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The reality of having a semi-immortal creature who just so happens to be one half of another immortal being who was split to make said semi-immortal creature and you is that at some point, coexistence is going to be on the table, and on the road to coexisting is numerous, and extremely difficult, hurdles to overcome. Like having to make said ‘half’ to integrate into society by socialising them as if they were a feral cat, then also making them learn about general etiquette.
Which, Eiden would like to point out, is very difficult when said half — bless Rin and for all his efforts and the fact that he is trying, probably the one thing that’s keeping Eiden’s sanity intact — has the emotional intelligence and social awareness of a rock. He supposes that’s what happens when you’ve lived all of your formative years — most of his life, really — inside a cave with what’s the equivalent of your progenitor’s corpse just a few feet away.
Sure, there were easier ways of dealing with the situation, but Eiden never really did do anything by the easy route, especially not when the only options he was presented was basically run away like a coward and leave everything he loves to die eventually, or force both him and the other half to fuse and cease to exist. While Eiden may not be obligated to help Rin slowly get used to what it’s like living a normal, human life now that he isn’t bound by the confines of Huey’s wishes, Eiden is nothing if not an ‘awful, terrible fool’ (Kuya’s and Rei’s words, by the way) for entertaining the idea, and Eiden is even more stubborn.
Besides, he couldn’t very well let Rin return to his solitary life. What was he supposed to do when he’s presented with what was basically a mirror image of himself that never had the chance to grow up and learn about the joys of life and have something to love? Let him rot alone?
(“Yes, you could,” Rei replied without an ounce of hesitation. Which. Okay. Fair response after the trouble they all had to go through because of Rin. “You’re not his keeper. You actually have a choice. You quite literally do not have to do this.”
“Well, fine, I’m not obligated to do anything, but I’m still going to,” and that was Eiden’s final word on the matter. “Besides, how do you expect me to not just… well, at least acknowledge how fucked up the whole thing is. Even after everything, how could you say it’s fair for him to not have a choice in how he lives his life while I do?”
Blessedly, Rei didn’t bother arguing at that point. He too has been subjected to Eiden’s own hardheadedness. But Eiden, in that moment, had thought to himself that maybe Rei had at least understood where he was coming from, if not at least sympathized with the situation Rin was in, because all he said afterwards was “Do as you please,” before the conversation was dropped altogether.)
So. In an attempt to help Rin acclimate himself to normalcy and try to get along with the rest of the clan members, Eiden has made a brilliant plan to do just that. Which is—
“—A gift exchange?” Rin’s brows knit together, making his forehead crease.
Eiden nods, his smile reaching ear-to-ear. “Yeah! A gift exchange,” he repeats, as if that answers Rin’s question. He does get to that after the almost incredulous look Rin gives him grows into something more akin to concern. “It’s basically a Christmas— er, a Kleinmas tradition for a lot of people. Every household does it a bit differently, but the idea is we get a gift for each other to get into the spirit, either by making it ourselves or getting something for them. We typically put our names into paperslips and draw lots, that way everyone gets a present and a chance to give a gift.”
While explaining, he pulls out a clear bowl with neon-coloured paper that’s been folded to look like stars. Eiden gives it a good shake before he offers it to Rin. “You pull out a name from here, and whoever you get is the person you have to give a gift to. It’ll be three weeks from now. We’ll get together on the eve of Kleinmas for dinner, then we open all our presents after!”
Seemingly unconvinced, the other man simply stares at the offered bowl, eyebrows almost melting together with how they furrow into the centre of his face.
Eiden is afraid for a moment that Rin would simply turn away and just ignore his attempt at making him feel a part of something. He has admitted on one occasion that the entire idea of coexistence was something that never really crossed Rin’s mind. His sole reason for existence was bound to one desire, and never once he had allowed himself to think beyond that: ensuring that Eiden lived a normal and happy life, while he basically stood watch for who knew how long. Getting him to do anything with the rest of the clan was hard enough; he practically turned down any offer to hang out or do anything with them, and it always took some effort to even convince him that he needed sustenance now that the elemental spirits and the remnants of Huey’s own essence were no longer keeping him alive.
To his relief, the worst that could happen (which is just Rin saying ‘no’) doesn’t actually happen.
Rin is still staring at the bowl like it’s offended him in some way, but the moment he looks up at Eiden, he realises he’s just waiting for some sort of reassurance. It’s in the subtle press of his mouth, the lower lip quivering as if he couldn’t find the words to articulate his own thoughts. He’s seen this exact expression too many times in the seven months they’ve lived under the same roof: it’s the one where he isn’t too sure of what he wants for himself, the task of trying to understand exactly what he is feeling becoming the stopper in voicing his thoughts the way he wants to.
“I don’t see the point in me joining,” Rin mutters, too quiet for even him. “These customs you have are for people that care about each other. Frankly, I couldn’t care less about those—”
Eiden immediately quirks his brow. Rin snaps his mouth shut to think about his next words slowly.
“—I don’t have any meaningful connections with them,” he chooses to say, which is much better than what the Rin of seven months ago would have said. (Reprehensible and disgusting clan members that taint Brother, he still remembers that phrase very vividly, every time that Rin sees him with any of the clan members. Eiden hopes he never has to hear that again.)
“And,” Rin adds, before Eiden can get a word in. “... they don’t care about me.”
Something inside forces its way into Eiden’s chest, twisting its way between his ribs and against his heart that he’s almost afraid that it’ll burst from the pressure.
“That’s because you haven’t given them a chance to make a connection with you,” Eiden points out. “Of course you’ll think they won’t care about you when you haven’t really spent time getting to know one another. But, that’s exactly why you should be part of this. This is that chance.”
He takes a moment to think his words through, before looking at the other man. Instead of standing, he decides to take a seat next to his supposed other half. Their shoulders bump. A weight shared between them. In the silence that ensues, Eiden threads his fingers into dark purple locks.
“I mean, if you feel so strongly about it, I’m not going to force you to join. I just think it’d be nice if you could be part of it too, y’know. I’m gonna be part of it, same as everyone else, it’d just make sense if you were there too. And I would be really happy if you joined us.”
Rin remains quiet. The crease in his forehead lessens, all the while his thumbs and forefingers twiddle in his lap. It’s another thing about Rin that Eiden has become familiar with; he always has his hands doing something when he has to think.
By the grace of the elemental spirits, he does finally nod. Eiden will take that as a win.
“If it’ll make Brother happy,” Rin reasons.
“Hey, what did I say about calling me that? And about the whole ‘making me happy thing?’” Eiden tries to look stern, but it’s defeated by the overwhelming warmth that blooms in his chest, giving way to a toothy grin he sends Rin's way.
“You’re not living for anyone else anymore. You should live and decide for yourself now.”
The other man says nothing about that.
Instead, he takes the opportunity to slip his hand into the bowl and pull out the star from its sea of companions. There’s an uncharacteristic gentleness to the way Rin unfolds the paper, almost as if he’s afraid to unintentionally hurt the small thing despite it being inanimate. It’s a far cry from the first proper confrontation Eiden had with him, and he couldn’t be any prouder when Rin holds up the unfolded slip and shows off the name he’s gotten.
Maybe it’s because of the sudden swell of emotions in chest, or the fact that Rin’s almost child-like innocence has blinded him, but Eiden completely forgets that he’s not supposed to know who it is that Rin is gifting. The graceful strokes of a name come together slowly in his mind, his mouth sounding out each syllable until it all clicks.
“... Oh, you got Yakumo!” Eiden smiles, then blinks, and then almost immediately gasps. “Wait— Wait, wait! I’m not supposed to know who you got! Argh— You know what, whatever. This time I’ll make an exception since it’s your first time! But next time, you cannot show who you got to anyone else, okay?”
A beat. Rin stares right into Eiden’s eyes. A second beat. His face goes through the motions of multiple expressions: first a pout, then realisation, then a thin-lipped smile. After the third beat, Eiden has a pretty good feeling that he’s going to say something that will surely get a reaction out of him.
“The last time you said anything about a first time, you certainly didn’t give me a lot of grace—”
Cue a pillow smacking behind Rin’s head.
The whole conversation at that point devolves into something completely different from the actual topic of the exchange, with Eiden having to correct Rin about the blatant lies he’s spreading about another first time and Rin denying all of his claims. By the end of it, neither get that far into their supposed argument, and instead fall into bed together enveloped in each other’s warmth and bound in laughter.
✦
The morning after, it takes them two hours longer to muster the strength to roll out of bed and make the trek downstairs to join everyone else for breakfast, or rather, brunch given how it’s almost half-past ten when they finally take their seats around the kitchen island.
Around this time, when winter has properly settled into Klein and covered the entire kingdom in pure white, most if not all of the clan have come to spend the holidays in the mansion. Edmond, Quincy, and Dante are the ones absent most of the time, but still visit more often than they did before. Kuya, surprisingly, even arrived earlier than expected in order to take up real estate in front of the fireplace with a nest he’s made from a pile of pillows. Rei still stuck to his own devices and locked himself away in his bedroom-slash-laboratory to do his own things.
The rest of them — that being the usual residents made up of Olivine, Garu, Karu and Blade — are all huddled together with Eiden and Rin to have warm drinks and polish off the rest of their meals and just talk about whatever comes to mind.
Yakumo would have been here too, but Blade had explained that he went out with Morvay to stock up on their pantry under Aster’s request. After three years of Kleinmas celebrated together, they all agreed to send most of the staff tending to the manor to celebrate the holidays with their own family. There was only one or two people that stayed out of their own accord, but that left most of the chores to the permanent residents and those that visited like Dante and Quincy. (Kuya and Rei would be the only exceptions to this rule, really, and Aster was above pulling his own hair out of frustration to get anything done with the two of them unless they really wanted to.)
It’s after finishing his own food that Eiden realises he didn’t let the rest of the clan pull names for the exchange, forcing him to make a quick trip back to Rin’s room to grab the bowl and go back down to let them all pick. This time, he very sternly reminds them not to show the names to anyone, but that goes out of the window when Karu yells about “Why does Garu get Master Kuya and not me?! I demand a redraw!”
Eiden sighs. “That’s not how it works, Karu— hey, I just said not to say anything about who you got!”
Olivine, laughing oh-so-sweetly while bundled up in his wool-spun shawl, pats Karu’s shoulder. “The exchange is just to make sure that everyone gets a gift. If you wanted to give Mr. Kuya a gift, then you should. I think he would be very happy if you got him something regardless of this.”
“O~livine is right! I always get Darling more little Darlings even when I don’t get his name pulled from the fishie bowl! I think Lord Jackass got jealous of Darling last year, so I’m gonna make him a little Lord Jackass~” Blade sing-songs, all the while he swings his legs.
“I think he was more shocked about the sheer size of your statue last year.”
Eiden can’t help but laugh as he remembers the utter disbelief Dante wore that time — maybe disbelief isn’t enough to describe the sheer emotion on his face when the creative depiction of Eiden is unceremoniously dropped in the middle of the room where the Sun Lord was, almost squashing his poor foot. Some of them might have called the expression amusing, but Eiden thinks that Dante must have seen his life flash before his eyes with how dangerously close the ‘Darling Statue’ fell.
“But, y’know, Olivine is right. You guys can still give other people gifts if you want to. Just so long as you get a gift for the person you got!”
That placates Karu at least. Not long after, Garu pops right back in, all smiles and metaphorical tail wagging as he speaks up, “I’ll definitely get something for everyone! Oh, maybe we can all go out later and have a look around for gifts like last time?”
“That’s a great idea, Garu. I don’t think we’ve done a big shopping trip together since the last time we planned for Eiden’s birthday.”
Olivine’s response gets Eiden almost choking on his drink while Rin only stares blankly. Rin's lucky he didn't see the ensuing chaos of his last birthday. Because everyone sans him knows what happened on that shopping trip, Olivine especially, and Eiden doesn't have to look over to Olivine to know the expression he's wearing right now.
He still does, out of sheer curiosity to see if he was right, and Olivine is wearing that same sickly sweet smile from six months ago — the smile that curls high enough that it shows one singular dimple on the ride side of his mouth, with a dark glint as he takes a candid sip of his drink. Benevolent as he may be, Eiden knows the mischevious streak Olivine has going when he's in a specific mood, and he wears this exact expression whenever he has something planned. While the general details of his birthday surprise are lost, Eiden can't and will not forget how their shopping trip ended up as a... real-time unboxing and testing, of sorts, for some very special, very naughty toys that he would prefer not to think about before he's also caught in a mood.
Eiden gives an awkward laugh, trying to pass it off by taking a drink of his tea. In that same moment, Garu turns his head to Rin with wide smile, “Do you want to join us, Rin? They always bring new things! Maybe you can find a good gift while you're shopping with us, or you can just hang out too.”
Eiden has to stop himself from loudly cheering. Thank God for Garu, he could almost cry just thinking the words. Out of everyone in the clan, Garu has been actively pushing at Rin’s walls to reach a hand out.
The general disposition that the wolf yokai carries himself with is undeniable; the kind that pulls you in when you see his bright countenance and endearing forwardness. It's unsurprising that Garu had been the first one to actually get anything else out of Rin that wasn’t just indignation and the mess of emotions that tie themselves around each other like threads in Rin’s chest. Eiden could go as far as to say that Garu might have earned some of Rin’s trust in the gruelling trials to get it, just from his sheer persistence in wanting to learn more about the man and also exercising a level of patience and understanding that Rin is adjusting to new surroundings, new people, and new experiences.
It does always take Rin a moment to formulate a response when prompted, almost as if he’s truly weighing his choices and what the outcomes of said choices would be. Every time he does, Rin always turns to Eiden as if seeking his advice.
The first months, Eiden may have given him the answer straight out, but after all this time, he’s decided that the best way to help Rin is to let him make decisions for himself. All he gives now is a quirk of his lips and a gentle nudge. Most times, Rin would just curl back into himself and decide to keep his distance; this time it’s different though.
Maybe it’s because he’s spent more time here now, or maybe some of Eiden’s words have finally gotten through to him, because he turns to look at Olivine, then just as quickly look away with his answer.
“... I suppose. Sure. I’ll join you,” Rin is quiet when answering.
Everyone around the table cheers, including Eiden. Rin jumps in his own skin at their reactions, and while the rest of them start making plans for their trip, Eiden decides to entwine his hand into the space of Rin’s own.
The reaction is almost immediate: Rin’s body relaxes within his grasp, but the look he gives Eiden is that of utter confusion, though it’s clear in the glimmer of his eyes how he takes in the attention from his other half. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
Eiden doesn’t know what he means, and he doesn’t bother asking. “I’m just really happy.”
“Why?”
Rin repeats. Eiden laughs.
He doesn’t elaborate. He doesn’t need to. He just tightens his grip around the other man’s and hopes that it will be enough.
When Rin squeezes his hand back,Eiden finds the answer for himself: it will be enough.
Later on, when they get bundled up in warmer clothes and put their shoes on, Eiden watches as Rin is subjected to Blade and Garu’s cheerfully rambling on about the amazing things that they’ll find in the Light Territory shops, all the while Olivine helps adjust a white scarf Eiden’s never seen before around Rin’s neck.
This is the most that Rin has ever let them touch him, and while it doesn’t last for long — he’s quick shake off Olivine’s ‘fussing’ and step aside to let Blade and Garu run off on their own — it’s still more than what the Rin would have let them done if they did the same thing during the first month he became part of the mansion. The new environment, the sudden adjustment to his new quality of living, and the people; Eiden will admit that it would certainly be too much for anyone, hell, even Eiden was overwhelmed with it all in the beginning (and that’s because he was transported from a different world altogether, but that’s besides the point).
The first month, he remembered being told by Aster and Morvay the many attempts they had to bodily stop Rin from barging into rooms that he was in with any of the clan. There were a handful of times that Rin had succeeded in forcing himself in while Eiden had someone else in his bed.
It took many nights for him to ween off from doing it; and many, many more hours spent into the wee hours of the night to get Rin down from his own surge of emotions and ground him; then even many, many, many more long conversations for Rin to untangle the mess of what he was feeling inside him — his chest had been housing a spool of thread left unwound for too long, only tangling together into a mess of knots and ties and he couldn’t hope to go through on his own even if he tried, because the more that Rin had decided to force his fingers between the gaps, it only left him further lost in a web of feelings and emotions he couldn’t even name.
By the time Eiden was allowed to even help untie the first knot did he finally had some semblance of hope in understanding at least a fraction of who Rin was at that point, if not his mind: how his fears and uncertainty came from the fact that he never had a life outside of the perceived role he was given by Huey; that everything he ever knew was Eiden and preserving the humanity he had; and in turn, gave up the chance for him to be human. The lack of knowledge on living humanely and happily was still outside of Huey’s own understanding, and Eiden had surmised that it’s because of not knowing that made Rin so obsessed with keeping Eiden’s old way of life together as that was Huey’s own desire.
The night Rin had finally articulated all this was a difficult night: for both him, and Eiden. It would be the first of way too many where they slowly yet surely untangled every inch of what was left unspoken inside Rin.
While it was exhausting, and Eiden will admit that it even took something out of him, it brought them their own closure.
About who they were. About who they are now. About what they would be beyond the confines of the designated destiny Huey had made for the both of them.
Rin still had his own hang-ups about how much time Eiden spent with the clan, he still had difficulties getting on with most of them. Some days, Rin’s own anxiety and fear would eat away at his mind and the emotions would be too big for his own body to contain.
That’s why this one moment, perhaps seemingly insignificant in the grand scheme of things, is something Eiden can’t help but feel happy over. It was still an accomplishment, even if Rin didn’t understand the significance of it.
As both doors of the manor swing open, with all of them standing side-by-side as they walk into a new day, Eiden wonders how many more doors they would open with Rin — together.
✦
The trip itself was eventful, in a way that it leaves Eiden content with everything they’ve done today. They even manage to catch the rest of the clan members that still needed to draw their lots to finalise the exchange — Edmond and Dante had been together for official business and just so happened to be having lunch at Aster’s cafe, Quincy and Kuya were in the same vicinity and it was quicker to get them now before they decided to do their own thing, and the most surprising thing is that Rei was with the two of them out of pure coincidence.
Eiden and Rin didn’t get to buy anything, either for themselves or as gifts, but the other three took the time to look around all the stores and even the new pop-up shops that have appeared in the town square for the holidays.
By the time they came back, Blade and Garu both have an armful of craft material, Olivine has a box of gems he managed to get on discount from a local seller, and Rin is wearing a new shawl that Eiden can only describe to be the Klein equivalent of the iconic ‘ugly Christmas sweaters’ from his previous world. Blade insisted that it was too cute to pass up on and wanted to give it to Rin as his first Kleinmas gift, and while Rin had tried to reject it the first time, he had begrudgingly worn it over his shoulders as the temperature dropped further.
Blade and Garu don’t even wait until after dinner to start on making their gifts. Olivine had planted the idea in their heads about how he and the children in the orphanage had once made accessories out of clay, and it’s become their mission to make personalised trinkets for everyone to wear. Of course they will get something else, something more special and even more cute (in Blade’s words) for their designated giftees, but the excitement of creating sweeps through them like a tide; it’s almost enough to distract them from dinner altogether.
The entire time, Eiden and Rin watch as the trio handle the clay and shape them while they sit in the dining area. They all go about doing the same task in different ways, not just in the result, but in how they go about the entire ordeal.
Olivine is the most experienced out of all three of them, portioning out the clay in perfectly sized pieces to create the shape he imagines. He’s managed to make three accessories alone in the two hours they’ve actually sat down to make it all: the first was a pair of bunny knights that he’ll stick onto some hair clips he had bought once they’ve dried, a cup designed to look like an owl that’s just big enough to hold a few writing tools, and then twin wolf pendants that have blue and yellow gems for eyes.
Blade always did have a specific aesthetic for all of his creations. His Little Darlings have always been his magnum opus, but this time around, he wanted to try and make Little versions of everyone else. Dante had to be the first one he did, using a mix of bright orange to make the body and an even brighter red for one of his most striking features. The Little Lord Jackass he makes ends up somehow becoming two Little Lord Jackasses, each one flexing at different angles. And as if Blade wasn’t happy about there only being two, he decides to add a third one that stands on top of the first two Little Lord Jackasses’ heads, brandishing a sword that Eiden is pretty sure must be one of Blade’s own weapons.
Garu and Karu’s first few attempts, given that this was their first time making anything with clay, were not up to their own standards. Karu’s own frustrations make him give up halfway into his third one and just leave Garu to his own devices. His idea was to make animals that reminds him of the clan members to wear as badges, but his unpracticed hands either make some of the parts too small to truly define the shape, or too big that it doesn’t stick on properly to the base he’s made. Despite the constant failures, Garu continues, and under Olivine and even Eiden’s guidance, finally finds the right technique to bring his ideas to life.
The entire time that these three work on their projects, Rin has been sitting silently next to Eiden. It’s the third hour of them creating, and at this point, Eiden can already tell just from the faraway look in Rin’s eyes that he’s either become uninterested in the whole thing or is trying to find a way to excuse him and Eiden out to spend time together instead.
Eiden nudges Rin once, then twice when he doesn’t respond the first time. He gives him a half-smile paired with a wiggle of his eyebrows before blurting out his next words, “If you’re getting bored, we can do something else that could be fun for you.”
Rin immediately snaps up to look at Eiden through his lashes, a glimmer of utter joy flashing through his golden eyes that remind Eiden of candlelight, almost as if tempting Eiden to draw closer and make good on his own words. He’s never been shy about wanting Eiden’s attention all to himself, as much as possible, and this time is no exception. And like before, too, Eiden is far too weak to deny the charms of those he loves.
“If Brother wants to do anything, he should just come out and say it,” Rin sighs, almost as if he were exasperated, but the way he leans his weight closer to Eiden’s space is the exact opposite.
“Oh come on, I thought we were making good progress on not calling me that,” Eiden pouts, to which Rin just laughs in response, and Eiden doesn’t really have the heart to be that annoyed when he sees Rin just… well, just live a little.
Teasing Rin has become easier these days, after all the time they’ve spent together. Eiden and Rin had set certain boundaries and some rules around the first month they were living together with everyone else, especially because of Rin’s anxious tendencies to break down people’s doors when he finds out Eiden is sharing a bed with someone else.
Maybe it’s because Rin had no concept of love outside of what Huey had planted into him when he was created, or maybe the loneliness Rin had endured and the fact he was entirely dependent on ensuring Eiden’s life could be preserved had made that dependency morph into utter obsession, but either way, Rin had to understand first what Eiden felt for the others in hopes that once he did, Rin would understand what he wanted for himself, and find a proper way to ask of Eiden the same things that the others ask of him.
It was, of course, a hard pill to swallow for him. But as time passed, Rin’s tolerance for it came to the point that Eiden could finally give to Rin the things he would give to the others: from one cheeky comment that became intentional touches, until they lingered just a little too long for it to be considered proper and those then would slowly yet surely make way for their first intimate night together.
“Well, if you do decide that you want to do something else…” Eiden doesn’t have to finish the sentence, letting it hang in the air. The implication sits heavy by the way he draws the last few syllables, but Rin doesn’t have the chance to even acknowledge it when they hear footsteps approaching the main room.
From out of the archway that leads into the dining area, Yakumo pops his head out as if to check the surroundings. Garu and Blade don’t miss it, already abandoning the clay projects they have to greet him. Olivine follows quickly after. Eiden couldn’t help but look out to Yakumo’s direction to at least give a wave, and there is a moment where he notices Rin from the corner of his eye looking annoyed from the way his brows knit together, but it disappears quickly after when Eiden squeezes his hand in reassurance, almost a silent promise that they will have their time together, and Eiden is never the type to break promises.
Eventually, they make their way to greet Yakumo properly at the entryway. He’s bundled up in more layers than anyone else in the room — a common sight for the snake youkai to be caught in. No one else gets colder than Dante does when winter rolls around, but Yakumo is a close second; he does get sick the easiest if he’s not careful. It’s a fact that everyone had to find out one winter ago, during the first week of the colder seasons encroaching. When their beloved serpent had fallen ill to the cold and couldn’t get out of bed for almost a week, everyone pitched in to take care of him and even collaborate on a quilt for Yakumo to have at all times when it gets even just a little bit colder.
After the initial few greetings, some questions about what he’s doing, and both Garu and Karu asking about what’s for dinner does Eiden notice the large sacks that’s sitting by Yakumo’s feet, possibly dropped for a moment so that his hands could be free to pet Garu’s head as they talked. He’s the first to offer Yakumo help to carry it to where he needs it to be, and despite Yakumo’s initial insistence that he could do it, he’s no match for Blade and Olivine wanting to help.
“Hey, hey. Little Yakumo, what are these bags for anyway?” Blade asks the question that Eiden has been wanting to know.
“O-oh, these are actually some long shelf-life vegetables and dried herbs that my grandparents wanted to send over for us,” Yakumo’s smile is small, but it radiates with pure joy just from the way his eyes squint and catch the light of the setting sun that filter through the windows. “They had some bumper produce from their last harvest and insisted that they send some over… I-I did want to sort them out before dinner, but I just realised that I needed to get proper containers to keep some of the herbs before taking them out.”
“Do they need to be stored in a specific way for them to stay shelf-stable?” Eiden can’t help but ask as he places the sack on top of the kitchen island.
Yakumo nods. “Um, for many of the herbs, t-they can’t actually be used as is. You have to… ah, you have to make sure to grind them into powder with a mortar and pestle, and then they have to be sealed tightly in jars or bottles so that moisture doesn’t get to them. But, I— I don’t think we have any spare containers to use. I’ll probably leave it until tomorrow to get some.”
“Ah! Hey, Little Yakumo, maybe you can get those cute containers that the travelling hats are selling right now!” Blade chirps. “They have ones that are shaped into adorable snakes. They even match your gem! We’ll go find them tomorrow with you!”
Out of the corner of his eye, Eiden notices how Rin seems to almost snap his head up at Blade’s suggestion. He tilts his head to face the man in question, a silent question asked in the way he quirks one brow up. Rin doesn’t seem too keen on elaborating on the reaction.
Yakumo continues to smile at Blade. There’s the tiniest hint of a blush across his cheeks, which he tries to hide by brushing his hair down the side of his face.”T-that would be nice, Blade. Thank you… I did see them earlier when I was making my way back here, but, um… They are a little bit more expensive than the normal ones I typically get… I— um, I still would love to go and check it out with you tomorrow, if you’re still going! Ah, but, m-maybe we should get dinner started first. You must all be hungry after today.”
The conversation shifts rather quickly to the subject of what’s for dinner and who’s on cooking duty with Yakumo tonight.
In the end, it’s Eiden and Rin that join him in the kitchen to make a big pot of stew with some of the vegetables Yakumo’s grandparents gave them. Rin doesn’t do much aside from measure ingredients and just stay in one corner, but despite that, Yakumo is already content with the fact that Rin even allowed himself to be in the same space as him — even going so far as cooking with them, when it’s something that Rin never typically does. By the time the stew is ready and all the dishware is set out, Yakumo gives Rin the honour of having the first serving, telling him it’s thanks for the effort he’s done.
If Eiden sees the way Rin takes a little bit longer to polish off his food, or that he tries to ask for a second helping of food by staring at Eiden long enough until he gets the message, he doesn’t say anything about it, and instead thanks the God of Klein and apologises for ever doubting Kleinmas miracles.
✦
Eiden ends up helping Olivine with the dishes while Blade and Garu run off with Yakumo to read one of the new stories that Dante had brought from Solaria a week ago.
While most times, Eiden would be glad to join them to listen in and watch the earnest joy Yakumo wears whenever he gets into a story and enjoy the unbridled excitement Blade and Garu have in their eyes as they reach the climax, he finds himself gravitating towards the peaceful quiet that Olivine and he share when doing the chores.
There have only been a handful of times when Eiden actually gets to do real chores around the mansion, since most of it is done by the butlers or the maids. Some may think him insane for even wanting to do something so mundane as washing dishes, but Eiden has found enjoyment in the normalcy of it all now that chores have become their Kleinmas tradition: having light banter with Olivine as they do the dishes, or on some other occasion, shovel snow aside with Dante, Edmond and Quincy when it gets too high then have some snacks together in the foyer brought in by Aster and Morvay. At the end of them, Eiden would relax with either Kuya or Rei, or even both of them, in front of the fireplace — Kuya would be curled up in the pile of pillows he had meticulously organised and allow Eiden to sit next to the pile if he was in a good mood, and Rei would be writing away in his journal on the couch while muttering some new formula or another under his breath as he works through whatever his current theory was.
This time is no different from the usual. Olivine and he settle into peaceful silence as they go about their respective duties, bumping shoulders from time to time and relishing in the intimacy of it all, being together in the same room and simply there in the moment. Conversation bubbles naturally between them as they get to drying and putting away the dishware; this being one of the few times that Olivine actually talks about himself and what he’s been doing instead of the church or his own work, and Eiden cannot deny how his own heart melts in seeing how Olivine blooms the longer he talks.
In the midst of their conversation, soft shuffling takes both of their attention. It’s almost comical how both Eiden and Olivine slowly turn their heads to where the sound is coming from as if they would scare off whatever — or whoever — is approaching the vicinity. Across the other side of the kitchen, Rin stands over the counter where they’ve moved the clay and the tools they’ve used earlier along with the finished products to dry out. None of them dare to speak, unsure if this is even a situation where they should let their presence be known, if it was better for Rin to be left to his own devices; or if they should intervene given how… lost he almost looked.
Eiden ends up clearing his throat, just loud enough that it makes Rin turn around with eyes dilated as if he were a feral cat caught in the act of stealing food off the table. Eiden offers him a small smile in reassurance, hoping that it would be enough to settle him. “Everything alright? If you need something, you know you can always ask.”
Olivine echoes the sentiment with his own smile, but Rin remains reticent. His mouth moves, shifts into different directions, but no words come out. Both of his brows knit together as if he tries to think about what to say, but they wait patiently regardless of how long it takes for Rin to finally formulate what it is he wants to ask.
“The clay,” he starts with, turning to look away from the pair and towards the pile of trinkets they have sitting together in a basket. “... Do you have any more?”
Eiden blinks. Olivine tilts his head.
Rin groans, frustration bubbling from his throat when his point does not get across the way he would have hoped it would have.
“Do you have any more clay,” Rin repeats, more stilted, before elaborating. “More clay to make…things out of. To make gifts with.”
It finally dawns on them exactly what he’s asking for. They both share a look, then turn to smile at Rin.
“There’s plenty more to use,” Olivine’s smile is reassuring. He folds the tea towel in hand to approach the same counter Rin has parked himself in front of to pull out the rest of the clay from the container he’s kept it in. “What did you want to make?”
The question is pointless. Eiden has a pretty good idea what Rin is going to be using it for, and Eiden knows that Olivine also most likely knows what he wants to use it for too. But they want to hear it from Rin, and they aren’t disappointed when he turns away to look at the pantry where they’ve kept the sacks of dried herbs away from the elements until they figure out what to keep them in.
“You can make anything out of them, right,” is what Rin ends up saying instead - less of a question, and more so a demand as his shoulders square closer to his own body - but takes a different approach for his next words. “... Show me how to use it.”
Eiden and Olivine are far too happy to indulge his request.
✦
By the time the exchange rolls around, the scent of cardamom and saffron fill every corner of the mansion. On top of the dining table, while everyone gathers around talking about their presents and sharing a good meal, sit the loving depictions of each clan member.
In the middle of them are hand-made shakers made into the shape of a snake — they’re a set of four that hold different dried seasonings, at least one of them being passed around the table to be used. While they’re made in different lengths and colours, even having indents where someone might have pressed too hard into the clay before drying, it sits perfectly together with the rest of their Kleinmas feast.
They had come as a gift for Yakumo, who was all too happy to put them to use right at that very moment. While no name was left on the box, Eiden knows, and takes the sight of Rin taking his third bowl of stew from Yakumo that night, and hopes that this is the first of many times that Rin can finally know what love looks and feels like.