Page 17 of The Arrival
He nods. “I am. Nino is having some reservations, but I think he’s just nervous.”
Waving a hand, Asao shakes his head. “He’ll be fine. Hayato was nervous before you were born, too.”
“Really?” Haruka’s eyes brighten with interest.
“Mm. He was worried about all sorts of things—whether or not he could keep you safe, or how much or little to feed you. He worried that you’d grow up to dislike him, because his relationship with your grandfather was strained. That worried him the most, I think. He wanted a much stronger bond with you than what he had with his own father.”
Haruka is listening, but a blanket of melancholy settles in his chest. His father, Hayato, had worried about the nature of their relationship. But in the end, they didn’t have much time together to build one. Not truly. “I think we would have had a wonderful relationship,” Haruka offers.
“Iknowyou did. You may not have had as many years together as we would have liked, but the time you did have is packed with good memories, isn’t it?”
Multiple images and sensations flash across Haruka’s mind: How he used to be small enough to fit perfectly within the hollow of his father’s folded legs as they sat on the tatami together. The smell of cedar as he hid in the ambient dark of an old chest, waiting to be found, and then the flood of excitement and bright light with Hayato’s beaming face staring down at him. Heavy rain tapping against glass while he lay wrapped securely in his mother’s arms. The rosy smell of her as his father’s voice soothed him to sleep.
Haruka takes a breath, suddenly overwhelmed by the clarity and intensity of his reverie. He hadn’t actively recalled those memories in quite some time because of their bittersweet nature. “Yes,” he admits, his chest tight. “I have very good memories.”
“Damn straight.” Asao grins, pushing up from the table to stand. “I can’t believe today is the day. Is Nino close to the estate? The clinic appointment is in a couple hours—and don’t forget you’re having dinner with Abe-san to talk about the land contract.”
“Yes, I know, and Nino should be here any minute, but…” Haruka rubs his fingers through the back of his hair, keeping his gaze down. This moment of recollection is rare for him. Strange. He doesn’t like focusing on his past because of the severe pain there, like reaching back to touch a very hot stove.
He never talks about that life—the life of an orphan, and then a broken man with no hope, walking through the monotony of each day, empty—but it feels appropriate to do so in this moment, somehow.
“Asao, I… I am sorry for the hardship that you endured because of my behavior after my bond broke. I have never said so, but I know that attending to me back then was very difficult.”
“You don’t need to apologize to me,” Asao says. “You were wounded and bleeding out for decades. Thankfully, you finally let someone help you.”
Haruka meets his gaze, sincere. “I should have letyouhelp me, but… I was so content and justified in my misery. I was blinded by it. Regardless, thank you for being patient with me.”
“We should be thanking Mr. Sunshine for thawing you out.”
“Is that what you call me behind my back? I guess there are worse things.” Nino stands in the doorframe, business casual in a white lightweight sweater, dark slacks and a knee-length trench coat the color of sandstone. Before anyone can answer, he lifts his hands, flashing a bright smile. “Wait—you’re both here. Don’t move.”
Drawing back, Asao frowns “Who?Me?”
“No.” Haruka stands from the table and rolls his shoulders. “He means me.”
Nino’s eyes glow to life like a fiery sunset. The air within the room shifts. Soon, the effervescent spark of Nino’s energy snakes around Haruka’s frame from the shoulders down and he relaxes, completely submitting to the sensation and trusting in his mate.
His body levitates higher, then carefully moves around the curve of the table, around Asao and toward Nino just inside the doorframe.
“Should I go grab a mop in case he explodes?” Asao snarks.
“Not funny—and gross,” Nino says, never taking his eyes off of Haruka as he draws nearer. Haruka’s mind is calm, his frame relaxed as he hovers like a human-shaped drone across the tatami. When he’s just in front of Nino, he expects to be placed feetfirst onto the floor. Instead, Nino opens his arms and Haruka gently bumps into his chest, huffing out a breath from the impact. Nino holds him in a secure embrace before releasing Haruka from his energy.
“Hello, gorgeous.” Nino hugs him tight, and with his arms now free and his feet planted, Haruka wraps his arms around his shoulders. “How was that time?”
“It was excellent.” Haruka inhales, filling himself with his scent. “Better every day.”
“All that practice has paid off. Good job, Nino.” Asao steps up beside them and offers Nino a firm pat on the back. “I don’t think I actually have a mop, so you saved me a lot of trouble.”
Nino rolls his eyes as he lifts from the hug. “Tesoro, are you ready? We should leave so we get there a little early.”
“Are you sure you don’t want me to drive?” Asao asks. “I don’t mind.”
“I think this is something that we should do on our own,” Nino says. “Do you agree?”
Haruka nods, his heart full of anticipation and gratitude. “Yes. But thank you for the offer, Asao. I appreciate it.”
SIX
