Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

“Have you heard about the wisteria tree outside our village?”

“The dead tree right up the hill?”

“Yes, that one. In all my years, I’ve never seen it blossom. No one dares go near it, especially during winter.”

“Oh? Pray tell, why is that?”

“Why, dear sir, legend has it that a miko cursed the land, soaking the roots in her blood. Men had gone up during the winters to cut it down, only to return frostbitten to the bone. They have tried during spring, only to fail. In the end, we leave it alone. It won’t harm us if we don’t harm it.”

“It must be frightening to have a yokai tree nearby.”

“Oh, I am not frightened by it. If the legends are true, I simply wish the miko let go of her attachment to this world and rest in peace.”

***

It’s one of the coldest winters in Musutafu, where one could throw a barrel of water, and it would freeze before it hit the ground. But humans still worked despite the biting cold, and the children would run around playing in the snow until their fingers turned red. Even when times were hard, and the meat was scarce, humans would tear the bark off trees and eat them or cut them down for firewood.

Like this one human climbing the hill to reach the lone wisteria tree. The man pants, catching his breath from the steep climb. He wraps his cold fingers around the wooden handle of his axe, determined to bring home some firewood and maybe even the glory of getting rid of the cursed tree.

He looks up and is immediately in awe of the sight before him. The tree stretches tall above him as if it’s reaching for the heavens; if it had blossomed, he swears it would be beautiful. However, there hasn’t been a hint of buds forming in all his years of living. It’s safe to say the tree’s as good as dead and is taking up space.

The man cautiously steps closer to the tree. It gets colder the closer he gets, but he can’t back down now. He raises his axe. Gathering his nerves, he swings.

Ice shoots out of nowhere, hitting the axe out of the man’s hands. The man gasps as the freezing air steals his breath. The snow begins to pick up, and the wind whips at the man’s clothes. The man quickly backs up as spikes shoot from the ground. He screams as he narrowly dodges being impaled. He quickly turns around, almost slipping as he runs back down the hill. Under the tree, snow swirls until it forms a humanoid shape.

Katsuki watches the man run until he reaches his town. With a ‘hmph,’ the storm dies down to a light flurry. After so many failed attempts, he wonders what makes humans so compelled to keep trying. Not that Katsuki cares. They could send as many humans as they wanted, and Katsuki would still send them away.

“They’re like pesky bugs,” he grumbles, clearing away the disturbance from the snow.

“That wasn’t nice.”

Katsuki spins around. Upon spotting the intruder up on the tree, his eyes narrow, his posture tense.

A young green-haired man sits upon a branch with eyes as green as the first touch of spring. Freckles adorn his sun-kissed skin as he smiles down at him. Around him, buds unfurrow into delicate purple petals. But as soon as they blossom, they wither, tainting the snow with their rot.

The man glances at the withering petals, eyes full of disgusting pity. “A tree that doesn’t want to bloom. Why do you linger in such a place, yuki okoto?” 

“Who wants to know?” Katsuki sneers. “What is the Deity of Spring doing, stalking a mere spirit like me?”

The deity’s eyes light up in delight for a moment before spluttering. “I-I wasn’t stalking!”

“Oh? Then I supposed the Deity of Spring wanted to spend time with a yokai?” Katsuki grins meanly.

The deity tilts his head. “Would that be so bad?”

Yes, it would. Deities and Yokai do not mix. Katsuki knows that from other yokai’s whisperings. This deity definitely knows that. It wasn’t often that deities and yokai crossed paths. Deities rarely leave their lavish abode, and yokai steer clear of places under the deities’ protection. And if a deity does seek out a yokai, there is no doubt the intent is to get rid of them.

Well, sucks for this deity. The last Katsuki checked, this area is under no one’s claim but his.

“Either you’re here to kill me, or you’re here to fight,” Katsuki declares, flexing his fingers.

The deity opens his mouth, then eyes him for a moment before smiling. “If I win, would you give me your name?”

Katsuki frowns. “What?”

“Your name,” the deity repeats, leaning forward with eagerness in his eyes. “If I win, will you tell me?”

That’s all he wants? The longer he talks to this deity, the weirder he gets. Not wanting to deal with him any longer, Katsuki turns on his heels and stomps away.

“H-hey, wait!” Snow crunches behind him as the deity hurries after him, his sleeves fluttering in the cold gust Katsuki blows his way. “You don’t have to give me your name if you don’t want to! I’m just curious.”

“Why do you even want to know?” Katsuki scoffs. “Either you kill me now, or I go my way, and you go back to your lair and look down at everyone on your golden throne.”

“I don’t look down on anyone,” the deity says, sounding offended.

Katsuki rolls his eyes. “Could’ve fooled me.”

The lack of snow crunching behind him made him turn around, thinking that the deity had finally left him alone.

“If you’re scared, you could’ve just said so,” a voice whispers in his ear.

“Fuck!” He spins around, firing an ice blast, but the deity is already floating out of the way. 

The deity looks smug, like he got what he wanted, and fuck, he did. Katsuki played right into his hands. Despite knowing that, Katsuki slashes the air, sending icicles toward the deity. As nimble as a dandelion seed, the deity dances out of the way, effortlessly riding the winter wind. Katsuki yanks control of the current back, intending to drop the deity. Instead, the deity soars at him, hand outstretched. 

Katsuki starts to form a ball of energy, only to realize that the deity is approaching alarmingly fast. He stumbles back, but an unseen root sends him off-balanced, and the ball of energy is flung upwards, exploding into snowflakes. A warm hand grabs his wrist while an arm wraps around his waist, spinning him away from the trees.

The deity’s green eyes bore into his as if staring deep into his soul, and Katsuki… Katsuki can’t seem to look away. Snowflakes melt on the deity’s skin, making water droplets roll down his face until they turn to ice upon landing on Katsuki’s cheek and slipping off.

The deity leans in until their forehead almost touches. Katsuki holds his breath. The deity smiles. 

“I win.”

Katsuki quickly returns to himself and shoves the deity away, nearly fumbling in haste. “Bullshit!” he splutters, brushing the deity’s touch off his clothes with exaggerated movements. “I never agreed to your terms!”

The deity grins cheekily as he wags his finger. “But a deal is a deal, no?”

He hates to admit it, but he jumped into the deal by attacking first, even if the deity baited him. Katsuki resists stomping his foot and chooses to double down on his scowl. If only the deity didn’t cheat his way to winning.

Katsuki sighs, untensing his jaw. No. Even if the deity used underhanded tactics, Katsuki didn’t pay attention to his surroundings. It was his loss. He glances at the deity, but that stupid smile infuriates him, forcing him to avert his eyes to his feet. He doesn’t like this because his name is his, so the thought of sharing it with a stranger irks him. Still, a deal was a deal.

“Ka…Ka—” He chews on his lip before deciding to get it over with. He doesn’t get far, though, because the deity laughs.

“Just kidding!” He holds both hands up at Katsuki’s stupefied stare. “As I said, I’m not going to force you to tell me your name.”

The thought of the deity looking down on him immediately has his hackles rising. “Are you looking down on me?!”

“What? No, I wouldn’t!” the deity objects, frowning at Katsuki’s accusation. “I’m simply respecting your choices.”

“I don’t need you to baby me like some child!”

 The deity chuckles, eyes softening. “No, of course not.” He glances at the sky and then sighs. “I’d love to stay, but I have to go now. Let’s meet again, Kacchan!”

“Who the hell is Kacchan?!” Katsuki threw an icicle at the man, but it missed just as he disappeared, leaving behind a pile of petals that flew away in the wind.

Katsuki stares at the spot, dumbfounded. Just what the hell was that deity’s deal? Meet again? As if! The deity probably forgot about him already. He shakes his head, deciding to forget about the whole interaction already.

Unbidden, the memory of the deity holding him pops into his head. Katsuki kicks a nearby tree, yelping in anger when a pile of snow buries him.

Elsewhere, the Spring Deity appears before an entrance to a dark forest. There, another deity was waiting for his arrival. Sensing his presence, Yagi looks up to greet the deity, only to pause when he takes in the deity’s expression.

“Did something good happen, Young Spring?” Yagi asks tentatively.

“Hm?” The deity tilts his head. “Why do you ask?”

Yagi gestures at the deity’s face. “You’re smiling.”

He brings his hand to his face, surprised that he is indeed smiling. He covers half of his face behind the sleeve of his kimono and tilts his face away. “No, nothing happened.” The deity decides to say.

Yagi gives him a look, but he doesn’t press. “I’m glad you’re happy,” he says sincerely. “It’s not every day that I get to see your smile.”

The deity frowns. “I do smile around you.”

Yagi shakes his head, his smile sad. “Genuinely, my boy?”

The deity doesn’t give him an answer, lest he be called out for lying. “I’m not a boy anymore,” he says, pouting a little. Yagi chuckles and heads for the forest instead of replying.

The deity glances behind him, eyes seeing something far away. A bluish-white kimono with a delicate face, red eyes, and lovely red cheeks. But such thoughts could wait. He smiles to himself as he follows Yagi, disappearing into the trees.

***

Three children are playing in the snow outside their village, but in the midst of playing, they end up being further than a human would typically be comfortable with. At least nothing came out to eat them yet.

Katsuki watches with crossed arms as the children scream in delight, stomping about with their straw boots. The kids haven’t been playing long, but with how red their fingers are, they should hurry home soon before frostbite sets in. 

He feels the warmth of spring before he sees the deity. Once again, the deity is perched on a high branch, making the wisteria flowers bloom. Although the flowers quickly wilt into an ugly brown. He wonders if the deity is so strong that he can’t completely contain his powers. Otherwise, Katsuki doesn’t understand the futile attempts to make the tree bloom.

“Children-watching, little yuki okoto?” the deity asks.

“Why do you want to know?” Katsuki grumbles as he avoids meeting the deity’s gaze. “Keeping an eye out in case I hurt them?”

“No,” the deity denies, his tone softening. “You don’t seem like the type.”

He rolls his eyes. “I’m a yokai.”

“And I’m a god.” The deity nods. “That doesn’t mean my word is always right. Doesn’t mean you’re evil simply because of what you are.”

Huh. That's weird for a deity to say to a yokai. However, Katsuki doesn’t hate it. He finally glances up at the deity with a quirk of his brow. “You’re a strange god.” Katsuki decides.

For some reason, the god laughs. “So, I’ve been told.”

Katsuki begins to reply, but his head jerks around. He points a finger in the direction of the children. A giant icicle falls short of impaling one of the kids, blocking their intended path to the woods. The child squeals and stumbles back. Katsuki grimaces as the child’s eyes water. Soon enough, he begins to wail, and the other two follow suit as they cling to each other.

Katsuki groans, sticking his fingers in his ears. Should he scare them off? He tried to do some good out of the kindness of his heart and this is what he gets in return.

The deity’s suddenly at his side, yanking him back by the collar of his kimono. “Let’s not do that.”

Katsuki glares at him. “What makes you think I’ll listen to you?” Who does he think he is to grab him like some petulant child? He wrestles out of the deity’s grip and aggressively fixes his kimono.

“You had good intentions,” the deity says. “But you went about it the wrong way.”

“What? You thought nature was gentle to the weak?” Katsuki scoffs. “The kid isn’t dead or harmed. There’s no use in fretting over it, and now the kid learned his lesson.”

The deity doesn’t look like he approves, but who cares what he thinks? Katsuki prevented the kid’s potential death. The deity sighs and then sweeps his hand across the air. 

One by one, white sakura trees begin to bloom. The children gasp in delight as delicate white petals drift around them, blending in with the snow. The girl points to the trees where the flowers continue to bloom. They excitedly followed the trail of sakura trees home, leaving behind their fears.

Katsuki whirls around and begins to shake the deity. “Are you crazy?! Aren’t you deities all about law and order? Why are you disrupting Nature’s cycle for some brats?!” To his surprise, the deity laughs. Katsuki lets go of his robes and take a step back. “You think this is funny?”

“A bit,” the deity admits, still chuckling. “Worry not. These blossoms can withstand winter’s embrace. They won’t upset the balance.”

Oh… Katsuki looks at the blossoms with wonder. He had never thought about what could grow in winter before. He had no reason to; after all, winter puts everything to sleep with its cold embrace. Besides, nothing grows here.

The deity leans in, eyes twinkling with mirth. “Did you think nothing could grow in snow and ice?” He yelps when Katsuki smacks him in his annoyance,

He huffs, turning away. “What reason do I have to go looking for some stupid flowers? 

The deity glances at the tree behind them, pinching his lips as he murmurs too fast for Katsuki to catch what he’s saying. Then, his eyes lit up like an idea going off in his head. “I got it!” Katsuki jolts as the deity clasps his hands in his. “Let me take you to see some.”

“Hah?!” He yanks his hand out of the deity’s grasp. “What makes you think I want to see some dumb flowers? Especially with you?”

The deity pouts. “Is that a no?”

“Where would we even go to find flowers?” Katsuki huffs. “I’ve been in this area all my life, and nothing grows here during winter.”

The deity laughs into his sleeve. “When the time’s right, I’ll take you to see something special.” He disappears before Katsuki can reject him, leaving him bewildered at what happened.

“That guy… really isn’t right in the head….”

***

Since then, there’s rarely a day where Katsuki doesn’t see the deity. The deity dutifully visits him every day with his wide grin and gleaming eyes as if he’s visiting an old friend.

It should’ve been annoying. It was. But between bickering with the deity and watching how his eyes light up as he laughs, Katsuki realizes it isn’t so bad. The deity tends to ramble about many things, mostly about spring. Being a yuki okoto meant Katsuki couldn’t linger when the weather turned warm. Knowing this, the deity made it his mission to tell Katsuki about springtime.

Soon, Katsuki finds himself waiting for the deity’s arrival. Nothing good will come out of this, he’s sure. Yet, when the deity arrives with his name on his tongue and eagerness in those green eyes, Katsuki turns a blind eye.

There’s one thing that confuses Katsuki, though, while the deity refrains from making the tree bloom again after Katsuki berated him for also leaving a mess, every now and then, he’ll make a few blooms. But they always wilt too fast to be enjoyed.

“Why don’t you force it to bloom?”

The deity blinks, letting go of the branch he was holding between his fingers. “Huh?”

“The tree,” Katsuki explains, eyeing the branch and then the rotting petals on the ground. “You’re a god. It shouldn’t be hard for you to force the tree to sprout and stop dying.”

The deity turns back to the branch, wearing a strange look on his face. “I could, but that would be taking its freedom away.”

“It’s just a tree.”

The deity raises an eyebrow, smiling inscrutably. “Is it really?”

Katsuki chooses not to answer.

Weeks go by, and the season of Spring is approaching. Soon, Katsuki would be forced to search for a colder environment. Would the deity still visit him then? Katsuki refuses to entertain that, though.

“You never answered my question,” The deity remarks one day. “Why do you linger under this particular tree?”

That’s a good question, but Katsuki doesn’t have a good explanation. He gives a little shrug of his shoulder. “I don’t know. Perhaps it was because I was born under this tree.”

“Most yokai don’t linger in their birthplace.” The deity’s fingers trace the intertwined vines of the wisteria tree. He closes his eyes and tilts his head. Probably listening for the silent voice of the trees. “But you’ve been here for years as if you’re waiting for something.”

Katsuki sighs, watching the fog disappear into the air. “Something told me to wait. Something important.” He closes his eyes and laughs to himself. “Or maybe I just want to see some wisteria flowers before leaving. A futile wish, huh?”

The deity smiles softly, eyes genuine as he shakes his head. “It’s not.”

The deity doesn’t ask any more questions, and they stay like that until the sun peaks over the horizon. He sharply inhales, catching the attention of the deity beside him. “Besides, I like it here.”

“Yeah,” The deity agrees with a chuckle. “The view is nice, isn’t it?”

Katsuki snorts, nudging the deity. “You better stop using my tree as your seat. You’re going to break it under your weight.”

“I’m not heavy!”

“Then go grow your own tree!”

As they bicker and laugh, Katsuki has to remind himself that he is a winter yokai and the deity is the Deity of Spring. Spring does not last in Winter.

***

The deity is late.

Katsuki pushes the snow around with his toe, bored out of his mind. He blames the deity. Before the deity, time wasn’t a concept for Katsuki. Under the wisteria tree, he would stay there, and Spring would arrive in a blink of an eye.

But now? He never knew time could be so long. He fears that this would be one of the days when the deity wouldn’t visit, and isn’t that a riot? Has he grown so used to the deity’s presence that he fears his absents?

“Ridiculous,” he mutters to himself. 

The last of the sunlight disappears as the moon makes itself known to the world. Katsuki exhales. The white fog puffs past his lips and drifts toward the night sky. He holds out his hand as snow begins to fall.

“Kacchan!”

Katsuki blinks, turning around when the deity hops to the ground, looking excited about something.

“Kacchan, let’s go somewhere!”

Katsuki blinks and then blinks again. “Hah?! You,” he jabs the deity’s chest hard. “decide to show up late and want me to go somewhere without any explanation?”

The deity winces at the jabs and holds his hands up placatingly. “I-I’m sorry, Kacchan, but I’ll make it worth your while, I swear!”

“Oh, so you’re bribing me.”

The deity splutters, flailing his arms. “No!” He pouts when Katsuki snickers at his reaction. It doesn’t last long, however. He steps into the air with the help of the winter wind and turns to him. The deity holds out his hand. “Do you trust me?”

Katsuki stares at the hand and then back at nervous green eyes. What does the guy have to be nervous about? He huffs, slapping his hand into timid ones. “You better not drop me!”

As if he lit a lamp, the deity fucking lights up. Katsuki yelps when the deity yanks him into his arms. The deity grins. “I won’t!” He laughs as he takes them to the skies.

As the deity’s arms wrap around him, Katsuki can feel his cheeks flushing. It’s hot, alright? He isn’t used to sharing body heat with someone, and the deity runs hotter than Katsuki. Surely, the deity must be cold being so close to him. If he was, the deity doesn’t show it. 

Well, the warmth isn’t… unbearable. Actually, Katsuki couldn’t help but feel comforted. It’s a strange feeling Katsuki can’t put his finger on, almost like familiarity. Being held like this, as if he was something precious. As soon as that thought pops into his head, Katsuki brushes it away, ridiculing himself. Right, this was the second time the deity held him. Spending too much time with the deity is making him weird like him. Ugh.

“We’re here.” The deity says, saving him from driving himself mad. Katsuki looks down to see a small clearing in the middle of nowhere.

Katsuki hops off once they land, looking around only to see trees and snow. “What are we doing here?”

The deity holds a finger to his lips, shushing him. “Watch.” The deity catches a snowflake on his fingertip. He shows it to Katsuki, then, ever so gently, he blows on it. The snowflake drifts to the ground, disappearing in the snow. 

Before Katsuki could ask what exactly he should be watching, a sprout pushed through the snow. One by one, more sprouts began to rise until all Katsuki could see was a field of delicate, drooping white flowers.

“Snowdrops,” the deity says softly, playing with a ball of light between his fingers. “They may be small, but they’re one of the bravest flowers.” Katsuki watches in awe as the light scatters into tiny pieces, each finding a home in a snowdrop’s petals, making them sparkle like the stars in the sky. 

He turns to the deity. “All of this is for me?”

“I did say I’ll show them to you.” The deity says softly, smiling full of warmth as he watches him. “I keep my promises.”

Katsuki looks back at the flowers, unable to help the smile growing on his face. Bending down, his fingers caress a snowdrop, feeling the softness of it against his skin. The deity went this far to do this for him? A lowly yokai?

Katsuki bites his lip, swallowing an emotion he could not name. He looks up where the deity is still staring at him. Catching his gaze, the deity quickly turns away, acting as if he wasn’t watching him moments ago.

“Katsuki.”

The deity freezes and slowly turns around, staring at him as if he misheard him. “What?”

He steps forward until he stands right in front of the deity. “Katsuki,” he repeats softly. “My name is Katsuki.”

“Katsuki.” The deity whispers his name as if it’s something precious to be only heard between them. Katsuki can’t help but flush. His name on the deity’s tongue sounded odd, like something he had been waiting his whole life to hear. It sends a strange feeling of fluttering through his body.

He clears his throat, turning his face away to rub at his cheek. “Yeah, that’s my name. Don’t wear it out.”

“So cute.” The deity grins that stupid grin of his. “So, you want me to stick with Kacchan, then?”

“I’m not cute!”

“You don’t like it?”

Katsuki huffs, ducking his head. “I… don’t mind… But tell me your name first!”

At that, the deity leans back, all traces of his humor gone. Despite the smile on his face, his eyes were resigned. “If I had a name, it has been long forgotten.”

“You… really don’t have a name?” The deity shakes his head but doesn’t seem bothered by it. Katsuki can’t understand the indifference. To Katsuki, his name is who he is; it’s his whole being. A world where he’s without a name is entirely implausible. How could a nameless deity walk around and not question his existence?

“What about ‘Deku?’”

The deity’s head jerks up, eyes wide with surprise.

Katsuki grins. “‘Deku’ for Wooden Doll since you like to talk to trees and….” He trails off when the deity continues to start at him. He ducks his head, scratching his cheek. “Sorry, I was joking. Let me think of another—”

“No!” Katsuki jolts when the deity grabs his hand and gets into his face. “I love it! I really, really do!”

“Uh…” He replies dumbly, too focused on the warmth of the deity’s body against his. Realizing their closeness, the deity squeaks an apology, and both swerve away to compose themselves.

Immediately, Katsuki misses the warmth and comfort. He screams at himself for desiring that. After all, he’s a yokai, and the deity is, well, a deity. He looks down at his hands, flexing them.

Katsuki clears his throat and faces the deity. “It’s nice to meet you, Deku.”

The deity—Deku’s mouth pulls into a broad smile, his eyes tearing up as he nods. “Likewise, Kacchan.”

Katsuki stares, transfixed by star-like tears Deku sheds. Without thinking, his hand lifts up to brush the tears from those green eyes. “Why… are you crying?”

Deku closes his eyes, leaning his face into his touch. “There was someone I wanted to show these flowers to. Someone important.”

“And?” Katsuki licks his lips, voice quiet as his fingers unfurl to curl around the deity’s warm cheek. “Did you show them?”

Green eyes crack open, peering into his. Oddly, it felt like they were peering into his soul. After a stretch of silence, a smile graces Deku’s freckled face. “Yes,” He breathes, dipping his chin slightly to brush his lips against Katsuki’s palm. “I did.”

Katsuki didn’t know who made the first move, but Deku’s lips were on his, and Katsuki kissed back, taking whatever Deku gave him. Deku rests his forehead against his as they breathe in each other’s air when they part for breath.

“What now?” Deku asks.

“Dunno. Have you ever heard of a deity dating a yokai?” They break into snickers as they cling to each other among the glowing snowdrops. Katsuki takes the chance to observe the deity’s eyes, so green and expressive.

But despite his smile, Deku’s eyes were sad. Before he could ask, though, Deku brings him in for another kiss, and Katsuki lets himself drown in the deity’s warmth. 

One day, he will regret not pressing Deku about it back then. Perhaps then, the outcome of this story would’ve been different.

***

Out in the distance, a storm stirs over a silent forest. The only sound is a deep drumming of the rain. It rises in a crescendo until it roars deafeningly. Thunder rumbles overhead. Then lightning strikes, cleaving a massive tree in two.

The sound of rain eases away into a light drizzle as dark smoke rises from the tree.

In the comfort of his abode, Yagi lifts a teacup for a sip. But it slips out of his grip and shatters, spilling tea all over the table. He stares down at the puddle in surprise, then he frowns.

Lightning flashes out his window, making his knees hit the table in shock. “Goodness!” Yagi gasps. Staring out the window, he couldn’t help but feel a sudden sense of unease. The puddle of tea remains in the same position.  “This… doesn’t bode well…” he murmurs. He stares out into the distance with furrowed brows.

***

The door slams open as Deku hurries through, making a beeline to Yagi when he spots him at the table. “What’s going on? What’s with the sudden meeting?”

A scoff echoes in the room, bringing to Deku’s attention that there are other deities here as well.

“Have you become so undignified that you forgot how to greet someone?” Mizuchi, the Sea Deity, chides.

“My apologies,” Deku murmurs.

“It’s quite alright,” Yagi says, cutting in before Mizuchi could dig into Deku anymore. “Still, before I go into details, we need to wait for one more person.”

“Great,” the Storm God, Arashiboku groans. “Who else are we waiting for? I swear if it’s Luck, I’m going back home.”

“Oh, hush.” A woman across from him says. “Whoever it is, surely it must be someone important since Destiny gathered us all here.”

They didn’t wait long, however. From Deku’s shadow, a figure climbs out with a huff and grumbles under his breath.

Mizuchi raises from his seat, jabbing a finger at the figure as he seethes. “You dare come here? You must wish for punishment for breaking your banishment!”

Tomura plops down in a nearby chair, ignoring the hostility the other deities are giving him. At Mizuchi’s words, he rolls his eyes. “Believe me, I would rather be at home than in this awful place. But Destiny requested me to come; how could I refuse?”

“And you agreed despite your sentence?!”

“Please,” Yagi steps in, blocking Mizuchi’s view of Tomura. “He’s very much needed—”

“You may be a respectable god, Destiny, but that doesn’t mean you’re free to do as you please without consulting us first,” the Harvest God, Kokumi, warns. “Perhaps being the oldest god is getting to your head.”

“Harvest.” Deku glares. “Perhaps you should be careful of how you speak, lest one would think the snake is attempting to be king.”

Fumes of anger blow out of Kokumi’s head as her face goes red with shame and embarrassment that a disgraced deity is scolding her. Scales begin to etch into Kokumi’s skin as she stands to attack, but Yagi quickly cuts in.

“There is an important reason why I gathered you all here.” He says with finality in his tone. “I recommend everyone sit and listen before we continue to waste more time.”

Kokumi sits down with a huff.

Tomura snorts. “I sure never missed this place.”

Yagi folds his hands together, seemingly hesitating, but he closes his eyes and sighs. “The First’s seal has been broken.”

“How can this be?” Mizuchi asks, shocked. “The First’s seal was supposed to last for another ninety thousand years. His reincarnations made sure of that.”

“A thunderstorm swept through the forest,” Toshinori explains. “It didn’t last long, but one strike was all it took to break the seal.” He wrings his fingers as he recalls the state of the tree. “It was empty by the time I got there.” All eyes turn to Arashiboku, who meets their gaze with boredom.

“You buffoon,” Kokumi snarls. “I thought you knew better than to cast storms over Tartarus. Now, look at what you’ve done!”

Arashiboku snorts. “Hey now, you should learn to stop throwing around accusations. I only coaxed rain to pour. If the sky wanted to strike land, who am I to restrain it?”

“You—!”

“Instead of blaming me, why don’t we blame the one whose duty was to keep the seal strong?” Arashibuko’s dull gaze sharpens with disdain upon landing on Deku. “The Deer God, the Ninth reincarnation of the First.”

Deku’s eyes narrow at the god, but he says nothing.

“He’s right,” Mizuchi agrees begrudgingly. “We wouldn’t be dealing with this if the Deer God hadn't abandoned his duties.”

“I have not abandoned my duties,” Deku growls. “I have done my best to—”

“That’s the problem, isn’t it?” Arashiboku smirks, sharp and demeaning. “If you were at your full power, you wouldn’t have to try your best. Instead, you wasted your powers on that disgusting, little human—”

A spike of vines launches toward Arashiboku’s face as blades of wind aim toward Deku’s throat. A shadow portal appears between them, swallowing the attacks before they land.

Tomura yawns, ignoring both of the deities’ glares. “If you’re done wasting time, perhaps you should think of how to prevent the upcoming calamity.”

Kokumi cast him a weary look. “Since when were you interested in the peace of the living?”

“Well, if humans start dropping like insects, that would be a lot of work for me. Besides, an influx of souls would be difficult to handle, even for me. If they end up escaping, that would bring you trouble, wouldn’t it?”

Kokumi laughs meanly. “As if you care about us.”

Tomura’s smile is just as mean. “You’re right, I don’t. Work is a chore I’d rather avoid.”

“As someone who dealt with a mirage of the Calamity in the past,” Mizuchi turns to address Yagi. “Is it possible to seal the Calamity again?”

Yagi glances over to Deku, who adverts his eyes in shame. “I…I don’t have enough energy to cast such a complex seal,” he admits.

“No. You do have enough power,” Kokumi counters. “But you don’t want to reincarnate.”

Deku glares at her. “I don’t see you offering to do it, and you’re the ones that need me. Your past reincarnations couldn’t defeat the Calamity, and it has gotten so bad that the First had to step in. Besides, no one knows what exactly the First did to seal the Calamity.”

“Such talk from someone who can’t even fix his wrongdoings.” Mizuchi scoffs.

Tomura stands up, drawing everyone’s attention as he walks around the table. “I think we’re done here.”

“And where are you going?” Kokumi demands.

“Back home to prepare for the new arrivals.”

“So, what,” Arashiboku waves a hand in irritation. “We’re just going to roll over and let him step over us?”

Tomura laughs. “That would be amusing to see.” He glances over to Deku, staring at him with indifference. “See you never.” And with that, he sinks into the table’s shadow and disappears.

Yagi clears his throat, drawing the others’ attention back to him. “I’ll look into what the previous reincarnations left behind. Perhaps there’ll be clues to fight against Calamity. For now, you should be vigilant. I do not recommend engaging if you sense him within your vicinity.”

“Don’t engage? So, you expect me to do nothing while the Calamity wreaks havoc through my land?” Kokumi scoffs, getting to her feet. “I refuse to stand by and let him do as he pleases.”

“And do you intend to die like a fool?” Mizuchi hisses.

Kokumi tilts her chin up, looking like the proud harvest deity she was. “Then I’ll die protecting what’s mine.” With that, she disappears in a pop of blue flames.

Arashiboku grins, nodding in the direction where Kokumi was. “I’ll drink to that.” A strong gust of wind blows through the room, circling him until there’s nothing left.

“Either find a clue, or the Deer God will have to make a choice,” Mizuchi states. He gives Deku a cold glance. “Hopefully, he’ll make the right choice this time.”

Once everyone left, Deku slumps in his seat, rubbing his temples.

“Are you alright, my boy?” Yagi asks, patting his back.

Deku smiles. “I’m fine. It’s just….” He sighs. “I forgot how tiring it was.”

“Do not be concerned about them,” Yagi waves his hand, pulling a teapot and two cups his way. “The resentment they hold is tainting their abilities to have a proper conversation with you.”

Deku accepts the cup with grace. “Their resentment isn’t unfound.”

“Nonetheless, it’s nice to see you at ease recently.” Yagi smiles proudly. “It makes me curious what you’re up to.”

Deku coughs, choking on his tea. “W-what? Noooo, there’s not—I mean, uh….” He coughs into his fist, face flushed from embarrassment and choking as he tries to think of something to say.

The older god chuckles into his cup. “You don’t have to tell me. I’m happy for you, Young Spring. Even if you don’t visit me as often anymore.”

“Ah…” Deku rubs his head guiltily. “I’m—”

He holds up his hand, cutting him off. “No, do not be sorry. Life's joys do not come as often or easily as one wishes. So, do not be guilty for indulging in life’s simple pleasures.”

Deku smiles into his cup. Talking to Yagi is always comforting. He’s lucky to have someone like the older god by his side to be there when he needs advice. Although, he makes a mental note to visit him more often in the future.

“You’re right. Yagi, what do you see in my fate?” 

Yagi quietly sips his tea. “You know I’m forbidden to say.”

Deku huffs out a small chuckle. “It was worth a try.”

***

Katsuki is worried about Deku. Yesterday, he left abruptly, leaving no excuse but an expression of worry. Deku may talk about spring and random things, but he never touches on gods or how they do things. He supposes it’s to keep their world separate. After all, what use does obtaining knowledge about the deities’ life do for a yokai? He waves those thoughts away, seeing no use in thinking things that do not concern him.

He touches his lips, recalling the kisses Deku often gives him, from playful kisses to ones that make him weak to his knee. He slaps his cheeks, urging his heart to calm down. Fucking hell, he’s acting like some swooning maiden! What has Deku done to him?

Crunch.

Katsuki swirls around, hand shooting out icicles in the direction of the sound.

“Ooh, that’s scary.”

A girl with blonde locks pulled into twin buns peeks out from behind a tree a few distances from where he launched his attack. Katsuki narrows his eyes as the wind picks up threateningly. “You have no place here, fox.”

“Oh, you can smell me?” The girl’s four tails fan out behind her as she giggles excitedly. “I can smell you, too!”

“Leave.” Katsuki growls. The kitsune is encroaching on his territory with no regard for her life. It makes his skin crawl. A wave of growing anger stirs in his guts.

“You smell like those foul gods.” She hides her mouth behind her sleeve as she leers. “How strange. You know, you ought to be careful. From one yokai to another! We live in two different worlds with different principles. No matter how beautiful, a flower will wilt in the end.” Ice spikes up from the ground, but the kitsune quickly dodges it, turning into a ball of flames. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you!”

“You speak nonsense!” Katsuki retorts, but the fox is long gone. What the hell is up with that kitsune? And how did he not notice her until she was that close to him? Before he could ponder that, a familiar voice called out to him.

“Kacchan!” Deku flies in, pulling into his arm with glee. He nuzzles his neck with a sigh. “I miss you.”

“It’s only been a day.” Katsuki scoffs, but he hugs him tighter, leaning his cheeks against the green curls.

“A day too long!” Deku whines. “I was so bored!” Spotting all the ice, he frowns, fingers digging into his side protectively. “Did something happen?”

Katsuki’s quick to plant a chaste kiss on his lips, twitching his fingers to hide the prints in the snow while Deku’s distracted. “Just a stray.” He says, looking behind them where the kitsune once stood. “It’s nothing.”

***

Bidding Kacchan farewell, Deku decides to walk through the forest, admiring how the ice glistens in the golden sun. 

“I know you’re there, Tomura,” Deku announces causally. “Come walk with me.”

Tomura slips out of the shadows, falling into step beside Deku. “Why the hesitation, Deer God?”

“Why do you refuse to help, Tomura?” Deku asks instead. “You knew All for One well. You know his tells.”

Tomura snorts. “You know why. Don’t ask for the impossible.”

Deku frowns. “He had your mind before. That doesn’t mean—”

“Deer God.”

Deku ducks his head, ashamed. “Right. My apologies.”

Tomura faces him, sizing him up with his dull stare. “You don’t want to reincarnate.”

Deku closes his eyes. There’s no use in denying it. “No, I don’t.”

“Because of that boy?” Deku doesn’t answer, but that is as good as a yes for Tomura. Still, he doesn’t sneer or look at him in disdain like the other gods do. Deku has been growing tired of all the contempt, even if he does deserve it. 

Deku looks up at the sky, admiring the stars that flicker in and out of existence without care. “Is it so selfish?”

Tomura rolls his eyes. “You have always been a selfish god.”

Deku hums. He brushes his finger against a tree, pushing only a bit of power to stir it from winter’s embrace. “If you cut a tree down, it can regrow into the same type of tree. But its experiences would be different. If I die, I’ll reincarnate. But I won’t be me anymore, will I?”

Tomura, thankfully, doesn’t try to comfort him. Instead, he crosses his arms, mildly annoyed. “You have to think of something soon. The other gods won’t be powerful enough against All for One.”

Deku laughs bitterly. “Why? Because he’s the oldest being?” He already knew the answer, but Tomura humors him anyway.

“Do you think godlings could stand up to the First’s brother?”

***

Kokumi falls to the ground, panting for breath as her limbs shake. The villagers' blood paints the ground as fire crackles, burning all the fields and homes. She tries to stand, but a hand grabs her by the hair and lifts her up.

“Urk!” She claws at the hand holding her, blue flames flickering uselessly against the shadows.

“I’m quite disappointed.” The figure tuts. “I expected more from one of the High Gods. However, this isn’t such a bad outcome. The faster I get what I need, the sooner my dream will be achieved.”

Kokumi sneers, her silver eyes flashing angrily at the figure before her. “You’ll pay for this! You’ll be ripped to shreds and return to your cage, where you’ll rot for eternity! Whatever you’re planning, you’ll fail!”

The figure grins. “Oh, little snake, I’m one step closer to winning.” His hand presses against her chest.

“What are you—” She gasps as the hand starts to sink into her form. So, that’s his plan?! She laughs mockingly at him. “You fool! It will never work. You have failed.” Her confidence quickly turns into fear turns her veins cold once she realizes he is getting closer to her center. “No… No, stop!”

“Nigimitama.”

Kokumi screams.

***

Deku gasps, clutching his chest. He looks out at the horizon feeling the deep sense of apprehension. What was that? 

Nigimitama, Harvest. Deku stands abruptly at the implications of that. Calamity is on the move and fast. What about Harvest? As much as Deku wishes for her to be well, he knows it’s futile. If Calamity obtained Nigimitama, Harvest is no longer of this world.

“Deku?” Kacchan’s concerned voice snaps him out of his thought. The yuki okoto had his hand hovering over him as if unsure to touch. “Are you alright?”

Composing himself, he squeezes his lover’s fingertips. “I’m fine, Kacchan. But I think I need to leave now.”

“Huh? So soon?” The pout on Kacchan’s face is downright adorable. If Deku was a weaker man, he wouldn’t be able to resist the yuki okoto’s charm. He reprimands himself, now isn’t the time to think of such things, not when something big is stirring in the air.

Still, Deku plants a kiss on Kacchan’s cheek, giving him an apologetic smile. “Duty calls.”

Kacchan hisses, pinching his lips in annoyance. “Don’t do that out of the blue! Give me some warning!”

Deku chuckles, kissing his palm, making Kacchan more flustered. “I’ll come back.” He promises.

Katsuki nods, slowly slipping his hand out of his grasp. “Take care, Deku.”

“I will.”

Deku teleports into the room just in time to see Mizuchi slam his hands onto the table, barely controlling his rage.

“Tell me, Destiny,” he says slowly. “What exactly is Calamity’s plan?”

Arashiboku sits on the other end of the table, watching Yagi. Yagi himself presses his lips together thinly.

Mizuchi scoffs. “You’re nothing going to tell me, fine.” The air crackles with tension as scales slowly crawl up the deity’s body. A vestige of a dragon curls around the Sea Deity’s form as he stalks toward Yagi. “Let me rephrase that. What is the Calamity planning with Nigimitama?”

Before Mizuchi could lay a hand on Yagi, Deku stepped forward, blocking his way.

“Move, Spring.”

“Calm down, Sea God—”

Mizuchi slaps Deku’s hand away. Smoke wafts past his lips as he seethes. “Do not tell me to calm down, Spring! Harvest is no more, and Nigimitama is in Calamity’s possession. You expect me to calm down in such a dire situation?!”

“All for One is trying to open the gates of Kamuitama.”

Mizuchi’s eyes widen, turning toward Tomura, who just walked in. “What?”

“Nigimitama, Kushitama, Aratama, and Sakitama,” Tomura made a square with four fingers. “He needs all four to obtain Kamuitama.”

“You knew of this, Spring?” Arashiboku arches an eyebrow at the deity.

“I suspected,” Deku pinches his bottom lip as he mutters under his breath. “Nigimitama is no use to him otherwise.”

“What does he need Kamuitama for?” Mizuchi laughs in disbelief. “He already has it. We’re all connected to it.”

Deku speaks up before Mizuchi can land some scathing remarks. “Do you know what Calamity’s goal, Death?”

Arashiboku snorts, gathering their attention, but he waves them to continue.

Tomura glances at Yagi, who nods at him to continue. He sighs. “Once he gains Kamuitama for himself, he’s free to break the boundaries between Heaven, Earth, and the Underworld. He wants to rule that world and become its only god.”

The table thumps under Mizuchi’s fist again. “Ridiculous! Does he intend to rid the world of all deities?! Order will crumb to nothing!”

Arashiboku hums, eyeing Tomura with distrust. “Why didn’t you tell us about this last meeting?”

The Death deity returns the stare with contempt, crossing his arms. “It slipped my mind.” 

Arashiboku snorts, clearly not believing him, but he doesn’t continue to push. “Any ideas, Destiny?”

Yagi looks down forlornly. “My apologizes, I was unable to find anything.”

“Right. Deer God?” When Deku remains silent, Arashiboku scoffs. “So, that’s it. We’re going to have to fight him.”

“We can’t fight him head-on! Surely, if he knows how to obtain Nigimitama, it’s more dangerous to come into contact with him.” Deku points out.

“So, what, are we supposed to sit here, offering him our shikon on golden spoons?”

“If we combine our powers—”

“No.”

“Sea God—”

Mizuchi’s eyes spark dangerously. “I refuse to fight with a disgraced god. Regardless of your abilities, I do not trust you to assist me.”

Sensing the thick tension in the air, Tomura quickly retreats into the shadows. Vines whipped violently from Deku’s body, responding to his anger at such an accusation. “I would not abandon you to die, Sea God. You may scorn me for my choices back then, but I don’t regret it!”

“IT IS YOUR CHOICES THAT KILLED KOKUMI.”

The room goes silent as Mizuchi’s chest heaves. He closes his eyes and swallows. “Regardless of how you felt about your choice, you lost my trust.” He turns away, stepping into his water portal. “It’s time for me to leave. I need to prepare.”

Yagi exhales quietly, glancing at him. “Young Spring…”

Deku would appreciate the comfort on an average day, but now, it does nothing but adds to his guilt and anger. He needs some space before he does something he’ll regret. “I’ll take my leave. Excuse me.”

He slips out of the room, strolling into the gardens.

“Deer god.”

Deku turns around to see the Storm God following him. “Yes?”

“I heard something interesting lately,” the deity comes to a stop before him with an innocent tilt of his head. But knowing Arashiboku, he is anything but innocent. “Quite unique, actually.”

Deku turns away, waving him off. “I’m too busy to indulge in random gossip, Storm. Other deities would take an interest in it.”

“Oh? Then you don’t mind if I chatter about a god who gained a yokai for a lover?”

Deku spins around, eyes wide in shock. Realizing his mistake, he hurriedly schools his expression, but it’s too late.

“So, it’s true.” Arashiboku laughs callously. “You really have fallen far, Deer God. I can’t believe there was a time I respected you.”

Green eyes narrow as he takes a step forward. “Storm, this is no place and time to discuss such things. If you want to speak of it, do so after Calamity is dealt with. I promise I’ll fix everything.”

“Big words for a god who fell for a human. Quite the shame—”

The grass under Deku’s feet spurts upwards, but as quickly as they rise, they wither away. “I suggest you wisely think about your next words, Arashiboku,” Deku says quietly. His circle of dead grass is a clear sign of a promised threat. He sighs, taking a step back. “We shouldn’t even be fighting over this. In fact, my personal affairs have nothing to do with you.”

Deku steps forward, meeting the other god’s eyes. “Human, god, or yokai, we or not lesser or higher beings simply because we have power. Strip us from our thrones, and we’re just the same as the rest.”

“So, you’re saying having a yokai for a lover doesn’t bring you shame?”

“I have nothing to be ashamed about,” Deku answers truthfully. “I love him.” 

Arashiboku sneers in disapproval, backing away. “You never used to be so naïve, Deer God. Consider this as a word of caution: don’t get so attached to things you can’t keep.” 

***

Something was bothering Deku. Whenever Katsuki asks, he always deflects, but Katsuki can see the weariness in his eyes. He wishes Deku would tell him his troubles, so they could solve them together. He huffs, glancing down at the snowdrops.

“What do you think?” Receiving no reply, Katsuki shakes his head at himself and gets up. Of course, the flowers say nothing.

“I think you deserve to know more instead of being kept in the dark.”

Katsuki drops into a stance, fingers flexing. “Who’s there?!”

“Poor little yuki okoto,” the voice drips with mock pity. “You have no clue what the Spring God is hiding from you, do you?”

Katsuki cracks his fingers as he looks over his shoulders, trying to find the source of the voice. “Show yourself, coward!” 

The voice laughs. “Don’t you wonder why he chose to befriend you? Why he loves you? A yokai?”

A smirk pulls at his lips as he rises to his full height. “It seems you spend a lot of time watching us like a creep. What, you can’t wrap your head around the fact that a deity and yokai can be together?”

A presence appears behind him too quickly for him to react. The intense pressure the person emits immobilizes him. Fear claws at his insides, threatening to choke him as clawed fingers gently traces down the vulnerable flesh of his throat.

“On the contrary,” The voice says, amused. “I understand quite well. More than you do.”

It takes all of Katsuki’s willpower to break free and knock the aggressor back. Katsuki leaps away, creating distance from the threat. His throat stings, but he’s lucky to get away with that.

He finally gets a good look at the aggressor. Despite the smoky shadows that make up his form, he resembles a tall man. However, his face keeps shifting rapidly into a new one, making it impossible to pick out his facial features.

Katsuki swallows hard, taking a step back. Something tells him this was no ordinary yokai. In fact, Katsuki can’t tell what he is. But there’s one thing he does know: he cannot win against this threat alone.

An icicle shoots up from the ground, the tip pressing at the man’s throat when he tries to take a step forward. “Who the hell are you?” Katsuki demands.

The man hums, unfazed by the threat, and rubs his chin thoughtfully. “Who am I, indeed? It’s been so long that my name has been forgotten.” He claps his hand. “I know! You can call me All for One!”

Katsuki snorts. “All for One? Who decided on a stupid name like that?”

All for One smiles. “Why, the deities, of course. Did your precious Spring ever mention me? No? Pity, after all, we’re family.”

Katsuki has no idea what this guy is talking about and isn’t interested in humoring him. His mind races to think of a way to distract the man and escape.

“Where are you looking?”

Katsuki gasps, realizing that the man in front of him is gone. Instinctively, he guards his chest just as a hand darts out of nowhere, striking his chest.

“Guk!” The force flings Katsuki across the ground, rolling into a tree. His arms shake as he tries to push himself up. If he hadn’t covered his arms with ice, he’s sure they would’ve blown clean off.

He quickly rolls out of the way as All for One slam into the ground beside him. Katsuki stomps his foot, trapping the man in a sphere of ice. Ice spikes erupt from the ground, skewering the sphere. Katsuki backs away slowly. His instincts tell him to be cautious despite landing a fatal blow.

“Well, that wasn’t nice.”

Katsuki curses and starts to run.

The ice shatters instantly, and something whips behind him. Katsuki looks back just in time to dodge tendrils of black and red. He throws up an ice shield when it comes around, but it easily smashes through. He leaps, grabbing a branch to flip himself on top as the tendrils go under him. The man doesn’t let him rest for long. His powers do nothing to deter All for One as he sends tendrils after him. Katsuki barely has time to breathe as he tries to avoid impalement. 

“Where are you running off to, little one?” the man asks tauntingly, keeping up with ease.

It isn’t long until he makes it past the trees, only to be blocked by a cliff face. Katsuki curses and tries to look for another way out when pain blooms in his shoulder.

He muffles a scream as he clutches the wound. The tendril yanks itself out, retreating back to its owner. 

“My apologies.” All for One says as apologetic as a pack of wolves.

Katsuki glowers at him as he presses himself against the wall. “You’re going to kill me?” He forces a laugh. “What have I ever done to you?”

All for One laughs as if it was the funniest thing he had heard. “Kill? I’m not so cruel as to waste someone with potential. No, I want to recruit you.”

Red eyes narrow as Katsuki sneers. “Right. Attacking me would convince me to join whatever foolish cause you want me to join.”

“It’s not so foolish if it benefits you.”

Katsuki’s brows furrow in confusion. “What do you mean?”

“You know, don’t you, little snowflake? Yokai and deities aren’t so different, but humans fear one and worship the other. How is this fair? Don’t you think it’s better to have a world where everything Is equal? Where deities, yokai, and humans are on the same level of respect?”

Katsuki spits at All for One’s feet. “You must be messed up in the head if you think I agreed with you!”

All traces of amusement disappear as he stares down at the yuki okoto. Then he shrugs. “You’re the same as always.” Katsuki doesn’t get much warning before All for One grabs him by the throat and slams him into the cliff. “I’m sure you’ll change your mind once you remember.”

“What are you t-talking about?” Katsuki gasps, fingers attempting to pull the man’s grip off him.

All for One brings his hand to his mouth, fangs digging across the palm until beads of blank ink bubble from the cut. “I won’t lie to you; you’re not supposed to exist. But you have the Spring God to thank for that. He dragged you out of Death and messed with your soul.”

He shouldn’t believe whatever bullshit this man says. Only human souls reside in Death. The last he checked, Katsuki was a yokai through and through. Plus, Deku would never mess with Order like that.

“I see you don’t believe me. It matters not. You will once you find out the truth.”

Katsuki struggles in the man’s grip; his instincts scream at him to run. But the man’s hand is placed over his mouth, and blood begins to pour into his mouth unbidden. The foul taste of it curls over his tongue, sliding down his throat. Katsuki gurgles as the man forces him to take his blood.

He can feel it burning through his body, looking for something.

Don’t look.

It dives deeper, heading towards something forbidden. For the first time in his life, Katsuki was scared.

Stop! Don’t look! Go away!

Something cracks inside of him. Katsuki’s head snaps back as he lets out a soundless gasp. His wide eyes are unseeing as a flood of memories overloads his senses.

At the same time, in a different place, Deku sits up top one of the tallest trees staring up at the cloudy night sky. It was on the cusp of winter like this one, where the line of winter and spring blurs together. He could hear the beating of the drums, the clear chime of bells that cuts through the out-of-sync flutes. He closes his eyes as the spring breeze dances by. 

From his memories, a figure waits by the trees. He must have made a sound because the figure turned around. Upon spotting him, they grin, rosy cheeks glowing on their porcelain skin. They reach out to grab his hand, lips parting to call out his na— 

Deku opens his eyes, grimacing. He shouldn’t be sitting here thinking about the past. It isn’t like things would change if he thinks about it. Then again, when it came to him, there was no way he could forget. He sighs his regrets into the night.

“Are you the Spring Deity, Yamikumo?” A young man dressed in a simple white and red hakama asked the figure in the trees.

The figure’s face was obscured by the sun's shadows, but judging by the grand details of his hakama, the man wasn’t ordinary. Still, the displeasure was evident in his voice as he addressed the man below. “Who dares call my name so casually?”

The young man smirked with no hint of fear in his red eyes as he placed a hand on his chest. “My name is Bakugou Katsuki from the Musutafu Village. Quite a pleasure to finally meet the great Spring God.”

The man catches Katsuki as he goes limp. He chuckles. “You’re an important piece to our game, little one.” The words go unheard as Katsuki’s mind drifts far, far away. Somewhere warm and beautiful.

As well as cruel.

***

100 years ago, First day of Spring

Birds chirped as bees flew from flower to flower. Rabbits and deer munched on leaves when an approaching figure made them look up. The sleeves of his osode fluttered in the wind as it greeted him. Foliage grew after each step he took, flourishing behind him.

Coming to the cliff's edge, Yamikumo peered down at the village where humans bumbled about. Losing interest in the scenery, he turned away and continued strolling through the forest.

He holds out his hand, letting a butterfly rest on it. Noticing the deformed wing, Yamikumo gently breathed on it. The wing fell off, but in its place, a new wing grew. A perfect match to its other wing. The butterfly flapped its wing once, twice, then it took off. Yamikumo watched it fly into the sky and disappear. 

Why did he help it? Perhaps he took pity on the creature. He wondered how it would survive had it not come across him. Alas, life was not just. Being dealt a bad hand in life, the butterfly wouldn’t last long. Thus was the cycle of life.

He tilted his head, catching a strange sound in the distance like something was fighting. The scent of foul blood was growing heavier. Yokai? 

He leaped in that direction, jumping from tree to tree. Up ahead, he spots someone battling against a horde of demons. Their blade gleamed in the sun before striking the enemies in a flawless arc.

“My name is Bakugou Katsuki.”

Yamikumo slowed to a stop, recognizing that human. The bold one. The human spun, sword in hand, as he hacked away at all the yokai. When the blade shone brightly in the human’s next attack, Yamikumo realized this human was one of those born blessed with spiritual powers. He watched, transfixed, as the human moved with grace, almost like dancing with the spring wind.

Unknown to the human, a yokai was sneaking up from behind, intending to strike while the human was distracted. As the yokai lunged forward for a fatal blow, vines skewered the yokai to pieces. The human swerved around, surprised. Yamikumo jumped in front of him, shielding him from fatal attacks.

“Don’t turn your back on the enemy so carelessly!” Yamikumo snapped. With him protecting his back, the human quickly resumed fighting, pushing his spiritual powers into his blade. With the two of them, it wasn’t long before the area was free of lesser yokai.

The human flicked their sword, getting rid of the blood before sliding it back to its sheath. Yamikumo’s nose twitched, catching the scent of something sweet. Looking down, he noticed a spot of the human’s red hakama dyed a darker red.

“You’re injured,” Yamikumo says, gesturing at his leg.

The human looked down, finally noticing the wound. “Ah, so I am.” He looked back up at him. “Care to join me for a talk while I tend to my leg?”

Yamikumo arched an eyebrow. “Why would I?”

“Aren’t you curious?” The human smirked. “Isn’t that why you came to assist me?”

That was how Yamikumo found himself sitting under a tree as the human sat on a rock near the stream, caring for his injury.

“I’m a miko from a nearby village,” the human dipped his leg in the water, letting the stream wash the blood from his wound. “There were concerns of an alarming amount of yokai lingering around the outskirts of the village, so I lured them to one spot to take them all out.”

“By yourself?” Yamikumo scoffed. “What a foolish thing to do.”

The miko smiled, full of teeth. “I wouldn’t lose to such low leveled demons.”

“And yet, you need my help.”

“If I recall, you jumped into the fray.” The miko pointed out. “Even if you hadn’t jumped in, I would’ve come out victorious.” Sensing his doubt, the miko smirked. “I’ll prove it to you one day.”

“No matter how blessed you are, humans’ abilities are always limited to their fragile bodies.” Yamikumo assured the miko. “Do not be ashamed of it.”

The miko studied him, lips pursed thoughtfully. “You know, that sounds like you’re looking down on me.”

“I’m merely telling the truth.”

“Acting like an expert on humans despite never interacting with one. Do you believe in your words?”

“I am a god. I have lived far longer than you have.” Yamikumo scoffed. “Time does not change what is known.”

The miko chuckled. “And you believe humans will forever be weak?” The miko hummed, plucking a dandelion. “Even weeds can kill a tree.” 

Yamikumo's eyes narrowed. “What do you mean by that?”

Dandelion seeds flew across the stream, bobbling freely in the wind. The miko drops the stem into the stream, where the currents sweep it away. Hopping off the rock, he dipped his toes into the clear water, lifting the edge of his hakama up to prevent it from getting wet. He waddled deeper until the wound was submerged. Blood slowly began to drift down the stream, creating a string of red connecting to the human.

“Say, Spring God,” The miko’s lips quirked up slightly, peering at him out of the corner of his eye. “If I kill a god, would that still mark me as weak?”

Between his appalling declaration, the lingering blood flowing from the miko’s pale leg, and piercing red eyes, Yamikumo found he couldn’t utter a word.

***

Ever since the strange encounter, Yamikumo found himself coming across the miko whenever he descended to the land. Everywhere he goes, he can’t seem to escape that ash-blonde hair and piercing red eyes.

“It must be fate,” Yagi said teasingly as they left the Tartarus Forest.

Yamikumo rolled his eyes with a huff. “Fate would not tie my strings with a mortal, especially a mortal so insolent.”

“I beg to differ.” The older deity held something between his fingers before dropping it. “You’re quite tied up already.”

Despite being unable to see it, Yamikumo waves his hand around him like sweeping dust. “Don’t peer into my life, Yagi.”

Yagi laughed. “It’s not every day I see you so flustered over someone.”

“I’m not flustered!” Yamikumo stomped away. The notion of it was ridiculous. Him? Troubled by a human?

“Yamikumo.”

He glanced back at the sound of his name, wondering why Yagi looked so somber.

“Don’t get too involved with human matters,” Yagi warned. “Life never lasts.”

Yamikumo scowled, slightly annoyed. “No need to reprimand me, Destiny. I know that well.” No one understood the cycle of life and death more than he did. Not that Destiny needed to worry about it. He wasn’t going to meet the human again.

And yet, he bumped into the miko again weeks later near the Hosu forest. Judging by the samurai armor over his miko attire, the miko was planning to head to battle.

Yamikumo scowled upon meeting crimson eyes. “If I didn’t know better, I’ll say you’re stalking me.”

The miko scoffed, his sheathed sword shifting in his obi. “If anything, you’re the one stalking me. After all, how could a mere human find track down a god? Don’t you reside in heaven?”

Yamikumo rubbed his temples, shaking his head. “Nonsense, I have no reason to seek out a human. Never mind that. What are you doing?”

The miko tilted his head curiously. “Oh? The Spring God desires to know the duties of a human?”

Yamikumo did not pout or sulk as he crossed his arms. “Forget I ask then.”

The miko snorted, amused. “The villagers in Hosu Village reported a sudden increase of yokai in the forest, making it impossible to hunt. I’ve come to help them.”

“Alone, again?” Yamikumo frowned. “You’re going to get yourself killed.”

Red eyes flashed in anger. “Do not underestimate me, Spring God.”

“Don’t bite off more than you can chew, human.”

“Then watch me,” the miko demanded, smiling meanly. “I’ll show you the reality of your ‘truth.’”

“Hey, wait!” Yamikumo quickly followed the miko as he hurried off. Just as he was about to grab him, the miko spun. Sensing danger, Yamikumo dropped to the ground as a sharp whistling sounded above him, cutting a few strands of his hair.

The miko smirked down at him. Yamikumo glared and swept his leg out, intending to knock the insolent human off his feet. The miko leaped up, gripping the handle of the sword he prepared to strike. Vines came up to grab the miko, taking advantage of the miko’s inability to dodge in midair. 

That was until the miko reached into his hakui and threw white dust at his face. Yamikumo yelped, rubbing at his eyes as they stung and watered.

“You impudent human!”

The miko only laughed and took off. Once Yamikumo could bare to open his eyes, he hurried after him.

In a clearing, the miko stabbed a makeshift flag on the ground. Yamikumo frowned, feeling the sudden increase of demonic aura. From the forest, a snake yokai darted, out of the foliage, fangs bared to sink into the human’s throat.

Yamikumo opened his mouth, preparing to warn the miko of his doom. But the miko smirked, twirling his sword. The snake yokai screeched as it smacked into a barrier, dissolving away.

He watched, mesmerized at the sight of the miko dancing in the carnage. None of his movements were wasted as he cut down the yokai he lured to the area. The miko’s eyes burned with life, grinning even as the yokai outnumbered him. The last yokai attempted to flee, but the miko spun, cutting it in half before it could get far.

Yamikumo let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding.

The miko smirked, turning to him with blood on his cheek. “Tell me, Spring God,” he walked down the path of bloodshed until he stopped in from of him. “What is your truth now? Am I some weak human chasing death?”

Without thinking, Yamikumo brought his hand up to the miko’s cheek. His thumb stroked the blood, wiping it clean from his porcelain skin. “No. You’re quite beautiful.”

Red eyes widen, searching the deity’s face for any signs of mocking. Yamikumo was also surprised at his own words, even more so at the honesty. There was beauty in the way the miko never gave up, the confidence in his body when he commanded the deity to watch him.

He stared into the miko’s eyes, wondering what he could be thinking now. Does he dare place the blade of his sword to his neck and cut him open in his attempts to kill a god, knowing that he cannot die? Yamikumo realized he would let him, just to see those eyes light up with life again.

Yet the miko stood transfixed, lips parted. Yamikumo leaned in. The miko’s breath hitched, making him pause. He waits for the miko to pull away, to fight him again, anything. But the miko doesn’t move. Surprisingly shy fingers gripped his sleeve, staining the intricate, dark fabric in red. But Yamikumo paid it no mind.

And they stayed like that for a while.

***

Seasons changed from Spring to Summer to Fall, and eventually, it was nearing the first week of Spring. Collecting his things, Katsuki walked out of the room to meet with the mother of the son he tended.

“I purified the venom from his body,” he explained. “As long as he takes this medicine daily, there should be no problem. He should be better in time for the celebration.”

Grabbing his hand, the mother brought it to her forehead and sobbed. “Thank you, thank you so much, Miko-sama!”

As he walked back to his hut, he looked toward the trees on the outskirts of his village. At first, he thought the heavy presence was a yokai that attempted to cross the barrier. But upon closer inspection, Katsuki could almost laugh.

Wherever Katsuki went, the gaze on his back would follow like a shadow. Perhaps he should feel honored for getting from such a being. One night, he went to the hot springs. He slipped out of his hakama, leaving only his white robe. With a smirk, he let it fall from his shoulders.

There was a loud yelp, and something fell, causing crows to caw loudly in fright. Pretending he hadn’t heard anything, Katsuki climbed into the spring, holding in his laughter.

From then on, whenever he would approach a hot spring or a stream for a bath, the pair of eyes would suddenly disappear. It was hilarious every time.

“You’re quite beautiful.”

“Katsuki-sama! Katsuki-sama!” Katsuki blinked, snapping out of his thoughts as a few village children ran up to him, immediately crowding him. “Are you going to dance on the night of Spring?”

“Oh?” He kneeled down to their level. “What makes you say that?”

One of the boys lowered their voice to a whisper. “I heard the elders saying the strongest will do the dance… you’re the strongest one here!”

Katsuki barked a laugh, amused. “A soldier couldn’t do it instead?”

The boy puffed his chest out. “No way! Katsuki-sama would kick his ass!”

“Kenji!” One of the girls cried out in astonishment. “You’re not supposed to say that!”

“Why not? Katsuki-sama says it all the time.”

“Enough,” Katsuki hurriedly quieted them down before they got into a fight. “Yes, I’ll be the one that will perform the ritual.” The children made sounds of awe, looking excited at the aspect of him dancing. The simplicity of children. 

“I heard a god will descend from the Heavens.” The girl whispered. “But only sometimes!”

Katsuki chuckled and ruffled their heads. “Well, a god will definitely come this year.”

The children gasped. “How do you know?”

A sly smile crossed Katsuki's face as he glanced toward the trees, bringing a finger to his lips. “It’s a secret.”

***

He wondered why the villagers had been bumbling about the past few days. Turns out, they were getting ready for the first night of spring. Has it been that long since he started venturing into the human world?

He noticed the villagers were sitting in a wide circle, a makeshift stage. Yamikumo crossed his arms as the villagers settled down for this silly ceremony.

The miko appeared in a heavier outfit than he would typically wear. His lips were painted a bright red, eyes were outlined by charcoal bringing out the vivid color. He took his place on the stage, bowing low on his knees.

The drums beat once, then twice, reverberating through the air. The miko held a twig in his hand and shook it. The bell on the branch chimed delicately. Yamikumo leaned back against the tree as the music began to rise, but not loud enough to swallow up the bell’s chimes.

The bell’s sweet tune echoed through the air. The miko spun back and forth, ringing the bell with each flick of his wrist. He swept the branch through the air pointing in his direction. Yamikumo’s eyes followed the miko as he moved with practiced grace. As if seeing him, those red lips pulled into a knowing smile, beckoning him to show himself.

The villagers gasped as white flowers bloomed on the branch. Katsuki smirked, his red gaze burning into his. What a beautiful yet poisonous flower.

He continued to dance, and even as the cold nipped at his feet and his nagabakama threatened to trip him, he spun elegantly. Katsuki was like a single blossom embracing Winter’s love. 

The music became faster and faster until Katsuki was a blur. Then the music cut off, making the miko drop into a seiza. For a moment, the miko peered up, eyes ever burning.

Thump-thump. The trees around them suddenly burst into blossom. The miko hid his smile behind his hands as he lowered his head. “May Spring bid Winter farewell and wait for Winter’s love to return.”

Unlike his grand entrance, the miko left quietly. The music started again, and the villagers quickly filled the space where the miko left and danced, laughing joyously. Humans laugh so effortlessly and cry just as easily. Yamikumo wondered if it was due to their short lifespan.

“Oi!” At the foot of his tree, the miko grinned, holding up a small jug of sake. “Care for a drink?”

Getting the feeling that the human would continue to bother him if he didn't comply, a vine curled around the miko’s waist, lifting him up until he was seated beside him. The miko pulled out two cups from his hakui and handed him one.

“I haven’t seen you in a while.” The miko remarks pouring him a drink.

“Did you expect a god to linger in this world for long?”

“Oh? You don’t?”

“Of course not.” Yamikumo snorted, lifting his cup to take a sip. “I have no reason to stay in this world once spring ends.”

“Hmm,” the miko brought his fingers to his lips in mock thoughtfulness. “How strange. I could’ve sworn I felt someone stalking me from time to time...”

Yamikumo spluttered, hacking when the alcohol burned down the wrong throat. The miko smacked his back, chiming innocently, “Careful, Spring God, I don’t want to be charged with killing a deity during the celebration of Spring.”

Yamikumo squinted at the miko, making a face. “As if you could kill me.”

The miko chuckled, smiling teasingly. “Don’t underestimate me, Spring God.” He kicked his legs back and forth with a hum. “Who knows, maybe I’ll succeed in what no one has done.”

Yamikumo glanced at the human beside him, taking in how the moonlight outlined his face. The miko lifted the cup to his lips, and Yamikumo watched as his throat bobbed as he swallowed.

“Do you really intend to kill a god?” The miko shot him a questioning look. “By the stream, you suggested killing a god. Then you attempted to behead me.” Yamikumo explained. “No human is so daring to commit such an act.”

Instead of answering immediately, the miko chose to stare at the moon. Yamikumo looked up to see what he saw, but with so many lights in the sky, he found it impossible to see through the miko’s eyes.

“It is my fate.”

Yamikumo blinked, turning to look at the miko.

“When I was younger, a wandering monk visited one of the villages I was attending.” The miko closed his eyes, recalling the memory. “After saving his life, he offered to tell me my fortune. He told me a god will fall by my hands.”

“And you believed him?”

“Whether it’s true or not, the prospect of it is interesting, no?”

“Interesting how?”

“The glory,” the miko smirked. “Proof that I’m strong enough to kill a god?”

Yamikumo huffed. “You humans desire to obtain everything. Your greed knows no bounds.”

The miko chuckled. Bundling most of his nagabakama in hand, he playfully hopped along the branch. “Our greed makes us achieve unfathomable things. Isn’t that what makes us humans so unpredictable?”

A child squealed in delight, and someone pointed at the sky in awe. Stars flew across the skies, bathing the night sky with their light.

The miko twirled around, his smile blinding compared to the stars behind him. “Do you believe in me?” Without warning, he slipped off the branch.

Yamikumo flew after him, grabbing the miko as he soared up. Yamikumo could feel his heart threatening to leap out of his chest as he stared at the pieces of the sake jar scattered on the ground.

“Are you insane?!” He admonished, trying to catch his breath. Relief spread through his body, quelling the panic he never knew was there. “Do you wish for death that much?!”

The miko threw his head back and laughed, making Yamikumo scowl in annoyance. “I can’t believe you’re laughing….” He complained, but he couldn’t help thinking he wouldn’t mind listening to this human’s laugh all night.

The miko threw his arms around his neck, yanking them closer. “Spring God,” he breathed as if uttering a prayer. “Do you trust me?”

“I…”

A cold blade pressed against his throat, threatening to draw blood. The miko smiled devilishly. “Do you believe that I can kill a god?”

He should punish this human for even daring to point a blade at him. But as he stared into the miko’s eyes, so fearless yet so human, so human yet so life, he couldn’t help but want to bask under that gaze. He wanted to know what the miko was thinking, what made him laugh, what made him cry, and what made him happy. He wanted to know everything.

As Yamikumo leaned in, the miko eased the blade back. His eyes were confused yet anticipating, searching his face for the answers to his unvoiced questions.

Their lips met, and immediately, foliage flourished around them, but neither noticed. Fingers tangled in green hair as he tightened his grip on the human’s back, pressing him closer. The miko’s teeth nicked his lip, drawing blood, but Yamikumo paid it no mind. He licked into the miko’s mouth, tasting iron and sake on the miko’s tongue.

As the villagers laughed below and the stars danced through the sky above, the Deity of Spring and the miko were in a world of their own.

Elsewhere, on Gunga Mountain, a kitsune stared down at a human’s body, eyes wide with disbelief. Toga’s paws turned into hands as she fell to her knees. “Jin…?” She lifted Jin into her arms, ignoring how his blood stained her clothes and fur. Why…? Jin was so kind and sweet, so why did he have to die?

Under the scent of Jin’s blood, something caught Toga’s attention. The smell of humans.

“Over here!”

Her head snapped around to see humans approaching with torches and various weapons.

“That monster killed Jin!” One of the soldiers pointed.

“I didn’t kill him!” she cried, hugging Jin tighter. “You humans did! You did this!” She yelped when an arrow nearly struck her.

Archers were quick to ready their weapons, firing a stream of arrows. Toga’s eyes flashed gold as she roared, deflecting the arrows back. As two of them struck the humans, she used the distraction to gather Jin’s body in her arms and flee. The mob quickly followed, but they were only human.

Toga didn’t know where she was going, only that she needed to run. In her haste, she tripped over an upturned root.

Jin’s body flew out of her grasp. She sniffled, dragging herself over to his body. “I’m sorry, Jin….” Her claws dug into his clothes as she recalled the moments when Jin cared for her and fed her when she was weak and injured. Now she will never experience that love again.

And it was the humans’ fault.

She seethed in rage. How dare they pin Jin’s murder on her! The village hated Jin because he was special, and now they act like they have the right to grieve over him as if they were family. But Jin was hers! Jin was the only human to treat her with kindness. He was her family, and they killed him. She’ll kill them and burn the whole village down!

“Little fox.”

Toga’s head snapped around, looking for the source of the voice. “Who’s there?!”

“It must’ve been so painful to lose a loved one. His death was unjustified. He died because humans marked him as evil.”

 Toga bared her teeth, snarling, “Jin is not evil!”

“No, he isn’t. It saddens me to see a good human fall to the hands of his own kind. But you know what’s funny? While humans condemn the relationship between yokai and humans, they praise the one between a deity and a human. What is the difference between us? Are we to be marked as evil for simply being a yokai?”

The voice isn’t wrong. It expressed what Toga was feeling. The unfairness of it all simply because she’s a yokai, and Jin paid for it. Toga swallowed as her eyes found the huge blackened tree in the forest. “Who are you?” 

“I see everything.”

***

Yamikumo quickly found out that he was a very affectionate lover. There was not a moment where he didn't want to be close to the miko. Despite how bold the miko was daily, when it came to affection, the miko was surprisingly shy. It was quite endearing, actually. If he kissed the miko’s cheek out of nowhere, his cheeks would turn a lovely shade of pink, only serving to make Yamikumo kiss it again, much to the miko’s chagrin.

“You know, you never call me by my name.” The miko remarked one afternoon when the green leaves turned red and orange.

Yamikumo was lifting the miko onto a high branch when the question had him blinking owlishly. “What?”

“It’s always ‘you’ this or ‘you’ that!” The miko huffed, crossing his arms. “Do you even know my name?”

Yamikumo spluttered, taken aback. “Of course I do! If anything, you never called me by my name either.”

“I have!”

“When we first met,” Yamikumo countered.

The miko rolled his eyes, patting his arm sympathetically. “It’s fine to admit that you knew your lover’s body by the springs first, before his name.”

Yamikumo's hackles began to rise, but at the mention of the term ‘lover,’ his anger was quickly replaced by bashfulness. The miko wasn’t wrong. He had never attempted to call the human by his name before. He licked his lips. “Katsuki.”

Katsuki whipped his head around, surprised. “Oho,” He drawled, raising an eyebrow. “So, you do remember it. I was going to kick you off this tree had you forgotten it.”

Yamikumo burst out laughing. “You’re such a strange human! Most humans wouldn’t dare speak to a god this way.”

“You’re laughing.”

Yamikumo clapped a hand over his mouth, shocked at himself.

Gently, Katsuki tugged his hand away from his face, smiling softly. He rested his cheek on his knees. “It’s a good look on you.”

Yamikumo couldn’t help but smile with him until a realization struck him. “You knew I was there?!”

Softness gone, Katsuki hid his face behind his sleeve, making fake sniffling sounds. “I wonder what the people will think once they find out they were worshiping a perverted god.”

“KATSUKI.”

***

He stood in an empty place where the skies were dark and dreary, and the ground was cold under his feet. The scenery stretches on without an end in sight. The rough ground cut into his soles as Katsuki trudged through in an attempt to find an end.

Up ahead, something flickers. He slowed to a stop in front of a shadowy wisp. It wavered rhythmically as if enticing him to come closer. However, a feeling of unease prevented him from taking another step.

“Greetings, mortal,” a voice reverberated throughout the space they were in. 

“What are you?” Katsuki reached out to touch it but retracted his hand before he made contact. He frowned. “Why did you bring me here?”

“It is the only way we could talk. You see, I want to make a deal.”

“A deal?”

“Mortal, you know this well. Humans and Deities live in very different worlds. A love between the two will not last. But I know a way to make you immortal! If you help me, you can be with your lover forever. Help me. I will help you.”

A chuckle escaped Katsuki’s lips, then it grew into laughter. He wiped away the tears in his eyes as he addressed the wisp. “You are a fool.” The shadow flickered angrily. “But you are right. I know my years are nothing compared to immortal beings, but be as it may, I do not desire more. All beings have an end. To go against that disrupts that order.” Katsuki smirked. “Not to mention, wanting to help me become immortal is no easy feat. You desire a heavy price. And I would be foolish to accept it.”

“After I offer you a choice out of the goodness of my heart? You dare speak to me that way?!” The shadow flared out, flickering dangerously.

Katsuki scoffed. “Anyone with eyes can see it’s a sham. A tempting offer, sure; however, you want something in return that is far greater. So, I’ll say it again, release me,” he demanded.

“You have no power here, human,” the figure hissed. “I’ll keep you here with me and torment you until—”

Not wanting to humor the figure anymore, Katsuki grabbed the misty swirls and yanked it forward. He twisted his body, creating momentum as his fist flew toward the center of the wisp. His fist connected and the scenery shattered.

Katsuki woke up to Yamikumo combing his fingers through his hair. His lips pulled into a sleepy smile. Despite the lingering winter cold, the deity had created a small sphere of warmth made of vines and a bed of Baby Blue Eyes.

Yamikumo smiled back. “Did I wake you?”

He shook his head, moving closer to snuggle against the deity’s chest. “I had the strangest dream.”

“Oh?”

Katsuki closed his eyes, breathing in his scent. “Mhm. But I don’t recall what it was about.”

A warm hand settled on his head as the deity’s limbs draped over him, pulling him into an embrace. “Then it must’ve not been important,” Yamikumo decided.

The warmth and lingering sleepiness took Katsuki a while to respond. Still, he nodded, agreeing despite the unease in his chest.

“Katsuki, let me take you somewhere tonight.”

Katsuki blinked, pulling away to look at him, but Yamikumo pulled him back against his chest. “Somewhere? At night? In this cold?”

Yamikumo’s chest rumbled. “It’s a secret. Worry not. I’ll keep you warm.”

“Hmm…” Katsuki pretended to think about it, laughing when Yamikumo bit his cheek in retaliation. “Alright, alright, I’ll go!”

Yamikumo smiled, pressing a kiss to his forehead. “You won’t regret it.”

***

“Yamikumo.”

He turned to see Yagi approaching him. He nodded his greeting to him. “Yagi, what’s wrong?”

Yagi shook his head. “Oh, nothing much. But… are you going somewhere?”

“Yes?” Yamikumo answered with a tilt of his head.

“You’ve been visiting the human world quite often.” The older god remarked, watching him with knowing eyes.

“Well, Spring is just around the corner,” Yamikumo said, inching his way toward the door. “I was going to help wake the trees up….”

If Yagi catches onto his lie, he doesn’t mention it. Instead, he asked, “Have you forgotten that we’re supposed to head to Tartarus tonight?”

Yamikumo stopped in his tracks, swerving around in alarm. “Tonight?!”

Yagi frowned at him in concern. “Yes.”

Doing a quick calculation in his head, it was indeed time to head to the Tartarus Forest. How could he have forgotten about that? “Oh. Ah, well, I….” Yamikumo attempted to try to come up with an excuse. But he mentally slapped himself for trying to abandon his duties. “Right… let’s go.”

Wait for me, Katsuki.

Yamikumo hurried after Yagi, hoping they’ll finish quickly so Katsuki wouldn’t be kept waiting.

Standing under a wisteria tree, Katsuki pulls his cloak tighter to shield himself from the winter’s chill. Yamikumo was strangely late, but waiting for the deity wasn’t something Katsuki was unfamiliar with.

Still, it was freezing out. He hoped Yamikumo would arrive soon. Katsuki rubs his hands together, pressing them against his cheeks to ease the chill. Then he heard the sounds of shoes crunching in the snow. Upon seeing Yamikumo’s figure, he brightened.

“Finally, I thought I would grow old waiting for him.” Katsuki chuckled. He waited till Yamikumo came closer, ready to bask in his warmth when something told him to be wary. The Spring Deity stopped in front of him, wearing a smile. However, there was something off about it. Katsuki gripped his cloak tighter, his foot inching back. “Yamikumo…? Are you alright?” 

Yamikumo reached out toward him, caressing his face with cold fingers.

Pain erupted in his chest so suddenly that Katsuki couldn’t understand what was happening. Yamikumo pulled away, and he fell. With the last of his strength, he looked up at the Spring God. As red seeped into the snow, as he lay there, his vision fading. 

His smile was the last thing he saw.