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Atsushi has been shunned by other humans from a very young age.
His white hair and oddly colored eyes alienated him from other humans, who whispered that there was something unnatural in him, perhaps distant yokai heritage.
Freak. Other children gossiped about him after turning him away when he hoped to join them.
Dangerous. Adults whispered in the market when he was walking by.
Monster. The village called him when a passerby happened to ask who lived in the half-decrapped house on the edge of the village.
You shouldn't have been born. What every one of them thought, and he could feel it in their glances.
Despite the nasty glares and grumbles not to linger, Atsushi settled into a more-or-less peaceful life. As much as people resented him, they seemed to be afraid of him as well, so beatings weren't something he had to weather too often.
His house was quite cold, food sparse and loneliness could get almost suffocating, but Atsushi was content with this life. He cherished warmth from a blanket he made out of shed sheep wool, smiled when he got to sleep after a nice dinner, flipped through the little collection of books he managed to acquire - he clawed to each nice moment in his life like it was his little personal victory.
They didn't want him to be born, they wanted him dead, but he lived anyway! That defiance burned in Nakajima hot enough to keep him warm in the coldest of seasons.
However, his peaceful life didn't last long.
On his trip to the river, Atsushi had heard that a new yokai had made his home at the nearby mountain. A powerful one, too. Atsushi liked to go to the mountain - the flowers there were beautiful in the early spring, and Atsushi used to care for wild sheep there, but he had made a mental note to stay away from the place now. Despite people's whispers about him, Atsushi has never encountered or spoken to any yokai. He had known of them from stories and one of the books he happened to lay his hands on, and from that he had gathered enough to know to never cross their path.
Alas, he wasn't given a choice.
He woke up in the middle of the night to the dark faces of the villagers and ropes around his torso and legs.
“We need to appease the Sheep King so he lets our village continue to thrive.”
Atsushi screamed until he was gagged, wringled until his bonds were tightened, but never stopped resisting the whole way to the mountain. The villagers weren't moved - they looked at him with cold eyes, as if he was not a fellow human but a cattle for slaughter that they were making him.
“O great Sheep King, please accept this gift as a sign of our good will, let us continue to inhabit these lands and protect us from misfortunes!”
After that call the villagers had dropped Atsushi in front of the mountain path, scattering back into the forest. He tried to wiggle out of his bonds, to roll away, but it was hopeless - he has been fighting for so long he had no strength left. There was hope that the yokai did not exist, the villagers were wrong - maybe, by the time the sun rises, Atsushi could make it out and flee, run from the mountain and the village and seek new life…
Of course he wasn't that lucky.
“A gift, eh?”
Atsushi froze once he heard a booming voice, followed by a figure descending on the path.
It was no doubt the yokai, even though his appearance was almost entirely human - quite a small stature but well defined muscles, waves of bright red hair, piercing blue eyes - he could almost effortlessly pass as a beautiful human if not for tall pointy black horns that grew red at the tips. He was dressed quite cleanly, a black top that exposed a bandaged midriff, a fancy-looking shoulder pad, gloves that brought out his black nails, long pants held with red cloth, gold accents making the clothing look expensive.
Oni. Atsushi gulped, remembering the description in the book. They were described to be taller than even the tallest of trees, and despite the yokai’s height (Atsushi couldn't tell sitting on the dirt like that, but he was pretty sure he was taller) Nakajima had no doubts about it. Violent demons gifted with great strength, bringers of disaster…
Definitely eat humans.
Atsushi swallowed.
“Dumb humans.” The yokai sighed in a rough, but surprisingly pleasant voice. “Couldn't even bring me booze? A scrawny shrimp, really? You'll hardly make a snack.”
Nakajima tensed with his whole body, feeling sweat stream down the back of his neck. The oni regarded him with an unimpressed stare, and Atsushi could already feel those teeth dig into his flesh as the yokai ate him whole.
No, no, I don't want to die! Think, Atsushi, think!
He whined around his gag, making the oni furrow his eyebrows at him.
“What, you wanna say something?”
Atsushi has read about yokai - right now the information was mostly one huge lump in his head, he didn't remember what was what, but he had to do something, and fast-
The oni pulled a gag out of Atsushi's mouth, and as soon as he could, he shouted:
“Please make me your wife!”
The yokai's mouth fell open, a bottle of what Atsushi presumed was some kind of alcohol tumbling out of his hands.
Yokai liked to take human lovers, right? Atsushi mostly recalled it happening to beautiful women, but he had to try something if he wanted to survive. Serving a demon wasn't how he wanted to spend his life, but currently his priority was to ensure he wouldn't end up as dinner.
The yokai was still yet to say anything.
“Please?..” Atsushi repeated, looking up at the oni’s face. He wasn't sure what he expected, but this wasn't it - yokai’s face was almost as red as his hair, blush climbing all the way down his neck. His still half-open lips were trembling, wide eyes staring down at Atsushi as if he had grown a second head.
“A- You- You want to… m-marry?..” His powerful voice suddenly sounded unsure, dare he say shy as the yokai hid his face behind the palm of his hand. It seems he was having trouble looking at Atsushi, his sky-blue eyes constantly jumping from him to the side.
It didn't seem like the oni has expected that, which was good for Atsushi.
“Yes! Let's get married! I will take good care of you!” His voice grew louder again and he nodded enthusiastically. The yokai let out another squeak, hiding his burning face in his hands and turning away. He took a few breaths, seemingly calming down before turning back to Atsushi, his face stern but cheeks still red.
“You human and your audacity! You think you can just ask to be my s-spouse? You said wife- you don't even look like a woman! I've seen humans, I'm not stupid!” He crouched in front of Atsushi, making him hold his breath. “If you want to get married, you have to prove that you're worthy, or I'll throw you down the mountain! You got it?”
“Y-y-yes…” He swallowed a relieved sigh. “I’ll be the best spouse, I promise!”
The oni almost choked on his breath, looking to the side again.
“You better…” He muttered before his hands reached forwards - Atsushi braced for something, not even sure for what, but the yokai pulled the ropes apart with his bare hands before standing up. “Come, I'll show you where I reside.”
Trying not to tremble, Atsushi got up to his legs, following the oni to what he hoped wasn't his doom. The climb to the mountain wasn't that hard - there was a barely-there road, and adrenaline fueled Atsushi's tired legs just enough to get to their destination.
The yokai’s house turned out to be a cave.
It wasn't bad - it was deep enough for rain and wind not to disturb them, but still mostly rock. The oni didn't seem to mind sleeping on cold, hard stone, but Atsushi really felt it in the morning.
“You sure sleep long, human.” He was startled to awakeness when the yokai's voice echoed through the cave, followed by approaching footsteps. Atsushi could see the sun rays pour through the distant cave entrance, too far to illuminate the inside, but then the demon snapped his fingers, making a small fire appear. He gasped in surprise, bristling for impact, but the little flame stayed afloat, illuminating the surroundings in a deep red glow.
“S-sorry, my… king?..” Atsushi stuttered. The villagers called him a king, right? Is that how he should address the oni?
Judging by the face the demon made, he was wrong.
“Don't call me that.” He spat in disgust, and Atsushi bristled in fear.
“Sorry, forgive me, h-how should I address you?..” He hurried to fix his mistake.
“Chuuya.”
“Chuuya…” That sounded like an ordinary name. Right, Atsushi didn't even introduce himself, just jumped straight up into proposing. “Okay, Chuuya. I'm Atsushi.”
Chuuya hummed before crouching, his blue eyes staring into his.
“Well, Atsushi…” He leaned closer, scanning his features, and Atsushi felt the tremble of anxiety pool inside his chest once more. “How exactly are you planning to be my spouse?”
We’re already at this stage… He took a deep breath. He had hoped the yokai would put off the consummation talk, maybe even be uninterested in this sort of thing, but it seemed that it was inevitable. You can get through this, Atsushi.
“I- I am inexperienced in this matter, but I'll do my best to pleasure you!” He rushed out before his voice could tremble and give away his complete uncertainty. To prove his point his hands shot out, clinging to the oni’s exposed midriff, feeling the hot skin even through a lair of bandages.
Chuuya made a squeaking noise so loud it bounced off the cave walls before the yokai shoot back from Atsushi so fast he couldn't even stand on his legs, crawling backwards.
“WAITWAITWAITWAIT-” The oni almost wheezed, the redness on his face having nothing to do with the lighting the red fire cast onto them. “Don't- d-don’t- I'm not… ready yet…” His voice grew quiet before he shouted again. “We can't just jump straight into!!... Straight into!!!... Straight into s-s-s-ssse- youknowwhatimean!!”
“Oh…” Atsushi's own face grew warmer. It seems he has (thankfully) misjudged the situation, which gave him some sense of relief mixed with a bit of embarrassment. “Sorry… do you want to, um, have breakfast?..”
“Yes. Yes! Now you're talking sense…” The demon mumbled, jumping to his legs and dusting himself off in an attempt to regain his composure.
The beginning of Atsushi's stay was tough - the human was a poor hunter, especially considering the lack of any tools to help him. He knew where to gather some fruits and edible herbs, though Chuuya unsurprisingly preferred meat. Watching Atsushi's sad attempt at hunting, the demon quickly insisted he'll handle it. He was content with eating the meat raw - something that Atsushi refused to do and had hard time even watching, so he decided to take on cooking.
“Is your fire like ordinary fire?” He asked, skeptically staring at the campfire of red dancing flames. It produced light and induced heat (the oni furrowed his eyebrows when Atsushi requested fire to be lit overnight, but let it be, making the cold cave a bit more bearable), but there was no smoke or kindling.
“No. Its magic.” Chuuya replied as if Atsushi asked something completely stupid.
“Can it cook food, or spread over the forest?”
“Probably.”
Impeccable conversation. Atsushi suppressed a wince before testing the waters, or, in this case, the fires. The flame seemed to jump onto a stick he put in, so Atsushi carefully arranged food to be cooked.
“Huh, so that's how humans do it? I've seen them leave this weird food before, but I didn't know it was supposed to be warm.” Chuuya said, munching on the meat. Atsushi felt a little bit of relief - proving his usefulness in anything meant more time to live, and perhaps more time to plan his escape.
He watched how Chuuya busied himself, which was easy, since he insisted that Atsushi should go almost everywhere with him - he spent a lot of time hunting, and aside for that he scaled the highest of trees and threw bigger and bigger boulders around, seemingly putting his own strength to a test. Once they ran into a satori - Atsushi remembered rumors about a hairy yokai snatching a cow from the village, and Chuuya wasted no time brawling with the ape-like creature. When the oni asked if Atsushi could cook it, he refused.
He didn't do just cooking - he suggested washing the demon's clothes, to which the demon turned red again, mumbling about how insistent Atsushi was before refusing. He did let Nakajima polish his shoulder pad, as well as big golden rings he wore around his wrists that turned out to be way more heavy than they looked.
Little by little, Atsushi had also started making the cave they stayed in more lively. He skinned the animals Chuuya hunted, pelts making softer bed to sleep on than the harsh cold rock, built a campfire circle so the oni’s fire didn't ominously hover in the middle of the cave, even just collected nice-smelling and pretty flowers.
Considering the yokai didn't let Atsushi step far, he was also Atsushi's only company. At first Nakajima felt too intimidated to initiate any kind of small talk, and Chuuya seemed reluctant to chat, either. However, the human would notice the looks the oni kept throwing his way. His eyes strayed the moment he noticed Atsushi was looking, but he said nothing.
Sometimes, usually when the weather was poor, Chuuya would tell Atsushi to stay in the cave and went out alone. On those days he brought offerings the other humans left for him.
There were no other humans sacrificed. At least not to Atsushi's knowledge. Perhaps that's why the yokai went out alone…
“What's this for?” Chuuya asked, rotating a silver coin in front of his eyes. Usually the offering he returned with consisted of food and alcohol - the earlier of which he shared with Atsushi, while hoarding the later for himself. “Humans always leave me these circles - is it some kind of human delicacy? Do humans eat shiny rocks?”
“No, no, these are coins. Money. Currency exchange.” The more words Atsushi said, the deeper Chuuya frowned. “Humans use these to barter. We exchange these for all kinds of things like food, animals, pretty stuff others make…”
“And why do they think I need these?” The yokai lifted an eyebrow, throwing the coin up and letting it spin before catching it. “If I want something, I just take it.”
“Well, that's how we live in peace…” Atsushi nervously gulped. “Money is a big deal for humans, so that's how they are trying to show you their respect.”
“With this useless junk? Humans are weird.” He closely examined the coin once more before offering it to Atsushi. “You want it?”
“I, um, don't really have a use for it right now… unless you let me walk to the village…” He said probingly, carefully looking at the oni’s reaction.
Chuuya quickly pulled his hand back, clenching the coin in his fist.
“No.” Was all he said, turning away and wandering towards the entrance. Atsushi nervously swallowed. Well, that attempt failed. The yokai was quick to decline, but at least he didn't look angry.
Later that day, when Atsushi was turning a fish he was making for dinner over the fire, Chuuya cleared his throat.
“Do you… want anything?”
“Hm?” Atsushi hummed in question, looking up at the yokai. Chuuya was nervously fidgeting with the cloth of his belt.
“I don't really know what humans need, so…” His eyes finally met Atsushi's, icy blue reflecting bright red flames. “Do you need anything?”
“Um…” Atsushi was touched, truly, but also didn't know how much he could ask for. What if the oni deems him too needy and disposes of him? Though, Chuuya was looking at him so intently, hanging on every word… Still, better take slow steps. “I’m happy with what we have here, but, ugh… Some more clothes would be nice…” Considering he was kidnapped at night, not only he had one set of clothes, those clothes haven't been very outside-appropriate. He didn't even have shoes on.
“Clothes?” Chuuya looked him up and down. “But you look pretty like this already.”
Atsushi's eyes widened. The yokai continued to stare at him like what he said was obvious.
Nakajima was never called pretty before, so it was odd to hear Chuuya say it so simply. Especially like Atsushi was right now, in the dirty half-ripped shirt and sad-looking shorts.
“Ah, t-thank you, but it would be nice to have more change of clothing so I could wear something more clean. And warm, too…” He mumbled, trailing off in uncertainty.
The yokai hummed.
“Clothes. Okay.” Chuuya nodded, furrowing his eyebrows in a thoughtful expression before clapping his hands. “Are you cold right now? I can take off my clothes and-”
“ Nonono, I'm fine, I'm fine!” Atsushi waved his hands, feeling his cheeks redden. “You can keep your clothes, it's alright, the fire’s warm enough-” It wasn't, but Atsushi wasn't about to make the oni undress.
“If you say so…” The yokai sat back, looking anywhere but Atsushi once more.
He didn't expect the yokai to bring him new clothes the next day.
“Please tell me you didn't steal these…” Atsushi mumbles, cautiously picking up a purple kimono that looked to be made for a woman.
Chuuya huffed, crossing his arms.
“Of course not! I took them from a house!”
“Did anyone live in that house?..”
“No one stopped me!”
Atsushi let out a sigh, placing the kimono down.
“Please return them. I'll be fine as is.” He wasn't sure what he expected when he asked the yokai for clothes in the first place - not like he could conjure them out of thin air. Even if he could, like he did with fire, he was certainly holding himself back for now.
“What?! You said you wanted clothes, and now you're saying you're fine?” Chuuya’s voice grew louder, fists clenching.
“If I can afford it, I don't want to take something from people that they worked for…” Atsushi said, nervous sweat trailing down his neck. The yokai pursed his lips before in a sharp motion grabbing the clothes and stomping away.
I made him angry. Atsushi bit his lip. Is he going to kill me now? Throw me down the mountain?
Chuuya did neither. He just returned with a new set of clothes.
“Here!” He shoved what looked to be a black kimono right in Atsushi's hands. “I didn't take these, I was given these!”
“Huh? By who?”
“Humans! I just dropped all those coin things I had in front of them and they gave it to me!”
“Oh. Okay…” Atsushi wondered just how much money Chuuya had, but he didn’t feel as bad now. He held the clothes closer to himself, smiling. “Thank you so much, Chuuya. You didn't have to go through so much trouble.”
The oni’s mouth opened and quickly closed, cheeks growing darker before he smirked, muttering under his breath. “Of course! There's nothing that I can't get for you! And if…” His voice grew quieter. “...if I'm going to be your husband, I have to take good care of you.”
Atsushi inhaled sharply, feeling his heartbeat quicken. When he first proposed the idea (more like said first thing on his panicked mind) of marriage, he expected that the yokai would treat him more like a slave, demanding his every whim to be met or playing with Atsushi like a doll… But here Chuuya was, trying to reciprocate some care. He had a bit of a clumsy way of going about it, but Atsushi knew he wasn't imagining a satisfied look on the oni’s face when he put on the new clothes, finally feeling comfortable, and thanked Chuuya once more.
A few days later, Chuuya brought him more clothes. A lot more clothes.
“This is all they left me! No booze!” He threw the clothes on the ground in front of Atsushi. The human blinked at the huge pile before realization hit him.
“Oooh…” He couldn't suppress a chuckle, which made the oni hone his attention on him. Under his angry gaze, Atsushi quickly wiped a smile off his face and cleared his throat before speaking. “You see, because you offered people- er, other humans so much money for the clothes you got for me, I think that they thought that if they offer you more clothes, you'll bless them with more money…”
The corner of Chuuya's eye twitched before he erupted. “What?! That's so stupid! Why do they think I have money? What am I gonna do with all of this?! Agh!” He kicked the side of the cave, making a crater of cracks on the stone wall that made Atsushi flinch.
“Sorry...” He quietly murmured, but the demon had heard him, whipping his head to look at his curled up form.
“Huh? Why are you apologizing?” The yokai’s voice was still loud but less heated.
“If I didn't ask you for those clothes, that wouldn't have happened…” Atsushi tugged at the edge of his kimono, feeling regretful.
Chuuya furrowed his eyebrows, taking a long look at Nakajima before stepping closer and crouching in front of him.
“Humans sure are stupid.” He muttered under his breath before placing his hand on Atsushi's head. The human bristled, expecting to be punished, beaten, torn apart- but Chuuya’s fingers glided over his hair with gentleness he didn't know demons were capable of. His other hand gripped Atsushi's chin, lifting his head until their eyes met. “I know my human is better than the rest, so don't go saying stupid things like that again, okay?”
For a moment Atsushi could only stare into his eyes, stunned, until his brain registered that the yokai was waiting for an answer. He made a vaguely agreeable noise and Chuuya nodded, pulling his hands back and looking down at the pile of clothes between them.
“At least this is better than getting those money things.” He said with a sigh. “You can keep them.”
I wouldn't say no to the money. Atsushi didn't say, but smiled nonetheless.
“Thank you.”
Seeing the yokai try taking care of Atsushi made his fear of him dissipate. Sure, the way Chuuya could effortlessly turn a boulder into dust freaked him out a bit, but whenever the oni had touched him it was as if he was touching a butterfly, soft and careful.
Chuuya began talking more to him, too - he boasted about creatures he took down (apparently he managed to slay an entire dragon, a story that had Atsushi gape at him while the yokai almost sparkled with pride), the lands he had traveled (he left his last home after the village he lived by expanded and grew into a whole city - it grew too busy for his taste, and he wasn't the kind of yokai who wanted to live in a shrine and be worshipped), the antics of other humans and yokai he had witnessed (he held a grudge against a pesky kitsune, but never elaborated, despite often bringing up the nasty tricky fox in his stories) - and the more they talked, the more Atsushi grew to like his company. Chuuya seemed to find his stories interesting too, even though Nakajima's life was pretty boring before he was chosen as a sacrificial lamb. The oni was pretty entertained when Atsushi explained to him trivial human things that were difficult for the yokai to grasp. Atsushi also told him some of the stories he read in the books, passingly mentioning how reading was one of the only things that made him happy, and next day Chuuya has returned with more books than Atsushi has ever seen in his life.
“I'm not sure how all that stuff you told me fits in a small slab, but here!”
Nakajima's jaw almost dropped. Going from four and a half books he used to reread in his home to almost an entire library felt like a dream. Even just sorting through them made him giddy. At first he read them before telling Chuuya the stories they told, but before long they spent cozy evenings sittig side-by-side while Atsushi read out loud and the yokai listened.
Books weren't the only thing Chuuya brought for him - he gifted Atsushi all sorts of things. Pillows and blankets, all kinds of silverware, shiny stones he apparently found himself when he spent his mornings training his strength by wracking a mountain, wooden statues, even flowers. There was hardly a day Atsushi woke up without yokai excitedly waiting to present him with something new. Nakajima truly felt spoiled, but he suspected by the way Chuuya smiled every time the human thanked him that the yokai was even more happy in those moments.
Chuuya started smiling more and more around him, Atsushi noticed. It wasn't the only thing he noticed - he wasn't sure at first, but with each passing day it became clearer. Chuuya said oni were loners, and yet there was something about the way he had clinged to Atsushi's proposal of marriage, proposal of care and company. He claimed to hate the noise, other yokai, the curious kinds of humans who seeked out yokai for blessings or fights, but he jumped on the opportunity to have Atsushi around the moment he expressed interest in him.
He must've been lonely for a very long time.
There was a reason why Chuuya brought him around and was afraid to let go, even if Atsushi wasn't intended to leave.
He wasn't intended to leave.
He didn't know when his life shifted from planning an escape to planning the next dinner and picking a book he'd read with Chuuya, but Atsushi felt… content. If his life back in the village felt more like survival, his life with Chuuya felt like actual living.
He never imagined he'd build a life with a yokai, but he couldn't complain, especially when Chuuya loosened up a bit and let him walk alone past the river he bathed in. He knew the yokai must've been afraid of him returning to humans, but Atsushi didn't wish to see any himself. He had Chuuya, books and occasional sheep that wandered into the cave.
“Is that why they call you King of the Sheep?”
“Beats me.” Chuuya shrugged, patting another sheep that nuzzled into his hand. “It’s not like I actually look over them or anything, I just don't kick them off the mountain.”
Atsushi turned away, hiding a smile - despite his words, he had seen how much Chuuya liked animals. He didn't have qualms hunting them, but he also spent plenty of time chasing mooses for fun or pointing out colorful birds for Atsushi.
“You're very kind.”
The human had said it without thinking, a soft smile painting his lips as he looked at Chuuya. The yokai's eyes widened, body bristling.
“Kind?! I'm an oni! We wreak havoc and punish sinners!” He exclaimed incredulously all while the sheep kept nudging his side.
“Well, I believe you're kind. You moved here but never scared local humans, don't demand offerings and don't punish them if you don't like the ones they do give you, and you listened to me when I asked you to leave them money or gemstones for the things you bring me. You treat animals nicely, and… well, you've been taking a really good care of me.” Atsushi couldn't help but melt into another smile. “Thank you, Chuuya.”
“I… You…..” The demon hid his face behind his hands before letting out. “You're the strangest human I know!” He shook his head, muttering under his breath. “No wonder you were so eager to get married…”
Atsushi's cheeks flushed. Sometimes he forgot that Chuuya thought he wanted to get married. He spent most of their time together trying to stay on the oni’s good side, and now…
Could we actually be together? Even thinking about it made Atsushi's face burn and heart rate spike up. They were both men, or at least Chuuya appeared and behaved as one… Did he have some alternate demon form, or did he always look like this?
He's very handsome… He threw careful looks in Chuuya's direction. His bright orange hair shined in the sun, muscles of his forearms bare, red marks underlining his eyes bringing out the sharp blue… If he was a human, women would flock to him…
And even though Atsushi wasn't a woman, he couldn't deny that he was attracted to him.
Did the oni find him attractive? He had called Atsushi ‘pretty’ in the past, but he wasn't sure if he meant it… Was beauty different by yokai standards? Chuuya seemed to like strength, and Atsushi was very much a weakling… and even as a spouse he didn't pull much weight in their arrangement. Chuuya took such good care of him, and Atsushi wanted to pay him back somewhat.
Atsushi decided to carve him a small shrine - most of the villagers left their offerings at the foot of the mountain, but the places tended to change, which made Chuuya irritated. When the yokai caught on what he was doing, he insisted on helping - at first Atsushi tried to refuse (it was supposed to be a gift!), but the oni was as stubborn as a mountain they lived on.
“I hope this won't give them an idea that I'm gonna do their bidding just ‘cuz they leave me a cabbage or two.” Chuuya grumbled when they were putting the whole thing together, about as tall as their knees.
“People are grateful you're not harming them.” Atsushi tried to explain in a way that wouldn't offend the yokai. “And as long as you live here, no other creature can come here and ruin the land.”
“Damn right. This is our territory.”
Our territory. Atsushi felt his cheeks redden.
“This will also signify that.” He said, looking down at the shrine instead of looking at Chuuya.
“That's true.” The oni said with a smile, bumping Atsushi's arm and making him look up just in time to see his dazzling smirk. “Thank you.”
The human blushed further. Carefully, he caught Chuuya's hand, slipping their fingers together. The yokai made a stiff noise, his whole body freezing, but before Atsushi could pull back he felt Chuuya give his hand a light squeeze in return.
They stood like that for awkwardly long time, both unwilling to let go.
Touching between them was… slow. Chuuya rarely initiated, so that burden fell upon Atsushi - as if he knew what to do! But the fact that the oni never seemed to mind his touch gave him the burst of confidence to overcome his shyness and reach out. Chuuya always turned red when Atsushi touched his hand, whatever words he had in his mouth dying down and eyes firmly glued to the ground as he curled his fingers around the human’s. After a while his nervousness seemed to melt like ice, and he carried on, only lightly stuttering each time Atsushi squeezed their hands.
Once autumn grew colder, Atsushi shyly suggested that Chuuya could join him under the blanket for warmth. The yokai didn't appear to feel cold, but Nakajima thought that it would be nice if they sat a little bit closer instead of being separated by a campfire. Chuuya agreed, even though he was stiff as a rock when Atsushi threw a blanket over his shoulder and lightly hugged his arm. The yokai's body was perpetually warm, which felt perfect on a windy autumn night.
Slowly Chuuya relaxed, and they grew closer - the yokai leaned on him when Atsushi read for him or taught him how to read, hugged him whenever the human shivered, and a couple of times they even fell asleep together. Chuuya would always pretend he woke up just as Atsushi did, even though the human knew that he needed much more sleep than the yokai. He let him pretend, snuggling into his chest with a pleased hum.
And then the winter came.
Atsushi thought his little sad house in the village must've laid in ruins now under the force of ferocious winds and weight of endless snow that the winter has brought this year. However, his and Chuuya's little cave stayed warm.
Chuuya pushed a huge boulder to shield the entrance, leaving enough space for Atsushi to worm his way outside in case he felt claustrophobic. However, this wasn't an issue - Atsushi felt content in the cave, sitting in the nest of blankets and pillows Chuuya had brought for him.
“Humans are leaving a lot of stuff.” The yokai mumbled, plopping a basket of vegetables in front of Atsushi before climbing under the blanket to join his side. Nakajima gently guided his head on his shoulder, careful with the horns.
“They probably think your wrath is causing the blizzard.” He hummed thoughtfully, basking in the yokai's warmth.
Chuuya scoffed. “Why? It's not like I like it, either! They should fear that I may turn the mountain to dust. Which I won't do, because I live here.”
Atsushi snorted.
Despite Chuuya fretting for Atsushi's health, he insisted on going outside on a day the blizzard cleared up. It was meant to be a calm walk down the mountain to check the shrine, something they did together when the weather was nice and they had food at home. Atsushi thought the poor shrine might be buried under the snow by now and could use some cleaning.
He was mistaken - the are around the shrine was shoveled from excess snow, another offering laid before it.
It was a girl, tied up and shivering on the cold ground.
“Another one? Tch.” Chuuya sighed as if this was a minor inconvenience. Atsushi, who froze upon the sight, rigidly turned his head towards the yokai.
“Another?..” A viscous feeling of fear made his chest tighten. “How many humans got offered to you?..”
“You were the last one.” The oni shrugged, making Atsushi feel a bit lighter. The feeling didn't last, because he spoke further. “I don't know why they think I need another human since I have you. I guess they ran out of other food to offer.”
Atsushi's throat felt dry.
“Am I still… just a meal for you?”
“Huh? No. You're my- my- my lov…… my human.” The yokai stuttered, his face turning red, which something Atsushi always thought was adorable. He felt too jaded right now to think so.
“Then why would you call her that?..”
Chuuya looked at him, assessing his desperate face and broken voice, eyebrows furrowed in confusion.
“Do you really only see her as food?”
“It’s an offering.” The yokai said matter-of-fact, staring at Atsushi like he was trying to decipher why the human was acting like that. “Do you think I'd take another wife when I have you?”
“No-”
“Then what else am I supposed to do with a human?”
“Let her go!”
Chuuya opened his mouth to respond, but no words has left him. Atsushi didn't wait for his answer - he quickly walked past him and kneeled in front of the girl. She looked at him with wide, tears-filled eyes. A weak whine left her gagged mouth - Atsushi didn't know how long she's been out in the cold, but her skin was barely warm.
“Please, hold on just a little bit longer.” Atsushi said as softly as he could, pulling ropes off of the girl before shaking off his haori to wrap it around her shoulders. “I'll get you back to the village.”
“P… ple….. ase…” She managed a broken whisper. Atsushi helped her on her feet, but she could barely stand, so he decided to lift her in his arms. Scooping her up, Nakajima made sure she was stable and made his way towards the village.
Chuuya didn't follow him.
The village streets were empty, people hiding in their homes from the harsh weather. The girl managed to point to her house before finally succumbing to sleep, something that scared Atsushi. He rushed her inside, lighting the fire in a small fireplace. So used to magical fire Chuuya could wield, it felt odd to sit in front of ordinary flame, but that thought, like every other thought of the yokai, was a dull ache in the back of his mind. For now, he had more important things to worry about.
It took a couple of weeks, but the girl - Kyouka - has recovered from the sickness that followed after her time in the cold.
“I remember you.” She told him once she had enough strength to speak. “You used to live on the outskirts. Everyone thought the demon had eaten you.”
“No, he didn't…” Atsushi sighed. “He took care of me.”
“I didn't think he did, either. He came here sometimes to trade things. A lot of merchants feared him, but not my parents. He was always loud, but I didn't think he was evil.” Kyouka said calmly. She always sounded surprisingly calm. “My parents went out before the blizzard began and didn't return. Later, they were found dead in an avalanche.” Atsushi's heart squeezed in sympathy, but she kept talking. “The others had said that the oni called on the blizzard to bury them because they made him angry. They said that, unless he gets my life, too, his anger won't be quelched.”
Atsushi felt sick.
“It's not true. Chu- Umh, the oni cannot cause blizzards. And he doesn't hunt humans.” Their last conversation left a bitter taste in his mouth, but Atsushi knew that Chuuya never went out of his way to hurt other people, at least ever since Atsushi started living with him.
“I believe you.” Kyouka gave him a small, but genuine smile. Atsushi smiled back.
Since he had spent so much time looking after Kyouka, other villagers had already seen him. They looked at him as if he was a ghost, and Atsushi had ignored their heavy stares. He had nothing to tell them.
“I'll travel to live with my aunt.” Kyouka said once she was completely healthy. “You can come with me.”
“No, thank you.” Atsushi felt warmth bloom in his chest at her offer, but he had a home to return to. “I'll go back to the mountain.”
Bidding Kyouka farewell, Atsushi had made a familiar journey back to the cave. He felt very anxious - he had not seen Chuuya even once during these three weeks, and a part of him feared that the yokai has decided that he was not worth the trouble. He was scared to walk into their cave and see it in dissaray, perhaps his bed torn and books in pieces after the oni had destroyed every reminder of Atsushi. But his biggest fear was to find the cave empty, the yokai long gone, leaving Atsushi once again alone in this world after they parted ways in a sour, bitter way.
Out of breath and his heart heavy, Atsushi had walked into the cave.
It was dark, making Atsushi fear the worst, but, as he stepped inside, he could make out a figure. Chuuya laid on Atsushi's bed, curled up around his pillow, bottles of alcohol and some books they used to read together strewn around.
“Chuuya?” Hesitantly, he called out. At the sound of his name the oni stirred, but didn't get up or even turn. Atsushi walked closer. “Chuuya!”
At that the yokai shot upwards, turning to look at the human with wide eyes.
“A-atsushi??” He breathed out, looking at Nakajima as if he was trying to make out if it was really him standing in the darkness. He flickered his hand, a small fire shooting into the campfire ring, lighting up the cave and his own disbelieving face. “You're really here?..”
“I'm back home.” Atsushi answered, giving him a hesitant smile.
“I thought…” Chuuya got up to his legs before his eyes slid to the ground, voice falling to almost a whisper. “I thought you left for good.”
The human could feel his heart squeeze in his chest at the sad expression that crossed the oni's face. Slowly, he cupped Chuuya’s cheek, gently lifting his head back up to meet his ocean blue eyes.
“No, of course not. I'm sorry I left like that. I should've explained myself better, but I lost my cool.” He pulled the yokai into a hug, burying his face into the fiery red hair. “I lived in fear that you saw humans as nothing more than prey, and I was too scared to ask you not to hurt them. I should've talked to you sooner. I'm sorry.”
It took a moment before Chuuya hugged him back.
“I thought I scared you away…” He whispered, squeezing him so hard it was almost painful. “I thought you went back to live with humans and didn't want to see me anymore…”
Atsushi shook his head. “I want to stay with you, as long as you’ll have me.”
“Forever?”
He smiled. “Then forever it is.”
Chuuya pulled back, not completely, just enough to look at him, his beautiful blue eyes glistening.
“I promise I'll do anything for you. Just… stay with me.”
Atsushi leaned closer, pressing their foreheads together as he spoke:
“I promise.”