Ayakashi: Romance Reborn One-Shots

Oji | Well Wishes

Finding a gift for your boyfriend is proving to be a lot harder than you thought it would be. You usually like to plan days ahead of a special event; in this case, you would've bought a birthday present for the Domeki a few days before his birthday.

Due to constantly staying up late for the past week to get schoolwork done, you've been taking afternoon naps that last for one too many hours. Today wasn't any different.

Despite asking Nachi to wake you up, he has failed each and every time. You can't blame him, though. Whenever you wake up from your slumber, you see the Nekomata curled up beside you, fast asleep. According to him, you look "warm and cozy" and so he can't help but sleep with you.

"I think you're overthinking this." Nachi's voice breaks your racing thoughts.

"What do you mean?"

"I'm pretty sure if you gave that old man a speck of dirt, he'll take it without hesitation."

"Nachi."

"I'm serious!"

While he continues rambling about Oji, your wandering eyes fixate on a rather large object resting at the window display area. The way it's glimmering under the sunlight piques your interest, and you go over to check out what it is.

Nachi, who followed behind you promptly, is the first to break the silence. "What perfect timing! Wasn't the old man fond of that one music box a customer gave to him a while back?"

"Yeah, but it broke because of Kuro." A smile tugs at your lips upon remembering about the incident. Kuro was attempting to make a wailing child feel better by doing some silly dances, which made the situation worse as the kid cried even louder than before. As a last resort, the Ayakashi performed a cartwheel and a flip, which resulted in the music box to get knocked off the counter.

As punishment, Aoi made him wash the dishes and clean the counters. All the intense cleaning Kuro had to do definitely made him learn his lesson.

"Are you gonna get that for him, then?" Nachi asks as he opens the music box slowly. Inside, there's a standing, calico cat posed in a way as if it's pawing upward to get something. The figure is on, what you assume, to be a spinning circle. What catches your eyes in particular are the intricate, floral engravings etched on the inside of the lid and the surface of the box itself.

"I hope he'll like it."

♡

Carrying the wrapped music box in your arms, you make your way to Raccord a few hours earlier than the birthday party is set to be in the evening. Since you've never been a fan of being put under the spotlight, you want to give Oji his present in private.

The soft sounds of the bell indicates your arrival. Luckily for you, the place is empty at this time, and the lack of cooking sounds coming from the kitchen means Aoi is still at school.

"Missed me that much, huh?" You're pulled into a warm back hug as the familiar scent of a light, cigarette smell surrounds you, making you feel at home instantly.

Oji finally notices the huge box in your arms after bumping his knuckles against it. "Woah, what's that for?"

"Happy birthday, Oji," you mumble awkwardly, forcing yourself to pull away from his warm embrace. You place the gift on a nearby table and take a hesitant gander at his surprised face. "I, uh, hope you like it..."

"Aw, you didn't have to get this old man a gift, you know. Just being with you and everybody is enough for me." He chuckles and takes a seat. "I'll love anything you get me, just remember that."

Your boyfriend rips open the purple wrapping. Your worry increases seeing his face contort into complete surprise. Does he not like the music box? Perhaps you should've settled with a smaller gift, one that won't take up so much space.

"Since Kuro broke your old one, I just thought..." you trail off, unsure of what more to say.

Oji opens up the box carefully, revealing the cat and the intricate engravings. He cranks the handle in a slow manner, watching the cat spin around gracefully to the soft melodies. There's something special about watching the focused male being in such a content state, his soft expression present.

"You're awfully sweet and thoughtful, Bright Eyes. I love it, thank you," Oji says after some time, switching his soft gaze to you.

Every time he looks at you with that expression, your heart never fails to beat fast. He looks even more angelic under the warm glow of the sunlight.

Wordlessly, he pulls you toward him onto his lap and kisses you. Two lovers sharing a kiss in the warmth, enjoying each other's presence within the place you adore is a moment you won't ever forget.

-♡-

Happy birthday to the sweet Oji! I started this one-shot when it was still April, but just got around to finishing it recently. I believe it was inspired by one of the stories, but I can't recall which one. All birthday one-shots will be titled the same: Well Wishes.

With the new month here, it's now Koga and Kuro's birthday (happy birthday guys!!) + finally summer, so updates shouldn't be as sporadic anymore. Also!! Happy AAPI Heritage Month to my fellow Asian, Asian-American, and Pacific Islander readers!