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the subtle glow of the moon casted down upon the yashiro commission building, lighting up the dusky road ahead. small tanuki statues were dotted around the area, and the sounds of the rippling waves of the inazuman sea were just about present in the air. the road was steep but stunning, the lampgrass acting as lanterns to guide unfamiliar souls to their destinations, and when no hilichurls or slimes were around to turn the mood sour, itto would say that the walk was typically a pleasant one.
the rain was caught by the leaves of the trees before they could plummet down upon itto, but the damage was already done before he even reached chinju forest. the walk from inazuma city was open and vast, so the rain would never hold itself back for passersby, soaking the land and those who chose to trespass the rain’s path. so, by the time he reached the entrance to headquarters, his hair was stuck to his skin and his clothes had changed their hue entirely.
if it was any of the other two commissions of inazuma, he would be sent away from the premises before he could even inhale the air that they breathed. gang leaders in inazuma were frowned upon, seen as irrational and detrimental to the peace and eternity the nation was desperately trying to uphold. but the yashiro commission was different; the kamisato clan seemed to be a lot more forgiving - especially if you could pull a couple strings for them here and there - and led with an open heart and mind rather than a focus on plans and rigidity. so, when itto would come to them for advice and help with the arataki gang’s mishaps, the kamisatos were more than willing to hold their hands out to help.
but none of that would’ve been possible if it were not for him.
“itto! you’re shivering! come inside quickly!”
it had been almost a year since he had first encountered the kamisato clan’s housekeeper, and since then, thoma has not left itto’s mind once. the blond mondstadt boy who was only collecting groceries, who shot him a smile sweeter than sugar when they passed by, who searched far and wide to return a lost possession to the gang leader - itto would be lying if he said he didn’t fall incredibly for thoma from that moment onwards, the person who could turn the most stoic character in inazuma into a blushing mess in mere seconds.
and itto was incredibly lucky to find out that the same boy had fallen just as hard for him, as well.
thoma grabbed a knitted blanket and wrapped it around itto’s shoulders, trying to stop the larger male from shivering. he had a feeling that the gang leader would be visiting tonight - word of particular events tends to spread quite quickly across the commission messengers - so he already had his speciality miso soup boiling over the wood-lit stove. “you know, wearing a shirt would solve quite a few of your problems right now.”
itto laughed softly as he sat on the edge of thoma’s bed, before sneezing into his hands. “but where’s the fun in that? i worked hard for this body!” he said with a smile.
“there’s always a time and a place for showing off your muscles, itto, but directly in the pouring rain is definitely not one of them.” thoma chuckled as he walked over to the bed, a bowl of soup for his boyfriend in one hand and a roll of bandages in the other.
he kneeled down in front of itto and examined his wounds, but a drop in his smile soon occurred once he realised that the number of injuries were slowly increasing with each visit. the gang leader was no stranger to a toss-up, but some of the wounds seemed incredibly painful, digging deep into itto’s thick skin and causing some scars to line up with his tattoos. he knew itto was strong physically and mentally, thoma knew that better than anyone, but a worry still lingered at the pit of his stomach. the same worry that haunted him that stormy night.
“…treasure hoarders this time?” he broke away from his thoughts, looking up at the now cheerful man who was gulping down the miso soup. itto wiped away the excess that had splattered around his lips and shook his head.
“kairagi actually, they had stolen from one of our partners’ supply of resources, and showed no interest in returning it and even refused any kind of financial benefit.” he recalled, before chewing on a piece of tofu and carrot. “i obviously got an earful from sara before i came here - breaking the peace and eternity this, lack of respect for the shogun that - which put me in a downer considering that we were in the right for once. but, there was nothing else i could do except nod and then come here for assistance.”
thoma nodded and listened as he cleaned and patched up all of itto’s wounds, humming in response to the gang leader’s rant. “you know that you’re always welcome here though, whether you need help or not.” thoma smiled, pocketing the roll of bandages before sitting beside itto on the bed. “in return…please just try to be a bit more careful. i dont want anything bad happening to you.”
itto exhaled softly as he looked thoma in the eyes, seeing all of the hope in the world held within those amber eyes, and wrapped his arm around the housekeeper’s waist. “you know i can handle of this stuff, thoma. the last thing you need to be doing is stressing over me and whatever antics the arataki gang get involved in.”
“i know…” thoma sighed, relaxing into itto’s body and reaching his arms out to hug his lover’s torso. “…i just don't want a repeat of that night, and all of those screams that i couldn’t save-“
“don’t start thinking of that again, i’m not planning on leaving this realm at any time soon.” the oni hushed thoma’s thoughts, not wanting the housekeeper’s brain to dive deep into another spiral of dread and regret. “what happened on that boat from mondstadt was out of your control…i’m just glad you survived so the whole of inazuma could get to know such a beautiful and kind soul like yourself.”
thoma blushed, and allowed itto to brush his fingers through his hair. he rested his chin upon the latter’s shoulder and brought himself closer. “you know, despite how stunning inazuma is, i do miss mondstadt.” he began, now playing with itto’s fingers that had settled around his waist. “i miss the sounds of the wind, the lively townspeople, the windwheel asters that my mother would bring home every day without fail. even the mere thought of the anemo archon himself makes me want to just run home into my mother’s arms.”
itto patiently listened as thoma ranted on about his thoughts, knowing that he couldn’t fix these painful situations in a fight against the housekeeper’s aching heart. he was never the type to be able to share advice for emotional pain - that was thoma’s specialty - yet the least he could do was bring the mondstadt boy some physical warmth and tender care.
fortunately, the gang leader had no need for travelling, as getting across to the other islands of inazuma was as far as his ambitions and missions would take him. there was always a place for him everywhere, and that was never going to change - from kokomi and gorou’s home base in watatsumi to the foggy depths of tsurumi. but what about those from outside the walls of the closed nation? the ones who only came here for small business but were trapped from returning to their original happiness by the shogunate’s decree? they, like thoma, had nowhere to call home. home was out of reach.
“but, you know, the people of inazuma, the ones who welcomed young, troubled thoma into their care without a second thought, they made this mysterious feel like home.” thoma admitted after a long pause, looking up at itto again, and this time with a small, grateful smile on his face. “i wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for ayaka and ayato convincing their clan to let me work here, and then i have everyone in inazuma city who invite me over for dinner and bring me presents as thank yous for small tasks, not to mention the dogs and cats by the sakura tree in the rural city, who acted just like the animals wandering around my old home…”
lovingly, the housekeeper looked up at his boyfriend, seeing the small fang sticking out through his smile, and the gentle glow of the moonlight dancing upon his cheeks. he reached his thumb up to trace the tattoo maze from itto’s neck up to his face, and he watched as the sparkle in itto’s eyes shined even brighter than the stars when thoma moved closer to his face. just like a puppy - an overgrown, overly-excited puppy. thoma couldn’t hold back a grin as he saw the gang leader’s expression change so suddenly, and raised his hands to cup his cheeks.
“and then i met you…and that’s where i found my real home.”
then their lips softly fell into place, the smell of cold rain and warm miso filling the air around thoma as he melted into itto’s touch. the kiss was sweet, pure, slow, and thoma couldn’t help but cherish each second like it was his last. he could feel itto’s cheeks turn red and heat up under the housekeeper’s hands, which made him subtly giggle. he could feel his boyfriend’s arms pulling him closer, bringing their chests closer together as their worlds mixed together in their kiss. cleaning and leading, purity and chaos, mondstadt and inazuma, both aspects mingling together in peaceful harmony, just like a flavourful miso soup.
thoma chuckled as itto pulled him to lay down on the bed, the housekeeper landing on his partner’s body as he then pulled away and nuzzled into itto’s chest. feeling the energy slowly draining from him as he bathed in the euphoria of their kiss, thoma lifted his finger and began to once again trace itto’s tattoos - a habit that had come about when he felt most relaxed. he hummed a sweet yet familiar tune as itto combed his fingers through the blond’s soft hair, leaning into each movement the latter made.
he remembers the sound from when they first met, a short jingle being played outside shimura’s. it just so happened to be the tune itto sang as he walked past thoma that fateful day. ever since, the short melody has been engraved into thoma’s brain like stone, filling his body with great ardour and delight every time it would reawaken in his mind - almost like a ticking clock, knowing exactly when thoma was about to reach a point of loneliness and despair. his saving grace, he likes to call it.
sometimes, thoma wonders if itto has something similar too.
was he his saving grace?
“about that miso soup…” his beloved brought him back from his internal thoughts quite suddenly, causing thoma to move his head slowly to meet eyes with the gang leader. “…were you planning on giving it a name? i think that doesn’t deserve to be compared to other, more average soups.”
chuckling quietly, the tired thoma looked up at itto, his eyes filled with all of the love left within him as they fluttered awake. “well, it always brings joy and comfort to whoever receives it, and it reminds me of all the loving moments we’ve shared with it, which makes me feel solaced whenever i’m alone…” thoma felt himself starting to dose off, the energy-exhaustive day plus the cosy feeling of itto’s arms protecting his body made him realise that fighting back against the sleep wasn’t the best of ideas he’s had. “….so perhaps…we’ll call it… warmth …”
with that, the housekeeper’s eyes carefully shut, and he comfortably moulded his body into itto’s curves so he could hug him tightly whilst he slept. the oni held back a small coo as he petted thoma’s hair, observing his boyfriend’s sleepy reactions and movements which were similar to those of a kitten. fondly, he watched as thoma drifted into a sweet slumber, and itto himself yawned as he gave his boyfriend one last goodnight kiss, before feeling the overwhelming comfort of thoma’s presence flood his body, mind and soul.
‘oh thoma, you fill so many people’s hearts with love and warmth. this world is full of evil and despair, and yet you continue to shower it with kindness and virtue.’
‘but, when will the day come where the world learns to give you the warmth you deserve in return?’