⁜    景气   :      FLASH STARTER CALL for @1andonioni

so he may not be the most observant of oni on his best days, he is infuriatingly aware of dragon's stare whenever they're in the same room. and yea, it shouldn't surprise him, it's been like that since day one, their connection weirdly strong, but still. he didn't think the second they were alone zhongli would look at him like that...

ah, who is he kidding? it was pretty sweet. to be desired like that. itto looks to zhongli, already comfortable on the edge of the inn's bed as if he owned it, and damn if oni didn't feel as pretty as a daisy in spring. those eyes could make a grown man cross his ankles, and giggle like a school kid.

@1andoni: ❛  will you go out with me?  ❜

thunder   rumbles   in   the   distance,   a   sonorous   war   cry   at   the   shores   of   watatsumi.   rain   falls   off   the   awning   of   the   house   in   droves,   the   patter   upon   tiled   roofs   enough   to   lull   gorou's   keen   hearing   into   a   sense   of   relaxation.   he   didn't   like   being   caught   in   the   rain   -   but   there   was   something   about   being   kept   cozy   and   indoors,   warm   before   the   irori,   that   leant   to   his   comfort.   gorou   would   be   the   first   to   admit   that   he   was   a   sucker   for   nights   like   this,   when   the   thunder   was   far   away   enough   that   it   didn't   aggravate   his   memories   and   when   the   lightning   was   yet   too   dim   to   quake   his   soul.   

but   the   oni   was   a   counterweight   to   the   fear   that   would   come.   he   knew   that   deep   down,   though   stubborn   independence   refused   to   admit   it.   the   general   himself   was   much   more   keen   on   the   idea   that   he   was   'managing   it   all   on   his   own'   and   'it   was   fine   without   assistance,'   when   in   truth   itto's   presence   at   night   -   and   when   the   storms   on   watatsumi   got   too   bad   to   handle   -   had   kept   him   together   more   than   he'd   care   to   admit.   

knees   are   tucked   to   his   chest   as   he   sits   before   the   other   -   their   dinner   plates   long   discarded.   gorou's   tail   is   wrapped   about   himself,   his   face   buried   against   his   knees,   and   he   stares   the   oni   down   over   his   pant   legs,   drinking   in   his   strong   countenance   like   a   predator   drawing   upon   prey   that   he   might   leap   at   any   moment.   another   rumble,   closer   still,   and   comfort   fades   to   uneasiness   -   but   it   is   tempered   by   itto's   presence,   his   warm   aura,   and   maybe   that's   why   gorou   doesn't   immediately   reduce   to   sputtering   idiocy   when   the   question   leaves   itto's   mouth.   maybe   that's   why   he   doesn't   spontaneously   combust   on   the   spot,   or   find   a   convenient   place   to   hide   to   avoid   screaming   his   answer   too   eagerly.   

it was hard to explain, oni isn't even sure what it means, he just knows that he doesn't think too much about where his feet go when he steps or what he can hold without making it worse with the general around. and he was so good to granny, too. gorou showed her around watatsumi after securing her some land to settle down. even helped itto build her house when he had the time. and anyone who treated granny oni with respect was a real good dude in itto's book. when gorou opened up to him one day during a storm that stranded them at nazuchi for awhile that lightning put him on edge, itto felt like he had to fix that somehow. for some reason. as if he could control the weather or something stupid like that….but for gorou, he wanted to try.

so he took to being around as often as he could. paid attention to the weather and showed up without saying much. gorou would cook for him if he wasn't busy, and they'd sit. like now. general seems a lot less on edge now, relaxed in a way itto has learned to tell by the way he holds himself. his ears are up but not turning toward every sound, his tail is nestled beside him neatly, his shoulders aren't so tight. and his lips aren't pursed, his jaw isn't clenched, he's really cute actually, itto likes looking at him, and will you go out with me falls out of his mouth like a passing thought. even itto looks surprised he said it. but gorou heard him, crawls closer and itto feels himself swallow hard, so loud he can hear it in his head. he's blushing despite himself, wanting to lean in to his devil-may-care attitude but it's nowhere to be found, now.