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twelve.
There was something so important that everyone should know about, Usami thought. They should teach it in school, along with geography and history and arithmetic and whatever else. It pained him, that it seemed as if nobody else knew what it was, and he was enlightened all by his lonesome.
At the same time, it excited him like nothing else, the fact that he was special and unique and he was blessed enough to have discovered the most important thing in the entire world.
His purpose.
He had a purpose, and surely he was the luckiest boy alive right now, because he knew what his purpose was and so many others didn’t.
He stomped down, that quick, blinding act of rage, and he had won. He had taken matters into his own hands and now Tokushirou-san belonged to him and him alone. There was no one else to steal Tokushirou-san’s time from him. No one else vying for Tokushirou-san’s affections.
And Tokushirou-san had held him close and told him that he was the most special boy in Tokushirou-san’s eyes and he had promised that he’d take care of matters, so that Tokishige could stay by his side.
And that was his purpose.
To be by Tokushirou-san’s side forever and ever.
What joy, to find one’s purpose so early. He bet that his parents didn’t even know what their purpose was, none of the people in his town knew, not his classmates, not Tomoharu, for that matter. (He was never going to find out).
But Tokishige did.
And even if Tokushirou-san had to go away for a while, even if Tokishige had to stay in Niigata to finish his education and eventually make his way into the military, that was all fine. Stepping stones, to his purpose. Tokishige would do anything and everything, now that he knew what his destiny was.
_
Tsurumi was a man of the military, he had seen all manners of human behavior, in all kinds of situations. He was an intelligence officer and that meant that he had extra insight into the psyche of a human being. Depending on the demographic characteristics of a person, their mentality and behavior were mostly predictable. There may be some deviations to the individual’s decision making, but it was never a large shift. Tsurumi was trained to predict these possibilities.
Every so often, someone would be completely unpredictable, make a decision completely out of left field.
Tsurumi would have never expected such a thing from a 12 year old boy.
There was no justification to why someone like Usami Tokishige did what he did. Granted, Tsurumi had no real insight into his home life, but he knew the signs of trauma and abuse. It was unlikely that the Usami family was involved in anything like that.
Illness was a factor that Tsurumi had overlooked. But Tsurumi knew Tokishige. He’d known the boy since he was nothing but an infant.
So why was murder the first thing that came to Usami’s mind, that day with Tomoharu?
Tsurumi was still unsure.
It was near impossible to consider Usami as just a child from Niigata after the incident.
There was something else in his eyes now, after, and Tsurumi had the sense that perhaps he was witnessing something special. A once in a lifetime event.
Tsurumi had his duties. Something was brewing inside him, something that was forming a shape due to Fina and Olga and the fact that a war was on the horizon.
But he’d keep an eye out for Usami Tokishige. Call it curiosity if nothing else. Call it a fascination.
/
fourteen.
His desire for Tokushirou-san was endless. It sure felt like a cavernous maw inside of him, the hunger and the longing a cold ache in his core whenever he lay to bed and thought about the only person that knew him, inside and out.
He wanted Tsurumi Tokushirou so badly it made him feel insane.
And surely he wasn’t meant to rein it in, when it was all he was made for?
When the boys in his class spoke of shunga and the bawdy tales the drunkards of the town regaled them with, all Tokishige could think of was Tsurumi. He’d have thoughts of Tsurumi’s strong arms, his sharp jaw. His friends would tell him of the peek of breasts whenever a village prostitute bent over too far after a session with a client, and all Tokishige could think of was the sight of Tsurumi’s own chest after a particularly rough sparring match. He’d recall the way sweat dripped down the long column of his neck, disappearing inside his judogi. He’d think of Tokushirou-san’s body as he held Tokishige close, his voice reassuring Tokishige that he would always be Tsurumi’s number one, binding the two of them together for eternity.
He wanted. He wanted so much sometimes he thought that he’d break at the seams for wanting so much.
If they were meant to be together forever, then surely it made sense for them to be together. It was only natural.
Tokishige had a purpose, after all.
_
Sitting next to the boy again, Tsurumi was reminded of how utterly fascinating Tokishige was.
It was quite peculiar, the way Tokishige processed thoughts. It was unlike any other child Tsurumi had met. Some hidden aspect of Tokishige had been revealed two years ago, and it was as if he couldn’t even try to keep it together with Tsurumi, his nature shining through too often in his words, in how he rationalized matters. Part of Tsurumi wanted to push, to see what conclusions he would go to.
But what would the consequences be? There wasn’t much at risk for Tsurumi, personally, but he truly wanted to see Tokishige through to adulthood. He wanted to see what Tokishige would be capable of in the military.
The juvenile detention centre would be no place for Tokishige to shine.
“Listen to me, Tokishige-kun,” he was sulking, so Tsurumi put his hand on Tokishige’s shoulder, touch firm and steady, “Tokishige-kun.”
He did look at Tsurumi then, glancing at the hand on his shoulder. He was unhappy, because Tsurumi was leaving again soon, and he couldn’t follow.
“It will be alright. It’ll take a few years, but that isn’t too long at all. I’ll transfer you into my division immediately, rest assured.”
His lips were still pouted, sulking, but he reached for Tsurumi’s hand on him and pulled it off to cradle it in his own.
He played with Tsurumi’s fingers, moving them about. Fascinating, as always. His hands were smaller, of course, and he mapped the expanse of Tsurumi’s palm, ran his fingers along the side of Tsurumi’s digits.
“Alright, Tokishige-kun? For me?”
Usami glanced up at him, and his pout disappeared, “Okay. For you.”
Eyes on Tsurumi’s, he lifted the hand to his mouth. He kissed it then, pressing his mouth to Tsurumi’s knuckles.
An act of devotion? Or simple, childish attraction?
Tsurumi could never tell with Tokishige.
One kiss turned into two, then several more as Tokishige’s cheeks darkened, as if he wasn’t the one who started this.
Tsurumi allowed it, out of curiosity.
Perhaps it was a reward for good behaviour. Perhaps—
He felt Tokishige’s tongue dart out and touch the space between his index and middle finger, and it became clear to Tsurumi what this was.
“Tokishige-kun?”
As if sensing Tsurumi’s realization, Tokishige hurriedly sucked one of Tsurumi’s fingers into his mouth. It was wet, too rushed that Tsurumi could feel the boy’s teeth, so he hooked his finger, stopping Tokishige short.
“Now now, Tokishige-kun,” he smiled, tone mild even as Tokishige flustered around his finger, “Use your words.”
He unhooked the finger and Tokishige looked sufficiently embarrassed, “I just wanted to taste you, Tokushirou-san.”
Lust.
He was fourteen, it was a precarious age for anyone. Entirely normal for a growing boy. It was probably worse for a creature like Usami Tokishige.
“You still have your manners, don’t you? Don’t you think it would be more polite to ask me first?”
And just like any 14 year old, the reminder of discipline worked.
“Sorry, Tokushirou-san. I forgot. Um…”
He shifted in his seat, fiddling with his thumbs, “I have a request.”
“What is it?”
“Can I have a kiss? Please, Tokushirou-san.”
Lust. It wasn’t uncommon for teenagers to be carried away with sexual desire, imprinting onto the first authority figure that was kind to them. That was what infatuations were all about.
But this was Tokishige. Tsurumi wondered if lust was what made him kill.
“Hm. A kiss, huh…”
“Yes, please. Just—a really quick one! Just really quick, right here, please,” he lifted his head and touched his own lips, “I just want to…”
“Want to what, Tokishige-kun?”
“Adults do it, sometimes, when they think no one’s looking. When they’re drunk. My friends talk about it. I’ve dreamed about it, Tokushirou-san, and I want to do it with you.”
It still made sense. It wasn’t a complete surprise that Tokishige would want something like this. What else did boys this age think about? Tsurumi’s immediate instinct was to refuse, of course. It was no question.
And yet—
Tsurumi considered his surroundings. It was just the two of them. But more importantly, he watched this boy of his, this creature who had devoted himself to Tsurumi, and he thought, ‘What was the harm in this?’
Tokishige was never going to not be Tokishige.
If one day, Tokishige decided that he had outgrown this, that he had outgrown Tsurumi, then so be it. Tsurumi would mourn the loss.
But even the thought of it was ridiculous. This darling monster had no chance of being normal, whatever normal entailed. He had not been normal since he was born, Tsurumi was sure, and Tsurumi adored him that way.
So.
What was the harm?
"Alright,” Tsurumi said, and gently tipped the boy’s chin up, with his still-drying fingers, watching Tokishige’s eyes go very wide, “A kiss.”
It seemed as if Tokishige was at a loss of words. Tsurumi leaned in, pressed his lips against Tokishige’s gently. He closed his eyes, because that was how a first kiss should be. Different or not, Tokishige deserved that, at the very least.
Tokishige’s entire began to thrum, and Tsurumi opened his eyes to see Tokishige blinking rapidly, obvious tears in his eyes.
Poor thing. Tsurumi leaned back after a small kiss against his mouth and watched Tokishige.
“What’s wrong?”
“I’m just—” he hiccupped, swiping the tears from his eyes with a fist, “I just—”
“You’re overwhelmed, Tokishige-kun.”
Big, fat tears spilled from his eyes, and Tsurumi gently wiped them away with his thumbs. He did care for Tokishige, seeing him weep this way was heartbreaking.
“I love you,” Tokishige gasped, top lip quivering from how much he was feeling, “I love you so much, Tokushirou-san.”
“Sweet Tokishige-kun,” Tsurumi couldn’t help but say, gently stroking the boy’s head, “Thank you. Come now, don’t cry.”
He put his arms around Tokishige in a hug, and it was reminiscent of all the other times he had comforted Tokishige. They really have known each other for a long time, most of Tokishige’s life. Tsurumi had been thinking about Tokishige the moment he decided to return to Niigata, and perhaps that was saying something about how significant Tokishige was to Tsurumi, too.
Perhaps.
This was new territory, and Tsurumi himself was trying to learn how to adapt to the situation.
“Tokushirou-san,” Tokishige sniffled, “Can we kiss more? Please?”
Adapting to the situation might involve indulging Tokishige the way no one else in his life would.
“Alright.”
Tokishige climbed into his lap and Tsurumi held him, belatedly thinking about how heavy Tokishige was now, compared to a couple of years ago. Boys grew up fast. Tokishige was no exception.
Tokishige kissed him, hands going up to slide into Tsurumi’s hair, and there was no hesitation from Tokishige this time around.
It was—
Desire in this form…Tsurumi didn’t think he had ever experienced anything like it. Overwhelming, almost.
It was as if the boy was conflicted, torn between letting Tsurumi kiss him and actively kissing Tsurumi, and he did both, the noises that escaped him absolutely scandalous.
Tsurumi would admit that it was charming. He hadn’t necessarily known that about himself, but he supposed that he was learning new things about himself. About Tokishige.
It was the kiss of a young boy, it was almost innocent. Until it wasn’t.
The way Tokishige moved was suddenly different, his shifting on Tsurumi’s lap a bit too pronounced, his hips rolling too deliberately. Tsurumi was once again unsurprised by it. But there should be boundaries. He had to stop somewhere. Tokishige was—
“Tokushirou-san,” Tokishige said, leaning back but not too far, his words shaky against Tsurumi’s lips, “I’m—um. I’m hard. I’m really—”
He reached in between them, his hand pressed hard against his own crotch, and he moved further back to look at Tsurumi, the desire in his face raw and unfettered.
There had to be boundaries. Tsurumi had indulged the child for this long, surely he had to stop at some point.
“Please,” Tokishige pressed Tsurumi’s hand in between his legs, his eyes glassy and wide with unshed tears, “Please, Tokushirou-san? It hurts.”
And yet—
What was the harm.
Tsurumi made sure to look Tokishige in the eye, made sure that he was present and paying attention to Tsurumi, “Do you know what you are asking for, Tokishige-kun?”
“Yes,” Tokishige said, thought Tsurumi knew that there could possibly be no way that Tokishige understood, fully, “I know I shouldn’t. I know! But Tokushirou-san, it’s you. If it’s you, it’s okay. Right?”
Just if it was them. Only Tsurumi and Tokishige.
Tsurumi reached to touch his face and pinched his cheek, a gentle admonishment.
“The things I let you get away with,” Tsurumi said, and Tokishige giggled, before the laughter cut off into a moan as Tsurumi slipped a hand into Tokishige’s hakama.
“Touch me, oh touch me, ah, Tokushirou-san,” Tokishige’s body snapped forward, his fingers digging into Tsurumi’s shoulders, entire frame shaking violently in Tsurumi’s arms.
It was almost nothing. Tokishige was small in his hand, and Tsurumi didn’t even look, even if he was acutely aware of what he was doing for—to the boy. Tokishige was gripping at him as if he was a lifeline, and there was nothing else to this. It was sex.
Tokishige had been ruined two years ago, anyway. It made sense.
Tokishige came with a muffled moan, the sound high and reedy. It was a sound Tsurumi had never heard him make before. Tsurumi knew that he would remember that noise for days to come. It would either haunt him, or turn into a cherished memory, but Tsurumi had no way of knowing just yet.
Tokishige pressed his mouth to Tsurumi’s face weakly, and Tsurumi could feel the shape of Tokishige’s smile against his skin.
“Thank you,” Tokishige’s tone was sweet and serene, and Tsurumi was…
He was content, at least. This creature was truly his.
“You’re welcome. I’ll be thinking of you, Tokishige-kun,” Tsurumi said. He meant it.
/
sixteen.
Tsurumi had brought back a stranger, and Tokishige had heard about it from his parents first before Tsurumi himself. It shouldn’t matter. He was meant to meet Tsurumi in the evening, at Tsurumi’s request, and yet the two hour walk to the town made him feel sick, like there was heavy lead in his gut.
His thoughts were a mess.
He had so many years to go before he could enlist into the military. What if Tsurumi had forgotten all about him then? What if Tsurumi decided that he was not worth waiting for, in the army?
Tokishige would die, if that was the case. He would completely cease to exist.
Absence made the heart grow fonder. Wasn’t that the saying? Absence also made the heart sick.
The war that Tokushirou-san had gone on was over, and Tsurumi had been in Niigata for a while, handsome and wonderful and a war hero. They had spent some time together, as much as their schedules would allow it, with school and the distance and responsibilities.
But such was the life of a man in the military, Tsurumi’s respite didn’t last long.
It wasn’t as if Tokishige didn’t know it. His fantasies about Tsurumi were never of them living a quiet life in Niigata, but they were together, and that was all Tokishige wanted. He was loyal, he was, but one could only wait so much before they go insane.
He needed something. A memory. Something else, just as equally binding as his first time with Tsurumi, on their sacred ground.
Something, anything.
He wanted Tsurumi to fuck him senseless, he wanted to be a vessel for Tsurumi’s ejaculate, he wanted to have Tsurumi inside him the way a husband entered a wife, he wanted to be so good, he’d be so, so good for Tsurumi. All Tsurumi had to do was take him. He just needed to take Tokishige, however he wanted Tokishige.
He had to. Tsurumi had to.
Or Tokishige didn’t know what he was going to do.
/
Tsurumi was as handsome as ever, when he greeted Tokishige at the inn he was currently residing in. Handsome and perfect and the man of Tokishige’s dreams, and Tokishige couldn’t even try to keep it together. His words and thoughts spilled out of him, and he reached to cling onto Tsurumi, and Tsurumi was kind, holding him in return, the smile on his face now one of concern.
“Tokushirou-san,” he was shaking, he felt it, but he couldn’t care, “Am I still your number one?”
Tsurumi searched his face, and not for the first time, Tokishige felt as if Tsurumi either saw right through him or saw nothing at all, “Yes, you still are. I’m confident that you will always be.”
“Who is the man that came here with you?”
“My colleague. I must leave in a few days, Tokishige-kun. I wanted to talk to you about it. Can we go inside?”
Tokishige nodded, and Tsurumi brought him into the inn. No one else was around, but Tokishige decided that he couldn’t care less. He was distraught. If Tsurumi were to say something like they could never see each other again, or if he had found someone much more competent than Tokishige, then—
Tokishige would snap.
“Tokishige-kun? Are you alright? “
They had sat down at the small table in Tsurumi’s room, and Tokishige had pulled himself closer, short of climbing into Tsurumi’s lap.
“Tokushirou-san. I love you.”
Tsurumi’s smile was slow, and yet full of concern, “I know, sweetheart. What’s got you so troubled?”
“Are you leaving me?”
“No. Not you. Never you,” Tsurumi reached to cup Tokishige’s face, and he leaned into it, desperate for touch, “I am leaving for a long mission, however. Long enough that by the time I am back, I believe you should be in the military already.”
That long.
“I can’t wait, really,” Tsurumi continued, and Tokishige stared at him, “To have you by my side in battle. To have you with me at all times.”
He had needed to hear that. He had needed that so badly.
“Me too. I can’t wait,” Tokishige grabbed at Tsurumi’s hand on him, pressed it against his skin harder, “Tokushirou-san. Please sleep with me.”
Just like the first time he had asked for something of this nature, there was no surprise in Tsurumi’s eyes at all. He knew Tokishige would ask for this. How could he not? They were the same.
“Tokishige-kun, you know—”
“Wait. Listen to me. We’re already in your room. You brought me in here, so surely,” Tokishige said, and he could feel the desperation thick in his throat, “Surely you could. I’ve been waiting. And you’re leaving for god knows how long, Tokushirou-san. You have to.”
Tsurumi looked at him coolly, “I don’t have to do anything.”
He was right, but Tokishige swallowed hard, gripping at Tsurumi’s hand on him, keeping him there, “I need you to. Tokushirou-san, please. I need you to. Do it for me? Won’t you do it for me?”
Tsurumi looked at him, almost apathetic. But the cold expression dropped, and Tsurumi sighed, leaning in to touch their foreheads together, “Of course I’ll do it for you. Tokishige-kun. Do you know the things I let you get away with?”
This, too, apparently. Tokishige loved him so much.
He was immediately turned on, lust ramped up to eleven, and if he was to endure even more years without Tsurumi, then he was going to make sure he gorged himself on Tsurumi while he could. While they were together.
Tokishige tilted his head to kiss Tsurumi, his blood singing with the notion that he was going to be physically close to his Tokushirou-san again. He wasn’t sure how he would survive for years without the promise of Tsurumi’s body this way. He wasn’t going to think about that yet.
“Tokushirou-san.”
“Yes?”
“Please don’t be gentle with me.”
_
He had wanted to say goodbye to Usami. Considering the last time they had been together, two years ago, Tsurumi should have known what was going to happen. Maybe some part of him even anticipated it.
This was probably a goodbye in its own right.
This… was a child Tsurumi had watched grow up, essentially. This child sprawled in his bed, looking like it was only place he wanted to be at, as if he belonged there. And maybe he did. Maybe that was the point all along.
What a creature he was.
Tsurumi touched his body, and Tokishige arched into his hand, unfurling like a flower under Tsurumi’s fingers. Tsurumi went lower and Tokishige’s legs opened readily. Tsurumi didn’t think he had seen anyone as wanton as Tokishige.
“Have you—”
“Yes. Just my own fingers. Tokushirou-san, please—”
“Would mine fit, I wonder.”
And to have that same boy reach desperately for his hand and use his mouth to suck on Tsurumi’s fingers, much like how he did two years ago, Tsurumi thought that they were meant to do this all along.
Tokishige’s body opened up for him slowly. Easily. Tsurumi had to hold Tokishige down by the hips to stop him from moving too much, from bucking up impatiently. Distracting Tokishige with his mouth seemed to do the trick, from kisses to small bites on Tokishige’s skin, but it didn’t work for too long, Tokishige too eager to stay still for too long.
He wanted to put his mouth on Tsurumi, after a while.
It was strange to say yes to, but Tsurumi allowed it.
There was no finesse to it, the sloppy, unpractised touch of a boy, but Tsurumi couldn’t help but be charmed by Tokishige’s enthusiasm in pleasuring him. He kept getting lost in it, mouth full and drooling all over Tsurumi’s cock. When he was snapped back to his senses by a noise Tsurumi made, or from a shift of Tsurumi’s hips, he would look up at Tsurumi and the desire to please was so raw on his face, it almost made Tsurumi want to look away.
But Tsurumi took it all in. Tsurumi saw Tokishige in his entirety and accepted him. That was important, Tsurumi thought, for the two of them.
He was soft in some places, mostly made from lean muscle. Tokishige will grow into a fearsome soldier, Tsurumi could see it already. A lethal, competent instrument of war, standing right by his side. His.
When he finally slid into Tokishige, slow and steady, he could feel Tokishige’s entire body straining to take him in. Tokishige’s eyes went wide, looking down in between them with an expression that Tsurumi couldn’t parse. Something like awe. Something like disbelief.
This was an act of claiming. Fitting. This boy was his ever since Tsurumi laid eyes on him. Ever since he killed to claim his own spot as Tsurumi’s number one.
Perhaps Tsurumi had been waiting to claim Tokishige properly, too. Tsurumi had been prepared to wait for longer, though. But Tokishige was unpredictable, and that was what made him so interesting.
Tokishige was crying in his arms, touching Tsurumi’s face like it was a reverent thing. It was difficult to not be charmed by it. Tsurumi realized that he always will be enthralled by Tokishige.
At sixteen, perhaps Tokishige was already confident that this was what he wanted. But it was easy to see how much of a child he still was, it was in the tremble of his lips, it was in the vulnerability in his face. Part of Tsurumi was waiting for Tokishige to say he didn’t want this after all. Part of him was confident that Tokishige would press for more.
Tsurumi couldn’t mourn for the loss of innocence, not when Tokishige himself had erased any remnants of innocence within himself.
“Finally,” Tokishige gasped, his voice breaking, trembling with tears, “Finally. I’ve been waiting so long. You made me wait forever, Tokushirou-san. I’ve been waiting for you.”
Tsurumi shushed him gently, kissing his tears away, “I’m sorry. I’m sorry, Tokishige-kun.”
“I love you.”
And that was it, wasn’t it? Love. Lust, too, of course. But this boy, this fascinating creature, just loved him so much, he would do anything. It was incredibly unique, Tokishige’s devotion.
Who was Tsurumi to quell that? Who was he to nip something so powerful in the bud?
Tokishige loved him so much. It was only natural that Tsurumi loved him in turn.
“I love you too, Tokishige-kun.”
“You do?”
“Yes. Believe in that if nothing else.”
Tokishige’s smile was radiant, and he leaned up for a kiss, body arching, even with the entirety of Tsurumi inside of him.
What wouldn’t this boy do for him?
He was a sight, hard and leaking as Tsurumi fucked him open, smiling up at Tsurumi, happiest Tsurumi had ever seen him.
Tsurumi went slow and gentle despite Tokishige’s earlier request, but that didn’t seem to matter, not when Tokishige pushed back and moved in counterpoint to Tsurumi’s hips, however he could.
It was messy and overwhelming. Near violent, if Tsurumi allowed Tokishige to do what he wanted. Nothing like what a ‘normal’ first time should be. But then again, this was Tokishige. Tsurumi should know better by now.
Tsurumi wondered how different Tokishige actually was, he wondered what he would discover when he spent more time with Tokishige.
He was looking forward to finding out.
Tokishige came before he did, body locking up and shaking all over, painting his own stomach white. His body rippled around Tsurumi and it was good, good enough that Tsurumi was going to follow with a groan in Tokishige’s ear.
“In me,” Tokishige moaned, clutching at Tsurumi hard, “Inside. Please. Like I’m your—”
He couldn’t finish his sentence, and Tsurumi wasn’t in the right mind to notice either, coming inside Tokishige just like he wanted.
They were one, finally.
Perhaps that was the sentiment. It did feel that way, with Tokishige clinging onto Tsurumi so hard it hurt, with Tokishige gasping and moaning against him.
They were already bound together, and now even more so.
Tsurumi couldn’t regret it.
/
“Can you write to me?”
“I’m afraid not, Tokishige-kun.”
“Okay,” it might be the sex, but Tokishige was placated easily now. His head was heavy against Tsurumi’s arm, and he radiated contentment. Tsurumi was the same.
For a while longer, they could just be themselves. Just Tokushirou and Tokishige.
Tokishige tugged on the sleeve of Tsurumi’s arm, looking up at him, “Don’t forget me.”
Nothing had changed per se. Tokishige was still Tokishige, the way he always had been, the way he always will be. He might never outgrow Tsurumi. He might stay this way, for the rest of their lives.
Tsurumi hoped he did.
“I won’t. I promise,” he replied, and leaned down to press a gentle kiss on Tokishige’s forehead, “How could I? You’re my favorite person, after all.”
/
twenty.
Private Second Class Usami Tokishige stood at attention, a picture perfect soldier.
Second Lieutenant Tsurumi Tokushirou smiled at him, and Usami couldn’t help it, the corners of his mouth turned upwards. He still maintained his professionalism. But the both of them could tell how excited Usami was.
“Private Usami. We’re happy to have you in the 7th division.”
“It is an honor, Second Lieutenant Tsurumi.”
Tsurumi leaned in, and spoke a little more quietly, and the pleasure in his tone was unmistakable.
“I’m happy you’re finally here.”
Usami’s cheeks hurt from how hard he was now smiling, professionalism be damned, “Me too.”
Together, finally.