Have the first chapter of Zone of Action:
Ren never thought himself to be homesick until he spied Shiirei’s shores from the deck of the ship. Then a wave of it crashed over him, a bittersweet feeling. As much heartbreak as he’d suffered here, still, he’d had amazing happiness and success as well. He couldn’t forget that.
An arm slipped around his waist as his husband joined him at the rail. “Been a long time.”
“Six years,” Ren agreed a little wistfully, leaning into the embrace. “But look, even from here, I can tell the city’s recovered. Remember how bad it was when we last saw it? It was little better than a ghost town in some sections.”
“Mmm.” Arman’s head turned as he looked the other direction. “Docks are fixed, too.”
“They are. That should make life a little easier on us, as I’m assuming we’ll have to ship in supplies. We won’t be able to quarry all the stone we’ll need from the local area.”
“Mmm,” Arman grunted again, a little darkly this time.
They’d spent the entire voyage here designing the new fortress, based upon their memories of what the landscape looked like. Ren assumed he’d remembered it more or less right, after fighting in the terrain for six months solid. He hoped that when they presented the design to the Emperor that he would accept it without many changes, but Arman didn’t share that hope. Truthfully, Ren didn’t put a lot of stock in it either. Odds were they’d get stuck in a committee meeting of some sort for at least a week before they could browbeat people into agreeing.
Such was the nature of politics.
But that wasn’t something he had to worry about today. Ren had already sent a letter ahead telling the Emperor what day they’d arrive, and he’d deliberately given himself three days to spend with his family first, as otherwise he might not be able to see them at all until the fortress was finished. He owed it to Takahiro to at least tell him of the marriage in person.
They landed without issue, off-loading quickly and then waiting another half hour for their trunks to be fished out of the hold. Robert tried to get them to go ahead, but Ren didn’t dare, as Robert had no idea where to go from here. The city had changed so much Ren wasn’t completely positive he could find his brother’s house without trouble. Only when they were all ready to leave did Ren hire a cart to haul their luggage.
With more confidence than he actually felt, Ren led the way through the narrow streets, heading away from the docks and toward the center of the city. Half the buildings were new, of course, replacing the ones that had been burned during the war. It brought him considerable happiness to see so much life now, with pedestrians going about their daily lives, and no hint of fear dogging their footsteps.
Takahiro, as a government official, lived in a nice section of town, in a two-story house with a small, gated front yard. Ren swung in the gate, calling in his native tongue as he pushed the half-gate open, “Excuse the intrusion!”
There was an excited exclamation from inside, the sound of running feet, then the paper front door slid abruptly sideways, revealing his sister-in-law with his nephew in her arms. Chiyuki had obviously been cooking, as she had an apron on over her yukata, her dark hair caught up in a soft bun at the top of her head. Her son nearly spanned her petite torso, which showed that Chiyuki really was that small, or her son was growing rapidly. She beamed at him, throwing her free arm open in welcome. “Ren-nii!”
He went directly into her arms, hugging them both tightly. “Chiyuki-neesan. Oh, you look beautiful, how do you manage that year after year?”
“Your brother takes good care of me,” she responded, pulling back to get a good look at him. “You look so lively now, so much more handsome than before. Aart has been good to you, I think. Shiro-chan, come, say hello to your uncle.”
The baby reached both hands up to this new person he didn’t know, dark eyes curious. Ren picked him out of his mother’s arms, delighted to finally meet the child he’d heard so much about through letters. “Hello, my handsome nephew. You do look like your mother.”
“He does,” Chiyuki agreed immediately, laughter sparkling in her eyes. “Although Takahiro maintains he looks like you as a child. General Brahms, Robert-san, forgive my manners, I’ve left you standing here. All of you, welcome. You’ll be able to stay?”
“Three days,” Ren assured her.
“Good! Then come inside. I expect Takahiro home very soon. Are you hungry? I’d just started dinner.”
“Starving,” Ren admitted, following her inside. “The ship’s fare got rather repetitious after the first week. Chiyuki-neesan, where should we put everything?”
“Use the front two rooms,” she directed, pointing to the right. “Robert-san, this second room should be large enough for you and some of the luggage, at least. I’ll pull the futons out of the closet later for all of you. Ren-nii, will you and General Brahms be alright sharing a room?”
“No problem,” Arman told her with an admirably straight face.
Ren discreetly planted an elbow in his husband’s side. “That’s fine. Here, let me take Shiro, I think you have a pot boiling over.”
Swearing softly, Chiyuki darted inside to the kitchen, the flaps of her yukata moving noisily as she ran.
They moved the trunks in with the driver’s help, Ren giving the man a healthy tip in thanks for the extra help, then they withdrew inside, toeing off shoes at the front door before moving all the way in. Ren took in the house with an admiring eye. It was much better now than before, the addition off the back helping to keep the area from being cramped. The layout of the ground floor was that of five rooms, one large living space next to the kitchen, with a multi-purpose room at the front, a study, then a bathroom beyond it. Stairs broke up the left side from the right, all of the wood polished to a dull gleam, the walls freshly painted in a white coating.
Takahiro had indeed restored the house to its former glory after the destruction of the war had hit it. Ren felt relieved his brother had the money to do so, as living in a half-demolished house with a baby would have been dangerous for everyone.
He entered the living room and put Shiro down, shedding his coat as he moved and hanging it on the hook near the door, then plopping down to play with his nephew.
For a few minutes, no one else came, everyone on their own tasks, then Chiyuki came back to join him briefly on the floor. She looked him over again, a thoughtful finger to her mouth. “There’s something different about you, I just can’t quite place it.”
Ren carefully kept his left hand out of view, wanting to tell that piece of news to them both. “Is there?”
“Your last letter said you had something important to tell us,” she prompted pointedly.
“Wait for Taka-nii,” Ren requested. “I want to tell you both at once. How is the rest of the family doing? I’m not sure whether I should try to see them or not while I’m in town.”
Chiyuki’s mouth flattened in an unhappy way. “I don’t think you should. I do not understand my relatives. First they’re unhappy with you because you’re, well, that way. And then after you leave, they complain that you abandoned them here, when before they didn’t want you about at all. They’re very fickle.”
“They are that.” Ren decided he’d better leave them be. He didn’t have any real desire to see them and he really, truly, did not want Arman in their vicinity. For their sakes, not his husband’s, as Arman’s temper would be unleashed for sure within five minutes of their meeting. “Alright, then I won’t. We have precious little time here, anyway, I don’t want to spoil it by arguing.”
“I don’t blame you. We truly only have you for three days?”
“For now,” Ren clarified. “I want to come back after the fortress is built, sometime a year from now I expect, and spend a little longer here before returning to Aart.”
Chiyuki accepted this with a nod, worrying at her bottom lip for a moment and darting a look to make sure that no one else could hear her. Even then, she leaned in and lowered her voice. “Are you certain that you won’t just stay here? Now that the Emperor himself has called for you, surely you can find a way to stay?”
“I thought we were friends, Chiyuki-san,” Arman scolded, ducking through the doorway.
Turning a little, she glared up at him. “You stole him from us first, General Brahms. And kept him for six years. Isn’t it about time you gave him back?”
“No,” Arman answered mock pleasantly. With a huff, he sat on the floor next to Ren, although he didn’t copy their seating style, but crossed his legs instead.
“You would take off with the one relative that I actually like,” Chiyuki groused. Hopping up, she returned to the kitchen, presumably to keep something from burning.
Shiro, interested in this new person on the floor, crawled over to Arman. Ren almost intercepted the baby then thought better of it. He had been mulling over a question that Eida had asked him, and the possible answer, but he needed to see how Arman felt about children first. He liked his own nephew, of course, but what about other babies?
Arman extended both hands, palms up, waiting patiently as the baby took one hand and then another, examining them. Apparently he liked them, as he grasped both, using them to haul himself up. A slight smile played around Arman’s mouth as he allowed himself to be used as a support as the baby unsteadily got to his feet.
His husband was good with children. Who knew? Ren watched this play out with growing delight, sure now that he might be able to talk Arman into adopting their own child eventually.
“Oh, he’s on his feet again!” Chiyuki celebrated, returning from the kitchen. “He just started doing that yesterday. I keep waiting for him to actually walk, but he seems content to stand and then he’ll sit down again.”
“Probably still developing his sense of balance,” Ren commented idly, watching as Shiro dropped back to the ground and crawled off, heading for a toy. “He’ll try for walking on his own soon enough. Then you’ll wish he was still crawling.”
Chiyuki shrugged, unable to deny that. “It’s the struggle of parenthood. How is Robert-san—oh. Takahiro, is that you?”
“It is,” a deep voice answered, the response overlaying the sound of the sliding door opening and closing again. “We have guests?”
“Ren-nii’s here!” his wife announced happily.
Takahiro came quickly into view and Ren got the first look of him in six years. His brother was still tall and slender as always, although he wore his hair in a short cut now, instead of the top-knot he favored before. A grin on his face, he came forward, meeting Ren halfway in a fierce hug.
Stepping back, Ren couldn’t contain his smile. “You look good, Taka-nii.”
“As do you. No, you look better than before.” Takahiro clapped him on the shoulder before giving Arman a bow. “General Brahms, welcome. My brother has been in your care.”
Arman stood to give him a polite bow. “I think it was more the other way around, Takahiro-san.”
“Alright, Takahiro’s here,” Chiyuki gave Ren a firm look. “Now, what’s this announcement of yours?”
“Ah, well.” Ren hadn’t quite envisioned saying it in this setting, but apparently his sister-in-law was at the end of her patience. “I actually got married about three months ago.”
Both of them stared back at him, completely stunned, jaws hanging. Knowing very well how much of a shock that was, Ren let them have a moment to recover. It took them several seconds to remember how to breathe, much less speak.
Chiyuki recovered first and demanded in a gasp, “Who?”
Lifting a hand a little in the air, Arman responded, “Me.”
Takahiro’s eyes darted between the two of them, no longer stunned, almost smug now. “I knew it.”
“And no,” Ren couldn’t help but add, tone irritated, “we were not lovers before that point, Taka-nii.”
“Wait, what?!” Takahiro demanded, stunned all over again. “Of course you were!”
“Of course we weren’t, idiot brother,” Ren retorted, throwing up his hands in exasperation. “Do you really think that I would have just left with him without telling you that we were lovers first? Is that what you think of me, really?”
“No, but…” Takahiro protested, looking to Arman for an explanation. “Why would he go with you otherwise?”
“I begged him to,” Arman admitted with a helpless shrug. “I couldn’t leave him here. I felt he had no future in Shiirei.”
“I didn’t, it was a smart move,” Ren pointed out. “That’s even more obvious in retrospect. But no, Taka-nii, we were not lovers five years ago. In fact, we weren’t lovers at all until the day he proposed to me.”
Chiyuki had a hand to her head as if it pained her. “Wait, General Brahms, you proposed? Why?”
Looking at her as if she had just asked a very stupid question, which to Arman it was, he drawled, “Because I love him, of course. Why does everyone ask me that?”
“You know why.” Ren answered him but kept his eyes on his sister-in-law and brother. He didn’t quite know how they were going to take this, which was part of the reason why Robert was still with the luggage and not unpacking them just yet. If it got too awkward, they’d leave. “I know this is a lot to take in at once. Do you need to sit down, Taka-nii?”
“I think I do.” Takahiro abruptly sank to the mat, staring straight ahead. “I just assumed…but of course, I shouldn’t have, you’re right. You’ve always been forthright if you’re in a relationship or not. You were just so obviously devoted to him then, I thought you must be lovers.”
“Told you,” Arman muttered smugly in Ren’s ear.
Ren smacked him in the arm for it.
“His ring.” Chiyuki grabbed Ren’s hand, then Arman’s, staring at the wedding rings they both wore. “You swapped signet rings. Why didn’t I notice it before?”
“You weren’t looking for it,” Ren pointed out. No one looked ill or started screaming yet. Did he dare think that these two could accept things? Braving a look at Takahiro, he was startled to find his brother’s eyes shining with unshed tears. “Taka-nii?”
Looking away, his brother cleared his throat, clearly gaining control over himself. “Forgive me. I just know how hard it was for you, Ren. You hated being alone but always put a good face on it. And now you’re married to the one man that I can trust with your heart. I’m so relieved. Thank you, Arman-san.”
Arman softened into that almost smile he wore when he felt perfectly content. “It’s more for me than him.”
Sliding his hand into Arman’s, Ren laced their fingers together. He dearly wished to kiss him in that moment, but didn’t feel completely comfortable doing so in this setting. Ren felt he strained his brother and sister-in-law’s tolerance enough, he didn’t need to add to it. Still, his heart thumped when Arman turned that expression on him, the smile deepening.
“Oh,” Chiyuki exclaimed softly, a hand to her mouth. “No wonder you look so much more handsome now, Ren, if he looks at you like that.”
Ren had to look away before he really did attack Arman right there. “They always say a woman in love is more beautiful. I think it applies to men, too. I’m glad that you can accept this so fully.”
“Of course we can,” Takahiro scolded. “Shame on you for doubting that. I must ask, though, how did your family take this, Arman-san? They must have had concerns.”
“A few, nothing major,” Arman assured him. He caught the full implications of Takahiro now using his given name and he openly smiled at his brother-in-law.
“My brothers both have children coming soon, so we don’t lack for heirs.”
Ren also caught the implications and gave Takahiro a grateful look for truly accepting it, even if having a brother-in-law had to be taking the man’s head for a spin. “I think it puzzled them more than anything,” Ren admitted frankly. “They were afraid that Arman married me for my sake. He quickly put any fears to rest and after that they accepted it with no problems. Actually, his mother threw a grand wedding for us.”
Takahiro looked relieved to hear this. “Excellent. My heartfelt congratulations, then, and thank you for telling me in person.”
“Thank you,” Arman answered simply.
“We must celebrate it too,” Chiyuki announced firmly. “Takahiro, go buy a cake. And be quick, dinner is almost ready.”
“Wait, Chiyuki-neesan, that’s—” Ren’s protest died in his throat when his sister-in-law scowled at him.
“Don’t you dare say that’s not necessary.” The words were borderline threat. “Thanks to you, I now have another relative that I actually like, and that is a cause for celebration. Takahiro, the cake.”
Takahiro was already moving. “Ren, come help me pick one out.”
Sensing he wanted to speak one-on-one, Ren readily stood as well. “Alright. Be back in a few minutes, then.”
Ren never thought himself to be homesick until he spied Shiirei’s shores from the deck of the ship. Then a wave of it crashed over him, a bittersweet feeling. As much heartbreak as he’d suffered here, still, he’d had amazing happiness and success as well. He couldn’t forget that.
An arm slipped around his waist as his husband joined him at the rail. “Been a long time.”
“Six years,” Ren agreed a little wistfully, leaning into the embrace. “But look, even from here, I can tell the city’s recovered. Remember how bad it was when we last saw it? It was little better than a ghost town in some sections.”
“Mmm.” Arman’s head turned as he looked the other direction. “Docks are fixed, too.”
“They are. That should make life a little easier on us, as I’m assuming we’ll have to ship in supplies. We won’t be able to quarry all the stone we’ll need from the local area.”
“Mmm,” Arman grunted again, a little darkly this time.
They’d spent the entire voyage here designing the new fortress, based upon their memories of what the landscape looked like. Ren assumed he’d remembered it more or less right, after fighting in the terrain for six months solid. He hoped that when they presented the design to the Emperor that he would accept it without many changes, but Arman didn’t share that hope. Truthfully, Ren didn’t put a lot of stock in it either. Odds were they’d get stuck in a committee meeting of some sort for at least a week before they could browbeat people into agreeing.
Such was the nature of politics.
But that wasn’t something he had to worry about today. Ren had already sent a letter ahead telling the Emperor what day they’d arrive, and he’d deliberately given himself three days to spend with his family first, as otherwise he might not be able to see them at all until the fortress was finished. He owed it to Takahiro to at least tell him of the marriage in person.
They landed without issue, off-loading quickly and then waiting another half hour for their trunks to be fished out of the hold. Robert tried to get them to go ahead, but Ren didn’t dare, as Robert had no idea where to go from here. The city had changed so much Ren wasn’t completely positive he could find his brother’s house without trouble. Only when they were all ready to leave did Ren hire a cart to haul their luggage.
With more confidence than he actually felt, Ren led the way through the narrow streets, heading away from the docks and toward the center of the city. Half the buildings were new, of course, replacing the ones that had been burned during the war. It brought him considerable happiness to see so much life now, with pedestrians going about their daily lives, and no hint of fear dogging their footsteps.
Takahiro, as a government official, lived in a nice section of town, in a two-story house with a small, gated front yard. Ren swung in the gate, calling in his native tongue as he pushed the half-gate open, “Excuse the intrusion!”
There was an excited exclamation from inside, the sound of running feet, then the paper front door slid abruptly sideways, revealing his sister-in-law with his nephew in her arms. Chiyuki had obviously been cooking, as she had an apron on over her yukata, her dark hair caught up in a soft bun at the top of her head. Her son nearly spanned her petite torso, which showed that Chiyuki really was that small, or her son was growing rapidly. She beamed at him, throwing her free arm open in welcome. “Ren-nii!”
He went directly into her arms, hugging them both tightly. “Chiyuki-neesan. Oh, you look beautiful, how do you manage that year after year?”
“Your brother takes good care of me,” she responded, pulling back to get a good look at him. “You look so lively now, so much more handsome than before. Aart has been good to you, I think. Shiro-chan, come, say hello to your uncle.”
The baby reached both hands up to this new person he didn’t know, dark eyes curious. Ren picked him out of his mother’s arms, delighted to finally meet the child he’d heard so much about through letters. “Hello, my handsome nephew. You do look like your mother.”
“He does,” Chiyuki agreed immediately, laughter sparkling in her eyes. “Although Takahiro maintains he looks like you as a child. General Brahms, Robert-san, forgive my manners, I’ve left you standing here. All of you, welcome. You’ll be able to stay?”
“Three days,” Ren assured her.
“Good! Then come inside. I expect Takahiro home very soon. Are you hungry? I’d just started dinner.”
“Starving,” Ren admitted, following her inside. “The ship’s fare got rather repetitious after the first week. Chiyuki-neesan, where should we put everything?”
“Use the front two rooms,” she directed, pointing to the right. “Robert-san, this second room should be large enough for you and some of the luggage, at least. I’ll pull the futons out of the closet later for all of you. Ren-nii, will you and General Brahms be alright sharing a room?”
“No problem,” Arman told her with an admirably straight face.
Ren discreetly planted an elbow in his husband’s side. “That’s fine. Here, let me take Shiro, I think you have a pot boiling over.”
Swearing softly, Chiyuki darted inside to the kitchen, the flaps of her yukata moving noisily as she ran.
They moved the trunks in with the driver’s help, Ren giving the man a healthy tip in thanks for the extra help, then they withdrew inside, toeing off shoes at the front door before moving all the way in. Ren took in the house with an admiring eye. It was much better now than before, the addition off the back helping to keep the area from being cramped. The layout of the ground floor was that of five rooms, one large living space next to the kitchen, with a multi-purpose room at the front, a study, then a bathroom beyond it. Stairs broke up the left side from the right, all of the wood polished to a dull gleam, the walls freshly painted in a white coating.
Takahiro had indeed restored the house to its former glory after the destruction of the war had hit it. Ren felt relieved his brother had the money to do so, as living in a half-demolished house with a baby would have been dangerous for everyone.
He entered the living room and put Shiro down, shedding his coat as he moved and hanging it on the hook near the door, then plopping down to play with his nephew.
For a few minutes, no one else came, everyone on their own tasks, then Chiyuki came back to join him briefly on the floor. She looked him over again, a thoughtful finger to her mouth. “There’s something different about you, I just can’t quite place it.”
Ren carefully kept his left hand out of view, wanting to tell that piece of news to them both. “Is there?”
“Your last letter said you had something important to tell us,” she prompted pointedly.
“Wait for Taka-nii,” Ren requested. “I want to tell you both at once. How is the rest of the family doing? I’m not sure whether I should try to see them or not while I’m in town.”
Chiyuki’s mouth flattened in an unhappy way. “I don’t think you should. I do not understand my relatives. First they’re unhappy with you because you’re, well, that way. And then after you leave, they complain that you abandoned them here, when before they didn’t want you about at all. They’re very fickle.”
“They are that.” Ren decided he’d better leave them be. He didn’t have any real desire to see them and he really, truly, did not want Arman in their vicinity. For their sakes, not his husband’s, as Arman’s temper would be unleashed for sure within five minutes of their meeting. “Alright, then I won’t. We have precious little time here, anyway, I don’t want to spoil it by arguing.”
“I don’t blame you. We truly only have you for three days?”
“For now,” Ren clarified. “I want to come back after the fortress is built, sometime a year from now I expect, and spend a little longer here before returning to Aart.”
Chiyuki accepted this with a nod, worrying at her bottom lip for a moment and darting a look to make sure that no one else could hear her. Even then, she leaned in and lowered her voice. “Are you certain that you won’t just stay here? Now that the Emperor himself has called for you, surely you can find a way to stay?”
“I thought we were friends, Chiyuki-san,” Arman scolded, ducking through the doorway.
Turning a little, she glared up at him. “You stole him from us first, General Brahms. And kept him for six years. Isn’t it about time you gave him back?”
“No,” Arman answered mock pleasantly. With a huff, he sat on the floor next to Ren, although he didn’t copy their seating style, but crossed his legs instead.
“You would take off with the one relative that I actually like,” Chiyuki groused. Hopping up, she returned to the kitchen, presumably to keep something from burning.
Shiro, interested in this new person on the floor, crawled over to Arman. Ren almost intercepted the baby then thought better of it. He had been mulling over a question that Eida had asked him, and the possible answer, but he needed to see how Arman felt about children first. He liked his own nephew, of course, but what about other babies?
Arman extended both hands, palms up, waiting patiently as the baby took one hand and then another, examining them. Apparently he liked them, as he grasped both, using them to haul himself up. A slight smile played around Arman’s mouth as he allowed himself to be used as a support as the baby unsteadily got to his feet.
His husband was good with children. Who knew? Ren watched this play out with growing delight, sure now that he might be able to talk Arman into adopting their own child eventually.
“Oh, he’s on his feet again!” Chiyuki celebrated, returning from the kitchen. “He just started doing that yesterday. I keep waiting for him to actually walk, but he seems content to stand and then he’ll sit down again.”
“Probably still developing his sense of balance,” Ren commented idly, watching as Shiro dropped back to the ground and crawled off, heading for a toy. “He’ll try for walking on his own soon enough. Then you’ll wish he was still crawling.”
Chiyuki shrugged, unable to deny that. “It’s the struggle of parenthood. How is Robert-san—oh. Takahiro, is that you?”
“It is,” a deep voice answered, the response overlaying the sound of the sliding door opening and closing again. “We have guests?”
“Ren-nii’s here!” his wife announced happily.
Takahiro came quickly into view and Ren got the first look of him in six years. His brother was still tall and slender as always, although he wore his hair in a short cut now, instead of the top-knot he favored before. A grin on his face, he came forward, meeting Ren halfway in a fierce hug.
Stepping back, Ren couldn’t contain his smile. “You look good, Taka-nii.”
“As do you. No, you look better than before.” Takahiro clapped him on the shoulder before giving Arman a bow. “General Brahms, welcome. My brother has been in your care.”
Arman stood to give him a polite bow. “I think it was more the other way around, Takahiro-san.”
“Alright, Takahiro’s here,” Chiyuki gave Ren a firm look. “Now, what’s this announcement of yours?”
“Ah, well.” Ren hadn’t quite envisioned saying it in this setting, but apparently his sister-in-law was at the end of her patience. “I actually got married about three months ago.”
Both of them stared back at him, completely stunned, jaws hanging. Knowing very well how much of a shock that was, Ren let them have a moment to recover. It took them several seconds to remember how to breathe, much less speak.
Chiyuki recovered first and demanded in a gasp, “Who?”
Lifting a hand a little in the air, Arman responded, “Me.”
Takahiro’s eyes darted between the two of them, no longer stunned, almost smug now. “I knew it.”
“And no,” Ren couldn’t help but add, tone irritated, “we were not lovers before that point, Taka-nii.”
“Wait, what?!” Takahiro demanded, stunned all over again. “Of course you were!”
“Of course we weren’t, idiot brother,” Ren retorted, throwing up his hands in exasperation. “Do you really think that I would have just left with him without telling you that we were lovers first? Is that what you think of me, really?”
“No, but…” Takahiro protested, looking to Arman for an explanation. “Why would he go with you otherwise?”
“I begged him to,” Arman admitted with a helpless shrug. “I couldn’t leave him here. I felt he had no future in Shiirei.”
“I didn’t, it was a smart move,” Ren pointed out. “That’s even more obvious in retrospect. But no, Taka-nii, we were not lovers five years ago. In fact, we weren’t lovers at all until the day he proposed to me.”
Chiyuki had a hand to her head as if it pained her. “Wait, General Brahms, you proposed? Why?”
Looking at her as if she had just asked a very stupid question, which to Arman it was, he drawled, “Because I love him, of course. Why does everyone ask me that?”
“You know why.” Ren answered him but kept his eyes on his sister-in-law and brother. He didn’t quite know how they were going to take this, which was part of the reason why Robert was still with the luggage and not unpacking them just yet. If it got too awkward, they’d leave. “I know this is a lot to take in at once. Do you need to sit down, Taka-nii?”
“I think I do.” Takahiro abruptly sank to the mat, staring straight ahead. “I just assumed…but of course, I shouldn’t have, you’re right. You’ve always been forthright if you’re in a relationship or not. You were just so obviously devoted to him then, I thought you must be lovers.”
“Told you,” Arman muttered smugly in Ren’s ear.
Ren smacked him in the arm for it.
“His ring.” Chiyuki grabbed Ren’s hand, then Arman’s, staring at the wedding rings they both wore. “You swapped signet rings. Why didn’t I notice it before?”
“You weren’t looking for it,” Ren pointed out. No one looked ill or started screaming yet. Did he dare think that these two could accept things? Braving a look at Takahiro, he was startled to find his brother’s eyes shining with unshed tears. “Taka-nii?”
Looking away, his brother cleared his throat, clearly gaining control over himself. “Forgive me. I just know how hard it was for you, Ren. You hated being alone but always put a good face on it. And now you’re married to the one man that I can trust with your heart. I’m so relieved. Thank you, Arman-san.”
Arman softened into that almost smile he wore when he felt perfectly content. “It’s more for me than him.”
Sliding his hand into Arman’s, Ren laced their fingers together. He dearly wished to kiss him in that moment, but didn’t feel completely comfortable doing so in this setting. Ren felt he strained his brother and sister-in-law’s tolerance enough, he didn’t need to add to it. Still, his heart thumped when Arman turned that expression on him, the smile deepening.
“Oh,” Chiyuki exclaimed softly, a hand to her mouth. “No wonder you look so much more handsome now, Ren, if he looks at you like that.”
Ren had to look away before he really did attack Arman right there. “They always say a woman in love is more beautiful. I think it applies to men, too. I’m glad that you can accept this so fully.”
“Of course we can,” Takahiro scolded. “Shame on you for doubting that. I must ask, though, how did your family take this, Arman-san? They must have had concerns.”
“A few, nothing major,” Arman assured him. He caught the full implications of Takahiro now using his given name and he openly smiled at his brother-in-law.
“My brothers both have children coming soon, so we don’t lack for heirs.”
Ren also caught the implications and gave Takahiro a grateful look for truly accepting it, even if having a brother-in-law had to be taking the man’s head for a spin. “I think it puzzled them more than anything,” Ren admitted frankly. “They were afraid that Arman married me for my sake. He quickly put any fears to rest and after that they accepted it with no problems. Actually, his mother threw a grand wedding for us.”
Takahiro looked relieved to hear this. “Excellent. My heartfelt congratulations, then, and thank you for telling me in person.”
“Thank you,” Arman answered simply.
“We must celebrate it too,” Chiyuki announced firmly. “Takahiro, go buy a cake. And be quick, dinner is almost ready.”
“Wait, Chiyuki-neesan, that’s—” Ren’s protest died in his throat when his sister-in-law scowled at him.
“Don’t you dare say that’s not necessary.” The words were borderline threat. “Thanks to you, I now have another relative that I actually like, and that is a cause for celebration. Takahiro, the cake.”
Takahiro was already moving. “Ren, come help me pick one out.”
Sensing he wanted to speak one-on-one, Ren readily stood as well. “Alright. Be back in a few minutes, then.”