what they would do for you on valentine’s day, part 2, ft. mahito, kenjaku & naoya zenin (fluff, some light body horror with mahito, soft kenjaku, and ofc, naoya is his own warning too) • w.c: no more than 600 words each
Mahito: grand gestures —
You found Mahito all alone at first, humming to himself in your living room, which, if you were honest, should have been a warning in itself already. You cautiously sat down right beside him, still not too sure just how safe it truly was to be around someone like him.
You sighed softly as nothing happened, but then he blurted something out so loudly that you flinched.
“I made ya somethin’,” he revealed, fixing you with a smile that was far too wide for his own good.
“You… you did?” you warily asked.
He nodded, seeming so pleased with himself. “Uh-huh.”
Before you could ask, he held up his hand and forced you to watch, as before your very eyes, his flesh started to warp and transform into something else. His palm stretched far and wide as his bones seemingly liquified, and his skin folded inward into layers. Before long, a human heart churned into shape, pulsing steadily, matching the wary rhythm of your own beat.
“You like it?” he beamed, as though seeking your approval.
You nodded just once, allowing a nervous laugh to push through.
“It’s… fantastic,” you managed to say. “But… I must ask… why?”
The cursed spirit tilted his head, letting his greyish blue hair fall to the side, revealing his stitches that glinted softly in the low light. His features scrunched up slightly, showing his confusion.
“Because,” he started off in a knowing tone, regarding you as though you were the one in the wrong, “it’s that sentimental holiday that humans are obsessed with right now, so I made you a heart.”
You blinked, your mind trying to catch up.
“Do you mean Valentine’s Day?” you asked.
He nodded, seeming relieved.
“That’s the one,” he confirmed with a smile.
A sigh left your lips as you finally understood his intentions, supposing that a slight show of what was otherwise something horrific was better than him transforming you into something that he deemed to be romantic, or worse yet, taking your—or someone else’s heart—or who knows what else.
You knew that he wouldn’t have a problem with doing any of those things, so thankful, you indeed were.
“Right,” you forced a smile, watching him light up as you acknowledged his efforts. “That’s sweet of you. Thank you.”
He relaxed, leaning back on the sofa, throwing his head back almost proudly.
“I knew you’d like it,” he crowed. “Just wait until ya see what I have in store for your birthday.”
~~~
Kenjaku: sentiment —
You were minding your own business before Kenjaku—your partner of many years by now—placed a polished dark wooden box in front of you. It was small and unassuming, polished with a dull sheen that did not catch the low, looming light.
Your eyes flicked at the box and then back at him.
He was quiet for a moment, but then he cleared his throat and formed a reply.
“I collect keepsakes for everything,” he started, trying to find a way to effectively explain his gift to you, “and everyone, like people who are special to me.”
You blinked at him, carefully flipping the box open to find all sorts of things that briefly resonated with you in their fleeting familiarity, but only just. They seemed to be almost random, boring pieces that had nothing to do with each other, arranged so close together. You knew that Kenjaku did not do anything without reason; however, so even if your words fell flat at the sight, your eyes remained on him, encouraging him to continue—to explain—hopefully inform you of the gesture.
“Any special reason for showing me this?” you probed.
Kenjaku smiled in a way that did not fully reach his eyes.
“It’s a special day,” he revealed. “I like the idea of sentiment.”
Before you could investigate further, though, he extended his hand and reached into the box, pulling out an old train ticket from many years ago, before you were even together. The date flashed in front of your eyes briefly, reminding you of where you were all that time ago.
“You wanted to take the train to a local festival back then,” he began, lowering his voice into something soft. “You missed it by just a minute off the mark, leaving you alone at the platform, or so you thought,” he remarked, a soft hum escaping his lips. “That was my first introduction to you.”
Considering you met him years later, you felt a little creeped out, but around him, that much was nothing new.
He deposited it carefully back where he had taken it, picking up an old paper bookmark with decorative gold embossing. There were engraved cranes spiralling all the way to the top, and it parted at the bottom between two magnetic ends.
“This was the first thing I gave you, albeit indirectly,” he murmured. “I had been in a different vessel then, and closeness wasn’t an option, but…”
“I genuinely did not take you to be like this,” you both half-teased and just quietly observed.
Kenjaku snorted, letting the seriousness fade away, welcoming back the person you knew better.
“I have my moments,” he simply said, shutting the box for now, even if many more memories remained in the box. Something else gave him an idea. “I like to hold onto what matters, and so, for that reason, I want to make more memories.”
You blinked just once, your words once again falling short.
“So come,” he gestured gently, pulling you to your feet. “I wish to… remember you.”
Though from the way he said it, there was something suggestive in between the lines.
It made you both curious but cautious, because with Kenjaku, you never knew quite what to expect.
~~~
Naoya Zenin: reluctant care —
To you, Naoya was just your perpetually irritated husband, who regarded you with scrutiny ever since the night of the wedding. He stood in the doorway, clutching onto something wrapped up in a silken cloth, looking visibly pissed off. Then, as if the very gesture physically pained him, he took a few steps forward, holding out the wrapped object like the very notion of giving you anything at all was offensive.
You could only blink as you took the offering.
“Is this for me?” you asked.
He snorted. “No shit?”
You unwrapped the lining, allowing the cloth to fall away and reveal a handbag that you wanted for months, if not a year. It was in the exact colour and design that you wanted, but it left you at a pause. You did not expect your husband to know that you wanted something like this at all, considering how dismissively he treated you.
“Why do you know that I want this?” you cautiously asked.
Naoya stiffened, his eyebrows knitting together in annoyance.
“Because, you make it obvious with your constant yappin’,” he snapped. “It’s not like I can avoid listening to your voice everyday, given that you never seem to shut up.”
You blinked at his outburst, but didn’t think anything of it.
It was nothing new, at least.
“Of course, I knew you would want this damned thing,” he continued, changing his tone to mock your voice. “The one with the skinny strap, not the thick one, because even if it’s probably more uncomfortable, it just looks better,” he mirrored you, taunting you word for word for what you had once said.
But—oh—not to him. You never spoke that way to him, so casually. So freely.
It must have been with one of the maids or the other women in the clan. It was impossible for you to talk to Naoya so casually, after all, so you simply did not speak to him unless he initiated first.
Today, because he seemed so flustered over it, you had the idea to call him out on it.
“Yes, Naoya, I did say those things,” you revealed with a knowing smile. “But, not to you.”
Then, after a pause, unable to resist.
“Did you get me this out of your own free will?”
Naoya scoffed, folding his arms.
“No,” he insisted. “It was just an obligation today.”
You blinked at his response, but then something slowly clicked.
Ah.
It was Valentine’s Day.
You looked at the bag again and then back at him.
Was he trying to be… nice? To you? His wife?
The thought was strangely touching.
“Aw, are you trying to be sweet to me?” you asked, half-expecting him to snap at you.
However, he somehow held back. His face turned into a deep, beet-red, seemingly not out of anger, but rather embarrassment.
“What?” he quickly replied. “Don’t be ridiculous.”
He turned around, ready to storm off and leave you alone for the night, before he stopped abruptly in the doorway, cursing under his breath as he forced himself to turn and face you once more.
“One more thing,” he strained out. “I expect to see you for dinner tonight.”
“Oh my god, you are being sweet,” you blurted out, shuddering at the thought but not quite rejecting the idea.
Naoya chose to ignore your comment.
“Just… don’t be late,” he said, though softer that time, his eyes not quite meeting yours anymore.
“Should I wear something nice?” you asked.
He opened his mouth just once as if he wanted to say something, but all he did was narrow his eyes dismissively, turning away once more, storming out of the room without a word.
All the while, you couldn’t help but laugh as he left, even if you felt oddly touched that someone like him was still capable of listening to this extent.
The thought was invasive, leaving you feeling warmer than you expected.
And almost finding yourself looking forward to tonight.





