Genshin Tales (one shots, short stories & comic strips)

The Cliff part 2 (Itto♡Gorou)

Itto had carried Gorou through the first few minutes of rain to a cave he decorated with crates of food and clothes pressed to one wall, dishes around a small makeshift survival stove next to another wall and in the middle was a thin bed where he laid the injured doggy General.
A knee-height cow demon was woken by the two but quickly went back to sleep as the crimson oni set himself near the entrance. Just far enough to watch for danger and to tend to Gorou as need be.

For the most part, Itto watched the rain pour down but found himself glancing over to the general more often than he thought he would. Not just to check if he's still alive, but to study his face, skin, hair, ears... Those butterflies in his stomach would return every time and it left the oni confused.
Maybe he should write to miss Hina about it. Keeping names out of course! Be as anonymous as possible. Arataki Itto is never shy! But this is uncharted territory for the oni and felt his face flush with embarrassment when thinking of random humans knowing about such a personal matter.

Hours went by, and the rain started to settle. Itto checked on the sleeping pup again; feeling his temperature. "Ah, great. A fever. And I don't have any medicine." The oni sarcastically mumbles to himself. He moves a lock of hair out of Gorou's face and take's notice of his unconscious behaviour. "Awe! He's holding his tail like a plushie! So cute." Itto stares for a good minute or two, before taking his hand back in surprise. "What are you doing, Itto?! Get a grip." A sigh escaped.
Soon after, he stood up and checked the rainfall which shrunk to a drizzle. "Stay here, Ushi," Arataki commanded the cow. "I shouldn't be long. Protect the General till I get back."
"Moo," Ushi responded.
"Good cow." With that, Itto headed towards the nearby village for some medicine.

He scouted around the village square, keeping to the shadows. Itto found the stand that would have the medicine he was looking for, but unfortunately for him, the old man working today was a bean-loving jerk stuck in the past. A past where oni's weren't on the best of terms with humans.
Arataki took a deep breath before taking a step toward him when all of a sudden a tap on his shoulder made him jump almost 10 feet in the air. "HOLY SHOUGON! God, Kuki!? You scared me half to death!"
"Sorry, boss." Kuki spoke, "What are you doing, sneaking around? You better not be looking for more trouble."
"I- No, I'm not. Uh..." A lightbulb pop's up in Itto's mind. "Actually, I'm glad you're here! Please, I need you to go over there and pick up some fever medicine! And perhaps something for a concussion? I promise I'll pay you back! I swear!"
Kuki looked at him confused. "Fever medicine? I thought you oni's don't get sick. Is Ushi ok?"
"It's not for him."
"Then who?"
"Uhhhhhhhhhhhhh..." Itto couldn't think of a way to tell her how he was nursing the doggy General of the resistance without feeling flustered. "I- well-" he stopped responding and stared unblinkingly at a sunsetta sitting on a crate beside him.
Kuki sighed, "Well, whatever it is I wish I could help, but I'm on my own mission to raise the gang's reputation. If you wanna trade tasks, I'll get your medicine while you get this bag of fruit paste to Kujirai Momiji by the docks." She holds out a smallish-tanned bag.
"Oh! Y-yeah. I could do that for ya." Itto takes the bag and salutes.
"K. Meet back here when you're done."
He ran to the docks, nearly startling Momiji and handing her the bag of bait. She thanked the oni and gave him 2000 mora and some Dango before he sprinted back to meet up with Kuki again.

When he got back to the cave with the medicine, he found Ushi putting a wet cloth on Gorou's forehead.
"Is his fever getting worse? I got back just in time then." The oni prepared the medicine as he heard groans coming from the general.
Gorou's eyes fluttered open, turning over.
"G-General! Take it easy. Here. I, Arataki the kind and genorous Itto, got some medicine for your fever." He hands him a pill with some water.
"Uh, Thank you." He took the pill swiftly, trying to remember what happened. Suddenly, it hit him. The warning from the oni, the sudden piercing pain in his shoulder, falling and then his head hit something hard and cold before blacking out. "You saved me. I'm very grateful, Arataki-Kun. If there's anything I could do, let me know. I owe you a huge favour."
Itto began to blush and averted his gaze, "Uh n-no worries! Really! Now get some rest, ok? I'll keep watch."
"K. If you don't mind me asking... Why are you helping me so much?" The doggy general caught him off guard.
"I..." The oni thought for a moment, then chuckled lightly. "Why not?" "I mean, sure. As ticked off as I was from witnessing that cowardly attack, I got nothing to gain from letting such an honourable and cute fighter kick the bucket like that."
"Uh... Cute?"
Did Itto say cute?! He didn't mean to slip up like that. "C-Cunning! I Said cunning! Yeah."
"Oh. Ok. Thanks, Arataki-Kun." Gorou's tail wagged slightly.
"Call me Itto mister general, sir."
"Ok. Then you can call me Gorou."
"S-sure. Uh... if you're hungry I... don't really have food food, but I got some tri-colour Dongo from a friend earlier." The oni looked over and saw doggy ears perking up and Gorou's matching tail wagging vigorously, despite his composure being calm and professional.
"Now that you mention it, I am a bit peckish. I'm truly humbled by such kindness." This doggy general isn't fooling the oni.
"Hey, what friends are for, right?" He handed over the stick of Dongo he had in a wooden butter box for safekeeping. The oni watched Gorou enjoy every bite. "Hey, once you're healed up, maybe we can hang out around Watatsumi Island."
Gorou smiled after finishing his treat, "yeah. I'd like that." He yawned and fell under the covers again.
Itto attached a note to Ushi and sent him to find a loyal soldier under Gorou's command to come get him.
Over the next few days, Itto would stop by to check on the General. Slowly growing as friends and Itto's true feelings being realized. Maybe he'll tell him.
Someday.