“So?” He gave nothing away as the doors opened and they stepped inside. “I’m not obligated to be there, you know. I can go for a walk if I want.”

“In the middle of the night?”

Toji groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Yin, for god's sake, I didn’t do anything wrong, alright? I went for a walk in the gardens, that’s all. I just needed to clear my head of the last couple weeks.” The machine dinged, signaling their arrival. The doors opened and they stepped out, walking down the hall toward their separate rooms. 

Ynda seemed to accept his explanation and nodded, giving a little one shouldered shrug as she reached for her door. “Just seemed odd that Natsu was out there around the same time, is all.” She glanced over at him, his hand frozen on the handle. 

He stood there for a moment before turning his mismatched eyes on her. “What are you trying to say?”

“Nothing,” she replied. “I know you two are close, I just thought maybe you two wanted to catch up when it was quiet.”

His whole body seemed to relax. “Yeah,” he agreed. “We did.” Something crossed his face, something Ynda caught but didn’t comment on, either out loud or in her mind. “It was really good to see him again, you know? Outside of you and Lukas, he’s my closest friend.”

“One you just happen to have a massive crush on,” she said, this time serious with no hint of mirth. She turned to face him, leaning against her door, her arms crossed. 

Toji sighed, closing his eyes and tilting his head back, one hand going through his hair. “Yin…”

“Everyone knows you like him, Neko,” she said. “And I do mean everyone.”

He opened his eyes, shifting his gaze to her without raising his head. His look was hard. “That’s crap. We’d hear them talking or feel it in their energies.”

“I’m not talking about the staff, dumbass, I’m talking about our dads.”

Toji was like a statue, not one muscle moving. He knew for a fact Hero knew, that he blamed Natsu for what happened between Toji and Ava. But Pater? Not likely. Even if he did, what could he do about it? Plenty…they’d send Natsu away…at best.

“I don’t know if he feels the same, but I’m willing to wager he does,” she said. 

You have no idea. He may have kept the words to himself, but the thought must have passed over his face because her eyes narrowed.

She stood up straight and took two steps toward him, lowering her voice. “Keep it that way,” she said slowly, annunciating each word carefully. “For both your sakes.” With that she opened her door and disappeared into the darkness within, shutting it softly behind her.

Toji remained where he stood for a long moment, his body relaxing, his eyes falling to his hand shaking on the handle. He knew exactly what he was risking being with Natsu, had known it for years, and he hadn’t cared. As far as he was concerned, Natsu was worth it.

However, this was the first time Ynda had seriously called him out. He still remembered the fight he and Hero had gotten into the year before, still remembered the nasty words he had spat in his father’s face. He closed his eyes and leaned his forehead against the door. 

He and Natsu were playing a dangerous game and they both knew it. Their relationship could cost them everything if they weren’t careful. He was able to wave off last night’s meeting pretty easily this time, but in the future, they had to take more precautions. No matter what, they couldn’t be seen in any capacity that may be considered suspicious. 

He shoved his door open and stepped inside, shutting it firmly behind him. He leaned against it, pulling out his phone from his back pocket, warmth flooding him as he saw a text notification from Natsu. He clicked on it with trembling fingers and smiled.

You were incredible out there, my Neko. It made me proud to be yours.

Toji sank to the floor, tapping the phone to his forehead as he let the warmth wash over him, relaxing his muscles and calming his mind. For all his doubts and fears, he knew he would always have Natsu, knew he would do anything for Toji, just as Toji would do everything for him. It sucked the only thing they couldn’t do was be together publicly. He tapped out a reply, burying his head in his arms. He had time before he had to get ready to go.

Did I look Kingly?

LOL more like the brightest star in the entire galaxy.

Whatever you dork 😝 He paused a second. I wished you could be by my side. I hate those kinds of meetings.

Yeah, I know. But it comes with the job. 🤷 You’re just unfortunate that you’re far too good at it.

To my great regret…

They texted back and forth for a while longer, Toji eventually getting up off the floor and snapping on the light, his huge room welcoming and warm. It looked like any other teenager’s room, with posters on the wall, a TV, gaming consoles, a huge stereo, anime merch everywhere, including a lifesize cut out of Satoru Gojo from Jujutsu Kaisen. Lukas had a Yuji Itadori one in his room on the second floor. His parents had a house in the city, but Lukas preferred to stay at Helman Hall with Toji and the rest, using his position as an excuse. Ynda had Megumi Fushiguro, but that was to be expected; she found him to be incredibly hot.

He walked over to his large walk-in closet and picked out a clean shirt and black jeans. He stripped out of his formal attire, something he had been coerced into wearing by Alerik for the meeting, and waltzed into his personal bathroom.

I’m gonna take a shower, he told Natsu. I need to wash the grown up off.

😂 Damn, I wish I could join you. I’ll see you by the garage in fifteen?

Sounds good. I l… his thumbs hovered over the keyboard, his chest tightening. He slowly deleted the last two letters. Can’t wait to see you. 

Same. See you soon.

Toji cranked the heat up on the shower, making sure the steam filled the room before he stepped in, gasping as the heat coated his tall, muscular frame. As he washed, he counted the hickies and bite marks on his chest and legs. He could feel the stinging on his back from the scratches Natsu had clawed into him. He could heal them all if he really wanted to, but he was waiting. He wanted to relive every second of the night before for as long as possible before he had to put the mask back on. He grinned as he thought of all the marks he had left on Natsu’s lean frame, recalling how he writhed and bent under him, his soft voice whispering and moaning his name over and over.

Goddammit… 

He was hard as a rock as the vivid images played out in his mind. Not seeing any other option, he took himself in hand, stroking up and down quickly, all the while recalling each and every sound Natsu made, the way his green eyes shown from under his long lashes, the way his lips parted, the taste of his tongue against his own, the feel of his hot skin as Toji held him in his hands, the way Natsu felt around his cock as he moved inside him.

It didn’t take long before his stomach tightened and he had to brace himself against the wall, hot cum spraying against the tile as he panted, his body shaking. He leaned against the other side of the shower, letting the hot water wash away his mess as he worked to calm himself down. He ran a hand through his wet hair and exhaled loudly. He washed himself again and stepped out of the shower, glancing at the fogged up mirror as he passed. He didn’t need to look very hard to know all the injuries that covered his body had healed and disappeared.

-*-

“Really, Toji?” Ynda exclaimed, throwing her hands in the air.

“What? I had to take a shower,” Toji said with a grin. It was aimed at Natsu who leaned against Toji’s massive truck but he made sure to play it off as one of his usual cocky grins.

“Ugh,” she said, shaking her head. “Let’s just go already, geez. She climbed into the back seat with Chloe and Kayla. Toji got behind the wheel, Lukas filling the passenger seat. Natsu, Ava, Finn, and Natsu’s friend Peter, all piled into Natsu’s SUV. Noah, Arla, and Havik were being driven by one of the Helman drivers in another, smaller SUV. 

“I swear, you can’t be on time for anything, can you?” Lukas said, pinching his best friend’s ear.

Toji shrugged him off with a dramatic flap of his hand. “I will kill us all, asshole, don’t tempt me.”

“You have to get out of the garage first, idiot!” Chloe and Ynda said together.

Toji mocked them, earning a flick to his ear from his sister. He and Lukas laughed as Toji backed out, turning easily onto the wide driveway and down the road that led toward the outskirts of the city and the old mountain road that took them to the property where Hawk and Hero once lived. It was one of the group’s favorite hang out spots and they made sure to go every time they returned to Helman Hall. 

On the way, they talked loudly, the music barely audible over their excitement. Toji imagined it was the same in Natsu’s car, maybe a little more muted in the twins’ and Havik’s car. Arla and Noah may be energetic, but Havik was far more reserved. How the three of them managed to get along so well was a grand mystery to Toji; they were as close together as he and Lukas were.

Kayla was asking if they were having the barbeque tonight or if they were just going for a hike through the woods. She had heard two different stories and needed clarification.

“Hiking,” the other four said in unison.

“Just hiking, right?” she asked warily. 

They were quiet for a second, sharing glances all around. 

“Ssuuure,” Lukas said slowly. “Just hiking.”

“Lukas!” Kayla protested.

“Too late now!” Chloe laughed, pinching her sister’s arm.

“Why does everything have to be a training session with you guys?” she pouted, folding her arms and glaring out the window. “Can’t we have one trip where y’all aren’t trying to kill each other?”

“No can do, baby sister,” Lukas said. “If we don’t stay in shape, we risk becoming sloppy and ineffective when it matters. Be lucky we train the way we do, or else you wouldn’t still be breathing air.”

She had to admit he was right. Kayla wasn’t a fighter. She was more of a strategist, a diplomat like her mother. Once she reached her peak age, she planned on becoming an emissary for the Veil, when she wasn’t tending to the Soul Garden, of course.

“You can still hike, though,” Ynda said. “There are plenty of other trails you can go down that we can avoid.”

Kayla sighed. “Maybe…”

Toji glanced at her briefly in the rearview mirror before turning his gaze back to the road, following the curve that allowed them the great view of the city below. The others couldn’t help but take a long look, even the Franks who saw it far more often than the rest of them as they bounced between the Veil and Earth more frequently than the rest of them did.

“Ya know,” Lukas said as they neared the old house, the ruins of which were coming into sight just beyond the trees, “You can still be strong and not fight.”

Kayla glanced at him, her expression thoughtful. She didn’t bother voicing any more questions, because not a minute later, they were parked next to the crumbling remains of the garage. Natsu’s SUV, followed closely by Joseph’s carrying the twins and Havik, pulled in alongside him, everyone piling out in one loud group. Havik thanked Joseph, promising to call when they needed him for the return trip home.

Lukas and Toji headed directly into the old house, ducking under the overgrown vines and through the weeds that broke through the floorboards. Natsu, Ynda, and Ava followed behind, taking in their surroundings. It didn’t matter how often they’d come here, the amount of magic that still pervaded the air was so strong, Ynda and Ava almost choked on it. Natsu marveled at the amount of foliage that had grown up and around the decimated structure, broken glass crunching under his boots as he walked. His eyes went to the open ceiling, cords and wooden planks still dangling uselessly above them. The staircase was rotted and falling apart but the girls flew easily up to the top floor, stepping lightly or floating down the hall and through the rooms, commenting on whatever artifacts drew their attention.

Natsu explored the rooms downstairs, the twins and Havik joining in the exploration. Chloe and Peter remained outside, talking amiably, greeting and getting to know each other. Natsu had to chuckle. Peter was one of the more recent humans to come work at Helman Hall, and he hadn’t shown any sign of disbelief or uneasiness about being around so many Divine, including all the creatures he had only believed to exist in fiction. The two men had hit it off almost instantly, hanging out together frequently. Natsu refused to take him into the center garden, however. That was his and Toji’s place; it was sacred. No one could enter except them.

“Hey check this out!” Noah’s voice called out from one of the rooms. Natsu followed his voice into a room he had usually walked past because it had been so dark. Entering, he looked over to where Noah and Arla were squatting down, brushing off and turning over various pieces of equipment. It took him a second before he recognized it for what it was.

“That’s a digital music composition system,” he said in awe. “I haven’t seen one of these in years!” He brushed away some dust and leaves, picking up one of the soundboards, moving the small levers up and down. 

“That was my dad’s,” Toji said from the doorway. Natsu turned to look at him. He was leaning against the doorframe, his arm over his head, a wistful smile on his lips. He looked like any other teenager, young and adventurous. Natsu’s heart skipped a beat as he stood, handing him the board.

“I heard he has something similar back at the house in the Veil.”

Toji nodded, turning the old equipment over in his hands, his fingers sliding gently over the top. “Yeah,” he said softly. “He used to let me play with it sometimes. We’d make up stupid little tunes, nothing that made any sense.” He chuckled, his gaze far away. “But it was still a lot of fun.”
He sighed and handed it back. He stared at the rest of the broken items scattered on the floor, covered by debris, dust, dirt, and dead leaves. Time had not been kind to his father’s past.