Unspoken
Reshin/Houjuu
Rating: M

Written for Myaru at LJ Com saiunkoku_fic's 2009 Christmas Fic Exchange.

Houjuu swore under his breath while he struggled with the bolt on the entrance to his living quarters. A gentle snow blanketed the city, beautiful on its own but not without the cost of the chill seeping into his bones. Half numb fingers finally worked the latch and he hurried inside, quickly closing the door against another gust of wind. He flexed his hands against the soreness and went to work starting a small fire in a modest clay brazier in the corner. After a few minutes of fumbling with the char cloth and flint, he finally coaxed a flame to rise in the middle of the basin.

He cursed the cold, rubbing his hands together and eying his stash of wood. It would be two more days before he could collect his pay and send one of his employees to buy more coal. He never went into the market, preferring to pay others to purchase and deliver his supplies. It was a very expensive way of life, but worth the price. He had to budget carefully for the luxury, especially in the winter. He pulled a chair closer to the flames and sat down. Another birthday, he mused.

Now that his fingers were warmer, he untied the string that kept his mask in place. He set it aside and massaged the tops of his ears with his fingertips. Reshin's latest masterpiece fit him perfectly, but there was no way to prevent the string from chaffing. It was his own fault really, because he had forgotten to use the light wax Reshin brought him to reduce the friction of twine against skin.

I wonder if I will always need these masks or if time will finally rid me of this curse? The question haunted him every year.

At least no one knows it's my birthday, except…

There was a heavy knock, but before he could answer the door swung open and a gust of air threatened to extinguish the small fire. Houjuu rolled his eyes and sighed. Reshin.

"Do come inside." Houjuu's voice dripped with sarcasm.

Reshin didn't seem to notice Houjuu's irritable tone. He strode into the elegantly simple living quarters and stashed a large basket in a corner before shrugging out of his winter cloak and hanging it on the wall. He brushed a few stray snowflakes from his face and scanned the room, spying the mask on the low table where Houjuu sat. Soon he was turning it over in his hands, appraising every surface for evidence of wear.

"You didn't wax the string," Reshin admonished.

"I forgot," Houjuu replied, rising from his seat to retrieve their customary sake glasses. As he reached for the upper shelf, Reshin smoothed Houjuu's silky hair aside and trailed a fingertip across the irritation on the crest of his ear. Houjuu shuddered under his touch; his hands trembled while he set the jade green sake cups on the polished table. Reshin brought the flask of sake from the cupboard and set it between them. Houjuu nodded toward the curious box in the corner.

"What's that?" he asked.

"It's nothing." Reshin picked up a thin tapered candle and lit it in the brazier's humble flames. He placed the candle on the table, moving it several times so the shadows did not cast across the mask. He was diligent in his investigation, testing the mechanics around the mouth and checking for paint chips.

Houjuu watched Reshin scrutinize every surface for imperfections. Reshin loved beautiful things, especially those he fashioned with his own hands. He dropped by at least once a week to inspect each mask, and spent numerous hours restoring them to pristine condition. Houjuu despised his own elegance, but he shared Reshin's fondness for pleasing aesthetics and allowed the frequent visits. He wondered how many more years the house calls would continue.

"So why are you here?" Houju asked.

Reshin did not answer at first. He continued inspecting the fasteners, rubbing his finger over one spot over and over as if to assure that the piece was perfectly smooth. He returned the mask to the table and wrinkled his brow.

"The same reason you don't throw me out," Reshin answered, pouting.

"Which would be?"

The question hung unanswered between them. Reshin scowled and turned his attention to the low brazier.

"You keep it positively frigid in here," he grumbled. He put another piece of wood on the fire and stirred the hot embers back to life.

Houju held his tongue, focusing instead on pouring the sake. Why didn't he throw Reshin out? A heavy sigh escaped his lips. Reshin cast Houjuu a reproachful look of disgust.

"What's your problem?" Reshin demanded.

Houju raised the flask and swished it around. "You forgot to restock the sake," he complained.

"Since when do I restock your sake?" Reshin huffed.

"Since tonight," Houju answered without missing a beat. "Unless you'd prefer not to drink."

Reshin scowled. ""Who would want to spend time with you without the sake?"

Houjou didn't even look up. "Apparently you, since clearly you're unwilling to ante up any."

"Bastard."

"Jackass."

Reshin settled across from Houju and took his glass of sake. Silence took over while they both sipped their drinks. A gust of wind rattled the door and the fire sputtered. Houjuu put another piece of wood on the fire and returned to his seat. Neither man had anything to say, so they made no effort at conversation. As Houjuu reached for a refill, Reshin snatched his wrist mid-air.

"You're not getting the last of it," Reshin growled. Houju did not pull away. He observed while his companion pulled his index finger into his mouth and suckled. He shifted in his seat, attempting to hide his traitorous body's reaction. Reshin released the finger with a soft "pop" and smirked. "Enjoying yourself?" he purred.

"No."

Reshin's wry smile suggested he didn't believe that answer. Houjuu didn't bother looking away when Reshin opened his elaborate robes to reveal his bulging length.

"I believe you have work to do," Reshin taunted. He pushed his robes aside, lewdly exposing himself.

Houju stared at Reshin's body, allowing his gaze to trail up until he locked eyes with the arrogant Kou clansman.

"It looks like you need your wife," he tossed his silky hair as if bored.

Reshin's face turned red with annoyance. "Why would I go home when I have you right here?"

"Don't you have any new lines?" Houjuu rose and snatched the mask from the table. He turned his back to Reshin, barely maintaining his composure. His hands twitched as he returned the mask to its place on the shelf. "You never answered my question," he reminded his companion coolly.

Houju didn't need to see Reshin's face to know that his rejection cut deeply. A few tense moments passed, then Reshin stood and grabbed Houju's shoulder, spinning him around to face him.

"You know perfectly well why I'm here." Reshin's jaw was set.

"Because Yuri's out of town." Houju's dark eyes locked on Reshin's.

"Yuri hasn't gone anywhere." Reshin's admission held none of the anger Houjuu expected.

Houju's pursed his lips into a thin line. "So she knows you're here?"

"Of course she knows I'm here." Reshin snapped, "It's not like I slink around the neighborhood like a common criminal."

Houjuu raised a delicate eyebrow. "Except when you're spying on Shuurei."

"You don't know anything," Reshin groused.

Houju yawned heavily and stretched his arms over his head. "I'm going to bed, Reshin. It's late."

He shrugged out of his robe and draped it on a nearby nail. Reshin's eyes grew hooded as they trailed down Houjuu's form, following the flowing hair that spilled over his shoulders and down his back, ending just below the waist. Reshin was well aware that Houjuu's beauty was not limited to his face. Houjuu slipped into his bed and slid all the way over to the wall, allowing just enough room for another person.

Reshin stared at Houjuu's back for a few moments, then extinguished the candle. He shed his own robes and slid into the bed pulling Houjuu to his chest. He swept the pad of his thumb over the sore ear and resolved to have Kouyuu mix a batch of soothing cream. After fussing for a few minutes to get comfortable, he finally fell asleep with one hand settled on Houjuu's waist.

Houjuu remained awake, plagued by a jumbled mix of emotion and loosely connected thoughts. Reshin was exasperating, to be sure, but he still remained one of the few people who could look at his unadorned face and act normally. Well, normal for Reshin anyway. He wondered just how Yuri was able to deal with him.

Yuri. He fought against the memories, but there was no stopping the questions that tumbled across his mind. Why did he have to fall in love with the only woman in the world that would put up with Reshin? Why didn't he fight for her? Why had he not been more bold, persuading her that her inner beauty far exceeded his physical beauty? Why didn't he tell her that his beauty would fade with time? Why did he give her up so easily for his friend? Friend. The word slipped in uninvited, temporarily silencing his internal deliberations. I really am exhausted, he thought to himself, banishing the errant word from his consciousness.

Reshin was fast asleep; his tapered fingers gently rubbed against Houjuu's hip as he unconsciously drew closer. His breath ghosted across his exposed ear in a regular rhythm. Houjuu concentrated on the soft inhales and exhales, eventually matching his breathing with the man sleeping beside him. Finally he relaxed and his mind slipped into sweet silence.

When Houjuu woke the next morning, Reshin was gone. He pushed through his morning routine giving little thought to the night before until he noticed the odd box left in the corner. He pulled it away from the wall and was surprised to find it heavier than it looked. Curious, he lifted the lid and peered inside. A brief and rare smile played at Houjuu's lips as he slowly unpacked the box. Wrapped within a soft red cloth was a bottle of sake and a generous bag of dried oranges.

The rest of the box was filled with coal.