Archive of Our Own

The life of a being whose name remains forgotten in the depths of time is nothing more than that of a cursed being, one who will forever remain hidden from the fragility of humanity and from the value of the memories concealed in the sands of time.

That is why a cursed being does not deserve to walk the path of existence—not when he is incapable of appreciating the fragility of the steps he takes among stones that cannot harm him.

His breath should be erased, like his name; yet, the more he longs for an end that seems unwilling to come, the more his mere presence begins to leave a mark on insignificant beings. Beings who, in some senseless way, manage to give meaning to an empty being who, in a paradox of fate, continues to make them exist.

“Excuse me, sir, visiting hours are almost over.” The voice speaking to him is delicate, as if the middle-aged man was afraid of breaking a silence that, rather than being symbolic, is a punishment for the other.

“I’m sorry, I’ll be leaving in a few moments.” He nods and leaves, and the elderly man with burgundy hair is left alone in front of the headstone he has been staring at for the past few hours.

A fragile smile escapes his face after a few minutes of staring blankly at the name carved in cursive—a name whose last name has been lost—and he decides to leave one last caress on the cold, polished stone as he turns his back to leave.

The young man with burgundy hair walks with his hands in his pockets, his hunger growing ever stronger, and his money ever scarcer. But that doesn’t stop him from taking care of his appearance; the image of a neat young man standing out in a neighborhood where resources are lacking, while he hides the dirt on his hands under his shirt sleeves, is a peculiar sight to some, but a familiar one to many.

The young man sighs after wandering silently for hours, and begins walking toward the alleys in search of something he needs, his analytical gaze sweeping every corner and lighting up when he finds an object of interest in the hands of those who don’t appreciate it.

It’s not right; what he’s about to do isn’t right, but it’s necessary if he wants to eat that day, so without thinking twice, he runs toward the jewel that a man in fine clothes seems to be flaunting like a toy, and takes it without looking back.

Stealing is nothing new to the young man; it is essential for survival in a world where the struggle to survive is a daily reality, and though it may not be the most honorable thing, it is what must be done if you want to keep on existing—especially when you weren’t born with a silver spoon in your mouth.

The privilege of a principled life is not something they can afford in those times, so the young man simply moves quickly, ignoring the shouts and threats directed at him.

His run takes him through endless paths and alleys that he has memorized countless times during his escapes, thus managing to throw off those chasing him, and at all times, the smile on his face remains intact. His scarlet eyes shine with delight when he manages to reach a store with the jewel in his pockets.

“Suo! I told you to stop causing trouble!” His smile widens as he recognizes the voice speaking to him from the doorway.

“Huh? But I haven’t done anything wrong this time.” The old man’s slow footsteps give the young man time to clean the area around his clothes that might give away his crime. “I can promise you that if necessary.”

“There aren't enough people to curse with your false promises! It's enough that I'm the only one to blame for them!” Suo lets out an amused laugh as the master begins to curse under his breath. “As if I didn’t recognize those footsteps—whenever you arrive in such a hurry, it’s because you’ve been up to your old tricks! What is it this time? Hmm? Who have you offended? I hope it’s not the chapel guard—it’s bad enough having to put up with his insolence every time we pass by there.”

“Master, you shouldn’t ask if you know you won’t like the answer.” The old man sighs as he shakes his head heavily.

“You should be more careful! If you keep this up, one day you’ll end up angering the wrong person. You can’t go through life wasting it like that.” The old man bites his lower lip to stop himself from saying too much and runs his hands through his hair to ruffle it when he sees the young man’s expression. “Agh! Really unnecessary! They say that having students is a matter for a young heart, not an old one.”

“Master, this is the only way to get money fast.” Suo clenches the stone hidden in his pockets. “It’s the only way I can help us right now.”

“I’ve told you it’s not necessary…!” The young man’s gaze shines with determination to reply, and the old man can only lean wearily against the nearest seat, knowing what’s coming if he keeps complaining. “Ah… there’s no point in scolding you anymore. Just forget it.”

Suo gives him a small smile after minutes of silence as he begins to carefully move one of the surrounding tables in front of his master.

“I know you’re saying this for my own good, but I can’t promise I won’t do it—only that I’ll try to be more cautious.”

The master snorts and shakes his head in exasperation as he watches the young man begin to move among the cupboards with a familiarity born of years of practice.

“Just don’t come barging in like that again—you always manage to worry me with your noisy entrances!” Suo starts to laugh as he begins to fill an old teapot with water from the wooden bucket beside him. “Too much energy—you really are the epitome of youth.”

“I have a good teacher to look up to.” The old man looks at him in disbelief as amusement begins to flicker in the young man’s eyes. “If I recall correctly, it was the master who went out in search of—”

“You…! You really are my student—tsk, you couldn’t learn the good stuff.” The interruption makes Suo laugh as he prepares a small bag of herbs that he decides to use to garnish the cup he places in front of his master.

The delicacy with which he handles the cloth and the herbs does not go unnoticed by the old man—at least not when they manage to make him smile from where he watches in silence. And how could he not, when such a simple act is, for someone like Suo, a privilege in itself? Even being able to know the effects that each plant can create when combined is a knowledge that not many can afford—at least not those who come from the streets.

It may seem insignificant, and perhaps it is to those observing the scene from the outside, from a different time, but for the young man with burgundy hair who cannot afford to know the true meaning of things, being able to know even the smallest thing and do something on his own is, in itself, a blessing.

That is why he feeds on the knowledge of the only person who manages to lend him a hand.

“I should start thinking about opening a tea shop; I think I’d do much better.”

Suo shakes his head with a chuckle as he begins to fix some poorly sealed jars he finds while opening cupboards. “You always say that, but you never do anything; you love this shop too much.”

“It’s the only gift I can leave you when I leave these lands, tsk.” Suo’s smile grows, just like the warmth in his chest at knowing someone thinks of him.

“You worry too much, Master.”

“It’s the least I can do at my age.” Suo rolls his eyes as he begins to prepare another cup for himself.

“Well, you should find something to distract yourself with so you can appreciate your life more, Master. You always talk about it as if it were going to end at any moment.” The old man makes a dismissive gesture with one of his hands.

“Nonsense. I’ve romanticized my youth far too many times, waiting for the day when I can finally rest.” Suo looks at him with a curious smile. “Besides, for people like us who don’t know the luxuries of a life well-lived, it’s inevitable to talk about death in a frivolous way.”

Suo shakes his head. “And then you expect me to listen to your scolding when you’re just the same.” The old man lets out a weary snort as he shakes his head. “Stop being so gloomy.”

“It’s different, very different!”

“Master, sometimes you’re too hard to put up with.”

The old man looks at him in disbelief and begins to shake his head vigorously. “You really—!”

“Ah… what will become of me when you’re gone? I won’t have any more shouting to endure or headaches to put up with.” Suo begins to put on a fake look of sadness while the master starts to look at him with annoyance. “Difficult times are ahead.”

“Ungrateful student.”

“And no woman to visit him because no one has been able to put up with his bad temper.” The old man begins to complain aloud. “I’ll be sure to bring him flowers, Master, don’t worry.”

“Unbelievable! Plant a needed herb, and you’ll see vines growing in its place.” Suo starts laughing merrily. “Tsk, don’t laugh too much—your future isn’t far from being similar to mine.” The laughter grows louder as the complaints keep coming.

However, it isn’t until a few minutes later—when the steam from the boiling water rising from the now-silent teapot and the small herbal tea bag has slightly stained the spot where the liquid touches it—that the young man realizes something is wrong.

The cup in front of him is forgotten, just like the image of his master that fails to reflect in the drink; the evening light hides the old man’s face, shattering the illusion of the moment, and with it, the memory begins to slowly fade away. For in truth, the last time his two scarlet eyes shone beneath the same starry sky was at a moment when the jewels glowed beyond where the light reflected them, in a time that no longer exists.

Suo sighs as the scene freezes in a moment he did not want and hoped would never return, and then, when he blinks, the darkness of the night welcomes him into a time completely different from the one he had just traveled through, and he must force his uncovered eye shut as the blood and dirt from that day vanish from his hands.

The cry of a young man desperate with pain fades as he takes in his hands the patch with which he hides his curse, before the sound of a knock on his door brings him back to reality.

“You were taking your time. Where did you go today?” the other person rolls their eyes.

His gaze sweeps indifferently across the room, and the music plays a tune devoid of meaning to someone who just wants this ostentatious spectacle to end.

The fake smiles, just like the kindness and the makeup, tinge the room with presences that, to the boy with burgundy hair, are nothing but a nuisance; the spectacle of demonstrating power is in itself a humiliation he refuses to endure, which is why he hides in the corner of the room.

The minutes drag on the longer he waits for enough time to pass so he can leave the ball; the grace with which he moves and tries to maintain his composure is worthy of a nobleman wearing a false title, just like his name.

However, the glass of wine in his hands remains untouched throughout the night, and perhaps that is why the events that would unfold in a couple of hours are all the more alarming.

It all begins when he decides to step out into the gardens to clear his head; he does so by avoiding the gaze of those present, the attention on his appearance more bothersome than any conversation he has had that night. And when he decides to wander among the bushes to hide from the servants’ gaze, it is for no other reason than to be able to leave early.

It was bad enough having to stand through a couple of hours of superficial conversations about families and money; another hour would have been nothing but marriage proposals, and he had had enough of those for one night.

But then, as Suo gazes at the twinkling stars while leaning against a tree, basking in the nostalgia of the night as he waits for his hidden carriage, a warm light from above blinds him, and the body of an unknown figure appears, falling on top of him without warning.

“What the hell?” The first thing the boy with the eye patch hears after the impact is a voice that’s both gentle and abrupt, followed by a string of curses he can’t understand. “Where am I? Nirei?”

Suo takes a breath, and as best he can, he gently moves the boy’s body off him to let him know he’s there. His friendly smile never leaving his face. “Excuse me, but could you move?”

“What are you doing here?! How did I get here?!” The stranger shouts very close to him despite quickly moving away from his body, causing Suo to shut his eyes tightly for a few seconds in annoyance, thus ignoring the boy’s frightened face. “Why are you wearing those clothes? Is this a costume party? Wait… what time is it?”

Suo sighs and tries to get up, turning his back on him, the stranger watching him in silence, confused. The boy with the eye patch tries to fix his clothes as best he can, along with his expression, his smile faltering.

For the very image of the night personified appears before him as if it were a strange god; the white of the lily petals takes shape beside the young man’s hair, while the dark part shines like the darkest cloak the sky can conjure on winter nights.

However, it is the mesmerizing eyes of different colors that trap the boy with the eye patch in the spell of divinity. The amber beauty surrounding one of his eyes, as if it were the sun itself, gazes intently at him, while the other glows grayish like the full moon that nature is gifting him at that moment.

“You… are you a god?”

The young man looks at him in confusion, and his beautiful pale face takes on a thoughtful expression that makes him tremble. “What are you talking about now?”

The clothes the young man wears are strange; they are unlike anything he has seen among the different social classes, much less in paintings depicting celestial beings, but whatever he is wearing only draws him in further, his curiosity and eagerness to know mingling with something unknown.

“Who are you?” The young man with the strange hair looks at him for a few seconds without saying a word, and then lets out a sigh as he shakes his head.

“Damn it, that means I’ve traveled further back in time than I should have. I told him not to mess with the dials. Suo’s eye widens in surprise as he watches the boy quickly switch to a language he understands, while the young man tries to straighten his clothes where he fell. “Sakura, Sakura Haruka.”

“It's a pleasure.” His astonished smile manages to elicit a strange sound from the other boy—something like a nasal snort—a hint of disbelief riding on that small gesture. “I am—”

“No need to introduce yourself; I already know who you are.” Suo looks at him, confused, while Sakura extends his hand, bored. “I don’t need to hear your mockery again.”

“Mockery? Me?” Suo doesn’t understand what the other boy is talking about, but Sakura doesn’t give him time to mull over his words as he stands up and forces him into a strange gesture with his hands. “What are you doing?”

“Greetings.” The other’s hands intertwine with his in a strange way; it’s a gesture that leaves his palms tingling when the other’s warmth fades. “You usually insist I do this every time we meet.”

Suo then shifts his gaze from their hands back to the young man’s eyes. “Isn’t this the first time we’ve met?”

The young man with two-toned hair blinks in surprise for a few seconds and bites his lower lip, trying to hide his smile, the amusement evident in his eyes as he realizes the other’s genuine confusion. “Oh no, it’s not the first time—not for me, at least. For you, it is.”

“How is that possible?”

“It doesn’t make sense to explain it to you now; you’ll understand later.” Sakura looks at the young man and then behind him. The stranger’s expression shifts through a range of emotions that Suo doesn’t know whether to envy or ignore. “Are you running away from those people again?”

“Again?”

Sakura shrugs. “You should hurry if you want to leave without drawing attention.”

Suo then nods quickly, his eye betraying confusion for a moment before he remembers that since the stranger’s arrival, he hasn’t let his honest expression slip, so he hides it again with a polite smile.

The strange young man makes the same sound he did a few seconds ago and looks at him with a tired expression as he shakes his head.

“Thank you very much for the reminder, stranger.” Sakura raises his pale eyebrow, and Suo gets lost for a few seconds in its whiteness.

“Sakura, Sakura Haruka.” Suo nods, and the other lets out a snort, knowing his name will be ignored again as he meets the other’s gaze.

“Thank you very much, I hope we’ll see you again—”

He is interrupted when the guard accompanying the burgundy-haired man rushes out worriedly through one of the garden gates, the two-toned-haired deity practically pulling him back to the ground as they hide and listen to the voices behind them.

Sakura, for his part, stares at the guard with a sharp gaze, and using gestures, signals to Suo to start walking silently toward where the exit should be, trying to avoid the eyes of whoever seems to be watching them now.

“Do you even know where to go?” Sakura rolls his eyes at the other boy’s whisper.

“It’s not like I have a choice of where to go, and besides, this isn’t the first time you’ve had me do something like this.” Suo doesn’t know how to respond to that, and when the other boy turns around, he has to force himself to keep his gaze locked on the other’s eyes, confusion taking hold of him once again. “You should be the one leading if you’re going to complain.”

“I wish you’d said so from the start, because we’re going the wrong way.” He then points toward the entrance on the other corner of the garden with a smile that manages to annoy Sakura. “The exit is the other door; this one leads to the other annex.”

“Couldn’t you have warned me sooner!?” Sakura’s hissed shout manages to provoke a reaction in the young man with the eye patch, who seems thrilled to see the stranger’s explosive reaction.

“You were too focused on saving me; I didn’t want to bother you.”

“And taking us somewhere else seems fun to you? You’re unbelievable!” Suo looks at him with a broad smile as he nods. “Don’t just accept it like that!”

“My master taught me to accept things as they are.”

“Tsk, I wish you’d remember that more often.” Sakura starts mumbling nonsense, and after a few seconds of silence where neither of them seems to move, the boy with the two-toned hair turns around, even more annoyed than before. “Why aren’t you moving?”

“I was following you?”

“Aren’t we supposed to be on the other side? I don’t know how to get around here—you lead the way!” Suo would love to tell the other boy that he doesn’t really know the place either, but if he can keep the other boy’s attention for a few more minutes, then he’d better keep quiet.

“Fine, follow me.” Although it isn’t his first time, Suo has walked through several gardens, and especially while hiding and fleeing from places in a hurry, so even though the layout of this place isn’t the same, he knows more or less how to find his way—but Sakura doesn’t need to know that. “You know? For someone who just said they do this often, it’s surprising that you don’t know where to go.”

“You make it sound like this is my daily routine when it’s far from it.” Suo shrugs, amused. Sakura just curses under his breath. “And I don’t know how to navigate places like this because this period is so confusing.”

“Confusing?”

“Yeah, I prefer the others; everything’s simpler.” Suo nods and says nothing more, his brain working at top speed, trying to figure out where the other guy is from with the few clues he has. The image of a deity grows with every passing second.

That night, Suo manages to get home earlier than planned, wearing stained clothes and accompanied by a strange boy whom he does his best to hide from the servants. He had left the carriage behind at some point during his escape, but now he has a new horse registered in his name.

When the next morning arrives, Sakura can only laugh at the disheveled state in which the other boy greets him as he steps out of the stable, the image of elegance from the night before completely shattered for the boy with the eye patch.

“You know? You look better like this; you look less… well, not like yourself.” Suo rolls his eyes and gives him a tired smile.

“Are you saying I look good covered in dirt? That’s a bit of a peculiar compliment coming from someone I’ve only known for a few hours.” Sakura opens his eyes in surprise and looks at him with a frown. “Very brave of you.”

“That's not what I was trying to say!”

“Whatever you say.” Sakura glares at him, and is about to repeat his name again as he has been doing since they met, but then he clicks his tongue, signaling to Suo that he has given up on him. “Huh? If you're going to say something, don't hide it.”

“You’re a pain in the ass, just so you know.” Suo nods, and Sakura lets out an annoyed groan as he plops down on the grass without a shred of shame. “You haven’t changed a bit.”

“That reminds me, you still haven’t answered my questions.” Sakura shrugs, avoiding his gaze, and Suo sighs; the idea of knowing nothing about the divinity was a very annoying reality for the curious boy with the eye patch. “If you’re not going to answer any of the ones I asked you last night, then answer this one—it should be easier. Did you sleep well?”

Sakura makes a dismissive gesture with his hands. “I’ve slept in worse places. Compared to sleeping in a stable, anything is better. Don’t worry.” Nevertheless, the tone of his voice seems tinged with a sadness that the boy with the eye patch manages to pick up on. “Although… it was a little cold.”

“I'll bring you some blankets if you need them.” Sakura shakes his head. “Are you sure?”

“I’ll be fine. It’s just that I’m used to sleeping with…” Sakura doesn’t finish his answer; instead, he falls silent and starts scratching his neck nervously. “Don’t worry about it. It’s not like I’m staying much longer anyway. I’ll be leaving soon.”

“And I guess if I ask, you won’t answer me, right?”

Sakura snorts and looks at him from where he’s sitting. “I already told you it’s not because I don’t want to. Besides, you’ll find out on your own; there’s no point in telling you now.” Suo looks at him, confused, as he sits down next to the other boy. “Just be patient.”

“I’m lucky that’s something I’m really good at.” At those words, Sakura immediately turns to look at him; the expressions reflected in his different-colored eyes take Suo’s breath away, leaving him marveling at the sparkle in the other’s eyes.

“Yes, it really is something very good.” And then he puts on a soft smile, a smile that Suo can’t help but keep in his mind as if it were something important. “Thanks for that.”

Suo looks at him with a confused smile, and Sakura returns his gaze to the vast morning sky. “You’re welcome? I guess?”

“It’s fine, it’s not like you’re going to remember this anyway.” Sakura then lets out a sigh and finally gets up from the grass, his face completely different now. “You’d better start getting ready; something tells me your servants are looking for you.”

“It wouldn’t be the first time they failed to find me.” Sakura rolls his eyes.

“Whatever you say, go now.” The speed with which he’s rushed off causes something in Suo’s chest to start beating with concern.

“See you tonight.”

“Yeah, yeah, go quickly.” Suo watches him for a few seconds without saying anything and walks away with a strange smile on his face. “Don’t hold it against me too much when I leave!”

Suo doesn’t understand what the other boy is saying as he walks away, but he tucks the smile away in a place in his heart he doesn’t plan to forget.

Maybe the gods are kinder than he thought.

“You’re so annoying!” Suo covers his mouth with his hands, trying to stifle the laughter bubbling up inside him. “Stop just standing there and help me!”

“Huh? But it’s not my fault you fell—I told you to be careful.” The young man glares at him from where he stands and curses in a language Suo doesn’t understand. “All right, all right, take my hand.”

The young man with monochromatic hair glares at him in annoyance and snorts as he reluctantly takes the outstretched hand; the blush on his face, however, betrays the embarrassment he must be feeling, and something inside Suo grows like a malicious vine, squeezing his heart.

When he manages to stand up, their faces come dangerously close, and Suo has to swallow as best he can while his smile trembles on his face, his breathing slower than usual. And even though it’s only a few seconds, Suo feels like hours have passed until Sakura steps back with an annoyed click of his tongue, the other boy unaware of the closeness between them.

“Where the hell am I?”

Suo watches the boy’s back and shakes his head as he hears once again a strange language he hadn’t heard in a long time.

The passing of the days finally coming to a halt with the arrival of the divine being who landed upon him one night of celebration.

Although if he stops to look closely, he might realize that he is a little different from the first time, and more like the one he has been seeing these past few weeks—accompanied by a barrage of curses and dirty looks.

Maybe it’s that his hair is a little shorter compared to the first time he saw him, or that the harshness and annoyance color his face in a more pronounced way than on the other days they’ve met—whatever it is, it makes him look a little younger and more impatient, almost like someone worthy of Suo’s age.

And the thing is, if he remembers correctly, the face of the boy with two-toned hair seemed closer to that of an adult on the night he fell upon him than to the softer, slightly childish features he has before him now.

“Ah, too far back again.” Sakura sighs and begins to ruffle his hair in frustration while the boy with the eye patch watches him in silence. “We have to adjust the time even more… ah… I don’t like proving him right.”

“Not to interrupt, but it’s not very polite to curse in front of the person who just saved you.”

Sakura snorts and glares at him. “And whose fault was it?”

“Yours.” Sakura looks at him in disbelief, and Suo begins to note in his mind the way the irritation rises through his body in an instant. “Don’t look at me like that; it hurts to know you think I did it on purpose.”

“You! You didn’t have to knock me to the ground!”

“I didn’t knock you to the ground.” His expression of false pity only annoyed Sakura even more, causing a bubbling sensation to build up in the boy with the eye patch’s chest. “I was trying to catch you as you fell on top of me again, and you pushed yourself to the ground all on your own—I even tried to tell you to be careful.”

Sakura stomps his foot on the ground and tries to keep his composure despite the annoyance and rage growing inside him. “You know what? Forget it! It doesn’t matter whose fault it is because we’ve lost our only way back to your house.”

Suo looks toward the path where the horse had run off, startled by Sakura’s screams, and then turns his gaze back to Sakura with a smile. “It wouldn’t be the first time we’ve had to walk back.”

“I don’t want to hear about my other trips—spare me!”

Suo lets out an honest smile and shakes his head amusedly.

And the thing is, thanks to the other boy’s recent visits, Suo can get a rough idea of what Sakura is like. Although that still doesn’t answer the questions he has, of course, because the boy continues to refuse to answer them—not to hide information per se, but because apparently it’s too complicated to understand.

“But I have no one to share your great insights with.” Sakura glares at him. “Come on, you’ll be interested.”

“I don’t want to hear any of it. Let’s just start walking.”

“You're so cold. The last time you came by was a few months ago, and you left so quickly. You're not even being nice to me or saying hello.” Sakura rolls his eyes in annoyance.

“You know I can’t control how long I can stay—at least not right now. And stop acting like I’m a kid! It doesn’t work on me!” Suo smiles at him, but despite his complaints, Sakura ends up reaching out his hand to him amid curses.

The boy with the eye patch’s selfishness grows more and more with the warmth he steals from the other body in that simple clasp of hands. “You’re so harsh, Sakura.”

“And you’re insufferable—not all of us can be perfect.”

“Huh? Do you think I’m perfect, Sakura?”

The black-and-white-haired boy glares at him, annoyed, as his cheeks begin to flush red. “No one said anything like that! Just shut up already!”

“Alright, I’ll stop for now.” Sakura rolls his eyes and shakes his head, and Suo raises his hands in innocence. “It’s a long way, and I don’t want us to take longer than we have to.”

“Whatever you say.”

“I’m serious. I don’t want night to fall while we’re still on the road. There’s been a lot of trouble lately, and I don’t want anything bad to happen to you.” Sakura looks at him with a raised eyebrow, and Suo sighs. “I’d lose the only person who keeps me entertained, and I’d be left all alone. I can’t let that happen.”

“You!”

“Loneliness is ugly, Sakura. I can’t let you leave me now that we’ve met.” The honesty in his words was tinged with falsehood, so the other wouldn’t discover his reality—the one that destroys time with every passing day. “That’s not what a good person does.”

Sakura runs a hand over his face, frustration growing as they begin to walk. “If I could bury you right now, I would.”

“And how would you get to my house otherwise?”

“That’s why I won’t do it!” Suo lets out a small laugh, and Sakura glares at him. “And stop talking as if you’re going to be alone forever.”

“Sakura...”

“You don’t need to tell me anything; I already know.” Suo opens his eye in surprise, one of his hands unconsciously drifting to the patch that hides the mark of a curse. “Just shut up if you’re going to talk like that.”

Suo’s smile fades and he shakes his head. “You’re incredible, Sakura, did you know that?” He rolls his eyes, and silence surrounds them for a couple of minutes—a heavy silence that neither breaks until the boy with the eye patch finally decides to take the initiative, his curiosity stronger than anything else. “When?”

Sakura looks at him, confused. “When what?”

“When did you find out?”

Sakura sighs. “You told me yourself when we met—well, when I met you.” Suo’s eyes widen in surprise, and Sakura, for his part, begins to run his fingers through his hair again in a nervous gesture. “This time travel stuff is so confusing.”

Suo nods with a small smile, the tightness in his chest growing with the other’s words. “Sakura, I can’t wait for us to get to know each other.”

“What are you talking about? Don’t we already know each other?”

Suo smiles at him strangely as he shakes his head.

Maybe Sakura doesn’t fully understand his words, or at least not right now, but for the young man with the eye patch to have confided his curse to the other, to make sure Sakura knows it the moment they meet, it must speak of the closeness they will reach between them.

Something in his chest tightens again, the vines surrounding him tightening at the knowledge that Sakura will remain by his side for longer.

“We still have a long way to go before we can get to know each other better and become friends, don’t we?”

“Who said anything about being friends!?” His cheeks flush, making him look even more adorable than he already is.

“Don’t you see me that way? Sakura, you’re hurting me.”

“Don’t play the victim! You were the one who said you didn’t want to be my friend first!” Suo stops short, his smile freezing as he takes in the words the other boy keeps spitting out, oblivious to the surprise and fear in his opponent’s crimson eye. “Nirei got mad when I told him! He wouldn’t let me travel for a while because of you!”

“Did I say I didn’t want to be your friend?” Sakura speaks again, but Suo doesn’t hear him, not when the coldness of the unknown takes hold of him just as it did on the day he discovered his curse.

The immortal listens to the time traveler for the rest of the journey with a fake smile that grows with each passing minute, but in truth, all he can hear is the sound of nothingness and loneliness.

The boy with two-toned hair runs without looking back, exhaustion taking its toll on his body with each step slower than the last. And when he manages to hide in a corner, throwing off the group of guards chasing him by ducking between barrels and boxes to conceal his presence, he finally looks up at the buildings around him and curses under his breath.

“I knew the time was wrong; I’m not going to listen to you again, Nirei.”

Sakura lets out a sigh and pulls a watch from one of the pockets of his jacket, the silver of the watch dulled by grime and marked by scratches and dents. The hour marked by the clock dials, frozen at a moment only two beings can understand, and the slowness with which the second dial moves, marking the length of his stay in that era.

Sakura brings his hands to his face and takes a breath as best he can.

At least this time he hadn't traveled in the middle of a war, or ended up in a deserted area with no one around. Anything was better than getting stuck again without food or water for days.

“Judging by the clothes, I haven't traveled very far back.” Sakura ruffles his hair in frustration. “But it's still bad, and on top of that, now I'm in another country.”

He swallows as best he can and shakes his head. “Oh well, at least it looks like I’ll be here for a few days instead of months.” Sakura’s stomach starts growling within seconds, reminding him that he hasn’t eaten properly in a while. “I’ll miss the food from Tsugeura and Umemiya; I should have brought something with me.”

The boy with two-toned hair lets out another sigh and starts walking silently down the alley. Or at least he tries to, if it weren’t for the complete darkness of the night, which makes it almost impossible for him to see where he’s stepping.

Sakura curses again until he starts hearing shouts and quick footsteps behind him; when he turns around, the amused smile of a familiar boy greets him as he takes his hands and forces him to start running again, but this time not alone.

“What the hell?!”

“It’s a pleasure to see you again too, Sakura. How long has it been this time—almost two or three months since the last time?” The burgundy-haired boy squeezes Sakura’s hand with his and forces him to run faster by his side, the other’s warm presence making Sakura blush slightly. “How did you get here? Did you miss me so much that you came looking for me?”

“Stop talking nonsense!” Suo flashes a cheerful smile and shakes his head, while Sakura tries to catch his breath as best he can as he watches the group chasing them seem to grow larger, their shouts growing louder. When he looks back at the boy with the eye patch, he roars in frustration. “Why are we always running from something?! For once, I’d like to get somewhere without all this trouble!”

“But Sakura, that wouldn’t make our encounters memorable.”

“Believe me, I’d remember them even more!”

Suo closes his eye and drags Sakura with him toward the main street. “Let me doubt that.” The monochromatic-haired boy shakes his head in exhaustion, his heavy breathing beginning to scream his fatigue. “Sakura?”

Sakura looks at him and takes a deep breath. “Find a place for us to hide and don’t make me waste any more energy!”

Suo nods, his crimson eye beginning to search earnestly around the square until something catches his attention. As best they can, with Sakura utterly exhausted, they enter a restaurant that’s closing up, and with several apologies and curses, they climb out through one of the windows, which leads them back into the alleys.

The boy with the eye patch then gently takes Sakura by the arm and leads him to an area where the buildings seem to be in even worse shape than the ones they’d already passed—and that was saying a lot, considering where they were. Suo finally stops them when they enter an old, abandoned store, the scattered fabric and tables serving to hide them.

“We’ll be fine here.” Sakura nods, avoiding contact with the other boy as much as possible, his face resting against his chest as Suo tries to hide in a small corner, Suo’s body wrapping around Sakura’s as if that could protect him. “Just hang in there a little longer.”

Sakura bites his lower lip hard in an attempt to steady his breathing as best he can without making much noise, their whispers drowning out the melody of nature. “How long do we have to stay here?”

“Quite a while. There were a lot of people following us, so we have to be careful.” Sakura lets out a snort when he feels the other boy’s gaze fall on him.

“Don’t look at me like that! This time, it’s not my fault we’re in this situation.”

Suo shrugs, the gesture causing Sakura to shift slightly due to the closeness of their bodies. “In my humble defense, I’m innocent too.” Suo’s warm breath brushes against Sakura’s neck, sending shivers down his spine.

“Yeah, just like all the other times, right?” Suo nods and Sakura rolls his eyes.

“I just had the bad luck of running into a bunch of unpleasant people, that’s all. If there are things I should be judged for, that’s between my attorney and me.” Sakura gives him a light tap on the shoulder when he sees the exaggerated pout on the other guy’s face.

“You said you were going to be more careful, you idiot!”

“I am being careful, Sakura!” he denies, annoyed, to which Suo gives him a small smile as he draws him closer to him, if possible. “I promised you, besides, it’s not like it’s anything serious.”

“We’ve got a bunch of bandits chasing us, you idiot. Doesn’t that scream ‘danger’ to you?” Sakura looks intently into the other boy’s eye, the ruby completely blinding him.

“I see it as ours forever, Sakura. Just as you always end up falling on top of me, I’m always being chased in case we don’t meet as we should.” The boy with the eye patch brings their faces a little closer together, the desperation for closeness completely blinding him to his surroundings.

The other boy’s beautiful, flushed face doesn’t go unnoticed by Suo. “You know that if I could, I wouldn’t be falling on you like this for no reason. If it bothers you so much, help me find a solution.”

“I thought only Nirei had that privilege?”

“Has anyone ever told you that you’re very annoying?” Suo looks at him with an amused smile and decides to ignore the words of the boy, whose face is beginning to flush.

“But of course it would be an honor to help you, Sakura, though I’m not so sure your friend likes the idea.” Sakura grimaces and rolls his eyes with a sigh.

“In any case, he’d be thrilled to have someone who understands that thing too.”

“I see…” Suo then tightens his grip on the other boy and sighs. “Then I have to thank him for bringing us together.”

“Nirei doesn’t know where the clock is taking me, Suo.”

“Then it’s fate.”

Sakura snorts and shakes his head as he finally leans against the other boy’s tired body, the tension finally fading once the voices and footsteps begin to fade away. “It’s bad luck, that’s what it is.”

“You're so mean, Sakura!” he rolls his eyes, Suo meanwhile enjoying their closeness.

“Ah, you better shut up, you're annoying.” Suo shakes his head with an amused smile. “Anyway, what are you doing here, so far from home? I expected anyone but you in this place.”

“It’s boring to be in the same place all the time, Sakura. It’s a bad way to spend eternity.” Sakura looks at him with a raised eyebrow and lets out a light sigh. “Besides, who knows? Maybe we’ll run into each other more often this way.”

“You have a serious problem with annoying me.”

“Oh, I know. Relax. It’s not like I plan on doing anything to change that.”

“You’re impossible to put up with.” Sakura’s face, buried in Suo’s neck, makes the vines around his heart tighten even more. “I don’t think I can stand you much longer.”

“Too late—you shouldn’t have fallen onto me.”

“Unbearable.

Suo lets out a small laugh that triggers something strange, new, and confusing in Sakura. “Of course, Sakura, whatever you say.” He exhales irritably as his pout begins to grow. “But if we’re really talking about unbearable, we could ask—”

“I so regret the moment I agreed to teach you my language.”

“It's romantic if you stop to think about it.” Sakura shakes his head. “And even more so now, when we're so far from where anyone can understand us.” The boy with two-toned hair lets out a sigh in response. “Don't you think so?”

“I've decided to ignore you.”

“Sakura!”

The latter rolls his eyes as he begins to be annoyed yet again by a being who, though hiding their existence behind countless names and experiences, continues to act like a child to annoy him.

The memory of that day, captured in a painting by an anonymous artist, whose ownership was transferred to someone who cherished it as a treasure.

“Hayato, have you seen the blender?”

A man’s gentle voice interrupts the reading of the figure with burgundy hair sitting in a corner of the living room, the afternoon light illuminating a crimson eye that speaks volumes about the experiences and long years he has spent walking these lands.

The man in question closes the book and stands up, walking with a lazy smile toward the kitchen and carefully observing the cute pout appearing on his partner’s face. The years make him look even cuter to his eyes.

“No, I think you put it in the cupboard where the plates are.” The time traveler looks at him confusedly, the man with the eye patch leaning against the doorframe with an amused look.

“I already looked there and it’s not there.”

“Are you sure?” His partner rolls his differently colored eyes as he lets out a sigh, the gesture distracting the other man.

“I wouldn't be asking you if I hadn't looked there several times.” Suo shakes his head with a smile as he steps closer to wrap his arms around the other man, his bad mood growing if he doesn't stop that frown from becoming more noticeable right now.

“Maybe it's where the pots are.”

“I already looked; there's nothing there.” The man with two-toned hair rests his face on the other's shoulder and plants a kiss with a frown that makes Suo laugh. “Help me. I promise not to bother you again until it's time for dinner.”

Suo raises one eyebrow ironically—the lie obvious to both of them—and Sakura gives his arm a gentle tap. “All right, let’s look for it together.

“Thanks, Hayato.” He plants a kiss on his cheek, but before he can step away, Suo cups the other man’s face in one hand and kisses him. Their mouths fighting for control neither wants to lose, and defeat, just an excuse to keep going.

“If you wanted to spend time alone, you should’ve just said so. Your excuses only get worse as time goes on.” He says it between kisses, Suo’s hands wandering into dangerous territory before his boyfriend quickly pulls them away. The complaints cause Sakura to start pulling away from the other’s kisses.

Sakura snorts as he finally breaks free from Suo’s grip. “Because I love losing the things I cook with, of course.” Suo shrugs.

“I’ve never seen you lose the watch you travel with.”

“And get stuck in a time that isn’t mine? No thanks, once was enough.” Suo walks after Sakura with a dangerous smile on his face.

“But Haruka, back then we spent months together in the cabin up north. With no one to interrupt us.” His hot breath on Sakura’s neck sends shivers down his spine, making him curse. Suo’s voice is deeper and softer than it should be.

“Yes, and I remember wanting to kill you several times during those months.” Sakura’s gaze holds Suo’s in a duel to try to wipe the other’s stupid smile off his face.

“I doubt it.”

“Help me find the blender!” Suo finally loses the duel and starts searching through the cabinets while his cute, mischievous boyfriend watches him do nothing from a corner.

“You should have left it in the tool cabinet. It’s always the same with you.”

“I try, it’s just that I can’t get used to the way this house is organized; I’m still following the layout of the old one.” Suo looked at him with a sad smile and shook his head.

“Do you miss it that much?”

“It was one of my favorites.”

Suo sighed.

Time is the enemy of the immortal; the fragility of memories is a privilege the burgundy-haired boy cannot possess. However, thanks to the presence of a young man who can leap through time, his eternity has been filled with small gifts and things he never thought he’d get to enjoy. Among them, having a home of his own.

It may seem absurd, but in every place he has set foot since meeting the young man with two-toned hair, he can recall every house where the two of them—or just he alone—have lived together, some more fleeting than others, and others more familiar and warm.

Every corner of this vast world where they exist is marked by the footsteps of two beings who defy reality and the fleeting nature of time.

However, for some time now, and due to their age, they have both decided not to venture much beyond the lands where they grew up. As a result, they haven’t been getting around much, so it’s inevitable that the young traveler feels nostalgic—not only for the time they’ve spent together in that house, but also for its symbolism.

Sakura doesn’t talk much about his past. It’s difficult—even with all the time in the world at his disposal, it’s difficult. After all, talking about things that leave indelible marks on your soul is complicated, no matter how many decades pass. Suo knows this, and so he decides not to press the issue; talking about the old house isn’t just about the years they spent there together, but also about Sakura’s mother.

Suo looks at him with a sad smile and turns his back as he continues rummaging through the closets. “Maybe we can come back when a little more time has passed.”

“I thought this would be the last time we’d move.” Sakura looks at him, confused.

“You were wrong then, sweetie.” Suo gives a playful smile before returning to one of the cabinets where he finally manages to find the mixer. “Just like you were wrong about where you put this thing—it’s not even close to where you started.”

“There’s a lot to organize; don’t look at me like that.” Suo sighs and shakes his head. “Besides, it’s not my fault I thought this would be the last time we move. Remember what you told Nirei the last time we saw each other.”

“I think I told you I didn’t feel like moving around more than necessary, not that we wouldn’t move again.”

“Synonyms—different words, same meaning.”

Suo rolled his eyes with feigned weariness. “No, Sakura, not in this case.” The boy with the beautiful, mismatched eyes looked at him with adorable confusion. “I don't want us to spend our last days in a place where neither of us feels like something is missing or feels uncomfortable. I want the place where we finally settle down to be ours, a place we can truly call our own home.”

“But all the places we've lived in feel that way, Suo.”

“Maybe, but none of them has our name on it, none of them tells our story the way it should. None of them is the end.”

“You're asking too much of two people who are constantly on the move.” Sakura takes Suo’s hands, leaning in with a shy smile. “But I understand what you’re saying, I think.”

“Are you sure?”

Sakura shrugs. “Even if I’m not, we have plenty of time for you to help me figure it out.”

“You say that, but you’ll jump back to another decade in a couple of months, and I’ll have to live without you for a long time.”

“Last time was different; I had to prepare something for the Suo of the future.” He looks at him with a pitiful pout.

“Tsk, you make me envy him.” Sakura looks at him amused and starts to laugh.

The house is filled with conversations and faces that time will eventually erase when the day comes for them to leave; the walls keep silent the secret of two people trying to live a normal life that was snatched away from them without permission. And the windows reflect a world that the passing of the years will cause to cease to exist, the warmth fading away to be replaced by another with new beings who will eventually fade away with it.

And that is the last moment of his youth that the old man with burgundy hair can remember as he walks silently through a forest of cherry trees.

A smile flickers across his face, but his eye shines calmly as he watches the spring petals fall in detail. Nostalgia washes over him like it does for any man at his age, especially when, as he sits down on one of the benches, his companion is not by his side.

The metal band on his ring finger is colder than it should be when he runs his hand over it, but even so, the warm sensation that the other person left the day he placed it on his hand persists even years after his departure.

The cursed man smiles as he pulls a watch and a photo from his pocket, caressing them with fragile affection—the image of a young man who no longer exists, smiling brightly in a sunset, captured in an eternal memory that only he can hold.

Someone like Suo Hayato should never have existed—doomed to walk a lonely path from the moment he was marked on his eye, doomed to hide his name from a world that tries to deny his existence, doomed to never know the vulnerability of humanity and time.

Doomed to be forgotten.

And yet, the old man with the eye patch smiles, because even if loneliness embraces him tomorrow, and the time traveler ceases to exist; the warmth of a shared eternity is something that no one, not even life itself, can take away from him.

With his last breath, Sakura took the revenge that Suo could never take against life, and there is nothing more beautiful than that for an immortal.

That is why, as Suo Hayato closes his eyes wearily on a summer night, in the home that was built and once belonged to two eternal beings, he takes his last breath while a sweet voice whispers promises of an eternal sleep side by side.

“Don't make me wait any longer, Hayato; eternity is lonely without you.”

The old man smiles as he begins to hear the voice of his beloved whispering sweet words to him as he once again faces the passage of time, accompanying—just as he did—the greatest and only love of his life in a farewell neither of them ever thought they would get to experience.

A traveler’s watch and an immortal’s patch—the only memento they would leave behind.

Love, in the photos and paintings kept in the basement of their home, in a trunk that no one would ever see, belonging to a being who, in the end, managed to fade away along with the sands of time.