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their relationship doesn’t start grand. when okkotsu meets inumaki for the first time, he doesn’t feel some instinct telling him that this boy is the one, like so many couples say they did. but that doesn’t make it any less meaningful, in hindsight at least.
at first, okkotsu thought nothing of the light haired boy. sure, he was a little strange, but in this school, who wasn’t? his limited vocabulary was, admittedly, a little laughable, but in the end, did it matter how well he could communicate? as long as he could do his job, why did it matter to okkotsu if the boy could only talk in ingredients for rice balls?
they were only first years, and they had all only just met. okkotsu joined a little bit later, but it didn’t seem like he’d missed much. it had been intimidating, trying to assimilate into the group. however, it was easy to realize how little it all mattered, or at least how he acted. okkotsu was polite and timid, but he was still welcomed, and he warmed up to the group rather quickly.
it’s early in the morning, after a particularly exhausting mission, and they’re sitting in a common room in the dorms. okkotsu is usually the last one awake, but today, maki is the last one to sit down. order of arrival soon becomes insignificant as the group is swept up in the warm drawl of panda’s voice. ‘he must be a morning person,’ okkotsu thinks.
inumaki is sipping green tea, it’s still steaming, but okkotsu doesn’t even have half a brain to tell inumaki to blow on it before sipping. he’s still so tired. inumaki barely registers the heat of tea in his mouth, and if he does, he doesn’t show it. okkotsu rests his head on the table below him, too tired to even try to eat, and almost falls asleep again on the hard wood.
he’s barely conscious when his brain registers that panda is saying something. he mutters a “huh?” and panda repeats.
“next time we have a day off, we should all watch a movie or something.”
inumaki agrees with a soft “shake.”
despite the quietness of his voice, okkotsu can still make out that it’s a little bit strained. come to think of it, inumaki did always carry some sort of cough syrup. it soon makes sense as to why inumaki takes his tea so hot. in a moment, he’s a little more awake then before, and he joins in amicably with the ongoing conversation. he doesn’t lift his head though, and his brief thoughts about inumaki fly out of his head and into the open air.
okkotsu sure as hell didn’t realize it back then, but that would be his first of many worries about the light haired boy. (perhaps he should’ve enjoyed his “carefree” days, but worrying about inumaki is so natural now, he can’t bring himself to see it as a bad thing.)
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they’re still in their first year, and the long awaited movie night comes about. it’s on a thursday, because of course it is, gojo would argue that their schedules are never normal anyways, but it still feels strange. it was decided long ago that they would congregate in panda’s room, for multiple reasons. he had one of the biggest rooms, with the added bonus of a television set that could play dvds.
the first years are all only slightly tired, but with the night comes that strange burst of energy. being around others makes okkotsu feel warm, like he belonged somewhere that wasn’t with rika.
“so, what movie should we watch?” maki asks.
“ah, i don’t know, i haven’t had much free time for movies lately,” panda responds.
“have any of us?” maki laughs.
the kind atmosphere in the room only grows warmer, and okkotsu can’t help the smile that graces his face. it’s so refreshing, having friends.
panda suddenly grins deviously, and okkotsu is a bit nervous to hear his idea.
“we should watch a horror movie!” he exclaims, making jazz hands, “i’ve heard it’s great for group bonding!”
“haven’t we already been through enough life and death situations together already?” maki sighs.
“ah, but this is different! we aren’t actually going to die, but we might still be scared,” panda retorted, but kindly.
“i suppose, but don’t blame me if i fall asleep,” maki says.
“what do you guys think?” panda asks inumaki and okkotsu.
“shake.” inumaki states.
“sounds good to me,” okkotsu replies.
okkotsu had basically lived through a horror movie already, so he was sure he wouldn’t be scared. inumaki was a little intimidated, but the movie wouldn’t be that bad, right?
wrong, wrong, wrong, inumaki was so wrong. sure, he had never watched a horror movie before, but he wasn’t convinced it could actually scare him. he faced curses before! everyone else seemed unbothered, so inumaki felt like he also had to act that way as well.
he still flinched when panda opened a bag of candy, but if no one noticed, he’d be fine.
“inumaki, are you scared?” okkotsu whispered in his ear, but the others could probably still hear. at least, if they did, they didn’t say anything.
“okaka,” inumaki tried to lie.
“whatever you say, but here,” okkotsu said, pulling out something from his bag, “i brought a blanket, you can have it.”
inumaki gave a quick “tsuna” before wrapping himself in the soft blue blanket. he curled into it, and tried to tune out the movie. as he buried his face in it, he noticed it smelt like sunshine, and perhaps a little sweaty. he should’ve thought it was gross, but it only served to calm him down further. is this what okkotsu smells like? he thought.
after inumaki gathered enough courage to peek out from the blanket, he looked at okkotsu, who was watching the movie attentively with everyone else. slowly, he uncurled, and also turned his attention back to the movie. after a while, it finally registered in his brain that it wasn’t real, and it became even a little funny to watch. it came to an end all too quickly though.
“that was fun,” maki remarked.
“yeah,” okkotsu agreed.
and then, with yet another devious smile, panda suggested something.
“let’s play a game!” he clasped his hands together.
“what are we, teenage girls?” okkotsu joked.
even inumaki snickered a bit.
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the rest of the night passes by in giggles and revelations. the games they play are fun, and okkotsu can feel their bond strengthen. it makes his heart squeeze when he sees that inumaki still is wrapped up in his blanket.
when they’re all settling into bed for the night, and yes, it was difficult figuring out the arrangements. ever the gentleman, panda let maki sleep on his bed, but she only accepted after she watched him change the sheets. panda slept on the couch in his room, leaving the floor space for inumaki and okkotsu. okkotsu had gone to both of their rooms to retrieve futons, and inumaki sat quietly by the lamp.
with the little bit of residual fear inumaki still had, he could predict that he would have a difficult time sleeping. once panda turned off the light, inumaki curled as far as possible into his (okkotsu’s) blanket. it was warm, and comfy, but inumaki was still shaking a little. after about an hour of basically curling himself into a ball and keeping his eyes closed, he decided to maybe get some fresh air.
he double checked to make sure everyone was sleeping, and then, with the company of okkotsu’s blanket, he slinked outside. the chilly night air still seeped through the blanket and his thin pajamas, but it was nicer than being inside, he decided. it was admittedly a little hard to see, and he did almost trip a few times, but as he stood on one of the many bridges on the campus, staring at the water below, he felt truly at peace.
no more fear, no more pain, he could simply exist, even if it was only for a moment in passing. it reminded him of one of the many poems he had to memorize for english, ‘stopping by woods on a snowy evening,’ he recalled gently.
as he stared at his reflection in the water, he noticed a shadow stirring beside him. he turned around quickly, only to find okkotsu.
“ah, there you are. you worried me for a second,” he said softly.
“ah,” inumaki stuttered.
“hard to explain, i know. but come here, you could catch a cold,” okkotsu warned, but he said it with a smile. it made inumaki’s stomach do a flip.
as okkotsu walked him, okkotsu was wearing shoes, he noticed. inumaki has forgone shoes, going through the main door would be louder, he thought.
okkotsu must’ve noticed as well, “your feet will get dirty.”
“shake.” inumaki replied.
before inumaki can figure out what he’s doing, okkotsu crouches.
“go ahead, i’ll carry you back,” he says.
inumaki decides to just go with it, and before he knows it, he’s up off the ground.
“you’re so light,” inumaki can’t see his expression.
“your legs too, they’re so thin and…” okkotsu stops there.
the conversation stops there, but the silence is not uncomfortable. inumaki must’ve walked far, because he is lulled to sleep by okkotsu‘s rhythmic footsteps before they arrive back at the dorms. when he wakes up again, he’s tucked into his futon, and as he sniffles a bit, he can’t help but laugh softly.
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it’s the combination of realizing things about inumaki and sharing friendly but somehow intimate moments with him that makes okkotsu fall for the boy. he’s just so pretty, and kind, and… god he could go on forever. missions with inumaki are the best but also the scariest. there‘s nothing more fun than spending time with inumaki, but it makes okkotsu unbelievably nervous because, what if he got hurt?
for that reason, among a plethora of others, okkotsu does his best to get stronger.
they’re in the middle of their first year when the pair gets sent on a mission together. it’s the usual setup, okkotsu as support for inumaki. okkotsu even bought some cough medicine, he tried it himself and it tasted pretty nice. these little things that, maybe, inumaki didn’t think twice of were okkotsu’s quiet confessions.
they’re walking towards the site of the curse, an abandoned hospital. there are only supposed to be 2nd-grade curses and lower, but the cursed energy okkotsu senses is far greater than 2nd-grade or higher. wishful thinking tells him there’s just a lot.
he instinctively grabs inumaki’s hand before he goes into the building. the shorter turns around, and okkotsu opens his mouth, but releases his hand before he starts speaking.
“let’s be careful, okay?” okkotsu says, a worried smile forming.
“shake,” is the quiet reply as the boy turns around and enters the building. inumaki didn’t have the words to say he was scared as well.
the hospital itself is pretty creepy, and okkotsu feels inumaki’s body heat from how close he walks next to him. okkotsu wants to wrap an arm around his waist and tell him it will all be okay, that he’ll protect him, but he doesn’t in favor of keeping a closer eye on his surroundings. (deep down, he knows he couldn’t follow through with that anyways.)
other than a few low level curses that were easily dispelled by okkotsu, the first floor was relatively calm. the second floor, just as creepy, had a few more curses, the highest one being about a 3rd-grade, maybe a low 2nd-grade even. okkotsu insists on going first into the third floor.
the cursed energy he senses when he opens the door to an old patient room is stifling. the pressure in the room is heavy, and by no means is it a 2nd-grade curse. he knows he should call for inumaki, but he doesn’t want the boy to get hurt. it’s stupid to do it alone, he debates for a few seconds, but all thought leaves his mind when the curse extends a limb and smacks him through the wall of the room across the hall.
inumaki, now thoroughly aware, runs from the hallway he’s in, to the commotion. okkotsu has already gotten up and into a fighting stance. inumaki thinks in passing, maybe he healed himself, but as he sees blood drip from okkotsu’s mouth to his chin, he doubts the fact.
the sight of okkotsu hurt makes him angry.
“twist.” inumaki commands.
as expected, one of the appendages of the curse does twist into itself, but the curse seems unaffected. inumaki begins thinking of what he should command next when the curse looks at him, and rips its own arm off before generating a brand-new one. it smiles.
“inumaki, we need to get out of here before it drags us into its domain.”
“o-” inumaki begins to say before the curse grabs him, and starts shaking him violently. it starts squeezing inumaki’s midsection, hard, and mutters things about death. inumaki’s eyes are wide, and he tries to say something, but the curse just squeezes hard at every intake of breath. okkotsu can’t stay still at this, and he channels all of his cursed energy into his blade. in a swift cut, inumaki is free, but he is by no means in the condition to continue fighting, and okkotsu is too weak to defeat the curse himself.
inumaki tries to stand, but ends up falling over. as a last resort, he yells as loud as he can.
“run away!”
while the curse follows the command, it regenerates it limb. inumaki turns his head to the side, throws up, and promptly passes out. it’s dead silent, and okkotsu feels absolutely useless. he can’t wallow in it, and he’s still high off of adrenaline, so he channels his energy to heal inumaki.
he mumbles a soft, “sorry,” and touches his head as he heals him. inumaki remains unconscious, and okkotsu moves him so that inumaki is sitting on his lap. the ground is too hard and too dirty to leave him on. okkotsu waits until he hears the sounds of the other sorcerers exorcising the curse, before picking inumaki up, bridal style. he’s still so light and thin.
the fight may have been rather short lived, but inumaki had gotten hurt, once again, because he wasn’t strong enough. he cries quietly, making sure to not let his tears drip on inumaki.
when inumaki wakes up, he’s in the car, head resting on okkotsu. okkotsu holds him upright by his waist, and fiddles with his phone with his available hand. inumaki’s whole body is sore, and he can taste the residue vomit in his mouth. his throat hurts, too. upon seeing him wake up, okkotsu pulls something out of his pocket.
it’s cough medicine.
he hands it to inumaki, and with instead hands he takes about two times the recommended dose for someone of his size and weight. it soothes his throat, and he notices in passing that it actually tastes quite good.
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okkotsu finally decides to grow some balls and confess in february. it’s been almost three months since inumaki got hurt in the battle in the abandoned hospital, and he recovered well enough. apparently, okkotsu’s healing prevented what could have been brain damage, and that makes him feel a little better about the whole situation.
okkotsu spent way too much time consulting the other first years about how he should confess, even, don’t ask him why, asking gojo sensei about what he should do. maki suggests he get him flowers, because who doesn’t like flowers? and take him out on a nice date. panda suggests something pervy, because of course he would. gojo sensei, however, provides some helpful information about the best sweets he can obtain.
he combines gojo and maki’s ideas (he secretly stores panda’s away for more… personal times) and he begins to prepare about a week in advance. he investigates restaurants he thinks inumaki might like, until he finally settles on some quiet family-owned place. they serve traditional japanese food, and while basic, he figures he can’t go wrong with it. besides, it’s delicious.
he also began taste testing several sweets gojo sensei recommended. he doesn’t want them too be too sugary nor too bitter. he ends up buying kikufuku in zunda and cream flavor. it’s got a supple flavor and it’s tasty.
with maki’s knowledge of flowers, which did come as a bit of a surprise, he picks out white carnations, which he is informed represent innocence, pure love, and faithfulness. they are pretty and smell nice, as well.
all that’s left to do is to write a nice card in case he chickens out at the last moment and/or is paralyzed by fear and therefore silenced. it’s hard work, and totally embarrassing, trying to fit the right words together, but he manages, and he reads the letter so many times before he seals it away.
on the night of february 13th, he barely sleeps. the flowers sit in a pretty vase, his dessert is stored safely away in the fridge, his letter is in a pristine envelope, and his tickets for the bullet train to get them to the restaurant are pinned to his cork board. nothing could go wrong. the worst thing that could happen is inumaki says no, right?
he falls asleep at around 03:00, and he feels like he looks tired when he gets ready. at 12:00 sharp, he knocks on inumaki’s door. he’s rehearsed his speech, and everything is ready all he has to do is-
“konbu.”
“i-i love you.”
fuck. okkotsu wasn’t one for cursing, but fuck described how he felt about the situation in a way other words couldn’t.
inumaki’s eyes widen at the proclamation, but he smiles nonetheless, and takes the perfect white flowers from okkotsu’s arms. he embraces them, and the sunlight that seeps in from the open sliding door in inumaki’s room filters through his light hair and makes it look enchanting. lifting the flowers to his face, he inhales softly, and okkotsu would be damned if inumaki wasn’t perfect.
“tsuna tsuna.” he says, and gestures for okkotsu to come in. inumaki belatedly realizes that he’s still in his pajamas, and it makes him a little embarrassed. he sets the flowers on his windowsill, and he turns to face okkotsu.
he gives him a face of question, and okkotsu quickly tries to recover.
“ah, uhm, well… happy valentine’s day, i was wondering if, uh, you would like to go on a date with me?” nothing is going to plan and surely inumaki will reject-
“shake.”
inumaki smiles so brightly, and he grabs a piece of paper from his desk. in beautiful print, he writes, ‘let me get ready, and i’ll be out in a moment.’
“ah, of course!” okkotsu replies, “oh, uhm, i wrote you a letter,” okkotsu adds, before thrusting the paper to inumaki and practically sprinting out. he can hear inumaki’s soft laughter through the wall of his dorm.
when inumaki knocks on his door again, okkotsu rushes to open it. he’s greeted with inumaki, in casual clothes he’s never seen before. inumaki is wearing a soft pink shirt with a flowery pattern, khaki shorts and knee high socks. he has on a face mask, but instead of lamenting the loss of the now covered skin, he ogles the supple flesh now revealed to him.
“you look beautiful, breathtaking even,” okkotsu says, still in his stupor.
“oka- tsunamayo,” is the shy reply from inumaki, who looks down and hides his face. okkotsu slowly grasps inumaki’s hand, giving him plenty of time to pull away, but he doesn’t. inumaki’s hand is so soft, and his skin is so pale. his cheeks are red, and okkotsu is completely enthralled.
they walk to the station together, which is a little far from school, but they chat along the way and it’s nice. on the train, inumaki pulls out his phone and taps on okkotsu’s in his pocket. with a quick text message, they begin conversing.
inumaki 13:21: hi
okkotsu 13:21: hello
inumaki 13:22: i like you too
okkotsu 13:22: i’m glad. i was so nervous.
inumaki 13:22: i’m happy you confessed, because i don’t know if i would have ever been able too (/>.<\)
the little emoticon makes okkotsu’s heart feel warm, and he can’t help but smile at the boy next to him, who blushes in turn. they continue chatting for a while via text, and when they arrive, okkotsu guides inumaki to the restaurant he’d chosen. he keeps inumaki close to him the whole, and inumaki can’t stop blushing.
they arrive, and of course they eat. okkotsu pays for everything even though inumaki protests. after they got a box for inumaki, they walked around the nearby stores, until they needed to catch a train back home. okkotsu ended up buying inumaki a little plush fish, because it was so cute. inumaki held onto the fish the whole ride back.
the residual warmth of inumaki’s leftovers heated up okkotsu’s lap as he ran his fingers through inumaki’s hair. the sun was beginning to set, painting the sky a pretty orange color. inumaki begins to type in his phone’s notes app, fish plush sittin cutely in his lap.
february 14, 2017 at 17:34
i had fun today, thanks for everything. i’m really glad you asked me out.
okkotsu replies verbally.
“ah, i’m just glad you said yes,” he says.
can i call you my boyfriend?
“only if i can call you mine.”
with that, inumaki smiles and leans further into okkotsu’s side. he holds the fish plush close, and closes his eyes. he rests for the rest of the ride home, and okkotsu rubs calming circles on his thigh.
when they arrive, okkotsu wakes him up, and he holds his hand as they walk back to the dorms. it’s dark out, and a little chilly, so okkotsu releases inumaki’s hand and wraps his arm behind him, letting his hand rest on his hip. it’s a quiet walk back, but it’s so nice and tranquil. inumaki almost trips looking up at the stars, but okkotsu catches him.
when they finally arrive back at the dorms, they eat the gojo sensei-approved dessert and relax in okkotsu’s dorm. inumaki gets changed first though, and he wears the cutest set of matching pajamas okkotsu has ever seen. they snuggle up under okkotsu’s blanket, and he kisses inumaki’s forehead. inumaki moves from his position on okkotsu’s chest to kiss him on the lips.
inumaki’s lips taste sweet, and god, okkotsu is truly happy. as inumaki settles back down, and eventually falls asleep, (looking like an absolute angel) okkotsu watches him. he’s so pretty, but he’d always known that. it just feels so much better to have inumaki in his arms. he’d protect this boy from harm above all else, in the ways he couldn’t for rika. soon enough, okkotsu falls asleep as well, head buried in inumaki’s hair.
inumaki was his favorite, after all.
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