Chapter Text
To the average Inazuman, the Kamisato Estate was a residence befitting of the nation’s most esteemed cultural heads. Everyone who had ever made the trek to give their prayers at the Grand Narukami Shrine could not miss its pale high walls and elegant gold finishings.
However, the public lived in ignorance of the dark secret of the estate. Despite the beauty of the compound, there was a secret that could massively shake the reputation of the Kamisato clan and bring instability to all of Inazuma.
The entire staff was composed entirely of massive gossips.
Although tightlipped to outsiders as to not potentially divulge sensitive information, even the most taciturn and upright officials would blush and fear for their careers if they caught wind of even five percent of what the staff of the Kamisato estate knew. That is not to say they did not engage in talk of the more mundane. Everything was free game at the residence. An hour after sunrise could not pass without whispers passed between the cooks in the kitchen or housekeepers sweeping the steps. Everyday, by the time the sun was halfway west, the entire estate would be made privy to the matter of the day.
Today was absolutely no different.
By the time Thoma had come back from Ritou after taking care of a shipment of goods that arrived during the night, the gossip mill was in full effect. As Thoma strolled past the gate to report to his lord, a group of servants were congregated under the covered raised pathway, repeatedly sweeping their brooms in the same spot as they stood around.
“Did you hear? Our lord has expressed interest in the planning the new festival that the Yae Publishing House proposed last week.”
“Lord Ayato is planning the new festival? Isn’t that usually Lady Ayaka’s duty?”
“Odd right?” The entire group began nodding furiously.
At this point, Thoma would have normally slipped into the conversation but he really was on quite the deadline today.
What a shame. Although he was not one to partake in the gossip himself, oftentimes the rumour mill unearthed valuable information that had came in very handy during his fixing assignments. He’d have catch up on the news with Furuta once he had some spare time.
Pushing open the doors of the Yashiro Commission Headquarters and briskly walking to the back, the man he was looking for was not at his desk. That was not out of the ordinary, Ayato often took short breaks and walked around the headquarters to stretch his legs. Thoma began ducking into various rooms and finally found the commissioner in front of a small bookshelf in one of the extra rooms.
“Oh Thoma, you’re back,” Ayato greeted smoothly. “I wasn’t expecting you until well into the afternoon.”
“The crew finished unloading the docks early and everything went super smoothly. Here is the ledger, everything is accounted for.” Thoma handed over the manila envelope. “Oh and before I forget, I got you a snack!” the blond said, handing a small box wrapped in a cat patterned furoshiki to Ayato. “Although now come to think of it, if you eat it now, it’ll spoil your appetite for lunch.”
While Thoma spoke, Ayato unwrapped the box to reveal a row of fluffy golden yellow egg rolls. “Nonsense, come share them with me,” he said as he began the way back to his office.
Once back, Ayato began shuffling the papers around on the desk to clear some space. “My lord, allow me to help!” Thoma reached in to try to help but his hands were gently swatted away by the commissioner. “At least let me go make some fresh tea for us!” he tried to reason.
Ayato tsked. “My goodness Thoma, you’ve spent the entire morning working and running across Narukami Island. Take a moment to relax,” he lectured, not unlike an exasperated parent. He walked over to a shelf and began preparing their tea. Thoma took the moment to restlessly look around the office and evaluate what needed dusting later
“Thoma, could I get you to use your pyro for a second?” Ayato asked, gesturing to the stove and breaking Thoma out of his housekeeper mode.
“Of course!” he replied, quickly recovering. “See, this is why you should have let me do it in the first place,” Thoma commented while kneeling and lighting the stove.
“But then who would have had to provide the water?” Ayato smoothly countered. He paused for a moment, tapping his chin. “I suppose the ideal solution would have been to collaborate from the start, don’t you think?”
“You always manage to surprise me, my lord. You’re not entirely wrong but I’m a servant, it's within my duties, sir.”
Ayato let out a slightly exasperated sigh. “I am also perfectly capable of preparing tea,” Ayato tried to reason, “Always so surprisingly stubborn,” he added, mumbling.
After some more lighthearted bickering, the tea was finally ready. They made their place back at the cleared off desk with cups of lightly aromatic tea emitting soft puffs and the egg roll placed between them.
“Ryouko’s egg rolls are always outstanding,” Ayato commented after taking a small nibble. Thoma hummed enthusiastically in agreement after taking in his own bite. The egg was still perfectly soft despite the hours it had been since he had bought it and was lightly sweetened in a way that enhanced the fluffiness of its texture.
“However, I do prefer your cooking, but these do finely in a pinch," the Commissioner stated plainly.
Thoma felt his cheeks heat up from the words. He knew that Ayato meant it matter of factly without any underlying motive for such flattering words but Thoma's brain couldn't help but to latch onto the words in a possessive way. Just for a second.
"Ryouko and I make them in completely different ways. It would be unfair to compare the two," Thoma said with a purposefully even voice.
"You make a fair point. Her egg rolls have a sort of sweetness to them. I think it would pair interestingly with extra-fermented lavender melon. I believe I have a jar somewhere around here.”
A piece of egg rolled caught in Thoma’s throat and he began furiously coughing. “Oh my,” Ayato commented with a completely neutral tone, the corners of his lips quirked in a slightly sadistic upturn.
After several sips of tea and a few coughs that dislodged the piece, Thoma managed to sputter out a weak, “I’m fine,” waving away Ayato’s half-hearted attempts to show concern for the choking he caused in the first place. Managing a full recovery in record time, the housekeeper asked, “I’ve heard that my lord has taken it upon himself to plan a new upcoming festival. Is this true?” in an attempt to steer the topic.
“Yes I am. News certainly does travel fast, although I should not be surprised when she is involved.”
“Ah…” Thoma understood that that particularly pointed tone could only be used to refer to one particularly devious and powerful kitsune. “But I don’t recall there being any religious holidays that milady isn’t already in charge of.”
“You recall correctly. This is concerning Lady Yae’s other… profession. She has proposed a festival for lovers to celebrate the Yae Publishing House’s new endeavour into the romance novel market. Normally I would have turned such a frivolous idea down but I must admit, she made quite the… convincing argument…” Ayato said, petering off. Thoma tilted his head, curious about what Lady Yae could have said and wanting Ayato to elaborate. Ayato cleared his throat.
“After the success of the Irodori Festival, morale among the general population has greatly increased. It must have been nice for everyone to have something so entirely positive and joyous to look forward to and experience after all their hardship. I myself found that I was excitedly looking forward to the event in the days leading up to it.”
“I agree! The Yashiro Commission did a fantastic job executing it. I can’t remember Ritou ever being that lively, even before the Sankoku Degree.”
“I believe everyone has the same sentiment," Ayato agreed with a short nod. "Seeing the success of the festival and ever the business woman, Lady Yae approached me with the idea for a new event, tying it back to her latest venture. An open air festival in the spring time for lovers to celebrate romance novels…Yes, even now I do think it is quite the fresh idea once past my initial reservations. After all, don’t you think that love is something that should be celebrated more openly?” Ayato asked, looking intensely into Thoma’s eyes despite his tone suggesting the question was rhetorical.
Thoma could feel himself turning red from the oddly direct question. “Uh, yes, I suppose that is a very romantic, my lord,” he replied, his voice pitching slightly as he scratched his cheek.
“Hmm, you think so?” Ayato hummed with satisfaction as if he expected any other response from the estate's most loyal servant.
“Yes of course!" Thoma replied, now doubling down on this initial opinion. "I think it's sweet that you're working on creating a more welcoming and comfortable atmosphere for people to show their affections towards each other and enjoy their time together in public. I must say, that was one of the major culture shocks I experienced when I first got here! In Mondstadt, it's completely normal to see couples sneak kisses on the street, let alone hold hands. Imagine my surprise when I found out on some occasions it's improper to even be seen together with your significant other if you're not married here! With the new festival, couples can experience something new, spend more time together and build more fond memories to look back on, whether they've been together for ten days or ten years. People deserve to have more happiness in their lives, especially if they've found someone they trust enough to share it with!"
Thoma's rant would have glazed over the eyes of any listener, but Ayato looked positively taken aback by his rambling speech before quickly recovering and schooling his eyebrows down. "My my, I'm starting to think you're the romantic instead," he teased.
"You're much too kind my lord," Thoma tried to deflect, feeling his cheeks burn an even more fervent red. "Come to think about it, I'm hardly the person you should be consulting on any of this, given my lack of…" he added on, cutting off his sentence with a murmur and scratching his chin nervously. Even though Thoma could face down the most rat-like swindlers in all of Inazuma with a calm disposition, his lord always managed to fluster him.
"Nonsense. You know how greatly I value your opinion, Thoma," Ayato said with a stern tone. "With your input, I believe I have a much better understanding for what the festival will be like. If you'll excuse me, I have some matters I must take care of," he said, sharply flicking the tails of his sleeves as he stood up and made his way out of the room swiftly.
"Wait! Where are you going?"
"Have you heard? Lord Kamisato has been shilling his other duties to Lady Ayaka in favour of planning the new festival?"
"Shhh! Keep your voice down, he might hear you!"
"Oh lay off, when has he ever come to the kitchens?"
"With the way you've been talking, he'll be able to hear you all the way in Tatarasuna!"
The group of idle cooks had been discussing the new (or should it technically be old?) matter of the day at an astronomical volume while Thoma was preparing a tray of afternoon tea and snacks for him and Ayaka to share.
This was truly strange information to add to what he gathered from the odd conversation he had with Ayato a few days prior. In the time since, he had spent little time at the manor, waking early and returning late. The schedule was nothing shocking; during particularly busy times, it was normal for Ayato to be completely away from home for weeks. However, it was uncommon for him to neglect his duties. Perhaps there was a pertinent and classified Shuumatsuban mission that this rumour was covering up? Whatever it was, Thoma hoped Ayato was taking care of himself and staying safe. He did his part by keeping Ayato’s quarters tidy and the estate in order while he was away.
He'd really love to stay and hear more but Ayaka was expecting him. He really needed to get caught up with the Kamisato Estate rumour mill sooner or later lest he gets left behind.
“Sorry for the wait, milady!” Thoma said as he quickly hustled outside with the tray.
“No worries, Thoma. I am just glad that we are able to have tea together after such a busy week.”
“I am glad that you were able to carve time out of your schedule for this. It’s just a shame that Ayato was unable to join us this time again.”
“I wouldn’t miss our weekly tea for the world,” she replied, her eyes deep with sincerity. “My brother on the other hand… Goodness knows why he’s out right now,” Ayaka said with a slightly affronted tone. Thoma had the sense that if it wasn’t inelegant to do so, she might have rolled her eyes.
Wanting to diffuse the tension, Thoma let out a lighthearted laugh. “Nevermind him! I haven’t been able to catch up with you for a hot moment! It’s a bit strange though, when I was reviewing the calendar and paperwork last week, I don’t recall it being particularly out of the ordinary for you.” Unlike Ayato’s schedules and responsibilities that often changed at the drop of a hat, Ayaka’s weeks were often very structured and predictable.
“Ah, well,” she said, seemingly trying to find the words. "I'm helping Ayato out with some of his work," she said after a moment.
"Oh yes, I heard some of the staff talking about how he's prioritising the new festival. Personally, I thought it was a cover up for a secret mission or something."
"Unfortunately, the rumours are on the nose this time," she said with a small shake of her head. "He's asked me to take over some of his paperwork in the meantime while he's planning, but there's only so much I can do, as I am not the commissioner. I'm just afraid he's running himself ragged again trying to balance both. I've never doubted my brother before but even I am unsure if he can pull this off before the end of this month."
"THE FESTIVAL IS THIS MONTH??"
"Indeed," she nodded.
"I see…" Thoma said, trying to compose himself. "I'm a little bit confused. Wouldn't it make more sense for you to take on this project and for him to do his usual duties instead? And what is with this timeline? It would be easier to glide to Liyue than plan a festival in a month!"
"I do not pretend to understand my brother, but he insisted on splitting the duties this way without explaining why. I have my own suspicions though," she muttered to herself before pausing for a moment and rearranging how the hem of her skirt lay. "Say Thoma, what is your favourite season again?" she asked suddenly.
Puzzled with the sudden topic change, Thoma replied with "It's spring, milady."
"I see, just as I thought," she said, stroking her chin.
"Why the sudden curiosity?"
"It's nothing, I was just observing the blooms beginning to sprout on the sakura trees the other day and realised I could not recall if you had a particular fondness for spring."
"I do! I think that springtime in Inazuma is particularly beautiful, especially during sakura season when the blooms create a dream-like cloud all over," Thoma said with a distant look in his eyes as he imagined the roads that would be covered in the weeks to come. "And when the petals begin falling on the paths, it's like you're walking on the clouds themselves."
Ayaka had an imperceptible glint to her eyes as she nodded along to Thoma's musings.
To say the next few weeks were incredibly odd would be a complete understatement.
It all started with a strange conversation Thoma had with Furuta. It was an unusually warm afternoon. Thoma was hanging the sheets to dry while Furuta observed serenely from her stool nearby. He had initially tried to wheedle some of the petty estate news he had missed out on out of the elderly housekeeper, but it quickly divulged into their favourite shared activity, complaining about their loved ones.
“Ah Thoma, the way you hang the sheets without a single crease always manages to bring a tear to my eye. Seeing your commitment to housekeeping always makes me hope the rest of the children will turn out as well as you did.”
“You flatter me too much, Furuta! I only learned from the best,” he replied, shooting her his biggest smile.
“Hehe, you sure know how to make an old woman feel young again. Make sure to save some of that charm for the young master instead of wasting it all on me,” she teased.
“Eh?” Thoma replied intelligently.
“You and the young master share a unique special connection. I’m sure he’d be elated if you smiled at him the same way you did at me just now. Even just your presence lightens his mood tenfold and brings a skip to his step.” She had the audacity to add a wink at the end of her statement.
Thoma began sputtering. “You’re mistaken! We are just good friends, nothing more! Plus, that sort of relationship would be improper between a master and a servant.”
“Please, as if you’re just a servant. And times are changing! The young master is a good man who values you as an equal as you are a good man who treasures him. Plus, there is no way you have missed the way he dotes on you. You cannot fool these old eyes.”
In addition to his sputtering, Thoma began waving his hands in front of him. “No, no, no! You’ve got it all wrong. Ayato doesn’t have many opportunities to make friends around his age so of course we’d be closer than usual friends. I’m sure he’s just happy to be able to share his mind openly with me! Yes, that must be it! Ahahaha,” Thoma tried to justify manically, purposefully leaving out his side of the equation.
“I see there’s no convincing you. Hehe, all in due time, I suppose,” Furuta said with a shake of her head. “At the very least you’re going to need that charm to convince him to settle down and take a break. The silly man has been working himself ragged and you know how he gets when he’s in that mood.”
Of course Furuta would notice too. With an exasperated sigh, Thoma could feel the tension building in his temples imagining trying to get Ayato to take a break. Truth be told, he had been brainstorming ways to ambush the other for this very purpose alone but he was constantly evaded. Thoma was starting to reach his wit’s end.
“Do you know where I can find him? I feel like he’s been trying to avoid me,” he asked, smoothing out the last sheet.
“Don’t take it personally dear. I haven’t the slightest clue where he is at the moment. Oh yes, before I forget,” she said, perking up. Taking out a sheet of paper from her pocket, Furuta looked at the sheet and said, “I’ve been asked to help the commission to gather opinions on what the common folk like for the festival. Tell me, when on a date to a festival, would you prefer if the food options were more upscale or casual?”
And Furata wasn’t the only one who approached Thoma with these supposed survey questions. Every few hours, a different servant would approach Thoma, paper and pencil in hand, diligently recording his answer as he tried to answer earnestly. It was a strange way to gather ideas and plan, for sure, but he supposed if it could help the festival’s success, he may as well answer truthfully.
The questions ranged from such mundane things like preferred colours (red, pink, and purple), all the way to must-have activities (photo booths, lots of areas for cherry blossom viewing, games, and fireworks), dress theme (kimonos and hakamas!), and vendors (dango, flowers, and couples accessories).
And they were all acting so strangely too. Every time he tried to dive further into what was going on, the servant would make a weak excuse and scuttle away. Once, he tried to ask about the other answers participants gave because he hadn’t seen anyone else answer the questions and everyone gave him a wide breadth for a week, seemingly too nervous to even make eye contact with him lest he ask more questions they were obviously not allowed to answer. It was mostly harmless, although confusing. However, constantly getting ambushed with these questions while he was busy doing housework or on assignment was starting to wear on his nerves. The disruptions had gotten so bad that when Thoma had particularly pressing matters to attend to, he would scale the walls to leave the estate in order to eliminate the possibility of getting intercepted once again with another 'survey.'
There was more. Everytime Thoma approached staff that were clearly congregated doing their favourite activity (ie. discussing other people’s business), they immediately went mum until someone was able to take the lead and pretend they were discussing something they clearly weren’t actually talking about prior. He was no stranger to being iced out, Thoma was a foreigner after all. He had dealt with his fair share of social isolation and scorn from intolerant Inazumans. However, the estate staff had always treated him like family once he proved his loyalty to the Kamisato clan a decade ago. No, this was much more intentional and clumsy, like they were withholding something from him.
Thoma wanted to talk to Ayaka about what was going on, he really did. But she seemed to be in on it too, acting strangely aloof and skirting around the topic whenever Thoma tried to talk to her about it. The only other person he could lean on normally in times like this was even more aloof now than the weeks prior. If he had been coming back late and leaving early before, now he wasn’t coming back at all, judging by how undisturbed his bedchamber was. Thoma knew better than to worry that his lord had disappeared. There were too many documents with his signature sent back to the estate for that to be the case, but Thoma still worried that he wasn’t taking care of himself and really just wished for the other to be back so that they could have their sense of normalcy returned. He selfishly missed Ayato a lot, the sense of loneliness amplifying without the comforting security of knowing he would just be a short walk through the courtyard away. Simultaneously, he felt a conflicting guiltiness for his selfishness; he knew that the work of the Yashiro Commissioner entailed prioritising the entire nation above one's own self. Even an extended visit to his animal friends couldn't push the overhanging feeling away.
All of these strange events were tied to that blasted festival and there was only one person that could be at the bottom of all of this.
“Hmm? Are you accusing little old me of harassing you?” Yae Miko drawled, a delicate hand placed on her chest as if affronted when Thoma managed to track her down at the Yae Publishing House the day before the festival and interrogated her.
“Uh… yes?” Thoma answered hesitantly, his initial push of courage quickly fading. Normally confident and a smooth talker, there was a little something about Lady Yae that unnerved him in a way that reminded him a little of someone else. Also he was absolutely terrified of her.
The kitsune burst into a fit of giggles. “My, my,” she said to herself, wiping a tear from the corner of her eye. “To be accused of something so crass and heavy handed, who could have imagined? Shocking right? That rascal has truly gone too far this time.”
Thoma felt completely left out of the loop with this seemingly one sided conversation Yae Miko was having with herself. “So you’re not the one responsible for the surveys?” he asked, trying to play catch-up.
“Of course not. I have much more elegant ways of gaining information. Although, come to think of it…” she paused tapping her chin. “Hmm, no. Better not divulge more, I’ve already said too much,” Lady Miko said cryptically.
“But the festival was your idea!”
“It certainly was originally, yes, but it has grown into a monster all of its own. At this rate, I’m not even sure if anyone will know what we’re actually celebrating,” Yae Miko said, mournfully looking at the pile of promotional flyers for Eternally Yours, My Shogun, one of the releases in the publishing house’s first batch of romance novels.
“But then that means the one behind whatever's going on is…”
“Ah! So, you’ve finally figured it out.”
For Thoma, the world tilted off its axis for a moment. If Kamisato Ayato was putting so much effort into accosting Thoma, it could only mean one thing….
“Oh Archons, Ayato is definitely doing that weird tunnel-visioning again,” Thoma said, smacking his forehead.
“...Excuse me?”
“My lord has the tendency to lose perspective and come up with some…unconventional ideas when stressed. He becomes unusually fixated on thoroughly executing these strange ideas, but fear not! They're usually just very minor contributions and rarely sway the large scale negatively. You could even call it part of my lord's brilliance! Rest assured, the event will go on exactly as you intended without a hitch! I’ll just straighten him out,” he said more for his own ease of mind than the editor's.
Yae Miko had an expression that looked halfway between laughing and crying. “Some of that certainly explains a lot, but I’m afraid you’re coming to the wrong conclusions, my far-travelled child,” she said, somehow with an even more condescending tone than usual.
“I do not mean to be rude, Lady Yae, but you do not know Ayato like I do. All I need to do is give him a piece of my mind and talk him out of whatever he's doing like I usually do.”
“Well, if you insist. As much as I would like to chat some more, I’m afraid I have other duties to attend to. Please excuse me,” she said, picking up the stack of flyers and gliding away.
As she walked away, Thoma swore he could hear the head shrine maiden mumble something that sounded a lot like, "Why do I even bother?"
Thoma had been totally casually knitting a couple (dozen) sweaters for the strays of Inazuma City in the foyer of the Kamisato residence and totally not waiting to chew Ayato out when the telltale creak of the screen door sounded. Pouncing to his feet, he raced over to it with light feet, as to not alert Ayaka. Standing in the open door frame was none other than Kamisato Ayato, his tall figure illuminated by the moonlight. The gentle light bleached his light blue hair nearly white and lay upon his skin in a way that made the other look ethereal and fae-like.
“My lord,” Thoma said, momentarily stunned by the other, his strongly worded reprimands about self-care slipping out of his mind completely.
Then Ayato promptly collapsed into his arms.
“MY LORD!!” Thoma said, now panicked.
“Oh, it’s you Thoma,” the Commissioner said calmly, looking up at Thoma with bleary eyes. The starkness of the moonlight showed Ayato’s cavernous dark circles at his current angle.
Thank goodness he was still alive! Thoma's heart skipped a little in relief.
“We have to get you to bed!” Thoma said, trying to keep it together.
As Thoma readjusted his posture and hold awkwardly to be able to lift Ayato without dropping him, the clan head closed his eyes and smiled serenely, sagging into Thoma more. It would have made for a lovely sight if Thoma wasn’t too busy losing his mind.
After successfully manoeuvring Ayato into a sturdy princess carry, Thoma’s mind was running on adrenaline and fully in autopilot mode. The housekeeper was wholly focused on only one thing: Ayato. There was no space to panic. He scurried down the hall quicker and quieter than should have been possible for anyone carrying a sizable man before reaching his destination. Using his shoulder to nudge the sliding door open, Thoma gently placed Ayato down on top of his futon. He then lit the candle on the nearby size table, illuminating the room slightly. Unlike the cool light of the moon, the candle’s warm light softened the atmosphere and calmed Thoma’s panic when he saw that his lord was serenely resting. The gentle light made Ayato look less close to death, smoothing over his skin and giving it a healthy flush.
After checking his temperature, the blond finally breathed out a sigh of relief when he confirmed everything was okay. Thoma couldn’t control the relieved smile that snuck onto his face when Ayato turned to his side, lightly mumbling and snuggling into the futon. A stray lock had fallen over the commissioner's eyes. Thoma reached out to gently push it back. Ayato scrunched his eyes for a moment at the touch, but then mumbled something that might have been a thanks cutely through his squished cheek.
Moments like this were why he loved his job so much despite the heavy workload; being able to provide the necessary upkeep of the residence and care so that the Shirasagi Himegimi and the Yashiro Commission’s Lord Commissioner could comfortably take off their heavy titles at the end of each day and having the privilege of witnessing their more cute (achem, he meant personal!) moments that they did not dare allow others to see brought him limitless satisfaction. It was why he took on his additional housekeeper role in addition to being a fixer and a retainer. He wanted to protect the siblings professionally as well as privately.
With Ayaka, he felt a sort of duty and affection for her beyond simply being her attendant. She was practically his own sister; he had seen her grow up from a shy yet driven young girl to the refined and thoughtful lady she was now, although he was never able to fully drive her reserved tendencies away. He took pride in the fact that despite her restrained nature, she trusted him enough to be her shoulder to lean on during hard times and be an extra ear that listened to all the troubles she entrusted to him.
With Ayato, the feelings were a little more complicated. Thoma wouldn’t say his relationship with the commissioner was sibling-like the way his and Ayaka’s was, although he guessed ‘brother’ was the closest term that applied to the connection they had with one another where no matter how much they disagreed over something, there was the implicit understanding that they mutually had the best of intentions.
They were comrades in the way they naturally synergized with each other as a result of their innate compatibility and countless hours of training together.
They were definitely friends. Their easy rapport in the way that Ayato constantly teased him playfully and Thoma’s open display of the fiery stubbornness he carefully hid away from most others was a testament to it.
But none of these terms completely encompassed the breadth and depth of trust, comfort, and loyalty Thoma had with Ayato. No term Thoma was aware of described the simple satisfaction he felt when he saw Ayato’s shoes tucked into the shelf of the walkway, the compulsion to smile when the other did, and the terrifying understanding that he would do anything for this man because Ayato would do anything for him.
Thoma redirected his attention to preparing the said sleeping man for bed. It would do no good ruminating on the nature of their relationship instead of some good old fashioned actual work. Ayato would definitely wake up sore if he had to sleep in the stiff material of his suit jacket and the partial armour. Besides, he was perfectly content with their undefinable relationship the way it was, just pleased enough to be allowed by his side. After methodically stripping his lordship into his more comfortable layers and tucking him into the folds of the futon, Thoma quietly made his way to the door to retire for the night, his initial mission of chastising Ayato into taking better care of himself completely forgotten. He paused at the door for a moment, unable to cross the threshold and leave the presence of the man he hadn't seen in weeks despite the poor company he made at the moment.
"Wait, Thoma… don't go," Ayato called out sleepily as he pushed himself up with his eyes slowly fluttering open and shut, as if struggling to stay open.
“My Lord!” Thoma scrambled away from the door to attend to Ayato. “Please, you need to rest,” he said as he gently pushed the other man back down.
"Mhm, yes...sleep," Ayato nodded along, head extremely heavy. "But before I forget…must ask you..."
"Yes?"
"At the festival tomorrow, meet me under the sakura tree… on top of the hill on Amakane Island, an hour after noon."
This man was out of his mind. "You can't possibly be thinking about work at a time like this?!" Thoma baulked.
There was no follow-up response. Ayato was out like a light. Well, there really was no reason to stay any longer, Thoma thought as he pushed himself up to his feet. Despite some indescribable pull that still tried to anchor him to the room, he finally left Ayato's side to clean up the mess he made in the foyer.
After some pondering while cleaning up his brood in the sitting room, it did make sense. Thoma was usually needed to provide a helping hand during Yashiro Commission helmed events; it was odd that he hadn't been tasked with anything during the lead-up to the Romance Festival besides the odd survey harassment. Ayato had probably forgotten to inform him prior that he was needed on-site during the festivities.
With only a few hours until sunrise, Thoma made his way back to his quarters to squeeze in a few hours of shut eye before he had to start preparing for the start of what was surely going to be an exciting day.