My Private Twashcan

“Please let me come with you!”

“No.”

“Please?? Pretty please?? I just NEED to meet my savior again!”

“Ugh… You’re not gonna give in, are you?”

“No? Gah, I’m sorry, Shinobu. I just really miss her, y’know? I promise I won’t cause any trouble if I come with!”

“Really. Do you swear-?”

“I swear on my life! Pinky promise!”

“… fine! You can come, but if I have to bail you out of jail again, I’ll lose my mind!”

“Yesss! Haha! Don’t you worry, girlie. I’ll be on my best behavior!”

“… don’t call me girlie.”

“Heh, sorry…”

And that’s how the conversation went before Arataki Itto set sail to Liyue. Of course, he didn’t go alone, since his gang-mate Shinobu was there with him. He had begged her to let him come with because he missed Yanfei and wanted some adventure, and she finally agreed so that he’d shut up. He felt a bit seasick, but survived the whole trip looking out at the water.

Once they got to Liyue Harbor, Itto needed some time to settle himself before going out to explore. Shinobu was a bit hesitant to let him roam free, considering the legal trouble he got into last time, but she knew he took promises very seriously, so she let him go.

He wandered around the city, browsing different stalls and awkwardly apologizing since he had no money on him, petting dogs and cats on his way, and exploring where different stairs would take him. He had to ask a stranger if those wooden stairs were private or not, since he hadn’t used them last time he was here. At least not on his own, since he was mostly following Shinobu back then.

After a while, he noticed a calm area with a small stage whereupon a man stood, telling a story to about three people. Itto felt curious and wanted to check it out. He tried being quiet as he made his way to an empty chair next to this real fancy looking guy.

“Erm, e-excuse me. Is this seat taken?” He whispered, hoping not to interrupt the story.

“No, go ahead.” The fancy man whispered back, glancing at him for a moment before looking back at the story teller.

Itto mumbled “thanks” and sat down, noticing some awkward glances from the other two people. He was used to the attention considering his oni status, so he ignored them and tried to focus on the story instead. Unfortunately, he’d missed a lot of context so he didn’t really understand what was going on, but he liked it anyway and applauded when it was done. He noticed he must’ve been louder than the rest…

“Haha, thank you, young one. I appreciate the enthusiasm.” said the story teller, looking directly at Itto. He wasn’t sure how to reply til the guy switched subject seconds later.

“The rest of you know the drill. I’ll be here the same time tomorrow. For now, I bid you farewell.” he said with a bow, receiving another round of applause, which were quieter with Itto trying to match the volume of those around him. He felt a little embarrassed.

“H-Heh… uh… cool story, huh?” he said, hoping to lighten the tension he felt from the other two men to his left.

“Indeed. It’s a shame you missed the beginning.” The fancy man said, glancing at the other two for a moment before looking at Itto.

“Haha! Yeah, I didn’t know this was a thing til now. I don’t remember if I’ve ever been up here…” Itto said, looking around.

“I see. You must not be from around here, then? Where are you from, if you don’t mind me asking?”

“Uh, Inazuma! I’m here visiting with a friend of mine! She has this thing going on though, so I’m alone for now. On my own, I mean.” Itto said, happy to talk.

“Inazuma, hm? I did hear they reopened their borders a while ago…”

“Yeah, they did. Heh, it’s a shame I got all seasick on my way here though!”

“Haha, indeed. That must’ve been quite a struggle since it’s so far away.” The fancy man had a sense of humor, which felt like such a relief.

“Hahaha! Yeahh, but I managed. Didn’t even throw up, cus I was on deck looking outside at the water.” Itto said, noticing he might’ve said something inappropriate judging from the other two.

“I see. That is a good strategy.” The fancy man said, giving the other two men a look.

“Mhm…” Itto felt a little awkward, looking down at his fidgeting hands. The two other dudes eventually got up and left.

“Oh, don’t mind them.” The fancy man must’ve noticed how Itto felt.

“Hm? Uh, who?”

“Ah, nevermind.”

Dang it, now it was awkward for both of them, wasn’t it? Itto could basically melt into the floor from the silence…

“Hmm… You said you were from Inazuma, correct?” the fancy man said.

“Uh, yeah! I did! I’m a tourist today I guess.” Itto replied.

“Mhm? In that case, you’re not an adeptus…” the man mumbled, looking at Itto’s horns curiously.

“A… what now?”

“Oh, pardon me. I’ve forgotten the term… Forgive my rude question, but um… Your horns. You’re not human, are you?” He seemed a bit embarrassed, failing to formulate his question in a better way.

“A-Ah, heh, no. I’m an oni!” Itto said with a smile.

“Ah, yes. Now, could you tell me which umbrella term you’d fall under? I’ve forgotten the word…”

“Yōkai?”

“Yes, thank you. I was supposed to ask if you were a yōkai, since adepti are native to Liyue. Pardon my bluntness earlier…”

“Ah, it’s fine, man! No biggie. I’ve heard worse, hahaha!”

The two continued chatting for a while until another wave of awkward silence showed up. This time, Itto was the one to break it.

“Hey, so, um…” Fantastic start.

“Yes?”

“I feel like I’ve met you before. I could be wrong, but… You seem so oddly familiar.” Itto said, looking at the man. His mannerisms were similar to Ayato’s, which wasn’t too surprising since he looked so fancy. Even so, Itto felt as if he’d met this guy before… or was it just his comparison to Ayato that manufactured familiarity?

“Hmm… You mentioned you’ve been here before, if I’m not mistaken. Perhaps we bumped into each other back then?”

“Maybe, but I don’t remember. I mostly remember being there for Shinobu’s graduation, and meeting Yanfei!” Itto said excitedly.

“Yanfei, you say? You know her?”

“Yeah! She saved me from a jail sentence cus I got into a fight, heh…”

“I see. I think I heard rumors about that…”

“Yeah, I bet.”

“I’m somewhat glad Chonggyun wasn’t there. He’s an exorcist; you probably would’ve been in danger.”

“Oh for real? Crazy.” Itto chuckled and thought back to the last time he was in Liyue, trying to remember if he’d seen this man before…

“Ah, I don’t believe we’ve introduced ourselves. My name is Zhongli. It’s nice to meet you.” The fancy man said.

“Oh, right! Heh, I’m Arataki Itto! Nice to meet ya to!” Itto said proudly. Zhongli chuckled slightly at his confident tone, and the two chatted more, talking about hobbies and work and what to do in Inazuma and Liyue. After a while, Zhongli realized he had places to be, so they got up. Just as Zhongli was about to leave, Itto spotted something that made him gasp.

“Is-?! Is that a GEO VISION?!” He exclaimed, super excited to find out his new friend had the same Vision as himself. It looked different too. He saw it when briefly admiring the details in Zhongli’s clothing.

“Oh, this? Hm, yes. It is.” Zhongli replied with a small smile.

“Whooaa, I have one too! Look!” Itto said, showing off how shiny his Vision was.

“Ah, yes. How could I not have noticed?” Zhongli said, lying since he definitely saw it earlier, but forgot to bring it up.

“I dunno, I guess you’re too tall?” Itto joked, coming closer to look at Zhongli’s vision.

“Haha, perhaps so. Though, unfortunately I really don’t have time for more chats at the moment…”

“Awh man…”

“Perhaps we’ll meet again, hm? I’d love to talk with you more.” Zhongli said, comforting the oni.

“Heh, yeah! That story dude said he’d be here tomorrow again, right? We could meet up here then!” Itto suggested, excited to have made a new friend.

“Indeed, haha… Then let’s meet here again.”

After that, they chatted on their way out before eventually going in different directions, saying their goodbyes. Itto was on his own again, wandering around the city looking for Shinobu. He felt like a lost puppy for a while until he found her, excitedly telling her about his new friend. She was happy for him, and relieved to hear he hadn’t caused any trouble. Once they were united, they went to visit Yanfei. Itto was really happy to meet her again, telling her all sorts of fun things while catching up. It was a really nice day.

The next day, Itto had overslept by seveal hours and had to rush to get to the story teller thingy on time. When he finally got there, the dude on stage was in the middle of his story just like last time. Itto felt bad he’d missed the start again, but quietly sat down with Zhongli. He tried to surpress his sleepy yawns throughout, but it was too hard. He’d cover his mouth every time and try to look attentive, hoping he wouldn’t hurt the story teller’s feelings.

After today’s story, the man thanked the audience again and announced he’d be there next week instead of tomorrow. Itto hoped he didn’t take his yawns personally. Once he and the other two strangers had left, Itto and Zhongli chatted again.

“Sorry I’m late… I slept like a log all night. And morning.” Itto said, rubbing his eyes.

“I see. It’s alright. I had assumed you’d forgotten the time.” Zhongli replied, relieved to see him arrive.

“Haha, yeah…” Itto said, yawning. “Oh man, I’m such a snooze today.”

“I don’t blame you. I’d be tired too if I’d traveled so far the day before.”

“Mhm…”

As they talked, Itto still couldn’t shake the feeling he’d known this man for much longer. Was it the Vision? The Ayato-esque personality? Or something else?

“What’s on your mind?” Zhongli asked, noticing that somehow.

“I just can’t shake this feeling that I know you from somewhere else… I just know I’ve met you before, but I can’t remember when! O-Other than yesterday.” Itto explained.

“Is that so? Hmm… Are you certain?”

“Yes?? No?? I don’t know! You just feel so strangely familiar…”

“How curious.” Zhongli tried to remember if they’d met before, but nothing came up.

“Hm… maybe it’s got something to do with our visions? Like- Maybe our visions are linked somehow, since they’re both geo?”

“Haha, perhaps so. I suppose that could be an explanation.”

“Uh-huh. Even your outfit matches it! Totally repping the geo element, eh?”

“Oh, you noticed? Thank you.” Zhongli was surprised at Itto’s knack for noticing details so far.

“Ya kinda remind me of my bro Ayato. I think he’s still in Inazuma, though, unless he comes here on a “business trip” while I’m here.”

“Ayato, you say? Kamisato Ayato?”

“Yeah! Do you know him?”

“Ah, yes, I believe I’ve met him. He’s quite influential in Inazuma, isn’t he?”

“Haha, yeah! He is! We’re, like, super close, dude. Love that man for real.” Itto said, blushing a little bit thinking about Ayato.

“That’s wonderful. Love truly is special, hm?” Zhongli said, teasing him a little.

“Whuh- I-I mean, yeah! He’s-… heh… he’s a great guy, really.” Itto said shyly, a little embarrassed to accidentally have outed himself. Zhongli chuckled quietly to himself. This oni reminded him of a certain redhead he knew *very* well. Though unlike Itto, Zhongli was able to keep his composure and didn’t blush.

“Hey, y’know what? I wanna see your fighting skills!” Itto said confidently.

“Oh?”

“Yeah! I wanna see what you can do with your geo vision!”

“Oh, do you have time for that?”

“I sure do! Heh, I’ll show you mine if you show me yours!” Itto said with a laugh. Zhongli chuckled at his joke, recognizing it from his partner…

“Well, I just happen to have the day off today. So why not? Let’s get going, shall we?”

“Really?! Aw, yeah! Let’s go!”

Itto continued talking to Zhongli while they walked together, following him wherever they were going. He had no clue where they were headed, but trusted this guy enough to just go along with it. They continued chatting and walking until they reached a more secluded area.

“Whoa…” Itto said and admired the scenery.

“This area should give us some privacy, so we don’t get interrupted.” Zhongli said, summoning his polearm.

“Whoa! Cool weapon! Heh, but it’s not as cool as mine!” Itto said confidently, summoning his claymore.

“Haha, well, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Though, I will admit your claymore is cool as well.” Zhongli replied with a smile.

“C’mon! Show me what you got! I wanna see what you can do with that thing!”

“Oho. Is that a challenge?”

“You bet it is. Let’s spar! I wanna test your strength!”

“Hm, alright. Though I must warn you.” Zhongli readied himself for combat. “Don’t understimate me.”

“Right back at ya, bro!” Itto replied, with a readied stance of his own.

“May the strongest fighter win.” Zhongli said, and Itto didn’t have time for a witty comeback before the spar started. They were mostly focused on knocking each other over so they wouldn’t get hurt too badly. Itto managed to win the first round by disarming Zhongli, knocking the polearm out of his hands.

“Damn, you’re a really good fighter, y’know!” Itto said, helping him up.

“Haha, thank you. I suppose you could say I’ve been practicing.” Zhongli replied, moving over to pick up his weapon.

“Haha, I can tell! But you’re no match for my oni strength!” Itto boasted with a confident laugh.

“Oh, please. That was just a warm-up.” Zhongli replied, jokingly rolling his eyes.

“Oh yeah? You want a rematch, bro? Come at me!”

And so round two began, with Zhongli’s moves being more calculated this time around. Itto tried to up his game as well, but found himself outsped and unable to defend properly. He was eventually disarmed, but didn’t surrender and tried to take away Zhongli’s weapon. After a brief tussle, Zhongli managed to wrestle him down, tossing the weapon aside in the process, pinning Itto face-down to the ground.

“Oof..! H-How did you-…?” Bro was flabbergasted. How could such a chill looking guy be stronger than he was?? Unacceptable!

“Ah, looks like I win.”

“No way, man! I’m not giving up til I say I give up! I still got more fight in me!!”

“Really? Then try to break free.”

“Oh I won’t just try! I’ll succeed!” Itto squirmed and struggled, trying to free himself from Zhongli’s grip, or throw him off somehow, but he couldn’t.

“Hngh… h-how are you so strong?! That’s not fair! I’m an oni! I’m not supposed to be held down by some human!”

“Hahaha, didn’t I tell you not to underestimate me? Tsk tsk.”

“Ugh! Let me go!”

“Do you yield?”

“Never! This is cheating!”

“No, I don’t think it is…”

Itto tried to use more of his strength, but no matter how hard he strained, he couldn’t break free. Best he could do was crawl a little bit before losing balance due to Zhongli’s strategy.

“Huff… you’re too strong. What are you, like, the archon or somethin’?” Itto asked, out of breath.

“Huh- wh-… pardon?” Zhongli was surprised by how accurate his assumption was, unsure if he was joking or not.

“If you’re just a human, there’s no way you could keep me down like this, man! Or I guess it could just be a geo thing, I dunno…”

“Y-Yes, I believe that might be the case.”

“Even so, I’m an oni! An oni with a geo vision. So how are you so strong, huh? What’s your secret? Some sorta Liyue workout?” Itto questioned, narrowing his eyes as he tried to look back at him.

“I- eh…” Zhongli, for once, struggled to come up with a reply. Itto’s eyes widened.

“You ARE the archon! Aren’t you? That explains your fashion… and your crazy strength, I guess!”

“N-Now, let’s not get too hasty-“

“I knew I recognized you! Cus if you’re the geo archon, then *you* gave me this vision! Right? That’s gotta be how I recognized you!”

“How on earth did you even figure that out?? Did Traveler tell you? Or Paimon?” Zhongli couldn’t believe his ears.

“So I WAS right! Hahahaha!” Damn it, he’d spilled the beans. “Our archon walks among her people too, y’know! I kinda just assumed~”

“Uh-huh… I see…” Zhongli couldn’t fathom his own lapse in judgement at this point.

“Well no wonder I lost, you’re literally a god. That’s so unfair…” Itto said, chuckling. It was kinda cool to have befriended the geo archon of all people.

“Well~ I suppose with enough dedication you could *maybe* reach my level.” Zhongli teased, amused by Itto’s personality. “So, do you surrender?”

“No! I never surrender! I don’t know the meaning of the word!”

“Then how about I convince you? This isn’t my first time dealing with a stubborn opponent.”

“Oh yeah?! As if you can break me!”

“I think I can, actually. Haha, you remind me of a dear friend of mine with all that fighting spirit.” Zhongli smiled thinking about that man.

“Yeah? Hehe, so what? I’m still gonna win!” Itto was still just as stubborn, refusing to give up.

“Not if you both have the same weakness to tickling. Though, I do worry that’d be past your boundaries.”

“Wha-?!” Itto wasn’t expecting that, but sort of preferred it over getting hurt or just having to lay there all day, dying of boredom… or whatever the alternative would’ve been.

“So, what’ll it be? The choice is up to you.” Zhongli said, finding the situation rather funny.

“Tch, do your worst! I’m never gonna surrender! Y-You’ll be tired before I will, cus I’m not ticklish!” Itto insisted, totally not nervous out of his mind.

“Are you sure about that?”

“Y-Yeah? Of course I am… h-heh…”

“Oh well, I suppose I’ll have to check for myself.” Zhongli felt amused by Itto and decided to humor his goofy ass, wasting no time before tickling his sides.

“Please, try to hold still.” he added, noticing the near instant feedback of squirms and snickers he got.

“Pfft~! Fwahahahaha! N-No wahahay mahahahahan!!” Itto protested, struggling to break free. Letting Zhongli tickle him was totally just a way to distract him. He’d free himself in no time, trust…

“As you wish…” but Zhongli wasn’t having it, instead speeding up his tickling, wondering if the oni would yield to such a thing. He couldn’t find an optimal way to target his armpits, so he just went down to his waist instead.

“Pfft hehehehehe! Hahahahaha! Ihihit’s hard to breheheathe like thihis…!” Itto wheezed, hoping to find a loophole to escape through.

“Pardon?” Zhongli stopped for a moment since he couldn’t quite understand what was just said.

Itto panted for a moment before speaking up. “I-It’s kinda hard to breathe like this…”

“Well, if you’d like to roll over, I suppose I could let you.”

“Ah… really? Isn’t that kinda cheating…?”

“I don’t want you inhaling grass while struggling to breathe.”

“Heh… I’m not allergic or anythin’…”

“Well, it’s still no fun for you if you suffocate.” The way he worded that sounded like he knew Itto was having fun. How embarrassing… was he that obvious?

“What the-?!” Zhongli let go of him for a moment, somewhat shocked to see him suddenly try to fight back.

“Mwahahaha! Bet ya weren’t expecting that!” Itto said, but before he could tickle him back, Zhongli grabbed his wrists to wrestle him away.

“Weren’t you supposed to surrender?”

“Pfft, no way, José! I bet I could escape behefohohore yohohou-! Heheh! Hey!!” Zhongli held Itto’s right wrist specifically, tickling him with his other hand before he could try to win.

“Ah, I thought you had good reflexes…” he teased, knowing Itto had worse coordination in his left arm. He’d noticed he was right-handed during their earlier combat.

“Shut uhuhuhup!! Pfft-!” Itto protested, trying to free himself, until Zhongli got a sensitive spot, making Itto tip over giggling instead.

“Oh my, down already?”

“Shut up! I can’t help it!”

“That’s too bad.” Zhongli switched to targetting Itto’s ribs with both hands, which made him laugh louder and kick his legs against the ground.

“AhahAHAHA!! Nohohot thehehehere!!” he protested, trying to push the archon’s hands away somehow.

“Just let me know when you yield, okay?” Zhongli teased, thinking about how similar Itto’s reactions were to those of his own partner. But by now, if this were the redhead he was tickling, he’d already be pleading for mercy. Especially after that “not there!” Itto had just laughed out. It was quite amusing.

Itto managed to cover his ribs with his arms, slipping them under Zhongli’s hands at just the right time, taking advantage of the way he’d lift his hands only to suddenly attack again.

“Ah, well…” Zhongli shrugged, pausing only because Itto was trying to talk.

“Th-Thihis..! This is so unfahahair!!” he said, full of giggles.

“Is it~? Or are you just a sore loser?” Zhongli teased, chuckling at the way Itto struggled to look angry.

“Shut your mouth, grandpa! You’re an archon, so you have an unfair advantage!”

“What did you just call me?” Zhongli was surprised for a moment, but should’ve expected nothing more than boldness from this man…

“Eheh, uh… I called ya gramps.” Itto said, getting nervous.

“Hmph. I’m afraid I can’t accept such a rude attitude.” Zhongli said, attempting a glare that wouldn’t scare him too much.

“W-Well, th-.. that’s too dang bad.” Itto said, trying to hide how nervous he felt. The anticipation was already killing him, which was kinda funny to see.

“Oh well, I’ll just have to continue your dicipline until you surrender.” Zhongli said, giving him no time to protest before attacking again, tickling his tummy.

“Bwahahahahahaha!!” Itto started laughing right away, still adamant on protecting his ribcage while kicking his legs to cope.

Zhongli chuckled to himself, admitedly feeling a strange parental-like connection to Itto, which made him feel weird about his previous comparison to Ajax… It felt as if they were playfully bonding like a father and son, oddly enough. Perhaps it was Itto’s joyous laughter, Zhongli’s ancient age, or their previous conversations about their shared elemental visions? In any case, it was clear both of them were having fun.

“Gosh, your fighting spirit can’t be tamed, can it?” Zhongli said, stopping the tickles after a while, just so Itto wouldn’t die or something.

“Aheheh… heh… huff… j-just need’a… need a breather…!” Itto said, panting heavily while trying to control his giggles.

“You know, you’re actually winning a competition I wasn’t expecting to exist…” Zhongli said, smirking at the curious look on the oni’s face.

“Whuh…? Heh, whaddya mean?”

“Well, remember how I mentioned that friend of mine?”

“Yeah?”

“You might just last longer than he usually does.”

Itto laughed when he heard that. “Whoa, who knew the geo archon would be such a tickle monster? You seemed so chill I never would’ve suspected that!”

“Never judge a book by its cover~ Would you like to beat his high score?”

“Heh, bring it on! I ain’t tired yet!”

“Then let me know when you are.” Zhongli briefly stretched his hands, cracking his knuckles, which made Itto extremely nervous.

“Oh god…”

“Oh, did I scare you?”

“Uh yeah?? Y-You’ll go easy on me, r-right? C’monnnnn, we’re homies! Right?” Itto said, trying to bargain so he wouldn’t die metaphorically.

“Hmm. Well-… No, I won’t go easy on you. That wouldn’t be fair. And, what on earth is a ‘homie’?” Zhongli said, confused.

“Pfft… you’ve never heard that? It’s like slang for ‘friend’, like buddy, pal, chum, bro, uhh… my dude, my guy, uh…”

“I see… Ah, you younguns and your “lingo,” goodness…” Zhongli shook his head and Itto snickered at him. “Well enough distractions, where were we?”

“Heh! Uhhhh, I’m not telling.”

“Too bad. I remember.”

“Oh- oh shihihIHIHIT!!”

Zhongli wasted no more time, targetting Itto’s ribs since they gave the biggest reaction so far. Itto burst into laughter immediately, head thrown back against the grass. One tiny part of him hoped he wouldn’t get any grass stains in his hair, while the rest of him fought for his life as he laughed his ass off, frantically kicking his legs and squirming helplessly. The fact that he couldn’t push Zhongli’s hands away drove him insane.

“Ah, this spot is just awful for you, isn’t it?” Zhongli asked, amused.

“NAHAHAHA!! SHUHUT IHIHIHIT!!” Itto laughed, his instincts making him try to cover his ribs, which just trapped Zhongli’s hands instead.

“Oh dear, you’re losing it…”

“BE QUIEHEHEHEHET!!”

“I didn’t know yōkai could be so ticklish. I thought it was more of a human thing.” Zhongli said, deciding to lessen the “torture” and switch to playfully tickling Itto’s tummy instead, turning his loud laughter into hysteric giggles instead.

“Ohohoh my gohohohod..!” Itto complained, hiding his embarrassed face behind his hands.

“Yes~?” Zhongli replied, as if he’d been waiting to joke like that.

“HehehEHEhehe!!” Y-You’re evil~! Hahahaha!!” Itto yelped, now trying to push those dang hands away.

“Hehe, no I’m not. Now accept defeat, or I’ll have to get meaner.” Zhongli teased, scribbling around on Itto’s abs, chuckling at his increased giggles and his attempts to cover the area with his arms.

“Nohohohoho~!!”

“Yuh-huh.”

“Never!!”

“Suit yourself.”

Zhongli increased the intensity for a moment, just enough to make Itto laugh louder and swear at him, which was really funny to him.

“Oh my, you’ve got no manners! I thought Ayato would’ve taught you by now.” Zhongli commented after stopping the tickles to let Itto breathe.

“Heheheh…! Hehe~…! H-He tries…” Itto replied, panting between giggles.

“Oh really?”

“Y-Yeah… heh… s-sometimes, he-.. *huff*… makes me say “please” and “thank you”… n whatever…” Itto said, missing his bro.

“Mhm? Does he have to put *this* much effort into that?” Zhongli said, emphasising his question by tickling Itto’s sides.

“Eep! N-Nohohoho! Nohot reheheally!” Itto replied, deciding to cover his ribs instead of his sides.

“I see. Then, how about surrendering?”

“Hehehe! I-I’d rahahather dihihihie!” Itto was dramatic like that, over-exaggerating often.

“Oh. Well, I suppose we’ll be here all day then.” Zhongli said, before taking Itto’s wrists and trying to pin them above his head. Itto gasped and put up resistance, straining to pull his arms down.

“D-Don’t you dare!” he growled, trying to keep his arms down, but Zhongli was still stronger, managing to win their brief and unfair arm wrestling match.

“Quite stubborn, aren’t you?”

“I’m tryina survive, dude!”

“Then surrender. There’s still a spot I haven’t tried yet…” Zhongli said, holding Itto’s hands above his head with one hand, which was kinda hard with those spiky bracelets he wore. Even so, he tried keeping them there by his forearms.

Itto’s heart sank when he realized which spot he meant, and the fear showed on his face.

“Ah, it’s a bad one, huh?” Zhongli asked.

“Y-Yeah, you could say that…” Itto said nervously, trying to free himself.

“So will you surrender?” Zhongli asked, lightly tickling Itto’s waist as his hand slowly moved up.

“N-No! I-! Pfft!”

“You haven’t got much time~”

“Fuhuhuck..!” Itto knew damn well he wouldn’t survive if he let Zhongli tickle his armpit, even if it was just one. He’d simply die right then and there…

“Almost…” Zhongli’s hand was getting closer. Too close for Itto’s comfort. He couldn’t take it.

“Agh, okay okay!! I yield, I yield!! I-I surrender! I give up! You win! J-Just let me go!” he blurted out, and Zhongli smirked and let him go as promised, moving to stand up.

“Ah. Was that so hard?” Zhongli teased, looking down at the oni, who laid on his side now.

“Haha… g-geez, man…” Itto needed a moment to recover before looking at him again.

“Hmm, are you alright?” Zhongli asked, tilting his head.

“Heh.. y-yeah, I’m fine..” Itto said, sitting up and rubbing his eyes.

“Are you sure? I was quite evil at the end there, wasn’t I?” Zhongli said, feeling a bit guilty when he remembered the scared look on Itto’s face earlier.

“Hehe, yeah, you were! Hmph, I’m telling Ayato!” Itto said with a playful huff, crossing his arms, but his “angry” frown soon turned into a smile.

“Oh, hahaha…! He’d have my head, wouldn’t he?”

“Maybe. Pfft…” Itto snickered at the response.

“Now, need some help getting up?” Zhongli asked, moving behind him.

“Huh? Uh, I guess?”

“Alright. Hold still.”

Zhongli slipped his hands under Itto’s arms, making him yelp and tense up, before the archon lifted him up like a child, which made the grown ass oni laugh with confusion. Once he was on his feet, Zhongli let go.

“What was that for?!” Itto questioned, a silly smile on his face as he turned around to face the man.

“Eh, felt silly. Sorry about that.” Zhongli replied, smiling at him.

“Tch, you’re evil.” Itto joked.

“Indeed. But seriously, are you alright? You looked utterly terrified at the end of our, er, “combat” session.” Zhongli said, feeling a bit worried about the other.

“Pfft, I’m fine, dude! But don’t ever do that again.” Itto said, a serious look on his face. He was indeed scared for that moment, knowing he’d be severely overstimulated, and he didn’t quite trust this guy enough to let him do that yet. “Cus it’s not like I could stop you! You’re too strong!”

“Ah… I should’ve known better. Truly, I’m so sorry I made you uncomfortable. It was meant to be all fun and games, and I took it too far.” Zhongli said, apologizing as sincerely as he could, even bowing politely.

“Hehe, it’s fine, it’s chill. I’m okay, really! Just don’t pin me like that next time, alright?” Itto said, with a playful flick to Zhongli’s head.

“Ow. Hmph.” Zhongli stood up straight, and Itto snickered at his reaction. “I guess I deserved that. Though… what do you mean by ‘next time’?”

“H-Huh? What next time? I didn’t said that! I would never!” Itto said, embarrassed and crossing his arms to act tough.

“Oh, I think you did. I heard you-”

“Too bad, you think wrong! Cus I never said such a thing ever actually!”

“I heard you loud and clear, y’know.”

“You didn’t hear shit! Cus I didn’t say a word!”

“Did I read your mind, then~?”

“Shut uuuppppp!!”

“Hahahahaha..!”

“It’ll be YOU losing your shit next time! Cus I won’t fall down so easily!”

It was time for bed and Gorou was very sleepy. The only problem was that Itto wasn’t. He was full of energy and claimed to not need sleep yet, but this wasn’t unusual. Gorou knew he’d calm down enough to go to sleep eventually, so he wasn’t concerned. All they needed to do was snuggle real close and drift off to dream land.

Itto had his eye mask ready on his forehead, waiting for Gorou to come cuddle. After the general had changed into his pajamas, he turned the lights off, crawled onto his partner and laid his head on his chest, snuggling up real close and listening to his heartbeat. Itto wrapped his arms and a blanket around his beloved boyfriend, playfully nuzzling the top of his head and giggling to himself. He was always excited to spend some snuggle-time with his beloved warrior.

“Are you comfy?” Itto asked, kissing his head.

“Hmm... yeah. You’re so warm…” Gorou replied, softly nuzzling into him and happily wagging his tail.

“Mm... so are you. You’re like… really snuggly. Your hair is so soft…” Itto held him closer and nuzzled his head more, filling his cuddles with more love and affection.

“Hehe, thanks. You’re very comfy...” Gorou smiled, reaching up to gently scratch Itto’s head before nuzzling his chest. The two cuddled like this for quite a while, ready to fall asleep at any moment… until Gorou felt a weird sensation in his ear, making it flick on reflex.

“Huh… hey… don’t do that…” Gorou said sleepily.

“What?” Itto replied, resting his chin on Gorou’s head. Then, he felt the same sensation again.

“Hey! Do not.” Gorou complained, flicking his ear twice.

“What?? I’m just breathing.” Itto replied with a giggle. Turns out he was gently blowing air at Gorou’s ears without permission, because he thought the way they twitched was funny.

“Itto! It tickles! Stop it!” Gorou protested, holding his giggles in.

“Hehehehe, so cute…” the oni replied, blowing air yet again.

“Grrr… leave my ears alone!” Gorou whined, finally covering his ears to prevent that ticklish feeling.

“Hahahaha! You’re adorable!” Itto laughed and hugged him close in response. “Aww~ Is someone angy?” He said in a silly voice, gently rocking his beloved left and right.

“Pfft.. shut up. Stop blowing on my ears! I’m trying to sleep…” Gorou complained with a frown.

“Ah, alright, fine. I’ll stop, hehe!” Itto replied with a chuckle, kissing him on the forehead. “Can I rub your ears though? You like that, right?”

“Oh! Uh… s-sure. G-Go ahead.” Gorou replied, shyly accepting the headpats and ear rubs while wagging his tail.

“Aww, you’re so cute~! Who’s a good boy?” Itto teased, gently squishing Gorou’s face and giggling at his cuteness.

“Hngh.. d-don’t say that!” He whined and buried his face into Itto’s chest, feeling embarrassed.

“Hehehe! You’re so adorable! Have I ever mentioned how fluffy you are?” Itto said, basically massaging Gorou’s ears and head at this point.

It felt amazing… Itto was a headpat expert. He had tons of experience with petting dogs, cats, Ushi and even humans. That and as a fellow headpat enjoyer, he knew exactly how they should feel for maximum relaxation. After a while though, Gorou asked him to stop because his ears were getting overstimulated. So instead, they returned to soft snuggles. Itto started gently and slowly scratching Gorou’s back. The tingles felt so relaxing that he could fall asleep any second… until another strange sensation took place on his ear.

“Mmh… Itto...” Gorou groaned sleepily. What was he doing now..?

“Hm? What’s up, pup?” Itto asked quietly.

“What are you doing..?” He was getting annoyed with these antics now.

“Just having a midnight snack.” Itto had started gently nibbling on the doggos left ear for the funny.

“It’s not even midnight…” He tried to flick his ear away, but… couldn’t? “Wha…? Hey!”

Itto was holding the doggy general’s ear stuck in a nibble, playfully giggling with his mouth closed. Gorou rolled his eyes. “Ha ha, very funny. Let go!” he said, gently trying to pull away.

“M-m.” Saying ‘Nuh-uh’ wasn’t possible without opening his mouth, but Gorou understood it anyway. Itto thought this was hilarious!

“It’s not funny! Ooh, I’ll give you something to laugh at!” He growed, swiftly unleashing a playful punishment.

“Mhmhmhmhm-hmhmhmhm!! Mhmhmhehehahahahaha!! W-Wait nohohohoho!!” Gorou successfully freed his ear by tickling the oni’s sides, making him open his mouth to laugh out loud.

“This is what you get for all that mischief!” he said, scribbling all over Itto’s sides and ribs.

“Hehehehehehahahahaha! I’m sorry!! I’m sorrehehehehee!!”

“No you aren’t! You do this almost every night!” Gorou exclaimed. He actually didn’t mind it that much, but this was a good excuse to tickle his beloved oni and admire that beautiful smile of his.

“Hahahaha!! I-hehehe! I mehehean it thihis tihihihime! EEK! Nohohot thehehehere!!” Itto squeaked, giggling his head off and squirming.

“You say that every time!” Gorou started playfully vibrating his fingers into his lower ribs. Itto’s squirming quickly grew as he threw his head back to laugh louder. That’s when his eye mask slipped down over his eyes, which made the tickling feel worse.

“BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!! IHIHI- PFFWAHAHAHAHAHA!! I really mean it this time!! PlehehEHEHEHAHAHA!!” Itto managed to get a quick sentence in before being interrupted by his own laughter.

“Ugh, you say that every time too. Boooo, get new material!” Gorou taunted playfully, moving his hands up to poke and tickle Itto’s upper ribs.

“Eehehehehahahaha!! Ihihi can’t help ihihihit!” he giggled, trying to defend himself.

“You’d best behave yourself, or else you’re in for more tickles!” Gorou said, playfully clawing at Itto’s abs and tum, making him wheeze and laugh louder while playfully kicking his legs.

“Will you behave? Hmmm~?” Gorou gently scratched at his bellybutton.

“EEK!! NAHAHAHAHAHA- *hic* N-NAHAHAHAT THEHEHEHERE!!” Itto squealed and shook his head on reflex.

“Tickle tickle tickle~” Gorou teased, moving back to playfully dig below the oni’s ribs before blowing a raspberry in the middle of his abs.

“SHIHIHIHIHIHIHIT- *hic* AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! STAHAHAHAHAP!!”

“Whoa!” Itto squirmed so much it was getting hard for Gorou to stay on top, so he stopped tickling to keep himself balanced. But once it stopped, Itto quickly calmed down to a giggling mess rather than an earthquake, moving his eye mask back up to defend himself better.

“Will you behave now, you big goofball?” Gorou asked, playfully poking over and over at random spots.

“Ack-! Ehehehehehehehehe!! Nohohoho!!” Itto began giggling like a maniac at the random sensations, trying to grab the general’s wrists. Unfortunately, he’d had his hand-eye coordination tickled out of him, so he couldn’t quite reach.

“No? That’s too bad… I’ll have to go for more drastic measures then!” Gorou saw his opportunity and quickly jabbed his hands into Itto’s armpits, trapping them under his arms and making him yelp loudly.

“Will you behave now?” Gorou asked, holding his hands still.

“EEK! OKOKOKOK I’ll behahahave! I swear! I’m sohorrehehehehehe!!” Itto said through his frantic giggling, squeezing his eyes shut.

“Reeeaally? Hmm, are you sure~?” Gorou teased. For once it was his turn to be in charge…

“Yehehehes!! Yes I’m sure! Plehehease!! A-Anywhere but there!” Itto pleaded, giggling desperately. “I-I’ll leave your ears alone, I promise!”

Although winning like this was a lot of fun, Gorou decided to show mercy and stop tickling. “Oh, alright, fine. I guess I’ll spare you this time. Gimmie my hands back!” He said, pulling his hands out after Itto loosened up, still giggling a lot. Then, Gorou playfully nuzzled and kissed him all over his face before laying back down and lovingly snuggling up to him.

“Did you have fun, sweetheart?” Gorou asked, smiling and booping his nose. He looked so adorable, he thought, holding his face for a moment to give him a kiss.

“Yeheah… hehehe… that tickled..!” Itto giggled, catching his breath. His cheeks were flushed red from all that.

“I know, hehe! I’m still surprised you can squeal like that.” Gorou teased, giving his boyfriend a cheeky grin.

“Wha- Huh?! Excuse me? I don’t squeal!” Itto protested, feeling an embarrassed blush coming.

“Yes you do, I heard it!” Gorou replied with a laugh, gently nuzzling his neck.

“Pfft- n-no I don’t! I would never!” Itto scoffed and looked away stubbornly. How dare this little guy make such a claim about the one and oni?

“Oh really? Hmm…”

“Yeah, really- wh..?”

Gorou slipped the eye mask down…

“Hey! I can’t seEEEEHEHEHEHE!!”

…and blew a raspberry on his neck while tickling his ear.

“Ahahahahaha!! Come ohohon! I wasn’t ready!”

“What was that noise?” Gorou teased, gently tickling both ears while uncontrollable, high pitched giggles poured out of the oni.

“Eeheeheheehehe!! Not the ears!” Itto squeaked, trying to cover his ticklish ears.

“‘Ooh I don’t squeal’ he says…” Gorou taunted, quickly scribbling over Itto’s now exposed armpits, which did in fact result in a surprised squeal as he clamped his arms down.

“Hehe, you liar~” He said, kissing his beloved on the cheek.

“Th-That doesn’t count! I wasn’t ready!” Itto moved his eye mask back up so he could see.

“Ok, what if I prepare you then~?” Gorou grinned with mischief.

“Three…” Gorou wiggled his fingers around above Itto.

“What- wahahait..!” Itto began giggling nervously.

“Two…”

“Dohohon’t..!” He couldn’t tell what his next move would be!

“One!” Gorou quickly poked Itto’s bellybutton, resulting in another surprised squeal.

“EEP!! Hahahahahaha! Stop tickling me!!” Itto blushed with embarrassment, still refusing to accept that he, of all people oni, just made that noise. He would never!

“Hehehe, you’re like a squeaky toy!” Gorou exclaimed, giggling at how adorable Itto was and gently squishing his face.

“I- wha- s-squeaky toy?!” He could mot believe his ears!

“Yeah! You’re so cute~ Hahaha!”

“Who are you calling a squeaky toy?! How dare you?” Itto questioned, sitting up dramatically and glaring at Gorou. He seemed mad.

“Aha, I-Itto, my love, I was just joking! No need to get ‘angy’ now…” Gorou booped his nose, instantly regretting his taunts. Oh, he shouldn’t have done that…

“Oohohoho, that’s it! You’re in BIG trouble now!” He grabbed his wrist.

“Whah-? AAH!” Itto playfully wrestled Gorou off of himself, turning the tables by pinning him down, with a mischievous grin on his face.

“Wahahait! Wait!! Ittohoho dohohon’t!!” Gorou pleaded as Itto pinned his arms above his head, rendering him giggly and helpless.

“Did you really think I’d let you get away with that? Huh?!” Itto growled, playfully faking his so-called anger with an obvious smile on his face, and teasingly moving Gorou’s shirt up to reveal his tummy.

“AAH!! W-Wahahait! N-Not there!! Plehehehehease!” Gorou squirmed, trying his hardest to pull his arms back down, fearing the ticklish assault that would come.

“Yes there~ hehe! What do you have to say for yourself, pup?” Itto held his hand above Gorou’s tummy, wiggling his fingers and grinning with mischief.

“EEK!! Wahahahait!! Dohohon’t!! I’m sorry!! Forgive mehehehe!!” Gorou pleaded, giggling excitedly and wagging his tail uncontrollably.

“Hmm, not a very convincing plea. Hehe, you’re about to be destroyed!” Itto said, giggling to himself. His boyfriend was so cute! “I’m gonna get you~”

“Nononononohohoho!! Wahahahahait!!” Gorou couldn’t contain himself as those pesky fingers began wiggling faster and inching closer. It’s like he could feel the tickling already!

“Hahahaha! Why are you laughing so much? I’m not even touching you yet! You’re so silly~” Itto teased, laughing along and smiling brightly.

“Plehehehehease!! Dohohon’t tehehease!!” Gorou whined, feeling his face heat up.

“Hehe, why not? Are you ticklish? Hmm?” He began moving his hand around in circles above his giggling boyfriend, wiggling his fingers around to tease the rest of him as well.

“Ihihihittohohoho!!” Gorou wasn’t strong enough to pull his arms down, so he could neither protect his tum nor cover his blushing face. His squirms and laughter increased whenever that darn hand came closer.

“Is youw wittle tummy ticklish? Aww, so cute~ I wonder what would happen if I tickled it~” Itto cooed, choosing to murder the poor general with silly baby-talk.

“Itto plehehehease!! No more!!” Gorou cried, trying very hard to hide his face and failing to keep his wagging tail still. That teasing was unbearable! Oh Archons, how embarrassing…

“Hehehe… fine, fine, any last words~?” Itto asked menacingly, pausing his hand for a moment. The anticipation was certainly funny to watch.

“WAHAHAIT!! Plehehehease!! I’m sohohorry!!” Gorou was already squirming like crazy to escape, but to no avail.

“Hmm, maybe I can forgive you. But the tickle monster won’t! Imma getcha! Mwahahaha!” Itto wiggled his fingers again to bully the giggling general some more.

“NAHAHAHAHAHAHAA!! IHIHI’M SOHOHOHRREEHEHEHEHEHEHEE!!” Gorou’s pleas got interrupted by loud squeals of laughter as Itto’s hand finally descended onto his tummy, playfully and quickly scribbling around all over the place. He made sure not to tickle too hard.

“Whoops! My hand slipped! Hehehe, tickle tickle tickle!” Itto teased, giggling along with Gorou’s hysteria.

“AAAHAHAHAHAHAHA!! PLEHEHEHEASE!! IHIHIT TIHIHICKLEHEHEHES!!” Gorou squealed, kicking uncontrollably and squirming wildly, wagging his tail at the speed of light.

“Aww, is the wittle doggy general a wittle ticklish? That’s so cute! Kitchy kitchy kitchy kitchy koo~” Itto teased, playfully tickling on Gorou’s bellybutton. Who knew being evil on purpose could be so much fun?

“AHAHEEHEHEHAHA!!! NAHAHAT THEHEHEHERE!!!” Gorou bucked his hips as much as he could, but couldn’t escape those vicious claws.

“Hehehe, I see that tail waggin’~! You’re having fun, aren’t you? Aren’t you~?” Itto teased and slowed down to light tickling so Gorou could answer properly.

“Ehehehehehehe! Plehehease! It tickles!!” He squeaked, giggling his adorable head off and dodging the question.

“Aww! You’re so cute! Hehe, I’m not done with you yet~” Itto teased, booping Gorou’s nose.

“W-Wahahahait!!” The general got really nervous once Itto’s face changed from silly smiles to a devious grin.

“Heheheh… tickletickletickletickle!”

“EEEEAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAA!!”

Itto suddenly let go of Gorou’s wrists and began tickling his tummy again, using both hands to quickly scribble around while Gorou’s squeals of laughter returned.

“Who’s the squeaky toy now, huh?” Itto teased, giggling to himself as Gorou failed to protect his sensitive tum.

“EEEHEHEHEHAHAHAHA!! I’M SOHOHORRHEEHEHEHEHE!!”

“Hehehe! You’re so ticklish! It’s so cute… Hmm… how ‘bout that midnight snack?” Itto said with a smile before leaning in to lovingly nuzzle and nibble on Gorou’s tum, using his hands to hold his hips in place.

“You’re so cute I could eat you up~!” he said adoringly.

“EEK!! N-Not thahahahahat!! EEHEEHEE!!”

“Grr! The tickle monster is hungry!” Itto teased, playfully nibbling on Gorou’s ribs and tum, making him squeal.

“PLEHEHEHEASE!! It’s sohohOHO BAHAHAHAHAD!!”

“Om nom nom nom! Mmm! Yummy!” Itto teased, giggling before playfully blowing raspberries on him while gently tickling his sides.

“AAAIIEEHEHEHEHEHEE!!! NAHAHAT THAHAHAHAT!!” Gorou screeched, squirming and flailing like crazy under his boyfriend’s tickles.

“Yes that~ hehehe!” Itto replied, inhaling and blowing more raspberries on him for the funny.

“WAAHAHAHAHAHAHAAA!! *hic* M-MEHEHEHERCYHEHE!! MERCY!!!” Gorou screamed through his wild laughter, grabbing Itto’s horns to pull his head away from himself.

“Ow! Ow- ow ow-! Hey!” Itto stopped tickling and grabbed Gorou’s wrists so he’d let go.

“Plehehehehease!! No mohohohore!! I can’t breathe!” Gorou pleaded, giggling his head off and trying to catch his breath. He’d reached his limit, the poor thing. His tail was still wagging, though.

“Aw, alright, alright. I’ll give you a break! Hehe, sorry, pup. Are you alright?” Itto replied, letting go of his wrists and giving him soft belly rubs and headpats as rewards for surviving, and to help get rid of the leftover tingles.

“Ahahehe… haha… he…! Wahahait a sehehec…!”

“It’s okay, pup. You can breathe aaallll you want. Hehe, who’s a good boy?” Itto said, petting him more to help him calm down.

“Wh-?! Hehehe...! H-How dare you..?” Gorou whined, blushing and covering his face in embarrassment. He was still full of leftover giggles from all that tickling.

“Hahahahaha! Sorry, pup. Just messing with ya. You took all that like a champ!” Itto replied, gently squishing the general’s face. “You’re so cute!! I love you~” he said, kissing his forehead.

“Hehehe… love you too, hehe...” Gorou blushed. He felt so loved… and so happy…

“Do you need some water, sweetie?” Itto asked, gently stroking his cheek.

“Y-Yes, please...”

“Don’t you worry, lil’ guy! I’ll be right back!” Itto said with a smile, ruffling Gorou’s hair before leaving to fetch him something to drink. When Itto came back, Gorou had caught his breath and calmed down, sitting up to accept the glass of water while wagging his tail.

“Are you alright, pup?” Itto asked,

“Hehe.. yeah, I’m alright. Thank you.”

“I’m glad you had fun, haha! Hehe, can I kiss you, you cutie pie?” Itto asked playfully.

“O-Oh- uh- um… s-sure...” Gorou was too shy to answer properly. Itto smiled and gave him a lil’ kiss on the forehead. Then he kissed him on the cheek. Then the other, making sure to go “mwwah!” every time. Multiple soft kisses for the little warrior, all over his face!

“Aww, you like that?” Itto asked with a big smile, which made Gorou blush like a cherry.

“Uh- I- u-um-” he struggled to reply properly, opting to hide his face instead. Itto laughed in response and pulled him into a tight hug.

“Itto... I’m really tired… can we please go to sleep now?” Gorou asked, yawning and rubbing his eyes.

“Wha? Already? But.. we ca-..” Before he could protest, he was interrupted by a big yawn, too. They are contagious, after all.

“Yes, already, silly...” Gorou said sleepily, booping the oni’s nose again and softly giggling at the expression he made. “Come on, let’s snuggle…” he said, laying down.

“Suuuure, let’s snuggle!” Itto responded with a playful smirk and laid down on top of his boyfriend, covering them both with a blanket.

“Ah..! I-Itto! Y-You’re too heavy!” Gorou said, squirming in that snuggle trap. They’d both forgotten how heavy Itto was in comparison.

“Hey, you wanted me to come cuddle...” Itto said, playfully nuzzling the general’s neck.

“Eep! Th-That tickles!” Gorou squeaked, giggling and weakly trying to push Itto’s head away.

“Mm... you’re warm...” Itto replied sleepily. He sorta didn’t seem to be tickling on purpose this time, but kept nuzzling anyway to show affection.

“Ehehehe! G-Get ohohoff..!” Gorou whined, mercilessly poking and scribbling at Itto’s sides and waist in retaliation.

“EhehHEEHE! WheHEhehey!! EheheHehehEHEH!” The oni wasn’t able to stay on top for very long as Gorou was determined to tickle him away. “EhEHEhe! StohOHOHOhop! I’ll get ohohoff!” Itto giggled and rolled to the side, feeling too sleepy for a second round.

“Phew… y-you’re a little too big for that…” Gorou said, stretching before turning on his side.

“Hehe… nah, you’re just tiny.” Itto replied, stretching as well before wrapping his arms around his beloved boyfriend from behind, being the big spoon for their sleepy cuddles. Itto held him close in a warm, loving embrace and nuzzled his head.

“Hehehe! Teeny tiny little man~!” Itto had just found The funniest joke of all time, apparently.

“Oh, quiet with you.” Gorou replied, playfylly trying to cover Itto’s mouth. “Stop laughing! It’s not funny!” he said, starting to giggle as well.

“Hehehehehahaha!” Unfortunately for both of them, because Itto was so sleepy, he couldn’t stop giggling at the phrase “teeny tiny” for a solid two minutes, accidentally bringing Gorou down with him. But once their giggling fits had finally died down, they could resume their warm snuggles as if (almost) nothing happened. Gorou’s cheeks hurt from smiling so much…

“Good night, Itto... you big goober…”

“Hehehe… good night, Gorou…”

“Sleep well, my love~” Gorou reached back to try to stroke his cheek.