The Arataki Gang was a rowdy bunch. I'd met some of them once before, but only briefly. That would include their very loud and obnoxious leader. Kuki—my friend—had said his name was Itto.

I knew it was probably disrespectful to a degree, but I couldn't keep my eyes off of him—off of those crimson horns that protruded from his head. I knew that they likely weren't headdresses of some strange kind, but other than that, I had no idea what they could've been—what they might mean.

"Itto caught your eye, Y/n?" Kuki murmured to me, a teasing gleam in her reddish-violet eyes.

I watched as he danced around the campfire to the joyful songs of his men, the firelight flickering on his face. His horns seemed to absorb the fire's warmth, causing them to glow brightly despite the darkness. "He's very... uh..." I couldn't find the words—though I knew they were mainly positive.

"Interesting?"

"Yeah, sure. What are—what are those..?" I motioned to the top of my head.

"His horns?" Kuki asked. I nodded. "Why don't you ask him?"

I hummed thoughtfully. "I... I don't know... He seems nice and all but..."

Kuki chuckled lightly, her light green locks bouncing with the motion. "Don't tell me you're scared."

I turned red with embarrassment and waved my hands in denial. "N—no! No, of course not! You're—you're crazy."

Kuki laughed again, enticing a small nervous chuckle from my being. "Maybe I am—but I think it would still be nice to at least say hello." I cast my gaze back onto Itto as he cheerfully danced with some kids—perhaps siblings or other family members to the people in his gang. "Go on. It'll be good for you to have another friend in the gang."

I sighed and pushed myself up off the log the two of us sat atop. I'd probably regret it but... "Alright. I'll do it."

Kuki clapped her hands together in endearment and encouragement. "I'll be watching over you in case anything happens."

I paused and looked over my shoulder, trying—and failing—to mask my uneasiness. "Will—will something happen?"

"Potentially. It is Itto, after all."

I contained the shudder that went through me, reverberating in my bones, before continuing my walk up to Itto. He'd stopped dancing, now playing hand games with the kids he had just been entertaining.

I wasn't sure how to introduce myself, running through ways to do so as I stood there. But it seemed I didn't need to, as Itto soon noticed me standing awkwardly to the side. "Go play by yourselves, kids," he said to his young companions. "Uncle Itto's got something to take care of."

They all whined in protest but complied as Itto laughed and waved them away. He then approached me, and wow... I'd known he was tall—but not this tall. He towered above me. I'd never felt this way before—so... so small and insignificant.

"Hello there," Itto said, waving as he came to a stop in front of me.

"H—hi."

Itto laughed. "Don't feel afraid. I won't hurt you." I only nodded. "I noticed you standing there by yourself. Kuki's friend, right?" I nodded again. "N—N/n or something..."

I giggled lightly. "Y/n."

"Y/n—right. Speaking of Kuki, why aren't you with her?"

"K—Kuki had... had something to take care of. I came over to see if—if I could find someone else to hang out with in the meantime." I sucked in a breath, willing myself into calm. I was ok. Everything was alright.

"Is that so? Well, me and the gang would be more than happy to be with you—if that's what you'd like."

I nodded rapidly. "Yes!" I cleared my throat in mild embarrassment. I just... hadn't expected to make so much progress so quickly. "Yes, I'd love to."

Itto grinned and inclined his head to the campfire. "Wanna dance, then?"

My smile faltered ever so slightly. "Dance?"

"Yeah, dance." He gripped my hand and tugged me along. "Come on!" And without so much as waiting for a reply, Itto whisked me onto the "dancefloor". It was no more than a worn-out patch of dirt around the campfire, no doubt from all the previous sessions the gang had hosted in the area. "Play a song for us, boys!"

"U—uhm, Itto, I don't think this is a good idea—" I tried to protest.

"Nonsense!" he cheered as the others began to play. The children hopped back onto the dance floor, surrounding us and closing off any chance I had for escape. Others in the gang joined them. "You'll be fine!" Something wild in his eyes settled as he took note of my worried expression, his gaze softening. "Do you trust me?"

The question caught me off-guard. This was the first time we'd properly met but... somehow... I felt that I knew I could trust him. And so... "Yes," I replied, grip tightening around his hand.

That feral smile of his returned and suddenly we were dancing, weaving through the cluster of people, swaying to the music in a clumsy but enjoyable manner. I couldn't help but smile—couldn't help but laugh at our shared mistakes. And I felt... at ease. Perhaps I was making a fool of myself—which was something I would usually avoid doing—but tonight... Tonight, I didn't care. Not with Itto joining me in my antics.

We had danced until someone in the gang complained about their fingers hurting and the music came to a halt. Itto and I sat beside each other on a log, out of breath. "Hey, thanks for the dance," Itto said, extending a hand. "You're a good partner."

"You're welcome," I replied, shaking it. "I could say the same to you."

Itto laughed. "Really?" I nodded and pride shone in his scarlet eyes. He puffed out his toned chest, flecked with faint scars from his adventures. I held in the desire to touch it—to run my fingers over the smoothness of his skin. "I am pretty great, aren't I?" I couldn't help but chuckle at his ego. Itto pouted. "Don't laugh, man. That's not cool."

I cleared my throat, averting my gaze. "S—sorry."

"Ah, that's all good. Don't sweat it. Just gotta uphold the dignity of this gang, you know? No one is allowed to feel like they're not good enough." He smiled at me. "And since you're a part of this gang, that includes you."

Colour bloomed on my face as he said that, turning my gaze back to him. "M—me?"

Itto nodded. "Of course! Any friend of Kuki is a friend of me and the boys." His gaze softened. "And I know how worried you get when you're near us. You always look... afraid. And that's no good."

"Well, maybe—maybe I just..." I sighed, blowing out a breath. What use was there in trying to explain myself when he had already gleaned the truth? "Yeah... maybe I didn't think I would fit in. I suppose I... was afraid..." My shoulders curved inwards at the words I uttered.

Itto frowned. "Well, if you ever feel like that again, make sure to tell me! I'll make sure the gang includes you and makes you feel welcome!"

"You'd... you'd really..?" You'd really do that for me?

"Like I said, you're one of us now." He gazed around the small camp. Most of the boys had settled down to rest, no doubt exhausted from hours of singing and dancing and mucking around—as boys did. Kuki was nowhere to be seen. She'd probably also gone to get some rest in one of the tents that had been set up. "The others are knackered. Wanna... wanna do something else? If you're not tired, of course."

I was a bit tired, actually, but... How could I turn him down? Besides, I still had some questions I wanted to ask. So I nodded. "I'd love to."

Itto grinned and stood, helping me to my feet. He motioned to the wilderness beyond—to the beach. "This way!" He made to turn, before stopping and turning to my hand that he still grasped in his. "You don't... you don't mind if I hold your hand, do you?" I watched as pink tinted his cheeks. "I just—It'll be easier to lead you if I hold you."

I felt my face warm—and not because of the fire. But I smiled. "It's fine."

"Really?" Itto's smile brightened with something softer than I had seen from him. I nodded again. "G—great! Then let's get a move on, yeah?"

And so he set out on a run, leading me forward towards the beach. Our bare feet crunched along the shoreline, sand crusting our heels. Our footprints washed away with the slow tide as if they had never been. For a moment, I worried about how we would make our way back to the camp, but Itto didn't seem fazed. I knew there was a large possibility it was because he simply didn't think enough to consider the fact that we could get lost—but I trusted him. And so I'd let him lead me wherever he wanted to go.

It was soon that Itto turned off from the beach and back towards the heart of the island. The grass wiped the sand from beneath our feet as we slowed to a walk, ascending a hill. And finally, he stopped. He turned to me. "Here it is!"

I tried not to look around me—tried not to make it obvious I didn't know what he had led me to. "Wh—where? What are we..?"

Itto sat down. "Stargazing, obviously. Isn't that something girls like to do?"

Not necessarily—although I didn't mind stargazing in the slightest. And so I sat beside him, watching as he raised his gaze to the heavens. His hair shimmered a mesmerising silver in the moonlight, the stars finding a home in his eyes. He was... prettier than I first realised—despite being incredibly manly.

Itto's gaze drifted to me and he smiled. "Staring at my handsomeness?"

I chuckled, then motioned to the top of his head. "What are those?"

"You mean... my horns?" Itto felt around the top of his head, running his fingers along one of the smooth protrusions. "I'm an oni. I grow them naturally."

"An—an oni?"

Itto nodded. "That's right!" 

Well, that explained some things. "Interesting."

"That doesn't—that doesn't scare you off, does it?" A gleam of worry shone in his eyes, a ripple amongst the sea of stars disturbing the peace and beauty held within them.

"No—not at all." I offered the best smile I could. "Of course not. I'm one of you. Why would I be scared?"

And at that, Itto smiled—not the feral wild smile he usually gave, but a softer one. "Thank you."

"No need to thank me. They're beautiful horns..." I paused, words trailing off as I contemplated what to say next. "And you're a beautiful oni."

With his personality, I was sure Itto would normally be quick to agree with me. But strangely enough... my words silenced him. Even in the darkness, I could see the red that blossomed on his face. I'd never thought it would be possible—never thought I was capable of leaving someone stunned. But here I was, an uncharacteristically silent oni beside me.

He shook his head, leaving that realm of thoughts he had undoubtedly drawn himself into, and smiled at me. "You're so much nicer than you look."

I cackled at his bluntness. And when Itto wrapped a hand around my shoulder, pulling me ever-so-slightly closer, I didn't object. I pointed at the sky. "Can you name any of the constellations?"

"Only one of them." He spoke its name proudly: "Taurus Iracundus!" His finger traced the sky, before landing on a particular assortment of stars. "That one."

I hummed in affirmation. "You're right! That is one of them." He beamed at my praise. I motioned to the rest of the stars spread out before us. "But there are so many others out there, too." I turned my gaze to him. "May I?"

He nodded eagerly. And so I began, naming as many stars and constellations as I could. And as the two of us found ourselves drawn into the moment, huddled together, neither of us realised how fast time flew by until the watery grey light of the dawn began to reach across the sky.

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A/N: One of my homies requested this one, so shoutout to jojocujohh <3 Thanks for the past two years and all the years to come. Sorry it might not exactly be what you wanted (and that it's so short) Again, mind the mild horni

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Fanart credits: https://sumerun.tumblr.com/post/676467684387536897