𝐝𝐚𝐢𝐜𝐡𝐢 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭 ||𝐝𝐚𝐢𝐬𝐮𝐠𝐚||

▪️lion heart ▪️

The wet ground beneath Yokozawa's feet felt nice, to the point where he would voluntarily take off his shoes and stand on the damp grass or jump into a puddle like a little kid. It may sound weird for some, but the people here hadn't seen the ground in years, the grass, the dirt - everything felt so new. The water sources were finally non-frozen which made getting water easier than ever. So even if it was overflowing everywhere, they didn't care. 

"Zawa, come inside already!" Chite yelled as she opened the window and gestured her husband to come back in. The latter was still splashing in the large puddle which had formed in his yard. 

"Just a minute!" he said. Chite simply sighed and went back to mix her stew. Yokozawa stood outside for a few more minutes before scrambling to get inside, he placed his wet footwear on a log outside and happily skipped towards his wife. "Smells so good!"

"Of course it does. Now, did you clean up before going outside to play? Daichi will be here any minute!" Chite asked, Yokozawa simply nodded and continued happily bouncing around the house.

"We haven't seen him in a while. I miss the boy, I wonder if the prince is treating him nicely..." Yokozawa said, there was an uncertainty in his voice - even though he trusted Daichi and everything he would tell them, he still felt uneasy. It has been months since Daichi left since he started living with the prince, but Yokozawa still had a bitter taste in his mouth whenever he thought of him.

A knock on the door shook him out of his thoughts, he took one more deep breath and turned to open the door. There he was. Yokozawa stared at Daichi's face for a second, just admiring the smile he had on his face before pulling Daichi into a hug of a lifetime. Daichi couldn't even speak, Yokozawa was basically squeezing the dear life out of him.

"It's so nice to see you here, dear boy! How was the trip? How are things in general? Oh, we have so many questions!" Yokozawa said excitedly as he finally released Daichi from his grip. The other couldn't help but let out a chuckle.

"Let him come in first, 'Zawa!" Chite yelled from the kitchen. "Poor boy probably hasn't eaten a homecooked meal in so long!"

"It's so nice to see you again, words cannot describe. As I see you two are doing well!" Daichi said as he walked into the nice house, the savory smell filled his lungs. 

"Of course we are! The town is absolutely booming, the herbs are starting to grow again! And don't even get me started on the root vegetables. Oh, you should have seen our cattle yesterday when we let them out!" Yokozawa said excitedly as he helped Daichi get the complicated coat off of him. He took a good look at him again - Daichi really did look like a royal. It's not surprising at all - Sugawara just wasn't letting him go.

"That's very nice to hear. Did you get your sons' letters?" Daichi asked. Yokozawa beamed once more, he was just oozing with happiness as he nodded frantically. 

So many things happened, it was almost unreal. Daichi and Sugawara got really close and suddenly everything started changing. People in the kingdom woke up to snow melting underneath their feet and temperatures rising rapidly - before they knew it the green tips of grass were peeking out from under the soft snow. Puddle after puddle, the stream surrounding various towns had overflown just slightly, but nobody protested. 

Sugawara, just like nature, changed dramatically. He no longer hoarded all the young and strong men, he gave people more freedom, he stopped threatening everyone - everything for Daichi. As long as Daichi was nearby, Sugawara felt like himself.

And Daichi... fell for those amber eyes. He remembered talking to Sugawara one evening by the fire, he took his hand and watched as Sugawara blushed slightly, averting his gaze to the side. The light from the fire stuck in his eyes, it glistened like jars of fresh honey. That night they talked and talked, from more technical things to more simple topics such as their life, their hobbies,  and their love life. Sugawara himself agreed that he hadn't been acting well, that he knew he was cursed - but he couldn't help it.

"I only feel like myself when you are with me. I can breathe more easily, I can see the world as it is, I can feel warmth and happiness, and I can finally feel love..." is what Sugawara told him, still facing the fire. Daichi pulled him into a warm hug, one that Sugawara returned with glee. The two have been inseparable ever since, well, apart from today.

"This looks so delicious..." Daichi wiped the drool and admired the food in front of him. In a beautiful wooden bowl was a piping hot stew with beef, carrots, potatoes, various herbs, and other minor vegetables. "Thank you so much for taking the time to make this"

"Oh, don't start thankin' me for elementary things, boy. You know that 'Zawa and I care for you as if you were our own son. Now eat up, you got so thin in that castle! Look at you! I will have to yell at the prince for not feeding you properly" Chite started rambling as the two men burst into laughter. Daichi missed these kinds of things. Sure, castle life was good now, but sometimes you just have to come back to the simplicity that you came from.

They ended up talking for hours, way longer than Daichi had anticipated. He told them so many stories - about servants and cooks, the royal dogs, the Queen and King who came to visit one day out of the blue, a bit about Sugawara, and about life around the castle. 

Daichi sort of became a medical expert, he would help people with injuries and teach others how to tend to them as well. After three bowls of stew and many laughter, Daichi looked out the window only to realize it had gotten dark. He sighed before standing up. "It's about time to go, I need to get back to the castle.", he said.

"It's a shame you can't stay for longer, but do come by. Now that we have things growing, Chite can make some of her signature dishes", Yokozawa said as he watched Daichi put on the posh coat back on. 

"I will visit as much as I can, I promise" Daichi smiled at the two. Yokozawa and Chite pulled him into a hug, they were proud of him - oh so unbelievably proud of him, he was truly brave and kind, the definition of a lionheart. 

As Daichi turned around and opened the door, he was quite surprised - Sugawara was standing behind the door.

"You were taking a long time, I got worried..." he said.

"I should have told you I would stay for a long time, sorry" Dachi chuckled. Chite's head peaked from behind Daichi as she looked at the prince - at least he looked healthier than the last time she had seen him.

"Hey! You!" she yelled, catching the prince's attention. "Can't you see how thin Daichi has gotten since he started living with you!? Feed him better!" she yelled at the now disheveled prince who couldn't hide his confusion.

"Oh, uh", Sugawara struggled to find the words. "I will make sure he eats more?"

"That's what I like to hear!"

Daichi simply couldn't stop laughing, his voice echoed through the lands as a smile formed on Sugawara's face. At that moment, somewhere deep within the forest, the first bloom opened up to the moonlight - the spring was finally here.

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I've been binge watching Mind Field and Internet Historian for a few days now help.

Anyway, what's your favorite vegetable?

Hatari