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Gorou trudged down the hall, looking down at his feet as he walked. With his head hanging low and shoulders slumped, he dragged himself to his room slowly.
He was tired, oh so very tired. He'd been on duty for hours on end, taking only one short break for all that time. Taking orders from Her Excellency, helping all soldiers, running errands... They've become a little short-staffed after the war so, as the highest ranking officer available at the moment, he had to take on multiple positions at once. Only by itself, that was all too tiring.
They'd at least successfully recruited quite a few people lately, but that unexpectedly turned out to be more of a problem than a solution. To put it simply, they doubted Gorou's leadership.
Perhaps they found the Resistance somewhat incapable, after the long and difficult war was single-handedly ended by a mere outlander. Or maybe they hadn't expected to be taking orders from someone as young as Gorou, quickly jumping to conclusions and assuming him to be greatly inexperienced. And not only the new recruits, but also the veterans he's commanded for years had started to doubt him.
Whatever the case, they have become quite the headache for him, and their mostly impudent attitude exhausted him greatly.
Right now he wanted nothing more than to lay on his bed, face buried in the soft and hopefully comforting pillow, letting his muscles and mind finally relax.
...Of course, that did not happen. As if the Archons would ever let him catch a break. Pft!
He opened the door to his room, an all too familiar face greeting him. Great. The person he wanted to see the least was right there, standing in the middle of the room, (almost) seven feet of nothing but muscle and rocks for brains.
"Arataki-san, how did you get in here?" He pinched the bridge of his nose, his eyelids feeling even heavier than before.
"You didn't show up for sparring today!" The oni said, completely ignoring the question. "And woah, what's with the formality? Is it because we're on military grounds or something?" He continued talking as loud as ever, not quite noticing the tired look on Gorou's face.
"Please, Itto, I am really not in the mood for this right now." He cut the oni short before he could start rambling about something completely insignificant and unrelated like he usually did.
"Bad day, huh?" He asked with a frown.
Gorou sighed. "If it wasn't obvious enough."
Itto thought for a second before his typical smug grin appeared on his face. "I know what'll cheer you up. A spar with me, the one and oni, Arataki Itto!" He pointed at his own chest with his thumb, proudly snorting at his genius (and definitely not at all overused) pun.
Gorou had little energy to do anything but shake his head. "I would much rather just stay here." He said, falling onto the bed on his back.
He honestly felt bad for rejecting the oni when he looked so excited, but now was a bad time. If it were any other day, he would've accepted in a heartbeat, rarely ever turning down a chance to spend time together. But alas, today was one of those rare days when the exhaustion finally overcame him.
"Okay then, we'll just have to think of something else — something we can do right here." Itto put a hand on his chin, seemingly deep in thought. He wasn't going to let this go, Gorou knew as much.
He closed his eyes, enjoying the silence while the other was busy thinking. But, he only got to relish the peace and quiet for so long before Itto spoke with his usual loud tone. "Oh, I know! This one time me and Yoimiya set off some fireworks inside her house and watched them blow up stuff! It was super fun, we should definitely do that." He looked at Gorou, excitement visible in his eyes.
"Isn't that extremely dangerous though?" He gave him a sceptical and disapproving look. "And illegal. You both got arrested for it, as far as I remember."
"Yeah, yeah... Maybe." He crossed his arms, pouting as he whined, much like a child. "You don't have to lecture me, I get enough of that every time Shinobu has to bail me out." His expression then suddenly changed, turning back into a more mischievous one. "But at least it was fun!"
"That doesn't make it any less unsafe, you know?" Gorou sighed. "Plus, I'm a high-ranking officer of Watatsumi, I cannot be caught doing something as reckless as that."
"Fine, fine. Bad idea, got it... I'll just have to think of something different then. Preferably legal too."
Itto was stubborn. So, so, so stubborn. He kept talking and talking, proposing ideas that only became increasingly dumber and dumber and more thoughtless by the minute. From the illegal to dangerous to simply stupid, he said whatever came to his mind. But Gorou somehow always found a reason to dismiss his amazing and genius ideas, even though Itto himself found absolutely no flaw in them.
For a second he thought maybe Gorou just didn't want to spend time with him, but if that were the case he would've said so! He would've chased him out, told him to leave and not disturb him anymore! But Gorou was dangerously frank, and if he didn't say anything that must've meant Itto's presence never actually bothered him.
And it didn't. He didn't mind his company, not at all. In fact, it served as a great distraction from recent events. He was loud and lively, and Gorou hoped it would be just enough to lift his mood, truly.
Somehow, that outgoing and so overly enthusiastic oni always found a way to make him smile, even if only a bit. He hoped that this time it would be enough to make him forget about all the gibes and insults his soldiers threw at him all day. And it almost was.
Almost.
"Wanna have an onikabuto fight?" Itto said, searching his pocket for something. He eventually pulled out the purple beetle he was looking for, showing it to Gorou proudly. Did he always keep the strangest and most bizarre things in there? This wouldn't be the first time he's pulled out something as weird out of his pockets. "C'mon, it'll be fun!"
"Do you have another one though?" He sat up.
"No... Why? Don't you have your own?" Itto said, a confused look on his face. He gasped after the other shook his head. "What?! But I gave you one, like, a month ago!"
"It ran away last week. I already told you about this, do you not remember?"
"Huh... Guess not." He shrugged.
Gorou sighed in response. "I knew you weren't listening."
"Oh come on, you know I always listen to you!"
"You were busy playing that trading card game with Ayato."
"...You know I almost always listen to you." He said after a brief pause. "But no, seriously. I couldn't let him beat me this time — I would've lost a huge bet!"
"Again?"
"No, because I won!" He then went silent for a few seconds, realizing something as he remembered what he and Gorou were originally talking about. "Oh man, maybe I shoulda bet on Ayato's onikabuto... Would've had enough for a beetle fight right now." He furrowed his brows.
"It's alright Itto, you don't have to worry about it." Gorou turned away, his ears flat against his head yet again. Those damn things, always giving him away so easily.
"Aw, come on pup."
'Pup'...
When Itto first started calling him that, Gorou would get embarrassed and tell him to stop. He could feel the slightest mocking intent behind those words, the oni probably seeing him as nothing more than a mere dog. It bothered him but he never brought it up, because quickly enough something changed. They started sparring every now and then. They hung out in Inazuma City. They spent time together.
And now, it was far from an insult when he called him 'pup'. It was simply a nickname, and one that had become rather... endearing…
"Listen," Gorou felt bad, thinking he was doing nothing but wasting Itto's time, "I appreciate the effort, I really do! But really, you d-"
"No, you listen." He interrupted, walking closer to the bed Gorou was still sitting on. "You're obviously still upset, and I'm not letting this go until I see you smile." He took another step...
...before getting slightly startled by the sound of a knock on the door.
"General Gorou." They heard the voice of a soldier. "Apologies for the disturbance, but Her Excellency requested your presence with the troops." Then they heard footsteps that gradually became quieter as the man walked away.
Gorou's expression slowly turned into a deep frown, greatly upset by this. "Oh gods, I... can't do this." He said, shaking his head as he put it in his hands. "I really don't want to deal with this — with them — right now..."
"Ditch duty."
"C-come again?"
"I said,'' Itto propped his hands on the mattress, leaning closer to Gorou's face, "ditch duty. Take a break from that stupid job for once in your life." He didn't quite know why Gorou was so unsettled, but he didn't question it. He never liked seeing him upset like this, so he wanted to try one last thing to make him feel better.
Gorou thought about the proposition for a second, but before he could answer "no, I cannot fail Kokomi," he was cut off.
"Can I hug you?"
He let out a sharp gasp at the sudden and unexpected question. "H-huh?" He looked into Itto's eyes, seeing only determination and... something else he couldn't quite name yet. "Excuse me?!"
"I said-"
"I know what you said! I just..." He opened and closed his mouth a couple of times, trying to say something but failing.
Itto often had a bit of a disregard for people's personal space, as he would often wrap an arm around Gorou's shoulder whenever they walked side by side. So why... why did this feel so different? What made a simple hug so different from all those other times Itto's done something similar? All he knew was that the strange feeling in his chest was back once again. But in all honesty, he couldn't quite say he was completely against it.
Itto must've noticed the way his tail lightly moved from one side to the other, counting this as a sign of his victory. He sat down next to him, moving to hug him from behind. He wrapped his arms tightly around Gorou's small body, underestimating his own strength a tad bit.
"I-Itto I can't breathe, you're squeezing me-" He squeaked in his arms uncomfortably.
Itto didn't reply though, he only loosened his grip. Burying his face in the crook of the other's much smaller neck, he now held him far more gently than before, remaining in the same position.
Gorou froze.
He didn't dare move an inch, unsure how he even expected his body to react. Chest feeling heavy, heartbeat pounding loudly in his ears and blood rushing to his already reddened cheeks... He knew exactly what it all meant, what kind of feelings he's always had for the oni, just never really realized the extent of them.
And so, he could help but enjoy the warmth from the body pressed oh so close to his own.
He finally relaxed, relishing the not-so-surprisingly pleasant feeling. Closing his eyes and exhaling sharply through his nose, he tried to press himself against the other as much as he physically could. He wanted nothing more than to hold onto this newfound feeling of comfort and safety.
Although still very much nervous, his heartbeat then slowed down a bit, allowing him to hear the gentle (but rather quick as well) thumping of Itto's own heart against his back. It made him all the more conscious of their current position. The strong arms wrapped around his chest, the face pressed against the crook of his neck. The all too familiar and comforting scent, only much stronger now...
It all overwhelmed him, overwhelmed all his senses. But he didn't mind, no. It was all in a desirable, even somewhat strangely addictive way. He wasn't even aware when his tail had begun wagging slowly again.
But Itto had noticed. The feeling of something repeatedly hitting your leg softly wasn't the easiest to ignore, but it's not as if he even wanted to. He knowingly smiled to himself, pulling the other even closer to himself.
Gorou was never the most expressive person, at least not when it came to his intimate feelings. The reason was probably because he was a general and needed to keep his image, to set an example for all the other soldiers. He would only say what he felt needed to be said, which was always far less than Itto had really hoped for. But it didn't bother him, and that was for a simple reason.
If Gorou wouldn't say how he felt with words (or through his body language... er, the human part of it), there was always something else that gave him away...
His ears and tail. They always betrayed him.
They were the one thing he couldn't control, and it drove him insane. He could pretend all he wanted, restrain himself from showing, but if Itto noticed the right movement of his tail, he could immediately guess — almost always right too — how Gorou really felt.
He couldn't help it. He couldn't stop his tail from wagging or his ears from perking up whenever he saw the oni. He bet he looked much like a dog, their little faces lighting up as their owners came home after a long day of work. He thought it was extremely embarrassing, but Itto always said it was actually cute.
And, he also found it cute how Gorou was absolutely melting in his arms right now. He wanted nothing more than to pet his ears (and as much as Gorou denied that he liked it, Itto always knew he wasn't telling the truth, judging by his tail) and make him feel happy.
But alas, the moment he moved his arm and put it on his head, Gorou instinctively pushed him away.
"What do you think you're doing?" He talked quietly, now facing him, sitting on the other side of the bed.
"I just wanna pet your ears." Itto answered calmly, as if it was no big deal (it sort of was, but apparently only one of them thought so). "Can I?" He then asked, tone far more gentle than his usual loud way of speaking.
Gorou simply sat there, thinking it over, or so Itto assumed. He didn't say anything as the oni moved closer, but didn't protest either, and Itto saw this as a green light. Cautiously bringing his hand up to the other's head, he felt the soft fur under his fingers.
Gorou slightly flinched upon the contact. He wasn't used to people touching his ears, Itto being the only one to occasionally do so whenever he caught him off guard.
It always made him feel weird, considering that his ears (along with his tail) were a tad bit more sensitive than he liked. That was one of the reasons he was uncomfortable with the rumor that "touching the general's ears is good luck" that had started going around a while back. So, if anyone wanted to try and test whether or not it was true, Gorou could easily have them pinned to the ground.
With Itto... Well, with Itto he couldn't do that. Partly because he was much bigger and stronger than him, so his attempt would only end in vain (sure, they often sparred, but he always felt that the oni was going easy on him, perhaps afraid to accidentally injure him).
But there was also another reason. He...
He couldn't say he hated it, when Itto touched him. Whether it was his ears, tail, hands or face... The feeling of his bigger hands on his body — it was all too weirdly comforting.
Itto continued petting his ears, a little less reluctant now, and Gorou leaned into his touch, sighing as he started to enjoy the feeling. It was nice, being able to forget all your troubles and worries, even if only for a few fleeting moments.
Then, he suddenly felt Itto remove his hand. He was about to complain, let out a whine in protest. But before he could do so, the other cupped his cheeks with both hands instead.
Gorou was too busy focusing on the newfound warmth to notice their faces were now much closer than before...
...
His tail stopped moving in shock.
It all happened far too quickly for his brain to fully register, and ended the same way. The feeling of Itto's lips on his own was already gone by the time he started coming back to his senses.
He could only stare, expression riddled with confusion and surprise.
This made Itto visibly panic, worrying he's misread all the signs that the other felt the same and accidentally made him uncomfortable. "S-sorry," he stuttered uncharacteristically, "I just got that warm and fuzzy feeling in my chest again and it just- it just felt right, y'know? I- I mean... I just, um..."
For once in his life, Itto regretted his boldness.
He wanted to move away, to simply get up and leave, but was stopped by a pair of smaller arms wrapping around his neck and pulling him down.
Now, it was Gorou's turn to be so bold. It only took him a couple of moments to gather the confidence, though his cheeks were still burning. He leaned in, arms firmly holding onto Itto as if for dear life, and kissed him back.
He felt the other smile against his lips, and couldn't help but unconsciously do the same. Confidence returning to him, Itto put his hands on Gorou's waist and pulled him closer, deepening the kiss even more. They stayed like that for a while, bodies pressed against one another, holding each other close.
Only took him long enough, Gorou thought to himself. He'd known Itto's had feelings for him for quite a while, the oni always being far too obvious. And Gorou liked him too! But unfortunately, having absolutely no experience in this field, he didn't quite know how to go on about it. So, he left it to Itto to initiate something, but it turns out that the oni — on top of being obvious — was also completely, utterly, and painfully oblivious.
Their 'friendship' had always been bordering on the more romantic side, though never enough to call them anything other than simply very close friends. And no matter how many times Gorou thought their relationship was finally progressing, Itto would always find a way to bring them back to square one — oftentimes unintentionally too. Seems he was far too dense to even notice any of Gorou's extremely subtle advances (though he was not to blame entirely for that, Gorou hadn't the slightest idea how to properly flirt or anything of the sort, but at least he tried).
None of that really mattered right now anyway, as they were finally doing the one thing they'd both longed for for so long. Maybe it wasn't the most perfect moment or anything of the sort, considering how inexperienced one of them was, lips moving in a rather messy fashion and hair getting in their faces... But they didn't mind, it didn't bother them. All they cared about in that moment was the feeling of their lips pressed together and the hands on one another's bodies.
Gorou's tail only wagged, picking up speed once again, making Itto chuckle as he heard it hitting against the mattress. He then pulled away to take a breath, a broad grin across his face.
"You're so cute, pup." He said, pulling the other to sit on his lap, watching as his cheeks turned incredibly red. Itto then put a hand on Gorou's chin, tracing his bottom lip with his thumb.
They kissed over and over again, some times gently and others more eagerly and passionately. They'd lost track of time, engrossed only with each other.
At some point Itto had even started moving his hand lower and lower, testing his boundaries. Gorou stopped him, telling him it was far, far too early for anything like that. He didn't mind though, he was happy as long as he got to at least feel Gorou's lips over his.
He's waited far too long for this. How many times has he tried to kiss him, to make a move, only to decide against it at the last moment. For someone so overly confident, the canine-looking boy sure made him grow timid.
At first he couldn't explain it, why his face would heat up every time he was around him, or why his heart would feel as if it skipped a beat whenever Gorou did something Itto found incredibly cute. It didn't make sense, that ever-present, unexplainable feeling of wanting to be oh so close to him.
He eventually realized those feelings were definitely not platonic (with a little help from Ayato and Thoma, of course — Itto was far too dense to figure something like this out all by himself). And since then, he'd been trying to gather the guts to do something about it. But he never could, not until today. Seeing Gorou so upset, it made him overcome any concerns he had, only to make the other happy.
By the time they decided to stop for a while and take a break, overwhelmed by the feeling, it was already quite late. Gorou realized he had failed to show up for duty and Kokomi couldn't have been happy about it. He needed to apologize to her for his absence, without quite revealing what kept him busy, but also without outright lying to her. He would never deceive Her Excellency, no. But she didn't really have to know about his love life, as it was rather a private and intimate matter (though, as a friend, Kokomi would love to hear all about it, maybe tease him a bit even).
He looked up at the oni as he lay in his embrace, still tracing the crimson red patterns on his arm with a finger.
"Itto." He spoke, voice barely above a whisper.
"Hmm?" He hummed in response, shutting his eyes closed as he ran his fingers through Gorou's hair gently.
"I ignored Her Excellency's request." He tried slightly moving away, but Itto held him in place.
"You're still worried about that?" He asked with a slight frown on his face, his eyes still closed. "You've been working for days, I've barely even seen you! You deserve a break. Now shut up and stay here." He said, pulling him closer.
Gorou chuckled, the sound muffled due to his face being pressed against Itto's chest. "I still need to go though."
The oni sighed and let him go, after which he stood up from the bed. "Fine, fine. Just promise me—" He took Gorou's hand, "you'll hang out with me later."
"Of course." Gorou smiled in response, leaning in to steal a quick kiss. "Just be careful when you leave now... We don't want anyone seeing you coming out of my room, especially at this hour..." He said shyly.
"Oh c'mon, like I'd ever draw unwanted attention to myself!" Itto smirked, both of them knowing full well how untrue that was. The oni was like a magnet for it, from his striking appearance to his booming voice and his delinquent demeanor. Everything about him simply screamed "center of attention".
Gorou couldn't help but let out a quiet giggle upon hearing that, and Itto thought it was the cutest sound in the world. They then gave each other one last kiss before parting (er, well, ten kisses actually — each time claiming it would be the last but never quite staying true to it).
Gorou's position as general was never quite easy, it had all its difficulties and challenges, especially now after the war. But now he at least knew he had the outgoing (and somewhat surprisingly tender and caring) oni by his side, and the thought never failed to make it all seem a little less hard to deal with, and to make him smile broadly. "Told ya I could cheer you up!" Itto had told him, and he was right.