Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The day the drawings appeared on his skin; he had just turned ten. They were beautiful. A constellation of shapes that appeared across his skin like stars. He couldn’t explain it, but they made him feel safe. Their appearance made him feel warm and protected. They began on his left wrist and went all the way up his arm, past his shoulder, to his chest.

His teacher noticed by lunchtime and immediately demanded he was the art off. “It’s a distraction!” she had said, her voice aghast that she had let one of her students get away with such nonsense for who-knows-how-long in her classroom.

She refused to listen when he said he didn’t do it. He complied with a hung head, defeated in the face of obstinate tyranny. Or rather, he tried to comply. The art wouldn’t wash away, no matter how hard he scrubbed. He remembers distinctly the terror that squeezed at his chest as he tried and failed to comply. Trying and trying until he was scrubbing off skin, making himself raw and bloody.

His teacher had come to check on his progress and gasped in horror when she saw the state of the ten-year-old, raw and red and crying in sheer panic. Her voice got softer and asked if he had used permanent marker. He shook his head, eyes wide and sniffling as he held his bleeding arm to his chest. She took his arm in her hand and looked it over, frowning at the raw skin. The drawings started to wipe away on their own. Ink bleeding until it disappeared without so much as a wipe from either her or her charge.

He noticed the guilt in her eyes. He knew guilt well; his parents always had that same look in their eyes when they had to drag him along on a new business trip.

That evening his parents sat him down to explain that he was lucky. He had something called a soulmate out there, somewhere.

Not all soulmates could mark each other’s skin, like he and his soulmate could. Some shared a mark or brand. Some shared an invisible link, only seen by them or those especially attuned to the ethereal. Some could hear each other’s thoughts or share other senses. There were some – those who were unlucky – never had any of this. No soulmate to speak of.

His parents were worried. It was so rare to present his link so young. “He’s only ten.” He remembers his mother whispering to his father, her voice strained, frantic. “He’s only a child!”

“It doesn’t mean he has to run off and wed right this second,” his father had teased, voice light and reassuring. “It’s rare, but this isn’t the end of the world.”

They didn’t forbid him from reaching out through this link, but the worry of his mother and the utter terror of trying to erase the drawing was enough to scare him out of it. He didn’t want whoever his soulmate was – whatever a soulmate was – to suffer like he had.

He just quietly enjoyed the occasional doodles that would appear on his skin. Arms, legs, stomach… They were wonderful and curious and special. They were for him, and they made him feel so safe and warm and happy. There was always a sense of loss when they would inevitably disappear.

By the time he was 15, the art stopped appearing. Occasional messages, things like “Call doctor” or “parking lot B” took their place. Reminders. Sometimes phone numbers that took everything in him to not call. His curiosity burned, but he controlled it.

He knew what a soulmate was by this point, but old habits were hard to kill. It had been years and he never reached out, even when the art became reminders. Some of his friends asked him why he never did. Some of them would kill to have such an easy way to find their soulmate, as he was reminded constantly by Yosuke Hanamura.

“My soulmate and I share a sense of smell. Do you know how hard it is to find your soulmate when all you share is a sense of smell?” He had all but exclaimed, on multiple occasions.

All he could muster was an uneasy smile every time. He never told his friends he presented at ten. They had all presented as more reasonable ages. Rise had been the youngest (after him) at the age of 13. She had been mildly displeased when it was clear he was not her soulmate.

Next was Yosuke and Teddie within a few months of each other.

Naoto and Kanji presented together, the last in their little friend group, at 16 and 15 respectively. No one was particularly surprised they were soulmates, but they had agreed to wait until they were older. To not disrupt the friend group.

Teddie thought their scheme of waiting was insanity. “The love of your life is right there!”

Naoto, in their infinite wisdom, smiled and said they had their whole lives to be together, but they only had one childhood.

And being soulmates didn’t mean that they wouldn’t have to work to keep the relationship healthy and alive. A fact they had all learned after a teacher’s very public, very intense divorce.

Soulmates didn’t guarantee happiness forever. It still required work.

By his 18^th birthday though, all the excuses he had used to not reach out through the link seemed to matter less. It started with a telephone number appearing on his skin, just as the clock struck midnight. It was rare for him to be up so late, but something in him told him to stay awake, so he did. He watched as the number was written on his skin.

He finally gave in and chose to look the number up online.

It was linked to a psychologist who specialized in helping those without a soulmate.

He shouldn’t have been surprised. For eight years he had never once reached out. Never once made his presence known to whoever the soulmate was. Of course, it must have been hard to go through life, having all your friends present in some way or shape only for you to be left behind.

His heart sank. With the knowledge he may have caused someone so much anguish by doing nothing broke him. He went to bed, mind swirling. It was a fitful sleep. He woke several times for seemingly no reason, but the torture gave him the clarity he needed to have. The bravery he needed to have.

He was nearly an adult now… He could be brave.

At 6:30, he ripped the covers off his body and went to his desk, took out a pen, and carefully wrote on his left wrist…

“My name is Yu Narukami.”

He stared for a long time before he realized that, perhaps, he shouldn’t wait with bated breath. Over the years he had learned his soulmate was not much of a morning person.

Feeling content for the first time in a long time, he left the message on his skin and returned to his bed to sleep. He managed a better rest, though also short-lived. His anxiety had morphed into excitement.

When he awoke a few hours later, he immediately checked his wrist to find a response written below it. His heart skipped a beat when he saw the kanji…

“Tohru Adachi.”

Chapter Text

There had been no way of knowing just when the message appeared on his skin, but he quickly returned to his desk and penned further, excitement buzzing in his chest.

He wrote down his phone number and, “call?”

Normally, he wasn’t one to be tethered to his phone. Even his friends had long given up on expecting speedy replies from him. Today would be a special exception. After all, he was going to learn more about his soulmate – Tohru Adachi. Simply thinking the name sent his heart into a race. It made him feel a bit silly.

It was only minutes before his cellphone rang from an unknown number. He couldn’t answer it fast enough.

“Hello?” He sounded breathless, legs heavy as stones and heart pounding in his chest.

The line was quiet before he finally got a reply. A faint, equally breathless, “Hello, Yu Narukami.”

His lip twitched upwards in a smile. “Tohru Adachi?”

“Yeah.”

He settled onto his bed. His extremities tingled from the rush of blood, and he felt faint. It was somehow pleasant. “I’m so sorry I took so long to respond.” He licked his lower lip, trying to piece together what to say and recognizing there was so much he wanted to share but his mouth could only move so quickly. Finally, he blurted out, “Your art was beautiful, and I miss it.”

The line goes quiet again for a long time. The call didn’t end, Yu checked. He could also hear the steady, shallow breathing of Tohru Adachi. When his soulmate finally spoke, it was layered in emotion. “I haven’t drawn anything in a long, long time.”

Guilt crashed over him like a wave. “I know.”

“How old were you? When you first saw my drawings.”

“I was ten.”

Tohru Adachi’s voice lilted through the earpiece, a giggle of amusement that Yu decided he could get used to hearing. When he calmed down and spoke, his voice was still full of mirth. “Why don’t you tell me a bit about yourself, Yu Narukami?”

He hadn’t expected that, but he smiled nonetheless and started rattling off some basic information about himself. “Well, I’m 18 years old. I’ll be going to Tokyo University in the spring. I want to be a detective, like my uncle. My blood type is O. I’m 184 centimeters tall. My favorite color is blue. I know a couple of magic tricks, but I’ve always been bad at them. I love origami. I always wanted a cat, but my dad is allergic so I can’t.”

Again, Tohru Adachi chuckled. “You’re taller than me, Yu Narukami.”

Heat rose in Yu’s cheeks. “Is that a bad thing?” He honestly wasn’t sure.

“No,” Tohru quickly assured. It made Yu feel better, the stress leaving his body. “The world just has a nasty sense of humor, you know?” He sounded amused, almost teasing. Again, Yu found himself liking that dangerous edge.

“Why do you say that?”

Tohru hummed, like he was thinking for a moment. “You want to be a detective, right?”

Yu gave a quick “Yes,” curious where this line of questioning was going.

“How about I tell you a little about myself, and we can see if you agree with me.” Tohru chuckled again like he told a joke; Yu couldn’t say he got it, but the sound made him grin widely. He did like where the conversation was going. It was… thought-provoking? “I’m 28 years old. Tokyo University is my alma mater. I’m a detective and I recently transferred to a rural town called Inaba. My blood type is A. I’m 175 centimeters tall. My favorite color is red. I’m very good at magic tricks. I love card tricks the most. I’ve never tried origami because I am not an old man. I own two cats, Izanami and Izanagi. They’re brats.”

Twenty-eight?

Yu felt himself blush again. Tohru must have been twenty, just turned an adult, when his drawings ended up appearing on Yu’s body. “The world has a nasty sense of humor,” he found himself echoing with a slight giggle of his own. “Pairing up a literal child with an adult like that.”

Tohru burst into a fit of laughter that Yu joined in on. When they died down, Tohru sighed in a mixture of amusement and contentment. “Glad you see the humor in it, too.”

“I do.” Yu agreed. He thought back on everything Tohru had just told him, all the bits and pieces starting to digest. “You mentioned Inaba…”

“Yep, it’s where I live now. Tiny little speck. Ever heard of it?”

“I have,” he started slowly. “You’re a detective in Inaba, no less. So you must know my uncle. Ryotaro Dojima.”

The line went quiet for a second, and Yu swore he heard Tohru Adachi gasp. “D-Dojima is your uncle?”

“Oh, so you know him?”

Tohru Adachi clicked his tongue, voice still full of mirth. “Course I know him. Your uncle is my senior partner. Not only are you, Yu Narukami, a decade my junior. You’re taller than me and you’re my work partner’s little nephew I’ve heard so much about from Nanako-chan.”

At the mention of Nanako, Yu bit down on his finger to keep from laughing. So he definitely did know his uncle Ryo. “Didn’t think to put two-and-two together? That the Yu Nanako talks about and Yu Narukami could be the same person?” He didn’t know why, but he felt like he could tease Tohru without him taking it personally.

“Yu is a very common name; I’ll have you know!” Tohru retorted with mock admonishment. “But no, never thought about it. I must be a pretty lousy detective, huh?”

Yu smiled, looking down at his socked feet. “No way. My uncle mentioned he actually liked his new work partner last time he spoke to my mother. Said he – which I can only imagine he meant you – had a good future ahead of him.”

Tohru made a noise like he was surprised by something. Yu couldn’t blame him, since he knew after his aunt’s accident, he was a bit tough to be around for a while. “He really said that?”

“Honest. He failed to mention your name though. Not that it would have meant anything to me at the time.” Yu awkwardly laughed. “So, your cats… Are they from the same litter?”

Seemingly appreciating the change in topic, Tohru followed it in stride. “They probably are. I found them wandering around Tokyo when they were just little kittens. They followed me back to my apartment and then refused to leave. When I moved out to Inaba I figured they’d try to escape and go back. They just stuck around. One of them doesn’t even leave the yard. Guess they’re mine for good.”

They kept talking about themselves. Finding more things to laugh about. His parents stopped by his room to wish him a happy birthday. He shooed them away by responding that he was talking to his soulmate. His mother looked so radically different than she had the first time they told him about his soulmate. No longer scared. His father had given him a thumbs up and a beaming smile as they left.

He'd be sure to tell them all about it. Later.

Calls and texts from his friends also flooded in as the hour became more respectable; they all went unanswered, for the time being.

It was remarkable how easy it was to talk to Tohru Adachi. He had known the man for years, yet he was still a stranger. They were learning and yet knew so much about each other. At first, Yu thought it was because of the drawings and notes. But after going on three hours of chatting, he realized he could simply sense things about Tohru Adachi – like how he could tease the man about his detective skills.

“I should probably get going soon,” Tohru Adachi said, voice a bit wistful. It was the last thing he wanted to do; Yu could tell. “Your uncle is going to give me a dressing down for disappearing for so long.”

Yu blinked. “You’re getting on my uncle’s bad side just to talk to me?”

“It’s worth it.”

“I’d like to come visit.”

“Visit…?” He swore he heard Tohru Adachi gulp. “You hardly know me?”

“I’d like to get to know you. That’s why I want to visit.”

“You’re still in school, Yu Narukami.”

“Winter break is coming up.”

“Stop undermining me.” Yu could hear the slight whine of Tohru Adachi’s voice – ignoring the part of his brain that cooed over how cute it was. Tohru wasn’t mad so much as flustered. It made him grin.

“I’ll be there on December 18^th, Tohu Adachi.”

“The 18^th, huh? And how long will you be staying, Yu Narukami?”

“I haven’t decided yet. Until school restarts, maybe? Until you get tired of me and throw me out?”

Tohru Adachi laughed.

After they finally hung up – it clocked in at three hours, twenty-one minutes – he should have suspected his parents would be hovering just outside his door. He gave them both an unimpressed look, but he was still giddy, so he knew it wasn’t a very effective glare.

His father was first to broach the subject as they all stared at each other. “So, tell us about the mystery soulmate?”

Bless his father. Without him, he and his mother would probably just sit in silence.

“He’s a detective.” He spoke slowly, watching his parents’ reaction. He’d heard stories from others about same-sex soulmates being treated… oddly. Not nicely, that was for certain. The two continued to stare at him, eagerly. “He’s older than me. He knows Uncle Ryo and Aunt Chisato. If I had gone to visit them last year like I was supposed to, I would have met him.”

He flushed and spoke quickly, nerves still high and endorphins scrambling his brain.

He could have run into Tohru Adachi so many times. More times than he dared imagine. He lived in Tokyo until the start of 2011. He worked with his uncle… He looked down at this wrist, to the little marks of Tohru Adachi.

His mother was quick to pick up on something. She narrowed her eyes at her son and asked, “How much older?”

He shifted on his feet, eyes downcast. “Ten months… and ten years.”

He didn’t have to look up to see her eyes widen. It wasn’t unheard of, of course. But it wasn’t exactly common to have large age gaps between soulmates. Normally, there were only a few months between ages. Few years at most. The largest gap on record was 22 years and 3 days. Though some people debate whether they were soulmates or not. Yu couldn’t say he cared either way.

“I’m going to Inaba in two weeks.” He continued, voice firm. Better to inform them as soon as possible. “So, I can meet him. He… has cats.”

His father patted his shoulder, clearly accepting the situation. He knew he would help talk his mother into it when they were alone. “Do you want us to come with you?”

He shook his head. It would have been awkward – downright embarrassing – to invite his parents along on his first meeting with his soulmate! Again, not that it was an unheard-of scenario. Especially with such a large age gap… But he was almost an adult in his own right. He was going to visit his soulmate – without his parents acting as chaperones. The last thing he needed was his mother to scare Tohru away by threatening him. Or his father having an allergic reaction to cats.

“Well,” his mother sighed – at least she seemed ok with the situation, so he considered that a win. “At the very least, let me call up your uncle and aunt to have them keep an eye on you.” That was something Yu could accept. Besides, Tohru already knew his relatives. She then gets rather excited. “You should make sure to go visit them while you’re there anyways. Nanako would love to see her ‘big bro’!”

She was still worried, he knew. But he smiled and nodded. “Ok, mom.”

Chapter Text

“So, you finally talked to your mystery soulmate!”

Of course, Yosuke was the first person – outside of his parents – that Yu Narukami talked about his multi-hour phone conversation with his “mystery soulmate” Tohru Adachi. Every time he thought of the man, his stomach did flips, and he was definitely smiling wider and more often than normal. He had completely forgotten why he was so hesitant to reach out to begin with. Well, it was the fact that he was ten… But he wasn’t ten anymore.

“I did,” Yu smiled, playing with the sleeves of his jacket as though they were the most interesting thing in the universe. It was mostly to hide his face, reddened from a mixture of embarrassment and excitement. “His name is Tohru Adachi. He knows my uncle and aunt in Inaba,” he gushed a little more, unable to help himself. He’d never felt so giddy before.

Yosuke looked pleased as he considered his friend’s demeanor. Yu was never one to wear his heart on his sleeve, so much, but when he talked about Tohru Adachi, he suddenly was all smiles. And bashful. In the years they had been friends, he never once saw Yu blush.

“Inaba? Right! That town you were supposed to go to last year before your parents’ business trip got cancelled,” Yosuke hadn’t thought of Inaba since then. At the time, he was just excited his friend didn’t have to go away from a whole year. Though, that did make him think… “How old is your soulmate to know your aunt and uncle? Are they, like, neighbors or something?” Maybe this Tohru Adachi watched his cousin or something.

Yu had been prepared for that question; he suspected he would need to answer it a lot. “He’s a detective. And yes, he’s older than me. Quite a bit older than me.”

Yosuke’s mouth went slack, and he stared dumbly at Yu. “He’s already an adult? With a job?!”

“And cats,” Yu all but confirmed. Really, he just didn’t understand why no one else was excited about the cat aspect. He made it well known he liked cats!

Yosuke rolled his eyes. This guy and cats. He was basically a pied piper with the local feline population. “Doesn’t it bother you that your soulmate is an adult?”

Yu shook his head. If he were honest, he always had little schoolboy crushes on people older than him anyways. To him, it just made sense that his soulmate was someone older than him. Besides, he was nearly an adult himself! And Tohru clearly had something of a childish streak that made Yu all kinds of silly. “Does it bother you that your soulmate seems to be around alcohol all the time?” He wasn’t being confrontational, just naturally curious.

At that, Yosuke scratched at the back of his head awkwardly. “You don’t think she’s an adult, do you?”

Yu hadn’t really thought about it much. The universe did have a sick sense of humor though, as he had learned with him and Tohru Adachi. But what would the chances be of both he and Yosuke being children paired off with adults? Given the rarity, he guessed relatively low. “How do you know your soulmate is a girl?” he chose to ask instead. He didn’t know Tohru was a man until he finally spoke with him, but it was maybe different for different people

“Simple, she smells like a girl!” Yosuke proudly proclaimed. “Aside from the alcohol, she’s using smelling froofy perfumes and candles and stuff. She has this nice smelling shampoo, too. She’s smelling it all the time, so her hair must be really long and pretty…”

Yu smiled as he listened to his friend gush about his mystery soulmate. Yosuke always got a dreamy look in his eye whenever he talked about her. It made him wonder if he looked the same when he talked about Tohru a minute beforehand. “I guess my point is, I don’t care that he’s an adult. I’ve only talked to him for a little while, but I like him a lot already,” Privately to himself Yu was certain if Tohru hadn’t been his soulmate, he would like the man. Enough to marry him one day. Maybe that was why the powers that be paired them together? Maybe… Maybe Tohru also felt the same. The thought made him grin.

Yosuke chuckled. Happiness looked good on his friend. Much better than the quiet seriousness and general aloofness he typically was. “If you’re sure, so am I. Next question! When are you going to meet him in person?”

Yu fidgeted again with the hem of his jacket. He felt guilty for backing out on his friends, but it wouldn’t be forever. They could hang out before the start of the Spring semester. Maybe Tohru could come to Tokyo for a day or two then… Meet all of Yu’s friends and his parents. “About that. I know we had all made a bunch of plans for winter break, but I’m going to go visit him in Inaba instead.”

“It’s ok, Yu. It isn’t every day you get to meet your soulmate! The rest of us will have fun while you’re off losing your virginity,” Yosuke winked at Yu, smirking slyly.

Yu balked and shoved his friend in annoyance, face beet red. “Shut up…”

…

After the conversation with Yosuke, it became harder to ignore that losing his virginity over the winter break had become a very real possibility. It wasn’t like he was attached to it or anything! He just barely had any experience to draw on. The last time someone tried to kiss him, a few months back, he just stood like a log as she confessed her belief, they had to be soulmates.

They obviously were not. After the tear-filled confession and very wet, very unwelcome kiss, he shook his head sadly and walked away.

But Tohru Adachi was 28. Maybe he was better at that sort of thing? Maybe, as an adult, sex was a reasonable expectation?

Yu wasn’t against that, but what if he was so bad at it that Tohru decided he’d rather get that… aspect somewhere else? Could a relationship survive something like that? Yu didn’t know much, but he did know he wouldn’t feel comfortable with Tohru sleeping with others. What if he only wanted to have sex with women? What was sex between two men even like?

Maybe he should research it. Or maybe he could ask? He should just ask. He got the feeling Tohru might find it kind of cute. Charming? He hoped he wasn’t wrong.

He waited until he was home that evening to start the conversation. Over the course of the day, Tohru must have gotten bored – or maybe he just wanted to make something cute for Yu – since he doodled a sleeping cartoony kitten on his inner wrist. Yu cooed at the drawing from his soulmate. He was happy to see Tohru drawing again.

Under the sleeping cat he wrote, “call me tonight.” Unable to resist, he added a small heart at the end.

He knew his uncle tended to work late. If Tohru had to work right alongside him, well… Hopefully his soulmate would know he still wanted to talk, even if it was three in the morning.

For now, he would ready himself for bed (and take care not to accidentally erase his message).

Yu had fallen asleep despite all his efforts to stay awake, but he had his phone right next to his head. When his incoming call tune jingled, it stirred him and he quickly answered with a soft, tired, “Hello?”

“I hope you don’t mind I called so late,” it was a little ridiculous, how quickly Yu’s stomach did little flips at hearing Tohru Adachi’s voice. He also sounded tired. It must have been a long shift.

Yu snuggled back into his blankets, a wide grin on his face. “I wanted you to.”

Tohru sighed, but it was a contented one. “I don’t know why, but I had a feeling you did.” They’re both quiet for a moment, just enjoying each other’s presence, even though they were miles away. Tohru is the one to break the silence, voice a little worried – it was touching. “So, why did you want me to call?”

Yu shuffled in his bed, feeling squirmy and uncomfortable. Mostly because of its own naiveté when it came to sex. “Well, I had a question for you. It’s… embarrassing but I need to know,” he figured he should cut right to the chase.

“Go on,” Tohru urged, voice gentle.

“Are we… going to have sex when I visit you?”

Tohru sputtered; he clearly did not expect Yu to ask that. He managed to piece together a sentence after a handful of aborted attempts. “What’s bringing this up, Yu-kun?”

Yu’s body shuddered at the sound of his name on his soulmate’s lips, but he kept his suddenly awake body unfed. Instead, he hid his face under his blankets, even though he knew Tohru couldn’t actually see him. “Something a friend of mine brought up. I just want to make sure I’m prepared because I don’t know how…”

“I’m going to stop you right there,” Tohru’s voice was authoritative, but kind. “I don’t care if we do or don’t. I’m… I’m just looking forward to meeting you, Yu Narukami.” He didn’t have to say it because Yu already knew… Tohru was just happy to know that Yu existed. He was just happy that Yu wanted to meet him, too… Everything else was just details. Details they could iron out together.

It evoked all types of emotion in Yu. Relief, excitement, regret… Was this what a soulmate really was? If so, it was exhilarating. Overwhelming. Tears stung his eyes at the sheer nature of his emotions as they crashed down on him.

“Are you ok, Yu-kun?” Tohru’s voice was still soft, and somehow vulnerable. Almost like he was worried he had spooked his soulmate.

Yu quickly tried his eyes on the sleeve of his night shirt. “I’m ok, just a little overwhelmed.”

Tohru mumbled something that Yu didn’t quite pick up on. Then he spoke again, less of a mumble. “Are you overwhelmed because you aren’t sure you want to come, or are you overwhelmed because you’re still upset that you waited to reach out to me.”

“The second one,” Yu whispers. “And a little bit because I’m really happy you’re my soulmate.”

He heard a soft chuckle over the phone – light and tender that fanned the fires in Yu’s belly. “I don’t want you to ever feel sad about not reaching out sooner ever again. Understood? I’m glad you waited to reach out. I really am. You waited until you felt ready and that’s so much more mature than a lot of people treat this whole ‘soulmates’ business. And that’s how we should treat everything in our relationship.”

Yu made a noise in the back of his throat, kind of like a happy whine. “I like that idea, Tohru-kun.”

“Is there anything else, Yu-kun?”

Yu shifted again and turned over in his bed onto his side, biting his lower lip. He did have another question. “Have you ever had sex before?”

Tohru was quiet for a second before he cleared his throat and said, as calmly as possible, “I’m a virgin.”

“So, we’ll be each other’s firsts when we’re ready,” Yu smiled at that. It felt somehow romantic. And comforting that Tohru was as inexperienced as he was.

“You don’t mind that I’m… a virgin at my age?” Tohru was surprised at that, and it only made Yu’s chest warm with affection.

“No. Would you mind if I wasn’t a virgin at my age?” Historically he never thought too much about things like virginity, but returning to his earlier thoughts on adulthood, it must be different – to be a virgin at that age.

“No. Though I’ll admit it made me happy to know you were a virgin too,” Tohru laughed, but it was awkward compared to his usual laughs. It still made Yu’s heart dance and his stomach knot up. Maybe he just liked Tohru’s voice. “It’s late. Or early, I suppose. Would you like to go to bed, or do you have more to discuss?”

Yu snuggled into his blankets and nuzzled his pillow. He wished for the first time it was another body he was snuggled up to. He wished it were Tohru. He still didn’t know what the man looked like, but he was eager to find out. And he would, soon. “I could talk to you until I fell asleep, Tohru-kun. About anything.”

“Would you like to do that? I wouldn’t mind talking to you while I get ready for bed. I still need to eat.”

Yu smiled, feeling a little heavy with sleep. “Yes please…”

Chapter Text

He fought his parents on having them see him off at the train station. It felt so juvenile to have his mom and dad waving him off as he went to visit his soulmate for the first time. But he realized some point between the night before and the morning of that they were probably overcome with nostalgia and such. Their only son had reached out to his soulmate and was about to go meet him. That was a pretty bit deal and there’s no saying how their meeting will change things.

Yu was going to finish his degree though. That much he was adamant about.

But instead of staying in Tokyo, or moving somewhere like Osaka or Nagoya, he might settle somewhere smaller. Like Inaba, if they’d be willing to take him. Maybe he could commute to Okina Station nearby… Maybe. It all depended on how things went. Which he hoped would be well.

Still, Yu was about to have a very big moment, and his parents were good about being in attendance for those.

“Ok son, your mother and I got you and your soulmate a little gift,” his father handed a nondescript paper bag to for Yu to take.

He does, brow furrowed in confusion as he looked between his parents. His first mistake was opening it, and his face immediately fell into an unimpressed grimace. “Condoms and lubricant? Seriously you guys?” His father he wasn’t too shocked by, but his mother…? It wasn’t that she seemed prudish – he had heard his mom and dad getting intimate in the past and it scarred him emotionally forever. But she never talked about it.

His mother butted her husband out of the way, her eyes locked on her son’s as she cupped her hands around her baby’s face, mouth in a thin, serious line. “Just because you two can’t make a baby doesn’t mean you’re safe from diseases, darling. We’re both well aware of how,” she paused to looked towards his father, her eyes lighting up affectionately before back to Yu, “intense it can be to meet your soulmate for the first time.”

Heat rose in Yu’s cheeks, averting his gaze from his mother – and his father. “It doesn’t mean we’re going to have sex,” he mumbled. Though, first Yosuke – who was mostly talking out of his ass since he hadn’t met his soulmate yet – and now his parents talking about sex…? Maybe there was something to the whole “going to lose his virginity” thing.

“Maybe, maybe not. We just want you to be safe if you do decide to have sex,” his father interjected, offering his son a reassuring smile. “We don’t know how much experience you or Adachi-san have, but safety makes sex feel so much better!”

Yu wanted the ground to swallow him whole. He waited for it to take him, but he never did. After a minute of stunned silence, he blinked and said, “I’m going now. And I hope we never talk about this again.”

…

After the fraught start to his day, he had mostly forgotten it by the time he had boarded his last train. The last leg of his journey before Yaso Inaba. He tucked the paper bag of condoms and lube away in his backpack and spent a majority of his trip texting his friends. He would occasionally send Tohru little updates, letting him know he got on or off a train safely and Tohru would text back how happy he was to hear that or that he would be waiting at the train station to pick him up.

Just to make sure that Tohru knew – and it was just fun to utilize their soul bond – he wrote in marker on the back of his hand, “Arrival time 1700.” Because he knew Tohru was working until then, he resisted putting a heart at the end. If nothing else, he knew his uncle Ryo would never let that go.

As 1700 drew nearer, Yu felt a ball of nervous energy rise within him. Nervous, excited… The train pinged and let the passengers – passenger, Yu was the only one still onboard by that point – that Yaso Inaba was the next stop. He collected his belongings and waited at the doors, feeling the train braking as it moved into the station… The doors opened, he took a deep breath, brought his jacket a little closer to his body – dang it was colder in Inaba than the city – and stepped off the train…

He was surprised to see his Uncle Ryo waiting just outside the station beside his car. Beside him stood a lanky younger man in a suit, tie, and work boots. Feathery, choppy brunet hair and dark, attractive eyes. Even from the distance, he could unmistakably make out his own handwriting on the back of the man’s hand.

His heart leapt to his throat, transfixed on the stranger-but-not.

He was beautiful. And his uncle was undoubtedly ribbing him. He could tell by the smile and playful twinkle in his uncle’s eye. He stepped off the stairway and headed towards the familiar car he had seen the Dojimas arrive in so many times in the past.

He gave a small, bashful wave. “Hi.”

He had no idea what else to say!

“Well, if it isn’t the man of the hour! Still quiet, huh kid?” Dojima’s voice was as powerful and commanding as Yu remembered. Even still, his attention stayed lock on Tohru Adachi. Who, in turn, had his focus on Yu, even as his face went red, and it wasn’t for the cold.

“Are you two going to just stand there and gawk at each other all evening? You know what? I’ll just step in here and make the introductions. Yu Narukami, this is my work partner and neighbor, Tohru Adachi. Adachi, this is my nephew, Yu. He’s my older sister’s kid.”

They both extended their hands to shake, fumbling and awkward, but the touch… It was electric, magnetic. Magic.

“Hi.”

“Hi.”

Dojima stood beside the two, looking from one to the other as they shook hands, eyes still locked.

To be young and meet your soulmate for the first time. There was something heartwarming about it.

Still, it was freezing and he wanted to get home to his wife and daughter.

“I know you both can say way more than that. You’ll be sleeping under the same roof for weeks!”

They both snap to glare at him, still holding hands but it is much more holding hands than shaking hands.

Dojima grinned. “Come along, then. I’m sure these two soulmates are very eager to bond.”

Bond.

A shiver ran down Yu’s spine at the word. One look at Tohru and he could see that the older man had a similar reaction.

Chapter Text

The drive was short – not that Yu was going to complain. It was freezing and Tohru sat in the back with him, even though they didn’t talk much. It was awkward only because he could see his uncle peeking through the rearview mirror at them with a sly smile. No wonder Uncle Ryo and his dad got along so well. Still didn’t explain his mother’s behavior. Maybe grandma and grandpa were weirdos.

They pulled up to the Dojima family residence – a place Yu only had vague memories of from his childhood – got out, and Tohru immediately grabbed Yu’s bags before he could. It was cute. “Thanks for the ride, Dojima-san.” Tohru called across the car.

“Anytime! I hope you two will come over for dinner soon. Have fun,” Dojima waved them off before he headed inside his own abode.

Once gone, Tohru sighed heavily, doubling over in defeat for a second. “He’s going to be teasing me at work for the next decade.”

Yu blinked before he chuckled. “My uncle can’t be that bad, can he?”

“He means well,” his mouth upturned slightly – not quite a smile, not quite a smirk. “If he doesn’t have paperwork to keep him busy, he will find something else to preoccupy his time. Comes with the territory of being a small-town detective. Anyways, my house is right across the street here. Let’s get out of this cold.”

Yu looked at the home across the street from the Dojima residence. It had been a long, long time since he’d been in Inaba, but he faintly remembered an older couple living there. “Must be convenient to have your boss as your neighbor!”

“I am certainly his neighbor,” Tohru sighed like it’s a burden, but Yu can see the slight upturn of his lips and the twinkle in his eye. He might say he hates it, but he clearly did not. He motioned for Yu to follow.

Yu smiled and hopped after him across the street. He was mighty eager to get inside where it was warm.

…

“Nami, Nagi! I’m home!” Tohru called out past the genkan and immediately two little bells jingled from around the corner. Yu looked to see two cats poke their heads around the corner first. One was a grey tabby with golden eyes. He was the first to venture closer, outstretched and sniffing cautiously at Yu’s bags, eyes focused on the man in question. On the lookout for even the slightest hint of movement from him.

Obsessed with cats, he of course did a slow blink at him. “That one’s Izanagi. Nagi for short,” Tohru explained, watching with interest as the cat crept closer to Yu, getting more confident the closer he got until he rubbed his face against Yu’s pantleg.

Feeling both honored and chosen, Yu crouched down to give the cat a little tickle under his chin. Without warning, the cat hopped into Yu’s arms and allowed the man to scratch at him.

The other, a patchwork tortoiseshell cat with blue eyes, jingled her way over to Tohru and stretched up at her master, claws digging into his leg. Demanding to be carried.

Tohru flinched. “And this butthead is Izanami. Nami for short,” he grumbled, looking down at the cat who only chirrups at him. Still demanding she be picked up. "Izanagi seems to like you." Tohru looked pleased as he leaned down to pick Nami up. "He doesn't tend to bond with many people."

"How many people has he liked so far?" Yu asked, scratching the underside of Nagi's chin as the cat purred loudly.

"Me, Nanako, the girl at the famous Inn, and now you."

"What a picky boy!" He all but cooed at the tabby, who had bear hugged his arm to keep him from removing his hand. "What about Izanami there?" He tilted his head towards the tortoiseshell cat Tohru currently held like a baby. Clearly, she was unimpressed by the intruder in her home.

"She's only ever liked me. And Izanagi, most of the time." Tohru sighed as he looked down at her and poked her nose. She immediately headbutted him affectionately before she went back to stare the intruder down. "She might try to swat at you. Just give her a wide berth, I guess?"

Yu chuckled. “Noted.”

“They’re probably starving to death,” Tohru said facetiously; at the mention of starving Nami and Nagi both turned their gaze to their master, eye wide. Nami struggled until she was put on the ground. Nagi did the same and Yu set the boy on the ground and watched as they both ran back into the rest of the house – probably towards the kitchen “I really hate when they do that.”

Again, Yu just found it funny.

“Well, before I feed them, let me show you to your room. It has the basics. I know you won’t be here long, but feel free to make it your own. If you, you know, end up wanting to come back or whatever it’ll be nice for the room to have some purpose.” Tohru scratched at the back of his head, staring at his feet as he spoke. Yu found it endearing and sweet.

…

Unpacked with a chorus of cat mews in the background, they venture back downstairs, to the small, sparsely stocked kitchen (something Yu mentally notes to change during his stay). Nami didn’t look too pleased that the mystery person would be staying, but food was on the line, so she was (mostly) behaving.

"So, you’re neighbors with my uncle. That's convenient, huh?" He was trying to make small talk, but Yu also did find it pretty neat. If only because it really did feel like the universe did everything it could to get their dumbasses together.

Tohru snorted, a slightly intrigued chuff; a smirk curled across his face. "Convenient is one way to put it. When I was originally pushed out here, I tried to find an apartment, but none of them allowed two cats. One was fine, but I couldn't split them up, you know?"

At his feet, both cats danced and darted between his legs as he doled out their meal, occasionally chirping excitedly. "Chisato called and told me that the old couple who lived here before were having trouble selling the place. It seemed wrong to just abandon it like so many other houses around here. So, I bought it for dirt cheap."

"That's something I think I'd really enjoy living in a rural town. A strong community."

"Yeah... I wasn't too thrilled about it at first, but it's kind of grown on me." He put the dishes down by the cats. "I was a city kid. Nothing to do out here but watch paint dry. But I got to know the Dojimas, and they introduced me to the Amagis, the Konishis... Pretty much all of the old families who have lived here for generations."

"I get the odd sense you still feel like an outsider."

"I've always felt a bit like an oddball." Tohru flashed Yu a half-smile. It didn't quite reach his eyes - they weren't sparkling the way they did when he really smiled.

"Me too. Maybe that's why the powers that be put us together." Yu sighed thoughtfully and decided to open up a bit. "I've always been a quiet kid. Not terribly expressive. Preferred to listen rather than speak." He was caught off guard when Tohru laughed. He tilted his head, trying not to pout. "What's so funny?"

“Not funny so much as it sounds eerily familiar,” Tohru looked up at him with a pretty smile that Yu hadn’t expected, and it made little butterflies tickle his stomach. The cats both howl loudly, annoyed at being ignored with their food right there. “Yeah, yeah you two.” He placed their bowls down on the floor and stepped over them to come around closer to Yu. “So, are you hungry?”

Yu nodded. “I didn’t get to eat much on the train.” In truth, he couldn’t eat, he was so excited. But that sounded so childish to him that he disregarded mentioning it.

“Let me order in some dinner. It, uh, might not be the most glamorous way to start a vacation, but Aiya is absolutely delicious.”

…

Not only was Aiya delicious, but it also arrived quicker than Yu had expected. It was later than he would normally eat dinner, but he also just travelled. Met his soulmate. It was, in short, not a normal day for him.

They sat at Tohru’s chabudai, a hand-me-down from the Dojima’s, he had explained and ate their spread. Yu, a bit ravenously. He hadn’t realized how hungry he was until he could stuff his face full of rice and some of the best marinated steak he’d ever had. Their conversation naturally took a turn towards food, and Yu couldn’t him but bring up how spartan the kitchen was.

“Yeah, I was never much of a cook, I’m afraid. My cooking prowess begins and ends at the microwave,” Tohru smiled ruefully, using his chopsticks to poke at a small pile of his rice. “I tend to order takeout a lot or rely on Chisato-san and Nanako-chan to send me leftovers.”

Yu chuckled and reached across the chabudai to grab another shrimp roll. “I like to cook so hopefully you can rely on me to make you lunch and dinner while I’m here,” he looked over at Tohru, his cheeks burning. “At least, I hope my food will taste better than takeout. Healthier too!”

Tohru tilted his head and looked at Yu with an affectionate smile that made Yu feel all sorts of butterflies. “You should be on vacation, not cooking for your culinary inept soulmate. This is your last little bit of freedom before you’re off to university.”

“And I’d like to spend it with my soulmate, so it seems like, to me, you’ll just have to be in the kitchen with me. Maybe you’ll pick up some culinary skills through osmosis.”

After dinner, they went to their separate rooms to change into their pajamas before they returned to the living room to sit with each other on the couch. Yu snickered and pointed out Tohru’s glasses. “You look cute,” he let slip.

Tohru blushed and delicately touched the frames before he looked away. “Yeah. I only wear these at night. I hope that isn’t a problem?”

“Not at all. I’ve always been attracted to older men with glasses.” Yu hadn’t meant to mention that openly, and his face heat up at his own big mouth. Tohru’s did too, but he didn’t mention it. Which Yu silently was thankful for.

“I like to watch game shows at night. Is that ok with you?”

The change of subject was highly appreciated. “Yeah, perfect!”

…

Yu noticed Tohru fidget repeatedly out of the corner of his eye, so he scooted closer to the older man until there’s no space left between them. He was so warm that Yu could imagine himself curled up next to him and purring like a kitten. “Are you ok, Tohru-kun?”

Tohru nodded, biting his lower lip. “Do you… would you mind if I…” he sighed then sucked in another breath. “Can I kiss you?” His voice tumbled out quickly, embarrassed.

Yu didn’t even have to think about it. His mouth formed his response before he could even think about it. “Yes.” He’d been wanting to kiss Tohru since their eyes met. Probably even before.

This wasn’t about to be a weird, one-sided peck on the lips that made Yu feel awkward or even crummy after they pulled apart. No, even before their lips met, he knew this would be a kiss. A real kiss.

He closed his eyes and rested his hands on Tohru’s shoulders, shaking from anticipation all the while. Tohru wasn’t holding up much better in the shaking department. He didn’t even need to ask to know the detective was as excited and enthralled as he was.

When their lips first touched, it was like waking up for the first time and feeling truly alive. All the tingling he had felt up to that point was amped up, on steroids. He didn’t know what he was doing, and maybe Tohru didn’t either, but he pressed their lips together a little more and his right hand coiled around the back of Tohru’s neck, playing with the short, soft tendrils at the base. He wanted to fist at Tohru’s hair, kiss him deeply, feel his tongue play with his own.

He'd never felt that before, and he didn’t quite know how to make it all happen.

He’s glad when he felt Tohru’s lips part against his own and the detective’s warm tongue trace against his lower lip. A gentle request for permission. It made Yu melt into Tohru’s accepting arms, and he opened his mouth for Tohru, his own tongue shyly running against Tohru’s, drawing him in. It was like fire burned in his belly and electricity arced through his veins, pleasurably heating through him. It all pooled at the pit in his stomach. He was so glad he wore baggy, warm sweatpants and not jeans or slacks. His growing boner would have been ridiculously obvious and embarrassing.

Their kiss progressed into full on making out. At least, Yu thought that was what making out was. Their tongues were all over each other and Tohru’s hands travelled curiously down Yu’s back. Yu takes it as permission to let his right-hand rake upwards through Tohru’s hair while he kept his left on Tohru’s shoulder.

They pulled away for breath, Yu blinking his eyes open to see Tohru’s pupils were blown, cheeks ruddy, and chest heaving like he had run a marathon. Yu wasn’t much better, and he was still a shaking mess of limbs compared to Tohru, who had stopped.

“Sh-should we stop, Yu-kun?”

He may not have been shaking, but his voice was. It makes something pang desperately in Yu’s belly, a primal urge to tackle him and just… Rut against him. It made him hesitate. Should they stop? They’d only been in each other’s physical presence for a few hours. Four… Maybe five…

“I don’t know,” he finally whispered. He wasn’t sure if they were ready for anything more than a little making out. They hadn’t… Talked about anything, set any boundaries. But he also didn’t want the feelings bouncing around inside him to go away. Maybe if he was honest about how he was feeling, they could decide together? “I really like making out with you and… And I want to do more, if you do.”

He heard Tohru swallow thickly, watched at his cute Adam’s apple bobbed and felt Tohru’s hands fist at the back of his Henley. Gods, it was taking so much of his self-control to not push Tohru down on the couch. He never realized he had so little self-control!

“How much more?” Tohru asked, resting his forehead against Yu’s. His glasses slip down his nose a little, but Yu doesn’t mind. In fact, he liked it – a lot. He got to see Tohru’s eyes. His pretty, coal gray eyes that drove him wild.

“Maybe not all the way tonight, but I… I’d like to touch you,” Yu knew his blush was probably bright enough to glow. “And you can touch me, too. I’d really like it if you could touch me.”

Tohru bit at his lower lip, making a strained groan of a man barely clinging to self-control. It was clear to Yu he, too, really would like to touch and be touched. “Anything off-limits?”

“I don’t know,” Yu admitted lamely. He was so inexperienced that he wasn’t sure what he liked or disliked yet, but he was willing to give it a go. “We can try things and if we don’t like it just say something?”

“Yeah. Yeah, that sounds like a good plan,” Tohru straightened up, removing his forehead from Yu’s. “I don’t really know what I like either, so this can be a learning experience for us both.” He tried to smile, but it just came out an awkward chuckle. One that made Yu giddy and his head a little loopy. Or maybe it was the lack of blood to his brain.

Yu urged Tohru to kiss him again using his hand on the back of the man’s head. Tohru doesn’t hesitate to get back to kissing, and hands wandered down even lower until they reached the end of his shirt. They were quickly underneath, skin on skin contact. It sent a series of shivers down Yu’s spine, and he felt his dick jolt and hips rut forward eagerly into nothing. He couldn’t help himself any longer. He was gentle when it did it. He rested his hand on Tohru’s chest and slowly urged them down onto the couch, Tohru yielding to him completely. Their kiss only broke momentarily, for the older man to gasp as his back hit the seat on the couch before he surged forward into another blazing kiss.

Yu laid on top of him, straddling Tohru between his legs and rutting their pelvises together. He moaned a little, mouth full of Tohru’s tongue, when he felt that Tohru was hard, too. It made him a little more eager in his thrusts, his body seeming to know what to do when he himself had no clue whatsoever.

Tohru made a noise like a whimper and his legs moved up to squeeze Yu around the middle, trying to meet his soulmate’s vigor with his own. It was almost easy to forget he was a virgin. Everything just felt so right…

And yet… Maybe it was panic, but he tapped at Yu’s shoulder, trying to get his attention and break their kiss at the same time – even as it was the last thing either of them really wanted to do. “We should try to calm down a little,” Tohru warned, all flushed and pretty. He was right. The rational part of Yu’s brain warned him that Tohru was right. If sex wasn’t something they were going to do tonight, they needed to stop.

Yu nodded and tucked himself between the couch and Tohru, effectively spooning the detective. He kept his erection, tented inside his sweats, flushed against Tohru’s hip. “Sorry, I shouldn’t have pushed you down like that.” He felt guilty, like maybe he had taken it too far.

“It’s ok, Yu-kun. I think… I think I enjoy being on the bottom like that,” Tohru squirmed at the admission, then adjusted on his side to look at the tv. Not that he paid much attention to it. He just didn't want to see Yu’s reaction. They weren’t supposed to have sex that night and if he saw any indication that Yu wanted to, well… He didn’t want them to make any mistakes, move too hastily because some momentary hormones caused them to be dumb. He liked and respected Yu too much.

Again, probably for the best since sex wasn’t supposed to be on the table. “We can keep experimenting with it tomorrow, Tohru-kun.”

Tohru chuckled at that, then went back to actually watching the TV in an effort to calm down his raging hard on. A difficult task with the cause of his desires still spooning him, Yu’s large, stiff cock squished on his buttocks.

Yu nuzzled the older man and tried to do the same. Eventually they were back down, and Tohru yawned. It was definitely time for bed. “I’m going to go to bed. Will you be alright down here alone?”

“I think I’m ready to sleep too,” Yu rubbed his eyes. He was up a lot later than he normally would be… “I’ll come up with you.”

They shut off the tv and headed upstairs, Tohru guiding the way. Not that Yu didn’t already know where he was going. He’d seen his temporary lodgings earlier in the day. But when it came time to part, Yu hesitated and made a grab for Tohru’s hand.

The man stopped and looked at Yu with concern.

Yu made a noise like a whimper before he grasped onto the edge of Tohru’s shirt in both hands, feeling a little childish but not particularly caring. “I want to stay with you tonight,” he whispered shyly. In truth, he wanted to stay with Tohru every night, forever. But he’d settle for the duration of his visit, if Tohru would have him.

Tohru smiled and brushed the knuckles of his right hand gently over Yu’s jaw. “You can stay with me for as long as you’d like, Yu-kun,” he took Yu’s hands in his own and led him towards the bedroom.

It would be a first for both of them, sharing a bed with another person… And they both find, curled up to one another, the best feeling in the world.