Ink Stained With Blood (Yokai!Ichimatsu x Reader)

Chapter 4

The descent down the mountain was more difficult than the ascent, with the winter season bearing down on us. Ichimatsu had repaired the shoe that had caused my fall yesterday, but my ankle was still aching from the awkward angle it had bent in.

I gladly accepted Ichimatsu's offer of a back ride, letting my arms hang loose around his neck while resting my head against his shoulder.

It felt oddly nostalgic.

"(Y/n)," I felt his voice rumble against my chest, "When this is all over, do you have any thoughts of what you wanted to do?"

"Not really..." I closed my eyes, "I've been so busy trying to find a way to reverse my mistake that I haven't put any thought towards what comes afterwards."

"May I tell you what I want?"

I only nodded against his head.

"I want to find a place where we can live without interruption, where you can find endless inspiration for your songs and where I could listen to you," His left ear flicked backwards, shaking off a large clump of snow that had fallen on it, "I would like to finally consummate our relationship."

"I'd like that, too."

"Which part?" Ichimatsu laughed a little, tilting his head back towards me.

"All of it," I pressed my cold cheek against his warm one, "If our parents were alive, do you think they'd have a fit that we weren't married yet?"

His lips pulled back into a rare smile, "Your parents would have a bigger fit than mine."

"True," I laughed, my breath turning into white wisps in the cold air.

Ichimatsu carried me down the mountain with no complaint and refused to let me off when we were in the gentle foothills, claiming that if I tried walking now then my ankle wouldn't be able to handle the pressure. Without a second thought, he kept walking down the footpath that widened into a main road.

When the sun touched the horizon, we arrived at a town I didn't recognize.

The town was split down the middle by the river we had been following for some time, the waters providing a lush ground for farming. The ripe green stalks of grain sprouted from the ground, creating vast fields of what looked like tall grass from a distance. The river curled through the town with some artificially created branches that fed farms, continuing on past the town and further through the low mountain range.

"This is Awa. We'll be stopping here for the night before continuing to Tokushima for a boat to Wakayama," Ichimatsu explained as he finally set me down on the ground, holding my hand while I steadied myself before letting go.

"Wakayama...that's near Osaka, isn't it?" I slightly winced as I felt my ankle throb before matching out my pace with his.

"Correct. That's our halfway mark," Ichimatsu reached up to rub the patch of hair behind his left ear, "From there, we continue north-east until we reach Nagoya."

"You're heading to Nagoya?"

A stranger's voice called out to us, drawing our attention towards a man walking with two children, one in a sling across his back with the other holding his hand.

"Is there an issue?" Ichimatsu responded to the question.

"There's been rumors of troubled waters between Tokushima and Wakayama. Every ferry that's been leaving port hasn't returned," The man shifted the child on his back a little, "Everyone has had to reroute through Awaji Island to make it safely."