Chapter Text
The stench of blood filled the air, the sound of screams and clashing metal, the deafening crack of thunder.
You try to blink through the white hot pain pulsing through your body. The beach was littered with the dead and injured; the fighting was beginning to die down as the Tenryou soldiers retreated, but it was too late for you.
You felt your mind drifting away with the crashing waves.
Against all odds you awoke some time later. The tide had risen and you'd been pulled away from the shore until you'd caught on some jagged rocks.
You felt the burn of the sun on your skin and licked your cracked, salty lips. It was all you could do to lift your head briefly and look around. You had no idea where you'd washed up. These islands were unfamiliar to someone who had spent their entire life on Watatsumi.
Dizzy from blood loss, you rested your head back on the rock slowly. You knew you should try to climb a bit higher before you drifted back to unconsciousness, but the darkness took over too quickly.
You had no idea how much time had passed by the time you woke again. Your body felt cold, the pain felt distant.
"Hey can you hear me?" A young man's voice called out. Large warm hands cupped your face and you tried to open your eyes. All you managed was a slight groan.
"Man, I don't know how you're alive... Don't worry I've got you now." There was a shuffling sound and you were rolled into the embrace of a large coat of sorts. It smelled like sweat and- melons?
"Baba will know what to do." He seemed to be reassuring himself more than you as he tied the sleeves of the jacket, cocooning you within. With ease, he held you in his arms and began to jog.
*
It was hard to tell how much time passed between your brief moments of lucidity. Your memories were filled with scattered sensations and faceless voices.
You remembered an elderly woman shuffling about swiftly and she applied strong smelling medicines to your exposed skin that burned your nose hairs. You remembered feeling very exposed and vulnerable while being wrapped in clean, soft fabric. And finally, you recalled the warm crackle of fire and the smell of meaty stew.
You open your eyes with great effort. They felt heavy and dry. You were laid down upon a fur rug by a dimly lit fire. An elderly woman was sitting in a chair not far away, she seemed busy embroidering or patching something. You couldn't really tell with how blury your vision was.
You closed one eye in a futile attempt to minimise the double vision as you sat up and tried to take in your surroundings.
You were dressed in a short sleeved and aged, grey kosode that fell just below your knees. A tattered blanket with delicate embroidered birds had been placed over you and tucked in neatly.
You winced in pain after turning your head a bit too swiftly.
"Hey, you're awake!" The familiar voice of the young man from the beach, exclaimed.
You weren't quite prepared for the hulking figure that towered over you. This was the young man? You thought in surprise as your eyes traced over his impressive muscles, bulging pecs, exposed abs, clawed hands, and piercing red horns.
"Oni?" You managed to say, and you realised just how dry your mouth was. Your voice was raspy and it hurt to speak.
The young man grined widely, baring his sharp teeth. "Not just any oni! I'm Arataki Itto, the One and Oni! Leader of the Arataki Gang. You've probably heard of me."
You shake your head slowly and do your best to make an apologetic face.
"Oh, well that's okay." He said in a dejected tone. Then he leaned a little closer and asked, "are you okay? You look like you're in a lot of pain." He sounded genuinely concerned.
You swallowed and built up the energy to speak again. "Thirsty. Water?"
After a long drink and a nibble on some dried lavender melon, you were able to properly thank Arataki and the elderly woman. She insisted you call her Oni Baba, a name which sounded more like an insult to you, but she seemed proud of it.
"So, how did you end up in such a sorry state?" Baba asked. She'd gotten up to stir what smelled like soup, hanging above the nearby fire.
You're weren't sure you should mention that you were member of the Watatsumi army, so you hesitate. "Some particularly nasty Ronin caught me while I was travelling. The tide must have picked me up and carried me far from where I was. We weren't close by any populated villages."
"This is hardly a village." Arataki piped in. "We're in hiding from the Tenryou commission. I guess it's lucky for you that we are out here."
You wondered if that was information he should be sharing so freely and quickly glanced over to Oni Baba. She didn't seem phased.
"What are you-?" You went to ask, but then you noticed the geo vision hanging from Arataki's neck.
He followed your gaze and then forced a chuckle, "yeah, ever since the vision hunt decree, it hasn't been safe to stay in Hanamizaka."
You thought back to your deceased comrades and the suffering that had been caused due to the Shogun's reckless governing of her people. Your breathing became heavy; it hurt. A cough wracked your whole body with pain and you clutched your undoubtedly broken ribs.
"Hey, hey, careful there. Lay back down yeah? I'll help you sit up a bit and eat when dinner is ready." Arataki placed an enormous hand on your chest and gently guided you back down into the blankets.
There was something so soothing about his touch; he felt safe. Perhaps it was the sincerity in his tone.
Your body felt weary and weak from your injuries. You couldn't ignore the increasing feeling of despair at the thought of those you'd just lost and the fear that came with being in an unfamiliar place with no certain future. You felt desperate for some comfort to cling to.
Before you could tell yourself not to, you placed your hand on Itto's and said, "Stay with me?"
He looked a little flustered but nodded quietly. His hand remained softly over your chest and you began to drift away again, your fingers curled tightly over his.
Days passed and gradually you found yourself regaining strength enough to stand on your own. Well, for short periods of time at least. Breathing was difficult, your chest felt compressed and ached terribly. Arataki was always there though.
You felt a little guilty clinging to him for comfort, but you were too deep in distress to care about shame.
Arataki had made up a small bed beside his own and that's where you'd been sleeping. His bedroom was mostly bare aside from numerous hand crafted, wooden, cages filled with onikabuto. The two of you slept on the floor with padded blankets in place of mattresses.
Arataki hadn't yet woken, he was sprawled out and tangled in his sheets, one leg stretched over the bottom of your bedding.
You gingerly stood from bed, doing your best not to disturb him, and made your way out to the living room.
"We'll need to change those dressings today, dear." Oni Baba called out sweetly from the dining table. "I'll wake Itto and get him to run a nice hot bath for you."
"Oh, that's okay I can-"
"Nonsense, not in your condition. It's late enough, he should get up." Baba placed a hand over your forehead and then cupped both hands around your cheeks. "You're getting a bit more colour in your face now."
You feel warm inside. It made you miss your own grandmother back home. "I'll go wake Arataki." You say sheepishly.
"Tell him to prepare a bath, I'll make something nice to eat. When you're done you can go wash up and we'll change those dressings."
You nod obediently and set off to do just that.
"Mister Arataki?" You gently rock the giant man's shoulder. He wakes with a start and you watch his expression go from alert to soft. You wondered briefly what that soft expression was.
"You can just call me Itto, ya know. Mister Arataki sounds way too formal, haha!" He laughed and stretched loudly.
You fill him in on Baba's orders and he ran his claws lazily through his long, tangled white hair.
"I'll get that bath ready then, I guess." He said with a smile.
Rice balls wrapped in dried seaweed were waiting for you both at the table; one serving was placed on the floor for the large, and very strange, bull whom Itto called Ushi. You could only assume he was some kind of Youkai given the ornate gold markings in his fur and the peculiar shrine he wore like a saddle.
After you'd eaten you followed Itto out to the bathhouse. It was a shabby little hut with a large wooden tub in the centre. Water was heated in a cauldron over a fire and then transferred to the large tub. Against the wall, a half rotted bench held two towels and two sets of clothes neatly folded.
Itto was dressed in a simple black kimono, it was in stark contrast to his usual colourful daywear. Vision holders always had a whack sense of fashion.
"Okay, I'll leave you to it. When you're done just call out and I'll go for the next bath?" Itto said cheerily.
You feel a slight panic as he turned to leave and before you could curb the impulse, you reached out and grabed his sleeve.
He looked down at your hand and cast you a worried glance. "What is it?"
You didn't really know how to say it with tact and decided blunt honestly was probably best. If he didn't already think you were pathetic, now surely he would.
"I... don't want to be alone." You mutter.
Without pause the giant pulled you toward him and embraced you. It wasn't the reaction you were expecting.
"Alright." He said softly. "I'll be right here." He pulled back from you and scruffed your hair playfully. "I'll just uh, turn around while you hop in."
You nod, relieved. You slip out of your clothes and step into the nice warm bath. It was scented with a few flowers from the garden, stray purple petals floated on the surface.
"You can turn around now." You say to Itto.
He turns back to you and takes a seat on the crumbling bench. His eyes darted around nervously.
"You don't actually have to stay here if you're uncomfortable." You said, trying not to sound too desperate. He'd done more than enough, just by taking you in and caring for you when you were a complete stranger. You were going to have to pull yourself together at some point.
Itto's eyes finally settled on you, his cheeks were a little flushed. It made you feel exposed, so you sank a little deeper into the water, letting it cover your bare shoulders.
"I want to stay." He said.
The two of you sat in silence for some time, the only sound being the splash of water as you gingerly washed yourself.
It wasn't good to soak healing wounds, so you did your best not to dally.
When you were done you stood and waited for Itto to hand you a towel as you hopped out of the nice, warm water.
Itto wrapped the towel around your body, looking over his shoulder as he did.
You pulled the towel tightly around you and then, as you turned to face Itto, he stopped you and held your shoulders in place.
"Itto?" You said with a confused glances over your shoulder.
You felt his hands shift, his arms pulled you into an unexpected embrace.
You slowly let your head fall back on his chest in response.
"I uh-" Itto fumbled as he tried to find the words. You could hear his heart fluttering in his chest. "I just thought you could probably do with a hug. You've been pretty stressed, I suppose anyone would be after going through what you did. Being attacked by Ronin and all. So uh. I just wanted you to know you're safe here and it's okay, ya know?"
You turned around in his arms and looked up at his incredibly red face. He held eye contact with you and his expression seemed so sincere.
"I'm sorry." You say.
"Huh?" Itto's hands remained on your shoulders.
"I didn't mean to be so clingy. Being alone with my thoughts, the fear sets in. I think about my friends who died that day." You sighed. It was time to tell the truth. "It wasn't Ronin."
You waited for Itto to interrupt but he didn't, so you continued. "I'm a soldier of the Watatsumi rebel army. I'm sure you can understand why I didn't mention it before. The Tenryou commission's army found one of our supply routes. I was one of the soldiers sent to drive them back while the supplies were retrieved." You tried not to relive the vivid experience, but you couldn't block the memories.
You recalled the white hot pain as arrows landed in your back, the sting of salt in fresh gashes, the smell of your friends' blood, and the sound of them choking to death on it.
Itto pulled you in closer, you could feel the gentle prick of his claws through the towel. It was a sensation you could focus on in the present.
"I thought I was dead. Orobashi only knows how I survived being swept away by the sea. And then I had the good fortune of being found by you." You raised your head, your eyes stung with tears. "And all I've done to thank you is cling to you like a fungus."
Itto gave you a sympathetic look and then gently pressed your face into his chest as he rested his chin on your head. He stroked your wet hair gently, his claws brushed through it and softly grazed along your neck.
"You say that like anyone else wouldn't behave exactly the same way. If I'd watched my friends die, and nearly died myself, I would be a big old mess. Remember, you're in the care of the great Arataki Gang! So you can expect the best care." He pulled back and used one his his large thumbs to wipe a tear from your cheek. "So, no more apologies. Just focus on getting better, and I'll be here as long as you need."
He reminded you a lot of General Gorou in that moment. So genuine and compassionate. You felt a pang of guilt that you weren't back with the Watatsumi army now.
"Thank you, Itto." You shiver and remember that you're wearing nothing but a towel. "I suppose I better get dressed." You smiled sheepishly and Itto stammered in agreement, turning away while you dreid off and slipped into the fresh clothes.