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[hallowing]

@torontonian

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[hallowing]

( he reaches for the soap, building it into a lather before he starts to wash sasuke down, pressing kisses to newly clean, damp skin. )

We can do everything as traditionally as you want.

[chokuto]

As long as you tell me what you want, too.

[He doesn't want to seem selfish by dictating exactly how it's done. While Cy washes him, his right hand spans over the man's broad back, tracing the definition of muscle under the slick water.]

It's for both of us.

[hallowing]

There's only one tradition I really care about from my own culture. The couple picks a plant that represents their union, and you plant it together as a first act of marriage.

（ then, perhaps a little suggestively as he works lower, gently cradling sasuke's cock to clean it — ）

And then you get to fuck in the dirt. It's supposed to be ceremonial, so the most 'modern' iteration I was around for was just smearing a bit of the dirt from your homestead on each other and running off to the bedroom, but I like the old-fashioned version, myself.

（ what can he say, he's ancient, it's a whole thing. ）

[chokuto]

[Oh.]

... We can do that. [A little breathlessly said, he finds himself shifting forward at the touch between his legs, brushing against the front of Cy's body.] We'll have to find somewhere remote in the Vale, but it shouldn't be too difficult. Maybe we could find a spot close to that first place we ever went. On a date. It was under a tree.

[Cy allows him to be insufferably romantic without consequence.]

Did you already have a plant in mind?

[hallowing]

I was thinking basil. It goes well with tomatoes.

（ he's thorough in cleaning this well-loved place, sliding his hand along the shaft, and then dipping down between his legs as he presses a kiss to sasuke's cheek. ）

It means a lot of things in Earth culture — chastity, hah. A declaration of love, protection from evil. It can grow in the presence of great heroism, or great hatred.

（ and sasuke will know full well why that matters to both of them. ）

If I had a Chiskikani plant, I'd use that, but c'est la guerre.

[chokuto]

[How dare you kiss him on the cheek when his mouth is right here? Sasuke tilts his head, chasing Cy's lips, pressing them together in a firm seal. Then he kisses him again, staggering the flow of conversation but hardly caring in the moment.

Those last words, though —]

Ah. I have something for you, but it was supposed to wait for the engagement ceremony. Somehow my plans keep falling out of order. [A sigh, though it's clear from the look on his face that he's not truly bothered.] Seeds from Chinoon. If you want them. But we should plant the basil as well, because I like that description.

[hallowing]

（ if only sasuke had context for what a record scratch is, because boy howdy does it happen. ）

What?

（ excuse me did he hear you correctly??? ）

[chokuto]

Seeds from Chinoon. [Yes, you heard right.] Seven. I don't actually know what plants they are, but I assumed you would have a better idea if you saw them.

[He does notice that Cy's tone has shifted in that specific way of when he's changing between languages, but he makes no comment.]

Sorry. It was supposed to be a surprise.

[hallowing]

How?

（ when sasuke is using more words than cy, you know there's a problem at hand. he hasn't pulled away at all, but he's stopped moving — hand stilled where it rests between sasuke's hands as if he's simply forgotten he has the wherewithal to control his own motor function. ）

[chokuto]

I played a game against J.

[It's not something he was purposefully withholding; he had planned to tell Cy when he gifted the seeds to begin with. But — the lack of reaction does earn his attention, observed carefully.]

It wasn't dangerous. Or sexual. [Look, it has to be specified in a place like this.] If I lost, I would have owed him a favor. But I didn't lose. So as a reward, I was able to ask for something I wanted.

[hallowing]

（ he draws a breath, and then. just. ）

I have to sit down.

（ which he is going to do right here in the shower, thank you. at least he tugs sasuke along with him into his lap, leaning in against his shoulder. sasuke could have asked for — anything, and he asked for that? the kindness of it is so fucking overwhelming that the next breath is a struggle, chest painfully constricted by an intricate web of tender emotion that — immediately results in another egg, sheltered in the minimal space between their bodies. ）

[chokuto]

[Sasuke goes with him unresisting, settling into his lap, arm around the man's shoulders to draw him in securely, protectively.]

Are you okay—

[—only to be interrupted by another egg. The question snags in his throat, immediately cupping his palm under it before it can roll off and crack open on the tile.]

... Um. That was definitely you. [what is HAPPENING] You made an egg.

[hallowing]

（ theRE ARE TOO MANY THINGS COMPETING FOR HIS SANITY RIGHT NOW THANK YOU which is why he takes the egg, does the math, and yeets it immediately to join its eggy brethren in the other room. gently, obviously. ）

Sasuke I'm like three seconds away from a panic attack can you please just let me sit here quietly a minute.

[chokuto]

[Oh... goodbye egg...

But his attention narrows itself back onto Cy at that, concern clear on his face. He lifts his hand, rubbing up Cy's arm in an attempt at physical comfort that — does not come to him naturally, yet is still worlds improved from what it once was.]

I'm sorry. Take the time you need.

[hallowing]

（ he does — sheltered against sasuke's shoulder while he takes deep, meditative breaths. he's not even sure why it inspired such a reaction in him, except that it has and it's no doubt something he'll need to unpack. the mention of his home, combined with sasuke's thoughtfulness, just... intermixed in a way that winded him.

after a few minutes have passed with the steady drum of the water and of sasuke's beating heart — ）

What do they look like? The seeds.

[chokuto]

The seeds each have these little points. They almost look like stars.

[His hand finds the back of Cy's neck, fingertips gently stroking into wet hair.]

And they're this deep, dark violet color. It's beautiful. I can show you once we're done cleaning up. I've been keeping them in my things.

[hallowing]

Ebisennat.

（ he doesn't know where the word comes from, exactly. something dredged up out of the ruined wasteland of a shattered mind. it's strange, what can surface in the memory when the right combination of competing sensations hits you.

it's — the fruit cy told him about, months ago now. and he couldn't remember what they were called until this moment, had simply given them a name based on a remembered taste.

crying is not exactly an uncommon thing between them, and cy is not ashamed of it — his shoulders shake as he presses his forehead to sasuke's wet skin. ）

Breadfruit. It's breadfruit.

[chokuto]

I remember you telling me about that.

[He leans, pressing a kiss to Cy's temple — and once he can reach his face, another kiss is set against the wet corner of an eye, Cy's skin warm against his lips.]

Ebisennat. Then, we can plant it together. So, at least while you're here, you'll have something of your home as well.

[It aches in his chest, but not out of sadness. It just feels like the love Cy inspires in him.]

[hallowing]

I have something of my home right here.

（ he nuzzles at sasuke's cheek, meaning made clear by the gesture. ）

[chokuto]

I know. You're my home now too.

[The sentiment feels tight in his chest, nuzzling back in that affectionate gesture.]

Was it too much? Should I not have done it?

[hallowing]

（ he cards one hand through sasuke's wet hair, pulling him in for a kiss that's soft and chaste. ）

No, that's not it. It's an incredibly kind and thoughtful gesture. I should be used to those from you by now. （ yes he means the room cleaning. ） But it's — the fact that you could have gotten something from your own home and didn't, and chose to get something for me instead... that just really hit me hard.

（ another kiss, this one pressed to his forehead. ）

You didn't do anything wrong. I'm just lucky to have you.

[chokuto]

It goes both ways. I'm lucky to have you as well.

[Eyes closed, leaning contentedly into the kisses. He can't quite find the words in that moment to describe everything Cy has done for him in turn — so, in some way, he hopes this gesture conveys it.]

I know these aren't the best circumstances, but as long as we're here, I want to be with you. I want to be married to you. [He leans, bumping his forehead against Cy's.] We'll take care of each other.

[hallowing]

（ he exhales, and then just. holds him. ）

So, that begs the question — the fuck are we going to do with all the eggs?

[chokuto]

Keep them?

[🥺]

We can check online and see if other people have found any eggs. That way we'll know whether it's isolated just to us, or whether the resort is up to something again.

[hallowing]

I'm gonna leave that to you, I'm not on good terms with the internet at the moment.

（ he shifts, letting his hands settle at sasuke's hips. ）

I really liked what we did in the genjutsu, by the way.