Archive of Our Own

Dear Ms. Hina,

Arataki Itto reporting in! Just wanted to send a letter to say how pumped I am to be meeting you during your live panel! Any words of advice for a guy who might get a little starstruck when meeting his idol?

Keep dishing out that solid advice!

Arataki 'The One and Oni' Itto

Gorou tugged at the confining teal fabric of his outfit with a sense of anxiety. “Lady Yae… are you sure this is necessary?” 

Yae Miko looked down from where she was attaching a headpiece to Gorou’s ear and gave him a reassuring smile. “Of course. Your fans have been hounding me for a live Ms. Hina panel and meet and greet for ages now.”

Heat crept up Gorou’s face as the reality of the situation hit him once again. He’d been kind enough to accept Yae Miko’s job offer to work as an anonymous advice columnist for a magazine put out by Yae Publishing House. During his time working as a general, he had grown accustomed to listening to his subordinates' worries and anxieties. He’d gotten quite good at dishing out advice over their long nights and during training breaks. Though it was never something he thought he’d have to continue doing as a job— disguised as a woman at that. 

It took Gorou a while to figure out the very popular columnist Ms. Hina was in fact himself. It wasn’t until one day when Lady Yae called him down to Yae Publishing House, dressed him up in a kimono, and put him in a wig that Gorou realized he had made a huge mistake. Later that week he'd seen a painted cutout of Ms. Hina was placed in front of the publishing house, almost making him drop dead right on the spot. It was already too much to have let someone paint him while dressed like that, but now all of Inazuma City had seen it! Though it seemed like Lady Yae had expected Gorou’s reaction, which was why he was given a raise he couldn’t refuse.

Luckily the people close to him ended up assuming that Ms. Hina was a relative of Gorou due to the similar fur colour. It still did nothing to ease his anxiety. Recently Lumine had been giving him strange looks, which only made his tail lower in embarrassment. If she could figure out what he was doing it wouldn’t be long until Her Excellency and his subordinates found out. Then Gorou would most definitely be subjected to relentless teasing. 

But now, here he was, dressed up as Ms. Hina and preparing to do a live panel and meet and greet. If his cover was going to be blown, it would most definitely happen during this event; Gorou was sure of it. There were no way people would buy into him being the sexy advice columnist, Ms. Hina, who gave out such heartfelt advice. Gorou had tried to pump himself up the day before the event, but now that he was actually dressed and almost ready to meet his fans he was wracked with nerves.

He kept telling himself to treat the event like a battle. That was something he understood. The rush of adrenaline, the uncertainty and anxiety, and the overwhelming determination to do his best were just a few examples. This event basically brought out the same emotions! Gorou just had to believe in himself and things should, hopefully, turn out okay!

A gentle hand brushed against Gorou’s ears, distracting him from his worries. “H-hey! Don’t t-touch me there,” he whimpered as Lady Yae continued to scratch his ears. 

“How can I stop when you look so pretty! The crowd will love you!” 

Gorou leaned back trying to get away from her hands. He really didn’t like it when people rubbed his ears. “You’re quite cunning aren’t you, Lady Yae. Don’t you feel bad for lying to your audience about who Ms. Hina is?” 

“Not at all! It’s all in the name of good business.” She lowered her hand in defeat. “There’s more of that after you do a good job at the panel.” It was said in a teasing tone, but Gorou knew if he wasn’t careful, she would try to pet him again. 

Lady Yae wandered over to a table that had various containers of makeup scattered about. She grabbed a vial of red lip stain, undoing the lid and dipping a finger in it. The soft creme was sticky against Gorou’s mouth as Lady Yae dragged her finger over his lips. Gorou fought off the urge to lick it off. “You better be paying me double for this.” 

“You will be fairly compensated for your work. What you should be focusing on is that tail of yours. It’s scared stiff! No one will like Ms. Hina if she’s clearly on guard! Have a little faith in me! Nothing will go wrong.” 

What famous last words. Gorou had a sinking feeling in his gut that things were going to go very wrong. He could already hear the loud chattering from the crowd from beyond the curtain of the makeshift dressing room. The event was set up in the open area behind the publishing house. Rows of benches were put out in front of a small wooden platform where Ms. Hina and Lady Yae would be sitting. Gorou took a second to peak out and froze— there were way too many familiar faces in the crowd for his liking. He saw Paimon floating beside Lumine who sat with her legs crossed in the front row. And next to her was his dear friend, Kaedhara Kazuha. 

Gorou’s head fell in shame. He thought he had been clever enough to keep his friend in the dark about his new job. Whenever the wanderer had brought up Ms. Hina, Gorou flawlessly redirected the conversation. He thought he was safe from those piercing red eyes. Though by the amused look currently on Kazuha’s face, trying to keep a secret from him seemed to have been a lost cause.

A loud commotion brought Gorou’s attention to two large red oni horns attached to a tall built man who excitedly was pushing his way to the front. The man’s white hair was messily slicked back, falling down his back in a thick mane. He wore a long coat that was open in the front, which showed off his extremely toned body. Gorou almost did a double take at the man’s chest alone. Attached to a spiked collar, a Geo vision hung from his neck, swaying as the man moved. His crimson red eyes were bright and full of life as he eagerly looked around the event’s setup. 

His appearance was so loud and over the top that the man had no choice but to stand out, but Gorou didn't mind. It wasn’t like he was bad to look at. In fact, it was quite the opposite. It almost made Gorou feel a bit bashful since he knew exactly who it was he was currently checking out.

Arataki Itto had been a name that appeared quite frequently within the advice submissions. Gorou knew too much about a man who he had never formally met. Itto had no shame when it came to writing to Ms. Hina. No details were ever spared— much to Gorou’s dismay. It ranged from beetle fighting to gang activity to even his personal feelings towards Ms. Hina. Some days Gorou read submissions from Itto where he complained that real men don’t carry umbrellas so why did he end up with a cold after getting caught in the rain? With each submission being more ridiculous than the last it never failed to make Gorou crack a small smile. The man was an absolute doofus, but he seemed relatively harmless. And now, Gorou learned the man was also criminally attractive. 

Currently, Itto had caught sight of Lumine and Kazuha and was excitedly talking to them, his arms waving wildly. Even from far away, Gorou could hear parts of their conversation. “Kadehara Kazuha! The man who blocked the Musou no Hitotachi! I’ll have you know if I was there, I would have totally been able to do that as well. Pretty cool that two men from fallen clans are able to achieve such feats, eh? And you’re also a fan of Ms. Hina! Isn’t she amazing? I’ve been waiting for this day since they announced the event…”

A small laugh escaped Gorou’s lips as he watched Kazuha take in Itto’s overbearing personality without flinching. Itto seemed to be exactly like how he sounded on paper. Not that it really surprised Gorou.

“Ah, I see your biggest fan has arrived,” Yae spoke from behind Gorou. “To be fair this event was mostly held to appease him. That oni never gives up if he wants something. It can be quite frustrating. He was starting to scare my maidens at the shrine with how often he’d appear and demand to meet you. For some reason, he got the idea that Ms. Hina lived at the shrine.”

Gorou’s tail started to wag at Lady Yae's words. Did Itto really want to meet him that badly? 

“Oh? Are you excited to get out there? I guess we’re ready to go!” Lady Yae pushed on Gorou’s back before he realized what had happened. 

“W-wait!” 

The crowd hushed as Gorou stumbled out of the curtain barely catching himself before he hit the ground. He looked up to see Itto slap a hand over his mouth, red eyes sparkling with admiration. Oh no.

“It’s Ms. Hina!” Itto cried out excitedly. 

Something hard hit Gorou’s back and he turned to see Lady Yae holding out a fan. Gorou took it quickly and hid his face behind the object as heat crept up into his face. This was a bad idea. He shouldn’t have done this. 

“Go on,” Yae whispered in his ear. “They’re all excited to meet you!”

Gorou moved slowly. He wasn’t used to wearing shoes with such high platforms to them. Thankfully whenever he wobbled slightly Lady Yae would stick out her arm and steady him. They made their way to the wooden stage slowly. There were two chairs set up and a table between them with two cups of water. Gorou took the first seat, constantly reminding himself that he was currently a lady and had to sit with proper etiquette. He crossed his ankles and placed his hands in his lap— mostly to hide how they had begun to tremble. 

“Welcome to Yae Publishing House’s event! A live panel and meet and greet with our advice columnist Ms. Hina from That’s Life magazine! After some heavy persuasion by her fans”— Yae sent a sharp look towards Itto— “we decided that this would be a nice way to say thank you for all your support. I’ll be selecting a few audience members to ask for advice from Ms. Hina in person, so please remember to keep your questions reasonable.” She sent another chilling look towards Itto. 

The oni smiled brilliantly as he sat down. He stretched out the bench, his stomach muscles shifting as he moved. Gorou couldn’t help but hide his own red cheeks with the fan again. His chest pounded furiously, which he blamed on the nerves. 

The panel went by smoothly. Gorou had to adjust his voice to a higher pitch to further his disguise. He was asked all sorts of questions ranging from relationship advice to travel tips to what meal Paimon should have for dinner that night. Every time Lady Yae picked a new person to talk Gorou let his eyes wander towards Itto who was squirming in his seat impatiently waiting to be picked. Gorou knew the kitsune was ignoring the oni on purpose. 

The next person who was picked was Kazuha. Gorou shifted in anticipation of what his friend would ask. “I have a dear friend of mine who has recently started up a new job. He hasn’t told me about it, but I was able to deduce fairly quickly what was happening. I want to be supportive and congratulate him, but it seems like he will avoid the subject no matter the cost,” Kazuha spoke calmly. “What do you think I should do?”

Gorou’s mind short circuited for a moment feeling as if he stripped bare. It was very clear he was busted. Though, that didn’t mean he couldn’t give Kazuha some advice. “Maybe he feels embarrassed by the job so that’s why he’s hiding it from you. I wouldn’t push him too hard. Be patient with him. You don’t want to rush someone into confessing if they’re not comfortable.” 

Kazuha gave a coy grin, which only made Gorou’s blush deepen. How embarrassing! He was going to have to find Kazuha later and have a talk with him.

“We have time for one more question. Ah, let’s see… hmm…” Lady Yae took her time as she looked around the audience. Itto was basically standing on his seat by that point, his hand stretched as high as it could go as he waved it wildly. If Lady Yae didn’t pick him, Gorou was sure he would climb on the stage to ask his question. “Hmm how about the fellow in the front row with those brilliant red horns.”

“Yes!” Itto raised a fist in victory. He got down from the bench and stood as he quickly fixed his long white hair. “Ahem. My name is Arataki Itto. You can call me later though… wait uh, aha.” Gorou’s eyes widened at Itto’s failed attempt to use a pickup line. The man sure was shameless. Still, it didn’t stop Gorou’s tail from reacting. He shifted awkwardly to try to get it to stop. 

The oni coughed a few times before continuing. ”But oh! My question, right! Recently I’ve wanted to change up my look a little bit, ya know? So, I was thinking of doing something with my horns. What do you think if I strap those little sparklers to them? Wouldn’t the kiddos like that? I could also paint them some sort of bright colour that makes me more appealing? Would teal work? I think that’s a pretty colour.”

Gorou’s mouth had dropped open. Was this man just an idiot? He looked towards Lady Yae who had her head turned, holding her hand up to hide her smile. “Arataki…” 

“Yes, Ms. Hina?”

“Wouldn’t the sparklers um… be too dangerous? Your hair would most likely catch on fire. It looks like you take very good care of it, so I would hate to see something happen to it.”

Itto pondered for a moment. “Oh! I never thought of that! How about fireflies then?”

“Ah… well attaching living creatures to your horns might not be the best thing. How about luminescent paint instead so they’ll glow in the dark?” 

“Brilliant words from the beautiful Ms. Hina!” Itto clapped his hands together excitedly. “Wow, I never thought you’d give me advice in real life! I—”

“That will be all the questions for our columnist today! Thank you all for your wonderful questions! We hope Ms. Hina was able to give you all a satisfying answer. Please give us a few minutes to prepare for the meet and greet. For now, line yourself up by the rope barricade that we have created. There will be no pushing or loud talking allowed. If you cannot abide by these rules, you will be asked to leave,” Lady Yae spoke directly at Itto who had shrunk back down in his seat, but his wolfish grin never left his face. He looked over at Gorou and winked at him. He actually winked! Gorou’s stomach did a twist as warmth spread through him.

The crowd clapped as Gorou grabbed his glass of water and almost drowned it in a few gulps. He hadn’t realized how dry his throat had gotten. The panel itself had gone fairly well. He was able to give everyone advice and no one seemed to notice anything— besides Kazuha and Lumine who most likely already knew. Lady Yae shuffled Gorou off the stage towards the meet and greet area where a kamera had been set up. 

Gorou’s body froze as the nerves took over again. He tried to calm himself down by reminding himself that he was a general with the Watatsumi Army and fought in a war. He could pretend to be Ms. Hina for another hour!

Lady Yae adjusted the fabric around Gorou’s chest, pulling it down to reveal pale skin. “Stop that!” Gorou swatted her hands away. He had been instructed to wear a fake chest piece to give him larger breasts since Lady Yae said it would increase sales. The neckline of the piece had to be hidden by a large collared necklace that Gorou wore. Even though they were fake, having his chest exposed in that manner still made Gorou blush. 

“People paid to meet you and I’m sure a few of them are also excited to meet your friends.” Lady Yae smirked. 

Gorou let out a low growl. “You’re the one who created Ms. Hina! You could have made her flat chested.” 

“And where’s the fun in that?” Her hands returned to Gorou’s chest where she squeezed his breasts twice. 

“Sly fox,” Gorou muttered under his breath. 

“Hmm? What was that sound? It couldn’t be the sound of me reducing your pay, could it?”

“N-no, ma’am!”

Lady Yae lifted her hand and patted Gorou on the head before leaving him to get the first guest. She turned around, pink hair swirling, and smiled knowing Gorou couldn’t get upset with her in public. Gorou decided to curse her in his mind instead while he fixed his hair since Lady Yae had messed it up.

The meet and greet ran smoothly. Gorou decided to take the route where he rarely spoke, only ever saying a quiet thank you when needed. When Kazuha made it to him, his friend gave a wide smile as he leaned in close and smelt Gorou. “Ms. Hina, it's a pleasure to meet you in person. You remind me of a close friend of mine. You even have the same scent.”

Gorou’s smile wavered as Kazuha moved in close for a photo. “We’ll talk later,” Gorou whispered in Kazuha’s ear. 

“Ah, but wasn’t it Ms. Hina who told me to wait until the other party felt comfortable? There’s no rush. Besides, the Crux is sailing off later today for Liyue. I just wanted to stop by and say farewell.” 

Gorou nodded as his chest tightened. He always missed his close friend whenever he left Inazuma, but Kazuha was a soul that could never stay in one place for very long. Gorou knew their paths would cross again one day, but it was still disappointing he was leaving so soon. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. I have a feeling your friend cares a lot about you. Take care on your journey.” He gave a small wave as Kazuha left the area. 

The next people who stepped up were Lumine and Paimon. “Gor-Ms. Hina!” Paimon exclaimed. “Paimon is very excited to have Tonkotsu Ramen tonight! Paimon’s stomach is already rumbling!” The little fairy did a backflip to show her excitement. 

Lumine looked at Gorou with warm eyes and a soft smile. “Did you have fun today Ms. Hina?”

“It was exciting to meet so many fans,” Gorou said honestly. It was the truth. Gorou had fun whether he expected to or not. He didn’t realize how many people were fans of his advice column. Now, was it because of his advice or Ms. Hina’s looks? Gorou wasn’t sure he wanted to know.

“Can you sign Paimon’s board? It’s not every day Paimon meets a real life celebrity! Well, Paimon has met the shining idol, Barbara…”

Paimon’s words faded as red horns caught Gorou’s eye. They stuck out over the top of the crowd like a beacon that just screamed for Gorou’s attention. It looked like Itto was going to be the last person he met. Gorou’s stomach twisted again, which he did his best to ignore.

“Ms. Hina?” Lumine nudged him gently. 

“Oh… sorry.” Gorou tore his eyes from the horns and towards the kamera that was situated in front of them. The flash was bright, making him blink as stars danced behind his eyelids. 

The remaining fans came and went, exchanging pleasantries with Gorou and shaking his hand while expressing their gratitude for his advice. The smile plastered to his face had started to wear thin. He had to keep up appearances while at war. Never did he let their shortcomings get to him, always keeping a smile to boost morale. But no matter the constant reminders that Ms. Hina’s fans are excited to meet him, Gorou still felt the heavy weight of the event wearing him down. 

Right as the haze of fatigue hit him, Gorou looked up at the next guest and saw Arataki Itto standing in front of him, grinning widely. A breath caught in his throat as he stared at the man. It was as if Itto’s presence alone was enough to wash away the weariness Gorou had felt. 

“Ms. Hina! It’s so good to meet you! Big fan of your work! Actually, hold on, I brought you a gift!” Itto reached into his pocket, fumbling through its contents until his hand emerged, holding an onikabuto. “Pretty cool, eh? Took me a week to capture this bad boy, but here! It’s for you.”

Gorou stood motionless as Itto grabbed his hand and placed the bug on his palms. His hands were rough as they brushed against Gorou’s skin.  “Ah… thank you Arataki. You’re quite a loyal fan.”

“Y-you know my name?” Itto gasped, taking a step back in surprise. “I never expected Ms. Hina to speak my name! Can you do it again? But! Wait, wait, wait! Say my full name, Arataki Itto.”

Had he forgotten that he’d introduced himself during the panel? Or how every letter he wrote to Ms. Hina was signed as Arataki ‘The One and Oni’ Itto? Gorou’s mind blanked as he stared at the other man, but he also found it kind of endearing how excited Itto was. So sure, Gorou would play along. The corner of his lips twitched as he tried to hide his smile. “Arataki Itto.” 

“Yes, baby!” Itto pumped the air in victory. “Shinobu never thought I’d be able to meet you, but here I am proving her wrong!” Itto paused for a moment, sucking in a breath before words tumbled out of his mouth in rapid succession. “Also, I wanted to say that you’re very beautiful!”

“Thank you.” Gorou handed the onikabuto off to an assistant, but it was more to hide how red his face had gotten. What was wrong with him? He was usually calm and collected unless someone was petting him— but that's beside the point! He was acting like some child with a crush. Why was he so affected by this man’s actions and words?

“Get in close!” Lady Yae snickered as she watched them from beside the kamera. 

Itto's large arm wrapped around Gorou’s waist, pulling him in close. His face slammed into Itto’s bare chest, which, to Gorou’s surprise, was quite warm. Gorou fought the urge to nuzzle his face against the muscled chest. Instead, he prayed that Itto wouldn’t hear his pounding heart. The arm around his waist gave a gentle squeeze as the bright flash of the kamera went off. 

Neither of them moved afterwards until Gorou decided to risk it, looking up to see Itto’s face had turned the same colour as his horns. When the oni noticed Gorou looking, he pushed him away quickly and patted his head awkwardly. “I-uh- thank you for meeting me,” he mumbled timidly, which Gorou found to be pretty adorable. 

Amused, Gorou tilted his head, watching as the oni ran his hands through his hair nervously. Gorou didn’t expect Itto to have such a bashful side. “It was nice to meet you, Araktai Itto. I look forward to reading your next submission. I’ll make sure to offer you my best advice.” 

Itto’s hand paused as it brushed past his ear and he nodded quickly. “Yes of course! Actually, I’ll go get started on it right now! Aha! It takes me a while to write a letter because I want it to be perfect just for you! I always wonder how much detail I should put in.”

Gorou decided against telling Itto that there were some topics he could keep to himself with his letters, but it seemed like the man was just happy to talk to someone. With a final nod, Gorou made his way past Itto thinking about how nothing had gone terribly wrong. But just as luck would have it, his foot caught on the draping fabric of his kimono and the world shifted as Gorou fell— right into Itto. The oni wasn’t expecting Gorou to crash into him at full force and he took a step backwards at the impact also losing his balance in the act. 

Something soft pressed against Gorou’s lips as they hit the ground. His eyes had closed as he braced himself so it took a moment to work up the courage to crack an eyelid open. When he did, disbelief ran through him and he bolted upwards, hand going right to his lips in shock. No, no, no, no! He did not just kiss Arataki Itto. But the very present smear of red stain on the other man’s lips said otherwise.

Itto for his part looked like he had just ascended to Celestia. Itto’s hand slowly raised to his lips, pressing his fingers delicately against his mouth as if not sure to believe what had just happened. “Ms. Hina…”

Gorou realized he was still pressed flat against Itto’s chest and quickly got off, his face burning with embarrassment. “I apologise! I lost my footing. I didn't mean for this to happen. I’m terribly sorry.” His body trembled while his tail fell, wrapping around his leg. He wasn’t sure how the oni was going to react to their kiss. Gorou hoped he’d laugh it off and then they would part ways, forgetting it ever happened.

Itto removed his hand only to press it back against his lips as his eyes glazed over. Did he hit his head when he fell? 

“Arataki… are you okay?” Gorou bent down, running his hands through the oni’s hair to feel for any bumps. He had learned while at war that it was best to check for injuries immediately. The white strands were much softer than he imagined they would be. 

Itto muttered something under his breath as Gorou searched, not finding any bumps or blood. “What was that?” Gorou asked as he leaned in close. 

“That was my first kiss.” Itto’s voice was barely above a whisper, but Gorou heard it all too well. 

Shit. 

Laughter burst out behind them. Gorou didn’t have to look up to know that it was Lady Yae. Of course, she’d sit back and watch Gorou make a fool of himself. 

His hand left Itto’s hair as he stood abruptly. “If you’re okay I have to go. I’m sorry again. Good-day.” 

He grabbed the kimono by the hems to lift the fabric up and ran as fast as he could over the grassy area to the makeshift dressing room. It wasn’t until he collapsed onto a chair that Gorou reminded himself to breathe. He grabbed the wig and tore it off his head, letting the hairpiece fall to the ground. He had to get out of this outfit immediately. He worked the necklace off wanting nothing more than to rip it, but Gorou knew he would’ve had to pay for any damages. Next, he took off the kimono and folded the fabric as best he could before placing it on the chair. All that was left was the large chest piece, which Gorou had to wiggle out of. 

When he was finally back into his normal clothes Gorou finally was able to take a moment to calm himself down. His ears twitched as he heard the rustling of curtains behind him. A growl ready in his throat, Gorou turned and saw Lady Yae standing at the entrance. She raised her hands in surrender as she made her way into the room. 

“Don’t worry Ms. Hina. Arataki Itto has left the area. Luckily for you, Lumine was still around and was able to get him to leave before he came tearing this place down.”

Gorou only looked away from the kitsune. “I hope that’s all you need of me today. I don’t mind doing the column, but I will refrain from doing another one of these events.”

Lady Yae only smiled as Gorou pushed past her leaving the tent. 

Gorou returned to Watatsumi Island after fitting in a brief visit with his family. The hecticness of such a large family was able to help him forget about a certain someone. When he returned to the island he now called home, he threw himself into work keeping himself busy. Her Excellency clearly noticed Gorou’s odd behaviour but was kind enough to not press the issue. She would give him work to do around the shrine and would alert him of any troubles with monsters that appeared on the island. 

It was a solid strategy, but when Gorou’s eyes closed and sleep took over his body red horns and a dazzling smile were always burned into his memory when he awoke. No matter how hard he tried, Gorou couldn’t forget Arataki Itto and that damn kiss. Especially because now his body wanted more. It was curious what a real kiss with the oni would have been like. Would he have been gentle? Rough? Gorou’s tail excitedly swished whenever he thought about it— more often than Gorou would have liked to admit. 

It had only been a week since the event when Gorou was getting ready to go patrolling. Just as he was about to leave, he was greeted with a bunch of knocking at his door. Opening it revealed no other than Arataki Itto leaning against the door frame looking incredibly hot. “Ah! The doggy general!” 

Gorou let out an abrupt cough. What was Itto doing here? “My name is Gorou. Not doggy general.”

“Anyways,” Itto said, brushing off Gorou’s response. “Araktai Itto here with a delivery for you from Yae Publishing House!” 

Gorou raised a brow in confusion and reached for the package in Itto’s hand. He tore it open to find his payment for the event plus some royalties, something wrapped in paper, and a handwritten note from Lady Yae which read: You’re welcome. Gorou’s hand closed into a fist, crumpling the paper. This was all that damn kitsune’s doing! She’d clearly sent Itto to deliver this parcel knowing it would make him flustered!

A loud hum came from Itto, which made Gorou’s ears perk up. He looked up to see the oni inspecting him closely. His heartbeat quickened as Itto leaned into his face— their mouths almost touching.

Taking a step back, Gorou looked away as he felt the familiar heat of a forming blush creeping up his neck. “Is something wrong?”

“You look oddly familiar. Have we met somewhere before?”

“I don’t leave Watatsumi Island often so probably not.” We met a few days ago where I accidentally kissed you and ran off and I was also dressed as a woman so you have no idea it was me. 

Itto’s eyes narrowed and then he snapped himself backward. “I got it! You look like Ms. Hina! Your fur is the same colour! You both even have that cute little white streak!”

Gorou sputtered. “I get that a lot. She seems to be quite popular.”

Itto’s whole demeanour seemed to change. His eyes brightened like a fire that had been lit behind them. “She’s the best! Oh man, she writes this amazing advice column for That’s Life magazine. I write to her all the time! She totally helped this lost soul find his purpose again! I would lay my life down for her happiness.”

Wasn’t that a bit much? “I’m sure she’d be happy to know that her advice was well received. I don’t think you have to go beyond that.” Though, if Gorou was honest with himself, he was a little pleased to have heard Itto say those words. 

Itto hummed as he thought. “I just want her to know I appreciate her. By the way, what’s the item that’s wrapped up?”

Gorou looked back at the box at the forgotten item. He had been so distracted by the note and Itto’s presence that it slipped his mind to see what was under the white tissue. Gorou hesitantly grabbed it, unwrapping the item slowly with cautious fingers. The sight of a purple leg made his heart stop. It seemed like Lady Yae had also sent the onikabuto Itto had gifted Ms. Hina. 

“What is it? Come on, show me!” Itto urged when he saw Gorou hurriedly throwing the tissue over the bug in a panic. He leaned forward to get a better look, making Gorou twist his body away from the larger man. “Was it something naughty?”

“No!” 

An arm wrapped around Gorou’s stomach, pulling him backwards so his back was pressed against Itto’s chest. Gorou’s mind flashed back to the meet and greet and the warmth he had felt then. Itto snaked his other arm around Gorou and grabbed the tissue out of his hands. “Hmm? An onikabuto? Wait a minute…”

Gorou braced himself for the moment where it clicked in Itto’s head that he was Ms. Hina, but that moment never came. “No way! Are you a fan of beetle fighting too?” A heavy weight pressed down on Gorou’s head as Itto rested his head to look at the bug. “This one looks like a total warrior!”

It took a moment for Gorou to compose himself. Did Itto really not realize that he was Ms. Hina? Perhaps Gorou should have been thankful that the man seemed to be a little dense. His fur ruffled when Itto shifted to lean around Gorou, giving him a curious look. “I was thinking of getting into it,” Gorou said quickly. Because why else would he have a beetle which wasn’t the truth? Because it was you who gave it to me, his mind screamed at Itto.

Gorou’s body was still very conscious of Itto’s arm touching his bare skin, how his back was pressed into the other man’s chest, and how Itto’s warm breath made his ears flick. He should have moved, but his traitorous body stayed still. Instead, he brought a hand up to hold onto Itto’s sculpted arm. Was it bad he was enjoying this? Itto didn’t know or care about the doggy general. He liked Ms. Hina. And Gorou was only her voice. 

“You know Mr. Doggy General, you don’t seem half bad! Only the coolest people are into beetle fighting. Plus, I get this feeling that I can trust ya. If you’re ever in Hanamizaka you should hit me up! Just ask around for the leader of the Araktai Gang!” He leaned in to whisper into Gorou’s ear. “That’s me if you couldn’t figure it out. I’m the leader.”

A full body shiver ran down Gorou’s spine and his ear twitched— burning from Itto’s breath. Itto seemed oblivious to Gorou’s reactions as he wrapped the beetle back up gently and placed it in Gorou’s hands. “Here you go! You better take good care of that little guy! I would love to stay longer, but I have another job I have to do back in Hanamizaka.” 

Gorou felt a sense of loss when Itto stepped back, removing his arm from Gorou’s waist. The warmth vanished, and his body ached for Itto’s arms to return— embracing him whole. 

Caught up in trying to chase the feeling, Gorou didn’t realize Itto had left. Whirling around he hurriedly placed the beetle down on the nearest table and ran outside where he saw Itto already idly strolling away. It only took Gorou a few mere steps to catch up, grabbing onto Itto’s coat, making him stop. “Wait! I didn’t thank you for bringing me my parcel.”

Itto turned to face Gorou, a wolfish grin spreading across his face. His hand lifted to pet Gorou’s ears fondly. “It was no problem! Just another mission accomplished by the Great Araktai Itto!” 

The urge to push Itto’s hand was silent as Gorou leaned into the touch. Itto’s large hand moved to scratch behind his ears. His nails were on the longer side, but not too long that they would hurt Gorou. It felt nice. Nice enough that Gorou almost let himself get carried away. It wasn’t until a whimper escaped his lips that his eyes widened and he shot away from Itto’s touch. 

The oni didn’t seem to take it personally. All he did was laugh as he watched Gorou’s face turn an embarrassing shade of crimson red. “I’ll see you around Mr. Doggy General!” With that, he turned on his heels and walked away.

In one last ditch effort Gorou cupped his hands around his mouth and yelled out, “It’s Gorou!” 

The only acknowledgement he got was Itto raising an arm above his head and giving a single flick of the wrist. 

That week Ms. Hina received a submission from Itto. 

Dear Ms. Hina,

Arataki Itto writing in! I made a new friend recently and he’s so cool! He’s even into beetle fighting! How awesome is that? Anyone who likes beetle fighting is automatically cool in my books! Funnily enough, he actually reminds me of you! I think it’s because of that white streak you both seem to have, which on him is completely adorable.

I really want to see him again, but he lives on Watatsumi Island and I live in Hanamizaka, which is like totally fine if they weren’t so far away! How do I get him to come visit me?

Arataki 'The One and Oni' Itto

Every few weeks Gorou would visit Inazuma City to reply to submissions at the publishing house. It saved the house from having to send a messenger with the submissions out to Watatsumi Island and Gorou was able to fit in the errands he had to run. 

This time he was a little nervous. It was the first time he was visiting the city since he had met Itto. His senses had gone into overdrive, always listening or even trying to sniff out the oni. It didn’t help that the entire time he worked on reading and replying to different submissions Lady Yae had been staring at him from a distance with a smirk on her face. Gorou wished he could pluck up the courage to tell her off. 

He still couldn’t shake Itto from his mind. After some long deliberating Gorou had come to the conclusion that he potentially might— keyword might — have a crush on Araktai Itto. Which only made matters worse! Itto barely knew him! Yet Gorou knew so much about the other man due to all his submission! On top of that Gorou had a sinking feeling that Itto would prefer Ms. Hina over him. It was a hopeless situation that he had found himself in. His current strategy to save himself from heartbreak was to avoid the oni at all costs and hope this crush would eventually disappear. 

When Gorou finally finished replying to all the submissions, he packed up quickly, not allowing any time for Lady Yae to grab him and tease him about the event. While he was leaving the publishing house a pair of familiar red horns popped up out of nowhere. It seemed like his strategy had already failed. And Gorou had no backup plan.

“Hey, hey, hey! If it isn’t Mr. Doggy General Gorou! What brings you to Inazuma City? Don’t say it’s because you missed me,” Itto called out excitedly as he walked up to Gorou.

Gorou only raised a brow in amusement as Itto punched his shoulder enthusiastically. “Awe, stop it! You’re going to make me blush. I know I’m pretty awesome to be around so it’s perfectly reasonable you’d miss me.” 

Trying to not smile was harder than Gorou thought it would have been. The corners of his lips automatically rose into a genuine smile. Itto was honestly so ridiculous that Gorou couldn’t help but get tangled up in the oni’s energetic energy. “I’m running some errands. It’s nice to see you again, Arataki.”

Itto leaned in as he inspected Gorou. “Are you done? You don’t look like you’re in a rush.” He observed. 

“I was going to perhaps visit some friends here” —a mischievous look crossed Itto’s eyes before Gorou’s world tilted as he was picked up and thrown over Itto’s shoulders— “H-hey! What are you doing?”

“Sorry to your friends, but I’m kidnapping you!” Itto laughed deeply as he took off, carrying Gorou with him. 

Gorou shut his eyes tight since he kept bumping against Itto’s shoulder making his vision blur. He had no idea where the man was taking him. “Arataki? Where are we going?”

“It’s a secret. You’re not a member of the Arataki Gang so we gotta keep our hideout confidential.”

If it was truly a secret you would have blindfolded me, Gorou thought as he smiled to himself. Itto rarely seemed to think things through. It was different from Gorou who would weigh the pros and cons of every situation. He’d gotten used to it during his times as being part of the resistance. Strategy was essential to victory, and that was something that followed him off the battlefield. With Itto, it seemed like the man did whatever he felt like without much thought. His rash decisions were spontaneous and it seemed like he was always having a good time. 

Now if only one of Itto's rash decisions involved kissing Gorou...

“Gorou?”

“...Yes?” 

“Could you maybe calm your tail down? It keeps hitting my face. Gettin’ a little hard to walk over here with my vision blocked! Don’t get me wrong, finding my way home blindfolded is child’s play for Arataki ‘The Great’ Itto! But I don’t really want to risk dropping you.”

Embarrassment washed over Gorou as he realized his tail had begun to move uncontrollably as he thought about Itto. His eyes opened and he pushed himself up, pressing his hands into Itto’s shoulder blades to see Itto being attacked by his furry tail. “I’m sorry! It’s hard to control at times!”

Itto laughed and then, Gorou was weightless as he was tossed into the air. A scream got trapped in his throat and before he knew it, Itto’s strong arms wrapped around his petite frame, cradling him like a princess. Why did Gorou always find himself stuck in the most embarrassing moments with this man? It didn’t help that his tail hadn’t stopped moving. In fact, it had increased its speed to slap against Itto’s thigh, further proving how much Gorou was enjoying the whole ordeal. Gorou wanted to do nothing more than to roll over and die. 

“Aha! You’re actually pretty cute. Oh, wrap your arms around me! Don’t be shy, I don't bite.”

Gorou ended up burying his head into Itto’s chest as he threw his arms around the man's neck. The scent of candy and the outdoors filled his senses. He felt that same warmth that he had been longing to encounter again. His body relaxed as Gorou rubbed his face against the other man. Itto made no comment about Gorou’s actions, but small circles were rubbed into his back as they moved. Secretly Gorou wished that they would never arrive at their destination. 

But that dream was shattered when Itto let go of Gorou, letting him fall to the ground. “We’ve arrived! Oh shit, sorry! Aha, my bad!”

Not expecting to be dropped out of the blue, Gorou ended up hitting the ground hard. At least his tail was some cushion for him. “It’s fine, but maybe a little warning next time.”

As Gorou stood, he took a look around the Arataki Gang hideout and honestly, it was exactly what he’d expected. A large flag with an oni painted on it was hung up on one of the walls. There were a few cushions and chairs spread out and Gorou saw a stack of That’s Life issues in a pile. The place was filled with random junk that Gorou couldn’t have even begun to describe. The whole place just screamed Arataki Itto.

“Welcome to the coolest hideout in all of Inazuma! Betcha this was better than any war room you worked in, eh?” 

Gorou let his gaze shift to see Itto staring at him with expectant eyes, waiting for Gorou to compliment him and his hideout. “Well, interior design wasn’t high up on our list when we were fighting against the Vision Hunt Decree. So yes I would say this is definitely different.” 

“Nice!” Itto muttered triumphantly under his breath. 

“Where’s the rest of your gang?” Gorou asked when he noticed that it was eerily empty. He figured the hideout would be bursting with life from the other gang members.

“Oh! Shinobu probably sent them all out on some tasks. I see my latest treasure is missing so she’s probably off returning it.” Itto walked over to one of the cushions and flopped down, stretching himself out. “Shinobu is like my second in command. She’s pretty cool, but if you ever meet her just remember to stay on her good side!”

Gorou decided he didn’t want to dig into why Shinobu had to go return Itto’s treasure. It was for the best that the rest of the members weren’t around. If they matched Itto’s energy in any sort of capacity Gorou was sure he would have been drained in only a few minutes. 

“Come on in and make yourself at home!” Itto patted the cushion next to him eagerly almost like he was beckoning a dog to his side. It didn’t help that Gorou’s ears perked up in excitement at being called. 

He made his way over to the other man and sat down, crossing his legs as he shifted into a comfortable position. Itto’s hand made its way back to his head as he rubbed Gorou’s ears. “Good boy,” Itto said fondly.

Gorou’s back stretched as he pushed his head into Itto’s hand. Why did it feel so good when he did it? 

“You really do act like a dog. Your tail is going crazy right now!” Itto said excitedly. 

Gorou was pretty sure his tail hadn't moved that much since he was little. Sometimes when the adrenaline got to him on the battlefield his subordinates would joke with him afterwards about how he seemed excited to be fighting. They ended up coming up with a rating system, ranking each battle based on his tail’s movement. The more his tail wagged the higher the score. If it stuck up straight and became fluffier the lower the score since it meant Gorou was tenser during the battle. 

“Did you think the ears and tail were just for show?” Gorou did his best to keep his voice even, but he noticed a bit of teasing had slipped in. 

“Hmm, guess not! Will you do tricks? Come on boy! Roll over!”

The glare Gorou sent Itto was deadly. “Don’t push it.”

Itto laughed wholeheartedly. He removed his hand and Gorou felt that similar sense of loss again. Without realizing it, his hand reached up, catching Itto’s wrist to pull it back to his head. His face heated up as he realized his mistake. His tail curled around him and his ears lowered in embarrassment. 

“Liked it that much, huh? Guess I have the magic touch, hah! Wait, are you okay? Your face is really red! Gorou?”

“Just pet me,” Gorou whispered, hands moving to cover his face. He’d never been this needy before. Why did he want this man’s touch so badly? 

“Whatever you say, man!” 

Itto’s hand started to move, rubbing Gorou’s head slowly and gently— almost as if the oni was hesitant to touch him. His fingers brushed back the golden fur with enough pressure that his long nails scratched Gorou’s skin in a satisfying manner. Gorou’s eyes fluttered shut to focus on the comforting feeling of Itto’s hand tangled in his fur. He heard his tail swishing against the cushion again and Gorou tried his best to sit as still as possible, failing miserably as his body shook. Itto’s fingers brushed behind his ears, and then slowly up Gorou’s ear flaps, which caused Gorou to let out a whimper. 

Itto chuckled. “Waddya know, Mr. Doggy General has an adorable weakness.” 

“D-don’t tell anyone about this! My subordinates have figured it out and they try to rub my ears all the time!” Gorou whined. 

“You asked for this! Don’t blame me. Heck, I wish my horns were this sensitive! They’re just kind of there but they look super cool!” 

Gorou laughed, mind flashing back to the meet and greet question that Itto had asked. “I remember you wanted to paint them! I think that would be fun.” The words slipped out before Gorou could have stopped them. 

Itto’s hand paused and Gorou once again braced himself for the realization to hit the other man. “No way… you were at the Ms. Hina panel too? That’s awesome!”

Gorou’s eyes snapped open to see Itto smiling at him. His stomach did a somersault as he looked into those brilliant red eyes, searching for something. Maybe it was for a hint of recognition that Itto realized Gorou was in fact Ms. Hina, or maybe he was searching Itto’s face for something else. Like how Gorou felt the room closing in around them, how the only sound he could hear was his heart pounding, or how hot he suddenly felt. Was Itto experiencing those as well?

“Yes! I was there. I was in... the back so you probably didn’t notice me.” Your eyes rarely left my face the whole time and I could barely keep mine away from yours, and we even kissed. 

“Woah. That’s so cool! A fan of beetle fighting and Ms. Hina? What are the odds? I think we were destined to meet. I can’t wait to tell the gang about this! Wait! Let me show you some of my highlights!”

Itto jumped up from the cushion and went over to the pile of magazines and picked them up. Gorou had to jump out of the way as Itto dropped them right in front of him. Taking a closer look at the magazines, Gorou noticed some pages had been tabbed. He grabbed the first issue off the pile and flipped it open to see his advice column. Skimming through it quickly Gorou found what he was looking for. It was one of Itto’s submissions that had been published. A smile broke out across Gorou’s face as he remembered reading it for the first time. The oni had written in asking for advice on how to better his image around Inazuma City. Ms. Hina had responded that if people couldn’t appreciate Itto for who he was then they weren’t good people. 

Gorou reached for the next magazine, and then the next one, continuing to read the submissions that were clearly from Itto. All submissions had been edited to make them more anonymous, but Itto’s personality could never be entirely taken out of his submissions. It was always obvious who it was. “You write to Ms. Hina a lot.”

“Aha, yeah, I do. I find it pretty comforting and her advice rocks!” Itto scratched his chin, which made Gorou wonder if he was a little bit shy about it. “Have you ever written to her?”

“Oh… no I haven’t,” Gorou replied sheepishly. It was a bit hard to ask himself for advice.

Itto nodded like it made perfect sense. “You seem like a fairly well put together individual. Probably have no problems at all!” 

If you knew my troubles, you’d know I can’t stop staring at those lips of yours and how I want nothing more than to smash mine against them. “Well, I wouldn’t say that. Even Mr. Doggy General has his troubles.”

Once again Gorou found Itto’s face right next to his. He was starting to realize the oni had no personal boundaries. “Really?” Itto asked keenly. “What could a guy like you even worry about?”

You. “One thing is that my tail betrays me by how it moves. I’m trying to find a way to get it under control. Sometimes I think it has a mind of its own.”

“But it’s cute how you express yourself.” 

How was it that everything that came out of Itto’s mouth made Gorou’s heart tremble? His gaze lowered from crimson red eyes to those lips that he had only touched once but longed to touch again. A hand returned to Gorou’s head, rubbing gentle circles between his ears. It had already become so comforting that Gorou was afraid to lose it. 

Itto’s hand began to move, trailing down Gorou’s face to cup his cheek. Gorou’s breath caught in his throat as he looked at Itto. His head was tilted and his eyes were half lidded with a slight haze dancing over them. Their faces had shifted closer, noses almost touching. The pull was magnetic and Gorou wasn’t going to stop himself. He wanted this way too much. His heart was pounding so quickly Gorou thought it might burst right out of his chest. His eyes closed as he waited for impact— only for it to never come. A feeling Gorou should have gotten used to by then. 

Instead, Itto leaned back and patted Gorou’s cheek rather roughly. “Wanna see me play the harmonica with my nose?” 

Bewildered, Gorou could only muster out a weak yes, which led to him sitting in stunned silence as Itto showed off his skills with the harmonica. Had he just imagined it? No! That was impossible. They were most certainly about to kiss! Why did Itto stop? Wait… was it because he was in love with Ms. Hina? Was Gorou’s own rival himself? No way. Gorou’s mind melted as it conjured up different possibilities with each one worse than the last.

“Hey, buddy...”

What was he going to do? He couldn’t compete with himself! There was no way he’d win against Ms. Hina! She wrote heartfelt advice and sexy seemed to be more Itto’s type. Gorou was just some dog general in a resistance movement! He was the complete opposite of sexy!

“Mr. Doggy General?” 

He should come clean and tell Itto the truth about Ms. Hina. That way he’d eliminate the competition entirely. But what if Itto ended up hating him for lying or for destroying his idealized version of Ms. Hina? What if he wanted nothing to do with Gorou anymore? What if—

“Gorou!” 

Gorou’s whole body jolted as Itto tried to get his attention by grabbing his shoulders, shaking him roughly. “Y-yes?”

“I finished my awesome song and you didn’t say anything! I know being able to play the harmonica with your nose is insanely impressive and you were probably shocked for a moment thinking ‘Wow that guy is so cool!’ But then you continued to look off into the distance with a weird look on your face. You okay?” 

Gorou let out a shaky breath. He’d gotten too caught up in the what ifs of the situation. Something he acquired from the resistance by strategising attacks to stay ten steps ahead of the enemy. But this was a different type of battle. One Gorou had no experience in. For now, it was best to not let Itto catch on to his feelings. “You got me! I was too stunned to speak! You’re very talented, Arataki.” 

“Awe shucks!” Itto rubbed the back of his head. It seemed like the simple compliment was enough to distract him. “You know, you can call me Itto. Or any of my other names! I go by a lot. Want me to list them?”

“Itto is just fine—”

“Some of my other names range from Arataki ‘Numero Uno’ Itto, Arataki ‘Beetle Gladiator’ Itto, Arataki ‘Homie’ Itto, Arataki ‘The Most Talented’ Itto, Arataki ‘Big Muscles’ Itto! Those are just a few that you can pick from. I’ll respond to whatever you call me. Heck, since I like you, I’ll let you give me a special nickname! But you can't tell the gang, it'll be our little secret! Pick whatever you want! Come on! What’s it gonna be?”

Gorou looked at Itto who had his arms outstretched, waiting in anticipation of what Gorou would pick. A blush spread across Gorou’s cheeks as he averted his gaze. “Itto is fine for now.” 

“Okay, okay! I’ll let you sleep on it, but! My offer still stands. I know. I’m totally nice. You’re welcome.” 

Before Gorou was able to say anything, Itto’s stomach let out a loud rumble. “Would you look at that! I think it’s time for dinner! Have you eaten yet? I’m thinking of ramen. What do you think?”

“I should probably start making my way back to Watatsumi Island.” The sunlight that streamed in was full of golden red hues of the early evening. Time had escaped Gorou completely. If he left immediately, he might have still made it to Watatsumi Island before it got too late. 

Knees cracking, and a groan in his back from sitting for so long, Gorou stood from where he sat. “Thank you for your time, Itto.” He stretched out his body, letting the kinks unravel one by one. In part, it was due to the small detail that Gorou really didn’t want to leave. How much could he stall before it really became too late?

“Wait!” Itto reached out, grabbing Gorou’s belt to stop him from moving. “It’s way too late for you to start! You can stay the night and leave in the morning.” 

Gorou looked down at Itto who was… currently trying to do his best pleading face. The corners of his mouth twisted awkwardly downwards and his eyes were too bright to look sad. It was completely ridiculous. Still, it won Gorou over. “Okay, fine. I’ll treat you to ramen in thanks.” 

“Yes!” Itto sprang up, wrapping his arms around Gorou to lift him up and spin him around. “You’re the best!” 

All Gorou could do was gasp for air as Itto crushed his lungs.

“Wooooooow. That sure was good!” Itto patted his stomach as they left Uyuu Restaurant. His stomach might have been filled, but it was at the expense of Gorou’s poor wallet. Luckily, he’d picked up some royalties from the publishing house earlier. 

While they ate Itto recounted his tale on how he beat that ‘Pink Fox Lady’ at a ramen eating contest by devouring thirty-two bowls of ramen. Gorou had looked at the ten empty bowls in front of the oni and realized he really might be a certified idiot. But that realization alone didn’t stop his heart from racing whenever Itto flashed him a wide grin. It was completely unfair!

As they walked the streets of Inazuma City, something sweet caught Gorou’s attention. He stopped dead in his tracks, sniffing the air. Itto paused to look at him curiously, which ended up morphing into amusement as Gorou grabbed his hand to pull him along the bustling street to a small food stand. His mouth watered as he put his hands against the glass partition and stared at the Tricolour Dango on display. 

“Woah there, boy! You might slobber over the glass if you don’t close that mouth of yours!” A hand touched Gorou’s back which he shook off. The only thing on Gorou’s mind was letting his mouth get a taste of those sweets! 

Gorou smiled up at the vendor. “Can I have two Tricoloured Dangos please?”

The exchange of mora for goods had never been so satisfying to Gorou. He grabbed the two sticks eagerly, handing one over to Itto who still had an amused look on his face. “I take it you’re a fan of sweets?”

Gorou nodded as he took his first bite. It was heavenly. He could have died and ascended to Celestia right then and there. The taste of sakura filled his mouth as he took another bite. “Sweets aren’t common in the resistance because of rations. I treasure every bite when I can get my hands on some sweets.”

They continued on their stroll, this time taking side streets that were less busy. Itto let out a loud laugh as he watched Gorou savour every bite. He had long since finished his Dango, basically finishing it in one bite. Now, the empty stick hung from his mouth as he walked, arms placed behind his head. “You know, I’m a fan of sweet things myself. I prefer lollipops, but this ain’t so bad!” 

Gorou hummed in agreement. It was almost disappointing how quickly he ate through his Dango. He had to fight the urge to go back and purchase another one. Perhaps he shouldn’t have been nice and kept the second one for himself instead of giving it to Itto. 

His thoughts were disrupted as a hand grabbed his chin and tilted his head to the side. Then, in a blink, Itto’s breath was on Gorou’s face as he leaned in close. Gorou had no time to react as Itto’s tongue darted out to lick at the corner of Gorou’s mouth. He pulled away, leaving Gorou in a state of paralysis. “Sorry ‘bout that! There was a crumb on your face! Didn’t want it to go to waste!” 

It took a minute for Gorou’s brain to work. His hand rose to touch the spot where Itto had licked him— still slightly wet. Then, Gorou’s body reacted. Pathetic noises escaped his lips as he tried to say something in return while his tail stiffened and his cheeks burned. 

Itto was oblivious to Gorou yet again, walking down the path and humming some fight song boisterously. When he realized Gorou wasn’t with him he turned, eyes blazing. “Whatcha doing just standing there? See a yokai or something?”

“Oh sorry!” Gorou composed himself as he ran to catch up to Itto, falling in stride next to the taller man. “You know, technically I am looking at one. A yokai, I mean.”

A hand reached out to ruffle Gorou’s ears as Itto laughed. “You’re on the nose with that one!”

Heat crept its way across Gorou’s face. As they walked, he decided to sneak a peek at the man next to him. Itto walked with such confidence it made Gorou curious about what he would be like on the battlefield. During the vision hunt decree, Itto was one of the first people who had theirs taken. The resistance wasn’t able to do anything to help him at the time because of his loud demeanour, but Gorou wondered if he had joined the resistance would it have helped? Gorou thought his presence on the battlefield would surely have been a positive one. Itto’s whole personality would have been such uplifting energy. Gorou could see the oni being a light during their darkest moments. 

They made their way back to a more public road where Gorou started to notice the increasing amount of looks they were gathering. Whispers of concern and disapproval flooded his ears. His head whipped around trying to identify who was saying what. Gorou wanted to give them a piece of his mind. 

“Tsk, there goes that no good oni again. This time it looks like he’s dragging that poor man along with him.”

“Such a disturbance. Why can’t he just get a job and be a respectable member of society already.”

A hand wrapped around Gorou’s waist and pulled him sideways— his head hitting Itto’s solid chest. “Don’t worry too much about what they say. It’s all directed at me. Honestly, I’d give them all a failing grade. Their insults have gone downhill lately. It’s a shame they used to be so creative,” he spoke into Gorou’s ear calmly. 

Gorou looked up ready to protest, but Itto pressed a finger to his lips. “I can tell you’re ready to fight but it’s okay. Might want to work on calming that tail of yours down instead.”

Turning his head, Gorou saw his tail was sticking straight up in alert. He sighed as he calmed himself down. Itto was right. There wasn’t anything he could have done, but it still didn’t stop him from sending a few dirty looks. The comments he heard left a sour taste in his mouth.

“You’re pretty feisty! Really got that fighting spirit in you! That’s a quality I admire in a man!” Itto laughed. He still hadn’t let go of Gorou’s waist, instead, moving his hand in gentle circles against Gorou’s skin— leaving a scorching heat in its wake. Gorou allowed a moment of selfishness as he snuggled in close. Itto never commented on it and neither did Gorou. 

When they arrived, the hideout was still dark with no signs of life. Itto had let go of Gorou to walk inside and inspect the place. “Hmm, guess everyone will be away for the night, but that’s okay! We’ll have fun just the two of us!” 

Gorou’s eyes widened as his mind went to a very dirty place. He slapped both hands over his face in shock, making Itto raise a brow in confusion. 

“I thought this place was supposed to be a secret!” Gorou said hurriedly. 

“Shit! I led you here without thinking!” Itto reached forward, grabbing both of Gorou’s hands in his. A look of concern sprawled across his face as he leaned in close. “Promise you won’t tell anyone?”

Averting his gaze to stare at the large oni flag, Gorou mumbled out an agreement, which Itto took without question. Itto squeezed his hands with an almost bone crushing grip before letting go. “Make yourself comfortable! It’s the least I can do after you bought me dinner! Is there something you want to do? How about we have a little contest? Spinning tops, beetle fighting, card games. You say it and we’ll play it!” 

“How about spinning tops?” Gorou was still slightly hung up on what he witnessed on the streets, but Itto seemed unmoved by it all. The worst thing was that he looked so cool. Gorou had been so ready to tell those people off, but Itto took it all without flinching. Instead, taking his time to calm Gorou down. 

Gorou stayed near the door, watching as Itto rummaged through a drawer until he found what he was looking for. “Rules are simple. We both spin, whoever stays up the longest wins. No touching the tops while they’re spinning, okay?” He walked over and handed Gorou the toy.

The top was painted with teal and gold stripes, The wooden rod was painted black, though if Gorou looked closely he saw where the paint had started to chip away from excessive use. A cord was woven around the base signalling that the toy was ready to be played with. 

“I’ll be nice and give you one piece of advice. It’s all in the wrist.” Itto cleared a spot on the floor for them by kicking aside anything that was scattered across the floor. “On my mark, we’ll release them.”

Gorou readied himself, pulling his arm back with the toy in hand. Excitement coursed through his body. It almost felt similar to the adrenaline rush he would get when charging the battlefield. 

“Ready...Set… Go!”

Gorou flicked his wrist and the top went spinning on the ground. The gold and teal danced as it spun. As he watched, Gorou had a startling realization: Itto’s top was purple and orange. Did he really match his top with his outfit? It was honestly kind of cute in Gorou’s opinion.

Their tops clashed together making Gorou gasp in fear as his was pushed across the floor. Luckily it held on. Itto crouched down to get a better look at his top. His concentration was set on the spinning toy. It looked as if the man was willing to move with his mind. The battle was fierce but Itto’s top had managed to stay up a mere second longer than Gorou’s. 

“Victory!” Itto cried out in triumph.

Disappointment rushed through Gorou. He grabbed his top fondly from where it laid sideways on the ground. “You did a good job. Next round will be better.”

“Best two out of three?” Itto asked. Gorou watched as his hand completely enveloped the toy when he picked it up. 

“You bet.” Gorou’s competitive nature flared to life as he wrapped the cord around the toy. There was no way he was going to lose the next round.

Itto’s eyes flared and a wolfish grin crossed his face. “It seems I have a worthy competitor. Don’t think I’ll go easy on you!”

They both readied their stances. Itto smirked at Gorou before their tops hit the ground.

Gorou won the second round. 

“I was… just going easy on you this time,” Itto muttered, scratching his head sheepishly. He regained himself, determination crossing his face. “I’ll kick your butt during this last round! How about we change up the rules a bit. Do whatever it takes to knock the other players top down!”

“Sounds like a challenge that I hope you’re willing to lose.” Gorou shot back. He was enjoying this. Being around Itto, Gorou was able to relax and let his worries disappear. Well, all except his rapidly growing crush on the man.

This time when the toys hit the ground spinning Gorou was determined to take home the victory. Gorou was a strategist! He knew how to win his battles even if he had to get his hands dirty. He was going to win this! All he had to do was—

Strong arms grabbed his waist and hoisted Gorou into the air. “W-wait!” he cried out as Itto held him tight. Gorou wiggled as best he could, but it was impossible with how tight Itto’s hold on him was. It also didn’t help that his captor had started to spin them around, laughter bubbling out of his mouth gleefully as they circled the room. Almost as if they were their own spinning top. 

When Itto finally brought them to a halt he adjusted his grip, securing one arm around Gorou. With one arm now free, Itto was able to reach up to rub Gorou’s head. It seemed like he’d taken quite a liking to petting Gorou… which Gorou wasn’t going to complain about. His head twisted to watch Itto stick out his leg, knocking over Gorou’s spinning top. 

“I think you cheated,” Gorou pouted, giving up and letting his body go limp. His arms were pinned to his side so all he could do was rest his head against Itto’s shoulder. Another fond rub between the ears made Gorou press harder against the man to nuzzle him. 

The laugh Itto let out was pure ecstasy. Gorou was sure he could have become addicted to the sound. Itto’s head tilted, resting on Gorou’s while his hand moved down the back of Gorou’s neck. “You agreed to the terms! I won fair and square!”

“What matters is that you’re in much better spirits now! Just look at that tail go! I saw how worked up you got out there, but seriously it’s okay! I can handle the comments. What I don’t like is the people I care about getting dragged in.” 

Gorou’s feet touched the ground as Itto put him down gently. “I’m sorry. I’ve never seen someone be so blatantly disrespected before.”

Itto grinned at him as he scooped up the toys and put them back where they came from. “All my life I’ve been the center of unwanted attention and needless opinions. I’m from a fallen clan, am an oni, and a gang leader so no matter what I was destined to be singled out. You get used to it over the years.

“The gang now, they’re awesome! Won’t take shit from anyone and will do their best to get people to respect me. Love em’ I really do, but it gets to a guy to see them so worked up all the time about it. Especially when I know opinions can’t be changed so easily.”

Itto paused, hand dragging through his hair before he continued. “But as I said! I’m thick skinned so some little words aren’t gonna break me. Like, come on! The leader of the Arataki Gang can’t handle some mean comments? Pfft! The words bounce right off of me!”

Right then was when it all clicked together in Gorou’s mind. He finally knew why Itto wrote to Ms. Hina so often. The words did get to him, but he would never show it. At least not in front of the people he cherished. Instead, he’ll hide them in his letters to an advice columnist underneath layers of confidence.

A small smile tugged at Gorou’s lips. “You know if you ever need to talk about anything I’ve been told that I’m a good listener. I’m just some doggy general, but I’ll do my best to help you through anything.” 

His feet moved on their own as he made his way over to where Itto stood, grabbing his hand to entwine their fingers together. Itto’s hand was so much larger, almost swallowing Gorou’s hand completely. “People like those we saw on the street are lost causes. They’ll never know how much of a great guy you are. It seems like you have people who truly know who you are and in the end that matters more than the opinion of the public. 

“Fighting to be your true self is something I’ve always believed in. It’s why I was so determined to end the Vision Hunt Decree. They were taking our visions, which are a part of ourselves and that didn’t sit right with me. So what I’m trying to say is, it’s very commendable what you’re doing. You don’t let others get you down even with their harsh words and you stay true to yourself, but if it ever gets to be too much you can lean on me.” 

Itto was silent as he stared at their connected hands. When Gorou looked at his face he saw a faint dusting of pink along Itto’s cheeks. Did he go too far? Gorou had gotten so used to dishing out advice that he didn’t stop to consider that maybe Itto didn’t want to hear it from him. Especially since he had already found comfort in Ms. Hina. 

It was faint. So light that Gorou almost missed it, but Itto squeezed his hand. “You’re really something else aren’t ya?” 

When Gorou looked into those red eyes his heart fluttered. There was a softness to them in that moment, where they crinkled ever so slightly. Was it selfish that he wanted to be the only one who saw Itto that way? What he would give to kiss those lips and see how Itto’s face would change. Would it be pleasure? Surprise? Gorou wanted to know. 

Refusing to let his desires consume him, Gorou smiled up at Itto. “I could say that about you as well.”

Gorou awoke to the sunlight streaming in through the windows. Refusing to get up quite so soon, Gorou snuggled closer to the heat source that he was clinging to. It was large, solid, and… breathing? Gorou’s eyes snapped open to see Itto’s bare chest staring back at him. One of Itto’s arms was dangling over his waist while the other was tucked under Gorou’s neck as a sort of cushion. 

The night’s previous events flashed through Gorou’s mind. Him and Itto next to one another, sharing stories and laughing with the moonlight as their only witness. Him, telling Itto stories about his subordinates and how they liked to tease him while Itto told him about the goings on in the Arataki Gang. Sometimes when Gorou made Itto laugh extra hard the man would reach out, running his fingers along Gorou’s ears fondly. It never failed to send butterflies coursing through Gorou’s entire body. They must have fallen asleep like that, laying on their sides facing one another pretending as if no one else existed in the world. 

But as Gorou looked more closely, he noticed Itto’s coat and gear were removed. Even the spiked collar that held his vision was gone. That was when Gorou realized he had also been stripped out of his armour and now wore very minimal clothing. His face heated as he pictured Itto taking off his armour, one piece at a time. His long fingers would have dragged against Gorou’s skin as he undid the straps. Were they gentle? Rough? Archons, how Gorou wanted to find out! If only he’d been awake for that. He would have committed the touch to memory. 

But it wasn’t the time to be thinking about Itto in that way! Gorou had a golden opportunity right in front of him to check out the sleeping man. He turned his attention to Itto who was still fast asleep, almost letting out a scream in shock. Itto’s eyes were wide open. The only indication that he was asleep was the loud snores coming from his mouth, which hung open slightly. 

After calming his beating heart from the fright, Gorou returned to his inspection. Even with his eyes open, Itto didn’t look any more intimidating than he did while he was awake. Well, not that he did then either, but those cruel whispers still plagued Gorou’s mind. White hair was scattered in every direction and it was almost comical how tangled it had become after Gorou watched Itto tend to his hair constantly the day before.

What interested Gorou the most was the red tattoos that marked Itto’s body. His hand reached out to gently rest his finger underneath Itto’s eye where the tattoo began. From there he slowly trailed his finger down Itto’s body, following the red markings on the man’s skin like a map. His finger dipped over the curves of muscle on Itto’s chest feeling the raised skin of a warrior’s body covered with scars from countless battles. Gorou wanted to trace stars over each scar, so Itto would know he was never alone. 

Relationships and love had never interested Gorou before. He’d been on the battlefield for as long as he could remember and romance didn’t belong in war. He listened to his subordinates crying over how they missed their partners. How they wished they could return to their homes to hold their lovers and kiss them until the sunrise. In Gorou’s eyes, a relationship was a distraction from the battle that was being fought. 

But one day after the Vision Hunt Decree had ended, Her Excellency told Gorou that while the resistance would always exist, now that the main battle had written its final pages people should go out and live their lives. At the time Gorou hadn’t understood what she meant. For as long as he could remember he’d been part of the resistance. What else was out there for him? He ended up agreeing to the job at Yae Publishing House thinking that would do it, but now he wondered if it was something else. Or more specifically someone else.

A loud snore from Itto caused Gorou to jump, breaking his trail of thoughts. His heart pounded wildly as he frantically removed his hand from Itto’s chest. The other man shifted as the loss of touch, making Gorou suck in a breath as he waited in anticipation, but Itto continued to snore— completely dead to the world. 

Gorou should leave. He could tell it was already late morning and he really had to start heading back to Watatsumi Island. He had pushed it off for as long as possible, but Her Excellency was probably starting to wonder where he was. Though, it would be rude to leave without saying goodbye. Gorou gently poked the Itto hoping it would have been enough to wake the sleeping man. 

“Babe… just five more minutes…” Itto mumbled, shifting to pull Gorou closer to him. His face nuzzled against Gorou’s head fondly as he fell back asleep. 

“Itto…” Gorou wasn’t sure he wanted the oni to wake up due to the blush that had made itself at home on his face. It also wasn’t because he liked how Itto’s arms felt wrapped around him. Nope.

The other man shifted again. It took him a few seconds to fully register that the thing he was cuddling was in fact Gorou. When realization struck, Itto’s eyes adjusted, blinking rapidly and then he hurriedly pushed Gorou away from him. “Sorry man! I get excited in my sleep, and you’re just the perfect size to cuddle!”

Gorou averted his gaze to look anywhere but Itto’s face. Even while still half asleep, Itto’s smile was blazing, making Gorou’s heart do acrobatics in his chest. “It’s fine. I didn’t mind,” he confessed. 

Moving to stand, Gorou saw his armour folded neatly beside him. Grabbing it to throw the items on quickly, Gorou turned to see Itto had propped himself up on his elbow to watch him get dressed. Did the guy seriously have no boundaries? First off, he looked drop dead gorgeous as he gave Gorou a lazy smile. Not to mention that broad muscled chest, which Gorou wanted to— 

No. He was getting distracted! “Thanks for taking off my armour. It’s not the most comfortable to sleep in.” 

“No problem! Guess this means you’re heading out?”

“I need to get back before Her Excellency worries too much. Thank you for letting me stay the night.”

Itto only nodded as he raised his hand and beckoned Gorou to come closer. Gorou obliged, bending down in front of the other man only to have his fur ruffled. “One more rub for good luck, eh? Next time you’re in Inazuma City don’t forget to look for me! I’m not that hard to miss if I’m around.”

Gorou smiled as he reached up to poke the tip of one of the oni’s horns. His fingers glided down the smooth surface until he reached that mess of white hair which he petted fondly. “There, now I have some good luck too.”

He removed his hand to see Itto’s eyes had widened in shock and his mouth slightly open. A blush crept up his neck as a mess of jumbled sounds came from his mouth. Seeing the other man at a loss of words made Gorou burst out laughing. It was a sight to behold to see someone so overconfident losing their cool. 

With that, Gorou stood and made his way to the door. “I’ll see you around Itto.”

All that came from the oni was a string of sounds that vaguely sounded like ‘Mr. Doggy General.’

Gorou didn’t see the lights of Inazuma City for another couple of weeks. Monsters seemed to have been flooding Watatsumi Island recently, which meant Gorou was busy clearing them out. He returned home in the late evenings only to drop onto his bed in utter exhaustion. The only good parts of his days were when Itto visited him in his dreams. 

He’d been so sure that time would have squashed his crush on the other man, but maybe the saying that time made the heart grow fonder was actually true. Either way, Gorou was in it deep. He wanted nothing more than to go visit Itto. The gentle touch of those large hands rubbing his head was something Gorou had grown to miss. 

One day while Gorou laid on his bed, arms wrapped around his tail, he looked at his table where the onikabuto sat. Gorou had been taking good care of it, but while looking at the purple creature his heart dropped as a wave of loneliness washed over him. There was only one solution to this problem! He just had to go meet with Itto again.

Lady Yae must have another pile of submissions for him to reply to, which made an excellent reason to visit Inazuma City. Gorou told himself that was the main reason he was visiting the city. Not because of some gang leader who made his heart pound. If he just so happened to run Itto he wouldn’t be upset. 

With his mind set Gorou set out the next day. Lady Yae was eagerly awaiting him at Yae Publishing House when he arrived. “I’m glad you stopped in. I was just getting a messenger ready to deliver the submissions to you. We’ve had a lot recently. Ms. Hina’s expertise is required!” 

Gorou waved his hand in dismissal as Lady Yae led him to a table with a stack of letters. He sat down and grabbed the first one trying to read it, but it seemed like the kitsune had other ideas. Lady Yae leaned against the desk, tilting her head towards Gorou with an amused look on her face. “Say, have you gotten close with Arataki Itto?”

His tail stiffened at her question. “What do you mean? I hung out with him once outside of the meet and greet.” And now he visits me in my dreams. 

Lady Yae only shrugged. “I overheard him the other day while he was buying the newest issue of That’s Life talking about his new doggy general friend. Thought it might have been you.” 

Gorou’s face flushed. He tried to ignore her, lifting the paper up to cover his blush, but slim fingers pulled the page from his grasp. “Hey! I was trying to read that!”

Waving the paper lazily, Lady Yae gave Gorou an all-knowing smirk. “Seems like someone is just too shy to talk about their little crush.”

“It’s not just a little crush!” Gorou cried out. “I really like him!” He froze, realizing what he let slip. 

“Oh my!” Lady Yae gasped, too fake for Gorou’s liking. She was clearly having fun at Gorou’s expense. “Don’t tell me, was he that good of a kisser?”

“It was barely a peck,” Gorou mumbled. Not that he didn’t want to kiss Itto. He had grown very curious over what the other man would taste like. 

Lady Yae dropped the paper she was holding and pushed herself off the desk. “How cute. I did look over all the submissions for any duds or joke entries, and I think there’s one that’ll interest you.” She gave one last sly look before sauntering off to go bother another employee. Gorou let out a low growl as he grabbed the fallen paper and got to work.  

Time passed slowly as each submission started to wear Gorou out. Heavy eyelids made it almost impossible to stay focused, so Gorou looked for the one submission he was eager to read. Itto’s letters to Ms. Hina were always easy to spot. The paper was crumpled, ink spilt in the corners, messy writing, but lastly, it was always the large signature that stood out at the bottom of every letter. Gorou shuffled through the letters not seeing anything that looked vaguely like Itto’s personality dumped out on paper. 

He got up from his desk, wandering over to where Lady Yae was busy reading through a manuscript. “Lady Yae?”

“Hmm? What is it Gorou? Not looking for anything are you?” Lady Yae smiled innocently at him from where she sat. 

“There… wasn’t perhaps a letter from Arataki Itto with this batch of submissions, was there?”

Lady Yae looked at him, lips curling upwards into a smirk. Then, she tore her eyes away from him and returned to reading the manuscript. “When you’re done with the rest of the submissions you’ll get it.”

Gorou scanned her desk seeing a crumpled piece of paper with an ink blob in the corner. That was most certainly Itto’s letter! If he reached out his arm without her knowledge then maybe he could—

“I know how you’re going to react once you read it, so please finish the rest of the submissions or you won’t be paid this week,” Lady Yae said without looking up. Gorou’s tail flopped in disappointment, which only made the kitsune laugh. “Use that to motivate you to finish. Don’t think I didn’t see you almost dozing off over there.” 

“Yes, ma’am,” Gorou mumbled. 

He returned to his desk and looked at the stack of submissions still left to go through. Lady Yae was right, if he wanted to read Itto’s letter he had to make it through the rest of the entries. Determination burned through his body as Gorou threw himself back into work. Lines of ink blurred together as Gorou read and replied to each submission, giving out his best advice for each person. 

The work had completely consumed him that he didn’t even notice Lady Yae standing beside him until she whistled, startling him. His tail went rigid as he jumped in his seat. “You went through it much quicker than even I expected, but I guess that’s expected from a well-respected general!” 

Itto’s letter was placed in front of Gorou as Lady Yae grabbed the pile of completed work, looking over it briefly. “Seems good. You’re free to leave after you read your letter.”

Gorou raised a brow in confusion as Lady Yae flicked her wrist in a wave as she left him. Her odd behaviour slipped away from his mind as he stared down at the letter. Gorou was ready to give the oni the best advice he could! He scanned over the contents quickly, only to drop the paper in shock.

Picking it back up to reread the letter Gorou’s mind went completely blank.

Dear Ms. Hina,

Arataki Itto here! Lately, there’s been something troubling me. I’ve met someone who in the beginning I thought resembled you. I thought it was cool how you both looked similar, and then I realized you even have matching personalities! Whenever we meet he’s so kind to me. He even gives me these warm and fuzzy feelings inside when I think about him, which I’ve never felt before! Like who would have thought that a man like me who has experienced everything has never felt such pure and tender feelings! 

At first, I was curious because of how this person reminded me of you, but then I started to find out that we enjoyed the same things which made him even cooler in my eyes! The other day we spent an evening together and that’s when it hit me that I really enjoyed spending my time with him. There was a moment where he offered me some advice and I just thought to myself, Man I really like this guy. 

Whenever I look at him I get this urge to hug him and rub his head (he really likes head pets. It’s adorable!) It’s also sort of embarrassing to admit, but I wouldn’t mind finding out what it’d be like to kiss him! Don’t get me wrong, I’ll always treasure the fact that you were my first kiss Ms. Hina, but there’s something about this guy that just gets my heart racing like a spinning top!

Would it be so wrong to call these feelings love?

Anyways! Have a stellar day Ms. Hina! Me? I’ll be doing the same ole gang activities and having a blast!

Arataki 'The One and Oni' Itto

The letter shook in Gorou’s hands. This was about him. This was most definitely about him! Aratkati Itto liked him! Gorou sprang up from his chair in a state of urgency. He had to find Itto immediately!

Clinging tightly to the paper Gorou rushed out of the publishing house yelling out a hasty goodbye to the shocked employees. He had never acted so unprofessional before, but he didn’t care.

The sun was blinding as Gorou stepped foot outside. He shielded his eyes as he looked around. Where on Teyvat could Itto be? The oni stuck out like a sore thumb, but no matter how hard Gorou looked he couldn’t find the other man. It wasn’t until he was running down a back street that he caught a whiff of that sweet outdoorsy scent. 

Following it faithfully Gorou came to a grassy clearing where he finally saw those red horns he had come to love. Itto was— thankfully— alone. Head tilted back and eyes closed as he sat on the grass enjoying the sun's warmth. The slight gust of wind scattered sakura petals throughout the air. Others might have found Itto to be a hellish sight, but to Gorou, he was absolutely gorgeous. If only he had a kamera with him to preserve such a beautiful sight. 

Gorou watched as a petal landed in Itto’s hair. He walked over and plucked it out causing Itto to crack open one eye. When he saw Gorou standing over him a huge grin broke out across his face. “If it isn’t Mr. Doggy General Gorou! My man! What brings you here?”

“I have a confession to make,” Gorou announced as he fell to his knees beside Itto. 

The oni raised a brow in confusion but remained silent to let Gorou speak. 

Gorou shifted as he prepared himself, tail lowered and moving in short and swift successions. “When we met you said I resemble Ms. Hina, which is true to an extent because… I am her.”

Gorou took a chance and looked at Itto whose face was unreadable so he continued before his nerves got to him. “After the Vision Hunt Decree ended Lady Yae, uh the Pink Fox Lady, reached out to me and asked if I wanted to do an advice column for That’s Life magazine. I agreed not realizing she had already created this Ms. Hina persona. I never wanted to hide that from you… I’m more just embarrassed over the fact that I’m not this sexy columnist, I’m just someone who is good at listening to others. I’m sorry for deceiving you.” 

Itto’s eyes trailed down Gorou’s body until they stopped at his hands where Gorou was still firmly holding onto the letter. “So… you read my letter. In fact, you read all my letters…”

Gorou looked down, ashamed. “Yes.”

“And that means… you were my first kiss.”

“Yes. I’m still terribly sorry for that. I’m not used to wearing a kimono.”

“And that letter you’re holding… is the letter where I…”

“Yes. But that’s the thing!” Gorou’s courage returned and he whipped his head up to look at Itto again. The oni’s sight was dead set on the letter, so Gorou reached out and grabbed his face with his hands. The letter pressed into Itto’s cheek as Gorou forced the other man to look at him. He had to be direct and get his feelings across. “Arataki Itto, I love you.”

Gorou was met with silence, which only made words stumble out of his mouth at an alarming rate. “I read your letter and ran here from the publishing house. I always thought it was just going to be a one sided crush since it seemed like you were more into Ms. Hina than me and I—”

His words were cut off as chapped lips pressed against his. Gorou let out a small gasp as Itto pulled away— the ghost of his touch burning Gorou’s skin. 

“Ms. Hina, what advice would you give me based on my letter?” Itto asked. 

A small smile slowly broke out across Gorou’s face. “I think what you’re feeling is most definitely love.”

“If that’s the case then should I tell the person I love how I feel?”

Gorou’s heart was in this throat. “Yes.”

Itto closed his eyes for a moment before opening them to stare directly at Gorou. “Mr. Dogg— Gorou. I love you.”

It was Gorou who initiated their next kiss— this time on purpose. His arms wrapped around the other man’s head, fingers threading through thick hair as their lips met. There were no fireworks like Gorou was expecting, but perhaps he had read too many light novels that Lady Yae had pawned off on him. It was clumsy, wet, and very far from a romantic kiss. But to Gorou it was perfect. 

Itto’s letter fell from Gorou’s grasp unnoticed as the pair continued to kiss. Itto’s hands went to Gorou’s waist, pulling him onto the oni’s lap. Gorou noticed his tail moving at an ungodly speed, but he had no intention of calming it down, too busy focusing on Itto’s tongue, which had slipped inside his mouth. Itto tasted like candy, and Gorou couldn’t get enough of it. Small whimpers were coaxed out of Gorou as Itto’s tongue trailed across his teeth. 

Gorou’s body trembled with pleasure when large hands slid down his back, nails dragging along his skin. He pressed himself closer to Itto wanting all space between them gone. A laugh came from Itto as he smiled against Gorou’s lips. “Who would have thought you’d be so needy.”

“Only with you,” Gorou replied as he captured Itto’s lips again. 

Each kiss was better than the last. At one point Itto broke away to trail kisses down Gorou’s neck only to be stopped by his armour’s high neckline. It didn’t stop Itto. He just focused on the skin above the armour, sucking and licking while Gorou fell apart at his touch. It was everything Gorou wanted and more. The dreams he had of kissing Itto dulled compared to the real thing. Itto’s warmth surrounded him with each touch against Gorou’s skin leaving him tingling. 

When they finally parted their breaths were both ragged and their chests heaved. Itto pressed their foreheads together, eyes still closed. If Gorou could have frozen time in that exact moment he would have. 

When he’d heard the news that the Vision Hunt Decree was over, Gorou felt a numbing sense of relief. Around him, people cheered and celebrated, and all Gorou wanted to do was drop his weapon and cry. It was supposed to be a joyous moment, but he wasn’t able to celebrate it until later. But at that moment, being held in Itto’s arms, Gorou had never been happier. 

“Hey Itto,” Gorou whispered, breaking the silence between them. “I know what I want to call you now.” 

Itto let out a small hum as he moved his head to kiss Gorou’s cheeks. “Oh? And what great name are you going to bestow upon me?”

“I want to call you mine.”

Itto pulled away to look at Gorou with sparkling eyes. “That’s the best name I’ve ever heard. Arataki ‘Gorou’s One and Oni Lover’ Itto!” His hand lifted from Gorou’s back and rubbed his head. 

Gorou’s chest swelled with happiness as he threw himself at Itto for a hug. He was undoubtedly in love with this man.

And he wouldn’t want it any other way.

Dear Ms. Hina,

It’s me! Arataki Itto! Just wanted to say thanks for all your help! I told the guy I like how I feel and things worked out! I don’t really have anything to ask, but I just wanted to write in to brag about how cool my partner is!

He’s a general in the Watatsumi Army and fought against the Vision Hunt Decree! (If I still had my vision I would have totally helped him) He’s kind, considerate, and a really good listener. Let’s not forget about his tail! It’s adorable how reactive it is! I always get a crack out of watching him panic when his tail gives away his feelings. It makes me want to kiss him whenever it happens! 

But I truly think I found someone who’ll love and appreciate me for who I am. I hope I can be good to him!

Thanks for everything, Ms. Hina!

Arataki 'Fresh Off The Market' Itto

P.S. I know it’s you Gorou. I just felt like I owe Ms. Hina my thanks for bringing us together!

P.P.S. I love you! 

Dear Arataki Itto,

Congratulations on finding someone special. Make sure to treasure him and he’ll do the same in return. 

Regards, 

Ms. Hina (aka your boyfriend Gorou)

P.S. I love you too.