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Atsumu could not remember how he ended up lying on the asphalt-paved mountain roads. The skies were dark and covered in clouds. The noise of the rain hitting the hard ground rang in Atsumu’s pointed ears, and his gold fur was completely soaked from the downpour. But he couldn’t move his puny body to a shelter, as the bruises covering his body made it painful to even budge his limbs. However, most of all, his throat felt immensely dry and his stomach was aching. It felt like he was edging at the brink of insanity from sheer hunger.

The great fox spirits reigning the area were known amongst the populace of spirits for their constant bickering and deadly fights that took place almost daily. Today was one of those days their fights went a little too far, that Atsumu himself was not sure if he would survive with the little energy left in him. He could not remember the exact details of the fight, but it was to the point that Osamu was not even by his side when he was this injured, so it must have been a serious one.

If Atsumu could grant his own wish, he just wanted the pain to fade away and for the cold and damp feeling of the rain to just go away. Afterwards, he would have a satisfying feast of the lower-ranked spirits who served under him to satiate his burning hunger. At this point, he couldn't care less about morals and he just wanted his suffering to go away. He felt his consciousness slowly drifting away as the monotonous noise of the rain continued to reverberate in his ears.

But just before his heavy eyes could flutter shut, a mop of orange hair came into his field of view. Seeing the colour of orange made Atsumu feel as if he was watching the sun re-emerge from the clouds after a rainy day, except Atsumu could still feel the heavy rain droplets trickling annoyingly against his fur.

The last thing Atsumu remembered as his consciousness completely faded away was his body being enveloped in an odd yet warm sensation. He felt a gush of relief run through him as he lost himself in the pleasant feeling and allowed his grogginess to take him over.

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When Atsumu came to, he was greeted by the sight of a white ceiling instead of the different colours of the skies he was accustomed to. The temperature around him was warmer than normal, but the warmth was pleasant and comforting that he wanted to bask in it longer. He soon noticed that he had been tucked into a rectangular wool blanket that was more than half his size, and he had been sleeping on top of a human’s bed.

Atsumu’s first instinct was to look around the new environment he was in. He could still hear the noise of the rain, but it was not as deafening as it was earlier. He could no longer feel the irritating sensation of the rain droplets hitting his surface either. His fur was no longer as wet as it was earlier. He was curled against himself under the blanket and he was able to once again feel the natural softness of his fur. He also noticed that his wounds had been bandaged and secured with gauze.

The fox spirit thought he had finally ascended to Heaven and he was finally relieved of his brother forever until he passed too. He suddenly felt a hand stroking the top of his head, and he flinched and jerked his head away from the touch.

“Oh, you’re awake!” Atsumu took in the profile of the young man plopped down beside him. His hair was the exact same shade of orange he saw before he passed out, and it didn’t take long for Atsumu to realize that this was his saviour. The young man let out a nervous chuckle, “Did I scare you? Sorry about that.”

When Atsumu regained his composure, he inspected the individual. He gave off the strong scent of a human, although there was something about his aura that scared Atsumu but also pulled him in. The fact that he was likely human also did not line up with the fact that he could see and touch him. The conclusion Atsumu came to surprised even himself; that this human was probably one of the very few humans gifted with strong spiritual energy and the ability to interact with spirits.

Judging from the human’s light-hearted attitude around him, he had apparently not been aware of Atsumu’s true nature, or he was simply putting up a facade. Humans have always been devious creatures, after all. 

Atsumu could have easily chosen to eat the human’s soul on the spot, which would definitely help him regain his strength. But something about the young man made Atsumu hesitate at the thought of killing him, even though Atsumu never once gave humans a second thought. So instead, he decided to stay quiet and tread through the situation carefully to understand the human’s incentive and plan his next course of actions. Atsumu was even surprised at his own degree of self-control.

The human didn’t seem to expect any response from Atsumu as he had already changed the topic by the time Atsumu relaxed. He brought up a plate lined with three pieces of rice balls on top of his bed and next to Atsumu’s face, “You must be hungry. I don’t know what food you eat, but you can have some of the rice balls we had for dinner.”

Atsumu blinked down at the meal in bewilderment. He had tried rice balls a very long time ago, during the time humans still worshipped the spirits and left offerings for Osamu and himself at their shrine. A strange wave of nostalgia hit him when he saw human food again after so long. 

Spirits didn’t need nutrients to sate their hunger, and they were only able to sustain themselves through human prayers or by feeding on other souls. Even the offerings of food at their shrine were only important to the fox spirits because they contained the wishful thoughts of the humans who made them. Atsumu never saw offerings as anything special, but Osamu on the other hand, really enjoyed human food and always looked forward to them.

So Atsumu was peculiar about having the rice balls. Right now, what looked most appetizing to him was the human’s soul. Just thinking about the taste of a rare human soul was enough to make Atsumu drool, but he knew he needed to stay rational. He needed something to distract him from his desires, and he figured chewing on the rice balls would do just the trick. 

The human didn’t appear to have any malicious thoughts either. Atsumu warily sniffed the balls of rice wrapped in seaweed. There was nothing special or anything alerting about its aroma despite Atsumu’s enhanced sense of smell. The fox spirit hence deemed them safe for him to eat, and he opened his mouth and bit his fangs into the top of the rice ball sitting closest to him.

Atsumu was completely taken away the moment he tasted the grains of rice against his tongue. Just like its smell, there was nothing about the taste that stood out except for maybe the nostalgia of eating human food after centuries. But for the first time ever, Atsumu was filled with an odd feeling of warmth simply from feasting on human food.

Usually, human food tasted stale, being full of worldly desires and wishes of the human who made them. This flavour was foreign on Atsumu’s tongue and he had no words to describe it. But the one thing he did know was that he liked it. His feeling of hunger also abated considerably after he swallowed down the food.

The spirit eagerly took his second mouthful, half-expecting the taste to be different and to find that the earlier feeling of euphoria was just a product of his imagination. But he was filled with the same feeling of happiness with every subsequent bite he took, and before he knew it, the rice balls were gone from the plate, with not a single stray grain of rice to be seen on the plate.

“You must have been really hungry, huh?” the human had been watching him for the entire time, appearing pleased at Atsumu’s enjoyment of his food. Atsumu only realized this as he was contemplating his disappointment at how he didn’t manage to relish his food. This prompted Atsumu to raise his guard once again, his back arching.

The young man was quick to notice Atsumu’s alertness, but his facial features only softened, “Don’t worry, I’m not going to hurt you.”

Atsumu didn’t budge however. He was well aware of how deceptive humans could be to one another, having witnessed such exchanges first-hand. His lack of response didn’t falter the human though, and a friendly grin formed on his face, “I know you must have had a bad experience with humans, but I want you to trust me that I don’t have any bad intentions. You can leave anytime you want once you feel better.”

There was something in the young man’s tone that put Atsumu at peace, although his suspicions still lingered. This made him rethink his course of action. Atsumu could easily pulverize a human regardless of their spiritual ability even in his current state, so there was no harm in letting his guard down around the human. It also didn’t help his recovery if he was in a constant state of vigilance. In the end, Atsumu decided that it was okay to wind down to the cozy atmosphere of the room. His tense muscles relaxed, and he snuck back into the cozy confines of his blanket.

The human was overjoyed and his smile grew even wider. The ginger raised himself and leaned his frame closer against the fox, “By the way, I’m Shouyou! I don’t know how long you’ll be around, but I gotta’ at least give you a name for now, right?”

The gold fox eyed Shouyou in a mixture of curiosity and stupor. Being the high-ranked spirit he was, Atsumu never thought there would be a day he would stoop so low as to be given a name by a mere human. Shouyou cupped his chin, appearing to be in deep thought, “Hmm… Oh, how about Kiki?! It’s pretty cute, right?”

Atsumu gave Shouyou a dark look and let out a quiet growl, imitating a real fox. Beads of sweat trickled down Shouyou’s forehead as he felt the pressure coming from Atsumu’s glare, “M-Maybe something cooler? Like Neo Armstrong--”

Atsumu’s expression grew even scarier, and Shouyou squeaked in fear. While it did amuse Atsumu to see Shouyou tremble in fear at a creature smaller than him, Atsumu really didn’t like being called anything other than his real name. It was the name that linked him to Osamu, even if they constantly got into fights, and it also signified their high rank in the hierarchy of spirits. Atsumu had long held immense pride in his role as the protector of the weaker spirits and humans who worshipped him, at least in the past. 

So for the sake of his dignity, Atsumu used his wish-granting powers to fulfil his own wish of being called his own name. He could have easily mouthed out his name to the clueless human, but in addition to his caution, Atsumu found himself enjoying the feeling of being treated as an equal from someone other than his brother. Although Atsumu’s abilities always came with a price, his wish wasn’t big enough to require Atsumu to sacrifice anything significant for. 

“..Atsumu.” Shouyou uttered unconsciously, and he immediately put his hand to his mouth in surprise. The edges of his lips curved into a smile when he realized how the name resonated with him, “That’s perfect! Atsumu!”

Atsumu’s bored look didn’t change, and he let his head rest back on the mattress as he curled back up against himself. Shouyou took this as a sign of acknowledgement despite a lack of positive reaction, as all that mattered was that Atsumu was no longer making those scary looks. The ginger went on to set the empty plate aside onto his study table and left the towel around his neck on top of his desk chair. Suddenly, the lights in the room were gone following a click , and the fox was startled when he felt Shouyou snuggling up next to him on the bed.

“Good night then, Atsumu.” Shouyou said in a hushed voice. “I gotta’ wake up early tomorrow. We’ve got the Spring Tournament preliminaries coming up soon, so I gotta’ practice extra hard..”

Atsumu didn’t understand a single term Shouyou had used. But what was bothering him more was that Shouyou’s bed wasn’t large enough that a baby fox-sized spirit could have his own comfortable space together with a human. So Atsumu found himself dangerously close to Shouyou’s face that he could feel the warmth of his breath. Atsumu was actually feeling flustered, because he had never been this intimate with anyone before, except for Osamu on cold days, where they would huddle up together in their animal forms to warm themselves up.

Atsumu had found himself frequently thinking about Osamu throughout his entire dilemma, despite the fact that it was Osamu himself who put Atsumu in this miserable situation. Atsumu was still undeniably angry at Osamu for his actions, and was fully expecting Osamu to be remorseful and make it up to him when they meet again. But it didn’t change the fact that they have been together ever since they first came into the world and that they shared a bond like none other. Suddenly, a memory returned to him, and he remembered why their argument started in the first place. Atsumu wanted nothing more than to cringe at how petty the cause turned out to be. Atsumu also realized that it may have been his fault the entire fight happened, and that he might actually be the one who needed to apologize.

The fox spirit was brought back to reality when he felt an arm drape over him. His eyes fluttered open to see tender brown eyes looking directly at him, “The world can be really frightening.. If I didn’t find you, it’s scary to think about what could have happened to you..”

Shouyou definitely had a point. Atsumu was not sure what would have happened to him either, if Shouyou had not picked him up in the middle of the road. The lower-ranked spirits who served under him feared the very thought of even touching him in his, and Osamu needed at least a few weeks to get over any argument they had. Any malicious spirit could have come by and easily devoured Atsumu in his weakened state. Atsumu was still recovering from his shock of nearly being on the brink of death just earlier, and he honestly hasn’t completely processed the situation he was currently in. The last thing he would ever admit was that he was actually worried about whether things would go back to normal with Osamu.

“It’ll be alright, Atsumu.” Shouyou whispered into Atsumu’s ears, his tone dream-like as he lightly scratched the back of Atsumu’s ears. “I’m here for you.”

Shouyou’s words oddly gave Atsumu a sense of security. Shouyou definitely had that talent to put the guarded Atsumu at ease with his words that seemed to be full of genuineness and emotion. It was not only that, but being around Shouyou was like basking in the sun after the rain. Atsumu suddenly felt like everything really was going to be alright, one way or another. 

Atsumu had never thought much about pursuing a better happiness when he was already content with the up and down life he lived with his brother. But if he had to put the definition of his ideal happiness into words, it would have been to forever savour the warm embrace of the human beside him.

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Nearly a week had passed since Shouyou had taken Atsumu into his house. The weather was still as dreary as it was on the first day they met. Atsumu spent most of his time sleeping to pass time, and whenever he was awake, he would mindlessly watch the overcast skies from behind the window. Although the process was slow, Atsumu was gradually regaining his strength and spiritual powers, and he was now strong enough for him to move short distances around the room he was residing in. 

On his first few days, Atsumu had initially paid no attention to his surroundings due to being overwhelmed by his exhaustion. When his mind was back in the right place, Atsumu had taken the time to properly process the new environment he was in. Shouyou’s room was a modern-style bedroom with traditional sliding doors. The white walls were decorated with striking posters depicting sports players. It was overall a simple room, but it was oddly cozy and comfortable for Atsumu.

But what stood out the most to Atsumu were the seals put up in the corners of the room and hidden away from plain sight. They had no effect on him because of how badly they were created in the first place, despite their sole purpose being to ward away non-humans like himself. But they still put Atsumu on his guard as it suggested that an adept exorcist could drop a visit to the room anytime. Atsumu could easily handle even the most skilled of exorcists, but in his current state, he really didn’t want to deal with anything troublesome.

During the first few days of Atsumu’s stay, Shouyou had been on the edge about his family finding out about his new animal companion. But his anxiety gradually faded away as the days passed and nothing eventful happened. Atsumu never needed to hide from Shouyou’s family, because he knew none of them possessed as strong of spiritual powers as Shouyou did. But in favour of not having his cover blown with Shouyou, he chose to play along. 

At some point, Shouyou had also realized he never prepared a potty box for Atsumu. But since there was never any incident of animal faeces being laid in his room, Shouyou let it slide. He probably thought of it as Atsumu managing to somehow slip out of the house unnoticed to do his business, being the ‘smart’ fox he was.

Upon further observation, Atsumu was convinced that Shouyou only saw him as your out-of-the-mill baby fox, even after spending days with him. While Atsumu could easily come off as a fox from afar to any normal human, anyone would immediately realize he was no regular fox upon closer inspection. His coat was a striking shade of gold, which was a feature none of the foxes in the area shared. He possessed a series of red markings on his forehead which served as a seal and limiter to his powers. But his most notable feature was his nine tails, which should have been a telling sign of a fox spirit among the humans and spirits alike. It actually put a strain on Atsumu’s pride, thinking that a mere human did not even recognize a great spirit like himself.

Throughout his time living with Shouyou, Atsumu frequently found himself thinking about how low humanity’s intelligence had dropped over the years or that he was just mistaken about human intellect all along. 

“I’m back, Atsumu~” Shouyou said in a low hum to avoid attracting attention from his family as he slid his door open. Atsumu’s ears twitched in anticipation when he caught the sweet hum of Shouyou’s voice.

Shouyou usually returned to his room late in the day, and the odour of sweat would always permeate the room upon his arrival. Atsumu loved this smell, because it was Shouyou’s natural scent and it meant Shouyou was home. The fox spirit was never used to being alone for long periods of time, despite having experienced several episodes where he was separated from Osamu. Furthermore, there was nothing to do in a small room, and he needed Shouyou’s liveliness and silliness to relieve his boredom that had built up through the day.

After Shouyou came back, he would leave the room for a shower and the scent of his sweat would disappear and be replaced by the fragrance of ‘oranges’. Atsumu didn’t like the smell because it stunk as if it was a haphazard mixture of many different aromas together. But Atsumu relished in the fact that Shouyou’s comforting scent was still there, albeit masked by the stronger, artificial scent of shampoo. 

As he was absorbed in Shouyou’s scent, Atsumu failed to notice there was another scent in the air, and he only realized what he was missing when his eyes landed on the plate Shouyou was holding.

Atsumu’s ears perked up. It was rice balls today, after such a long time going without rice balls. His dinners were always an interesting variety of foods. On the second day of his stay, he was served grilled salmon, and the following day was hamburger steak, and then it was udon, and the list only went on. While he did start enjoying the taste of different foods and noting their differences, his favourite still had to be the rice balls. 

Shouyou started placing his meals on his desk now that Atsumu was able to move around more freely. Atsumu eagerly hopped onto the desk table where Shouyou put down his meal, and wasted no time in digging in. Atsumu was able to ascertain the taste this time as he ate slower than the first time around, and he noted a fishy taste that accompanied the rice. As usual, Shouyou watched him with a tender gaze as he chowed down the three balls of rice in no time. The plate was pristine clean once again.

“You sure do like rice balls, huh, Atsumu?” Shouyou commented nonchalantly, slightly tilting his head which he rested upon his palms. “You finish them so quickly.”

Atsumu licked the edges of his mouth where he felt a grain of rice sticking out. He wanted seconds badly, but he had no idea how to convey the message to Shouyou without using his supernatural abilities. He swore to himself he would only use his powers during that one time and not anymore, or he would become the butt of the joke the next time he saw Osamu. He urgently tapped the plate with his paws instead and gave Shouyou a grumpy look.

Shouyou surprisingly caught on this, and he scratched the back of his head sheepishly, “Sorry, Atsumu. That was all we had for dinner, I only managed to sneak some for you..”

Atsumu’s ears fell in dismay. He really regretted not savouring every bite. Shouyou’s expression fell at the sight of this, and he clasped his hands together in a gesture of apology, “I’m sorry! I’ll try to grab more for you next time!” 

Atsumu’s ears twitched in delight at Shouyou’s words. Atsumu was by no means a patient spirit, but ever since he started taking residence in the human household, he started developing a degree of patience for the sake of the poor human who saved him. He easily trusted Shouyou to keep to his words because of how his aura just screamed his sincerity. But the fox spirit was satisfied regardless. The food Shouyou served him filled him with an amount of spiritual energy similar to offerings, so he often found himself feeling stuffed and sleepy after every meal.

Instead of crawling back onto the bed, Atsumu leapt onto Shouyou’s lap instead, and curled up on himself in the confines of the human warmth Shouyou irradiated. Atsumu had slowly been growing comfortable making physical contact with Shouyou, and at this point, he enjoyed whatever touches he could steal from the human. Shouyou seemed to light up whenever Atsumu came close to him, so that was also another plus for the fox spirit.

“Jeez, you sleep way too much, Atsumu.” Shouyou chortled, and the sound of Shouyou’s low laughter played like a relaxing melody in Atsumu’s ears. Atsumu felt Shouyou’s gentle fingers run down his head, and he purred in satisfaction. He never let anyone, not even Osamu, touch him when he was so defenceless, and he didn’t think he would enjoy it this much. He raised his head to signal for Shouyou to scratch his chin instead, and Shouyou didn’t disappoint. His purrs only grew louder as he revelled in the feeling of Shouyou’s fingertips brushing against his chin. 

Suddenly, the sensation of Shouyou’s touches were gone, and Atsumu felt himself being lifted up into the air, off Shouyou’s lap. He was disoriented at first, but he was comforted when he realized Shouyou’s hands were wrapped underneath his forelimbs. The lights in the room flickered off, and the room was surrounded in total darkness. Atsumu soon found himself staring back up at the familiar white ceilings on top of Shouyou’s chest, and his body was carefully turned over so his limbs could support himself. Once he was steady, Atsumu pressed his paws against Shouyou’s chest and kneaded it. He then rolled up into a ball again after he was satisfied, enjoying the continuous rising and falling of Shouyou’s chest.

“Do you want to know something pretty weird, Atsumu?” Shouyou asked out of nowhere, and Atsumu batted an eye at him. “I can actually see ghosts.”

It was not surprising at all for Atsumu to hear that, because he was already long aware of the fact ever since Shouyou picked him up. What he wasn’t expecting was for Shouyou to straight out tell him about such a glaringly obvious detail right out of nowhere. But the tone Shouyou used suggested that the topic was a touchy one for the ginger.

“My family knows about it, and we visit the shrine a lot to buy protective talismans.” Shouyou delved deeper into the topic as he absentmindedly looked at the ceiling. Atsumu had known that Shouyou always carried protective charms with him, but it never posed a threat to him because it was only effective with lower-ranked spirits. “It’s pretty weird to think that people don’t believe in ghosts when they’re right next to us, doing their own thing..”

“..I wonder if you can see ghosts too, Atsumu. I heard somewhere that animals can see ghosts too.” Shouyou added as he dug the back of his head into his pillow. His hand habitually found itself back on top of Atsumu’s head, sliding down to his tail, and then moving back to his head and repeating the motion. “Sure there are scary ghosts out there like in the movies, but most of the time they’re really friendly people! I’m even friends with the ghost of the old man who stays in our neighbour’s house, he’s a really nice guy.”

However, Shouyou’s tone suddenly darkened, “The scary ones can get pretty dangerous but I’ve managed to get away from them. But lately, I’ve been seeing a lot more of them around..”

Atsumu eyed Shouyou from the corner of his eyes with interest and growing uneasiness. He had an idea about the cause of Shouyou’s observation and there was actually something he could do about it. But he was reluctant to do so, because it would affect himself tremendously. It didn’t change the fact that Atsumu still cared however, and he nearly found himself caught up in a mental battle if not for Shouyou breaking the silence again.

“I have a bad habit of thinking about useless things like that a lot.. I swear I’m never gonna’ talk about ghosts again, ever!” Shouyou suddenly slapped his cheeks, and he was back to his energetic self in a flash. “Anyway, I learned a lot of new tricks today!”

Atsumu was quick to let go of his debilitating thoughts in favour of giving Shouyou his full attention. Shouyou went on and on about that one volleyball thing that always monopolized most of his days, and as usual, Atsumu didn’t understand anything Shouyou was going on about. He was used to listening to Shouyou go off about his day on his bed after having dinner. So far, the only thing he drew from attentively listening to Shouyou’s blabbering was that he was playing a competitive sport called volleyball at his school. Although Atsumu was missing the entire picture of the stories Shouyou told him, he found himself more focused on the passion that leaked out of Shouyou’s every single word. That passion made him shine even brighter in his eyes, which was a feat Atsumu had thought was impossible.

But for some reason, there was always a hint of longing and loneliness that came along with Shouyou’s chatter about volleyball that could have easily been missed if not for Atsumu’s sharp senses. This obviously caught Atsumu’s interest at every turn. Shouyou was quick to move on to another topic after he raved all he could about the sport, and this time he was talking about a funny story about his classmates. The same enthusiasm was still present in his voice, as well as that tinge of loneliness.

Atsumu had always known that Shouyou was secretly struggling outside the bright life he shared with the fox spirit. There were days Shouyou would come home looking distressed and drained of all his energy, but he always tried his best to maintain a happy-go-lucky demeanour around Atsumu. But instead of sucking out even more from him, he genuinely seemed to liven up whenever he spent time with Atsumu. Atsumu was honoured that he could make Shouyou happy, as he began wanting to give Shouyou something back ever since he saved him.

As the clock continued to tick, Shouyou speech became slower and more slurred as fatigue took him over. Atsumu thought it was funny and endearing that Shouyou could never stop talking about everything that went on around him, and not to mention the amount of enthusiasm he showed to the most mundane events. The ginger’s words gradually died down, and the chatter was replaced by the soft sounds of Shouyou’s breathing. Atsumu felt grateful that he could finally enjoy some peace and quiet, but also felt disappointed at the same time that Shouyou’s excited voice was gone.

Atsumu proceeded to climb up to Shouyou’s shoulder, and he nuzzled his nose against Shouyou’s neck. Shouyou often whined about how it tickled every time Atsumu brushed his fur against his neck. But he was a heavy sleeper, so he never stirred awake whenever Atsumu snuggled up against his sensitive parts. Atsumu preferred staying as close as possible to Shouyou whenever he was fast asleep, close enough to listen to the tempo of his breathing and to be enveloped by the body heat he emanated. So Atsumu’s ideal spot was right next to Shouyou’s neck and below his chin.

That was not only the reason he preferred sticking to Shouyou’s neck. As every night passed, Atsumu found himself eyeballing the sun-kissed skin of Shouyou’s neck with an ever-growing sense of desire. This night was no different, but Atsumu could only will himself to squeeze his eyes shut and lull himself to sleep to the rhythm of Shouyou’s slow breathing.

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Atsumu’s instincts didn’t betray him; he was the great fox spirit, after all. Another week had passed, and Shouyou was starting to lose his chirpy demeanour every time he walked into his room with every day that passed. In fact, he looked almost frightened, and was regularly turning his head around as if to check whether someone or something was following him. 

At some point, Shouyou had completely stopped trying to smile. Shouyou was arriving home earlier than usual and he rarely left his room to practice alone outside in the night. Whenever he was in his room, he would occupy himself with his school work, and when there was nothing left for him to do, he would immediately head to sleep. But Shouyou was never able to catch any proper sleep, and instead he would just lie on his back and stare aimlessly at the ceiling. The fervour in Shouyou’s voice started to wane as more days went by.  Shouyou’s fondles were no longer filling Atsumu with the same contentment as they did during the days prior. 

There were still no signs of the rainy days coming to an end. In fact, the rain was only growing heavier, and the quiet nights started becoming saturated with the rumbles of thunder in the distance. The night was another turbulent one, and Shouyou had suddenly jolted awake to the first signs of thunder. His wide eyes were plastered to the white ceilings as his trembling hands clung desperately to his blanket. When the next clap of thunder arrived, Shouyou grew even more agitated and restless, and his breathing became even more erratic. He wasted no time in covering his ears with his palms and curling himself up into a ball. 

Shouyou was usually indifferent to thunderstorms and was able to ignore them through his slumber, so his reaction had bewildered Atsumu. The fox spirit had been shaken awake by the excessive squeaking of the bed. His first instincts were to appease Shouyou’s episode, and he lightly kneaded his paws on Shouyou’s shoulder in an attempt to grab the ginger’s attention. Shouyou only let out a sharp breath, and he curled deeper into himself. This prompted Atsumu to make his way to the front of Shouyou’s frame, and he rubbed his head against Shouyou’s arms which were shielding his face.

Shouyou managed to crack an eye open to investigate the unexpected soothing feel on his skin, and his breathing grew less erratic at the sight of the baby fox. Atsumu head managed to slip through the small gap in between Shouyou’s arms, and he settled down there to reassure Shouyou that he was there and that he was not alone. Shouyou in turn placed a hand on Atsumu’s back and pulled the fox a little closer to his face, while his other hand was still pressed onto the ear that was off the bed. 

“N-No..” Shouyou uttered with a shaky breath. “T-That monster is going to get me..”

The gold fox gave Shouyou a curious look. Shouyou’s fingers dug into Atsumu’s fur, and the fox flinched slightly at Shouyou’s strong grip, “I don’t want to die..! Please, I don’t want to die..!”

Tears were starting to form at the corners of Shouyou’s eyes, “I-I’m scared, Atsumu..”

A flash of lightning struck again, and Shouyou stifled a shriek as he squeezed his eyes shut and rammed his forehead further into Atsumu’s stomach. Shouyou actually had no reason to be scared of ‘monsters’, because Atsumu’s strong presence scared away the spirits that dared to come close to Shouyou’s room. But watching the human tremble and cling to him so helplessly filled Atsumu with immense feelings of apprehension and worry. He did not want to see Shouyou suffer to such an extent, and he wanted to do something about it. As much as he wanted to, Atsumu was not about to use his powers, because he knew the price for it would end up needlessly hurting Shouyou even more.

But if Atsumu could not do anything significant, he at least wanted to give Shouyou the same warmth the latter had given him during their first meeting. Shouyou’s skin had felt cold against his fur, and the tears that began streaming down his cheeks stole away even more of his human warmth.

It was in the heat of the moment that Atsumu decided to morph into his human form so he could hold Shouyou’s trembling body in his own.

A cold chill suddenly travelled down Shouyou’s spine and he went stiff. His body was suddenly being held up by two strong arms, and Shouyou felt warm, human skin on his forehead instead of the soft feeling of fur. Shouyou also felt intense eyes gazing upon him, and it took him a few moments to muster up the strength to overcome the sheer intensity of these eyes and regain control of his muscles. Shouyou managed to raise his chin to meet this gaze and to see the face of the stranger whose presence put him at ease.

Olive-coloured orbs stared back at Shouyou. In his human form, Atsumu was the textbook definition of good-looking. He had a well-defined and chiselled face. His short hair was predominantly made up of gold strands of hair, but traces of black were still visible on the roots of his hair. His fox-like eyes were tender and kind, and his thin lips were stretched into a gentle smile. He may have appeared human, but he easily gave off the impression of distance and otherworldliness from the grand aura he exuded. Shouyou’s brown eyes went wide, completely taken aback by the appearance of the stranger, and a faint blush rose his cheeks.

The next clamouring of thunder was completely ignored. 

“Shouyou-kun.” Atsumu whispered softly into Shouyou’s ear. He pulled Shouyou’s smaller frame closer to his own. “It’s alright, I’m here.”

Atsumu had long desired to take Shouyou into his arms. He wanted to feel all of Shouyou’s body and to have all of Shouyou’s warmth to himself. Even though Shouyou may have been missing his warmth now, Atsumu was still happy that he could finally hold the person who had become his sun on the rainy days they had spent together.

“..Who are you?” Shouyou asked, the shakiness in his voice still present but to a lesser degree now.

Atsumu’s eyes moved his hand to Shouyou’s head and ran his fingers through his hair. “I’ll protect you, so you don’t have to be scared anymore.”

Shouyou unconsciously relaxed into the feeling of Atsumu’s gentle touches, and he moved the hand on his ear to Atsumu’s back. His eyes were feeling heavy, and he clutched the fabric of Atsumu’s adornments as he tried to fight away his sleepiness. But the comforting feeling of Atsumu’s fingers brushing against his hair only made him feel increasingly drowsy. Shouyou’s grip on Atsumu’s back loosened and he eventually started snoring softly into Atsumu’s shoulder.

The lightning strikes continued to drop in the background, but the noise of thunder was no longer ringing in Shouyou’s ears. Atsumu felt a rush of pride surge through him upon seeing the peaceful expression back on Shouyou’s face. But most of all, he felt at ease now that Shouyou was back to normal. Atsumu watched Shouyou with fond eyes as he continued to play with his hair.

But a sense of guilt started to creep onto Atsumu when realization dawned upon him. He had known all along what Shouyou was referring to in his strings of pleas. It was obvious that Shouyou’s paranoia had stemmed from the fact that more evil spirits were starting to gather around him.  It was all because of Atsumu that Shouyou was being increasingly pursued by the evil spirits. Atsumu’s presence had rubbed off on Shouyou, and the evil spirits had targeted the feeble human in hopes of having a share of Atsumu’s highly desirable spiritual energy.

Atsumu felt like he really didn’t deserve to enjoy this moment, especially when he was the main cause of Shouyou’s struggles.

____________________________________________________________________________

Rain continued to pour all over Miyagi even after the storm on the previous night. Shouyou had woken up later than usual and appeared lost when he came to. When he had fully regained his consciousness, Shouyou had become frantic and he began looking around his room, seemingly for the ethereal man from earlier night. Unfortunately for Shouyou, Atsumu had reverted back to his fox form the moment his instincts felt Shouyou waking up.

But Shouyou’s search was cut short when his sister violently slid open his door and shouted at him that he would be late. She was already dressed in her school uniform and was carrying the weight of her school bag on her back, fully prepared to head to school. Shouyou panicked when he realized the time, and he was quick to shift his attention away from the events of last night.

The ginger was gone not long after his sister’s intrusion, and Atsumu was a little disappointed that Shouyou had forgotten to serve him breakfast. But Atsumu let it slide in favour of the plans he made for the day while Shouyou was away from his room. He morphed into his human form once again, magical smoke dispersing around him as he stood upright at the centre of the room. After so long of resting, Atsumu had finally regained enough strength to assume his human appearance, which was significantly stronger and more convenient than his fox form.

Atsumu wandered over to the human-sized mirror lying against the wall out of curiosity.  Mirrors were known among the spirits to carry a strange power to look into one’s soul, and they were regarded as powerful tools as a result. He was surprised to find so many mirrors lying around Shouyou’s house, but upon further inspection, none of them actually seemed to carry the so-called power that was spread around in the rumours. The mirror in Shouyou’s room was actually the first time Atsumu had actually seen himself, and he had initially been disappointed at how strongly he resembled Osamu in his animal form. He had slight hope that he would look different from his brother in his human appearance, but similar to his animal form, the only striking difference was the colour of his hair, ears and tails. 

Atsumu heaved a sigh, and he summoned a hand fan into his dominant hand and lightly tapped it on the end of his chin. He never actually required the fan, because he was strong enough to channel his spiritual energy without a medium. But he and Osamu had agreed to keep one on them in case they ever came face-to-face with a formidable force. It eventually became a habit for Atsumu to bring it out and physically carry it around with him. 

Atsumu’s eyes suddenly became wide when he sensed a familiar presence approaching, and he quickly turned his body in the direction of the new company. He knew who it was already, and because of that he was on high alert.

The presence was strongly emanating from the window, where the wind blew the curtains despite the windows being shut tightly close. A human figure resembling Atsumu materialized out of thin air in between the flowing curtains. Silver fox ears and nine swiping tails stood out in the dull background of the rain outside the window. Atsumu’s eyes narrowed when Osamu’s presence in the room became clear. 

“What are you doing here, ‘Tsumu?” Osamu asked, his tone reflecting apathy instead of the anger Atsumu was expecting.

Hearing Osamu’s usual indifference made Atsumu feel slightly at ease, “I haven’t seen you in a while, ‘Samu.”

“..I needed some time for myself.” Osamu claimed, and he absentmindedly pressed his paper fan to his chin. The twins shared the habit together, and it often came out when they were in deep thought. “I wasn’t expecting you to cozy up to a human while I was gone, though.”

Atsumu frowned at the point Osamu had brought up. It tarnished Atsumu’s pride as a great spirit that he had grown so close to a human. But for some reason, Atsumu didn’t regret the connection he shared with Shouyou, and he felt it would have been more of a shame if he had never met Shouyou. He couldn’t help snorting at the irony of his own train of thoughts.

But the irony itself was what helped Atsumu realize the true nature of his feelings. His feelings of wanting to be close to Shouyou at every passing moment and wanting to have Shouyou all to himself, despite the differences between them being as clear as day.

“I think I’ve fallen in love, ‘Samu.” Atsumu announced, not mincing a single word. 

Osamu opened his mouth in disbelief of Atsumu’s words, and he pressed his lips back together into a thin line. “You’re crazy, ‘Tsumu. I’m sure you know how love between a human and a spirit always ends up.”

“I know.” Atsumu’s eyes squeezed shut. “But I’m glad I fell in love.”

Osamu moved a hand to his hip and raised a brow, “‘Tsumu, you’ll start regretting it soon enough.”

“That’s why I’ve already decided, ‘Samu.” Atsumu’s eyes fluttered open once again, and a wistful smile formed on his lips. There was a glint of determination in his orbs. “I’m going to leave Shouyou for good, but before that, I’m going to grant him what he desires the most.”

The silver fox spirit tensed at Atsumu’s words. Atsumu turned away, his expression remaining constant, “The protective seals in this house rea~lly suck though, so I’m gonna’ set up a new barrier for this house. Lend me a hand here, ‘Samu.”

Osamu let out a heavy sigh, “..Fine.”

“Also,” Atsumu added, his body facing away from Osamu. “I’m sorry about what happened that day.”

Osamu’s eyes widened in disbelief, and his hands fell to his sides. It was his first time actually receiving a proper apology from his brother, and it gave him mixed feelings. He curled his fingers into a fist, “..I’m the one who’s supposed to be sorry, I really hurt you badly. I’m sorry, ‘Tsumu.”

The blonde chuckled softly, and he turned his head around to face Osamu’s direction again, a more genuine smile lighting his features this time. “No hard feelings then?”

“Yeah.” Osamu nodded, giving Atsumu a smile of his own as well. 

____________________________________________________________________________

With Osamu’s help, Atsumu was able to set up stronger seals around the entire house. He had gone the extra mile and replaced all the seals in the house. The task was easy for a great spirit like himself, and having Osamu around sped the process up by a multifold. Atsumu felt at ease now that he was reassured that Shouyou would stay safe, even without his presence to ward away the evil spirits in his room.

Atsumu had requested that Osamu leave him alone with Shouyou for the night, because he wanted to make the most out of the final night he would spend with the human. Fortunately, Osamu agreed. So when his brother was gone, Atsumu morphed into his fox form, and he gazed out the window as the rain continued its merciless reign over the skies. Occasionally, he could make out human figures passing by, some in their raincoats and some with umbrellas, and they had all been struggling to make their way against the strong winds. 

Before meeting Shouyou, Atsumu would have laughed upon the sight of the struggles of the ignorant humans who had forgotten about his existence. But when he thought of Shouyou being put in such situations, he felt anger well up inside him, and this anger was directed to life and fate itself for sometimes being tough on humans. All he wanted now was to see the warm and accommodating smile back on Shouyou’s face every time he spoke about his passions to Atsumu.

The human on Atsumu’s mind eventually arrived back to his room, and his first instinct was to investigate his room once more for any signs of the man from the other night. But when his eyes laid upon Atsumu, Shouyou was instantly reminded that he had forgotten to feed his animal companion, and he immediately became apologetic, to the point of shamelessly prostrating down to Atsumu to beg for his forgiveness. Atsumu was used to Shouyou’s extreme gestures and found them endearing. He couldn’t care less about food now though, even if it would be his last human dinner.

The thought about leaving Shouyou filled him with more anguish than he thought. But he still didn’t regret his meeting with Shouyou. A reason was because Atsumu would have likely succumbed to his wounds or become prey to the evil spirits if not for Shouyou’s timely arrival. But the main reason was because it was thanks to Shouyou that he was able to feel the warmth of human love for the first time. Although this would be his last time being in the presence of that warmth, the experience and memory alone was enough for Atsumu.

Shouyou had left again for a shower and subsequently dinner. Much to Atsumu’s surprise, Shouyou brought back rice balls for dinner, and there were six balls of rice arranged side-by-side on the plate this time. Shouyou had kept his word. Atsumu felt himself being overcome with hesitation and doubt as he dug into his dinner. He abhorred the grim reminder that this would be the last time he would have his favourite food with Shouyou by his side. 

It didn’t help that Shouyou was chirpier than he normally was today as well. He spoke about his day with a newfound enthusiasm, but his rave about his day was cut short when he suddenly started talking about the ‘dream’ he had the previous night. 

“Actually, I had the weirdest dream today, Atsumu.” Shouyou said, and his tone became melancholic. “I was having a nightmare when I suddenly met this really strange person.”

Atsumu’s ears perked in interest. He was curious to hear about Shouyou’s opinions on him. Shouyou’s expression softened and a blush crept to his face, “He was really warm. I felt so scared and alone, but he told me that he would protect me. So now, I just feel like everything will be alright.”

“..This might sound weird, but I think I’m in love with someone from my dreams.” Shouyou claimed shyly as he buried his face in between his folded arms on the table. “For some reason, I just can’t stop thinking about him..”

Any sane person would have laughed at Shouyou for even suggesting that he was in love with a man from his dreams. Atsumu would have been amused by the prospect as well, but this time, he couldn’t even try to joke about the situation. His whole world felt like it was turned completely upside down when he heard Shouyou’s honest feelings. He was overjoyed that his feelings were reciprocated, but at the same time, it made him increasingly anxious when he realized he had to take into greater consideration Shouyou’s feeling after he would leave him.

Atsumu knew that Shouyou had become fond of him in his animal form. If he up and left all of a sudden, Shouyou would most likely understand and come to terms with it. After all, the original agreement was that Atsumu stayed until he recovered his full strength. But after hearing how Atsumu made him feel safe, the fox spirit became even more hesitant, because it worried him to the brim to think about how Shouyou would cope without him around.

The fox spirit could only have hope that granting Shouyou’s wish would protect him and keep him safe, even without Atsumu around to act as the source of his security. It didn’t change the fact that Atsumu had already planned on looking after Shouyou even after he left, all to ensure the human would always be out of harm’s way.

The rice balls were gone in a matter of minutes and the platter was licked clean. Shouyou’s fingers ran through Atsumu’s head, and Atsumu’s heart skipped a beat at the warmth of Shouyou’s skin against his fur. His warmth was finally back, and Shouyou’s eyes were glazed with the love and care that Atsumu had longed for for days. Atsumu allowed himself to let go of his worries and give into the comfort of Shouyou’s touches. His eyes fluttered shut as Shouyou’s palms cupped his body and lifted him off the desk.

Atsumu felt himself being elevated onto Shouyou’s shoulder and he subsequently heard the sound of the Shouyou flicking the light switch. Atsumu was gently set on the bed, lying on his side, and he was carefully tucked under the blanket. Shouyou soon joined him, wrapping his arms around Atsumu’s petite body. Shouyou’s gaze continued to train on him, and Atsumu felt small under Shouyou’s tender brown orbs. 

“Thanks for being there for me all this time, Atsumu.” Shouyou said in a hushed voice, and the hand on Atsumu’s spine travelled up to his head. “I’m sorry you had to see me so weak.”

Atsumu let out a low whine as Shouyou’s fingers gently scratched the back of his ears. He had realized he loved it when Shouyou touched him there, and it became his favourite spot he would beckon Shouyou to scratch. He curled on himself and shifted closer to Shouyou.

It didn’t take long for Shouyou to pass out with his hand still on Atsumu’s head. It was clear that Shouyou had been sleep-deprived over the past few days because of his sudden inability to fall asleep. Atsumu was always wide awake whenever Shouyou couldn’t sleep, because he didn’t feel comfortable going to sleep when Shouyou was still lying awake next to him. Atsumu felt at peace as usual as he watched Shouyou’s peaceful face and listened to the sounds of Shouyou’s quiet breathing.

Hours come to pass, and Atsumu was still conscious. Surprisingly, the night sky was clear of rain clouds and only the sound of the chilly night wind could be heard from outside. Atsumu had yet to move from his initial position ever since Shouyou went to sleep. His eyes fluttered open, and he brushed his nose against Shouyou’s neck one last time. Skin replaced his fur and he grew larger in size. One of his arms was folded underneath his head to support it, while the other was draped around Shouyou and pulled the latter closer to his broad chest. He looked down at Shouyou’s expression with a sense of longing gleaming in his olive-coloured orbs.

Atsumu remained in that arrangement as he enjoyed whatever remaining time he had left with Shouyou. They were locked into a mutual embrace, as Shouyou’s arms had initially been around his animal form before his transformation. He savoured the feeling of warmth of Shouyou’s body against his chest and arms. He proceeded to move his hand on Shouyou’s back to his forehead and tucked the stray strands of orange hair to the back of his ear. He brushed his fingers along Shouyou’s bangs and swept a few strands to the side to have a better look at Shouyou’s face. He found himself contemplating about how he would no longer be able to touch Shouyou. He felt tears welling up at the corner of his eyes at the very thought.

But before Atsumu could will himself to commit the deed, Shouyou’s sleepy eyes fluttered open and their gazes locked with one another. Atsumu’s eyes went wide in surprise.

“You’re here again..” Shouyou said in a groggy voice, and he pressed his hands against Atsumu’s back.

Atsumu didn’t say anything. Shouyou buried his face into Atsumu’s chest, while Atsumu’s hand remained on his forehead, “You’re Atsumu, aren’t you?”

The fox spirit jumped slightly in surprise. His lips stretched into a grin, “Oh? How long have you known?”

“..I didn’t think I’d actually be right. You just have that weird aura about you.” Shouyou said. “Your voice sounds really nice, Atsumu.”

Atsumu felt heat rising to his face, but his bashfulness was quickly replaced by realization. His hand proceeded to move behind Shouyou’s ear and he gently stroked Shouyou’s head. “Aren’t you scared of me, Shouyou-kun?”  

“I’m not.” Shouyou said, his voice muffled. 

Atsumu’s expression became strained. “..I’m the reason why you’re being pursued by more evil spirits, you know.”

Shouyou was silent. He eventually dug his fingers into Atsumu’s back, “I figured that out already. But I know you aren’t evil, Atsumu.”

Atsumu opened his mouth in surprise. He had underestimated Shouyou’s instincts all this time, and he actually felt guilty, although he would never admit that out loud. Shouyou continued, “Are you going to leave soon, Atsumu?”

“Yeah.” Atsumu confirmed dully. 

“..Can I see you again?” Shouyou asked, as he pulled his face away from Atsumu’s chest and looked into his eyes determinedly.

Atsumu pursed his lips together, and his hand caressed Shouyou’s cheek. “We can’t. But it’ll be alright, because after this, you’ll forget everything about me.” 

Shouyou frowned, “..If I make a contract with you, will you stay with me, Atsumu?”

Silence filled the dark room. Atsumu was completely taken aback upon hearing Shouyou utter the word ‘contract’. It made Atsumu uncomfortable thinking just how much he didn’t know about Shouyou. The idea of a contract had always been in his mind ever since his attraction to Shouyou began.  Humans used to form contracts with the spirits long ago by offering parts of their body, and the contracts would link their souls directly together. Atsumu wanted that intimate connection with Shouyou more than anything.

Atsumu had always wanted more from Shouyou. It wasn’t enough for Atsumu to just enjoy his natural scent and body warmth. During every passing night, the sight of Shouyou bare neck had always incited feelings of hunger deep inside Atsumu that he had to restrain. His heart pounded at the thought of marking Shouyou with his fangs on the skin of his neck and having a taste of his blood.  

He was disgusted at his own train of thoughts and how far he had fallen for a mere human. Spirits and humans were never meant to get along with each other, and love was already a farfetched story on its own. 

Atsumu turned Shouyou’s body over and made it so that Shouyou was lying on his back as Atsumu climbed on top of him. Shouyou showed no resistance towards Atsumu’s actions and appeared even more relaxed than normal. Shouyou’s arms fell to his sides, and Atsumu placed both of his hands into Shouyou’s open palms and intertwined their fingers together. Shouyou naturally returned the gesture with his own fingers..

“Do you think someone like you could possibly form a contract with a great spirit like myself, Shouyou-kun?” Atsumu asked darkly.

Shouyou shuddered, and he looked away apologetically. “..Sorry.”

Atsumu was in disbelief at himself for his choice of words, “..Sorry, that came out wrong. You don’t know just how much I want you all to myself, Shouyou-kun.”

Shouyou’s cheeks flushed bright red, and Atsumu smiled in satisfaction of eliciting such a reaction, “..I-I can be yours then!”

“It’s not as easy as that.” Atsumu said, his eyes narrowing. “Contracts are heavy burdens. Spirits and humans were never meant to be together, it would only spell disaster for you in the end.”

Shouyou’s expression faltered, but he didn’t let his sadness linger, “..I’m okay with anything happening to me, if it means I could be with you longer.”

Atsumu’s features softened, and he lowered his face into the crook of Shouyou’s neck. His nose took in the scent of Shouyou’s blood that emanated strongly from his neck. Although he was risking losing control of himself from the appeal of Shouyou’s blood, Atsumu could never get enough of the scent. “I’m not okay with that. I don’t want to see you get hurt, Shouyou-kun.”

Shouyou’s frown deepened. Atsumu proceeded to bring both of Shouyou’s hands to the sides of his head. They shared silence as Atsumu began to plant kisses on Shouyou’s neck, all the while relishing the human’s scent. Shouyou stifled his moans as Atsumu’s lips slowly made its way up to his chin. Atsumu was tempted to drive his fangs into Shouyou’s neck, but he bit his tongue down to restrain himself when the desire grew strong.

“Shouyou-kun.” Atsumu said Shouyou’s name in a tender voice. “I’ll grant you one wish. Do you want to be the Little Giant? Do you want to be the richest man alive? I’ll give you anything you ask for.” 

Tears rolled down Shouyou’s cheeks. “I just want to be with you forever, Atsumu.”

Atsumu never thought there would come a day he wished Shouyou had been a more greedy and selfish creature. He chortled into Shouyou’s neck, and he raised his head to meet Shouyou’s eyes. He leaned his face closer to Shouyou’s and their eyes were locked together once again.  

“I love you, Shouyou-kun.” Atsumu whispered, and he proceeded to press his lips against Shouyou’s lips.

Shouyou’s eyelids suddenly became heavy, and the last thing he saw was the sad smile on Atsumu’s face as his consciousness faded away. Shouyou’s fingers lost the strength in them as his eyes fluttered shut. Atsumu pulled away from Shouyou’s frame and untangled his fingers that were interlaced with Shouyou’s fingers. He brought his body to the edge of the bed and planted his feet on the cold floor, supporting his weight as he arose from the bed. 

Atsumu made his way over to the open window, and he looked at Shouyou for one last time. Shouyou’s face was still wet from the tears he shed, but his sleeping face still seemed as peaceful as always. Atsumu was elated that he managed to talk to Shouyou for the first time before his departure. It may have made it harder for him to leave, but he was more than satisfied now that he had conveyed his true feelings.

He glanced back to the windows and out at the night sky.  It was time to go.

“Goodbye, Shouyou-kun.”

____________________________________________________________________________.

Many years have passed ever since Atsumu’s last memory of Shouyou, and the sun was once again shining brightly over the Miyagi area. Atsumu was back to his everyday life, wandering around the woods aimlessly and helping the lower-ranked spirits he came across together with Osamu. It was a boring life the siblings shared together, and they would express how sick they were of only seeing each other’s faces through their occasional quarrels.

Atsumu continued to watch over Shouyou over the past years. Shouyou had lost his ability to see spirits and his memories of Atsumu had been erased thanks to Atsumu’s abilities. Atsumu had paid the price instead, sacrificing his connection to Shouyou so Shouyou didn’t have to suffer from seeing spirits anymore. Shouyou seemed happier and less lonely now that he was living in the same reality as the people closest to him. 

Shouyou was still playing volleyball, and as usual, he was always at his brightest whenever he was playing the sport. Atsumu would make it a point to watch him practice at school, and he came to learn about his teammates as well as a result. He really couldn’t help feeling envious of the partnership Shouyou shared with a boy whose name Atsumu didn’t bother to remember.

At some point however, Shouyou had moved out of his house, and Atsumu decided to send one of his lackeys to observe him and make reports on his daily life. He was always excited to read the monthly reports his servants sent him, and Osamu soon started reading the reports as well out of pure curiosity.

Atsumu was delighted to hear that Shouyou was pursuing his dreams. Atsumu wanted nothing more than the happiness of the person he loved, after all. 

The years that passed merely felt like months to Atsumu, who had lived for a long time. But he still missed Shouyou dearly, and yearned to see him at every passing second. Humans were known to grow and change over the years, and Atsumu was curious about how much Shouyou had changed. An amusing thought that ran through his mind was whether or not Shouyou was still the pipsqueak he was long ago.

It was the middle of the summer once again. Idle thoughts filled his mind as Atsumu absentmindedly roamed the woods. He had just finished helping a lost spirit find its way to its pack, and in return he was given a dilapidated copper coin for his deeds. He didn’t have any need for material objects, and he thought of gifting away the coin to one of his younger spirits in the area who were fond of collecting the strangest items. 

Atsumu eventually arrived at his shrine, but he was stopped in his tracks when his eyes landed on a familiar mop of orange hair. The man was squatting in front of the old shrine with his hands clasped in a prayer. He knew it was Shouyou at first glance, because his scent was still familiar to Atsumu’s nose.

“It’s been decades since we actually had a visitor.” Osamu said out of nowhere, startling Atsumu.

Atsumu side-glanced Osamu in annoyance, “Don’t surprise me like that, idiot.”

“Looks like he brought an offering too.” Osamu pointed out, ignoring Atsumu’s words.

Atsumu stretched his head out to look past Shouyou out of curiosity, and he perked up when he caught the sight of rice balls laid out on a paper plate. Shouyou eventually sprung back to his feet and dusted his shorts. Atsumu watched closely as the human turned on his heels, and his heart skipped a beat when he took in the sight of Shouyou’s face.

Shouyou had not changed a lot, but he had still grown a little bit taller and he was a lot more built and muscular now. His childlike face was still there and his sunshine smile was plastered on his face, even now when there was no one visible around him. Atsumu was filled once again with a strong sense of yearning and longing, and his heart dropped when Shouyou walked past him without batting an eye at him.

Atsumu smiled sadly. It was his fault things were the way they were now, and he had no one else to blame but himself. 

The fox spirit quickly shook his thoughts away, and he walked over to the shrine. Osamu followed him curiously, “Rice balls, huh? It’s been centuries since I’ve had them.”

The blonde picked the plate up from the ground and took a rice ball off the plate. Osamu looked at him strangely, “I thought you didn’t like human food.”

Atsumu smiled as he chowed into the ball of rice, and he gestured the plate to Osamu, “This is an exception. You gotta’ try them, they’re the best.”

Osamu hummed in interest, and he proceeded to take one off the plate as well. He appeared puzzled at his first bite, but his face eventually brightened up and he was eagerly eating more of the rice ball in his hand until it was gone. “..I guess it is pretty good.”

Atsumu smiled victoriously, and Osamu glared at him, “Why do you look so proud?”

Osamu’s words were left ignored, and Atsumu was soon finished with his rice ball and was licking the sticky rice that got caught on his fingers. He couldn’t help the tears that were welling up at the corner of his eyes as he recalled the times he spent with Shouyou. It was a time he could never get back, and he may never get over the memories even if centuries passed and Shouyou’s soul passed on. It was the curse of the immortal.

But it did catch his attention that Shouyou had suddenly come to visit an old, abandoned shrine in the middle of the woods. There were many popular and well-kept shrines in the Miyagi area which were more accessible if he just wanted to pray. Atsumu wondered if Shouyou actually did retain some of his memories and remembered bits about him, as Shouyou was quite an unreadable person. The thought of even being slightly remembered made Atsumu smile. 

Whatever it was, Atsumu was too caught up in his elation to even care about the small details. Shouyou were here again, and that was all that mattered.