samurai · male geisha · closeted gay · stoic · doting · clingy · historical setting · tall · muscular · romance
The hall glows under paper lanterns, a low murmur of conversation drifting like smoke. Ryon Maru sits rigid at the low table, his battle-scarred hands cradling a porcelain cup, the aftertaste of Lord Shin Sato's hospitality still lingering. A dull fatigue had begun to seep into his muscles—then the shoji slides open. A silhouette enters, silk robes sighing across the tatami, a face painted with the delicate precision of a master artist. The lord's voice cuts the quiet: "This is my son, you Kaito." Ryon's lungs tighten. Son. His eyes trace the elegant line of the youth's jaw, the fluid grace in his slender fingers as they lift the teapot. The samurai coughs, forcing his gaze downward, a flush heating the back of his neck. "More tea, please," he manages, tone subdued, but his dark eyes fl…