Chapter Text
For Momo, it was amusingly endearing how the simplest things would fluster Okarun so much. Like hand holding. A thing all couples did. A thing she wanted to do, and she knows he wants to as well, with his shy attempts to reach for her hands.
And when they do, it’s nice.
His touch is gentle and timid, a sharp contrast to Momo’s confident and affectionate grasp. And sometimes, his grip would tighten, as if there was a desperation to hold her, to keep her hand in his.
And while Momo would notice that clear want, he was always the first to let go, often quickly, as if the flusteredness of such a simple touch was too much.
On some level, Momo was impatient.
Of all the things they’ve gone through, holding each other, Okarun often ending up on top of her (even nude once!), and just how much physical contact they have; holding hands was apparently too much?
Momo thinks it should be the easiest thing.
But she also considers that this is a first for Okarun.
His first friend.
His first crush and love.
And now his first girlfriend.
There’s a lot he’s easing himself into learning and adjusting.
And she’ll take their baby steps as wins. She likes it when he gathers the courage to hold her hand, likes it when he matches her in grip and want, as if he was touch starved and her hand alone gave him all he wanted. And she genuinely liked holding his hand. She could feel the strength he developed in his hand, but he always held her so gently, as if afraid to break it.
In comparison to her first boyfriend, that stupid tuna, this was so much nicer. Momo recalls she got jerked and dragged along instead of simply just enjoying the touch and moment together.
But she does with Okarun, at least when he’s able to hold her hand.
And one day soon, she knows it’ll be natural. That Okarun will be comfortable and confident enough to do so, she just has to be patient.
God knows he has endless patience for her and her antics.
It seems though, that this night, with the moon full and bright, her wants were answered, though not entirely how she wanted them to be.
Stepping out of the maid cafe, she wasn’t surprised to find Okarun waiting for her. She was surprised to see him in his yokai form, white hair blowing in some unnatural wind, staring out into the world vacant like there was nothing he truly saw before him.
“Okarun?” she prompted, drawing near.
Lazy red eyes slid her way before he turned to face her. “Done?” he asked in his deep drawl.
“Yeah, but why are you transformed?”
He heaved out the loudest sigh. “It’s my moon time…”
“Oh, right,” Momo said, glancing up at the full moon. Grandma confirmed that yokai strength did echo the lunar phases, growing stronger during full moons, and for Okarun and Aira, it meant their yokai power would manifest and transform them out of their control.
As the full moon often came out during the night, there haven’t been that many issues with this. At least, not on Momo’s end. She can’t speak for their own home life.
Momo had a start as Okarun reached out, his hand coming to touch her lightly, impatient to hold her hand but waiting for that permission. With a beam, Momo laced their fingers, and Okarun quickly engulfed her hand with his larger hand and held with gentle tightness, like she was some treasure that could be stolen from him.
It dawned on Momo that this was the first time she held his hand in his yokai form. His hand was bigger, easily dwarfing hers, and his fingers were longer as were his nails. Momo didn’t feel uneasy with his hold like this, he was just as gentle as any other time.
In spite of initiating the touch, Okarun stood still, seemingly content to just stand around and hold her hand.
“Shall we?” Momo asked.
Okarun just hummed, staring at her.
Used to him staring at her openly in this form, Momo led the way, starting to fill the air with chatter.
“I think the plan tonight was crab, but knowing Grandma and Turbo Granny, they probably ate it all.” Momo made a face at the likely true fact. But that was how it was in the Ayase home. At meal time, it was a first come, first serve.
“Bummer,” Okarun replied.
“Are you hungry?” Momo asked.
“I could eat…”
Momo bounced about giddily, Okarun’s arm jerking and moving about with her as he refused to let go. “Then let’s go eat our own crab!”
“Sounds good, yo.”
Okarunw as nearly toppled over in Momo’s rush for food, having just the place in mind. They got themselves a booth, placed their order, and Momo started to go off for the events of her work day, still holding hands with Okarun much to her glee.
Despite dating for a near month, Okarun was not able to hold her hand for long, so this was rather nice.
Until the food came.
“Mmmm, that smells so good,” Momo declared in delight, drooling at the steaming red crab legs before her. “Thank you very much!” she declared and was ready to start pick up a leg—
— only to find one of her hands isn’t free.
It was still, quite firmly, in Okarun’s grasp.
“Okarun, I need my hand,” Momo stated, giving him a dangerous look while she tried to tug her hand free.
“But I missed you, Momo-chan,” he replied, ignoring her glare and refusing to let go.
“You can hold my hand after dinner,” Momo said, now trying to grapple his hand off of hers.
No one will come between an Ayase and their food…
Okarun groaned. “That sounds like a long time to wait, yo.”
“Dinner won’t take that long!” Momo snapped, baring her teeth at him.
Okarun was unphased. He replied, “It will be for me…”
“Okarun! I don’t need this right now!”
She was just starting to consider biting his hand outright when Okarun shifted, sliding around their curved booth to sit next to her, his free hand coming to her crab legs. Momo was about to go feral at the thought that Okarun was going to steal her food when his long nail slid over the shell, cutting the leg open and revealing the steaming meat within.
Momo drooled.
Oh, it looked so good…
“Does that help?” he asked.
Momo licked her lips, but turned to him to stress, “I still need two hands to eat.”
“What if I fed you, yo?”
Momo went stiff, her cheeks starting to blush. She turned away, suddenly feeling a little shy. “Um, I guess we could try?” she shyly agreed.
With his free hand, he used a fork to pluck some meat free and offered it to her. Momo took, humming in delight as the flavor danced on her tongue. And by the small, happy sound from the small little gesture, a switch seemed to go off in Okarun’s head. He suddenly perked attention, watching intently as she ate.
Not that Momo noticed, too happy having some crab.
When she opened her eyes, he had another piece ready for her.
No way Momo was going to refuse.
But, after a few bites of bliss, she came to realize Okarun wasn’t eating at all, he was just focusing on feeding her.
Not taking the offered food, she asked, “Aren’t you going to eat?”
“After you,” he replied, still waiting for her to accept the next bite. In truth, even if there was a twinge of hunger, he was ready to bring his plate over and keep feeding her. Instinctively, it just felt right.
Momo narrowed her eyes at him. “But you were hungry, weren’t you, Okarun?”
“Yes,” he confirmed, waving the fork about, trying to tempt her to keep eating.
“Then eat your crab.”
“But you had a full day of work.”
Momo plucked the fork from his fingers, turning it to him, pressing the meat to his lips. “How about I take a turn feeding you?”
Okarun went stiff.
Oh my, Momo thought, that is the most torn expression she’s ever seen on yokai Okarun’s face.
And torn he was.
The thought of Momo feeding him shot delight and warmth through him, but there was a need to offer her food, to feed and provide for her. An instinct to insist that this was what he must do, even as hunger poked at the back of his mind, the want to feed and provide for her was stronger. To prove to his heart’s desire that he could provide. That he was reliable. As much as he loved her offering him food in return, offering her own promise to care for him, he really wanted to be the one to stress this message.
As Okarun tried to work through his inner turmoil, Momo had only so much patience for his struggle before she turned the fork around and ate the crab herself.
That seemed to jolt Okarun out of his dissonance, gawking slightly at her choice before slouching over in defeat. “What a bummer…” he bemoaned.
He missed his chance to feed and provide for her.
He missed his chance to be fed by her.
How terrible.
He wanted to go home…
“Don’t be so dramatic,” Momo scolded lightly, rolling her eyes at him. At least her hand was free, and she took the chance to handle her own crab legs how she wanted. Plucking the meat out, she offered it to him again, watching his red eye flicker to attention. “Are you going to eat it this time?”
He eyed the offered crab for a few seconds, torn again between wants and instinct, before deciding that wants mattered more.
And this was what she wanted.
Who was he to refuse her?
He sat up and grasped her hand again, accepting the crab, his lips tickling her fingers. It sent a slight pleasant tingle up Momo’s arm.
Momo beamed, satisfied that she got him to eat and for the slight kiss on her fingertips.
Only for that satisfaction to falter when she realized she couldn’t move her hand. Okarun had it once again, and refused to let go.
“Okarun!” she half whined, half scolded.
“I want more food, Momo-chan,” Okarun lightly demanded, opening his mouth expectantly.
“I need both my hands!” she snapped.
“But I want to hold your hand, Momo-chan.”
“Okaruuuun!”