Separated From The Stars, 5/5
Dec. 24th, 2016 03:08 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
astrangestormLanguage barriers aside, Aiba Masaki, King of Rakuen’s Chiba, got right to work. He and Sho were immediately ushered to a massive control room. Comp screens were monitoring the blizzard passing overhead, scanning for animal activity, and dozens of other tasks he didn’t have a chance to check out as Aiba and his council of advisors escorted them around the underground community.
The first task completed was the matter of the beacon. With the help of his engineering team, Aiba did his best to explain how communication would be possible. Instead of the escape pod’s faint beacon, Chiba’s broadcast had the capability of breaking through the atmospheric interference. Even though they’d never seen much need to use the ability before, Chiba was willing to activate it on their behalf.
Instead of sending out a pulse with an unfamiliar pattern, the engineers explained that Sho and Satoshi could record messages that would repeat on a loop along with coordinates. When Sho nervously asked how long Chiba was willing to keep up the broadcast, Aiba’s answer had been firm.
“Until the rescuing,” he’d said, his advisors looking a little concerned but not angry.
It became abundantly clear that Aiba Masaki was very popular here. As they walked through the corridors, he knew many people by name, shaking hands and offering smiles. Which was a marvel since Chiba was home to nearly a hundred thousand people.
Once the broadcast was recorded, a simple message with Sho and Satoshi announcing that they were alive, that they were safe, and that they awaited rescue, they received a grander tour.
Aiba wanted to know everything there was to know about Akatsuki and Kagerou, and he and Sho agreed to meet with him again come morning. Satoshi couldn’t see much reason why - Chiba was so far ahead of them technology-wise, he wasn’t sure what was worth teaching them.
The underground city had been thriving for centuries. It covered a vast amount of territory under the surface, more than a dozen levels where people worked and lived. The walls that surrounded their territory were mostly a deterrent for the hostile animal life. In this part of Rakuen, few other humans ever came calling. Chiba was on a different continent, a vast ocean away from the nearest settlement. It had isolated them but had also made them self-sufficient.
There were greenhouses and entire farms underground, generators and mines, hospitals and schools. The rooms they’d been in so far were only a fraction of the bustling settlement. Their population was controlled carefully, to the extent that men and women had to apply and be interviewed before attempting to conceive. There was a degree of government control here that worried Satoshi a little, but everyone they encountered seemed fairly content and from their eyes, from their faces, they didn’t seem to be faking it. They were cooperative people rather than rebellious ones.
He supposed that having nearly limitless resources at their disposal would make anyone cooperative. Akatsuki and Kagerou had never had such luxuries. And they never would, not likely to this extent at least.
Sho explained to Aiba how they’d found their way to Chiba, tracing the heat signature. He asked about their kaenium mines. To their surprise, the word on Rakuen for kaenium was exactly the same. They descended deep into the ground, finding the kaenium processing facilities.
Satoshi hung back, simply nodding to workers, hoping he appeared friendly. Most of them had eyes for their king anyway, smiling and waving as Aiba passed by, asking questions about their work. Aiba may have been their leader, but he dressed the same as them. He had no royal jewels, no items on his person that set him apart. He had advisors with him, certainly, but no bodyguards. He looked at each of his people with respect, with thoughtfulness. He had nothing to fear from them.
It was clear even from this short visit that he was a ruler in constant motion, always among the people. Always asking questions. Always listening. Satoshi felt an odd sort of guilt, seeing the way Aiba behaved. He looked over, could see equal astonishment in Sho’s face.
Aiba and Sho started chatting, and Aiba was relying heavily on his CompTab as they spoke. Ah, Satoshi realized. Sho was nagging him about the kaenium. It was obvious that Chiba would have a more sophisticated process than Kagerou. He watched the conversation from afar, feeling more out of place than he had in a long time.
Satoshi had promised to help Sho. But he wasn’t much help at all now, was he?
He turned to one of Aiba’s advisors who’d come down with them. He smiled shyly, making a gesture that he hoped conveyed the idea of sleep. She nodded in reply, repeating the gesture and saying whatever the word for it was in their language. He nodded, not knowing what to say.
The advisor called out to Aiba, and they spoke for a moment. Aiba waved to Satoshi kindly, and then the advisor escorted him to the elevator.
He was led to a guest room that had been prepared for him, simple but comfortable accommodations. A bed and a small washroom with a shower, toilet, and sink. He was left alone, the door sliding closed behind the advisor and other staff that had prepared the room for him. There was a CompStation and a chair, and he had a seat.
None of the words on the screen made a bit of sense, so he just poked around, finding a map of the Chiba underground complex. He stared at it, feeling rather useless. He knew he ought to be thrilled. Chiba had isolated themselves for centuries, and yet they were going out of their way to help. If anyone was coming to rescue them, they’d know what to do now.
He gave up on trying to read the foreign language, heading to the washroom. He gingerly pulled the shirt up and over his head, his body still aching a little from the attack. It had only been a few days since it had happened, but it felt like a lifetime ago. After the chemical shower in quarantine, he hadn’t bothered to ask for new bandaging. He looked at the scars left behind, poking with his fingertips at the still slightly tender flesh. His souvenirs from Rakuen.
He sighed, pulling the shirt back on. Self-pity was a waste of time, and he was fortunate to be here. Safe. Warm. Fed. He got into the bed, sighing at the sudden comfort after so many days without it. Turning out the lights, he hoped that Sho was getting some of the answers he needed.
—
A proper night’s sleep made a world of difference. He was met by Aiba’s staffers in the morning, who waited for him to shower and dress and then escorted him to breakfast with their king.
Sho was already there, trying out a few phrases in the Rakuen language. Whatever he was being taught to say, it was making Aiba laugh hysterically. Leave it to Sho to be the perfect and charming prince.
“Good night!” Aiba said cheerfully, waving for Satoshi to sit down.
Sho chuckled. “You’ve got those backwards. Good night is for evening, when people are departing. Good morning is a greeting for earlier in the day.”
Aiba looked down at the CompTab beside him, turning a bit red in embarrassment as it translated Sho’s words. “There is much of the practicing ahead.”
“Good night, Your Majesty,” Satoshi said anyhow, inclining his head and having a seat. Aiba offered him a rather grateful smile in reply.
He and Sho ate quietly while Aiba’s advisors got him up to speed on the day’s issues. Since they were speaking quickly in their own language, they didn’t seem to be bothered that outsiders were sitting around the table with their king during a private meeting. In between bites, Aiba signed paperwork, made jokes, and asked questions of his advisors. The only words Satoshi understood were “Kagerou” and “Akatsuki,” which meant that Aiba was probably asking if any ships had been spotted nearby.
The answer didn’t need a translation. The answer was obviously “no, not yet.”
When the three of them were left alone again, there was an announcement. “Satoshi-kun,” Sho said, looking rather pleased. “Aiba-san and I have spoken about kaenium and the mining industry here in Chiba. The theory that was only just proven in the Kagerou labs about kaenium processing has been in successful practice here for over a century!”
“Sho telling us about your mining people, Satoshi. It is a shaming practice to your people,” Aiba said to him, face clearly sympathetic. “Overwork. Poor paying. A shaming practice. There is not that overwork here. Respect for all occupations.”
He was a little surprised to hear that. He had assumed Sho would have only asked about the kaenium mining for his own benefit - why would he even tell Aiba, an outsider, that Kagerou had been exploiting Akatsuki’s people for so long? Why would Chiba want to help a Kagerou like that?
But then again, perhaps a person like Aiba Masaki preferred honesty to playing political games.
“What does this mean for Kagerou then? And Akatsuki?” Satoshi asked.
“I’m not sure yet,” Sho admitted. “Aiba-san has kindly agreed to share data from their production facilities. There are technology specs that go along with them but…well…”
“All is in my languages,” Aiba said with a chuckle. “If King of Kagerou not anger for the waiting, happiness to do translating. Sho and I, we will work with the words archive and with the…with the…”
“Mining engineers. From both Chiba and Kagerou,” Sho supplied.
“Mining engineers! We work together, all together for the translating. Then Kagerou use technology and Kagerou mining improve. And as Kagerou mining improve, Akatsuki is respect. Sho says Akatsuki respect the high imperative of all, and this persona agree!”
He was struck dumb, seeing Sho busy himself with his breakfast, his attention anywhere else but on Satoshi. Now he knew why Aiba had so readily agreed to help. He was helping because something as simple as technology specs, translated and put into practice, would create a better life and better opportunities…for Akatsuki. Sure, it would also be to Kagerou’s benefit, an increased efficiency in their processes, but Sho had fought for Satoshi’s people more than his own.
“Thank you,” he said, voice trembling with the weight of the help Aiba wanted to offer him. To a complete stranger. Stars, to two planets full of strangers. Sure, to Chiba it was probably not a big deal, but the technology would end the strike. The technology would keep the peace. “It would be an honor to host you on Akatsuki at any time. After what you’ve offered to do to help my people…”
Aiba waved his hand, a bit embarrassed to be praised. “Traveling…traveling is not…”
“Further diplomatic relations are not quite on the table yet,” Sho said. “Chiba is not opening itself up to trade or political alliances. This potential sharing of mining technology and this data is offered only as a kindness. Aiba-san’s people are very wary of change. Sharing this doesn’t change their way of life. But if my father pushes for more, the deal’s off the table.”
“Chiba not going to have the wide open. Not yet,” Aiba agreed. “Footsteps of the infant, you understanding.”
Baby steps, Satoshi translated in his head, grinning. He was fine with baby steps. And he was quite sure Mina would find these baby steps rather agreeable as well.
It was really all up to Kagerou’s king now, presuming that Satoshi and Sho were rescued. Kagerou’s king and his House of Councillors, whose members had been so suspicious of their Crown Prince. Would they be willing to change their ways? Would they be willing to accept help from a people who otherwise wished to be left alone? Would they still consider Sho a traitor, even with the deal he’d just brokered here on Rakuen?
Satoshi had been wrong. Stars, he’d been so wrong. Sho still needed his help. Perhaps Sho needed it now more than ever.
They finished breakfast and spent the rest of the morning telling Aiba about their respective homes. The luxuries of Kagerou’s domes, the peaceful farms of Akatsuki. They spoke of their families and friends, their hobbies and lives. They learned about Aiba’s life as well.
A king or queen of Chiba was not quite the same as a king or queen on their planets. In fact, it was an elected position with a term of ten years. Aiba was in his third year of rule, and at thirty-three was the youngest person ever elected the “king” or “queen” of the settlement. But it was all too easy to understand why. Even with things somewhat lost in translation, Satoshi could see that Aiba was easygoing and knowledgeable, a figure who was looked up to and respected.
While Sho was the perfect king for his people, the type of person who would do his best to bring a conservative, tradition-oriented people into a new era, Satoshi found that Aiba was likely the perfect representative for his own people. And his sister, Satoshi thought fondly, with her determination and hard work after years of the status quo…Mina was perfect for Akatsuki. He looked at the two men in the room with him, considered his sister back home. The three of them would decide the future, wouldn’t they? The future of all three of their planets.
Things would get better. He absolutely knew they would.
Come afternoon, Aiba was needed elsewhere. He and Sho were ushered back to the level where their guest rooms were until their host was once again free. Sho was a few doors down, waving to him. “I think I could do with a little Rakuen language practice. You?”
“I’ve missed beds,” Satoshi admitted. “It was difficult enough to get out of mine this morning.”
“Enjoy yourself,” Sho said with a chuckle before disappearing into his room.
Satoshi had barely laid down when the intercom at his door buzzed. He got up, heading over. When he opened the door, it slid open to reveal the Crown Prince of Kagerou, watching him with a rather sly smile.
“The last time you came to my room like this, it ended with your ship blowing up,” Satoshi reminded him.
Sho’s smile faltered, and Satoshi rolled his eyes.
“I’m just teasing, you idiot,” Satoshi grumbled, grabbing Sho by the wrist and tugging him inside. The door shut behind him, and he pushed Sho against it hard, pulling him down for the kiss he hadn’t been able to give him in two whole days.
Sho responded in kind, stealing his breath before slipping a hand behind him, grabbing his ass. Satoshi chuckled, breaking their kiss to lean against him, fingers grasping Sho’s shirt as he breathed in the now-familiar and comforting scent of him. “What happened to language practice? It’s not like you to give up on something so easily.”
Sho’s eyes were dark, delightfully needy. “I’ve let you down, have I?” Sho’s voice dropped low, enough to make Satoshi’s cock twitch in response. “Forgiveness requested.”
Satoshi hoped there wasn’t a camera in the room recording their every move. But as soon as they made it across the room to the bed, shedding the fine Chiba fabrics with every stumbling step, he decided he didn’t care about voyeurs at all. Let them watch.
The bed was a bit cramped for the two of them later as they curled up together, Sho beside him with his hair messy and his plump lips swollen even further from kisses and other uses he’d seen fit to demonstrate so skillfully. Satoshi stroked Sho’s bottom lip with his thumb, still coming down from the incredible high that being with Sho brought on.
“Has the King of Chiba taught you the bad words yet?”
“Afraid not,” Sho muttered, taking Satoshi’s thumb into his mouth and giving it a firm suck.
He laughed gently, pulling his hand away. “You should ask him how to say ‘fuck me,’” he teased.
“Why? Saying it in our language isn’t good enough?” He leaned forward, lips grazing Satoshi’s ear. “Fuck me. Satoshi, I’d love for you to fuck me.”
He let out a shuddering breath, grinning as Sho teasingly nibbled his earlobe and moved back, looking into his eyes.
“I just thought…” Satoshi mumbled, “…you’d sound hot speaking another language.”
“Well then couldn’t I just say anything? I could have Aiba-san teach me the word for ‘pineapple’ or ‘spoon’ and if I simply said it in a sexy voice, you’d never know the difference.” Sho’s fingers stroked Satoshi’s bicep, tickling lightly. “It’s not like you’re ambitious enough to learn a new language.”
He laughed. “I’d kick your ass for that, but it’s totally true. Ah, Sho-kun, how do you know me so well?”
Sho leaned in, kissing him softly, taking his time. Satoshi wanted this, he wanted this like nothing he’d ever wanted before. Maybe being stranded here on Rakuen had altered his brain chemistry. What he wanted with Sho was unrealistic and too much and way too soon. But he could pretend he had it. At least for now, he could pretend.
“This is much better than a cave floor,” he mumbled, tracing figure-eights on Sho’s hip with his fingertips.
“On that we are definitely in agreement.”
“Thank you.”
“Hmm?”
“For Akatsuki. For what you did for us, making us part of the equation.”
“Akatsuki has always been part of it to me,” Sho admitted, kissing his cheek. “And not just because Akatsuki’s prince is attractive.”
He wrapped a leg around Sho, pulling him closer still. “I was being sincere, and you flirt again. Stars, you’re horrible at it.”
“Pineapple,” was Sho’s strangely sultry reply. “Spoon.”
He slipped a hand between their bodies, greeting Sho’s erection with a few firm strokes that shut him up quickly.
“Pineapple spoon, you say? As you wish, Your Highness.”
—
They’d been in Chiba for four days when an official came running into Aiba’s office, nearly out of breath. He and Aiba started speaking in rapid-fire Rakuen, and even Sho seemed to be picking up the tone of the conversation.
“They’re here,” Sho muttered, halfway through translating something with Aiba and two of the mining engineers. “Satoshi, this must mean they’re here.”
Aiba beckoned for them to follow him, and they went to the main command center, which was abuzz with activity. The large screen in the center of the room was showing the view from one of the cameras lining that invisible wall encircling Chiba. Satoshi’s breath caught in his throat when he saw the ships approaching.
There were six of them. Four were tinted red, and even in the snow storm still raging outside, it was obvious that they were Kagerou ships. The fifth ship was from the Akatsuki fleet. And the sixth, flying at the front of the formation…
“The Kaisei!” Sho cheered, Aiba offering him a hug of congratulations. “It’s the Kaisei!”
“Nino,” Satoshi muttered, holding out a hand, as though the screen several feet away was right before him. “Jun…”
Aiba gave orders quickly, ensuring that the communication channels were opened. A microphone was handed directly to Sho to avoid the language issues. Satoshi watched the screen, watched the ships come to a halt, floating in the air among the snow. They’d heard the beacon. And they’d come.
“Kaisei, this is Crown Prince Sakurai Sho of Kagerou.”
Satoshi didn’t realize he was crying until he heard Jun’s voice come through the speakers, echoing through the command center.
“Forgive me, Your Highness, but I’d rather hear from someone else right now if you don’t mind.”
Sho chuckled in understanding, handing over the microphone. Satoshi wiped his eyes, clearing his throat. “Matsumoto,” he said in his grumpiest of grumpy voices. “That’s no way to talk to the Crown Prince, and you know it. Remind me to have you executed when we get back home.”
He could hear the sound of men cheering over the speakers, Aiba and the command center workers chuckling at the undeniable joy they were hearing. It didn’t exactly require a translation.
“We’ve got some things to discuss,” Satoshi continued. “If you listened to our messages, then you know that we’ve been in the care of Aiba Masaki, the king of this settlement, Chiba. Akatsuki and Kagerou ships are welcome to land in peace so that the Crown Prince and I might be properly…rescued.”
“Acknowledged, Your Highness,” Jun said, and Satoshi was fairly certain he’d never heard Jun sound so emotional before. “To Aiba Masaki and the people of Chiba, this is the Kaisei and we have come in the name of Her Royal Majesty Ohno Mina, Queen of Akatsuki, whose brother has been in your care. We are accompanied by another Akatsuki ship, the Asahi. Representatives of the Kagerou Star Command are aboard the other four ships in the name of His Royal Majesty Sakurai Shun, King of Kagerou. The four ships are the…”
Aiba’s poor CompTab was working overtime as Jun continued to ramble on.
“Hey Nino?” Satoshi called out into the microphone.
“Yes?” came Nino’s confused voice over the speakers.
“Can you tell Jun to shut up a minute? The people down here don’t speak our language, and they’re still translating all that shit.”
“You could have said something, you stupid…” came Jun’s grouchy murmured reply, and Satoshi laughed.
Aiba rested a hand on Satoshi’s shoulder. “This man…he speaking badly of you, yes?”
“Oh no,” he replied, mouth away from the microphone. “He’s my most trusted advisor.”
Aiba gave him a strange look before clapping his hands, putting his advisors to work. All of the people planning to come underground to Chiba would need to be “cleaned” in quarantine just as he and Sho had.
Satoshi handed off the microphone to Sho, who let Jun and Nino know where to have the rescue fleet land and what the procedures would be. They were all invited to a meal at the King of Chiba’s table, and from there they’d be free to complete their mission. It was all happening so fast…
It was decided that Nino and Jun would come with two guards. Kagerou would be represented by three of their own guards. None would come armed.
Satoshi waited on the quarantine level while Sho remained several levels below, still working on translations with Aiba. None of the people who’d arrived to rescue him were his friends, after all, which reminded Satoshi how fragile the balance would be for Sho back home.
Nino emerged from the quarantine rooms first, looking a bit confused in the new Chiba clothes. Satoshi approached, and Nino bowed to him respectfully. He ignored protocol, wrapping Nino in a firm hug which was thankfully returned.
“You have a lot of explaining to do.”
“It’s a good thing it’ll take us more than a day to get home,” he replied, holding onto his friend tightly.
“I think Jun-kun’s missed you the most of anyone,” Nino whispered. “After all, it’s been more than a week and he hasn’t been able to be exasperated by you. It hit him very hard.”
Satoshi grinned. “It’s been hard for me, too, not being insulted every time I open my mouth.”
Nino stepped back, eyeing him warily. For the first time, Satoshi could see how exhausted Nino was, how worried he’d clearly been.
“The people here,” Satoshi explained, “they’re good people. And they can help us.”
“With what? Our fashion sense?”
He rolled his eyes. Stars, he’d missed Nino. “With the mines.”
“What about the mines?” Matsumoto Jun asked, strolling out of the quarantine room with that usual smartass look of his.
“Chiba is willing to help with the…” Satoshi said, seeing his advisor struggling and failing to look just as cool and collected as usual. “Oh come here, you.”
To his surprise, Jun broke down, wrapping his arms around Satoshi so tightly he could barely breathe. Looking past Jun’s shoulder, he could see Nino smiling. He found himself thinking of Sho, and he shut his eyes. The person Sho had trusted with his life had betrayed him. There’d be no tearful reunions for Sho. The second his ship touched down in Kagerou, he’d have to fight for an audience, fight to show everything he’d learned in Chiba. To prove he was no traitor, to prove that his solution would work.
“We have to go to Kagerou. With Sho-kun.”
Jun released him, wiping his eyes. “Nope. No, not doing that. Her Majesty said that…”
“I promised him I’d help him. And I may be many disappointing things, Jun, but I’m still a man of my word.”
“You survived on a hostile planet for over a week,” Nino pointed out. “You’re a little less disappointing than you were the last time we saw you.”
He could see the wheels turning in Jun’s head, and he decided to cut him off. “And yes, I’m sleeping with him,” Satoshi said, crossing his arms defiantly. “But that’s…that’s not the only reason why I’m helping him.”
Jun sighed, shaking his head. “You hate Kagerou.”
“Yeah, I know,” he admitted, already shuddering at the thought of being stuck under one of those sterile domes again. “But Sho-kun has a plan to end the strike and change the lives of our miners forever. Aiba-san, he’s the king here, he’s promised to help, but it all hinges on Sho’s father actually listening to him. If the Kaisei goes to Kagerou, I’m willing to vouch for everything Sho says. Everything.”
“What really happened that night?” Jun asked, eyes serious again. “On the Miyabi.”
He told them, everything from Sho coming to his room to Sho’s explanation about the kaenium and everything else until the escape pod landing on the surface of Rakuen. Nino and Jun exchanged nervous looks. Clearly the “Sho’s bodyguard tried to murder him” bit had rattled them.
“The Queen knows everything we know, but under her orders, we went to Kagerou and met with the King. We may have…lied a bit,” Nino admitted.
“A bit?” Satoshi asked.
“We might have said that you and his son had become friendly during all the strike negotiations. That Crown Prince Sho’s secret ‘vacation’ was actually just to meet up with you. To go fishing. At Lake Kobayashi,” Jun explained.
“But we didn’t go to Lake Kobayashi,” Satoshi pointed out.
“We might have also said that during said fishing trip the always impulsive Prince Satoshi of Akatsuki and the always academically-minded Crown Prince Sho had struck up a conversation about their mutual interest in Rakuen.”
“I didn’t have any interest in…”
Nino put a hand over his mouth, smiling nervously. “What, you’ve been obsessed with Rakuen for years.”
Satoshi raised an eyebrow, and Nino took his hand back.
Jun continued. “The Crown Prince apparently had enough books about Rakuen in his personal library that the King bought it. He’d apparently been rather concerned about his son lately, had feared he was plotting behind his back. There had even been whispers in the House of Councillors about it.”
“But of course,” Nino said with a wink, “he was only trying to hide his friendship with the Prince of Akatsuki. It would look bad for Sakurai Sho, his father’s representative in the case of the miners’ strike, if his friendship with Queen Mina’s representative was discovered. Can’t be very tough in negotiations if you’re buddy-buddy with the opposing side. Politics, you know.”
“And long story short,” Jun finished up, “you went to do a few orbits of Rakuen and there was an accident. Thankfully, Maruyama had that ruby earring from the Crown Prince to back up the story and to justify our planets working together to mount a rescue.”
Satoshi held up a hand. “You’re saying that Sho’s father doesn’t believe his son is a traitor. Rather, he thinks that I’m such an irresponsible sack of shit that I was the one who talked Sho into going to Rakuen?”
“You know how Kagerou thinks of Akatsuki,” Nino pointed out. “Lazy. Capricious. Impulsive. All that good stuff. It was far easier for the King to swallow that down than to even consider that his son would be off on secret political negotiations behind his back. Far easier for you to be tainting his golden heir with all your…Akatsuki-ness.”
Satoshi scowled. “I don’t know which of you will get beheaded first, but you’re both extremely dead.”
“Of course, Your Highness,” Jun said.
“And the dead pilot? And Sho’s dead bodyguard?” Satoshi asked. “How are you planning to blame that on me and my sorry reputation?”
“As you said, Your Highness,” Nino replied. “It’ll take us more than a day to get home. Or rather, to Kagerou. I’m sure you and your…friend, the Crown Prince, will be able to come up with something.”
“I can’t show my face on Kagerou now!” Satoshi hissed. “The king thinks I’m corrupting his son!”
Jun nodded, looking a little uncomfortable. “I think that’s fair to say.”
“I promised Sho that I’d help him!”
“You already have,” Nino said. “Indirectly. Thanks to you, nobody knows he’s really a traitor.”
“He’s not a traitor,” Satoshi complained, “he’s just trying to solve the strike. And now he has, with Chiba’s help.”
“Then what’s the problem?” Jun asked.
To prove his continued loyalty to Kagerou, Sho would never be allowed to meet with Satoshi again. Even if King Shun bent in favor of Sho’s reforms, accepting the new technology from Chiba and ending the strike, it was now Satoshi’s official “fault” that Sho had crash landed on Rakuen in the first place. It was Satoshi who had put Sho’s life in danger. Even Mina would have to react in order to keep the peace with Kagerou.
Satoshi’s days as her diplomat and representative were likely over, not that he’d mourn the loss of that very much. But Sho…having to give up Sho…
“Stars, you really are sleeping with him,” Jun murmured.
“Let’s go to dinner. And then let’s get the hell off this planet,” he said, stomping off and leaving his friends to follow him.
—
He’d asked the boat captain to bring him out to the middle of the lake. It was a warm day on Lake Kobayashi. Abundant sunshine, the boat bobbing gently along. He had his favorite fishing rod with him, but he hadn’t even bothered. The captain didn’t much care what he did so long as he got paid for bringing him out here.
Satoshi watched a flock of birds fly overhead, each one of them normally-sized and likely just traveling. No ambitions of dive bombing him and carrying him off to his doom. He frowned, putting a hand to his chest, fingers brushing against his shirt just over his scars. The doctors had checked him out, had offered to perform surgery to reduce the scarring as best they could.
He’d declined.
He’d been back on Akatsuki for two weeks and at the lake cabin for most of it after going to his sister and officially resigning as a member of her circle of advisors and surrogates. She’d accepted it, knowing the cost. She’d hugged him once the throne room had cleared, hugged him like she had the night before she’d been crowned, when his always confident, self-sufficient older sister had begged him not to leave her to do this alone.
Jun had probably told her everything, even though Satoshi had said it wasn’t necessary.
Mina said his resignation was only temporary in her eyes. She’d eventually start trotting him out again when there was a museum to open in another hemisphere, when there was a formal event she didn’t want to attend because she had two left feet and hated dancing.
Satoshi had been at the lake cabin for five days when the message had arrived stating that the strike was over. That the Akatsuki miners living on the Kagerou asteroids were going back to work, and that they’d be paid twice as much as they’d been prior to the strike. More reforms were promised, including housing refurbishments. Newly-discovered technology would allow for more efficiency in the mining process, which was what would allow for the pay raise and other improvements in worker welfare.
None of the official news releases made mention of Rakuen, of the Chiba settlement, or its king, Aiba Masaki. Satoshi supposed that was Aiba’s choice in the end.
There’d been no other major announcements from Kagerou since.
He heard the sound of another boat’s engine, and he sighed, sitting up on deck to look out at the horizon. Jun looked utterly ridiculous as usual, standing at the front of the boat with his arms crossed trying to look more important than he was.
The boat pulled up alongside, and Satoshi held out a hand, pulling Jun over. Jun took in the sorry state of him. Sunburnt, staring up at the sky, sullen.
“I’m busy,” he muttered.
“Yeah,” Jun said with his usual amount of respect. Which was very little. “How many have you caught today, Your Highness?”
“A thousand,” he lied without even trying to sound convincing. “But it’s a catch and release day, which is why you don’t see any of them here.”
“Catch and release, huh?”
“Why are you here?”
“You are needed on shore right away.”
He narrowed his eyes. Mina wasn’t even going to let him sulk for a month like he wanted? Stars, she didn’t want him to babysit, did she?
“Fine.”
Jun waved off the other boat, and together the two of them headed back to shore. The captain brought them right to the pier that jutted out just a few steps from his beloved cabin. He thanked the captain, getting his gear and following Jun down the gangplank and onto the wooden pier.
He nearly dropped his rod and tackle box when he saw the Crown Prince of Kagerou standing on the shore waiting for him with a bemused look on his handsome face. He stook there with his arms crossed, that hideous ruby stud back in his ear, wearing a long red coat with his family’s crest even in the warm breeze because he was just such a proper guy.
Jun took the fishing equipment from him instead. “I will be in my office.”
His advisor walked off without another word, headed for the guest house on Satoshi’s property where he stayed while Satoshi was here on vacation. Aside from the guard posted at the cabin entrance, they were pretty much alone.
Once Jun was out of earshot, Satoshi walked up. The first thing he did was give Sho a very firm poke in the chest.
“Hello to you, too, Satoshi-kun.”
He looked up, meeting Sho’s round, dark eyes. “I had to make sure you weren’t a hologram or a projection. Like Aiba’s stupid wall on Rakuen.”
Sho nodded. “As you can see, I’m quite real.”
“Where’s your entourage today?”
Sho turned a little, gesturing off in the distance, towards Kobayashi Town a few kilometers away. Presumably his guards had escorted him here and had been dismissed. “The Miyabi II is currently berthed next to your Kaisei in the town space dock.”
“The Miyabi II?” Satoshi asked dubiously.
“I’m not very creative with names,” Sho said with a lightness to his voice that Satoshi found a bit strange.
“Let’s talk inside,” he said, walking past Sho, his heart racing as feelings of both confusion and hope roiled inside him.
Sho followed him up the steps and into the cabin. It was Maruyama guarding the door. Sho pointed to his ear and smiled. “Thanks for holding onto it for me.”
“Your Highness,” Maru said with a nervous bow of his head.
“Maru, go bother Jun. Make sure he’s working hard,” Satoshi ordered needlessly, ushering Sho into his cabin and locking the door behind them.
For a prince, he didn’t have the nicest cabin on the lake. Although ‘cabin’ was still a bit of a misnomer. He had a two-story house here with guest rooms that were currently overstuffed with art supplies. With all his newfound free time, he’d been in the mood to take up art again but hadn’t yet settled on an art form. Sketching, painting, sculpture…he’d bought a little bit of everything for now.
He ushered Sho into his sitting room, walls lined with thick bulletproof glass that offered a stunning view of the lake. He pressed a button on a wall panel, tinting the glass so nobody outside could see in. Sho walked around the room, examining the various pictures Satoshi had on the walls.
Artwork his mother had picked out for the palace in the capital for Mina and that Mina had found ugly. Vaguely a farm. Vaguely a waterfall. Their mother was a sweet woman, but her taste in art left much to be desired. In retirement, his father and mother lived in a modest palace far to the west, away from the politics of the capital. The ugly art was a nice way to keep his mother in his mind.
Sho kept his thoughts on the artwork to himself while Satoshi poured them each a cup of sake from a bottle Jun had been chilling for him.
They stood together, looking out the windows to the lake.
“I told my father the truth. I told him everything.”
Satoshi nearly spat out his drink. He turned, seeing that Sho’s gaze remained distant. He wondered if “everything” included the fact that he and Sho had become considerably more than mere friends on Rakuen.
“I appreciate all your friends did to help, I truly do. But lying to my father, sneaking behind his back, betraying my family and my people…it’s not who I am. And all these years I’d been so afraid of him. Of letting him down, of not being able to live up to the standards he’d set for me as his heir…I ended up being more afraid of becoming a person without integrity. Who’d let someone innocent take the fall for my own reckless behavior. So I confessed my betrayal, confessed about the mining experiments. I told him about Harada and about how you saved my life. I showed him that the Akatsuki people are good and decent and worthy of our respect.”
“I see you’re still standing here, alive, so should I presume you aren’t due to be executed for treason?”
“I’m standing here, alive, because my father is merciful. I’m also standing here, alive, because I let him take credit for the kaenium tech, the data and information Aiba-san provided us. He will respect Aiba’s wishes, the wishes of everyone in Chiba. Kagerou will not interfere with them.”
“That’s good.”
Sho had a sip from his cup. “I was asked to step down as my father’s heir in favor of my sister, the second born in my family.”
Satoshi’s eyes widened. “What?”
“But I’m not being exiled or disowned or any of that. I did end the strike, after all,” Sho admitted, an odd sort of pride in his voice. Satoshi looked at him in astonishment. Sho had spent his entire life preparing to be king. But he didn’t look remotely upset.
“What are you going to do?”
“My father has appointed me to a newly-created position. I’m still a prince, just not a Crown Prince. I am now the chairman of the Kagerou Mine Workers’ Protection committee. I will serve as my father’s representative, presenting a Kagerou perspective. All miners now have been granted the ability to formally organize and any grievances they have will now go straight to the committee, which will give them a fair hearing. I’m just looking for a co-chairman.”
Satoshi raised an eyebrow. “Hmm?”
“You see, the committee needs a chairman representing the Akatsuki perspective. Any grievances brought before the committee need to be examined from all angles to remain fair. Which is why my co-chairman can’t be someone from my planet. They’d have to come from yours.” Sho leaned forward, a smile on his perfect lips. “Perhaps I should ask your advisor, Matsumoto-kun. He did write all your talking points in our previous strike negotiations, did he not?”
Satoshi scowled. “Fuck you.”
Sho laughed, the laugh Satoshi had sorely missed these last few lonely weeks. Sho moved to set his empty sake cup on a table, coming back with a wicked twinkle in his eyes. He set his hands on Satoshi’s shoulders, a rather patronizing gesture.
“Were you thinking that you were a better candidate for co-chairman?” Sho asked innocently. “Committee headquarters will be in a fairly neutral location. Not on Kagerou, not on Akatsuki. Likely on one of our asteroid colonies. You’d have to see me quite often, at least to start. I’m sure the miners have a lot of grievances to air right off the bat, and I know how much you like your free time here.”
He looked up, meeting Sho’s gaze. “You’d have been a really good king, Sho-kun. I mean it.”
Sho’s smile was a little sad. “A small price to pay for a good cause.”
“Thank you,” he mumbled.
“And I should also tell you that when I’m not performing my duties for the committee that I’ll be visiting our friend on Rakuen. Their ‘words archive’ needs a bit of fine tuning, and the King of Chiba was looking for a language tutor. I have volunteered my time as a way to thank him for all his help. I’m positive that you’d be welcome too. Surely there’s some Akatsuki slang he’d love to learn.”
“May I ask when this committee will be up and running?”
“Oh, perhaps in a week or two, once we settle on a neutral site, can get a space set aside for formal negotiations. But first, I told my father that I needed a vacation.”
“A vacation, huh?”
“Since my last one went pretty badly,” Sho said. “Getting shot and all.”
Satoshi took a step forward, slipping his arms around him. “It wasn’t all bad, was it?”
“Space cows,” Sho noted. “And what were they called again? Evil space birds? Having to pee outside with a space cow watching, that was pretty awful. The protein bar diet…sleeping in an escape pod. Sleeping in a cave. That quarantine shower…”
“Should we fuck in here or in my bedroom?” he asked, slipping his hands under Sho’s shirt to find his soft, warm skin.
Sho looked down, shaking his head in disappointment. “Satoshi-kun, I need to reiterate that your flirting technique is just…”
“Needs work, huh?”
“I’d say so.”
“You didn’t answer my question yet.”
Sho answered with a kiss that left him weak in the knees. When he finally came up for air, Satoshi shook with laughter. “This should be a very interesting committee,” Satoshi muttered, pressing his lips to the corner of Sho’s mouth. “I’ve never had sex on an asteroid before.”
“I’ve never had sex on Akatsuki before,” Sho admitted in return.
He took Sho’s hand in his, tugging him to the stairs.
“Then let’s get this vacation started, Mr. Chairman.”
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Date: 2016-12-26 03:59 pm (UTC)its rare seeing long chaptered yama fic now...
thank youuu XD
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Date: 2017-01-18 09:38 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2017-01-26 02:20 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-12-26 04:30 pm (UTC)Yamapair fics :D Yayyy
I love it :D
Thank you so much for sharing :D
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Date: 2017-01-18 09:38 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-12-27 12:12 am (UTC)Also I just want to say I was waiting with so much anticipation for Aiba to show up on this deserted planet and HE DID NOT DISAPPOINT!! I'm so glad he was the benevolent and beloved King of Chiba, and I absolutely laughed myself silly reading his ridiculous language skills. Oh Aiba <33333
Thanks so much for this holiday treat!! <3
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Date: 2017-01-18 09:41 pm (UTC)I would do things that would bring a blush to the face of CROWN PRINCE SAKURAI SHO (and his ruby earring)...but that is unlikely, given how delightful his buddy his friend his pal his fellow prince Ohno was here ;)
I had to make everyone wait for Aiba but I am glad the wait was worth it. I mean, I TRIED to be really obvious that they would find him. With the planet Rakuen named for his solo and the planet looking GREEN from space. Bahahaha.
Thank you!!
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Date: 2017-01-13 08:45 pm (UTC)Too many things to love about this fic--from Jun and Nino's versions of respect for their prince, to Queen Mina, to the Kasei and the Miyabi, to the space cows and evil space birds, to King Aiba of Chiba and his confidence in speaking a language he wasn't very familiar with! And the Yama, all the Yama! Amazing!
Thanks for writing and sharing this! I had so much fun reading this!
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Date: 2017-01-18 09:43 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2017-02-27 06:26 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2017-03-29 03:18 pm (UTC)