Chapter Text
Akura slammed the door to the condo he shared with Tomoe, the cycle of negative emotions swirling in his head. He paused in the doorway, leaning one hand against the wall as he hopped out of his shoes, and then he wandered farther inside. As he did so, he unwound the scarf from his neck, tossing it carelessly to the floor. His coat came next, and he left it where he stood in the foyer, not caring that one of Tomoe’s cats tromped on it after him, meowing low in her throat.
What a rotten fucking day. The woman he’d been seeing had been entertaining the notion of moving abroad for some time, and though they’d known their relationship would end someday, it didn’t mean that the breakup had been fun. Their conversation had lasted several hours although Akura didn’t know why it had to be so long, because she kept looping on how sad she was and how much she’d miss him, continuously asking if he was sure he wouldn’t ever come to America to see her.
“I couldn’t give two shits about America,” Akura muttered to himself, wandering into the kitchen. He didn’t see why she’d ask him that, because a casual relationship couldn’t last such a long distance. Not when he needed time with his partners. The whole point was to have someone to party with, because Tomoe was far too introverted for that sort of thing.
Flustered, he slammed cabinets, looking for the sake. What he found was emptiness, and he threw up a hand, snorting. Great. He had a feeling he knew who had absconded with it, too.
Storming out of the kitchen, he called out, “Yo, Tomoe! Are you home?” He heard a rustle from his den, and his frown deepened. “You’d better not be throwing my shit out again!”
And it seemed Akura was home, Tomoe thought, putting down the book he’d been reading. He’d spent all morning tidying up their condo, and he’d even gotten to pick up the strange trash in Akura’s den, vacuum his hideous tiger-striped couch, and wipe down every single one of his knickknacks — of which there were many. There was still a lot to be done, like getting rid of some of the newly acquired junk — the splintered animal bones, the obscene scribbles of drawings someone had made, the now-dead exotic plants Akura somehow killed even though Tomoe did his best to nurture them — but Tomoe felt that he was due for a nice break after working so hard.
That was one of the only good things about his current girlfriend, Tomoe thought. It gave him time to keep their home neat and tidy before Akura burst in like a tornado. And he’d hoped that Akura would’ve stayed out longer so he could laze about properly. Despite the winter chill, he’d found himself a sunny spot in their garden to lie down in and had gotten ready to relax along with some snacks and a light read, but it seemed like he'd have to postpone that plan for the time being.
“Tomoe!”
Akura’s voice pulled him back to the present. It seemed he was angry, Tomoe thought, glum. Then, he frowned, peering inside the condo. “I did not throw out your shit, only your trash,” he muttered. Before he could further complain, he noticed Akura standing unmoving in his human form, a flush on his cheeks, his eyes sharp yet glassy. His tone softened. “What is wrong?”
“Just…don’t throw my shit out!” Akura complained. “And take this damn spell off me already.”
Something had definitely gone wrong, Tomoe thought with a hum, his eyes half lidding. He had not yet recovered from his busy day, and coddling Akura when he was in such a mood sounded exhausting. “I will be there in a moment,” he called.
Akura turned away, hardly listening, intending to continue his search for anything alcoholic. He headed towards the cabinets where he knew Tomoe often hid his higher quality stash. All he was able to find was a pile of bed linens. His hands trembled as he held the cabinet doors open, and he suddenly slammed them closed before moving to the next set of cabinets.
Tomoe wasn't even fazed. He knew that Akura got testy whenever something upset him. Usually, it was best to let him run out of energy before attempting to get the story out of him. However, Tomoe thought, one eye slightly twitching, he was not about to let Akura destroy their expensive furniture all because he couldn't be bothered to talk about what was bothering him.
With a sigh, he allowed himself thirty more seconds to laze. After this time was up, Tomoe thought he had not yet found enough resolve to get up and follow the sounds of chaos resonating through the condo. He got up anyway.
“Are you looking for something?” Tomoe asked, watching Akura rifle through cabinets, flinging their contents every which way. Dismay settled over his mouth.
“What’d you do with the alcohol? We had plenty the last time I checked,” Akura complained.
At this, Tomoe sighed. “You do not remember,” he muttered under his breath. “If you recall, you drank it all last night. I have not been to the store yet.” Stepping closer, he gently shut the cabinet, eager to redirect the oni. “Come sit. I will remove the spell. Then I will fetch fresh sake.”
Gradually, Akura’s frame lost some of its tension. His shoulders slumped and he slowly, almost reluctantly, strode to where Tomoe stood patiently waiting. He crossed his arms and looked to the side, mumbling, “Well? Go on then, do your thing.”
He was just like a surly child, Tomoe thought. With a wave of his hand, he released the illusion spell he’d cast over his partner. Akura’s dark, close-cropped hair grew into deep red strands, reaching past his shoulders. His ears turned pointy, and two great horns appeared at the sides of his head. He still frowned, but now he had one arm extended.
Tomoe magically procured a bottle of sake — of premium quality, of course — and wordlessly handed it to him.
“Are you ready to use your words now? Or should I also conjure up a pacifier, given the huge tantrum you just threw?”
Akura didn’t respond, instead shooting Tomoe a quick glare. Briefly, he contemplated flipping him off, only deciding against it because he didn’t want to give Tomoe fuel to chide him for his immaturity. With a small huff, he grabbed a couple of big cushions from their sofa, flung them onto the floor, and lay on top of them to drink. As much as he’d hoped the alcohol would soothe him, it just didn’t work fast enough, nor was it potent enough to even begin to get him tipsy. After a couple of big gulps, he grew agitated again.
“Do you ever wonder what the hell is up with mortal women? The bunch of them don’t even make sense!” he complained.
“Where is this going?” Tomoe wondered, but kept his mouth shut. When Akura went on these rants, it was best not to interrupt him. Not that he’d get a word in edgewise, anyway.
Akura continued. “This is about my girlfriend — well, ex, I guess — by the way. I agreed to let her go because she was going to move, right? And suddenly she’s asking if I would go visit her! All sad and shit, like she isn’t the one who wanted to go in the first place!” He slapped a hand against his chest. “She’s the one leaving me, goddammit! Why’s she all whiny now like it’s my fault?”
Here, Tomoe only hummed, nodding. As Akura took another swig of sake, his brow furrowed. He pounded his drink faster than usual. Clearly, this had rattled him, but then again, it always pissed him off whenever his relationships ended. Which happened frequently.
Akura swallowed and waved a hand, as though shooing his thoughts away. “Anyway, she isn’t worth the visit all the way to some other country in the middle of who-knows-where. I mean, who does she think she is? She’s barely more than a booty-call! I say good fucking riddance.”
The whole time Akura ranted, Tomoe remained serene. It had quickly become clear what had happened and what Akura felt. The way he tilted his head back until he nearly fell over, sake bottle pressed to his lips, was enough indication of that. Perhaps Akura wouldn’t come out and say it, but it had to be addressed.
Tomoe crossed his arms over his chest, humming, gaze steady. “So, what you are saying is: she broke up with you, and now you are upset? Is that it?”
Akura straightened up, his fingers wrapped around the neck of the bottle so tightly his knuckles had gone white. Any tighter, and surely he would’ve shattered it. “I’m saying all these human women are the same. What’s it take to find someone to party with, huh? I’m not asking for much here!”
Tomoe sighed. “If it bothers you so much, then do not date human women.”
He strode to where Akura lay on the cushions, then perched on the edge of one of them. Momentarily, he was silent, studying Akura’s eyes, propping his chin in his palm. For whatever reason, Akura had always insisted on chasing humans as his side quests. At first, Tomoe had believed it had to do with his need to conquer; however, lately, he’d begun to think it was simply because Akura couldn’t leave humans well enough alone.
Aloud, he tacked on, “But I don’t believe that avoiding humans is what you want.”
“What do you know? You only hole up with those tanuki.” Akura waved it off, shutting his eyes. Damn, that stabbing sensation was in his chest again. “Fuckin’ humans. They’re so damn flaky. They say one thing and mean another. I don’t get ‘em.” He rubbed his chest. “Damn wench made me the second type of angry. Who needs someone like that?”
Based on the tension in Akura’s voice, Tomoe could tell he wasn’t even fooling himself. Gently, he pulled the sake bottle from Akura’s grasp. Much to his surprise, it didn’t take much effort for him to remove it. But, seeing how it was empty, perhaps that was why.
“So you have lost your companion.” Tomoe set the bottle on the wooden floor with a quiet clack. Carefully, he shifted closer to Akura, testing the waters to see if he’d be brushed aside. Yet Akura didn’t move a muscle, only sighing noisily through his nose. His muscles remained slack. “She lasted quite some time, hm? And you are not the type to take change so easily.”
At this, Akura lifted an eyebrow. “What are you getting at?”
“Well, you like to count on things staying the same. You complain incessantly in my ear whenever something does not go your way,” Tomoe explained, settling down, lying on his side next to Akura — so close that he could feel his body heat radiating from his solid form, but not so close that they touched. “Is that not true?”
“Isn’t that true for everyone? Sheesh. Tell me something I don’t know.” Despite the growl in his tone, Akura sank into the cushions, unconsciously inching a bit closer to Tomoe’s warmth. Somehow, it soothed the pain in his chest just a little. Just enough to take the edge off, anyway.
Getting through to Akura was never easy. Sometimes, it astounded Tomoe how stubborn he could be. But he supposed they both were. “What I am saying is — perhaps what you will miss is not this woman, but her role in your life. If that is the case, why not replace her? Humans are all replaceable anyway.” He snorted.
“You know what? You’re right,” Akura said with a snort of his own.
“Of course I am.” Tomoe nodded sagely, eyes fluttering shut. “You have said so yourself — she is hardly more than a booty-call to you. So why waste so much emotion on a human woman?” His eyes flew open, piercing, an impish smile twisting the corner of his mouth. “There is no need.”
There was no need when they had each other. That was what Tomoe thought, but he didn’t say it. Because he knew it wasn’t the full truth. If it weren’t for the saving grace of Akura’s lovers, then he’d be the one relegated to nights out on the town, dragged into dark, humid nightclubs with deafening music and sweaty, foreign bodies and so many scents that they incapacitated him. The splitting headache that club nights induced lasted for a full day afterward. No, it was best that Akura found a new girlfriend. Or boyfriend. Whichever he found first.
“Forget about the wench,” Tomoe said, nipping at Akura’s ear, the act one part playful and one part affectionate. He laid a hand on Akura’s chest, the tip of his tail twitching. “You will find another faster than you imagine.”
“Like that was even a question.” Though Akura still tried to sound disgruntled, the slight smirk at the corner of his mouth made it obvious he was flattered.
Tomoe let himself fall forward a little bit until he was cuddled to the side of Akura’s body. Instinctively, Akura brought up one arm to hug Tomoe closer, while he lifted his other hand to rake his fingers through his hair in a slight show of frustration. “Ugh, it’s just that these humans and all of their shitty drama piss me off. Remind me one more time why we don’t kill them anymore?”
If Tomoe didn’t defuse him, then Akura would take his anger out on the closest object. He discreetly glanced to the side. To one side, he saw the entrance to his closet which housed all of his expensive clothing and the box with their rare and delicate tableware. To the other side, his favorite painting in the house was mounted on the wall.
Tomoe acted quickly. “Well, for starters, it is too much of a bother. Do they deserve so much of our effort and energy?” He punctuated this by resting the tip of his chin on Akura’s shoulder. “It sounds to me like you need a break. You should not deal with these humans if you do not have to.”
A pensive expression settled on Akura’s face.. “Hmm… There might be some truth to what you’re saying.”
Akura frowned slightly, rubbing his chin. The more he thought about it, the more it dawned on him — he’d spent too much time with that girl in the human world, dealing with her drama and all the headaches that came with her mismatched words and behavior. Did he really want to jump headfirst back into that so quickly?
“You know, I think it’s time I had a break from all this mundane world nonsense,” he grumbled, then stopped.
Come to think of it, recently, that woman had gotten her way more often than not. It’d been some time since he’d done anything he wanted to do, even though the whole point had been to find someone to go out with. But he hadn’t even been skiing yet, and they were well into the season. With her gone, however…
At this revelation, his face lit up. “Of course! I’m a genius!”
“Are you now?” Tomoe mused, his tail flicking. Instead of refuting it, he bit his tongue, a quiet smirk playing on his lips. “And what is your grand idea, hm?” He nosed into the side of Akura’s hair, breathing in his familiar scent, caressing his chest. It was good to see the light come back into Akura’s eyes. He didn’t look right without it.
A grin spread over Akura’s face. “I was thinking… I know just the place to go to purge all thoughts of that wench.”
“Oh? Care to enlighten me?” Tomoe’s tail swished, and he ran elegant fingers through Akura’s long, red hair. Out of the corner of his eye, he once again took stock of the room. While Akura seemed distracted, the threat of a tantrum hadn’t yet passed.
“What about a retreat, huh?” Akura angled his body more towards Tomoe. “Weather’s perfect for skiing, right?”
As Akura shifted from a one-armed cuddle to a full-on embrace, right there on the living room floor, Tomoe could only sigh in relief. Thank goodness — it looked like his precious belongings would survive one more day. Yet when Akura brought up skiing, he had to stifle his groan. Over the years, he’d accompanied Akura on several trips. And if there was one thing he’d learned, it was that he didn’t have a penchant for winter sports. He had no desire to stand out in the wet and the cold when he could be cozy by the fire.
“Hm. I will pass.” When Akura grumbled low in his throat, Tomoe tacked on, “But I believe you should go. You don’t need me to have fun, now, do you?”
At this, Akura couldn’t help but utter a one-note laugh. “Nah, you’d just hold me back,” he teased. “All you’d want to do would be to stay in the room with your book and drink.”
“I cannot deny that,” Tomoe admitted, lips twitching. He lifted the strands of red hair he’d been playing with and brought them to his mouth, pecking them. “It seems you are feeling better?”
Akura shut one eye, returning Tomoe’s smile. “Yeah, nothing like blowing off a little steam, eh?”
“As long as you are not destroying anything,” Tomoe muttered under his breath. Akura’s laugh told him he’d heard what he’d said.
“Never said I wouldn’t, but whatever.” Akura stretched an arm overhead, popping his joints. “Well, looks like I’ve got plans this weekend. I’d better book the place now if I want a nice room.”
Leaning in, Tomoe gave him another small kiss, this time on the side of Akura’s head, avoiding his horn. “Yes, you should do that.” He pulled back enough to look at him, although he hovered close to his face, their noses nearly brushing. “Just promise you will call me.”
“Yeah, yeah. When don’t I call you?” Akura shook his head, thinking about how he was the one to struggle to get a hold of Tomoe more often than not. Then, he pulled from Tomoe’s embrace, jumping to his feet. Tomoe only gazed up at him, remaining on the floor. “I’ll give you the details later.”
With that, Akura left the room, fishing his phone out of his pocket to see if his favorite resort had a vacancy. Last-minute bookings were risky, but since he was a frequent visitor, he was sure they’d pull some strings for him. And if they wouldn’t? Well…he had his ways.
He dialed the number and shut himself in his den, looking forward to a weekend where he could indulge himself to the fullest, where no one could nag or cajole him. Yes, good riddance indeed. He was a free man now, and he’d take full advantage of that.