Work Text:
Coneheadedness
A blanket of white sparkled all over Mikage Shrine, and snowflakes danced like fairies on the wind. All was quiet in the morning, except for one tochigami who’d woken up much earlier than usual on a Saturday morning.
Nanami pushed open her windows, allowing the snowflakes to flutter inside her room. She put her palm out and marveled at the delicate jewels adorning it, winking at her.
“This is going to be the best Valentine’s Day ever,” she murmured to herself, chocolate eyes aglow with excitement.
In past years, she’d never paid much attention to Valentine’s Day, because nobody from school or anywhere else she went ever asked her out. Until the fateful day that she accidentally became a land goddess and met the most beautiful kitsune on the planet—Tomoe.
They had a rough start at first, but both of them gradually realized their feelings for each other. Good things took time, and Nanami was so glad that she never gave up hope for the two of them. Now, they’d been dating for a couple of months, and she looked forward to spending every single couple-themed holiday with him.
Last night, she made honmei choco for the first time, taking care to drizzle just the right amount of frosting on the cooled chocolates to form heart patterns. Then, she decorated them with sprinklings of plum blossoms before placing them in a beautiful box.
To Nanami’s surprise, Tomoe had enjoyed them immensely, eating three at once and hiding the rest so Mizuki didn’t steal any. Her curiosity about whether foxes ate chocolate was more than satisfied with her boyfriend’s enthusiastic response, and it wasn’t faked to make her happy, either.
“Nanami,” Tomoe’s voice at the doorway broke her out of her reverie. “Put on some more clothes, you’ll catch a cold like that,” he said softly, coming up behind her to drape a thick kimono over her shoulders.
Nanami turned around and looked into those amethyst eyes she loved so much. “Thank you,” she murmured, giving Tomoe a peck on the cheek. “Happy Valentine’s Day!”
“Happy Valentine’s Day,” he echoed, the corners of his lips turning up in a wistful smile. “I’m so happy I get to spend my first one with you,” he whispered, pulling her in for a hug, his tail swishing around both of them.
“Hope you like your present,” Nanami teased, reaching up to stroke Tomoe’s fluffy ears. The contact elicited a purr from him as he held her tighter.
“I’m sure I’ll like anything you get me, love. In fact, I have a whole day planned for us.”
Nanami pulled away in surprise. “Really? But Valentine’s Day is for girls to express affection for the boys they love.”
Tomoe smirked, eyes half-lidded. “I know. I still want to do something special for you, because you deserve it all and more. Now watch this!”
With a snap of his fingers, he manifested a rice paper scroll out of thin air. Taking it gingerly, he unrolled it before showing Nanami, who looked over curiously.
“I made a scavenger hunt for us in the World Over Yonder. All the clues are hidden in these locations marked by stars, and there’s a final surprise at the end. I had Kei and Ami write the clues, and Akura-Ou and the snake are in charge of hiding them. Hope they understood the assignment,” he teased, sweatdropping at the thought of those two doing anything as instructed. His hand reached into his kimono for the final surprise, which he’d hidden from everyone.
Nanami’s eyes widened in delight, and she wrapped her arms around Tomoe’s waist from behind. “That sounds fun! Thank you for planning this. When are we supposed to start looking for clues?” she asked eagerly.
“How about right now?” Tomoe grinned, ears perking up.
Laughter escaped Nanami upon seeing her boyfriend’s childlike excitement. He’s so cute. I’m so lucky to have him.
“Sure thing! I’ll get ready, and then we’ll go,” she chirped.
Half an hour later, the two of them walked hand in hand to the well at the back of the shrine, where they would enter the yokai realm. Nanami had put extra effort into her makeup and wore her favorite red kimono, a gift from her good friend Kamehime, and a fluffy white cape over it to ward off the cold. In her hair was the precious sakura hairpin that Tomoe had remade after her journey into the past to break his curse.
Tomoe looked dashing, too, in his best black silk haori with a colorful flower motif. The dark color brought out the perfect silvery-white of his hair, making it nearly glow in the winter sun.
When he saw Nanami emerge in her formal clothes, he froze in place and nearly dropped the fan he’d been holding. To him, no one was more beautiful than his goddess, and he felt his heartbeat quicken at the sight of her all dressed up for him.
“What are you just standing there for? Snake got your tongue?” Nanami quipped, lowering her lined eyes just so.
Tomoe’s cheeks reddened slightly at her teasing. “N-no…you just light up the room wherever you go, and you shine extra bright today,” he said softly, hiding his face behind his fan.
It was Nanami’s turn to blush. “I could say the same for you,” she responded. “What does it feel like to be born this beautiful?”
“Like I should only have the best, and I finally found that with you,” Tomoe wasted no time answering as he pulled an enchanted leaf from his sleeve. “Ready?”
Nanami nodded. “As I’ll ever be.”
And they were off.
Nanami had been to the World Over Yonder plenty of times before, so she no longer felt scared when Tomoe picked her up by the waist and whooshed them through the portal.
Once they landed on the ground, she darted her eyes all around to see what had changed since she’d last been here. As far as she knew, the yokai world didn’t have changing seasons or time, so the sky was always dark and the temperature always warm. She began to feel hot in her cape, so she removed it and draped it around her arm before Tomoe insisted on keeping it in his storage vacuum for the time being.
Then, he pulled out the map and scrutinized it for their first location. “So our first clue is at the bakery two blocks ahead,” he said, threading his fingers through Nanami’s and guiding her along the crowded path.
The bakery wasn’t any old bakery—its baked goods were infused with magical properties that allowed consumers to develop temporary abilities ranging from superspeed to telekinesis. The high demand for such powers caused the bakery to be the busiest business in the area, with long lines stretching for blocks just for a taste of their newest creations.
“Wow. Never knew yokai also camped out for limited edition items,” Nanami joked, thinking back to the time she and Tomoe waited for hours with Kei and Ami outside Kawagoe’s new hedgehog cafe. There was a promotional event going on where the first one hundred customers got a free set of hedgehog couple plushies. As a result, they ended up rising at the crack of dawn to head over so they’d be first in line before the cafe opened at nine.
“I guess so,” Tomoe chuckled, leading Nanami to the place where they were supposed to meet Mizuki and Akura. However, before he could take a single step further, two figures charged at them straight on—one with white hair and the other red. Immediately, his smile turned into a frown.
“Akura-Ou, Snake, why are you both rushing?” he scolded as his best friend and fellow shinshi appeared in front of them, looking panicked.
“It was his fault!” they cried in unison, each pointing their finger at the other before scowling.
Tomoe groaned. Of course, he knew that something was bound to go wrong; he just didn’t expect it to go wrong right from the get-go. Sighing, he flapped his fan and tried to calm himself.
“What happened?” he asked coolly, trying his best not to blow a gasket right that very second.
Akura piped up first. “The snake ate the bread that contained the first clue!” he bellowed, golden eyes gleaming with anger. A tiny flame appeared at his long, black fingertips.
Into_Evernight
Mizuki shrank back, gazing at Nanami and Tomoe with puppy-dog eyes. “Only because he was supposed to put it in a pastry. Not bread!”
The flame at Akura’s fingertips grew a little brighter. “Oh, yeah? You should’ve spit it out when you bit into it, you dumbass! Not swallowed it whole!”
“But I’m a snake—” Mizuki began to whine.
With a growl, Akura seized Mizuki by the waist, squeezing his stomach. “Spit it out!”
A dark cloud passed over Tomoe’s face as Mizuki began to make choking sounds, ever melodramatic. “Enough!” he barked. Then, narrowing his eyes at Akura, he said, “You, cease this nonsense. Nanami would not want to touch anything half-digested!” Here, he slid his scathing gaze in Mizuki’s direction. “And, you, stop making that noise! He does not have his hands around your throat, so it is obvious you are faking.”
Both Akura and Mizuki pouted, the tension rising as their bodies quaked with unspent energy. Clearly, they would’ve gone right back to fighting had Nanami not spoken up, albeit meekly.
“So, um, what now? Do we…need to make a new clue?”
Tomoe heaved a sigh, covering his eyes with a hand, his mouth sharply downturned as his carefully crafted plan fell apart before it even began. “We cannot simply make a new clue. I don’t know what your friends wrote.” Here, he dropped his hand, letting it slap against his thigh, his eyes dead and his jaw slack. “We could simply go to the next location and try to find the next clue. Unless…one of you buffoons read the clue and can tell us what it said?”
Akura scratched the base of one horn and shrugged. “I forgot.”
“I never saw it,” Mizuki said, his lower lip jutting out. “And, anyway, Akura and I have to finish hiding the other clues.”
At this, Tomoe arched an eyebrow. “You mean to tell me that you have been chasing each other around this whole time?”
Akura and Mizuki exchanged a glance. “Yes…?” Mizuki replied, tilting his head.
“Why are you incapable of the simplest little things—?!” Tomoe began, a ball of foxfire forming in his palm, his teeth locked in rage.
Eyes widening, Nanami took hold of his arm, giving it a gentle squeeze. “It’s okay! I’m not upset!” She offered a smile, hoping to calm him down. “It’s not like we can’t fix it, right? We can just get some pastries while we wait for them to finish hiding the clues. Right?”
ShadowCrescent
Sighing heavily, Tomoe rolled his eyes, “Very well,” he said after a moment. “We are here now anyway, might as well make the most of it. I have been meaning to bring you here.”
Nanami’s smile was radiant. “Awesome! See? No harm, no foul.”
Smiling gently, he shook his head, “Alright then, let us be on our way then.” He then looked pointedly at Mizuki and Akura, “Can I trust the two of you to focus on your task?”
Mizuki saluted, “Of course, you can count on us!”
Akura stuck his pinky finger in his ear, “Geeze, Tomoe, have some confidence in us.” Removing his finger from his ear, he looked at it before flicking away the earwax that stuck to it.
Grimacing, Tomoe placed his arm around Nanami’s shoulder and led her away. The cafe was a small and intimate affair, cozy and clean with a relaxed atmosphere. They were early, the store had only just opened, so the order counter was free of patrons for the moment. The pair walked up to the counter, not thinking much of it when the doorbell jingled behind them.
Behind the counter, pulling a freshly baked batch of pastries from the oven was a small otter youkai, the mitts on her hands consuming the creature's arms comically. Placing the tray on a cooling rack, she turned to the counter to take orders but paused, blinking and sweating, anxiety crossing her eyes.
Nanami noticed right away that the little youkai seemed to be anxious; she worried, wondering if maybe a tochigami made it nervous. “Are you alright?” she asked, hoping that everything was okay.
The otter moved her head slightly, focusing on the human goddess standing before her. The goddess was not the source of her disquiet, though. Her brown eyes slowly shifted to the big, red-haired oni that stood at the cafe door. With a huge grin, the oni gave the little creature two thumbs up. Sweat dripped from her forehead, thrown off by the threats the oni had made before this first couple had entered the establishment.
The chaotic oni had threatened her life and the lives of her co-workers if she could not manage to sell a specific loaf of bread that had a clue in it. A clue to what, she had no idea, but he was very specific that the Great Tomoe and a human woman were to receive it. Until the divine spirit that had entered with him walked in, eating the prepared bread.
The oni had yelled at the snake, the two getting into an argument. After a few moments of arguing—which resulted in punches being thrown—the snake gasped and pointed outside the window. The two ran out the door, the oni pausing to point from his eyes to hers: he was watching.
She wasn’t sure what the oni was expecting her to do; the store had just opened, and they had plenty of pastries and bread for customers to order. It wasn’t as if she would refuse to serve the Great Tomoe or the tochigami.
Eyes sliding back over to the couple, she smiled, the anxiety smoothing, “I am fine, tochigami-sama. What may I serve you and Master Tomoe?”
Squealing in delight, Nanami clapped her hands once in delighted anticipation. Her eyes raked across the display case, her eyes sparkling, “Everything looks so good, I have no clue what to get!”
Chuckling, Tomoe took over, selecting a few pastries and a fluffy-looking dessert bread. Having ordered, Tomoe led Nanami to a nearby table, not thinking anything of the sound of the doorbell jingling once more.
The bell on the door meant nothing to the couple standing before her, but the otter glanced towards the entrance. The oni had slipped quietly out of the bakery, apparently satisfied that she had done her job.
ivestartedthebeingafreakthing
Once they were both seated, Nanami reached across the table to grab Tomoe’s hands. “I know it’ll all work out,” she said with a bright smile, and Tomoe couldn't help but feel his spirits lift.
“I hope you are right, Nanami. Those imbeciles ought to contact your friends, as they may very well be our only chance at discovering the missing clue.” Tomoe grimaced, continuing, “Not to mention, they haven’t even hidden a single one of the others.”
Really, how those two morons even kept their heads on straight was beyond him. Shaking his head, Tomoe turned his gaze back to Nanami, his expression softening. “I admire your ability to see the best in any situation. It is only one of your many qualities.”
Lips curving in a flirtatious smile, Tomoe took advantage of the hands that seized his own to bring them to his mouth, pressing a gentle kiss to his girlfriend's knuckles.
Nanami's cheeks pinked at the contact, but she refused to protest such a sweet gesture, even in public. “You're so good to me, Tomoe. I'm happy that I get to spend today with you.”
“Not just today. You have me forever, Nanami.” Another kiss brushed over her skin, drawing a giggle from her. “Now, let us enjoy our pastries before those two fools cause a ruckus again.”
Not needing to be told twice, Nanami plucked the dessert bread from the tray before her, biting into it and subsequently squealing at the flavor.
“This is delicious!” Nanami exclaimed, causing her boyfriend to chuckle and pick up a pastry for himself.
After taking a bite, Tomoe felt the need to toy with Nanami a bit. “Indeed, this is quite good.” The pastry he'd chosen mere moments before had been labeled with invisibility, and unlike Nanami, he knew how to wrangle the effects of such desserts.
“What kind of pastry is that-” Nanami turned to look at her boyfriend, but was met with thin air. Where did he go? “Tomoe?”
A tap on her shoulder.
Nanami screamed, attracting the attention of the kawauso behind the counter, before turning around to meet half-lidded amethyst eyes.
“What is wrong with you, Tomoe?! You scared me!” Nanami crossed her arms, not registering the small giggle from across the room or the fact that her feet no longer touched the ground.
“You seem to have forgotten that this particular bakery sells goods that provide temporary abilities to those who eat them.” Tomoe held his fan in front of his lips to hide his smirk. “Those abilities include, but are not limited to, invisibility and gravity manipulation.”
What the hell? “Okay, so you turned invisible. What did mine do?” Nanami flicked her gaze down, giving herself a once-over, only to discover her predicament.
“Oh my god, help me down!” Nanami squealed.
She'd been tortured enough, Tomoe thought, holding out a hand to his love and waiting for her to grab it before speaking. “Focus on the feeling of the air around you. Then visualize it weighing you down a little.”
Through her mild panic, Nanami was able to follow Tomoe's instructions. Once her feet hit the ground, she let out a heavy sigh and hugged her boyfriend.
“Thank you. Even though you played a trick on me, thank you.” A smile forced its way onto Nanami's face, and Tomoe mirrored it.
“Did you enjoy our outing here?” Tomoe inquired, tucking a rogue strand of hair behind Nanami's ear.
“Yeah, I really did.” Nanami brought her hands up to Tomoe's ears, gently rubbing them.
Closing his eyes, Tomoe pressed a kiss to Nanami's bangs. “Let us see if Akura-Ou and the snake have made any progress with the clues.”
Nanami quickly nodded, lighting up the room with her smile. “Let's go!”
——————————————————————————————————————————
Once Nanami and Tomoe had bid farewell to the kawauso baker and packed up their remaining pastries, they emerged back out onto the street. At that time, Nanami pulled out her phone to text Mizuki, but was interrupted by the snake in question appearing in front of her.
“Nanami-chan, Tomoe-kun! We've finished hiding the clues!” Mizuki beamed.
Nanami clapped her hands together excitedly. “Yay, I can't wait! I was just about to ask you if you had gotten to it yet.”
“Took you long enough,” Tomoe grumbled, linking his arm around Nanami's own and earning an eye roll from her.
“Relax, Tomoe, it'll all be okay! Now, have you gotten the chance to ask Kei and Ami what the first clue was?” Nanami nervously questioned, wringing her hands until a lightbulb appeared to spark in the white-haired boy's mind.
Reaching into his kimono, Mizuki responded, “Oh, yeah, I did! Kei saw my text really fast, but she was mad that we lost the clue…” He produced a small slip of paper and handed it to Nanami. “Here you go!”
“Thank you so much, Mizuki! We've got our pastries, and now we can start the scavenger hunt!” Nanami exclaimed. The brunette unfolded the piece of paper, her fox reading over her shoulder.
Clue #1
You've gotten a snack, and now it's time to slide right into the fun part!
Pulling the map from his kimono, Tomoe tapped a clawed finger to the location marked with a ‘2’. “This is our next stop, Nanami. Are you ready to go?”
Nanami nodded emphatically, lacing her fingers with Tomoe's before waving goodbye to Mizuki and following the map.
——————————————————————————————————————————
“Is this the place?” Nanami's gaze flicked around to take in her surroundings, which included a swing set, a jungle gym, monkey bars, and a slide. The scene drew a sighed chuckle from Tomoe, and he replied in the affirmative.
With that, Nanami glanced back at the clue, reading it aloud. “You've gotten a snack, and now it's time to slide right into the fun part.” Scanning her environment once more, the girl's eyes landed on one piece of equipment in particular.
“A slide!” Nanami ran over to the structure, which was little more than wooden planks and shaped plastic. “Tomoe, come over here!”
Smiling at his girlfriend's enthused demeanor, Tomoe strode over to where Nanami stood. “This is where you think the clue is?”
“Yeah! Oh, I haven't been to a park in a while.” Without further comment, Nanami made her way to the top of the slide and rode the slope to the ground. “Come on, Tomoe, your turn!”
Tomoe tilted a fuzzy ear in the direction of Nanami's voice, but upon registering her words, he blushed. This girl… Before he spoke, though, he considered how excited Nanami had been about his scavenger hunt. Throwing all potential shame aside, the silver-haired fox followed in his love's footsteps and slid as well.
When Tomoe reached the bottom of the slide, he received a smile from his girlfriend that filled him with an insurmountable love for her. “Fun, right?” she beamed up at him.
“Very fun.” Tomoe allowed himself to say, acknowledging the statement's truth.
Just then, a small strip of white fell from the overhang above the slide. Nanami exclaimed once more, “The next clue!”
Coneheadedness
Tomoe retrieved the slip of paper and read from it, his brow furrowed in confusion.
Clue #2
After sliding into paradise, only trust will break your fall.
“Trust? Fall?” he mumbled, ears flattening as he spun the wheels in his mind. Then, turning to Nanami, he offered her a sheepish smile. “I’m afraid I’m stumped. Maybe you can solve the riddle your friends wrote?”
Nanami grinned as she took the note from him. The Great Tomoe stumped over a mere riddle? That didn’t seem like him, but she was secretly reveling at the chance to help him with something instead of the other way round.
“Seems like these are puns on the location of the next clue, so show me your map,” she instructed.
Tomoe nodded and did as he was told. “The third clue is located on top of Akayama, a mountain at the northern edge of this world.”
Nanami’s eyes widened. “There’s an edge to the World Over Yonder? I thought this place was endless!” she exclaimed, chocolate eyes shining in wonder.
Smirking, Tomoe shook his head. “Everything has an end, even the yokai world,” he said matter-of-factly. “However, I will admit I’ve never been to Akayama before. Only heard of it in legends.”
“Then how does Kei and Ami even know this place exists?” Nanami asked, a puzzled look crossing her features.
“They don’t. They were only in charge of writing the clues based on my prompts. Akura-Ou and the snake are the ones responsible for hiding the clues in places that suit them best, which I am now severely questioning their judgment for. Shall we go?”
He extended his hand to Nanami, who took it gratefully as they hoisted themselves up and dusted their kimonos off. Then, they were whooshing through the air again until they landed on the peak of Akayama. The only problem was that neither of them expected a shower of red-hot lava spewing through the mountaintop.
“What the-” Nanami gasped in horror, clutching at Tomoe’s arm. “Did we just arrive at a volcano?!”
“Uh…” Tomoe stammered, frozen in place. He took out another enchanted leaf to whisk them away, but the leaf fluttered to the ground as if it held no magical properties at all.
“What’s going on?” he asked in bewilderment. In truth, he was beginning to panic, but he couldn’t show that to Nanami, who would undoubtedly be scared to know that they were both powerless in a place like this.
On reflex, Nanami pulled an ofuda and brush from her kimono sleeve (she always kept some on hand for emergencies) and scribbled the words ‘Rain Flood’ on it, hoping they could at least walk without getting burnt to a crisp as they figured out how to leave. However, nothing happened. The lava behind them flowed closer and closer, forcing them to retreat backwards until they were at the edge of a cliff overlooking inky-black waters, still as a mirror.
Into_Evernight
As far as Tomoe could see, there was no way out of this situation — no way except down. And he wasn’t exactly keen to jump off a cliff with no guarantee that his powers of flight would work, especially not with Nanami’s well-being at stake. The other option, however… That lava barrelling towards them led to a very certain doom.
Not knowing what else to do, he scooped Nanami up in his arms, because at least that way she would be off her feet. It wouldn’t buy much time, but maybe enough for him to think of a way out. That blasted oni. He was certain this was his idea.
As Tomoe’s brows knitted together, his dilemma written all over his face, Nanami decided for him. Turning to him with determination and trust warm in her eyes, she said, “Tomoe, let’s jump.”
His ears twitched, and he made a choked sound. “Jump? You cannot be serious!”
A smile spread over her mouth, and she hugged him around the neck. “I think it’ll be okay. That’s what the clue said, right? That trust would break our fall?”
He still didn’t like it, but they had no other choice at this point. Fear snaked around his heart, but then he looked into Nanami’s loving gaze and his nerves settled ever so slightly. When he was with Nanami, he could do anything. So he drew in a deep breath and forced his back foot to slide over the edge of the cliff.
That microsecond before gravity kicked in felt like an eternity. The two of them clung to each other, breath knocked from their lungs, their eyes locked. It wasn’t even a matter of what was instinctual — of closing one’s eyes when hurtling straight into danger. Because they were each other’s safety, and they’d been through much worse, defeating the odds to come out stronger on the other side.
The freefall lasted for one horrible minute. They clutched each other tighter and tighter, both hoping that, at any moment, their powers would kick in. Smacking into the surface of the water should’ve felt like hitting concrete, and yet, right before they were submerged, a golden light surrounded them in a cushioning bubble. When they passed through, it was gentle, controlled, leaving them to float unharmed near the rocky bottom. The water was unnaturally clear, like crystal, allowing them to see each and every detail of the other. And when Nanami smiled, Tomoe did too.
Nanami’s memory flashed back to the time they’d visited Unari, traveling beneath the sea with nothing more than the clothes on their backs and her bag of air. Tomoe must’ve been thinking the same thing, because he grasped her and pulled her flush to his body, sealing his mouth over hers. Just like he had at that time, he shared some of his precious air with her, all while making her melt from head to toe. Unlike the last time, however, she returned his kiss just as passionately, overjoyed that they were alive, that they were together, that they had this kind of trust.
And Tomoe, too, melted. His muscles went slack, weak from relief, and he would’ve laughed had his mouth not been otherwise occupied. He leaned in more, kissing her a little harder, because she was everything he needed and more. If a flash of silver hadn’t caught his eye, he would’ve loved to stay there with Nanami, where it was quiet, and they could be totally alone. It seemed that she’d noticed at the same time he had, because she broke the kiss and swam over to the fish, which patiently awaited them.
There, tied around its body, was another scrap of paper, this time sealed in plastic. Carefully, she removed it and then gestured upwards, indicating that they should surface. A few bubbles left Tomoe’s mouth as he grinned, his fangs on full display. His tail swished, and he looped his arms around her waist, capturing her in a fierce embrace. Then, he started kicking them towards the surface, where they would read the final clue together.
ivestartedthebeingafreakthing
Once they broke the surface, Nanami heaved in a breath of precious air, clinging to Tomoe. The fox quickly found a ledge for them both to sit on.
“Are you alright? You are not hurt, are you?” Tomoe's voice broke the near-silence as his hands smoothed across Nanami's skin, checking for scratches or bruises from the fall.
To his concern, Nanami smiled, a hand coming up to cup her boyfriend's cheek. “Yeah, I'm fine. I'm not hurt.” Furrowing her brow, the brunette continued, “But what about you, Tomoe? I don't want you to be hurt either!”
“Nanami, I can assure you that I am unharmed. You are more fragile than I am; allow me to fuss over you.”
Finding this reasoning sound for their current situation, Nanami let the issue go without so much as a pout, letting Tomoe continue checking her over for injuries.
After a moment more of observation, Tomoe pulled back, satisfied that Nanami was free of wounds. His arms wrapped around his love's waist, and he whispered into her hair, “I'm glad you are safe, Nanami.”
Nanami returned the embrace, stroking Tomoe's back in a soothing back-and-forth motion. “I’m glad you're safe, too.”
A few moments passed, and the chill from the water had faded. Ever the more curious of the two, Nanami piped up, “Hey, Tomoe, we still need to read the next clue.”
Tomoe's jaw nearly unhinged. This girl… even a volcano and a minute-long fall into water didn't faze her. “I suppose we do.” His expression softened.
Oh, how he loved his Nanami. He wanted to keep her by his side forever. Tomoe steeled himself. The time had come to unveil his surprise.
Nanami's smile only brightened, tearing the plastic from the clue and reading it aloud.
Clue #3
For this hunt to come to a close, you'll need to band together.
Her brows knit together, and Nanami leaned down closer to the paper slip. “What does that mean? There wasn't even another spot marked on the map!”
Just when she was about to look up to ask for her boyfriend's input, his voice called out to her. “Nanami.”
Curious, Nanami flicked her gaze to Tomoe's face, only to find him kneeling before her.
“Nanami Momozono, you have brought light to the darkest of my days. You have brought me more joy than I could have possibly imagined, and I wish to spend every last second we have together doing the same for you. Will you marry me, Nanami?”
The girl gasped, lost for words as her gaze darted between Tomoe's face and the ring box in his hands. “Tomoe… Tomoe, yes! Yes, of course I'll marry you!” She launched herself toward her fox, entrapping him in her arms.
Tomoe let out a sigh of relief, his ears relaxing as he melted into the embrace of his one true love. “I love you so dearly, Nanami.”
“Oh, I love you so much, too, Tomoe.” Nanami tightened her grip, tears starting to build up in the corners of her eyes.
Tomoe managed to wriggle free from Nanami's arms, gently extracting the engagement ring from the box he held before tucking it back in his kimono. He caught his fiancée's attention with a kiss to her cheek, then extended his right hand in a silent request for her left.
Nanami, now pulled from her reverie, watched as Tomoe tenderly kissed her ring finger, holding back her tears when he slipped the ring onto it.
Suddenly, a party popper exploded from behind them, causing a loud bang to ripple through the silent air of the pair's surroundings.
They whirled their heads around to see Akura-Ou waving from another cluster of rocks off the water's surface, attempting to get their attention.
Nanami broke into laughter and waved back, noticing Mizuki standing with the oni. “What are you guys doing?”
“Celebrating the end of your scavenger hunt… and calling dibs on being Tomoe's best man!” Cackling laughter erupted from the red-haired oni's chest at his own statement, drawing a giggle from Nanami and a grumble from beside her.
Despite Tomoe's response, he smiled and quickly scooped Nanami up to travel across the water's surface with his foxfire.
Once on her feet again, Nanami grabbed Tomoe's face and caught his lips in a slow, loving kiss—one that he quickly returned.
When this kiss finally broke, Nanami pulled her hand from Tomoe's head and inspected her ring, the jewel shimmering in the dim light around them. The peaceful silence stretched for a few moments longer, the newly betrothed pair embracing once again. Said silence was broken by a certain snake's inquiry. “What's a best man?”
Laughter escaped from the three people around him. Mizuki pouted, but nobody could truly be upset in a moment like this. And though the scavenger hunt had caused Tomoe and Nanami's Valentine's Day to go off the rails, the couple wouldn't have it any other way.