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Arataki Ittou
An odd oni he is.
A month or so after the war, the traveler had come down to Watatsumi Island in search of the said oni, "Arataki Ittou? Ah he's stubborn, definitely boisterous, not to mention annoying and you could say he's...uh—"
"So you mean he's a little stupid?" Paimon cuts in, her head tilted to the side. A sharp glare was earned from the traveler, a small warning that if she were to say any more, she would be skipping dinner at that she quickly apologized.
Gorou couldn't help but laugh fondly, a sad smile rested on his lips. "Yes, you could say so but above all else, he is kind, fearless and cares about his friends more than anyone."
Gorou had been ordered by her lady, Sangonomiya Kokomi to propose an alliance to Arattaki and his gang as she believed that they would be a valuable asset in this time of war.
He had seen the oni sitting in front of a tree stump holding two horned beetles, deeply emersed as they charged at each other to fight. His silver hair reflected the sunlight that seeped through the leaves of the forest trees with big red horns that adorned the front of his head. Red markings burned on his tanned and well-built body.
He couldn't lie. Gorou cannot lie, he is good looking.
"Uhm excuse me sir..." Gorou started but trailed off noticing the man still hadn't noticed him despite him standing there for at least more than a minute.
"..."
"sir..."
"..."
"SIR!"
"Huh? Sorry pup didn't notice ya there. Whaddya want?" The man finally looked at him, releasing both of the beetles back into nature. His sharp blood coloured eyes looking straight into his, a pair of cerulean blues.
"Are you Arattaki Ittou?"
The man gave him a wide grin, showing his sharp and pointy canines with his thumb pointing at his chest. "The one and oni."
"Do you know where he is now?" The traveler asked, upon the words leaving their mouth, Gorou's expression turned to dark. "No, sorry traveler." The traveler was taken aback by the sudden change of mood but decided not to press.
By the time they finished catching up, the sun has already set and the stars were beginning to twinkle. Gorou went back to his study as there was an overwhelming amount of paperwork to be signed and sent to the point that it overflowed his table.
The General sat on the chair behind the desk, prepping his ink and brush for a long night, eager to distract his mind from wandering back to a certain oni.
In the afternoon of the next day, Kokomi had insisted that he should relax and go out for awhile, undeterred by the amount of paperwork that the General has yet to finish.
With a light sigh of exasperation and kokomi's bribery of grilled meat for supper, the mighty General was now sitting by the open hallways near the coral gardens that looked out to the open sea, watching the sunset by himself.
"Hey Gorou! Look at this one!" The oni, Arataki Ittou called, holding up a turquoise coloured seashell designed with stars and swirls, leaving his foot prints on the golden sand as he ran. "It looks so much like your eyes!"
"I've always liked your eyes."
Gorou choked at the suddenness and the bluntness, a growing heat on his cheeks and he dares to blame it on the alcohol. Ittou only laughed beside him, nearly spilling over the bottle of sake he was holding. "Really?" Gorou managed to say after clearing his throat.
"Truly! What 'bout mine? Ain't they pretty too!?" Ittou whined, giving the general a tiny pout, much like a spoiled kid.
"Mn, very pretty Arattaki-san." Gorou agreed playfully with a roll of his tired eyes but he did mean it.
"Dear friend, a mora for you thoughts?" Kazuha had sat beside Gorou and he hadn't noticed. "Oh sorry, kazuha. It's nothing serious, I was just thinking." He says as he brushed his tail with his fingers.
"Hm. The wind tells me otherwise, you look like as if your soul has left you." Teased kazuha, a smug grin formed on his mouth.
Gorou laughed dryly, downing his 5th cup of rice wine. "Kazuha, I'm not sure what you mean"
The white-haired man looked over in concern. "You miss him, don't you?" He murmured, Kazuha's voice was low and calm, much like the cool breeze that passed them, it kissed their skin so coolly.
The general hummed in confirmation, his eyes that glistened with unshed tears under the light of the waning crescent moon. He refused to cry; he will not succumb to this welling sadness within him.
It was already sundown when Gorou had noticed the absence of a certain oni, he understood that maybe he was still out fighting a random hilichurl camp, maybe even Kujou Sarah, he just got his vision back after all and he had always been itching for a good fight.
He wasn't worried, a little anxious maybe. He could only think and pray that he was still out challenging some poor unfortunate stranger to a duel or out to find some more Onikabuto for his collection—Gorou still doesn't understand his obsession with them.
Dinner time came around and still no sign of the oni, so Gorou searched high and low until he came to Ittou's cabin, a temporary home that he was given by Lady Sangonomiya.
The door was unlocked which worried the general, the candles and lights were untouched too, as if no one had resided there.
A small hastily written note addressed to Gorou.
-Thank you for sheltering us but I need to go. Sorry I can't say goodbye in person, pup.
-Signed Your one and oni,
Arataki Ittou
Gorou almost laughed at the cheesy joke but that was it, it was apparently so urgent that he didn't have the time to tell him why he had left so early.
It didn't affect Gorou at the start but he began missing him on the fortnight of finding Ittou's letter. It was hard not to miss his loud and boisterous voice that Gorou swears even Celestia could hear him but he doesn't dislike it. He missed Ittou's daily report of who won the most rounds between two beetles.
Whether or not kazuha saw the slither of a single tear running down his face, he didn't say anything and Gorou is thankful, taking another shot of hot sake, he had lost count how many he had already drank but it did not matter. Anything to numb the ache that coils his heart.
An hour passed and at least two whole bottles of heated rice wine was downed by Gorou alone. Kazuha would've stopped him, knocking some sense that he shouldn't drink that much alcohol alone but he had already passed out, spread-eagle, hair untied and a trail of drool escaping his mouth, after he drank his 3rd shot.
A walk along the beach, Gorou decided to do to ease the oncoming dizziness and nausea. He wasn't a heavy drinker, nothing compared to Captain Beidou at least but desperate times call for desperate measures. Abruptly stopping when Gorou noticed a falling star on the corner of his vision, he gazed at it with pure innocence as it glowed bright gold.
"Pretty, isn't it?"
The sultry sound of an all too familiar voice rang behind him, Gorou wasted no second and snapped his head back, silently cursing when he felt a pop. The figure of the man he had been missing was standing there, a small smile graced on Ittou's lips while Gorou's heart ran a mile. "Heh. I must've drunk a little too much to be hallucinating." The General forced a laugh, his eyes finally releasing tears, his mind unbelieving but his heart is hopeful.
Ittou laughed loudly and threw his head back, his laughter echoed around the them and sent flutters to Gorou's heart. "Is my handsomeness that overpowering that you can't believe I'm back?" The oni embraced the other into a tight but warm hug, warming the cold void inside his heart. "I-ittou? Is it really you?" Gorou's voice wavering, tears show no signs of stopping. "Mn. The only oni"
Trying to wiggle out of oni's hold but it only became tighter, refusing to let Gorou go. "Why? I-I thought you didn't want to come back?" The General sobbed, falling tears started to worsen. "I'm sorry pup, I had to find something but I'm back now." Ittou said as he gently brushed Gorou's hair, straightening the stray hairs, the dog-hybrid leaned tiredly against the crook of his neck as he did so.
"What were you looking for?" Gorou asked as his tears and sobs started to calm, the ache in his heart was stopped too but not the miles it was running. Looking up to look at Ittou's face with curious eyes.
"An answer." Ittou answered, his finger caressed Gorou’s cheek with such tenderness and gentleness that you would not believe that he was the leader of a well-known gang.
Gorou hummed in return, “Did you get it?”
Ittou moved back, looking straight into Gorou’s eyes, a bright beautiful shade of blue. “Yes, and it turns out, I love you, Gorou” he said in all seriousness, his face holding great sincerity.
“Oh, that’s nice…” Gorou mumble mindlessly, his face showed shock and horror as he gasped and jumped away from Ittou’s grasp, slightly regretting it due to the loss of warmth. “Ah…Well that’s one way to reject someone.” He laughed wetly, his eyes crinkling harshly.
“Oh no! NO! I didn’t mean it like that! I swear!” Gorou yelled, choking back a cough. “No, pup, I understand.” Ittou sighed loudly as he stood up, dusting the sand that stuck on his clothing but before he could fully straighten his back, he was suddenly pushed back down when Gorou lunged at him, wrapping his arms around the oni’s built waist. “No…I love you too, I mean it” Gorou mumbled against Ittou’s chest, his tail wagging cheerfully and his ears twitched back.
Ittou’s eyes twinkled with hope. “For real!?” He yells and Gorou half-heartedly glares at him, it was most likely past everyone’s bed time. “Yes, for real” Gorou sighs in content giving Ittou small pecks on his cheeks and lips before Ittou pulled him into a passionate one.
Unnoticed by the both of them, two figures lurked in the highest point of the Sangonomiya Shrine. "Ugh finally! I thought they weren't ever gonna be together!" Kokomi groaned, gripping the binoculars she borrowed from Captain Beidou. "The flower finally decided to bloom, although late, it is as pretty as the others" Kazuha said poetically, examining a sakura petal with a small smile.