[ SAFE ] ( from itto for thoma :> )
being in situations where he’s in danger is common , being a retainer for the kamisato clan . he’s the commissioner’s hands , eyes , and legs outside the commission and acted upon the other’s orders . from fighting treasure hoarders to stalking the fatui agents and right down to being face to face with the raiden shogun . . . all very harrowing , but he always came out alive , even though not unscathed . danger has always been a part of thoma’s life , and he’s just gotten used to it . however , that may not be the case for everyone . certainly , not for itto . the oni boasted loudly and seemed to put up a front at times , but thoma could easily see through the other’s mask -- either because thoma’s got a good eye or because they’ve spent a great amount of time together -- but he could always see itto’s thoughts . thoma never stepped in , though he did observe ; he didn’t want to tread on itto’s pride , nor make itto feel as if he couldn’t handle whatever was happening . so thoma always watched . today was like no other . . . he heard that itto’s gone off on some GRAND adventure somewhere , something he’s sure to hear about sooner or later from the oni when he returns . . . what he hadn’t expected was to be told something had gone awry and for the first in a long time , panic and dread seemed to take over thoma’s figure . keeping as calm as he could , he tried to get as much information as he could from those nearby , none have given him any clues to what transpired and that’s when he made up his mind to visit the arataki gang’s hideout. when he arrives , he senses an aura of unease beneath the cheering and yelling ; cutting through it all is itto’s loud and boisterous voice . he sounds okay . . . but thoma knew better than to judge the surface of anything . instead of beelining for itto , he makes a detour and taps shinobu’s shoulder gently to get the woman’s attention before gesturing to speak to her privately . he wanted a grasp of the situation before he got into the deep of it himself . he wanted the truth . . . not the ITTO EPIC . speaking with shinobu got him the gist of what transpired and it certainly had been more DIRE than he thought . though itto seemed to have pulled through the worst of it , the oni seemed to be putting up a smile for the rest of the gang , as if trying to dissolve the feeling of unease with loud boasting and bragging . time to dissolve the gather and have a talk with itto . walking through the crowd , itto’s attention seemed to snap to him and thoma swears he saw itto’s mask falter for a brief second . as if there was some sort of silent understanding or by shinobu’s silent gestures , the crowd dissipates to leave itto and thoma . well , that’s good . thoma had been trying to figure out how to get the rest of the gang to leave the room . “ hey there , big guy . . . ” thoma gives him a lopsided grin , “ heard you went on quite the trip , ” he begins , sinking to the ground and taking a seat across from itto . hand reaching out to grab the oni’s hand , “ wanna . . . talk about it ?? ” he asks softly , this would be one of the rare times that thoma would overstep and try to take down the mask itto put up . “ it’s just you and me , itto . . . talk to me , ” he urges gently . no one comes out of a near death situation just fine , not even himself . he wants to keep urging . . . but maybe he doesn’t have to . he can see the mask come apart , and he knows . offering a gentle smile , “ let’s get some rest first . . . you look exhausted , ” thoma says , urging the oni to lie down . he was just going to sit on the side and wait until itto woke up , but itto had other plans . drawing thoma into the futon as well , he finds itto burying himself into his chest , arms tight around his torso . he knows what itto’s doing . . . what he’s seeking . gentle hands card through the other’s unruly locks , “ it’s okay now . . . you’re here , i’m here . ” he says softly , feeling itto’s arm tighten around his figure , holding him gently yet firmly . “ it’s gonna be okay . . . ”
