Ink Stained With Blood (Yokai!Ichimatsu x Reader)

Chapter 6

There was a moment of silence between us before I stood up, adjusting my yukata and furs. Choromatsu lowered his extended hand, the worn straw hat hiding most of his face as I righted myself and only revealed the pointed frown that never seemed to move.

"What are you doing here..." I didn't phrase it as a question. The last time I had seen Choromatsu was during the Night Parade nearly four weeks ago, with our last actual interaction being more than six years ago. I didn't know how much being a daitengu had changed him, or if I was even considered safe around him.

"Just passing through," His mouth barely moved when he talked, "I heard some trouble and found you in the middle of it."

"And what did you want with me?"

"You're not my concern," Choromatsu looked towards the intersection of the alleyways, "Where is your escort?"

"If you mean Ichimatsu, he doesn't know where I am. The men you cast aside had kidnapped me," I narrowed my eyes a little, resettling the bag on my back from the rough handling.

Choromatsu seemed to take in a deep breath before letting it out in a sigh, "It falls to me, then...Tokushima isn't the kind of port city you can walk around in freely."

He reached up with his free hand and pushed the straw hat upwards a little, revealing more of his face before a slight smile rested on his lips, "I'll escort you to your destination. We can look for Ichimatsu there."

Choromatsu and I didn't talk much as he slowly picked his way through the streets of Tokushima, his wooden sandals clicking sharply against the cobblestone footpaths while I followed a few steps behind.

I couldn't help but think back to when he was human, always chastising the actions of his brothers and trying to gain enough rapport with the shopkeepers so they'd hire him. When we were paired together by the matchmaker and our parents, I tried to help him look around for a job but couldn't do much since I was expected to stay near the homestead and help out there. Choromatsu was a wonderful young man to be around but there was always something holding him back from achieving what he wanted in life. Now that he was a yokai, he didn't seem to have that limitation anymore.

The third eldest sextuplet carried himself with an air of superiority that held its own grace, something that could only be felt if one was close to him. It allowed us to walk through the crowded streets easily, the people parting in front of us to let him pass and I stayed within his wake. His eyes seemed to be scanning the crowd in front of him, his feet guiding him towards the piers where Ichimatsu and I were supposed to charter a ferry for passage.

My hands clung to the sling across my chest, worry growing in my gut as my mind screamed that we shouldn't proceed any further.

"Choromatsu, wait..." I called out softly, watching the sextuplet slightly turn his head towards me as he cast his gaze over his shoulder, "I...don't think we should go there..."

Choromatsu's eyes slightly narrowed, "That will draw him to you."

"What?"

"Your fear."

I paled, gripping the strap tighter as I heard Karamatsu's laugh echo in my ear. Choromatsu looked to either side of him, as if looking for someone specifically, before taking a few steps closer to me and pulling me close to him, wrapping his large cloak around me. I breathed in a soft scent of apple and pear, the calming scents making me close my eyes as I felt Choromatsu's hand slowly run through my hair in long strokes.

"He's terrified you that much already?" His voice was gentle, like a father consoling their frightened child. I could only nod, unsure if my voice would betray my frightened thoughts. A soft hum bounced around his chest before he removed his hand from my hair, shifting an arm around my shoulders and guiding me somewhere as I looked back towards the busy street. His free hand covered my eyes, "Don't look, just follow..."