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Akura-ou stood in front of the dressing room mirror in his boxers, staring at the human body with a mixture of gratitude and disdain. "Kirihito, is everything okay? Would you like me to get you a different size?" Ako called softly from the other side of the door.
Sighing heavily, he closed his eyes and thought, 'how did it end up this way?' His eyes slid to the door, and he answered, "I'll be out in a moment, Mother." He pulled a pair of dark blue jeans from the pile of clothing, stepped into them, and zipped them up. Turning to check the fit in the mirror, he had to admit that of all the human bodies he could have ended up with, Kirihito had been attractive. And now, with his yokai body disguised as a human instead of his soul residing inside a dead man, Akura-ou's taut, lean muscles gave the human illusion even more appeal. Smirking at himself satisfactorily, he picked up and pulled a white shirt over his head. These colors weren't his usual style, but Ako wanted to see him in something other than black for once. So he was trying to appease the woman. Maybe then she would stop insisting on these horrendous shopping trips.
Stepping out of the room while smoothing his hair, he almost blushed at his mother's expression. She stood with her hands covering her bright smile, and the hint of tears could be seen in her eyes. "You look so handsome," she gushed, moving her hands to lay on her chest. A saleswoman walked by at that moment and gave him a quick bashful smile out of Ako's view. Instead of making him feel good, the reaction left a bitter lump in his stomach. He had all the attention he could ask for except from those he wanted it from. Nanami was trying to warm up to him, but after everything they had been through, it was going to take time, and a week was just not enough. Tomoe was more distant than he had ever been, and if the oni believed he had a heart, it would be breaking over his brother's treatment of him. Of course, he knew he deserved it, but it was still annoying. "How do you feel?"
"These are fine, but I do not see the problem with my old clothing," he answered flatly.
"You always wear such dark colors, my son. Change is good for the soul. Plus, I wanted to spend the day with my boy," she cooed, combing her fingers through an unruly strand of his short black hair that he missed. Instantly his deep carnelian eyes softened.
"Then I will buy them." Ako's smile grew at his words, and he turned back to change.
They walked side by side on the crowded Ginza sidewalk a few minutes later. Akura-ou carried all their shopping bags while Ako busily talked about her favorite stores and where she was planning to take him for dinner that night. Out of nowhere, a man ran past them and snatched Ako's purse from her shoulder while pushing her into her son. Akura-ou dropped the bags to catch her as a snarl built in his throat. Without thinking, he helped her stand before running after the thief. "Wait, Kirihito! Don't!" Ako called after him, but he was already too focused on his prey.
Dashing past pedestrians, he followed on the purse snatcher's heels until the man slipped down an alley, thinking he would lose his pursuer. Akura-ou slowed down enough to creep around the corner of the alley. "Did you think I would not find you in here? Come out, come out wherever you are." His voice was filled with predatory excitement as he stalked his hiding prey. The man crouched behind a dumpster clutching Ako's purse to his chest as he attempted to quiet his breathing. A thrill ran down Akura-ou's spine when the man came into view and he jumped in terror at the towering, menacing human disguised oni. "Found you." The terror etched on the thief's face made Akura-ou grin evilly.
"AH!" The man screamed as Akura-ou lunged at him to hit him, hurt him - but something was wrong. His fist was cocked back, ready to strike, yet he couldn't. Where a murderous glint had been in his eyes, a spark of confusion grew. Mikage was not there to stop him. No one was there to get in his way, and no one would have to know. He could have his fun without worrying about the consequences, but as he stared at the frightened human, there was no joy in his heart at the idea of hurting this man. Images of a bright smile, lavender eyes, and a gentle hand flashed through his mind, and he slowly unfurled his fingers.
The thief noticed the change in Akura-ou and began to relax. Then suddenly the oni's hand shot out, and the man screamed again, closing his eyes tightly. "GO! Before I change my mind, worm," Akura-ou spat, now holding tightly to Ako's purse. The man opened his eyes wide in complete shock that the other man was letting him go. Not wanting to push his luck, the thief quickly scrambled to his feet and ran out of the alley, leaving a still confused oni behind.
Ako was looking through the crowd frantically while trying to carry their shopping bags when she spotted the tall figure of her son walking calmly through the crowd. "Kirihito..."
Akura-ou sighed before presenting her with her purse. "I did not hurt him," he answered her silent question.
A proud grin washed over her face, and she grabbed him around the waist, hugging him tightly. "My son," she whispered, "I'm so proud of you." If he didn't know her, he would have thought her a fool to trust him so quickly, but Ako was more observant than that. She knew she could rely on his word.
"He was not worth the effort," he brushed off, feeling uneasy with her praise. It was still disquieting that the opinions of others could ruin his fun. Could make what was once his favorite game unenjoyable.
"I think this deserves a treat," Ako beamed, letting him go. She could see his discomfort in the rigidness of his shoulders, and she had a perfect idea. She reached out to take her purse, but he slung it over his shoulder and picked up their bags. A warm feeling filled her chest as she thought what a gentleman he was, even if he didn't know it himself. In his mind, Akura-ou convinced himself he was taking care of her because she was a weak human. She slipped her arm through his and pulled him in the direction of her favorite shop.
After walking a few blocks, Ako led him to a candy shop, where she had him sit at one of the small tables while she made her purchases. She held a paper shopping bag and two ice creams when she returned. The ice creams were covered in peach jelly, matcha powder, fresh strawberries, and whipped cream. She placed one down in front of Akura-ou and sat across from him. "When I was a little girl, your grandfather worked very long hours at his company, but he always had time to take me to get ice cream when I was having a hard day," she explained as she smiled at him softly.
"How is ice cream supposed to help?" Akura-ou asked skeptically despite scooping a spoonful into his mouth a second later. He wouldn't say it out loud, but it was delicious, and the flavors tingled over his tongue pleasantly.
Ako giggled after swallowing a bite. "Because it's sweet and comforting, but it's the company that really counts. Even if you are alone, food can help you feel close to those you care about. Whenever I eat ice cream or fruit jellies, I think of my father, and no matter what I'm facing, I feel like I'm with him again, and everything will work out."
In his mind, Akura-ou questioned why she was sharing this with him, but deep down, he felt...happy. Akura-ou felt like he really was her son, and he had someone to belong to. "So, you are saying that if I'm feeling down if I eat ice cream that it will be like you are with me?" She nodded as she beamed at him. "It seems like a silly sentiment to me, but if it makes you smile, then I will do as you say."
Ako's smile vanished as concern creased her brow. She reached across the small table to put her hand tenderly over his. "My son, you have been through so much change recently. I may not understand the world you come from, but I can see you will continue to face new challenges. I want to give you something to hold onto when I'm not there to help you, and you need to be reminded how much you are loved. I also understand ice cream may be hard to find, so I bought you some fruit jellies. I know peach is your favorite, so I got you several bags so you have enough to last until we can go shopping again."
"Thank you, Mother," he answered with the slightest hint of happiness in his voice. It was still awkward for him to show too much emotion in front of her. Despite his lack of enthusiasm, he reached over to squeeze Ako’s hand the way she often did to him. It made her heart fill full to have her child showing her affection when Ako knew it was difficult for him.
"You are very welcome, Akura-ou," she said, keeping the last part in a hushed tone, so no one overheard her while her smile returned. He smirked before beginning to eat his ice cream once more. At that moment, he decided to ask Mikage if he could have more days like these with his mother. Perhaps shopping was not so torturous after all. This time with her felt precious, like a secret treasure of his very own.
This takes place a week after Akura-ou gets his body back in Yomi and three weeks before the events of "Down the Rabbit Hole" begin. Akura-ou is tough to write because who he is as an oni is different from how he is as Kirihito. There's a maturity difference that I'm trying to balance and show his struggle with who he was, who he became, and who he is becoming. Please let me know your thoughts on this. I had the idea to write a brief moment between Ako and Akura-ou to show her support of him as a yokai and her son as well as give some insider knowledge to a moment that is coming up in a future chapter of DTRH. I hope you enjoy and please leave a review if you have a moment.