Apr 13
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I miss them
Chapter 11 - Confessing “The Right Way”
(Also on Ao3)
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Summary: Itto finally confesses his love to Ayato. Again. He thinks he didn’t do it right the first time and feels like he has to redeem himself by doing it again. I’m not spoiling the rest 🤫
Characters: Itto and the Arataki Gang, Kamisato Ayato, Thoma
Word Count: 5515
Ever since Ayato had returned from that dreadful business trip a day ago, Itto felt like he needed to confess his love ‘the right way’ before he’d disappear again. Ayato’s absense had really scared him, and he wanted to give him his love letter before it was too late…
After he’d walked Ayato home, the commissioner was too exhausted to hang out right away, but promised him they’d hang out tomorrow, which was today now. Itto was so excited he couldn’t fall asleep at first that night, but he managed to get a good amount of sleep anyway. When Granny woke him up for breakfast, he got up rather quickly so he could get to Ayato as fast as possible.
“I do hope you’re not feeling stressed, my dear. Are you sure you’re alright?” Granny Oni asked, still concerned after that emotional rollercoaster he’d gone through.
“Heh, yeah… I’m still feelin’ some after-effects, but I should be fine!” Itto said, smiling even though his nerves hadn’t fully recovered.
“Mhm… I think you should rest, dearie. It’s not healthy to push yourself too much, you know.” Granny said, worried he’d feel worse if he didn’t take it seriously.
“But granny! I haven’t told him how I feel yet! I have to do it today before he gets busy again! I can’t miss my chance now that I finally have it!” Itto said desperately, which sort of proved he wasn’t okay. Granny wasn’t sure what to reply til Itto spoke again. “He promised we could hang out today! … he promised.”
“Oh, well… if it’s that important to you, I won’t stop you… But you must rest afterwards, okay? You need it. Your body needs it, dearie.” Granny said, hoping he’d understand.
“Heh, you’re the best, Granny! I’ll be home after I’m done, I promise.” Itto said, smiling all happily while he ate his breakfast. Granny chuckled a little and ate hers too.
After they’d finished, Itto freshened up and got ready to leave, checking himself out in a mirror and combing his hair before going outside. He wanted to look his best for Ayato.
“Bye, Granny! I’ll be back at dinnertime!” Itto said, excited to go see the love of his life.
“Ah, don’t forget your letter, dearie!” Granny reminded, making him u-turn back inside the house to find it.
“Right! Right..! Ummmm…”
“Here, dearie. I found it for you.”
“Thanks, granny! You’re the best!” Itto hugged her and gave her a familial kiss on the forehead before leaving again. “Love you! Bye!”
“I love you too, dearie. Be careful out there!” Granny said, closing the door as he left since he forgot to do it himself. Always in such a hurry, that boy…
While outside, trying to find his gang, he realized he was out earlier than usual, so he decided to check out some of the salesmen to see what they had. He needed to buy a new box of chocolates and bouquet anyway, especially since the previous ones couldn’t be delivered. Unfortunately, he couldn’t afford the ones he wanted, so he had to go back to waiting for his gang to assemble. Soon enough, the boys were back in town and ready to hang out, so Itto told them about his new plan…
“But boss, you already confessed!” Mamoru said, remembering how Itto had told them about it after walking Ayato home the evening before.
“Yeah, didn’t you?” Genta asked, remembering it too.
“We saw you, right?” Akira asked, certain that the long-lasting hug must’ve been more than just ‘I missed you’.
“I didn’t do it properly, so it doesn’t count! I have to do it the right way!” Itto said passionately, imagining a heartwarming confession under a blooming cherry blossom tree, even though he’d be confessing in Chinju Forest, which didn’t have any such trees…
“What do you mean? He already knows you love him!” Akira said.
“Well, yeah, but he hasn’t even read my letter yet! And I didn’t pour my heart into it for nothing!” Itto replied.
“Yeah, I guess that’s fair.” Genta said, nodding.
“But what about the chocolates and stuff?” Mamoru asked, not seeing any gifts on him.
“Oh, uh, I couldn’t afford them, heh…” Itto admitted sheepishly, hoping the gang would chip in.
“What, for real??”
“But they weren’t that expensive, right?”
“No, surely not..!”
“Shinobu probably has my funds..!” Itto admitted, knowing he’d usually let her handle his finances since they’d go poof otherwise.
“Ah, bummer..”
“She’s not here yet..”
“I heard she’s busy..”
“Yeah, well… We could combine our mora to afford Ayato’s gifts, I’m sure!” Itto said, requesting financial support.
“Yeah, you’re right, Boss!”
“We’d be happy to help!”
“Yeah! How much will it cost?”
“I’ll show you! Come on, let’s go!” And off they went to repurchase the same gifts again; a fancy, but affordable, box of chocolates with different flavors, and a modest bouquet of red roses. Itto was so excited to set off for the Kamisato estate that he didn’t want to waste any time waiting around once they were done.
“Boss, will you be alright?” Genta asked, knowing his emotions could be unstable at times. Especially considering the stress he’d been through recently.
“Yeah, I’ll be fine!” Itto replied confidently.
“Do you need to bring tissues?” Mamoru asked.
“Nah, Ayato will have some!” Itto replied, knowing he’d usually keep them in his pocket.
“Should we come with you for moral support?” Akira asked.
“Nah, nah, that’s what my letter is for! I can’t confess to him without crying anyhow…” Itto replied, chuckling a little.
“Anywow…” Mamoru whispered, making Akira snicker.
“Pfft, shut up..!” Akira said back to him, making him laugh.
“You should take him on a date after.” Genta said, hoping he and the others could spy- er, check on them.
“Yeah, it’ll be nice for sure!” Mamoru said.
“You’ll need it, too, boss!” Akira said, knowing a calm hangout with that handsome man would do him good.
“Hahaha! I’ll see what I can do! We might just sit around at his place for all I know.” Itto said, remembering the snacks from Liyue that Ayato had promised him. Oh he simply couldn’t wait… He just had to get there right now!
Meanwhile at the Kamisato estate, Ayato was working in his office, bored to death over all the paperwork. He could be teasing Itto right now, he thought, preferring to daydream about him instead. Unfortunately, he needed to keep his thoughts in check so he could focus on finishing his work for the day.
“Excuse me, my lord. May I come in?” Thoma asked, peeking into his office.
“Yes? Oh, of course.” Ayato replied, smiling softly at him.
“Have you finished up the financial reports? I thought I’d deliver them for you.” Thoma offered, somewhat upset with how Ayato was working already when he clearly deserved to rest after all that travel.
“Oh, I have, actually. Thank you, Thoma.” Ayato felt relieved, picking up a sort of messy pile of papers from his desk.
Thoma smiled and took the papers, deciding to stick around while he straightened them out. He couldn’t believe he had to do paperwork already. He hadn’t even had time to rest after his travels! One night of sleep does not count, he thought, looking at the commissioner before he spoke.
“My Lord, you really shouldn’t be working today. Aren’t you exhausted after all that..?” Thoma asked, concerned for his health.
“Haha, oh it’s no trouble, Thoma. The earlier I finish my work, the better…” Ayato replied, forcing a smile to appear unbothered.
“Tch. Don’t lie to me, Ayato. I can see you’re tired, y’know.” Thoma replied, looking unimpressed.
“Hm~ seems like nothing gets past you, huh?” Ayato commented, chuckling to himself.
“Please, this isn’t funny. I’m worried about you.” Thoma said, looking and sounding concerned.
“Ah, well-…” Ayato wasn’t sure what to say, feeling a little awkward.
“Take a break. Go hang out with Itto! I’m sure he’d love to see you.” Thoma suggested, hoping he’d say yes and go touch grass.
“Ah, you’re right, Thoma. I did promise to meet up with him today.” Ayato admitted, knowing Itto would be very upset if he were to find out his ‘bro’ was busy.
“Just as I suspected.” Thoma said, playfully glaring at the commissioner, who chuckled at his expression.
“Oh, fine, I’ll take the day off. Happy now?” Ayato said, smiling at him.
“Yes. Good. Get out.” Thoma said jokingly, unable to look serious for long as he started to laugh, which made Ayato laugh too.
“Ah-ah, you should know better than to have such a bold tone with me.” he said, teasing him a little.
“Hahaha! Nah, it’s easier to get my point across if I’m a little less polite, My Lord.” Thoma replied smugly, knowing their friendship was too strong for Ayato to actually punish him.
“Oh well, don’t let it get to your head.” Ayato joked, chuckling to himself when Thoma made a face.
They would often joke around like this to keep their spirits up in the face of mountains of work. It was a great way to relieve stress, even if it was short-lived. Even so, when Thoma went on his way with the reports, Ayato left his office, telling curious retainers he needed some fresh air, and promptly left the estate. He did need to run a few errands anyway, so he might as well use that as another excuse. Or, well, the ‘errands’ in question were just hanging out with Itto and doing whatever he wanted, really. That was the most important thing on his mind at the moment…
As he walked into Chinju Forest, he decided to take his sweet time and walk slowly, clearing his mind from any work-related stress. He deserved a break after all, so he stood still for a moment, taking in the calm scenery and breathing the fresh air. It was nice to come out here, he thought, humming to himself as he started walking again, thinking about what he would do with Itto later.
He could take him out on a fancy date and buy him all the food he’d possibly want… He could get him ice cream and yummy drinks and kiss him… He could even take him home~… Oh, but the people in the city could be so noisy at times, and the only ‘noise’ he wanted today was Itto. Perhaps they could just chill in Chinju Forest… Maybe hunt some beetles, play some TCG, or play hide and seek and whoever wins gets a kiss~… The possibilities were very fun to think about. Ayato smiled to himself when he imagined how shy and flustered the oni would be once he got his hands on him… with consent, of course.
After a while, he made it out of the forest, slightly blinded by the sun before he got used to it. The walk was getting dull and boring until he saw a familiar figure in the distance; one that seemed very fidgety and animated. It must’ve been Itto. Ayato chuckled seeing him likely flipping out about something and decided to wave at him and walk a little faster. Oh he’d get him for sure…
Itto was indeed flipping out, not expecting to see Ayato outside of his estate at this hour. What was he doing out here?! He didn’t know what to do with himself, not sure where or how to hide the bouquet and chocolates. He couldn’t let him see them, but he didn’t have time to figure anything out before Ayato came up close, so he just hid them behind his back, nervous as hell.
“Why, hello there, Itto. Fancy meeting you here~” Ayato said, smiling at the oni with a mischievous glint in his eyes.
“A-Ayato! Bro! Uh, w-what are you doing here?” Itto asked, failing to hide his nervous mood.
“Oh, I was looking for you, actually..” Ayato replied, sublty trying to peek behind him.
“Uh-…” Itto rotated accordingly, keeping the stuff hidden.
“What’s that behind your back?” Ayato asked.
“Oh, uh-… Secrets?” Secrets he couldn’t tell him yet, that was for sure!
“Oh my~ how intriguing! Would you mind sharing them with me?”
“N-No! I- I mean..! Not now! Not here..” Itto protested nervously, looking at Ayato with pleading eyes.
“Mhm..? I see.” Ayato said, catching the hint and backing off.
“Uh… don’t look, okay? A-And no peeking!” Itto commanded. He needed Ayato back in Chinju Forest as planned, but didn’t want to risk him seeing his gifts before getting there.
“Should I close my eyes?” he asked with a playful tone of voice.
“Yeah! …for a bit.” Itto replied, waiting for him to do so.
“Alright~…”
For a moment, Itto took a breath before carefully turning Ayato around so he’d face the direction he came from. Then, he put his arm around Ayato’s, told him to open his eyes, and started walking with him, leading him back to Chinju Forest.
“Oh my, how direct.” Ayato said, chuckling.
“J-Just don’t look to your right..” Itto said, using his right hand to hold the gifts, hoping the petals wouldn’t fall from the roses this time.
“Hmm?” Ayato smiled and glanced at Itto, noticing how nervous he got.
“H-Hey! Eyes on the road!” Itto protested, making him chuckle.
“Oh, alright, alright. I’ll be nice..” Ayato replied, lovingly amused. He smiled and purposely held Itto’s arm close, enjoying how strong he felt. Oh, the poor oni must’ve been so flustered, he thought, glancing around to make sure no one saw them. Itto’s heart was pounding out of his chest. He was trying very hard to stay calm and keep his cool, unknowingly squeezing Ayato’s arm to bring him closer to himself.
“Where are we going?” Ayato asked, enjoying the company very much.
“Chinju Forest.” Itto replied bluntly, hoping they’d get to the forest quickly.
“Mhm? Is that so? Why, I just came from there.” Ayato said, chuckling a little.
“Because! It’s special.” Itto said, misunderstanding the ‘why’ as a question.
“Mhm..? And what are we going to do there?” Ayato asked, trying not to laugh too much at that.
“Nuthin’… uh.. I just need to talk.” Itto replied, hoping nobody would interrupt them.
“Oh, but of course…” Ayato replied, smiling softly.
They walked in silence for a while since Itto didn’t seem to want to talk on the way, which was unusual. Ayato noticed how the oni would occassionally take deep breaths to keep himself calm, starting to smile once they finally got to Chinju Forest.
“Are we going anywhere in particular?” Ayato asked, curious since they kept walking.
“Mm… to our usual spot.” Itto replied, visibly calmer now.
“Mhm~?” Ayato smiled and continued to walk, holding Itto’s arm close. Once they got to their destination, Itto spoke up and started to let go.
“Close your eyes! I got a surprise for you!” he said, smiling at his bromantic interest.
“Oh? How exciting~” Ayato said, closing his eyes and letting go of Itto’s arm. He heard him shuffle around, unsure of what he was doing. Eventually, he heard Itto take a deep breath before nervously saying: “Y-You can open your eyes now..”
Ayato did just that and saw Itto standing in front of him empty-handed, no doubt having hid whatever he was holding before. Ayato raised an eyebrow and smirked, intrigued by the mystery.
“Are you hiding something from me?” he asked with a playful tone of voice.
“U-Uh, sorta…” Itto said, nervously fidgeting with his hands and avoiding eye contact.
“Mhm? Hey, are you feeling alright?” Ayato asked, noticing how he seemed… scared, almost.
“I- um..! I just-…! I’m-…” Itto struggled to find the right words, and Ayato’s expression changed from smiling to concerned.
“It’s alright, you’re safe. What’s wrong, Itto?” Ayato asked, keeping his tone of voice soft and understanding.
“W-Well, uh… y’know that one time before your business trip? The- uh.. um…” he started, not sure how to word his question. “Y-You showed me a cutout from Miss Hina’s magazine column..”
“Ah, yes~ I remember that quite well.” Ayato said, smiling as he thought of how red Itto had been when he showed him that.
“… y-yeah, so-… uh… i-in the next issue, there was a- um-… similar letter..” Itto said nervously, trying to stay calm.
“Mhm..?”
“Um… d-did you write that?”
“Hmm? That depends… Did you write the one I showed you?” Ayato asked, smiling when Itto nodded even though he was still avoiding eye contact. “Yes, I did write that letter. The one you saw yourself, that is…” he added, assuming Itto’s heart must’ve been doing jumping jacks. He stayed quiet to let Itto think and calm himself down.
“Um… Ayato..?”
“Yes?”
“Um-… y-you-… I-…” Itto teared up and started feeling frustrated with himself. Why did he have to be such a crybaby right now of all times?? He wiped his eyes, which worried Ayato.
“Hey, what’s wrong? I won’t bite.” he said, trying to comfort him with a little bit of humor. Itto didn’t say anything and instead reached into his pocket, pulling out a folded piece of paper. He hesitated for a few seconds before quickly handing it to Ayato, practically shoving it at his chest.
“Oh- ah, thank you.” The commissioner was a little bewildered but shook it off and handed Itto some tissues in return. Itto sniffled and wiped his eyes whenever they’d act up, asking Ayato to read the note. Ayato nodded opened unfolded it, smiling when he saw the colorful doodles surrounding the text. It was a letter for him; one that Itto had never sent.
“Oh my. Should I read it out loud?” Ayato asked, to which Itto shook his head.
“N-No, I’ll just cry more..” he said, sniffling again. He was kinda cute when he got emotional…
“Alright…” Ayato nodded, and started to read it quietly.
“To Ayato, from Itto
If you’re reading this, that means I chickened out and couldn’t tell you how I feel. You are one of the kindest people I’ve ever met. You’ve never been mean to me, you’ve always listened when you’re there for me, and I always feel happy and safe when I’m with you.”
Ayato paused for a moment to glance at Itto, who had moved from where he was standing to shuffle around with something behind a tree. What on earth was he doing…? Ayato shrugged it off and continued reading.
“I love you. You already mean so much to me, I couldn’t imagine life without you. You’re kind, handsome, smart, patient, and more. I never thought I’d fall in love with another man, but you changed that. I love you, bro. Would you be mine so I can be yours? (Boyfriends I mean). xoxo Arataki Itto”
Ayato’s heart had melted. There were little hearts drawn with colorful pens here and there on the note, and some little flowers and stars too for decoration. He even spotted an adorable little self portrait of Itto in one of the corners. Could this man get any cuter? Once he finished reading, he looked at Itto again, who now stood closer holding a small bouquet of roses and a box of chocolates, looking as if he was trying really hard to look focused and serious; most likely masking how nervous he felt.
“Oh, Itto…”
“Y-Yeah??” Itto felt more nervous than a hay in a needlestack or something.
“This-… this is beautiful. You have such a wonderful way with words…” Ayato said, tearing up a little. He felt touched by the sweet gesture, smiling lovingly at his soon-to-be boyfriend.
“Uh… um… I- I love you!! Please go out with me!!” Itto exclaimed, quickly handing Ayato the roses and chocolates, practically shoving them in his face. Ayato chuckled and put the letter in his pocket before happily accepting the gifts, wiping his tears before taking them.
“Oh, thank you.. Thank you so much… I’d love to go out with you.”
“Please! I’ll do anyth-… uh.. wha-…?”
Ayato chuckled at his reaction before clarifying. “Oh, did you really think I’d turn you down just like that~? How rude.” he joked before taking it seriously again. “I did say ‘I love you too’ yesterday, didn’t I~?”
“Um-… did you?”
“… yes. Didn’t you hear me?”
“Uh, s-sorry, I was too emotional, I guess…”
“Oh, it’s okay, love. It’s okay.”
Upon being called ‘love’, Itto’s breath hitched and he started tearing up.
“Heh… come here.” Ayato smiled and invited Itto to a loving embrace. Itto couldn’t keep it together and hugged him tight, sniffling and burying his face into his shoulder to cope. Ayato chuckled a little bit and hugged him back before he started to cry softly too. He couldn’t help it, really. Itto’s emotions rubbed off on him so easily. Neither of them were sad, they were overjoyed and relieved. Itto didn’t weep for long, gradually calming down as his emotions slowly became more managable.
“There there, breathe…” Ayato said, holding Itto close and patting his back as best as he could while holding his gifts, helping him calm down. Itto sniffled and hiccuped, regaining control over his breathing while hugging Ayato tightly as if he never wanted to let go. “Oh, you’re such a sweetheart, aren’t you?” Itto whimpered in response and held him just a little tighter, which was so, so precious.
Eventually, the oni calmed down fully and stopped crying, wiping his eyes. He didn’t want to pull away yet though, choosing to lean into Ayato for support like he’d done at Ritou.
“H-Hey, now, careful..! I can’t carry you..” Ayato said softly, realizing he wasn’t strong enough to fully support Itto’s weight.
“Heh… why noooott…” Itto whined playfully before steadying himself.
“I don’t do much heavy lifting, haha..!” Ayato replied, unsure if lifting paperwork and his trusty sword counted.
“You should! It’s good for you!” Itto chuckled as he pulled away, smiling at Ayato, who chuckled as well before ruffling Itto’s hair a little.
After a moment of silence, Itto avoided eye contact again and fidgeted with his hands. “So… um… are we- like-… official? … now?” he asked, melting Ayato’s heart with how cute he was whenever he was shy.
“Hehe~… Yes, we are.” Ayato replied, nodding and gently putting his hand on Itto’s cheek, adoring the way the oni leaned into his touch. “Awh, look at you~” he cooed, gently stroking his cheek with his thumb, chuckling at how quickly Itto’s face turned red. “You’re just the cutest~ aren’t you?” he teased.
“I’m-!! I’m not! I’m super tough and cool, actually..!” Itto insisted, which Ayato found very amusing.
“Mhm. Super tough and cool… and definitely not a blushing mess~” Ayato teased, leaning closer to him.
“E-Exactly! It’s- uh… sunburn?” Itto insisted, nervously pulling away.
“Sunburn? In Chinju forest?” Ayato asked, raising an eyebrow and letting him go.
“Y-Yeah..?” Itto replied, fidgeting with his hands again.
“Mhm~?” Ayato leaned closer to Itto’s face again, which made him hilariously shy. He hid his face behind his hands and whined “stooopppp,” which made Ayato laugh.
“Oh, this is gonna be such a fun time for us, isn’t it~? I suddenly have so many more ways to tease you!” Ayato celebrated, feeling very happy to have scored such a wonderful man.
“Shut uppp, you’re-! Um-…” Itto tried to protest, but got nervous.
“I’m what, hm~? Speak up.” Ayato teased, smiling lovingly.
“You’re mean!”
“I thought you said I was never mean~?”
“Hmph! Guess I was wrong.” Itto crossed his arms and scoffed dramatically. Ayato laughed, thoroughly enjoying Itto’s silly behavior. He hoped he’d get to see more of it.
“Say, Itto… There’s something I need to tell you.” he said, feeling like now was the right time.
“Yeah? What’s up?” Itto looked at him with curiosity, arms still crossed.
“Haha… you might get a little mad, but…”
“Ugh, what have you done now?” Itto asked jokingly, making Ayato giggle.
“Hehe…! Well… I’ve kinda known you’ve been in love with me for months.” he admitted, a little nervous when silence lingered afterwards.
“… WHAT?!” Itto looked flabbergasted. How could he have known?? He hadn’t told anyone but his gang! Who could’ve snitched?!
“Yeah… heh, it was pretty obvious.” Ayato said, remembering that time a drunken Itto had called him ‘pretty’ and ‘beautiful’…
“You knew?! Why didn’t you tell me sooner?! Do you have ANY idea how nervous I’ve been?! You could’ve asked!” Itto couldn’t believe his ears, but honestly, he should’ve known earlier since he’d definitely noticed Ayato flirting with him before this…
“B-Because I wasn’t completely sure! I- er- also struggled to tell if it was, erm, ‘bromance’ or romance, as you’d put it…” Ayato replied, surprised by how upset Itto seemed. It made him nervous, but he tried to stay calm. “I’ve never known someone like you, so I didn’t really have anyone to compare your behavior with…” he explained, wanting to add that he was a unique character, but he worried it’d sound like an insult…
“That-!! … th-that makes sense, actually…” Itto said, calming down. “You still should’ve asked me, man! I’ve been anxious about it for such a long time, dude!” he complained, wishing he would’ve known sooner.
“You’re right, I’m sorry, Itto.” Ayato gently took one of Itto’s hands in his own, being careful not to drop the bouquet or the chocolates. “Let’s make up for lost time, then~” he said, making Itto blush.
“Mhm… i- uh… is this the part wh-where we kiss..?” Itto asked nervously. It was cute how quickly his emotions would change.
“Yes… if you want to.” Ayato gently moved one of his hands to hold Itto’s chin, noticing how tense he got and how he shut his eyes.
“Uh-… I-… I don’t know!” Itto pulled away. “I’ve never been in a relationship before! I dunno-… I haven’t had my first kiss or anything yet..!” he exclaimed, looking as if he felt ashamed.
“Oh, haha…!” Ayato patted Itto on the head. “Neither have I.” he said, smiling softly at him.
“Huh? How?? You’re always so experienced with everything, n’…” he mumbled nonsense at the end, fidgeting with his hands.
“Yes, but I haven’t had a proper partner before. So far, you’re the only one that’s expressed genuine romantic interest for me…” Ayato said, gently stroking Itto’s cheek.
“Really..?” But… how could that be? Ayato was soooo handsome and kind… How could he not have..?
“Yes… I’ve had “offers” before, but they only wanted my money.” Ayato said, realizing he’d have to tell Itto about his occupation sooner or later… though, he decided now wasn’t a good time.
“Mhm… good thing I only want you~” Itto flirted, having gained confidence since he and Ayato were on the same level in terms of experience.
“Oho, you-.. that’s-… ahem…” Ayato was caught off-guard and blushed, surprised that he’d lose his composure so easily.
“Ha! Gotcha! Who’s the shy mess now, huhhh~?” Itto teased, laughing at his reaction.
“Hmph. Touché, my love. Though it’ll be you by the time I kiss you silly.” Ayato said, adjusting his hold of Itto’s gifts.
“Oh yeah? You wish.” Itto taunted confidently, secretly hoping Ayato would tease him for it… but he’d never admit that.
“Indeed…” Ayato gently held Itto’s chin, tilting his head to an optimal angle. “May I?”
“Uh-…” Itto got nervous right away, which Ayato noticed.
“I can kiss you somewhere else, if that’s easier for you. Like your cheek, or your forehead… Would you like that?” he offered, assuming a kiss on the lips would be too much for him. Itto stayed silent and nodded, too shy to speak. He wanted to be kissed, but had indeed never been kissed on the lips before. He wasn’t sure if he could handle it, so it’d be easier to decide if Ayato kissed him elsewhere.
“Speak up, darling~ I need a clear ‘yes’ or I won’t do it~” Ayato teased, making Itto smile despite his embarrassment.
“J-Just do it already!” Itto begged, the anticipation absolutely killing him.
“Do what, hm~?” Ayato teased further, wanting to hear Itto say it.
“Hmph… k-… kiss me.” he said finally, his nerves feeling tingly and stupid.
“Hehe, alright… hold still.” Ayato leaned in slowly, and Itto shut his eyes, too shy to see him. The commissioner initially wanted to pause and pull away to tease him even more, but decided now wasn’t the time for that. Instead, he softly pressed his lips against Itto’s cheek, planting a soft kiss on the reddened skin. Itto was already blushing like crazy, making Ayato chuckle softly before planting another kiss on Itto’s other cheek.
“Goodness… You’re burning up~” Ayato teased, noticing how Itto was ripening like a tomato. Itto just whined and hid his face, which made Ayato laugh softly. “Are you alright~?”
“No..! I-It’s too much…” Itto mumbled, feeling overwhelmed. He’d never had romantic interactions like this before. It was all new to him, and he still had this big fat crush on Ayato even after confessing. It still felt so embarrassing…
“Ah, apologies, my dear. Shall we take things slow instead?” Ayato asked, catching on to how Itto felt. The oni nodded, peeking at him from between his fingers. “Would you like a hug?” Ayato asked, getting another nod before the two of them embraced. Itto let out a big sigh, melting into the other’s arms. He needed to be held, and Ayato was happy to oblige, holding him close and gently rocking him side to side. His experience with comforting Ayaka throughout the years proved useful for helping Itto as well.
“Mmh.. Ayato..?”
“Yes?”
“Um… d-do you think this’ll work out?”
“Yes, I do. You’re such a wonderful man… I can’t wait to see what sort of mischief we’ll get up to.”
“Mhm…” Itto felt relieved and smiled, feeling relaxed in his lover’s embrace.
“We’ll take it slow, for your sake. Let me know if you’d like to try anything new, okay?” Ayato said reassuringly, patting Itto’s back.
“Okay~…” Itto replied, affectionately nuzzling him, which made him chuckle. After a little while longer, the hug ended and the two of them were quiet for a moment before Itto spoke up.
“Ayato…?”
“Yes, my dear?”
“Um, uh… d-do you wanna go on a date with me?” Itto asked, fidgeting with his hands like the shy lil guy he’d been revealed to be at heart.
“Oh, I’d love to, darling… but, well-…” Ayato paused on purpose to make Itto nervous, feeling a little mean like that.
“But… what? You promised we could hang out today!” Itto replied, reacting quite unexpectedly. Ayato realized he messed up and quickly explained himself so Itto wouldn’t be upset.
“Ah- j-just hear me out..! Um.. Yes, I did promise, but~ and let me finish…” Ayato started, gently shushing Itto before he could protest. The oni grumbled and frowned at him, which was adorable… “Ahem… See, I don’t really feel like going out on a date today, dear.” he added.
“But you-!” Itto stopped himself and got quiet to process, noticing the way Ayato had said that just now.
“Hm~?”
“… right. So, what, do you just wanna stay here?” Itto asked, confused.
“Hmm, not quite~…” Ayato said, gently taking Itto’s hand before starting to lead him somewhere.
“Uhh…? Where are we going, then?” Itto asked, totally lost.
“I thought I could invite you over to my place. And I need to put these roses into a vase first and foremost so they don’t wilt.” Ayato said, smiling when Itto walked closer to him and held his arm, no doubt a little scared by the forest.
“R-Really?? I can finally come over??” Itto asked, pleasantly surprised. He’d never really been inside the estate yet, so it was really exciting to hear!
“Hehe, yes, you can.”
“Then c’mon! Hurry up so we can get there faster!”
“Now, hold on~…” Ayato resisted when Itto tried to lead him forward faster, holding his hand and pulling him back to himself. “Let’s take our time and enjoy the scenery. And the lovely company, of course~” he said, surprising Itto with a kiss on the cheek, which made him turn red again.
“Ah- uh-.. s-sure, let’s- uh… l-let’s walk, then…” Itto replied, flustered by all the affection.
At first, Itto felt too shy to speak much, but Ayato’s kind and patient attitude helped him feel more at ease and comfortable enough to talk more casually. They spoke about their days and their hobbies, definitely repeating things they’d already said to each other before. Ayato claimed the reason for that was to grow closer and get to know each other as boyfriends rather than acquaintances. That, and it helped them relearn some traits they’d forgotten about, such as Itto being allergic to all types of beans and Ayato being lactose intolerant. Itto also learned that Ayato was afraid of spiders, but didn’t need to share his own fear of ghosts since it was rather obvious given how he’d cower closer to Ayato whenever he thought he saw one. Chinju Forest could be spooky at times, and Ayato was happy to keep him safe.
He would do anything for him.
Chapter 10 - A Horrible Waiting Game
(Also on Ao3)
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Summary: Itto was about to confess his feelings for Ayato, but bro had suddenly left for a business trip the week before. They send letters back and forth til Itto gets a date on when Ayato will come home, and he waits patiently by the docks, only for Ayato to not arrive on the date he said he would. The constant change of plans makes Itto really stressed and frustrated, sending his anxiety off the charts. Why was Ayato not home yet?!
⚠️TRIGGER WARNING⚠️ strong emotions, anxiety, depictions of panic cus I’m EVIL writer, and yeah. Skip to the end if you don’t wanna see Itto’s heart break.
Word Count: 7963 holy fucking shit dude
“Itto…?”
“…”
“Itto, dearie..?”
“.. mmff… hmn…”
“Wake up, my dear~”
“.. hngh.. wwhhhyyy…!” Oh, the tragedy. Itto wasn’t allowed to stay in bed and sulk all day long, and was instead woken up by Granny Oni’s caring voice.
“That young man Thoma just came by with a letter for you, dearie.” she said, holding a neat looking envelope.
“Hm..?” Itto rubbed his eyes groggily and sitting up against his will, yawning while Ushi huffed lazily and moved aside only to go back to sleep. Lucky…
“He said it’s from Ayato.” Granny said, chuckling at how Itto’s eyes immediately went from super sleepy to very much awake.
“Whaa?? Lemme see!” He said, excitedly taking the letter and trying to open it.
“Ah, be careful, dearie! Don’t rip it now.” Granny said, smiling softly at how happy he got.
“Oh man, let’s see!” Itto said, struggling for a bit til he managed to rip the envelope to pieces without damaging the letter inside. Well, except for that one corner, but there was no text there, so it didn’t matter.
The letter read as follows:
“Dear Itto,
I must apologize for not reaching out to you sooner. Everything was so hectic that I didn’t have time to find you before my ship would depart. I had completely forgotten about the business trip that’d take place this month, so I had to quickly pack my things and rush to the docks to be there on time. Had I known, I would’ve told you the exact date I’d be leaving. I am terribly sorry to have left you without warning. I hope you can forgive me.
Sincerely, Kamisato Ayato.”
“Huh… so he really did forget…” Itto commented, relieved to hear he hadn’t neglected him on purpose. To be fair, he wouldn’t do that, but Itto’s anxious mind wouldn’t be rational unless proven wrong.
“Hmm..?” Granny soon received the letter so she could read it too, since Itto hadn’t read out loud. He struggled to do that since reading and speaking were two different tasks. “Oh, how kind of him.. He must really care about you.” Granny said reassuringly, thinking Ayato’s writing was charming.
“Heh, yeah… sucks that I gotta wait for him though.” Itto said, definitely still sleepy from being woken up.
“You should write a letter back to him.” Granny said, already getting some paper and a pen.
“But where do we send it? I uh… kinda ruined the envelope.” Itto said sheepishly, not really feeling like puzzling those pieces together.
“We can ask Thoma for help with that part. I’m sure he knows the address.” Granny said, smiling while giving the pen and papers to Itto.
“Pfft.. I better not find out he’s in Liyue too, then!” Itto joked, rubbing his eyes again before trying to focus on what to write back.
“Dear Ayato,
How dare you forget????? I gotta cover your house in toilet paper as punishment now!!! You’ve forced my hand!!!!! >:( !!!!!”
He he decided to be funny at first, but also wanted to write something more sincere…
“Hahaha! Jokes aside, when will you be back? I miss you so much already! I have so much to tell you when you’re back! Please answer as fast as you can!
From your best bro, Itto”
“There. He better get it fast! How long does it take to exchange letters between nations…?” Itto asked, trying to put the letter into an envelope Granny handed him.
“Well, we’re quite far from the other nations unfortunately. It could take up to a week, I think.” she replied, stroking Itto’s arm to comfort him when she saw the disappointment in his eyes.
“Hmph… can’t they make faster boats?” he asked with a pout, handing the letter to her since he struggled to put it in the envelope correctly.
“Maybe one day, dearie. You’ll just have to be patient.” Granny replied, folding the letter neatly before putting it in the envelope with ease, also closing it for him. Itto tried to pay attention to how she did it so he would learn.
“Mhm… ugh, I hate waiting..!” he whined, laying back down to sulk.
Granny chuckled before replying. “I know, dear. But I’m sure it’ll be worth the wait.”
“Uugghhh….!” Itto groaned, soon weighed down by a curious Ushi that had decided to lay on top of him, which made him laugh because he wasn’t expecting it. He didn’t stay down for very long though, because Shinobu soon came to visit like she’d promised to the day before, bringing snacks to cheer him up. There was no use just laying down and sulking all day anyway.
Soon, those long hours turned to days… The roses had wilted, which sucked to see. The waiting was driving Itto up the walls, and he tried his best to keep himself busy so he could make time pass quicker. He’d sent his letter through Thoma and eventually got one back while hanging out with his gang, which made him so excited he nearly ripped it in half trying to open the envelope.
“My dear Itto,
Please don’t get arrested for pranking’s sake. I believe TP’ing someone’s house might count as vandalism. Haha. :)
I miss you too. I will be back next month, sometime around the 20th if everything goes smoothly. I’m not completely sure as it depends on the weather out at sea and whatnot. I just know my duties in Liyue should be finished on the 18th next month.
I’m looking forward to seeing you again. Please wait for me.
Sincerely yours, Kamisato Ayato.”
“Ooooh, he’s in love with you for sure.” Genta said, noting the use of ‘my dear’ and ‘sincerely yours’. It was definitely on purpose.
“He’s so sweet for that… I’m jealous!” Mamoru said, half-joking since he sorta wanted this type of love too.
“Bro struck gold with that one.” Akira said, chuckling at how excited Itto was. The smile on his face was as bright as the sun.
“I can’t believe it! He actually wrote ‘MY dear Itto’! In WRITING. Now he can’t pull a ‘ooh I dunno what you’re talking about’ type scheme..!” Itto said, his heart pounding quickly in his chest.
“Hah. You’d better not worry he’s ‘just being friendly’ now, Boss. You’ve got proof.” Shinobu joked, smiling behind her mask.
“Hahahaha! Damn right I do! Now he can’t tease me about it!” Itto said proudly, planning to turn his shenanigans around on him when he came back to Inazuma.
“Yeah! And now we also have a date on when he’ll be back!” Akira said excitedly.
“Yeah! That’s perfect! He better not be late!” Itto said confidently, already planning to confess on the 20th. Or 21st if Ayato was too tired to hang out. Ooh this was so exciting! He was going to reply right away!
Days turned to weeks... The letters sent back and forth helped both of our lovebirds feel more at ease. Itto enlisted Thoma’s help to send replies every time he got one from Ayato. He’d been spending a lot of his time with arts and crafts to cope with his longing, and added little gifts and stickers every now and then, drawing little doodles in the corners of his letters every time. His eyes lit up whenever Ayato’s letters contained doodles too, which he only started doing after seeing it in Itto’s first letter.
Any time the commissioner received mail from Itto, it would make his day a hundred times better and easier to get through. He yearned to hold him so badly, to see his smile and to hear his laughter. Oh, how he missed him… He would sometimes send little gifts back, promising to bring him snacks from Liyue on his way home. Ayato simply couldn’t wait to see the look on his face when he’d feed him the treats himself and pat him on the head. He chuckled at the thought as he wrote yet another reply.
The last letter he received read as follows:
“To my bro Ayato,
Can you come back sooner? Pretty please? It’s so boring here without you! I’ll buy you boba if you teleport home right now! Hahaha! :D
I’ve been keeping myself busy so I don’t think too hard, and I made a thing for you. I hope it didn’t fall off in the mail. and I hope you like it! I hope you’re okay.
From your best pal Itto.
P.S. What’s taking you so long??? It’s been forever! Come home soon, okay? I miss you! :(“
He smiled, holding the small origami beetle with his fingers. It didn’t have legs, and the horn had clearly been added using scissors, but it was clear Itto had put a lot of effort into it, having drawn the pattern onto its back and added little details here and there to make it look more alive. It was really charming. He considered turning it into a pin he could wear, but decided against it. He wasn’t about to modify Itto’s art without permission…
He wrote a letter back, adding a whole sheet of stickers as a gift, as well as an origami folded flower he’d attempted to make himself. He was sure Itto would appreciate the extra things.
Soon enough, it was the 20th. Itto spent most of the day at Ritou’s docks, impatiently awaiting Ayato’s arrival. He hadn’t received a reply yet, which worried him, but he assumed it must’ve been because Ayato was out at sea. He didn’t want to miss it for anything, outright refusing to leave his waiting spot in case Ayato’s boat would arrive. He had no idea which one it would be, making him disappointed anytime the wrong one came around. So far three regular shipments had arrived and left with no Ayato in sight… and unfortunately, he didn’t show up all day.
“Agh, I don’t understand… what’s taking him so long?” Itto muttered impatiently, pacing back and forth to keep himself busy.
“Maybe… the ship got delayed?” Mamoru said, sat with Ushi in his lap.
“Did he say what time he’d be back?” Akira asked.
“Hmm… no, just that it’d be today.” Itto said, checking the letter again.
“I think it said around the 20th. He might not come til tomorrow.” Shinobu suggested, knowing how uncertain shipments could be due to weather changes and whatnot.
“Ugh, you and your semantics…” Itto sighed, glancing at the sunset.
“Hey, I’m not the one who wrote the letter.” Shinobu replied, rolling her eyes at his attitude. Sure, he was upset, but that wasn’t an excuse to be rude. Itto didn’t reply, keeping his frustration to himself.
“Mm… I don’t think more ships will come in today. Let’s check back tomorrow.” Genta suggested, assuming the sailing was done for the day since the sun was going down. Itto sighed with disappointment and agreed, hoping Ayato would come the day after at least…
On the 21st, the gang was back at their usual spot around noon, waiting for Ayato’s ship once more. Itto felt how his stress was building up, feeling frustrated from the lack of precise info. Why was Ayato late? And why hadn’t he replied yet? It wasn’t fair.
“Agh, he better arrive today! I’m sick of waiting!” Itto complained, definitely masking his sad disappointment with anger.
“You’ll have to be prepared for a potential delay, y’know.” Shinobu said, hoping it’d help.
“It’s so unfair! It’s like every time I’m ready for him, he’s gone!” Itto complained, hating how he couldn’t control the situation.
“He’ll come. I know he will.” Genta said, hoping it was true.
“Yeah. If he loves you, he’ll do whatever it takes to get back here!” Mamoru agreed, nodding.
“Tch, he’d better go faster, then…” Itto muttered, feeling annoyed by the positivity, which was unlike him. Then, he saw Thoma coming towards them, waving at them and smiling.
“Phew, there you are! I’ve been looking for you all over the place..!” he said, holding a piece of paper.
“Huh?” It was a letter.
“Here. It’s adressed to both of us.” Thoma said, handing the letter to Itto.
“Let me open it.” Shinobu said, but Itto pulled the letter away.
“No! I can do it myself..” he said, totally annoyed, mainly because Ayato wasn’t back yet… and because he hadn’t had lunch. He forgor. Shinobu glared in response but decided to just leave it be. If he ripped it, it wasn’t her fault.
He took a subtle breath to collect himself and carefully opened the envelope, managing to do it without ripping it this time. “Huh, what’s this?” He pulled out the sticker sheet, surprised by the unexpected gift.
“Whoa! Nice! I think those are for you.” Thoma said, appreciating Ayato’s kindness alongside Itto.
“Whoa, no way! That’s so cool!” Itto said, under-reacting since he wasn’t feeling great. He pulled the letter from its envelope, which made the origami flower fall out.
“Oh?” Thoma picked it up for him, smiling as he did so. He found it rather charming that Ayato would make a little craft for Itto like that. It was cute.
The letter read as follows:
“My dearest Itto,
I’m not sure when this letter will reach you. I’m writing this on the 17th at night to let you know my work in Liyue is finally done. I do wish it could’ve completed sooner, but I was unlucky. Tomorrow, as of writing this, we will mostly be preparing ourselves to travel back to Inazuma.
I’d like to thank you so much for writing to me, and for the lovely little beetle you made. I’ve made sure to keep it somewhere safe so it doesn’t get damaged. I do hope you haven’t been worrying too much. I’m sure we’ll meet again very soon.
I’ve missed you so terribly. I can’t wait to see you <3
Best wishes, your -friend- bro, Kamisato Ayato.”
Itto’s face lit up as he read, making him feel much better despite his hanger. (hunger + anger, that is. like hangry).
“Oho, is that a heart?”
“My dearest? Oh my..”
“Aww, he missed you too!”
“He drew hearts there too!”
“It’s a sign.”
“It’s tons of signs.”
“The whole thing is a sign.”
“You’re a sign…”
“… what?”
The gang rambled amongst themselves, reacting to the letter. Itto was sort of spaced out processing all of it.
He was so happy that Ayato had finally written back. He definitely noticed the now very obvious hints, knowing he should confess ASAP. Y’know, if Ayato were to show up already..! He noted the date written, counting that it was four days ago. Or three. He wasn’t sure how to calculate time like that, honestly. Just how long does it take to sail from Liyue to Inazuma anyway? Surely it can’t take that long…? If he got the letter now, then… where was Ayato?
“So… um… if he wrote this on the… 17th… huh…” Itto started, not sure where to lead his train of thought. He stared at the letter, trying to analyze it as if that’d help him figure out the exact date and time Ayato would come.
“If his ship doesn’t come today, it’ll likely come tomorrow.” Thoma said, trying to give him hope.
“Yeah, well… we can’t sit here all day, Boss. We need to take breaks and move around.” Shinobu said, feeling hungry.
“But what if he comes back and I’m not here to see him?” Itto asked, looking over at her.
“I’m sure he’ll understand. He’ll probably go looking for you.” Thoma said, comforting him.
“Exactly. You’re not gonna miss his arrival just by eating lunch.” Shinobu agreed.
“Yeah, come on, Boss! Let’s go get something to eat.” Akira said, also hungry.
“We’re outta snacks anyway.” Genta said.
“But-…!”
“Please? It’s not healthy for you to stay in the same spot all day.” Mamoru said.
“Mooo…” Ushi said, pushing himself into Itto’s legs to make him move.
“Gah, alright, fine! Stop pushing me!” Itto snapped, totally annoyed. Ushi didn’t react much and simply looked at him before licking his own nose a bit. He felt thirsty and didn’t really care about Itto’s tone of voice.
“I know the perfect spot! Mind if I tag along?” Thoma asked, hoping to get to know the gang more.
“Sure, lead the way.” Shinobu said.
“Heh, yeah! It’ll be fun, I’m sure!” Itto said, showing his mood swings. They’d better get there soon so he wouldn’t implode.
But of course, as bad luck would have it, Ayato didn’t come that day either. Itto was growing more and more desperate and worried, struggling to sleep soundly that night. What if something terrible had happened? What if he never came home? How would Itto find out…? Did he have to live without knowing forever? His thoughts kept him up til he passed out from exhaustion, and Granny Oni didn’t have the heart to wake him the next morning, letting him sleep in so he could rest. When he finally woke up on his own and realized it was past lunchtime, Granny pretty much forbade him from leaving the house without eating, no matter how stubborn he was. She felt bad that she had to be so firm and apologized to him once they’d started eating. The food helped Itto stabilize his mood, and once he was finished, he apologized too for getting so upset with her. In the end, they forgave each other, hugged, and said goodbye as Itto left to go to Ritou again. But first, he needed to find his gang so he wouldn’t have to be alone.
It was the 22nd now. Once he got to Ritou, his anxiety was through the roof. He hadn’t heard anything news-wise of any shipwrecks or delays. He still hadn’t gotten any letter and he hadn’t heard any new info from Thoma. His heart pounded hard in his chest anytime a ship would come by, pacing back and forth and fidgeting with his hands while trying to rationalize why on earth Ayato would be so late. It had been five days since he set off. Or four. Too many days in any case. He remembered how Granny Oni said it could take up to a week, mentally praying he’d come sooner than that. He couldn’t take it anymore. The waiting was driving him crazy!
“What if he got sick?! What if he’s in the middle of a storm?! What if-..! What if they sink?!” he rambled, trying very hard not to have a panic attack right then and there. He needed to hold on til the last ship came later that day after all. It’d come in the evening. Just a few hours left. Nothing more. Surely he’d come. Right? RIGHT?!
“He’s not going to sink. Stop saying that!” Shinobu protested, getting sick of his unrealistic concerns.
“Um, w-well, Ayato is very, very resourceful. If they were caught in a storm, he’d definitely survive.” Thoma said, getting hit in the arm by Shinobu in response. “Ow! What the heck?”
“Seriously? Do you think feeding into his anxiety will help?” She questioned, definitely worried as well since Itto’s anxious rambling was getting to her too. What if Ayaka was hurt…?
“What? That’s not what I’m doing! I- I just thought if I gave his worries a reason not to worry, he’d calm down..!” Thoma explained, rubbing his arm.
“He’s not gonna be caught in a storm.” Shinobu said, as if she knew for sure. She felt like she had to believe it to stay sane.
“No, but if- ow!” Thoma yelped, getting pinched.
“Stop it.” Shinobu said.
“No, you stop it!” Thoma retorted.
“You’re making it worse!” Shinobu snapped, definitely not projecting her own worries.
“Guys, shut up! Both of you! Stop fighting!” Genta said angrily. The tension was high since they all wanted to keep as calm as they could. The problem was that all of them had different ideas of how to do so the best…
“Yeah, we don’t need you two bickering too. We’re already stressed enough.” Mamoru said, gesturing towards Itto who was being comforted by Akira and Ushi and trying to control his breathing.
“Nobody’s gonna die in a storm. O-Or of any seasickness… okay? They’ll be fine..!” Akira said, trying to hide how annoyed he felt by how tense everything was.
“But our weather sucks, man! Our Archon is the Electro one! Y’know, thunderbolts and lightning…!” Itto said, failing to stay calm. Mamoru held back the urge to say ‘very very frightening’ and tried to give advice instead.
“Hey, I’m sure he’ll be fine. We Inazumans are used to all that.” he said, hoping it’d help.
“Y’know what? I think we should just ask the sailors how the weather is out there. They tend to know that better than us.” Genta said, tired of all the speculating and guessing.
“Good idea. I’ll come along too.” Thoma said, worried for the Kamisatos’ sake.
“I’ll go too. The rest of you should stay here.” Shinobu said, feeling bad for snapping at Thoma earlier.
“We should get some snacks if there are any…” Genta suggested, already starting to leave.
“Hmph, why can’t I come along? I wanna know the weather too!” Itto protested.
“Because you’re panicking, Boss. It’s better for you to stay here where it’s safe so you don’t get stared at.” Shinobu replied, knowing judgemental looks from others was the last thing he’d need right now.
“Tch, fine…” Itto felt annoyed, but knew she was right. It’d stress him out more for sure…
“Don’t worry, Boss. We’re here for you!” Akira said, putting his arm around his shoulders to emphasize his point, hugging him from the side like that as a bro should.
“Exactly! You’ll be fine!” Mamoru said, smiling at him. Ushi huffed and looked up at him with big eyes, signaling for him to sit down and pet him.
“Heh… thanks guys.” Itto said, wiping tears from his eyes. He felt the tension lift slightly when the other three left.
Their walk was quiet for a while until Shinobu spoke up. “I’m sorry, Thoma. I shouldn’t have hit you…”
“Eheh… thank you, Shinobu. I’m sorry I got mad at you. I was just trying to help...” Thoma said, feeling guilty for making her so upset.
“Yeah, I know… Still, it wasn’t fair for me to lash out.” Shinobu replied, hoping it wouldn’t happen again.
“It’s fine, I don’t blame you, really..!” Thoma said, smiling softly.
“You should.” Genta said, regretting it when he felt himself get jabbed. “Ack-..!”
“Shut it.” Shinobu said, not in the mood for jokes.
“Jeez, sorry!” Genta complained, feeling like he should’ve known better. Thoma tried not to laugh and managed to compose himself in time to talk to one of the sailors…
In the meantime, Mamoru, Akira, and Ushi did their best to keep Itto’s anxiety under control. At first, they were quiet, just sorta sitting around and taking turns interacting with Ushi. Itto seemed to have zoned out again, but they weren’t sure. Nobody said anything until he let out a sigh and changed expression, looking sad and tired. Mamoru put a hand on his shoulder to show support.
“… I’m sure it’s fine, really.” Akira said, hoping Ushi would back him up.
“Mhm. Even if there really is a storm, us Inazumans are used to it, so our ships are built to survive them.” Mamoru said, having agreed with Thoma’s logic from earlier.
“Yeah. They’ll be alright. It’s not like they’d let someone as cool as Ayato go on a badly built ship anywow, right?” Akira said, shrugging a bit, fidgeting with Ushi’s armor for a bit before taking it off so he could rest more comfortably in Itto’s lap.
“Mhm…” Itto responded, wiping tears from his eyes again. Ushi licked his other hand a little to cheer him up, assuming that if dogs could do that, so could he.
“Pfft.. anywow?” Mamoru asked, noticing that little error.
“Huh?” Akira looked confused.
“You said anywow.” he clarified, trying not to laugh.
“No I didn’t! I said anyhow! … th-that’s what I meant, anyway!” Akira argued, crossing his arms at Mamoru’s poor attempt to keep his giggles to himself. “Tch. I think my brain wanted to say both of them at the same time...” Akira said, looking away so he wouldn’t laugh too. They tried to get serious again until they heard Itto snicker.
“Huh..! What was that sound?” Mamoru asked, raising an eyebrow and looking at his boss. Did he laugh?
“I dunno. Boss, did you hear that?” Akira asked, noticing how he covered his mouth to hide his smile.
“That’s so strange.. It came from your direction.” Mamoru said, smiling at him with a mischievous look on his face.
“Hmm. I dunno, it could’ve been Ushi.” Akira said, chuckling when Itto tried to distract himself by avoiding eye contact.
“Yeah, it was Ushi, trust.” Mamoru said, giggling when Ushi protested.
“Moo! *huff*…” he said, jokingly telling them to get a grip, which is when Itto snickered again and started laughing.
“Ha! Gotcha!” Akira exclaimed proudly.
“Yeahhh!” Mamoru exclaimed, high-fiveing him.
“That’s not fair! I’m going through shit!” Itto complained, unable to stop giggling. He felt a bit embarrassed, even though he didn’t need to.
“That’s too bad. You just got anywow’d.” Akira said with a serious look on his face, which made Mamoru laugh too. They continued to laugh and crack jokes, successfully distracting Itto from his worries. That went on until the others came back some minutes later.
“Damn, what did we miss?” Genta said, followed by Thoma and Shinobu as they came back.
“Oh, stop, don’t remind me..!” Mamoru said, his sides hurting from laughing.
“Oh, it was the funniest shit! I’ll tell you later tho.. we’re kinda dying.” Akira said, wiping tears of mirth from his eyes.
“Heheh..! Man, that was crazy..” Itto said, his face slightly reddened from all that gigglin’.
“Haha, well it’s good to see you smile!” Thoma said, relieved to see him finally be calm.
“Yeah. Great work, you guys.” Shinobu said, sharing that relief. Though it’d be short-lived…
“Sooo… what didja hear?” Itto asked, looking at Thoma, who seemed visibly awkward upon being asked.
“Ah! Well, uh.. The next ship should arrive in about two to three hours.” he replied, though the subtle glances between him, Genta, and Shinobu were very noticable.
“Uh-huh?” Itto’s smile faded as he got suspicious, narrowing his eyes a little. He gently lifted Ushi out of his lap and stood up. “What about the weather, then?” he questioned.
“Uh… um…” Thoma hesitated, but Genta got impatient.
“There’s, uh.. there was a storm. It was kinda hard to tell since it’s kinda far away right now, but…” Genta said, soon followed up by Shinobu while Itto’s heart sank.
“There was lightning, for sure. They said the incoming ships would likely be late because of it.” she said, feeling bad upon seeing Itto go pale.
“Uh- but! But, um, the guy said it seemed like it had been going on for a while now, and no ships have- er, I mean, all-.. damn how do I word it?” Thoma said, more nervous than a cat in a boat.
“Every ship has made it here safely so far. At least out of all the ones predicted for today. It’s just Ayato’s left.” Genta said, directly quoting the sailor they’d spoken to.
“Yes. Thank you.” Thoma said, soon noticing the worried expression on Itto’s face. “I-It’ll be fine! They’ll be okay! It’s not their first time..!” he said, trying to comfort him.
“It’s not like he could’ve done it that much! The borders were closed for years! Even I know that!” Itto said, getting stressed again.
“Well, yes, but-.. There’s been plenty of time before and after that whole situation to, um.. to make our boats stronger! And the one Ayato is on is one of the best ones we’ve got!” Thoma said, hoping to reassure him.
“Yeah. They wouldn’t let the Kamisatos board anything else.” Shinobu said, feeling more at ease thanks to Thoma’s knowledge.
“What should we do in the meantime, then? It’ll be boring to just sit here and wait for hours.” Akira said, hoping they could go do something else. Anything else, really.
“Yeah, we need a change of scenery! This place just has negative energy now…” Genta complained, not wanting to associate their hangout spot with worry and anxiety forever.
“But… what about the ship? I don’t wanna miss it..” Itto said, trying to stay calm.
“We can all help keep track of it!” Mamoru said, petting Ushi as usual.
“Yeah! We’ll be sure to be back here when the time comes.” Genta agreed, nodding.
“Yeah!! With all our, um… uh… our seven brains working together to remember, there’s no way we’ll forget!” Akira said, pointing to his head for more emphasis.
“Yeah!” the other two agreed.
“Moooo…!” Ushi said, wanting to contribute.
Itto was quiet for a moment, tearing up from how kind his friends were. But… he felt too desperate to leave in case something happened. “I-… I can’t…”
“Itto…” Thoma went closer and carefully put a hand on his shoulder. “You’ll feel better with something to do for a while, y’know.. You’ll just suffer if you stay here for two hours straight. Won’t you at least come for a walk? We don’t have to go too far.” he said, keeping his voice gentle while Itto sniffled and wiped his eyes.
“Yeah… We can stay near Ritou so you can still see the water. That way, we’ll notice when the next ship comes, even if we aren’t right here.” Shinobu said, trying to reassure him.
“Moo…” Ushi said, hoping to comfort him while Akira put his armor back on.
“Yeah. Everything is going to be fine.” Akira said, patting him on the back.
“I-It better…” Itto said, wiping tears from his eyes. He felt so worried. What if the ship really did sink? Even if Ayato was smart, how would he survive that?
“We got this, Boss. You’ll be okay.” Shinobu said, needing him to understand it. It was hard for the gang to see him so distraught, but they finally managed to convince him to leave the area for a while to at least go for a walk.
While out, Thoma, Genta, and Shinobu shared some of the snacks they’d brought, but Itto said he wasn’t hungry and didn’t eat any. At least not til a little later when he changed his mind. The change in scenery was very much needed, and the air felt easier to breathe since the atmosphere wasn’t so heavy now. Itto tried his best to stay distracted so he didn’t have to worry so much, and eventually, the group started to crack jokes and laugh together, with him included. The change of environment helped with lifting their spirits, and they all grew closer with Thoma. Especially Ushi, who got to try out some treats he’d brought. Man, it was amazing to just forget the world for that moment… It felt like only an hour had passed when Thoma and Shinobu noticed an incoming ship. About two and a half hours had passed, so they hurried on back to see who was onboard.
“Phew… hah… looks like we got here just in time..!” Thoma said, seeing the final ship of the day getting docked and the sailors getting ready to help. It seemed quite wet… It must’ve rained a lot on them.
“Oh, thank goodness…!” Itto said, truly relieved they hadn’t missed anything.
“You guys wait here, I’ll go down and help.” Thoma said, recognizing the ship and feeling worried for the people onboard.
“Wait, why do-? Ah…” Itto didn’t have time to ask before Thoma already left.
“Well.. there’s lots of passangers, probably, since it’s a big ship. You’d likely get overwhelmed by the sea of people, no pun intended.” Shinobu said, watching as Itto put Ushi down since he’d been carrying him while running.
“Yeah, good point…” he said, sitting down to rest. The rest of the gang did the same.
Itto looked at the ship and all the people, but he felt hopeless inside. He’d been waiting for so long, and been let down like five days in a row. Time was hard to count. What if he wasn’t on the ship this time either..? His mind wandered as he zoned out…
Meanwhile at the docks, Thoma tried his best to wade through the sea of people, pun intended, to reach the ship so he could help out. He stood by one of the sailors once he got closer, helping out with whatever he could. “Come on, my lord, where are you..?” he mumbled to himself, getting impatient. He couldn’t see Itto from there, which worried him, but he couldn’t leave yet…
“Boss?” Itto was still spacing out, but jolted back to reality when Shinobu held his shoulder. “Boss!”
“Wah! Hey! Don’t scare me like that!” Itto snapped, quickly realizing he’d yelled at Shinobu of all people. Thankfully, she didn’t react.
“Sorry, Boss. You were zoning out. That’s not good…” she said, worried about him.
“I just-..! Ugh, I’m sick of waiting!! It’s been days! Where is he?!” Itto questioned desparately.
“M-Maybe we could see him better if we get up?” Mamoru suggested, standing up to get a better view. The rest of the group did the same, with Itto being the last one up since he had to move Ushi.
“Um…”
“Do you see him?”
“No..?”
“Where is he..?”
“We’re probably too far away…”
“Yeah…”
Itto was getting more desperate, but knew he couldn’t just run in there and push everyone aside to check the ship himself. He’d get arrested for sure, which would trigger a meltdown at this state. He couldn’t take that right now.
“Where is he??” he asked, the stress making him tear up.
“H-He’s got to be there somewhere..!” Akira tried to reassure. But it was no use. After a few minutes, which felt like forever, Itto started to cry.
“It’s pointless! He’s not on that ship, is he?! He’s late again!” he complained, tears rolling down his cheeks. His tone of voice indicated anger, which was very concerning.
“H-He’ll be back, I’m sure of it-..” Shinobu tried to say, but was interrupted.
“How can you be so sure?! You can’t see him any better than I can!! He’s-…! He’s not coming back…” Itto snapped, his anger slowly washed away by his tears.
“Shut up already! Don’t you dare say that! Are you really going to give up on him so easily?!” Shinobu snapped, needing to get some sense into this mess of a man. “Ayato wouldn’t want you to just stand here and sob. He’d be pissed if he found out you’d given up!”
“Whoa, Shinobu..!” “Calm down..!” Genta and Mamoru were shocked by her sudden anger.
“Don’t tell me to calm down!” She snapped again, furious with Itto. Both he and Akira just stood there looking bewildered, hoping things wouldn’t escalate further. “They WILL come back! Okay?! Th-They will..!” Shinobu’s voice quivered for a moment, but she didn’t allow herself to show weakness and turned away from them. “… save the panic for later. Just wait.” she said quietly. Itto had thankfully stopped crying by now, wiping his tears.
“Shinobu…” Akira wasn’t sure what to say. He wanted to comfort her, but didn’t know if she needed that or space.
Itto was quiet, simply wiping his tears and looking at the docks. “… he’d want us to stay strong.” he said quietly after a while, composing himself. To his and the gang’s surprise, he needed to hear that. Though, he stopped looking at the docks, his gaze falling to the ground instead. Gods, he was so, so tired of waiting…
Minutes passed by… They felt longer than they had any right to…
Most of the people had left the ship by now. No Kamisatos in sight…
“… wait.” Shinobu narrowed her eyes, looking at the ship. There were still a few passangers left, it seemed.
“What…?” Akira, Genta, and Mamoru joined her to see. They noticed the guards and their spears. Maybe-…?
“Boss! Look!” Genta called out.
“Huh? What’s the point…” Itto mumbled.
“C’mon! Now!” Genta demanded, and Itto got closer to check what the fuss was about.
“What am I lookin’ at?” he asked, cranky and tired of those stupid boats and bridges, blowing them up in his mind.
“Keep looking. See those guards?” Shinobu said, pointing.
“Yeah..?” Itto narrowed his eyes.
“They work for Ayato.” Shinobu said, admitedly just guessing, but she felt like she was correct.
“Wh-..?” Itto froze and immediately tried his best to focus his eyes on the remaining passangers, not looking away for even a millisecond. Not even blinking. Please… be there…
He saw Thoma walk past the guards.
He saw people leaving.
He saw a girl with blue hair followed by a man with blue hair, dressed in mostly white.
He saw the guards escorting the-… wait a sec…
Time stopped as he processed it all. Could it be-…?
“Let me take your bags, My Lord.”
“I can handle it, Thoma, thank you.”
“But, My Lord…!”
“Please, I’m not that frail~”
“Hah..! I’m not saying that. Just let me help! You must be tired from that horrible weather.”
“I’m fine, Thoma.”
“Please, just give me the bags.” Thoma rolled his eyes and tried to convince the commissioner to follow his commands. He was quite stubborn.
“Why? How come you’re so persistent?”
“Because~… You’ll have your hands full soon, y’know.”
“Oh? What do you mean?”
Thoma smiled and pointed towards the gang’s hangout spot further away, noticing them now that the absolute ocean of people had gone. Well, there weren’t that many people, but it sure felt like there was… Ayato’s eyes lit up once he recognized Itto standing there in the distance, stiff as a board for some reason.
“I see… In that case, I suppose you can take my bags.” Ayato said, chuckling.
“Great! I’ll see you at the estate, then!” Thoma said, happily escorting Ayaka while carrying the bags.
“Yes, thank you, Thoma.” Ayato smiled and bowed a little to show respect, since he was such a proper fellow.
Itto was full of emotion, frozen in place til Shinobu put a hand on his shoulder, startling him a little. “What are you waiting for, Boss? Go to him.” she said, not about to let him suffer any further. She was going to follow him so she could check on Ayaka to quell her own worries as well…
Ayato smiled and waved from the docks, silently inviting Itto over. The oni began approaching the commissioner soon enough, starting to run the closer he got, ignoring all the people concerned about where he was going. Ayato stubbornly dismissed his guards and opened his arms, taking a few steps forward to meet Itto, almost losing balance from the sheer impact the oni raced at him with.
“Oh, Itto..! It’s so nice to see you again...” Ayato said, hugging him warmly. Itto barely got a word out before he started absolutely sobbing, overwhelmed with emotion after being so worried for days on end. He was overjoyed that Ayato made it back safely, even if that meant he’d be drowning him with his tears at the moment. Ayato was shocked, not expecting such a strong reaction to his arrival. He’d likely lost track of time…
“I- *hic* I thought I’d never see you again!! I thought you’d sank!!” Itto cried, hugging Ayato as if his life depended on it.
“Oh, Itto… you silly boy, I would never leave you behind like that…” Ayato said, feeling sorry for him. Itto sniffled and hiccuped, trying to regain control of his emotions before he pulled away for a moment, grabbing Ayato by the shoulders.
“Don’t you EVER be late again!” he demanded angrily, tears in his eyes before they once again streamed down his face. “Please..! I can’t handle it!” he begged, as if Ayato could control the weather.
“Oh, Itto, my dear… I’m so, so sorry. You must’ve been so scared..” Ayato said, tearing up and gently wiping Itto’s tears with his hands. It was clear he needed to be held again, so Ayato gently pulled him back into a hug, hoping to help him calm down.
“I promise, I’m going to prioritize telling you when the next business trip comes. I’m not going to forget it again, I promise you…” Ayato said, feeling very guilty even though he already apologized over mail. He didn’t realize just how bad it was… “I will never forget it again, you hear..?” he said, needing Itto to understand that.
The oni sniffled, face buried in Ayato’s shoulder. He’d missed him more than words could describe. The thought of losing him before saying how he felt was so utterly terrifying…
“I-… I love you..” …that he confessed his feelings without thinking. He began to panic upon realizing what he’d said, but before he could start apologizing and excusing himself, Ayato simply hugged him tighter, whispering into his ear…
“I love you too…”
They stood there, crying and hugging for quite some time like sad, wet cats, all while Ayato’s guards made sure people left them alone. This moment made at least a few of them realize how important Itto was to him, so they didn’t want curious bystanders to disrupt their tender moment. It was clear Itto and Ayato meant the world to each other…
At the same time, Shinobu hugged Ayaka, shedding a few tears as well for once since she’d been worried too. Not nearly as worried as Itto, but still worried enough to cry from the relief. Thoma helped out with comforting her.
“I’m so sorry we’re late, Shinobu! They said there would be a storm, which halted most of the traffic at sea.. and then the weather got bad anyway after we set off!” Ayaka explained, hugging her dear friend so tight.
“Gosh..! You both had us worried sick!” Shinobu said, wiping her tears.
“I know! I’m so sorry!” Ayaka said, tearing up.
“It-.. It’s not your fault.” Shinobu said, finally letting her emotions out.
“Oh, you guys, it’s okay..! Let’s head to the estate together!” Thoma said, hoping to cheer them up.
“Oh, I can’t wait to finally go home..!” Ayaka said, wiping her tears as the hug ended.
“Yeah, I can imagine…” Shinobu said, chuckling a little as she wiped her tears. “I’m so glad you’re safe. All of Boss’s worrying got me worried sick too.” she added, talking with sincerity.
“Hehe, I can imagine..! Poor guy. I hope Ayato can handle him…” Ayaka said, looking back to see if she could see them.
“Heh. Yeah. They’ll be fine.” Thoma said with a smile, tall enough to see them reunite.
Meanwhile at the hangout spot, the Arataki gang cheered upon seeing them hug, so happy to have them finally be together in such a tender moment. They were of course happy for Shinobu as well, finding their strong bonds to be heartwarming to witness. Hell, even Ushi got emotional since they all knew how worried Itto and Shinobu had been, feeling at least a third of the relief their Boss must’ve felt. Maybe. It was hard to measure, really, since his emotions were so strong…
“Oh, we have to tell Granny Oni he’s back safely.” Mamoru said.
“Yeah, we’d better let her know soon so she doesn’t have to worry anymore!” Akira agreed.
“Yeah. C’mon, let’s get going! I’m sure Boss will understand.” Genta said.
“Moooo!” Ushi said, taking the lead back to Granny Oni’s house while the others followed, before he was rudely picked up by Akira so they could get there faster.
“Mooo!”
“Sorry, Ushi, but we need to hurry! She must be worried sick!”
It took a while for Itto to finally stop crying. Ayato held him close the whole time, appreciating the work his guards were putting in to give them some privacy. He hugged him lovingly and stroked his back, softly talking to him to make sure he knew he was safe and loved. So very loved…
“Ugh, I’m such a crybaby…!” Itto complained.
“It’s okay… so am I…” Ayato replied, wiping his tears.
Once the two finally calmed down fully, they held each other in silence for a while, just enjoying the moment with no idea what to say to each other. But that was alright. Words weren’t needed just yet… This hug was pure bliss for now…
“… ah… Ayato..?”
“Yes..?”
“Um… wh-.. when’s your next trip..?”
“Hm~… I don’t know yet…”
“Huh..? Why noooott…??”
“Hehe.. we haven’t scheduled anything yet. I’ll let you know when I find out, I promise you.” Ayato squeezed him gently to emphasize his point.
“Mm…” Itto sighed and leaned into him for support.
“… ah, Itto, be careful..!”
“Mn.. night night..”
“N-No, I-! Pfft, hahaha…!” Ayato laughed, struggling to keep Itto upright, which made the oni laugh too. “Oh, you’ve no idea how much I’ve missed that sound~” Ayato said, ruffling Itto’s hair once he straightened up.
“Hahahaha! Oh man, I’m so glad you’re back safely!” Itto said, not sure what to do with himself now that pure happiness was coursing through his veins.
“Haha, so am I..!” Ayato said, but his smile started to look forced.
“Uh..! Are you okay? You’re not seasick or anything, right?” Itto asked, wanting to get off this damn rollercoaster already.
“Oh, I’m alright. It’s just… well, it’s kind of exhausting to travel for work, you know.” Ayato said, rubbing his eyes. He couldn’t wait to just get home and sleep.
“O-Oh, heh! Right! Um..! Could I, uh, maybe- um… w-walk you home?” Itto asked shyly, hoping to get closer to Ayato now that he had the chance.
“Yes, that would be wonderful. You’ll have to carry me if I pass out~” Ayato said, chuckling a little.
“Y-You’re gonna faint??”
“Oh! No, no, I was joking! Hah.. sorry, darling..” Ayato said, chuckling more at his reaction.
“Ohh, haha! Sorry..! I’ve been so stressed lately, I just-…” … did he just call him ‘darling’?
“Hm..?” Ayato smiled and raised an eyebrow. “Cat got your tongue~? Oh dear…” he teased.
“Wh-?! Shut up! Get your ass home already, c’mon!” Itto said, flustered and taking Ayato’s hand to lead him away from that dumb and stupid boat. Ayato laughed and pulled himself closer to Itto, feeling so safe and protected around him.
“Tch. I didn’t think you’d start bullying me as soon as you got back.” Itto muttered, pretending to be upset.
“Mhm… I missed it so much, you see. I don’t have anyone to tease among my staff.” Ayato replied, smiling as they walked together, followed by Ayato’s guards.
“Hmph, get someone then!” Itto retorted.
“Alright… You’re hired.” Ayato replied, chuckling at the reaction he got out of Itto, who stuttered and struggled to reply, which eventually made him laugh instead. Itto pouted and complained, but couldn’t keep up the façade and started laughing too. It felt so good to finally have him back…
He loved him so much…
More than anything in the world…
…
… except maybe Granny, but that’s a different type of love, so they can actually share first place since they win in their separate categories. But that’s irrelevant for now…
“Oh, by the way, do you remember those snacks I mentioned?”
“Yeah? You never sent any!”
“Haha, oh, you’re mistaken~ I never said I’d send any.”
“Hmph…”
“But I did buy several different treats for you before we boarded the ship.”
“Y-You did?!”
“Mhm~”
“Then where are they, huh? You better not be pulling my leg!”
“Hahahaha~..! I’m not ‘pulling’ anything, dear. Thoma has my bags.”
“…”
“What?”
“I heard that.”
“Heard what, hm~?”
“Oh, don’t even try! I know what you’re doing!”
“Hahaha~…!”
He was so mean… and just… so… perfect.
What he gets for not co-operating
(Also on Ao3)
I dreamt about these two idiots a while ago and couldn’t get that adorable scene out of my head. It’s not like I wanted to get rid of it anyway, so it’s a fanfic now :)))
Enjoy the sillies~
Word Count: 1087
Ayato held Itto in a tight grip, having his arms wrapped around the other. His goal was to push him into their bed so he could kiss him all over, but Itto was not co-operating, giggling to himself as he pushed back to wrestle instead. He held Ayato in a big ol’ hug, squeezing him with love.
“I’m still stronger than you~” the oni teased, grinning as he quite literally stood his ground. Ayato scoffed at that remark.
“You’re no match for me. I’ll have you right where I want you in just a moment~”
“Oh yeah? Try me!”
Ayato huffed, struggling to keep up with the other’s might. It was like trying to force a boulder to move with sheer strength alone; one that Ayato unfortunately lacked at the moment. He needed a small break to breathe before trying again, he thought.
“Awh, you done already?” Itto teased, resting his chin on the commissioner’s head while rubbing his back softly.
“Hah, you wish.” Ayato replied confidently, melting into the hug for a moment. It was nice to be held, after all…
“Oh reeeeaaallly? Cus it looks like you’re giving up early~” Itto replied, taunting him in a sing-song voice. He’d let his guard down, leaving Ayato the perfect opportunity to strike.
He pushed him suddenly with newfound strength, saying “Who said anything about giving up?”
“Whoa!” Surprised, Itto briefly lost balance, failing to keep his stance thanks to Ayato’s skill, ending up sitting on the edge of their bed, struggling, but still trying to keep himself upright. He panted a little before taunting him. “Heh, is that all you got?”
Ayato chuckled, leaning into him to push him down, all while keeping him held in a hug. “Oh, I still have an ace up my sleeve, my love…” he said, adjusting to sit in the oni’s lap at this point.
“But… isn’t that cheating?” Itto accused lightheartedly.
“Maybe…” Ayato mumbled, continuing his push while his grip altered. He moved his hands and loosened his hug slightly before his fingers delivered the gentlest pinch-like movements to Itto’s back, tickling his spine.
“Hey! Hehehe! That’s cheating…!” Itto whined, instinctively arching his back and losing balance. Although his back wasn’t very ticklish, the gentle and unpredictable sensation made him giggle anyway.
“Awh, look at you~” Ayato cooed, his heart fluttering at that sweet sound. He looked at Itto’s smile, his gaze full of love and adoration already. Before he could tease him further, Itto surrendered by laying down flat on his back, his hug bringing Ayato with him.
“You’re so mean to me…” he muttered, sporting a playful pout since he’d lost. He always acted silly with the love of his life…
“Hm~ I win!” Ayato chuckled at the oni’s expression, adjusting his position to get more comfortable once Itto let him go. The oni huffed and crossed his arms, acting like he was mad.
“Hmph! You still cheated! I’m still stronger than you.” he said with a scoff, turning his head away to act dramatic.
“Awh, sore loser much?” Ayato teased, smiling down at his lover while placing his hand on Itto’s cheek, gently making the oni look at him. “Silly boy… It’s not all about winning, it’s about having fun~”
“Hmph, shut up…” Itto leaned into the touch, letting his fake anger melt away as his cheek was stroked. Ayato hummed a bit and put his other hand on Itto’s other cheek as well, gently cupping his face and stroking with his thumbs.
“Awh, you’re so cute~…” he said lovingly, gently petting the silly oni he adored so much. Itto smiled and melted to the touch, gently grabbing Ayato’s wrists to keep his hands close.
“And you’re so mean~” Itto teased, chuckling to himself when Ayato responded with a playful squint.
“Is that so? How rude.” he said, leaning in to plant a kiss on Itto’s forehead. “You should know better than to challenge me…”
Itto snickered and shut his eyes when he was kissed, his cheeks reddening from how close his lover was.
“Maybe I should teach you a lesson~” Ayato teased, sending shivers down Itto’s spine with that look in his eyes.
“Nooo~! I don’t need to learn anythihing-!” Itto said quickly before he was interrupted by his own laughter. Ayato had started tickling him again, targetting his sides with playful scribbles this time.
“Don’t talk back~” Ayato teased, smiling at the other’s happy, yet slightly panicked expression. Itto’s laughter was like music to his ears and made his heart flutter more. Oh, he just loved this man so much, he thought to himself, feeling warm inside.
Itto squirmed from the tickling, his legs kicking behind Ayato while he laughed. “Bwahahahahaha!! Lemme go~!” he whined playfully, giggling his head off whilst failing to protect himself. In fact, he was failing so badly one would assume he wasn’t even trying to block those tickling hands…
“Now, why would I release my prey, hm~? You’re far too much fun to play with, my dear.” Ayato teased, finding every reaction from the other to be absolutely adorable. The way his eyes would squeeze shut, that big, adorable smile, the fact that he’d rather hide his face than defend himself… good lord…
“Y-You’re so mehehehean!” Itto complained, but he wasn’t suffering. In fact, he was having lots of fun, but would rather die than admit it at the moment.
Ayato chuckled at the other’s squirms, switching targets from Itto’s sides to his ribcage instead, making him throw his head back and laugh louder while his squirms increased. “Not the ribs!!” he pleaded, but to no avail.
“Shouldn’t have left them open, darling~” Ayato teased, taking pride in the destruction of his beloved oni. He was just too darn cute with that infectious laughter and adorable widdle face. Ayato could do this all day… or night, I guess.
“Plehehehehease!!” The cutest thing of all was when Itto’s laughter mixed with his words, creating giggly gibberish that made Ayato chuckle.
“Oh, fine~, I suppose I can let you live this time.” Ayato joked, relenting his attack to simply admire the results.
“Hahaha…” Itto took a moment to breathe, giggling between inhales. His cheeks were red and he rubbed his eyes, wiping a few tears of mirth.
“You okay, darling?” Ayato asked, rubbing the other’s cheeks again like he’d done before.
“Ehehe~ yeah! I’m better than okay…” Itto replied, still smiling up at his boyfriend while melting to the touch.
That smile…
That damn smile…
Ayato would do anything to protect it.
Chapter 5 - Emotional Damage
(Also on Ao3)
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Summary: Itto and Ayato meet at an unfortunately vulnerable time in Chinju Forest. Itto was hiding there to cry by himself, but Ayato accidentally finds him when taking a detour to escape his responsibilities for a while. He tries to comfort him and the two end up opening up to each other, and Ayato learns Itto is a lot more complicated than just sunshine and silliness. Once they’re finished crying, they go for a walk.
Characters: Kamisato Ayato, Arataki Itto
Word Count: 4368
Since Ayato met Itto, the two would often try to meet up to have beetle battles with each other, and after having lost a ton of times, Itto felt really bummed and almost wanted to quit. However, Ayato wouldn’t let that happen and gave him some words of wisdom to encourage him to never give up. It worked like a charm and Itto was more determined than ever to win one day. Since then, he kept calling Ayato his “bro” every time they hung out. He’d also jokingly call him “fancy-pants” whenever he used big, new, or hard words. Ayato really appreciated his company, feeling happy with the fact that he was finally treated like a normal guy. No “Mr. Kamisato,” no timid “excuse me sir,” and most importantly, no annoying business proposals and no paperwork stacks. He felt very lucky to have befriended Itto.
It had been several days since Ayato had fallen in love with Itto. Accepting his feelings and confiding in Ayaka and Thoma had helped lighten the weight from his heart, making it a lot easier to continue his days like normal without being so distracted. However, he wasn’t immune to the work-related stress, and would take any chance he could get at a break. This time, he had an errand to run in the city; one that was originally meant for Thoma, but the housekeeper just so happened to have his hands full and handed that task over to Ayato. Finally some peace, he thought as he left the estate to be on his own for a while…
He walked slowly since the errand wasn’t super time-sensitive, taking in nature and fresh air while enjoying the sunlight. There were only a few clouds in the sky, ones that wouldn’t turn into storm clouds anytime soon. He was sure if Itto was here with him, he’d point to them and say something like “That one looks like an onikabuto! And that one looks like a cat! And that one looks like you, hahaha!” Ayato chuckled at the thought and continued on his way, taking in the sights around. His heart fluttered when Itto’s laugh echoed in his mind.
He smiled and hummed to himself as he entered Chinju Forest, deciding to take a detour to take his time. He’d often go here to be alone and relax anyway, so this scenery was perfect. He wandered around, enjoying the calm nature, until he heard a strange sound… It sounded like a brief hiccup, followed by a sniffle… Where- or rather, who was that sound coming from..? Ayato listened carefully until he could determine which direction it came from, and proceeded to walk that way. Carefully. He wasn’t alone.
“Um… is someone there?” he asked, noticing some shuffling behind a big bush near a tree. His hand was ready to unsheathe his sword if he needed to. “Show yourself!”
“Uh…! Um…? N-No…?” Ayato froze. He recognized that voice.
“Itto?” He went closer and checked behind the bush, indeed finding Itto sitting there as if he was hiding. “What are you doing out here all by yourself? Are you alright?” The commissioner felt worried about him and decided to sit next to him, moving carefully so he wouldn’t startle him.
“Uh, yeah… just tired…” Itto replied, looking away from Ayato to hide his expression, hoping he’d drop it.
“Are you sure? I thought I heard crying…” Ayato pointed out, sounding concerned. He reached into his pocket to pull out some tissues, quietly handing them to the oni. Itto took them and promptly teared up, trying to contain himself somewhat so he wouldn’t start crying too much.
“It’s nothing to be ashamed of, really. I often come out here to get my mind off of things… To get away from people and just be alone for a while. Is that why you’re here?” Ayato asked, speaking gently so Itto would feel safe.
“Mhm… I’ve had a rough day…” Itto said, sniffling and wiping his eyes with the tissues.
“I see… Would you like to talk about it? It might help you feel better.” Ayato said, rubbing Itto’s back, hoping it’d help him relax.
“Uh… j-just give me a minute.” Itto replied, taking a moment to calm himself so he could talk without choking up.
“Of course, take your time.” Ayato replied, withdrawing his hand to give him some space. While waiting, he decided to check his pockets to see if he had anything else that would help, apart from the tissues. He’d always carry tissues in case of a spill. He felt around and found some wrapped candies he’d forgotten about. They would definitely be useful later. After a moment of silence, Itto took a breath and started talking.
“I come out here too sometimes. To be alone… cus not that many people come here, so they wouldn’t notice me hiding.” he said, trying to stay calm. “It’s not easy being an oni in the city, y’know… People still look at me like I’m some sort of big, scary freak…” he added, tearing up again, remembering a similar conversation he’d had with his granny.
“Mhm, I see… Those morons need their eyes checked, honestly.” Ayato commented, making Itto chuckle a little despite the tears he wiped.
“Heh, yeah… I just hate how they feel the need to be rude about it, y’know? They can’t just leave me alone..” He complained, sniffling.
“Indeed… the nerve of some people..” Ayato said with a sigh, shaking his head. How could people be so cruel to such a kind soul?
“Callin’ me names, throwing beans, givin’ me dirty looks… it-… it just gets to me sometimes, y’know?” Itto said, choking up and wiping his eyes as tears rolled down his cheeks.
“Ah-… such assholes. Um..!” Ayato wasn’t sure what to do for a moment, until he remembered Itto was a hugger.
“I-It just sucks, man…! I haven’t even done anything! People just hate me…” Itto vented, frustrated with humanity and their needs to be cruel.
“I don’t hate you. Neither does your gang, or granny… Do you need a hug?” Ayato replied with a soft tone of voice, gently rubbing his back.
“Huh..?” Itto looked at him with teary eyes, making Ayato’s heart both melt with love and ache with empathy. Or sympathy. Both probably.
“No need to feel pressured. I’m-… I sort of just guessed it’d help.” Ayato added, giving him a soft smile and inviting him to a hug. Itto hesitated though, which was odd.
“B-But… won’t it ruin your coat?” he asked, avoiding eye contact for a moment as if he felt ashamed.
“What, your tears? It’s just salt water, it’s not a big deal, really…” Ayato noticed just how badly Itto needed to cry, so he invited him once more, taking the oni into his arms as he basically collapsed into him. Itto wrapped his arms around Ayato like his life depended on it, trying to hold back for a moment until Ayato said “It’s okay, let it out,” which practically caused a waterfall of tears.
Itto was clearly very tired of the poor treatment he’d been receiving from people, crying into Ayato’s shoulder like a fountain. It was the first time he’d let himself be so vulnerable with the commissioner, which surprised both of them. Ayato held him close and rubbed his back, softly speaking words of encouragement and comfort to help him calm down. He had plenty of experience thanks to Ayaka and Thoma, which made the situation a little easier. He’d never seen Itto so sad before… he needed to make sure he did everything right so Itto would know he’s a safe space and that he cared about him deeply. Very deeply.
“You’ll be alright…” Ayato said, noticing how Itto was starting to calm down. “Those people only hate you because they don’t know you, and would rather choose to be ignorant swine than to get to know you.” He said, feeling angry at whoever had made Itto cry. It felt like such a crime… but he tried to keep his tone light regardless.
“Mhm… granny said it’s cus of prejudice…” Itto said, pulling away from the hug and wiping his tears. “You’ve probably heard all sorts of rumors about me and the gang.”
“Well-… yes, I have. Some were so absurdly ridiculous I couldn’t even pretend to believe them.” Ayato admitted a bit sheepishly.
“Really? But… did you hate me when you didn’t know me? … be honest.” Itto seemed insecure… Ayato handed him another tissue and said “No.”
“I *was* expecting you to be a full-time troublemaker, but after having a real conversation with you at that food stall, I realized you’re mostly harmless.” he explained.
“Heh.. just mostly harmless?” Itto chuckled, smiling a little.
“Well, you are quite reckless, you know~” Ayato teased, chuckling as well.
“Yeah, I guess…” Itto playfully rolled his eyes in response.
Ayato smiled, feeling proud of himself for helping Itto cheer up. He seemed to be feeling a lot better, taking a moment to blow his nose into the new tissue. Ayato didn’t say much and reached into his pocket to pull out the candies he’d found earlier.
“Hm… sorry you had to see me like that.” Itto said, almost as if he was feeling ashamed.
“Oh, no, it’s alright. I’m glad I could help you feel better.” Ayato replied, wishing Itto wouldn’t feel bad about himself like that.
“Yeah… thanks, dude. Sorry about th-”
“Don’t apologize.”
“But I-”
“No.”
“But-”
“No, shush.”
“Hehe, but I-!”
“What part of “no” do you not understand? There’s nothing here for you to feel sorry for. You’ve done nothing wrong!” Ayato protested with a playful tone, ruffling Itto’s hair to emphasise his point. He was glad his playfulness was shining through despite his pain.
“Hahahaha, fine~! I’m not sorry then. Ya happy now?” Itto said, giggling as he pushed Ayato’s wrist away.
“Very. Now… do you want a treat?” Ayato asked, presenting the wrapped candies to Itto.
“Huh?” His eyes lit up when he saw the candies. Or when Ayato said the word ‘treat,’ which was adorable.
“Take them. They’re all yours.”
“Wha, you don’t want one?” Itto took them and looked at him curiously.
“No thank you, you deserve them after what you’ve been through.” Ayato smiled at him and hoped the candies were tasty…
“Really?? Hell yeah! Thanks, bro!” Itto said and started to unwrap one of them. “Wait… you just had these in your pocket? Do you always carry candy around? How long have these been there? And… uh… there’s no soy in ‘em, right?” Itto asked, seemingly back to his yappy self.
“Oh, well... One, yes I did. Two, no I don’t, but I should, for your sake.” Ayato’s comment made Itto chuckle. “Three, um… I don’t know. Four, hah… I don’t know. I think it’s just regular fruit flavored candy, so I don’t see why soy would be involved.”
“Ohh, it is fruity!” Itto said, having put the candy in his mouth.
“Do you like it?”
“Mm. It’s like old people candy.”
“I-..? What’s that supposed to mean?”
Itto started laughing, but kept his mouth closed and leaned forward a bit so he wouldn’t choke on the hard candy.
“Are you calling me old, hm? Gosh, how rude.” Ayato said, crossing his arms for dramatic effect. “Old people candy? How dare you. I’ll have you know I’m still quite young, actually.”
Itto snickered, barely keeping it together. He covered his mouth with one of his hands, trying to calm down so he could chew the candy and swallow it.
“Here I am, cheering you up, and you imply I’m old people? Goodness..! The audacity.” Ayato smiled seeing Itto laugh, deciding to ease up on the jokes so he could calm down. “Haha, are you alright?” he asked, putting a hand on his shoulder.
It took a while for Itto’s giggling fit to end, but when it did, he finally chewed the candy and swallowed it.
“Goddang, dude! You tryina kill me or somethin’? I could’ve choked!” He joked, smiling at Ayato. Something about how his face was slightly red from all the giggles made Ayato’s heart flutter a little.
“Hehe, not at all. You’re the one that called it old people candy.”
“Hehehe, well you’re the one that was funny about it!”
“Well, you started it.”
“And you continued it!”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah!”
Their banter caused both of them to laugh, which felt amazing after all of Itto’s pain had seemingly melted away. Ayato felt relieved to see him so happy again. His laughter was like music to his ears… His smile was beautiful… He was so cute… Goodness, Ayato really was in love. Oh well, no time to unpack that right now. He blushed at the thoughts he had, but assumed he could blame it on their shared laughter so Itto wouldn’t grow suspicious.
“Heh… man, what would I do without you?” Itto commented, feeling happy and lucky that Ayato had showed up to comfort him at his lowest. Well, almost lowest. At his low. Yes.
“Haha… Hopefully not crying all by yourself. It’s not healthy, you know.”
“Yeah, yeah… it’s just hard to open up, y’know? I’m s’posed to be this big, scary oni — this strong guy who’s unafraid. But-..”
“According to who?”
“Well-… uh…” Itto hesitated and quickly realized he didn’t have an answer to that question.
“Hmm~? Are you sure those aren’t your own expectations?”
“Um… no? I mean- yes? I mean-… uh…” Clearly something internalized he didn’t know about…
“You don’t need to force yourself to fit that mold, you know. The manliest thing you can do is to have a healthy connection with your feelings.” Ayato said, thinking very fondly of the oni.
“But… I’m such a crybaby. I cry over everything! It’s like I have to actively try not to all the time!” Itto complained, totally overexaggerating since he didn’t really have to hold back tears 24/7.
“You’re just emotional. There’s nothing wrong with that.” Ayato said, a hand on Itto’s shoulder.
“But it doesn’t really fit who I am…”
“Hmph. Yes it does, actually. Otherwise you wouldn’t be emotional in the first place. Men cry too, you know. It’s perfectly normal and healthy.” Ayato felt like he was scolding him almost, so he cleared his throat to lighten his tone.
“That’s easy for you to say…” Itto muttered, seeming upset again.
Ayato sighed before answering. “No, it’s not. You’re not the only one putting on a brave face.” he admitted sadly, holding his hands in his lap instead now.
“Huh?” Itto looked at him with surprise.
“Remember how I said I was the head of the Kamisato clan? Well, it’s quite demanding work. It can be really stressful and tiring, but because I’m the leader, I feel like I have to push those feelings aside and just get the job done no matter what. I-… I guess I’m too protective. Otherwise I’d open up more often to my sister…” he found himself tearing up as he spoke. It felt strange since he’d actually opened up a little to both Ayaka and Thoma quite recently. Perhaps the lack of tears back then made it not count…?
“Whoa… dude, I feel the same way. Kinda. I mean, I don’t really have a sister, like- biologically. My gang is like family to me, but because I’m the boss, I hide my pain because I don’t want to burden them…” Itto said, wanting to relate to let Ayato know he wasn’t alone with his struggle.
“Have they ever said you’re a burden?” Ayato asked, wiping his eyes with his hands.
“No, they’ve said the opposite... They’ve said I can tell them anything.” Itto admitted, sighing a bit, knowing dang well he still didn’t open up to them nearly as much as he should. Maybe things would be easier to handle if he didn’t feel the need to ‘protect’ them. Protect them from what, even? Salty eye water?
“Well, a good family tends to do that…” Ayato replied, remembering how often Thoma and Ayaka would ask if he was alright. They were always so sweet and caring he couldn’t help but tear up again. It felt strange how easy it was for him to cry now that he was with Itto…
“Mhm… damn, we really need to get better at opening up to our loved ones, huh?” Itto commented with a slight chuckle.
“Hm, yeah… we really do, don’t we?” Ayato replied, drying his eyes yet again.
“Yeah… I should probably talk to granny about all this anyway. I just wish it was easier…” Itto said, leaning back against the tree behind him.
Ayato put a hand on Itto’s shoulder, and the two made eye contact. “You know what they say, practice makes perfect.”
Itto smiled at him, making his heart flutter. “Yeah! You’re right! From now on, let’s swear we’ll get better at talking about our feelings! It’s important, after all.”
“Indeed. How about a pinky promise?” Ayato suggested with a smile.
“Hahaha! Ya read my mind, bro!” Itto replied, and the two did just that, swearing to at least try to be more open about their emotions.
They sat there for a little while longer, talking about life and getting to know each other more. Ayato didn’t tell him about the yashiro commission or anything like that, strategically dodging the full truth while learning more about Itto, who ate the rest of the candies he’d been given, enjoying their sweet flavor.
“I just wish people were more open. More patient like you, y’know?” Itto said, still a bit annoyed with how mean people would be to him.
“Yes… sadly patience is hard to come by sometimes.” Ayato replied, nodding with understanding.
“More like all the time, hmph…” Itto mumbled, fidgeting with the candy wrappers before stuffing them in his pocket.
“Indeed…” Ayato replied quietly, reaching into his pocket for another tissue just in case. He wasn’t sure what happened to the other ones he’d given to Itto.
“They’re too judgy. I mean, what’s the deal with humans and being so damn stubborn? It’s like anytime they see someone different, they recoil with fear or disgust!” Itto complained, feeling frustrated with humanity.
“I’m afraid there’s still plenty of old-fashioned folks around. Small-minded people that refuse to let go of their precious prejudice, because they can’t admit they’re wrong, or they might explode, you see.” Ayato explained, joking a bit at the end. It felt a little silly to refer to humans as “‘hey’ as if he wasn’t part of that group.
“Psh. It really is like that, huh?” Itto said, chuckling a little. It wasn’t like he could judge too harshly since he himself was more stubborn than anyone he knew.
“Can’t teach an old dog new tricks.” Ayato commented with a small sigh, feeling sorry for Itto. It certainly wasn’t easy being an oni, was it?
“Hmph. I’m lucky Granny didn’t have to learn new tricks then.” Itto said, smirking to himself.
“Hehe, indeed. She seems like a very sweet lady.” Ayato said, remembering how kind she’d been when he had helped a drunken Itto home that one time.
“Heh, yeah! She’s literally the kindest human to ever exist, man! Straight up a blessing from the heavens!” Itto replied with a big ol smile, clearly holding a lot of love for the woman.
“Indeed. Though, there’s something I’m curious about, if you don’t mind me asking…”
“Hm? What’s up?”
“Why is she called ‘Granny Oni’? She didn’t look like an oni at all when I met her.” Ayato wondered, remembering the lack of horns and the short stature.
“Ah, well..! It’s because of me.” Itto said, his smile fading slightly.
“Oh?” Ayato sensed he’d made a mistake of some kind…
“… m-my parents died when I was a kid, so… I had to fend for myself for a while til she took me in. It was really hard… She saved my life though. I owe her everything…” Itto said, getting emotional, which was entirely understandable.
“Oh dear… I’m so sorry for your loss. I know how much it must’ve hurt...” Ayato said, hoping to relate in case it’d lift some weight off of Itto’s mood.
“Mm.. without her, I would’ve died on the streets...” Itto said, sniffling and wiping his eyes with his hands. Ayato’s heart ached for him, and he handed him that tissue from earlier.
“I’m… terribly sorry to hear that. It must’ve been horrible..” He couldn’t imagine what sort of pain Itto had gone through out there, all alone, as an orphaned child no less. Poor thing… Ayato didn’t hesitate to offer him a hug again to let him cry it out once more, tearing up as well since he shared the pain of loss.
“I-It gets better.. eventually..” he said, before tears rolled down his cheeks too. He hadn’t cried in forever, really, so he probably needed to.
“I miss them…!” Itto whined, which broke Ayato’s heart. He knew exactly how it felt to have lost one’s parents. They hugged eachother tight, needing the support quite badly so they could feel more secure as they cried together. Gosh, how did they to this point..? Ayato couldn’t believe it. Itto felt kinda pathetic for crying so much, but felt better having Ayato there to comfort him and to share his pain. He felt bad for making him cry, but relieved to not be alone.
It took a while, but they eventually pulled away from eachother and wiped their tears, finally done crying for the day.
“S-Sorry… I’m such a crybaby..!” Itto mumbled, sniffling a bit.
“It’s okay… It’s just-… I lost my parents when I was younger, too. I wasn’t a child anymore, but after their passing, I suddenly had to take on all the responsibilities my father had had before me.” Ayato explained, just to give Itto more context.
“Oh… sorry for your loss.” Itto said, rubbing his eyes a bit.
“Thank you. I’m doing a lot better nowadays, though.” Ayato replied, despite the stress he’d still go through when filling out endless piles of paperwork and meetings and… ugh.
“Well, that’s good! Uh, same.” Itto replied, not sure how to change the subject. They were quiet for a while, feeling slightly awkward with their situation.
“So, um… are you feeling any better now?” Ayato asked, having wiped his eyes with the last tissue he had.
“Yeah. Are you feeling better too?” Itto asked, having used that same tissue to blow his nose since the others were used up.
“I am, yes. We should really find someplace to discard those tissues, though.” Ayato replied, smiling a little.
“Heh, yeah, we can’t leave them out here.” Itto replied, putting the last tissue in his pocket. He’d probably put the previous ones in there too. Gross, but necessary.
“Would you like to join me for a walk, then? I’m sure we can discard them on the way to the city. If you’re ready to head back, that is.” Ayato proposed, hoping Itto would accompany him for his errand.
“Hahaha, sure! I don’t mind at all!” Itto replied confidently, smiling at Ayato.
“Wonderful! Then let’s get going.”
“Yeah, let’s go!” Itto and Ayato stood up and brushed themselves off, feeling a bit tired from all the tears, but better since they were out now.
“Do I have any stains back there?” Ayato asked, turning to face away from Itto so he could check. Totally not an excuse to have him look at his butt or anything… That’d be so inappropriate.
“Hmm, I don’t think so! Though there’s some grass stuck to your ass, hahahaha!” Itto said, laughing over the rhyme he made.
“Haha, oh how embarrassing~” Ayato said, amused as he brushed the grass away as best as he could before the two started to walk out of the forest together. They walked in silence til they got out of the forest, not sure what to talk about just yet.
Once the trees cleared up and they could see the sky, Itto gently elbowed Ayato to get his attention before pointing up. “Hey, check it out! That cloud looks like Ushi, hahahaha!” he said, back to his sunshiney happiness he usually had.
“Hahaha, oh really? It looks more like a mushroom to me.” Ayato replied, amused that Itto had done the exact thing he imagined earlier that day. He’d interacted with that little bull Ushi before, remembering how territorial he’d seemed at first.
“What?! No it doesn’t!” Itto protested, pretending to be offended on Ushi’s behalf.
“Oh my, are you sure? Don’t you see the little mushroom cap up top?”
“That’s not a-…! Y’know what? I’m not beefing with you over a cloud, man, shut up.” Itto huffed, crossing his arms, making Ayato laugh.
“Hahahaha..! Hmm~ speaking of beef, are you hungry? We could go grab something to eat in town if you’d like.” Ayato said, smiling kindly at the oni.
“Ah, well… I could use the extra fuel.” Itto said, holding back the excitement so he could seem cool.
“Mhm? When was the last time you ate?” Ayato asked, knowing he had a bad habit of forgetting to eat.
“Th-That’s irrelevant..!” Itto replied, avoiding eye contact like the plague.
“No, no, tell me the truth.” Ayato replied, poking him in the side.
“Pfft, make me.” Itto replied, shifting away for a moment.
“Hmm… If you don’t tell me, I won’t buy you any sweets~” Ayato teased.
“Psh, as if I need ‘em!” Itto said stubbornly, arms still crossed.
Ayato thought for a moment before he got a better idea. “Then I’ll buy you a whole cabbage head to eat. Raw.”
“WHAT?!” Bro was flabbergasted!
“Unless you talk.” Ayato added, smiling with mischief in his eyes.
“Uugghhhhh, fine! I haven’t had lunch yet…” Itto admitted, sounding annoyed on purpose.
“I knew it.”
“Shut up…”
After their silly banter, they started talking about what they would get to eat, with Itto making most of the suggestions since he was hungry, and Ayato had already eaten before he left the estate. In the end, he ended up buying some yummy skewers for Itto to enjoy while he got himself some refreshing boba.
Morning Cuddles
(Also on Ao3)
Summary: Ayato and Itto cuddle in the morning and stay together like that for a while after waking up. They talk and get silly and idk what more to say cus that’s about it.
Word Count: 1914
A warm, cozy morning.
Resting under the covers always felt the most comfortable in the mornings. Ayato didn’t want to wake up just yet, keeping his eyes closed while he rested. He could hear subtle breaths from his partner, who was sleeping peacefully next to him. Itto was a heavy sleeper and usually needed assistance waking up in the morning. Ayato didn’t feel any need to do so at the moment though, shifting a bit to make himself more comfortable as he let out a content sigh.
He could feel himself almost sinking into the mattress, slowly drifting off again… at least until he felt his partner move beside him. A sleepy groan was heard from Itto as he shifted and turned, adjusting his position like usual. He tended to toss and turn, so Ayato didn’t think much of it. Once the shifting subsided, it was all quiet and peaceful again.
After drifting off for a while, Ayato yawned and woke up groggily, taking a moment to exist before he noticed the pressure on his chest. He shifted slightly, but wasn’t able to move as much. Confused, he opened his eyes, and was pleasantly surprised to see it was just his beloved darling laid on top of him. Itto always wanted morning cuddles, and since Ayato had fallen back asleep, he took matters into his own hands and laid himself on top the commissioner, his face comfortably nestled into the crook of his neck.
Ayato chuckled lightly and genty wrapped his arms around the other, giving him a hug and a gentle kiss to the forehead. Itto stirred a little and cuddled up closer somehow, murmuring slightly in his sleep.
“My love… are you awake?” Ayato asked softly, keeping his voice quiet as to not startle the oni.
“… hmn…” Itto stirred in response.
“Mhm~?” Ayato began stroking Itto’s head, softly petting him as if he were a cat. “Oh, the things I’d do for you…” he mumbled, his eyes full of love while he looked at the sleepy oni.
“… mmn…” Itto murmured, seemingly enjoying the touch.
“Wakey wakey, my dearest~” Ayato said, softly moving Itto’s eye mask up to check if his eyes were open.
“Hngh… nooo…!” Itto’s eyes squeezed shut and he reached to pull their shared blanket up to cover his face, which ended up covering Ayato too.
“Haha~ oh, darling… is it too bright for you?” Ayato asked, still keeping his voice quiet enough not to startle or annoy the other.
“Mph, shut up…” Itto felt like the answer was obvious.
“I’m serious, darling. Was it too bright for you? Or are you being grumpy?” Ayato asked, gently moving the blanket down while adjusting Itto’s mask down over his eyes.
“Hmph…” Itto simply huffed tiredly.
“Mhm.. being grumpy, then~? Silly boy.” Ayato teased, moving his hands to gently stroke Itto’s back with his fingertips. Itto shivered from the initial touch and got goosebumps on his arms, hiding his smile by burying his face into Ayato’s neck.
“Feeling shy, my love~?” Ayato teased, smiling as well while tickling the other’s back.
“Mmh heh… shut up~” Itto replied, chuckling sleepily. He let himself relax to the touch, enjoying the soft and slow sensation.
“Does it feel nice?” Ayato asked, feeling loved from Itto’s sleepy snuggles.
“Yeah~…! I love it…” Itto mumbled, making Ayato chuckle.
“Mhm~? You’re adorable…”
“Mnn…” Itto stretched out a bit before settling again, planting soft kisses on his boyfriend’s neck.
“Ah…!” Ayato shivered slightly, always enjoying such actions. Itto mumbled something, making Ayato chuckle again.
“Hmn… what’re you gigglin’ at?” Itto asked, slightly muffled since he didn’t feel like moving his head.
“Hehe…! N-Nothing, don’t worry about it..!” Ayato said, petting Itto’s head.
“Mhmmmm, I think you’re lyin’…” Itto mumbled, still talking into Ayato’s neck, which seemed to make him chuckle every time. “What’s so funny~? Why’re you giggling~ huh?”
“Hahaha, stop talking~!” Ayato said, trying to push Itto by the shoulders.
“Why? Heh, I won’t til you tell me the truth~ I don’t tolerate lies~” Itto teased, chuckling too now.
“Agh, fine! It tickles..!” Ayato said, interrupted by a fit of giggles as Itto mumbled complete nonsense into his neck, the vibrations of his voice tickling him. “Ahahaha~! Stop that, darling!” Ayato pleaded playfully.
“Mhm, no can do~” Itto teased, nuzzling him lovingly.
“Please~! Mercy…!” Ayato begged, his giggles becoming surprised laughter once he felt Itto’s nails scribbling against his sides. “No! Hahahahaha! Oh gods…!” He was quite sensitive there, twitching and squirming under his partner. Itto giggled along with his laughter, trying to kiss his neck to overload his senses a little.
“Mhm~ I got you good~! Heheh- hahahaha!” Itto laughed as Ayato retaliated by tickling him back, targetting his sides as well. “Okay, okay! Hahahaha! I’m sorry!” He said, pulling away from him.
“Oho, no, you’re not getting away.” Ayato said, smiling while tickling the other as playful punishment. His face was a little red from the previous chaos.
“Hahahaha!” Itto rolled off of Ayato, struggling to get away since he was still somewhat blindfolded by his eye mask.
“Payback time, my dear~” Ayato teased, following him and tickling his ribs, making him laugh out loud and squirm. He was really sensitive there.
“Bwahahahaha!! Stahahahap!!” he yelped, weakly pushing Ayato away while he laughed and kicked against the bed.
“Awh~ Can’t take what you dish out~?” Ayato teased, tickling down to his belly.
“Nohohohoho!!” Itto shook his head, trying to push Ayato’s hands away while giggling like crazy.
“Heh… oh archons… How did I-.. what did I do to deserve you, hm?” Ayato asked lovingly, stopping his payback plan to admire his partner. “My sweet darling…” he said, taking off Itto’s eye mask and stroking his cheek.
“Hehe…! I dunno… I- *huff*… I’m a terrible influence on you..!” Itto said, catching his breath and leaning into the touch.
“Hahaha…! I wouldn’t change that for anything, my dear.” Ayato said lovingly, cupping Itto’s face with his hands and stroking his cheeks with his thumbs.
Itto smiled and closed his eyes. “I love you~!” he said, gently holding Ayato’s hands so he wouldn’t take them back.
“I love you too… so, so much.” Ayato replied, his heart fluttering with joy. He smiled and leaned in, letting his nose touch Itto’s for a moment before kissing him softly on the lips. (The brief nose-boop was there to prepare him for the kiss.) Itto blushed, trying his best at kissing back, feeling his heart pound in his chest.
After a while of loving smooches, Ayato slowly pulled away to admire Itto’s reddened face. “Did you like that?” he asked.
“Y-Yeah! Heh… I-… I feel so loved.” Itto replied, shyly dodging eye contact while he blushed.
“Hehe, goodness, darling. Who allowed you to be so cute, huh?” Ayato teased, pinching Itto’s cheek, but being gentle enough not to hurt him.
“Hahaha! I did! I make the rules!” Itto replied confidently, looking up at Ayato with that adorable smile of his.
“Gods, you’re gonna make my heart melt if you keep looking at me like that~” Ayato said, cupping Itto’s cheeks and sneakily tickling his neck.
“Pfft~ heheheh!” Itto scrunched his neck and shut his eyes, giggling and snickering in response, nearly sending Ayato’s heart into orbit.
“Ah, my heart..” Ayato acted dramatic, gently removing his hands to put them on his chest.
“Whaaattt~?? What’s wrong?” Itto asked, still giggly.
“Oh, it’s a cuteness overdose, I fear. I may be done for~” Ayato said, putting the back of his hand on his forehead for dramatic effect.
“Nooo! Hahaha!” Itto laughed and wrapped his arms around Ayato, pulling him down so they could snuggle. “Guess I’d better revive you, then~ You’re all mine now!” Itto said playfully, lovingly nuzzling his darling and rolling to his side so they could hug better.
“Hahaha~ do we really have time for this?” Ayato asked, charmed by his boyfriend’s antics.
“Of course we do! There’s always time for life-saving cuddles…” Itto replied, hugging him tighter before letting out a sigh and loosening up.
“Mhm…? Everything alright, darling?” Ayato asked, stroking Itto’s hair.
“Mm… just wanna hold you close…” Itto mumbled, now feeling a bit sad that Ayato would have to go to work soon. He always felt so happy when Ayato was around, so he didn’t want him to leave.
“Heh… I suppose there’s plenty of time before Thoma or Ayaka come get us for breakfast. Aren’t you hungry~?” Ayato said, delivering a small tickle to Itto’s side to make him chuckle, cheering him up a little.
“Hehe, yeah~… I might just hold you here all day!” He said, his playful attitude returning already. He did tend to have mood swings when he hadn’t had breakfast yet.
“Haha, as if~” Ayato replied, ruffling Itto’s hair, making him laugh with amusement.
After a while of silence, Ayato noticed yet another swing in Itto’s mood. The way he hugged him almost felt more desparate as time went by.
“Darling?”
“Mm..?”
“You know… If you ever feel lonely when I’m sat in my office, you can always come by and visit me.”
“Wha-? Really? But I thought you wouldn’t wanna be disturbed…” Itto snuggled closer to comfort himself.
“Mm~ I suppose that’s true… but you’re not a disturbance, love.” Ayato said, stroking Itto’s back.
“Mhm… are you sure…? I don’ wanna bother you…” Itto mumbled.
“You’re *not* a bother, darling. It’s not like I enjoy work anyway. You’ll certainly make my work days so much better~” he said, sneaking a tickle up his spine.
Itto snickered a little. “Really? You mean that?” he asked, just to make sure.
“Yes, my love. I mean it. Please come visit me at any time you wish, love~” Ayato said, hugging him closer and leaning to whisper into his ear. “The surprise makes it better…”
“What surprise-…? Ohh, you mean me?” Itto asked, feeling silly.
“Haha, yes, I mean you, you goofball! Hahaha…” Oh, this guy… Ayato was so stupidly in love with him. He felt so lucky.
“Hahahaha!” And he wouldn’t have it any other way…
The two lovebirds stayed there in the bed’s warmth, snuggling together until a gentle knock on the door caught their attention.
“My lord? Breakfast is ready!” Thoma said from the hallway.
“Ah…” Ayato covered Itto’s ears so he could reply without being too loud. “We’ll be right there! Thank you, Thoma.” he replied, loud enough for Thoma to hear him without opening the door.
“Awh… but we’re so comfy…!” Itto whined, holding Ayato close.
“I know, my dear… But you need to eat.” he replied, trying to coax the other up.
“So do you…” Itto mumbled, burying his face into Ayato.
“So get up. Come on now~” Ayato said, gently tickling his tummy.
“Hehehe~! Hey! That’s cheating!” Itto whined, giggling.
“It’ll only get worse if you don’t get up~” Ayato teased, gradually speeding up until Itto couldn’t take it anymore.
“Hahaha, okay fine! You win!” He said, giggling and rolling aside to cover his tum. “You’re so mean to me…” he mumbled, chuckling to himself.
“Good boy~” Ayato smiled and kissed him on the cheek. “Now, come on. You need to get cleaned up and eat breakfast, my love.”
“Ugh, fine…” Itto sat up and stretched before getting out of bed, his hair and clothes messy.
“Hehe… so cute…” Ayato said under his breath. “Come on, darling~”
“Coming…” Itto yawned and rubbed his eyes before grabbing Ayato’s hand, and the two of them left the room together…
IM NOT DEAD!!!
HII YALLL WANNA SEE MY BABIES