Shintaro found himself overwhelmed with so much anxiety yet again. It's hard enough to ask permission to sleep in the ground with a girl but telling a man they should sleep close to each other is no less than nerve racking. He doesn't want Jiro to think of him funny or anything, it's just a matter of protecting each other. 

Jiro shifted the tightness of his shoulders, letting his wings loosen a bit. He stretches one side first and then the other.  He noticed the tightness in Shintaro's movement and wondered if he was this uncomfortable when he was with Rin. The span of his wing grazed Shintaro's shoulder apologizing for the (un)intentional contact right away. 

"Oops, sorry about that." Mouthed Jiro, glancing over to Shintaro for any sort of reaction. "My wings had grown larger ever since most of the curse had been broken." Other things seemed to have grown larger too, but he wasn't about to share this information to anyone besides, maybe, Kurama?

Shintaro gave an easy gesture of his hand. "It's fine." But the shadow beneath him spread like black ink on the ground. 

Jiro noticed this right away, he'd try to guess what kind of yokai Shintaro ever since he met him but had not gathered enough to determine. The spirit world employs all kinds of spirits in their payroll, Shintaro could be anything. 

He made sure he's out of the shadow's reach, "shinigami, eh?" It makes sense, the spirit world prefers shinigami more than any other spirits.

Shintaro glanced at him, Jiro had been a larger man than he is and with his wings it made him look twice as big and more intimidating. "You caught that."

"The shadow, that's a shinigami thing. It's lethal when used in battle."

Jiro's comment made him perk up a smile. "Yes. Darkness and shinigami goes hand and hand."

Jiro shrugged. "Eh. Death and shinigami goes hand in hand."

Shintaro made no response. Jiro had been right. Death is the very reason someone like him exist.

"So, the spirit world wants this oni dead same way I do, I presume. Why else would they send a shinigami after it?"

"A demon that menacing needs to be taken out immediately."

Funny, Jiro crossed his arms under his hakama. Shintaro appears to be taking his time. Perhaps he has a plan in place and Jiro didn't want to overstep his boundaries making unnecessary comments.

"We need to stop for the night soon." Shintaro said awkwardly after a short pause. "We need to be vigilant. It would be best if we sleep closer to each other."

Jiro grinned teasingly, he couldn't help the next words that came out of his mouth. "I'm not cuddling with a man."

Shintaro's handsome face grimaced. He had expected this. "Trust me, the last thing I want to do with you is cuddle."

Jiro gave him a second glance. "Are you sure? He ruffled his large wings. I have wings that could keep you safe and warm at night."

Shintaro rolled his eyes. No wonder it took kidnapping a girl from the human world to make someone fall in love with him. Jiro is as immature as he could get. "And I have shadows that could crush your life instantly."

"Fair enough. We sound like a good team then." Jiro laughed then fanned his wings lightly. It lifted him a few feet off the ground hovering above Shintaro. "There's plenty of trees around. I'd be more comfortable perched on a tree sleeping anyway."

Shintaro slackened glancing at the large man above him. Jiro must have grown accustomed to acting like a bird since he spent so many years looking as one. "Great, you be the look out then."