Forums

WhenHaru place the leather-wrapped package in front of him. He was shocked to find out there was more. At first, he turned it over in his palms, appreciating the care that had clearly gone into the wrapping alone. The worn leather strap immediately told him this hadn't been something purchased from a market stall. It had been handled with care. Carefully, he loosened the binding and unfolded the leather. The necklace resting inside caught the light immediately. For a brief moment, Yumro simply stared. The silver or craftsmanship wasn't even what held his attention, though it was undeniably impressive. It was the stone. His fingers brushed across its smooth surface, he recognized the resemblance. Simular though not identical to Yukie's stones. But close enough to piece together the familiarity. Slowly, Yumro lifted the necklace from its wrapping, watching as the dark grey crystal shifted ever so slightly toward a muted green. His ears twitched. "...You made this?" He questioned quietly. Not because he doubted Haru. Because he was struggling to process it. The metalwork alone would have taken considerable effort. The enchantment even more so. And then Haru's explanation settled in. Yumro looked down at the stone again. For someone who rarely wore jewelry, he found himself fastening the necklace around his neck almost immediately. The cool metal settled against his chest. The stone rested there naturally, as though he had always worn it. A smile appeared on his face. "I'll make sure to always carry and take good care of it." He said as his hand closed around the pendant briefly. He already treasured it. Then, before Haru could escape, Yumro reached over and pulled him into a one-armed hug against his side. Firm, but gentle. Still aware of his injuries. "You worked hard." His voice only held affection and a tremendous amount of pride.   Meanwhile, Shan had nearly vibrated out of his seat the second he received his package. The moment Haru mentioned making it himself, Shan's curiosity became unbearable. He opened the leather wrapping much faster than Yumro had. Then froze. Staring at the silver music box rested in his palms for quitea while. At first glance, it looked beautiful. Then Haru explained what it actually did. Shan blinked. Once. Twice. Three times. "...Wait..."His eyes widened. "Wait.." He looked at the box. Then at Haru. Then back at the box. "You recorded music on it?" Another pause. "You actually played, just to give me this?" His voice climbed higher with each question. For months. Just so Shan could have this gift, Haru had played on an instrument for him. Although Haru said he hated playing any kind of instrument. Shan's chest felt overwhelmingly tight. Yet not unpleasantly. Carefully, as though the music box were fragile glass, Shan held it against himself. "You idiot... That's way too much work for a gift." His words came out soft, lacking any real insult. His fingers traced the silver surface. For someone who loved music as much as he did, Shan couldn't imagine receiving anything more meaningful. His throat tightened. "I love it." This time the words came out quieter. Then, before embarrassment could stop him, Shan leaned forward and wrapped both arms around Haru in a quick hug. A very tight one. The kind that was enough to communicate the things he couldn't put into words. When he finally pulled back, he immediately looked down at the music box again, cheeks pink. Because if he looked at Haru too long, he was fairly certain he might start crying from all of these emotions. And there was absolutely no way he was doing that right now. "...You better not disappear for that long any time soon again." Despite the threat, his hand never left the music box. Shan didn't missed the small blush on Haru's face when he admitted how much he had missed them. After six long months apart, their family were finally feeling whole again.   "I'll help you carry all of you stuff up to your room" Shan declared while gently placing the music box down on the table. "There is so much I got to tell you and I wanna hear everything you been doing all this time. Leave no details out!" ----------   Julius felt Yukie lift him effortlessly into his arms and carry him back to the bench. Yukie hadn't needed to do that, but he'd done it anyway. Julius couldn't help holding on tightly, reluctant to let go until he was gently lowered back down. He allowed Yukie's hand beneath his chin to guide his head upward. The intensity in Yukie's gaze made the witch feel unexpectedly nervous. He hadn't been sleeping much, and while most people would have said he looked fine, Yukie could see through the facade at a glance. He always could. The faint shadows beneath Julius's eyes, the slight tension in his posture, the exhaustion hidden behind his smile, none of it escaped Yukie. "Sleep? How can I?" Julius asked softly. "I'm still afraid this will turn out to be another trick of my imagination." He tried to suppress a yawn, but it overtook him completely. His face scrunched up as a long, involuntary yawn escaped, leaving his eyes watering slightly by the end of it. A sheepish smile tugged at his lips. "I'll show you everything later," Julius continued. "But first... let's go home." Holding tightly to Yukie, Julius gathered what little energy he had left. A pulse of magic rippled around them, and in an instant the world dissolved into shimmering light. The greenhouse vanished. When the light faded, they were inside the home Julius had created for them.   It was a large, charming country-style house that blended rustic warmth with modern elegance. Rich wooden beams stretched across high ceilings, while sleek fixtures and thoughtful details gave the place a fresh, contemporary feel. The entire home seemed designed to be both beautiful and lived in. Massive windows lined nearly every wall, allowing sunlight to pour into every room during the day. Beyond the glass stretched a breathtaking landscape: a crystal-blue lake in the distance, surrounded by rolling forests, towering mountains, and endless fields of vibrant green grass as far as the eye could see. The view alone was enough to steal someone's breath away.   The moment Julius warped them inside, however, his concentration finally gave out. Both men landed directly on top of the master bed with a soft bounce. A second later, Yukie's heavy bags thudded onto the hardwood floor beside them. For a moment, neither moved. Julius lay partially draped across Yukie, too exhausted to care. "Welcome home, Yukie..." he murmured. He tried to sound cheerful and welcoming, but fatigue weighed heavily on every word. His eyelids drooped lower with each passing second. "I made this for us..." he continued quietly. "My wedding gift... to you..." His voice grew slower. "You took... your time... getting... here..."bhis sentence never finished. His eyes closed completely.   Within seconds, Julius was asleep. His entire body relaxed against Yukie as consciousness finally slipped away. Months of loneliness, endless work, and relentless determination crashed down on him all at once. For more than half a year, he had poured everything he had into building a future for them, chasing away the emptiness that had settled inside him while he waited. The effort had drained him far more than he himself had realized. Even if Yukie got up and left the bed, Julius wouldn't wake. Still, his hands would instinctively search for the other's warmth in his sleep, as though even unconscious he feared letting him go.   That 'nap' lasted five full hours. By the time he finally stirred again, evening had long since fallen. Outside the enormous windows, darkness blanketed the landscape. Tiny fireflies drifted through the night air, their golden lights blinking softly among the grass like hundreds of wandering stars. The room itself was dim and peaceful. Julius let out a sleepy sound as he stretched out his body. Everyone of his muscles protested after such deep sleep. Though he still looked exhausted, some of the darkness beneath his eyes had faded, and a bit of color had returned to his face. Slowly, he blinked awake. Trying to gain his bearings. "Yukie?"

Adrian chuckles and nods his head, "well I am glad to hear you think so I suppose," he smiles a little.  Adrian smiles, "well it's true... completely true, I am not one to lie about my true feelings, especially towards you." He bites his bottom lip, "fuck... your hands feel so good, but I know somewhere else that feels just as good," he smiles.

Original Title: ぼくのブルーキャット Alt. Title: My Dear Blue Cat Author/Artist: Inami En / 井波エン Year of release: 2025    

Thank you for kindly sharing with us.

Thank you for kindly sharing with us.