Tale of Yokais

Chapter 8

Kamaitachi and Momiji spent almost an hour talking about how to get Madoka alone with the weasel yokai. It wouldn't really be hard, but to think of an excuse to get him in such a situation would be a little difficult.

Momiji lead him back to Hikage Town, Kamaitachi had removed the cloak while they walked. Onibi noticed them walking to the ramen shop and ran over to them, waving happily. 

"So how'd it go?!"

"He saw right through the disguise..and more of interrogated me than casually talked. Not that I could even bring myself to, I just froze up and my mind went blank"

"You know that disguise wasn't very good anyways. All you did was put on a cloak, the rest of your outfit was still visible and we know what you two look like.."

"So our plan was going to fail anyways?!" Onibi pouted.

Once the three got to the ramen stand, Kyuubi immediately noticed they seemed upset about something. 

"What's wrong with you three? Bad day?" he asked with has fan out as usual.

"We're trying to help Kamaitachi get together with that blond Katanashu!" Onibi said.

"His name is Madoka..I thought you guys knew all the Katanashu"

"We don't pay attention to such details when trying to sneak past to the human world without getting caught" Kamaitachi replied. "That and we kind of forgot"

"Mm, I'll give you free ramen today. Only because your day seems to be going bad so far"

"Thank you Kyuubi-no-kitsune!" Onibi smiled, sitting down.

"Fufu, when you were younger you'd call me 'Kyuu', it was adorable"

"He would?" Momiji asked.

"I-I couldn't say much yet..! B-Besides I'm n-not a child anymore!" Onibi immediately said with a faint blush on his face.

Kyuubi chuckled, patting Onibi on the head and making him blush deeper. He assumed it was because he was embarrassing him, so he shrugged it off. Onibi wished that he and Kamaitachi could get out of the boat they shared where the people they liked were oblivious to their feelings.

After a few minutes Kamaitachi handed them their bowls of ramen and sat next to Onibi. They ate their ramen quietly as Kyuubi watched.

"Kamaitachi, if you'd like. Maybe me and Uta can convince Madoka to come to eat ramen with us tomorrow"

He immediately stopped eating and looked hopefully to Momiji. "Really?!"

Momiji nodded in response which in return made Kamaitachi start talking about how excited he was if Madoka did join them. But he was also nervous about what might happen. Onibi assured him that he'd try helping get them in a situation alone. 

Suddenly Kyuubi sighed. "You act like you're matchmakers..Honestly, you should just tell him your feelings instead of planning out such situations"

"Do you have someone you like?" Momiji asked Kyuubi.

That got the two younger yokai's attention. 

Kyuubi stared blankly for a moment before responding. "Not particularly" he replied simply. "Why are you interested in my love life now? Either eat your ramen or leave and I'll make you pay instead"

Things quieted down as they went back to eating. The kitsune stared blankly again, watching them. It was painfully obvious that they probably annoyed him a bit with the question into his personal life. Still Onibi wanted to know if there was someone Kyuubi liked. He really hoped he didn't have competition for his love.

Even though he cared very much for his little flame and that would never change.

When they finished eating, Kamaitachi went off to plan some more and Momiji returned to the station. Onibi cleaned the bowl as Kyuubi walked out from behind the stand. The only time he'd cook and clean was at home. In return Onibi helped groomed his tails, if he'd let him.

"Kyuubi-no-kitsune!-" Onibi exclaimed, running to him.

Kyuubi held a hand up to stop him. "You can call me Kyuubi when it's just us. Or 'Kyuu' like you used to when you were younger"

"Eh? But.."

"There's no need for formalities unless there's others present"

"..O-Okay, Kyuubi!"

"Will you stay by me today?" Kyuubi asked.

"Yeah! If you want me to that is..." he replied.

The fox chuckled, pulling him over and sitting them down. He liked the warmth his small flame brought him. Though he wasn't exactly small anymore. Onibi was so cute in his normal form. Sometimes he'd stay as a flame just so Kyuubi to carry him around and hold him close. Not that he'd ever tell his caretaker that.

"So warm.." he muttered, wrapping his tails around Onibi.

"I'll keep you warm whenever and however long as you want!" Onibi smiled.

"Fufu, you say you're not a child anymore, but to me that's what you've always been. You were so small and cute back then. Now you're just going through what humans call a rebellious phase"

"Are you saying I'm not cute like I was as a kid?"

"No, you're still cute" Kyuubi said blankly.

Onibi blushed, hearing him say he was cute, even if it wasn't in a romantic way, it was still enough to make him scream internally. Why couldn't he just do what Kyuubi suggested earlier and confess to him? Was it really this hard to try starting a relationship?

"Is there something on your mind?" 

"Huh? No nothing sorry. Um, so do you think Kamaitachi has a chance with Madoka?"

"Hmm, I can't say for sure. Just have hope is all I can say" 

"Right..hope.." he leaned again Kyuubi, closing his eyes. 

The kitsune chuckled and pat him, letting his little flame drift off and take a nap. He figured sooner or later Onibi would hit the age where he'd start having crushes. Hopefully whoever he liked would treat him well. Or he'd make them pay for hurting him.

. . .

"Normally those two would be trying to sneak into the human world. Now they're worried about confessing to the people they like..." Momiji muttered to himself as he approached the station.

Peck peck

"Huh?" he looked over to see his missing Shikigami. Grabbing it gently he ordered it to stop it's previous duty. Once it did it returned to being a normal paper doll until it got a new order. "Strange..oh well, I got my Shikigami back and that's all that matters"

He carried on going back to the station while Ungaikyō watched, hiding a few feet away.

"..What was he muttering about..He's weird.."