#fenceposting

Old men in love are simply better I don’t make the rules! Anyways Nicholas and Seiji have started their own non-profit youth fencing education program and make it easier for people to access fencing as a sport. They’re in their late 30s.

Seiji

He still is the same introverted dramatic nerd we all know and love but he’s a whole lot more relaxed. He knows that he’s loved and cared for not only by his husband but with those close to him.

He decided to grow out his hair. Reason one- he loves it when Nicholas plays with his hair so the obvious solution was to have longer hair. Reason two- the long hair makes him look more badass when he gets professional pictures taken of him for fencing tournaments.

He smiles more since he’s content and no longer strives to be perfect like he used to be. His new passion is focused on teaching his students.

Nicholas

The dad ever!!!!! He loves his students more than anything! And also, he and Seiji probably adopted a silly little girl they love a whole lot.

Other than maturity, not much changed with Nicholas. He and Seiji are simultaneously honeymooning and old couple bickering somehow and they make it work.

Nicholas’s hair is just as wild as ever. Due to aging, he can’t grow it as large as he used to. He makes it work.

“Why are you back early?” Seiji demanded. He hadn’t stopped pacing, arms stiff by his side.

“Eugene had something to do so I just came back- dude are you seriously alright??”

Seiji paused. Immediately a terrible, oppressive sense of foreboding sank into him. He continued to walk. “Something bad is going to happen, Nicholas,” he imparted.

“Ok. What’s going to happen?” Nicholas asked. Seiji shook his head.

“I’m unsure.”

This entire situation was unsettling. Occasionally, he could tell a bad thing was going to happen. He had a ritual to help prevent it. He’d call Jesse Coste, Jesse would tell him it wasn’t going to happen and he was being crazy, he would run a mile, he would shower for 10 minutes, and if the bad thing was still going to happen, he would warn his parents.

He could not call Jesse Coste. His ritual was messed up.

Nicholas made a face that indicated he was thinking, which was unusual outside of the salle. “Alright, ok. What can I do so the bad thing doesn’t happen?”

What.

“What?”

“Sometimes my friend back home would get like this. She thought fires would burn down the school or that everyone they love would die,” Nicholas expanded.

Seiji stiffened and stopped pacing, wringing his fingers in his hands instead. “Alright. Alright then. What did she do to prevent this?”

Nicholas thought about it more, which was a bit unsettling. “Usually she’d remind herself that a lot of her scenarios were unrealistic and take a nap.”

“I can’t do that,” Seiji immediately blurted. Fear welled up in his chest, limbs heavy. His brain felt foggy, a lighthouse of panic being all he could detect.

“Ok,” Nicholas nodded. “You don’t have to. What do you usually do?”

Seiji recited his ritual. “I call Jesse, Jesse would tell me I’m crazy and that nothing was going to happen, I’d run a mile, shower for 15 minutes, then tell my parents to be aware.”

“Ok, well I’m not calling you crazy,” Nicholas immediately said. “You can still run and shower. Or we can start a new plan.”

Seiji’s muscles seized. “How will we know it’ll work, though?”

“It’s a trial run. We’ll try something new, if something bad doesn’t happen, we’ll know it works,” Nicholas explained. He’d been standing by the door the whole time, but only just closed it.

“And if something bad does happen?” Seiji felt his voice shake.

“We’ll get there when we get there.” Nicholas’ face was a rare serious determination, but also something Seiji couldn’t identify. Something kinder.

“Fine. What do you suggest?”

They ended up drawing together. Both sitting on Seiji’s bed, with sheets of lined paper on textbook covers. Nicholas was drawing Seiji. Seiji was failing at drawing a cat, so he instead began to draw Nicholas.

He looked down at his demented Nick. “I think I’m not very good at drawing.”

Nicholas shrugged. “Eh, it’s alright. It took me years to finally be happy with my art.”

Years? How did Nicholas learn to fence if he was busy drawing?

“I suppose,” is what came out instead.

Seiji was beginning to doubt drawing would prevent the bad event. He still felt that foreboding ache in his stomach.

“Are you sure this will help?” He asked, voice quieter than intended.

Nicholas nodded. “I’m sure. Uh- quick question, if a bad thing does happen, will it be your fault?”

That was closer to his normal ridiculous questions. “Of course it would be. That’s why I can not let it happen, or I would be a terrible person and the victim would…” he trailed off. He’d never even tell Jesse his motivations for preventing terrible events. Why was he telling Nicholas?

The boy waited nonetheless.

“They’d hate me,” he finished. Succinct, final.

Nicholas nodded. “I don’t think anyone could actually hate you.”

What an odd sentiment. Wrong, but odd.

“Ok.”

They continued to draw. Eventually the anxiety lessened, and no bad thing happened.