to still hold such a grudge against him? Junpeke did have a nasty character. Kazutora couldn't believe he'd once considered him a friend.

"what did he do?" he was at first apprehensive to ask, but curiosity had not killed the cat so far, and Baji could just not answer him if he didn't want to divulge anything. It certainly would not be the first time, the alpha would have done so. He hoped he would not leave him hanging though..

"he opened his mouth too wide-" Baji clenched his teeth remembering the vile words that had slipped out of that bastard's mouth, taunting him. His words haunted him to this day, making him wish he'd never asked to begin with-

Anger had been a sensation Baji was quite intimate with.

the heat of fury befitting him like a crown to a King. no other emotions could ever quite come close to the exhilaration that rage could ignite in him. why be sorrowful, upset, or scared when his temper could achieve what nothing else could?

"what happened to him?" he'd demanded, pulling the man up to his face by his collar. there was nobody left in the clearing to hear him. the coward had run off, trying to get away from him.

but Baji was too close to finally receive an answer to the question he'd been asking himself for the last six years… since the news of his death had broken. A part of him still painfully held onto the hope that it was falsehood. that he was out on the beaches of his home, enjoying the breeze of the sea as he'd done when they'd first met, as his golden eyes crinkled at the sun shining down on his face.

"oh, do you really want to know?" Junpeke had sneered at him, still too confident for the position he was in.

"the idiot betrayed his father. do you know, how traitors are dealt with in the south? how our King likes to handle them?" Baji let go of his collar, recoiling at the implications. the other alpha just laughed as he fell to the ground.

"he was his son, his only child. he wouldn't have just-"

"you're right in that regard. Lord Hanemiya's intention had not been death. at least in the beginning. But the idiot would not yield to his father's commands, so his majesty was forced to incite more drastic measures"

he looked at Baji with a sleazy expression, like that alone was enough to give away what he was trying to imply. Baji had never felt so dumb in all his life for not understanding.

"I was not there myself as I was too young to participate, but from what I heard from my father, the idiot's screams resounded through the whole estate as he pleaded for mercy. after it was done, he'd still been breathing. but when staff had come to check on him, only a pool of blood was left-"

Baji's ears filled with static, and his mind became unable to digest the words he was hearing. the only thing he could make out was the howling pain washing all the way down to the mark of his bones.

"To think I was about to betrothed to him. Not that I or any other respected alpha would have taken a worn hole-" Baji didn't even realize it at first, but when he blinked his hand was wrapped around the southerner's throat with a grip so tight, the boy's skin had turned purple as he clawed at Baji's hand in vain to let him go.

It was not enough, his blood was boiling. He could feel his hands heat up as the skin under him began to sizzle and blister.

It was not enough, his mind seethed again. A small part of him was startled at his own willingness to kill the Southerner. Up until then, he had tried to not hit any crucial body parts of his foes, unwilling to take a life unnecessarily.

Junpeke must have banked on that as well and assumed, that one of his allies would rescue him in time, but as he stared down at the steel of indifference in Baji's gaze, realization dawned on him as panic filled him. He tried pleading at first.

But Baji felt nothing. Junpeke's hand once more tried to get his grip to loosen, clawing at him with desperation foreign to the alpha. but Baji would become quite intimate with that expression on his foes in due time.

he didn't even notice as he ripped the offending limb off the southerner's body, only when a splatter of blood landed on his own face.

still, Baji felt nothing.

he could hear the muffled sobs and screams of pain. he didn't even feel like his own person as his his other hand continued to pummel into the Southerner. It reminded him of what Mikey had once told him about how he had blanked and hit their professor all those years ago. he was not doing much better now.

He could feel the flecks of blood on his face and armor turn to a river, yet he did not stop, Baji felt nothing.

only a pool of blood was left, the bastard had said. It would only be right to offer the same courtesy back. He made sure the boy did not lose consciousness as he forced him awake everytime he so much as let his eyes roll into the back of his head.

it felt like it had taken him only seconds, not even a minute in total. Most of Junpeke was unrecognizable, yet he still begged audaciously for-

"mercy! p-please I'll do a'anything y-you want- I'll b-betray t-the s-south I s-swear a-an o-oath t-to you, just d-don't k-kill me please"

"speak your oath" it did not even feel like his own voice.

"I-i pledge m-my loyalty to you. y-your will is my command-" he choked on the blood still spilling from his mouth "a-and your cause is my own, n-now and f-for-ever. I s-swear upon my allegiance that b-betrayal shall never stain my loyalt-ty to y-you"

"tell me their names." he dropped the boy. "tell me every name of the ones that participated that night"

one after the other, the names spilled from his lips. Baji was numb to the sheer number, but it didn't matter. nothing did anymore.

he didn't care for any names. he would kill each and every one of them,

He couldn't even bring himself to feel any anger as his hand touched the southerner's chest "you betrayed your homeland for me. do you know, how traitors are dealt with?" Junpeke's widened with the realization, that Baji had no intention of sparing him.

"p-please-" and Baji didn't let him finish his plea as his fingers set his body aflame, the fire turning from yellow and orange-red to a light blue. The southener hadn't even been able to scream when the flame had consumed him.

Whatever had remained of him, fell to the ground, parts of ashes clinging to the blood still on his face. But Baji took no note of it.

It had changed nothing. He was still dead

Baji looked at his shaking hands, the screams resounded through the whole estate. the alpha took a step and then another.

only a pool of blood was left. his feet stopped.

he pleaded for mercy-

something profound shattered in him.

It sounded like a glass falling into a thousand pieces as his knees fell to the ground and his lungs constricted. the world had turned on its axis. he couldn't take a proper breath, clawing at his chest and throat no sound coming out of him even as he tried in vain to open his mouth for some sort of relief. Why could he not breathe?

"Baji-san..?"

His face turned to the voice of the friend he had entrusted his deepest secrets to. It was like a switch in his head had flipped. the only thing he could think about-

"a pool of blood- he.. he died in misery, Chifuyu" his face crumbled with sorrow, and none of his previous killing intentions remained. to the onlookers, it must have sounded insane, like he was speaking about the charred remains of the man he had just brutalized, but Chifuyu had understood immediately, his eyes filled with heartache for his superior as he kneeled down and-

Chifuyu had pulled him into a hug before he could even fight him. Baji had felt like a babe, crying for his mother as he heard the howls of a dying animal. It took him too long to notice, that they were coming from Keisuke himself. only then had he understood what that throbbing ache was that had taken hold of him.

Despair. it was despair that had been consuming him.

It had died that day. up until then, he had lived by a code. to not exercise cruelty upon his enemies. just because they had been on opposite sides, did not mean they weren't inherently good people.

he had no such qualms anymore.

He couldn't give him the justice he'd deserved, but it wouldn't stop him from carrying out his vengeance. he could give the boy the peace he had not been given in his short lifetime, at least that was what he told himself as he followed the path of destruction.

the faith that there was goodness in people had crumbled with the ashes still swirling around him. From it was molded something else entirely only if his fury could be satisfied.

every battle he had fought after had been a bloodbath, for every man he'd faced, he could only think of them as someone who had participated - the sneer of he pleaded for mercy still ringing in his ears as he ripped them apart, one by one. yet his alpha hungered for more, his ire not yet satisfied.

He never killed his enemies immediately, hacking away at them before he would inevitably melt the skin of their bones as they screamed in agony. and it still was not enough.

his screams resounded through the whole estate

their agony was nothing compared to what was done to him. they did not deserve Baji's mercy. His division became known as the most vicious and blood-thirsty. Baji was not a good person. the smell of burning flesh followed him throughout the war. wrath, his constant companion.

a name was screamed in horror whenever he neared a battlefield. he grinned-

the bloody hallow.

Kazutora elbowing him repeatedly made him blink back into the present. something loosened at his rosy expression, at the pulse beating in his body and the air filling the omega's lungs. Baji had the urge to cradle him and hide him from the world-"they want me to pick a winner, do something" the omega said with clenched teeth, his panic visible in his pinched expression.

"Isn't the winner supposed to be the one that stays on top of his horse?" he asked with confusion. had jousting rules changed in his time gone?

"do I look like someone that knows the rules of this game?!" the omega shout-whispered before adding dramatically "then why do they want me to pick?"

Baji wanted to pinch his cheeks but knew he might be bitten if he dared. so he addressed the old man "why is my wife asked to choose?"

Kazutora acted like he always did when Baji addressed him by that title in front of people, going for indifference, but looking more like someone who'd gotten the breath knocked out of them. so much about not being affected by the nicknaming anymore.

"your grace.., did you not see? the last two contestants fell from the horse at the same time.." the man said in a strained voice, but in Baji's defense, Kazutora had not paid attention, either. too focused on the haunted expression his husband had worn. it had him frozen in his spot, unable to tear his gaze away until the announcement startled him out of it.

"what winner then? both of them lost" Baji said, unable to keep the low opinion he held for them out of his voice or face. Kazutora wanted to bury his face in his hands.

"your grace…" the old man's voice strained. "it is a tradition to let the duchess pick a winner in a tie"

Kazutora was not fond of such a tradition. everybody looked expectantly at him. he cleared his throat "do you think a match of rock paper scissors will be sufficient?"

"both of them are unconscious I'm afraid, your grace" goddamnit.

"just choose one" Baji grumbled. "Easy for you to say, I don't even remember their names.." Kazutora whispered. He could not say that to the host though. Instead- "I do not wish to be responsible for somebody's crushed dreams, you see.."

"you certainly never have a problem with shooting me down a peg" Kazutora glared at him.

"you're different." before whispering "I feel like one wrong word and they'll turn to dust with the wrong breeze" the host cleared his throat and Kazutora fumbled through his next words "not to mention they were both so admirable in the last round.." he lied through his teeth. He had no trouble with that at all, but he did not want to antagonize the northlands on his first day.

"Maybe we should let the audience decide who their favorite was?" he offered lamely.

the elderly man raised his eyebrows, but relented, clearly wishing to be done with it "Our duchess has given a solution! His grace found both the gallant Arisu and the formidable Kida to be worthy of being the winner and did not dare make such an important decision by himself. His grace wishes for the audience to help him pick the winner of today's tournament!"

he screamed internally. it made him sound like a weak-willed worm, unable to make a proper decision. Northerners respected people with a backbone and now he sounded anything but. He did not want to know what these people were probably thinking about him.

He didn't bother to look up as the audience decided through the loudest cheer which one would win. It might have been the formidable Asiru… or the gallant Dika.

A sudden sound made him look down, they had begun playing music in celebration. the people moved from their seats to the plaza as people began to dance with one another. he had never seen people be so carefree. exclaiming their joy in front of their warden. in the Southern Isles no one had even dared to breathe too loudly in front of the head of House Hanemiya.

not to mention he had to yet see another noble among these people. nobody seemed to have any qualms about mingling and enjoying themselves between the small folk and Baji's men.

"care to join me for a dance?"

Kazutora looked up at the offered hand of his husband and spluttered. Baji did not wait for him to pick up his mind and simply took his hand and guided him down to the floor, where the rest of the people were happily dancing.

Baji put his hand on his waist, making his stomach flutter as they took their first step. He came to a sudden realization, he'd never been asked to a dance before. and before today he'd never given it much thought.

but now that he was aware, that the alpha was taking his first dance, the thought would not leave him. He almost stumbled, but he was caught. "don't think too much. I'll guide you" his neck prickled at the whispered words, to distract himself from the feeling, he focused on something else as his husband dipped him down "forgive me, your grace. I simply did not take my husband to be a dancer"

"against popular opinion, I did enjoy the privilege of etiquette classes" it was not a lie. He was baffled at how good Baji was at leading. He'd assumed his toes would have fallen victim to the man at some point. but the man effortlessly circled them around the makeshift dancefloor. But he would not tell him that, instead he rolled his eyes. "your lack of manners up until now had me in doubt, I fear"

"I'm gutted at the opinion you hold of me" the man said with a smirk. Kazutora was aware of his husband's every move, so the hand on his waist teasingly lowering dangerously close to his-!

he might or might not have accidentally stepped on the man's food in warning. He smiled innocently at the alpha's faux pained expression. "may I remind you we are still in public, your grace" He knew by the playful glint in his eyes, that the man was not perpetuated at all by his warning

"well we could depart early, don't you think?" the man said without any shame. what had happened to those etiquette classes he claimed to have taken?

"this event was planned in honor of you" us, he didn't want to say "-and you dare to leave?"

"I dare great many things and it is not like you've been eager to stay either" the alpha pointed out. He wished he could say otherwise, but it had not been a secret that he had no desire to even appear in front of these people, let alone remain when the offer to leave was offered.

"Let's not suffer through any more of this" he relented without much of a fight.

"Everyone! start with the fireworks" his husband shouted as he brought their dance to a stop.

the fireworks began not a moment later and Kazutora watched the sky as the first colors burst into the darkening sky. A sudden tug on his arm had him turning back to his husband. before he could even say anything, Baji led him out of the mass of people and sneaked them both through alleys. In the blink of an eye they've successfully left the festivities behind. "should we really have just left like that?"

"do you wish to go back?" fuck no

"I've had enough of this to last me a lifetime"

"they liked you" Baji heckled teasingly.

Kazutora snorted. they certainly did not. but before he could even open his mouth a small crystal of white landed on Baji's hair and Kazutora looked up to see that snow was slowly falling down towards them. His eyes turned round in wonder as a few snowflakes touched his outstretched hands. he was still in his gloves and removed one eagerly, for once not minding the cold as the snowflakes landed on his fingers, before turning liquid. It was not like it did not snow in the southern isles, but in all his years of living there, it only ever had snown maybe twice and only in the northern island. not to mention, both of those times Kazutora had been too young to remember it even happening.

Fascinated, he turned to Baji "do you see that- it's snowing!" He did not wait for an answer as he removed the other glove to cup his hands together and gathered the falling snow.

Not long after, the slowly trickling snow turned from a few icy crystals into thick fluffy clusters descending down on them. Kazutora was in awe of the landscape as the moody roads of grey and brown turned into a breathtaking white. His husband cleared his throat and with a flushed face he coughed into his hand "well, I guess that is our cue to go back to the castle"

"why?" Kazutora said, his brows crinkling together in disappointment.

"the roads are going to be filled with snow before the hour is up, no carriage will be riding until it's shoveled, which most likely won't be before tomorrow"

"oh" he nodded in understanding, not eager to spend the night in another inn, just after he had been gifted the most comfortable bed he'd ever slept in the night before.

and no, it had nothing to do with the man he'd been sharing it with.

as they made their way up the castle in a borrowed (stolen) carriage, Sato and Matsuno came into view, or more accurately their voices as they (Matsuno only) argued in the courtyard. Only after Baji made it out of the carriage and helped him down as well, did the other two notice them.

"you're back early, Baji-san" the lieutenant forgot all about the mage as his imaginary tail wiggled at his commander's return. Kazutora raised his eyebrow. "..wait, did you not leave in the Baji carriage, why is a wooden carriage- it doesn't matter" the blonde abandoned that train of thought as fast as he had voiced it. he knew better than to question his commander's criminal activities it seemed.

"the dowager duchess won't be too happy about the two of you ditching the event early" Sato said with a teasing smile, clearly unbothered by the fact that they had chosen to abandon the festivities he'd planned for them.

Baji just waved the looming threat of his mother's scolding off "she'll live"

Kazutora turned to him with a serious expression "I want you to know, I will solely put the blame on you"

Baji pulled at his cheek "gee, thanks for the heads up, dearest" Kazutora swatted his hand away, before sticking out his tongue at him.

"You two still have some spirit left after all" The taller Beta clapped his hands together in excitement. Baji only spared him an exasperated glance, without any heat "have you done what I told you?"

"Of course, I told you not to worry~ Everything's going as planned" Sato connected his thumb and forefinger in a circle and held the other fingers straight while winking.

"don't jinx it, you idiot" Matsuno exclaimed, he looked ready to throw salt at the man, to keep the possibility to a minimum.

Baji was about to say something else, when he's hit by by a snowball. His Lieutenant gasped in shock. the alpha had a murderous look in his eyes, wiping the snow from his face as he turned to the culprit. Kazutora.

His eyes narrowed, but the omega had the forethought of taking a few steps away from the alpha before he began his attack. the omega threw another one just because he could (the lieutenant could be heard almost going into cardiac arrest) and aimed the third one at said boot-licking lieutenant, then promptly made his escape behind a pillar.

Chifuyu could not even be bothered by the snowball that hit him, too anxious to check what his commander would do. with bated breath, he watched as the man silently removed his coat. nobody had ever dared to throw anything at him. at least nobody that had some semblance of will to live in them, but having been in Kazutora-san's presence for some time now, he was not surprised at his lack of survival instinct.

"..you know this means war, right?" he could hear the alpha, his voice sounded like that of a hunter, but when Chifuyu finally managed to look at his face, he was stunned. the man was grinning from ear to ear.

before he could think any more of it, he was hit again with a snowball, this time from a different direction. He spluttered, realizing it came from Ryusei. by the time his mind caught up he had instinctively thrown several back at the laughing mage. Distantly he could hear as Kazutora-san fought off Baji-san, skidding from one pillar to hide behind another.

In no time they all were throwing snowballs indiscriminately at each other. well almost all, it did not escape Kazutora's notice that the lieutenant refused to throw a single snowball at his commander.

"ne Lieutnant Matsuno, isn't it a bit unfair, that you hit everyone but your commander?"

the blonde had no shame declaring "I cannot fight Baji-san" Did he now? Kazutora had no problem fixing that. "that is too bad" he smiled, strategically nearing his husband while trying to avoid the rain of snowballs descending on the field.

He made himself an easy target as he threw another snowball at Matsuno, who retaliated almost instantly, just as Kazutora had expected. He ducked out of the way right before the iceball could hit him. He watched in slow-motion as the lieutenant's expression turned from smiling to horror.

the silence was deafening after the ice hit its unwanted target.

It was almost comical to see the lieutenant's face go through the five stages of betrayal. Kazutora's head shook with laughter and he was not the only one. he was pretty sure, Sato, too was rolling on the ground in laughter.

Anger began forming as the blonde instinctively grabbed for a snowball that was not there "How could you! I gave you my handkerchief" which had been ages ago. Then the poor beta circled back to disbelief as he turned to a still laughing Ryusei "I didn't hit him, right?!", which gave way to depression, skipping bargaining altogether, mumbling something about betraying himself.

After a moment of consideration passed on his face, he seemed to have an epiphany. Now it must have been Kazutora's turn for confusion as the attack he was waiting for was not coming. His hearing must be off, too because right after he heard something about 'enemies to lovers' and 'used as a tool for new flirting methods' as well, which must have been a trick of his ears. "I won't hold back either then!"

after the declaration, Kazutora threw another snowball at the blonde just to be sure though. he might grow on Kazutora. like fungus.

so deep in his thoughts, that he was utterly unprepared for the attack as a snowball hit him from behind. Shocked he turned to see Baji, readying another snowball. how had he forgotten, that he had been right in front of the alpha for his plan to succeed? and now Kazutora was presented to him on a silver platter by his own stupidity no less)

He scrambled away with a squeal, but Baji was merciless-

Ryouko had heard the ruckus and came down the stairs, intending to scold her son for ditching the event, but as her eyes got out the window, she stopped.

Outside, four unexpected people were having a snowball fight of all things, shrieking and laughing like little children as they threw snow at each other without no abandon. if she would not have known who they were, Ryouko would have simply assumed them to be youngsters playing around. her eyes stung. she could not remember the last time she'd seen her son just fool around playing in the snow. the war had taken a lot from them, it had forced many children to abandon their childhoods.

But Keisuke.. he had changed from an upbeat child to an adult overnight. He had not even been ten, she had sent her son to the academy in the spring and when she had reunited with him in the summer, it was as if someone had taken him and sucked the joy right out of him.

It had taken months for him to even express a ghost of a smile and only due to Chifuyu's insistence.

and now here he was. She couldn't help the stretch of her own lips as she continued to watch the carefree expression on Keisuke's face, that had been gone for so long.

the scolding could wait.

the snowball fight continued on until the sun was almost fully gone. Kazutora was so preoccupied with winning against Baji, that neither of them noticed when the alpha's subordinates had left them to their lonesome.

At one point they were not even throwing snowballs anymore, and now he couldn't even tell who had tripped who, but both of them landed in a heap of limps into the cold snow. Kazutora shivered, from the snow or their sudden proximity he couldn't tell. he pointedly looked at the alpha.

"you ruined my potential snow angel"

"it has character now"

"don't lie. it is a blob"

their scents mingled as he laughed. When he stopped he could see that Baji's eyes were lingering on something. for a moment his eyes turned back up to his eyes and finally, Kazutora understood what he'd been looking at with flushed cheeks. now his eyes too turned to the man's lips with anticipation. slowly the distance between them closed. Just when they are about to touch when they were interrupted by Kazutora's tingling nose.

With a loud sneeze, the trance was broken.

Kazutora's eyes opened to the dumbfounded expression of his husband and- "I am so sorry" he said, trying not to laugh, somewhere between genuinely apologetic and hysterical amusement.

"you better run.."

Kazutora shrieked, scrambling once more to get away from him as he dashed for the entry. but his inability to stop laughing while he ran away from the man hot on his heels was bound to fail. he flashed past several scandalized staff members and jumped over any furniture.

Yet Kazutora was grabbed with (he would vehemently deny it was) another squeal. Honestly, after knowing how fast the alpha could be he had not thought he'd have any chance of actually running away. He tried to think about that as the northerner's hands curled around him-

"I y-yield-" tickling him relentlessly. Kazutora laughed, gasping for breath trying to get away from the hostage situation of his own making.

By the time Baji had enough of torturing him, Kazutora was still catching his breath. he looked down on himself, noticing something "I'm all wet.."

only after he'd said so, did he realize the implication. His eyes narrowed at the alpha "Don't you dare"

"I'm not saying anything" the man said innocently, but his gaze was anything but. Kazutora shoved him, trying to get away from the tingling feeling in his stomach "you're thinking it"

The alpha bit his lip as he forced himself not to comment, instead he for a lack of a better word- pouted "At least you don't have snot on your face"

"you should be thankful. Some people would kill to have my snot on them" he sniffed but the alpha remained unimpressed.

"uhuh. Who?"

"a name does not come to mind but I am sure-"

"You're so full of shit"

He did not know who cracked first, but both of them soon erupted into laughter again. "Let's go, we're in desperate need of a change of clothes"