Tadao's face kept it's stern gaze as he felt the cold water drip through his fingers. Almost mechanically, he switched the ladle to the soaked hand and poured water on his right hand. Cupping his fingers, he filled the makeshift bowl with a small amount of water and touched it to his lips. After placing the ladle back carefully, he left the temizuya and strided slowly down the path to the shrine. Over the years, it had chipped and faded into a dull crimson, the graying wood beneath showing itself shyly. Tadao's clothing was similar, in that instead of a kimono, he wore a soot covered collared white shirt with the top buttons carelessly open, coupled with a set of tattered steel colored trousers. The suspenders upon his shoulders were fraying and tearing with each step he took. Clutching the loose potato sack fabric in his hand, he felt the small coin offering clang together inside. He nodded to himself in reassurance, constantly paranoid that his money might be stolen. His offering was small but substantial, and besides, it didn't matter how much he had. As long as there was something to give, Tadao was sure that an answer might be given to his prayer.

In the distance, he couldn't help but cover a little grin with the back of his hand as he saw Keito running through the crowd outside of the shrine. He was five minutes late, after all, and Tadao knew it was greatly affecting him. Tadao continued to laugh as he saw Keito speed past the temizuya, the area where one would wash their hands and mouth, only to hastily turn back around and completely the necessary cleaning before jolting back to his destination. He was out of breath and heaving when he finally reached Tadao, who was standing neatly upon the shrine's steps with a silly little smile on his cheeks.

"Good afternoon, Keito-san."

Keito looked up from his shoes to stare directly at Tadao, who he swore looked like an angel in front of the sun. The bright beams shone from around the corner of the shrine, and Tadao was right in their way, his frankly grubby appearance being framed with gold and snow.

"Good afternoon. I'm sorry to keep you waiting," Keito awkwardly bowed, much to Tadao's shock. Keito smirked at the little gasp that emitted from the younger. "What? Has no one ever bowed to you before?"

Tadao shook his head. "Not once."

The servant took the time then to observe the fact that Keito was in a much fancier and well kept version of what he himself was wearing. A clean white shirt, shining in the light, and perfectly folded slacks. A waistcoat and jacket were even there to match. Tadao had always been used to the feeling of inadequacy, but in that moment, he felt an odd feeling of jealousy. This stained attire was his best, and he knew that what Keito wore was probably casual at best to the baron.

"You look wonderful," Keito complemented, to which Tadao shook his head again with a stifled cough, his cheeks reddening ever so slightly. "It's true."

"It's not though. They haven't been washed in some time... just stuffed away in a box to get old and musty," Tadao rolled his eyes. "I don't even wanna look at myself in the mirror."

"I don't mind looking at you," Keito whispered, stepping up the stairs to reach Tadao's level. "I'd look at you all day."

To this, Tadao didn't know how to react. His ears grew a cherry-like tint and it wasn't an exaggeration to call his cheeks tomatoes. He choked a little on his spit, clutching barely onto his chest in an amplified manor, all while staying completely and utterly silent. Keito giggled, his baritone voice slightly off putting. Tadao cracked his neck before looking down at his little pile of coins wrapped in packaging.

"Sh-Should we go pray, then?"

Keito tilted his head in confusion. "Pray?"

"Y-Yeah. We're at a shrine anyway. Might as well take the chance to pray." Seeing Keito's expression fall, Tadao smiled. "Did you forget your offering?"

Keito rubbed the back of his neck, a guilty expression to his face. "I might've."

"Here," Tadao smiled, opening his offering to take out half of the coins. He gestured for Keito to open his hand, which he did, before gently dropping the pieces of metal into the older's palm. "There you go."

Keito shook his head, "Tadao, you don't have to do that."

"I'm just helping. From one man to another, right?"

And before Keito could respond, Tadao his heels to trot up the steps, stopping right before the box topped with slats and the rusting yellow bell. Keito followed, mimicking the younger's actions as if he had never been to a shrine before. The young servant leaned over the box childishly before letting the coins in his hand fall through the slats, a few little pits and pats echoing up. Taking hold of the red rope, whose fabric and color was hanging on by threads, he tugged downwards, a loud and heavy bang ringing through. Taking a step back as to not hit his head, Tadao bowed once, then again, before clapping his hands twice. He waited for three seconds (Keito counted as he continued to stare directly at the younger), finally bowing for the last time at the very end. Expectantly, he looked up at Keito, who was shamelessly gawking at the servant.

"Have you never prayed before?" Tadao asked.

Keito chuckled. "I have, but it's been a few years."

Tadao shrugged. "I guess that's what happens when you don't have anymore dreams to come true."

The baron winked. "I've got something new to ask for though."

Even though he knew how completely stupid it sounded, Keito asked for Tadao. After clapping twice, he wished to have Tadao all to himself. He knew it was vague, and quite possibly the dumbest thing he'd ever wished for, but he did it nonetheless. After bowing for the last time, he turned around to find Tadao ogling him in the same way Keito had done before. He smirked to himself.

The two soon found themselves sitting on the steps of the empty shrine, talking about... anything. Tadao talked about encountering gaudy geisha and strict mistresses, while Keito mentioned reluctantly attending business meetings to bore a hole through your skull. Tadao continued to laugh at every one of Keito's jokes, just like he had done the first time, and Keito continued to catch himself staring at Tadao (not like Tadao wasn't doing the same, however).

"So, what was the reason you asked for me to come here in the first place?" Tadao questioned, leaning his arms back onto the top step of the stairs.

"Well the truth is, I've tricked you into going on a date with me." This, Tadao did not laugh at. While Keito was busy snickering under his breath, Tadao felt his face become hot once again. In a panic of realizing "joke gone bad", Keito waved his hands back and forth anxiously. "Kidding, I'm kidding!"

"You scared me!" Tadao huffed out a breath. "I got so nervous!"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I thought you would think it was funny," Keito dejectedly said.

Snorting, Tadao shrugged. "It actually was a good one."

"Why thank you, but there is an actual reason for inviting you out here," Keito admitted.

"God, I've wanted to know for so long!" Tadao exclaimed, sitting up straight.

"Well, I had a marvelous idea last week. I've decided that I want you to work for me at my private estate," Keito beamed, clasping his hands together joyfully.

"For... a day?"

Keito shook his head.

"A weekend?"

Again, he shook his head, his smile growing larger by the second.

"Not some sort of trial run? You seriously want me to work for you as an actual servant for a long time?"

"As long as you'd like."

Tadao turned away, his eyes facing the trees and the city beyond it. A wide, euphoric grin popped up on his lips. "Oh my god!"

"It's a good offer, right?" Keito sat up, excitedly biting his lower lip.

"No more having to search for jobs! No more horrible bosses! An actual place to stay, to live! No more sleeping under verandas and stealing food from vendors!" Tadao leaped up then and there, hopping off the steps to pace around the garden with an electrified look to his face. "That was my prayer, you know? A steady job, a place to live. A good life."

Keito jumped up to reach Tadao, where he had to place his hands upon the boy's shoulders to get him to stay still. "That was your prayer? Well I'm happy to be the one to make it come true!"

"Well now I have to make your prayer come true. I'm so in debt to you, it's my second job now," Tadao declared, unaware of the strange look in Keito's eyes.

In the middle of his thrilling happiness, Tadao didn't expect Keito to place his hands on his cheeks. He didn't expect to see Keito looking suddenly so frightened. He never expected the baron to suddenly wrap his arms around his shoulders, pulling the younger into a tight embrace. In that moment, Tadao did know, however, that the man before him had just chickened out of doing something more.

"You can do it, you know?" Tadao whispered as he hugged Keito in return. "I don't mind. In fact, I'd like it. Didn't you say this is like a date? Aren't couples supposed to kiss on dates?"

Keito lifted his head up, his usual terrifying glare turned into a soft one that depicted his own fear. He had never done something like this before, and despite knowing that he shouldn't, he pressed his lips to Tadao's. The kiss was gentle, soft. Keito wasn't even phased by the fact that Tadao's lips were chapped and rough. He didn't care that they had a distant taste of smoke to them. He only cared about leaning his head down and holding this boy as close as he possibly could, and kissing the lights out of him because something inside told him it was meant to be. Tadao let his fingers run through Keito's hair messily as he tilted his head against the kiss. The baron clutched onto the younger's shirt desperately as he tried to keep himself standing, his knees and mind instantly weak at the feeling of such a beautiful creature pressed against him so sensually. Their lips moved in unison, together perfectly, as little gasps and moans escaped in between.

"Keito-kun?"

Said man tore away from Tadao at the speed of light, only to find Sanako at the head of the pathway, her eyebrows narrowed and her lips apart ever so slightly. Both Keito and Tadao were horribly out of breath as they tried to compose themselves. The heavenly green kimono adorned on Sanako's shoulders sparkled in the setting sun's pink light, the koi swimming at the hem dancing in the emerald water.

"Wh... what is going on?" Sanako innocently asked, her eyes quickly moving from Keito to Tadao and so on.

"He confessed to me!" Keito blurted out. "He did this himself. I offered a job at my estate to him, and the young man must've been so happy he kissed me! I tried to push him off, but I felt so awful."

Tadao's jaw nearly fell to the stones beneath them as he watched Keito betray him. It's not like he could speak up anyway. Keito was Sanako's danna, and who would she believe in a situation of her best friend and a common servant? It was obvious that he could never have the upper hand.

"Oh, you poor boy," Sanako turned to him. "Keito-kun might be attractive, but that doesn't mean you can just kiss him like that. He's very charismatic, and if I wasn't a geisha, I might have a cute little thing for him myself. You cannot be with him though. A man of his status cannot be in a relationship with another man. It would severely damage his family reputation."

And at that moment, Tadao knew why Keito had said that string of hurtful words. He forgave him instantly, and all he wanted to do was kiss him and say it was ok. All he could do was shout "I'll be there on Monday," as Sanako was already dragging her danna away in conversation. Keito sorrowfully glanced behind himself at the young man waving, standing there so still, as the sunlight continued to shine against him.

"I forgive you!" Tadao yelled, running behind the shrine soon after.

"Forgive you for not being homoual? What an odd boy," Sanako tsked as she side eyed the shrine.

Keito felt a tear roll down his cheek then. He felt Sanako yelp in surprise as she pulled a hanker chief from her purse and dabbed at his face. He knew that there was no way for Tadao to truly forgive what he had said. Their fist kiss had been ruined by a cheap save. In Tadao's mind, it was actually quite adorable to know that Keito cared so much about his family, sacrificing a moment to protect it's name. In Keito's mind, he didn't deserve Tadao, who was so sweet and likable. In Sanako's mind, she knew Keito was a liar, and she knew she'd have to protect the two love birds one day.

I am a disgusting human being. ing hell. I promised myself that I'd never make you guys wait two months. And look what I did! It was more than two months! You can hit me all you want, I accept the fate. And yet, do I still have the nerve to ask for comments? Yeah...

But anyway, I feel a bit odd. After news of BaekYeon becoming an actual thing, and Kris leaving EXO, it just feels weird to write this story now. I can't really explain it. Hey though, I've written Hangeng in stories before. Is this so different? It feels so. I hope this story doesn't become awkward because of the recent scandals. Let's just pretend they've never happened (for Kris' case), and aren't awkward to talk about (for BaekYeon's case, because if you hadn't noticed, I ship them so hard it's ing stupid).