Chapter Text
You’re woken up in the middle of the night by something shuffling in your bed. With a soft moan, you pry your eyes open to see Gyutaro crawling under the bedsheets.
“Gyutaro…?” you whisper softly.
A look of guilt immediately crosses his face as he looks over at you, “M’sorry…” he looks to the side at the window next to your bed, “The storm…”
You smile and open your arms, “It’s ok, you can sleep with me tonight.”
He hesitantly crawls into your arms, settling his head on your chest when he feels your warmth. Closing his eyes with a content sigh he nuzzles against you.
You’ve come to learn that Gyutaro is afraid of thunderstorms so you will often find him climbing into your bed, seeking comfort, when a storm hits.
Having him here in your arms, it’s hard not to get flashbacks from his heat which just ended. He had been so incredibly needy, so sensitive, and not to mention horny. You know it’s only nature and that he’s hard-wired to go through his heat, but you can’t help but feel like your intimate encounters with him brought the two of you closer.
Gyutaro had sex with you almost every day during his heat, sometimes multiple times a day too. He was insatiable. Always whining, tears running down his cheeks, spewing apologies as he thrusts into you. He felt incredibly guilty about the entire ordeal, you could tell. Though his instincts wouldn’t allow him to do anything except chase his desire.
As you reminisce about the events that took place this past week, a particularly strong bolt of lightning hits the earth, causing your entire bed to shake. Waking you up again.
You open your eyes yet again, getting a strange sense of deja vu only to see Gyutaro is not in your bed like you had thought he was.
“Ah… it must’ve been a dream.”
Surely the poor thing will be crawling into your bed any moment now, just as you had dreamt. While you wait for your sweet demon to appear, you lay back and enjoy the calming rhythm of the storm raging on outside. You can’t help but think of Gyutaro and how far he’s come. Nothing has ever made you feel a greater sense of pride and accomplishment than nursing him back to health. And not only that but giving him the love he deserves.
…
It’s been a while now, and the storm is only getting worse. Where is Gyutaro? There’s no way he’s already overcome his fear of storms.
An unnerving feeling brewing deep in your stomach urges you to get out of bed and head to his bedroom. Tonight is the first night he’s slept alone since his heat ended so you could say you’re a bit worried about him.
The floorboards creak beneath your feet with each step you take towards his room. For some reason, you hesitate when opening his door, like you’re afraid of what you might see. Because you have a gut feeling and not a good one.
Opening the door confirms your suspicions. He’s nowhere in sight. However, his bed is neatly made and his pajamas are folded beside his bed. He must have changed into his day clothes. His shoes are gone too… Where could he possibly have gone?
Before you allow yourself to panic you check all throughout the house. First his closet and bathroom. Then the living room and kitchen. And lastly, the basem*nt as he tends to hide there when he feels like he’s a burden. But no, he’s nowhere inside of the house.
“Gyutaro…” you whimper as your eyes begin to fill with tears. You know your demon well so you have a feeling as to what is going on.
He often says he isn’t good enough or doesn’t deserve you, so you have a feeling that his self-hating thoughts got the best of him and he decided to run away. You hope that isn’t the case, but you have a strong feeling that it may be.
Gyutaro has always shown difficulty when accepting your care and affection. You can tell he craves it, but he insists on believing he isn’t worthy of it no matter how many times you tell him otherwise. It’s like the more affection you show him, the more guilty he feels. Which is why you will often give him a few hours every day to himself so he doesn’t get too overstimulated. He’ll usually spend that time in his room or wandering around outside, sometimes playing with Pickles too. That time is vital for him to decompress. And after being alone for a few hours he’s always happy to come back to you to receive some affection. This is one of the many things you’ve done to make life more comfortable for your demon, being extremely observant of his behavior has helped you navigate this new life with him.
But maybe during his heat it became too much. His body wouldn’t allow him to be away from you, it was too painful. But after his heat ended his usual thoughts returned and he couldn’t handle the guilt he felt.
Running to the front door, you quickly grab your raincoat from the coat hanger and dash outside. Almost tripping over your galoshes as you hurriedly slip them on.
The storm rages on, but you don’t care. You run into the pouring rain, yelling at the top of your lungs, “GYUTARO!!”
“GYUTARO!!”
“Gyutaro… please… Gyutaro…”
~
You searched all night for him. Only to return home empty-handed, soaking wet, and covered in mud from the numerous times you slipped and fell.
Invisible tears running down your cheeks, you collapse in the foyer, sobbing uncontrollably. He’s gone, isn’t he? He’s really gone.
For a moment you consider giving up, but you quickly push that thought away. You’d never give up on Gyutaro no matter what. You’ll search every inch of this earth before you give up on finding your precious demon.
“One step at a time Y/N…” you sigh, wiping your tears and pushing yourself up to your feet. “I will find you, Gyutaro.”
Before you can do anything effectively you need to get cleaned up. So you decide to throw your clothes in the washing machine and take a shower.
The hot water relaxes your sore muscles as the steam fills your vision, slightly burning your raw eyes. You stand there and contemplate what to do.
~
After you got out of the shower you called Shinobu and filled her in on the situation. Hearing the worry in your voice, she immediately came over. The two of you spent a few hours putting together some missing pet fliers and printing them out.
It was the only thing you could think of. People are very cruel towards demons, so letting people in the area know that Gyutaro is a friendly and loved pet will hopefully encourage them to treat him kindly if they do see him. You’ve heard that strays typically get put down so your main concern is making sure people know he isn’t a stray.
When making the flier you put a photo of Gyutaro in the middle of the page. He looks so happy and has a big smile on his face, all you hope is that you’ll get to see that beautiful smile again.
Big letters above his photo read, “MISSING.” And below his photo reads, “Missing pet demon, please call this number if you see him. He is very sweet but is weary of strangers. $1,000 reward if found.”
You knew you’d have to put some kind of reward in there to encourage people to reach out to you. People are inhumane towards demons, and you wouldn’t be surprised if someone would rather use a demon for shooting practice than call the owner. So you hope a cash reward will prevent anyone from hurting him.
After you and Shinobu print out hundreds of fliers she drives you around town, helping you post them on every street lamp and brick wall in sight. You even go to the houses near your farm and give the homeowners a flier, explaining your situation. They all know you well so they are very kind and understanding when they hear your predicament. They assure you that if they see Gyutaro they will call you immediately.
You’re brought some small comfort by knowing that there are people out there who are keeping an eye out for him. But that small comfort isn’t enough to dismiss the immense amount of worry that you feel. And Shinobu can see it in your face, it breaks her heart to see you like this.
So after all of the fliers have been distributed she takes you home. Making you some tea, she tries her best to be there for you.
“I’m so sorry about all of this, Y/N,” she says as she sits beside you at the dining table, setting a hot cup of tea in front of you.
“I wish I could have been a better owner to him…” tears begin to fill your eyes once again.
“You are an amazing owner! Don’t say that,” she pats your back, “It isn’t your fault. I’m sure Gyutaro loves you more than anything. But from what you told me, he probably has a lot of trauma. And I bet it’s been hard for him to adjust to his new life.”
“Y-yeah, I know,” you sniffle, “He’s been through a lot, I just wish there was something I could have done to make him stay…”
Shinobu sighs, “I honestly don’t know why he left. You are so good to him. Maybe something spooked him and he just got lost?”
“Maybe,” you shrug, wiping your tears on your sleeve, “I think he just got overwhelmed… he’s really hard on himself. Maybe he convinced himself he didn’t deserve to be here with me. He says that a lot…”
“Aw, poor thing. I can’t imagine what he’s going through emotionally,” she sips her tea, “You did a great job healing his physical wounds. But there is only so much you can do to heal his mental ones.”
Her statement hits you hard for some reason, and you feel your chest tighten. It takes you a moment to regain composure. You take a deep breath before responding, “Yeah… you’re right. I shouldn’t blame myself for that and I’d never blame him either,” you sigh and continue, “I just hope he knows how much I love him.”
“I’m sure he does, even I can tell that you love that demon to death.”
~
Two days pass and no sign of Gyutaro.
Shinobu stayed with you as long as she could before she had to go back to work. She offered to let you stay with her but you declined. You wanted to be home just in case Gyutaro came back.
Each day that passes you get increasingly worried about him. The woods that surround your farm stretch for miles and he could have easily gotten lost. Who knows what kind of animals he could stumble across too. You know your demon is strong enough to defend himself but it still makes you worry.
As you are preparing to go outside again to search for Gyutaro, you receive a call from an unknown number. Your heart starts racing at the thought that someone may have found your demon.
“Hello? This is Y/N,” you say quickly, already out of breath.
“Hi Miss Y/N,” a calming soft voice speaks over the phone, “I saw your flier for your missing demon and I wanted to reach out to you.”
“Oh my god!” You gasp, tears of joy forming in your eyes, “Did you find him?!”
“No, I’m so sorry,” the man says apologetically, “But one of my demons recognized him when she saw your flier. I was wondering if it would be ok if we came to your home?”
“One of your demons recognized him…?”
“Yes, she says that he is her brother,” you can hear a female voice whining in the background.
“A sister…?” You say under your breath, thinking for a moment. “I do remember he mentioned he had a sister once, but he never wanted to talk about it,” you say more to yourself than to the man on the other line, “Oh um, but yes please come over! I’d love to meet with you, I’ll text you my address.”
“Thank you so much, Miss Y/N. We look forward to meeting you.”
You feel a strange mixture of hope and disappointment as you hang up the phone. You’re happy that you were able to find Gyutaro’s sister, and you hope maybe she’ll have some insight as to how you could locate him. But for a brief moment you thought that the person calling had found your precious demon. And even though they didn’t find him, at least you are taking baby steps. This person wanted to meet you for a reason so you are hopeful that they can help.
A few hours later you hear a knock at the door. Without hesitation, you run over and swing the door open, “Hi! Thank you so much for coming.”
A pale man with shoulder-length black hair stands before you, and beside him is a beautiful demon with long white hair and vibrant green and red eyes, just like Gyutaro’s.
“Hello, Miss Y/N,” the man bows politely, “It’s a pleasure to meet you. Thank you for inviting us to your beautiful home.”
“Oh, the pleasure is all mine!” You nervously hold the door open for them, “Please, come in.”
With a soft smile the man walks in, his demon following in behind him. “Ah, how rude of me I never introduced myself. My name is Kagaya, and this is Ume.”
You walk over to the dining room table and place down a cup of tea for him and Ume, “It's nice to officially meet you both.”
You glance over at Ume, who is giving you a harsh look as if she is upset with you for some unknown reason. They have many differences but you can tell that this demon is indeed Gyutaro’s sister. They have similar eyes and those thin arched brows. Not to mention the way she looks at you, it’s similar to how Gyutaro looks at other humans. A glare full of silent animosity.
Something about her appearance is quite intimidating too. Maybe it’s her beauty? Or perhaps it’s her height? Whatever it is, it’s something that Gyutaro possesses as well. Even though you love and trust him you’ve always felt slightly intimidated by him. They both give off big scary dog energy.
Without a word, Ume dashes past you and goes upstairs.
You just watch in shock, not sure if you should go stop her or just let her do as she pleases. Demons are usually very well-behaved and submissive so it’s surprising for you to see a demon act as they please. But you aren’t unhappy about it, after all, you encourage Gyutaro to behave the same way.
“I’m so sorry,” Kagaya sighs, “She is convinced that you are hurting her brother. I told her you seem to really care about him from the looks of how many missing fliers you posted. But she seems unconvinced…”
“Oh, I see,” you laugh nervously and sit across from him at the table, “It’s ok, I understand. She’s probably seen the horrors he’s been through so I can’t blame her.”
“Indeed, she will rarely tell me about their past. But please don’t worry, she’s probably just gone to inspect Gyutaro’s living quarters. She misses him greatly.”
“I miss him a lot too…” you begin to tear up.
“It’s alright dear. I didn’t bring Ume here for no reason, I think she can help you find Gyutaro.”
“R-Really?” you quickly wipe your tears and give him your full attention.
He nods, “Ume knows her brother’s scent very well. Perhaps she could go with you and help you find him? I wouldn’t mind letting her stay here with you for a few days while you search for him.”
“Oh my god, yes! Thank you so much!” Tears flow freely from your eyes now. Finally a glimmer of hope.
“But I have a request,” he adds, his expression suddenly getting more serious, “I would like to buy Gyutaro from you.”
Your heart sinks.
“Wh-what…?”
“I believe Ume and Gyutaro would be happiest if they were together,” he says with dignity, “I own a demon sanctuary where I collect purebred demons. I believe Gyutaro would be very happy there.”
His statement takes the breath out of your lungs and you are left speechless.
At the end of the day, Gyutaro chose to run away. And maybe he did so because you are lacking in your duty as a caretaker. When you first got him you had no idea what you were doing, and deep down you knew that you were not qualified to care for him. And now you have the opportunity to give him to someone who can give him a life much better than you ever could.
It would be selfish to keep him.
You know what they say, if you love someone then you have to let them go.
“O-Ok,” you choke on your words, “If we are able to find Gyutaro, you can have him… he’d be happier with you and Ume.”
Kagaya smiles and takes your hand, “Thank you, Miss Y/N. I assure you he will be in great hands.”
~
Eventually, Ume returns from upstairs, looking much less irritated than before. Kagaya takes that as his signal to leave. He would love to help you search for Gyutaro but he isn’t in the best of health and definitely shouldn’t be trudging around the forest for who knows how long. But you don’t mind, you are very grateful for everything that he has done. And having Ume here helps you feel a bit better, it’s nice having the presence of a demon again. Especially one that is related to Gyutaro.
Before leaving, Kagaya asks you to call him as soon as you find Gyutaro. If you do, that is. And in the meantime, you don’t mind letting Ume stay here to help you look for him. Though having her by your side you feel like it wouldn’t be impossible for you to find him within a few hours. She is a powerful demon after all.
Once Kagaya is gone, Ume doesn’t waste any time in searching for her brother. Without a word she begins walking around your farm, inquisitively smelling the air.
“He went here,” she points to the barn where you keep the goats.
“Really?” you say, surprised, before opening the barn door for her to take a look inside.
As soon as she leans in she immediately scrunches up her face and leans out, “Ew!! It smells disgusting in there!”
“This is where we keep the goats,” you chuckle, “Gyutaro must’ve given Pickles a visit before he left…”
Imagining Gyutaro having a heartfelt goodbye with his beloved goat makes you feel emotional again. You can only imagine how hard it was for him to leave her behind. Something must have really been bothering him for him to leave like this. The more you think about it, the more concerned you become.
“He went this way,” she points into the forest surrounding your farm, “Come on, human. Let’s go.”
Without hesitation, she grabs your wrist and pulls you towards the trees. You almost trip from the eagerness with which she pulls you along. But you obediently follow her, even as you walk far past the limits of your property and into unknown territory.
At this point you’ve surely been searching for a couple of hours and the sun is beginning to set.
And out of nowhere Ume breaks the thick silence that was hanging between the two of you, “Thank you.”
“Huh?” you gasp, startled by her sudden statement.
“I said thank you!” she snaps, “I was wrong about you… I know you haven’t hurt my brother.”
“Of course I haven’t! I’d never hurt Gyutaro…”
“All of our previous owners have always been hard on my brother,” she frowns, “Ever since we were toddlers. I’ve never met a human that was willing to show him kindness. I searched his room. I didn’t smell a drop of blood. I can tell he’s been living a good life with you.”
“Oh…” her statement about the blood catches you off guard. Was she expecting you to beat him so bad that his blood would stain the floorboards? Or perhaps the mattress or the walls?
“I’ll admit that I’ve never owned a demon before, so I don’t really know what I’m doing. But I tried my best for Gyutaro, he really is a great demon.”
“He is,” she sighs, “But humans have never given him a chance.”
“What happened to you two anyways?” You ask as you continue following her through the forest, “If you don’t mind me asking.”
With a sigh, Ume recounts the painful memories of her and Gyutaro’s past.
Gyutaro and Ume were born at a demon breeding facility in the entertainment district. And not only are they siblings, but they were actually born twins.
Typically when a breeding pair has a baby, the offspring is immediately sent off and never gets the opportunity to meet their parents or their other siblings. But since Gyutaro and Ume are twins they were able to stay together.
Ume’s earliest memories are of being kept in a small cage with her brother when they were toddlers. Her brother would curl himself around her to protect her from the cold. Even though they were the same age, Gyutaro was always quite larger than his sister and he would often use his body to shelter her.
The siblings went through many owners. Most of which Ume doesn't remember in much detail. She only remembers that the humans always wanted to purchase her because of her beauty, and would begrudgingly accept Gyutaro because he came with her.
She has experienced her fair share of abuse but Gyutaro always had it worse. Usually being locked away in a basem*nt while his sister got to live inside of the home. Ume doesn’t know everything that Gyutaro went through but she knows that he was never treated kindly. Each time she’d see him he’d have a new wound on his body.
Things got worse when they were sold to a brothel.
Beneath the brothel was where they would keep the demons outside of work hours. Inside of small cells under the main building, without heating or air conditioning. Though during the day the demons would work inside of the luxurious brothel and offer sexual services to human customers.
Not Gyutaro though, he was too ugly and disgraceful to even be seen in the main building. So he always stayed in the basem*nt. They only kept him around because he was good at catching rats and the brothel owners were able to save a lot of money on pest prevention costs.
Of course, Gyutaro was good at it, rats and roaches were the only thing he had to eat. But he wanted to stay with his sister so he did what he had to do. And he made sure to do a damn good job too. Though if a rat was ever seen by a guest or a staff member Gyutaro would receive severe physical punishment. They’d beat him until he was nothing but a whimpering, broken, bloody lump on the floor. Pools of blood scattered with fallen teeth would surround him. It would hurt too much to cry so he would sit there for hours in agony as his body was too weak to recover effectively. But it didn’t matter, he would force himself to get back up and search for rats. Because if he didn’t he’d receive another beating.
So despite being broken, he’d force himself to work. Usually ending up breaking more bones, bleeding out, and overall causing more damage to his body.
Every time Ume saw her brother in such a state it’d break her heart. But this is the life of a demon and she can’t say she expected anything else. All she could do was cry and hold Gyutaro in her arms after the work day ended.
It wasn't much easier for her though. Not only did she have to have sex with humans all day, allowing them to use her body in any way they wanted. But she was often put on drug-induced heats. The brothel would do this to make the demons more clingy towards their clients. But it always caused emotional and physical turmoil on her body. During these heats she’s grown to despise sex, and all she wants is to feel comfort with her brother by her side. Oftentimes cuddling up with him at the end of the workday. Her body quivering in agony from the abuse it’d suffered all day. It broke Gyutaro that he was never able to protect her. But again, this is the life of a demon.
And Gyutaro knew that, but one day he hit his breaking point.
The sounds of Ume’s screams sent Gyutaro into a rampage. He knew he wasn’t allowed upstairs but he didn’t care, he had to protect his sister.
A drunk customer was being really rough and aggressive with Ume while she was in a drug-induced heat. Usually, she can handle the pain, but her heat was causing the pain to increase tenfold and become excruciating.
Gyutaro ran upstairs and attacked the man. He was too weak to do much damage but he did manage to bite him before employees rushed in and pulled him off of the man.
And that was the last time Ume saw her brother. She had assumed that he had been taken away to get his neck cut and she’d never see him again. Later she heard gossip that the man said he wouldn’t sue the brothel if they allowed him to keep Gyutaro but she didn’t know if it was true.
Ume stayed with the brothel until it closed down. They had a big auction selling their demons and that’s when she met Kagaya. He adopted her and took her under his wing. It was the first time in her life that she got to live comfortably, in her eyes he was like an angel. Her body still reacts traumatically when she gets a heat, but Kagaya has been doing everything in his power to help her heal. And to say she is grateful for him would be an understatement. But all this time she wished that her brother could have been living in her shoes instead. Little did she know he already had an angel of his own.
When she saw your flier with Gyutaro’s photo on it she couldn’t believe her eyes. Not only was her brother alive, but he looked happy too. As soon as she saw it she broke down in tears.
By the end of her story, Ume is crying again. Recalling everything that happened to them floods her with so many emotions she had tried to push away.
You take her hand and look into her eyes, “I’m so sorry you went through that,” you pull her into a hug and she instantly breaks down, “You and Gyutaro deserve so much more than that. No one should have to go through something so terrible.”
“I-It’s ok,” she sniffles and wipes her tears, pulling away from the hug, “You’ve made all of my suffering worth it. I thought my brother was dead, but you’ve been giving him a life that’s better than heaven itself. So, thank you.”
“It’s been my pleasure,” you smile, wiping your tears as well, “Over these past few months Gyutaro has become my best friend. I love him more than anything.”
Ume smiles and continues leading you through the forest, “Yeah, I can tell. You spoil him, huh?”
“Haha, how could you tell?”
“Well for starters he has a fancy bed in his room, his own tv, and loads of toys and treats everywhere.”
You can’t help but chuckle at her statement. You really do spoil him, huh? But the two of you can agree that he very much deserves it.
The sun has gone down, and the moonlight has illuminated the night sky. It’s still very dark though so you hold on to Ume’s hand as she leads you through the trees. You would be very worried being this deep in the forest late at night but having a demon by your side makes it not so bad.
As you continue to speak with Ume you notice how she speaks compared to Gyutaro. She speaks more like a human would, while Gyutaro usually speaks in small sentences and uses simple words. You come to realize that Ume was always favored by her owners and was probably given some education. While on the other hand, Gyutaro was never given any. At first, you thought that all demons had simple speech like Gyutaro, but no, he was just never given an education. As you continue speaking with Ume you realize more nuances like this that explain a lot about Gyutaro’s personality.
“Hey Ume?” you say nervously, “It’s already past 10 pm… are you sure we’re going to find him tonight?” Your voice cracks as it becomes full of desperation as you slowly begin to lose hope.
“I’m certain,” she states confidently, “I know we’re getting closer! I can smell my brother nearby, he has to be here…”
“Alright, I trust you,” you take a deep breath and continue following her. Powering through the aching in your feet, surely blisters forming by now.
She said you were close so maybe Gyutaro would be able to hear you if you called out to him?
“Gyutaro!!” You yell as loud as your tired lungs will allow.
“What’re you doing?!” Ume snaps, “There are wild animals out here! It could be danger-”
She’s cut off by the sound of leaves rustling and twigs snapping, getting closer to you at an alarming rate. And before you can even register what’s going on, something heavy tackles you to the ground. An exasperated scream leaves your lips as you feel something on top of your body.
An all too familiar whimper is like music to your ears.
“Gyutaro?!” you gasp, tears already streaming from your eyes when you realize it wasn’t an animal that attacked you, but your beloved demon.
“M-Miss Y/N!” he yelps, holding you close and nuzzling his face into the crook of your neck. “M’sorry! M’so sorry I’m bad! Won’t be bad anymore, I promise!”
Hearing his whines brings a smile to your face, you just missed him so goddamn much. “Gyutaro honey, you aren’t bad. I’m just so happy you’re ok.” You hold his cheeks and kiss the top of his forehead.
“Really, brother? Did you already forget about me?” Ume says with an unamused tone.
The entire time Gyutaro has been away, thoughts of you have been all over his mind. And when he heard your voice it triggered something within him. A strange mixture of instincts, one to protect and one to seek comfort. Both combined in tandem, his body moved on its own when your voice hit his ears. And he was so consumed by thoughts of you that he hadn’t even realized that his sister was there too.
“U-Ume…?” his eyes go wide as he turns around to face her.
Her eyes are already full of tears. No matter how much she likes to play it tough, she can’t deny the emotions that come forth when seeing her brother for the first time in so long.
“Gyutaro…” she sniffles.
Without another word, Gyutaro shoots up and runs towards his sister. Embracing her in a tight hug, picking her up and spinning her around. The two demons don’t say anything to each other, they just cry and hold each other close. Gyutaro holds his sister tightly while she clings onto him like she’s afraid she’ll lose him again.
Sitting back on the moist forest floor, you don’t even care that your pants are getting dirty. You’re just enjoying the sight of this beautiful moment. Gyutaro doesn’t look in the best shape right now, but this is the happiest you’ve ever seen him and it truly sparks so much joy within you that you were not only able to heal his wounds, but help him reunite with his sister. And soon he’ll be going with Kagaya and living the rest of his days with her. It’s a bittersweet end, but it’s what he deserves.
After a while, the demons finally separate and Gyutaro’s attention is directed back to you again.
“Sorry Miss Y/N,” Gyutaro comes over to you and helps you up, “M’so sorry about everything… B-but thank you for giving me my sister back.” He looks at you with teary eyes full of appreciation and love. He truly feels so grateful in this moment.
Gyutaro,” you sigh with a smile and ruffle his hair, “It’s alright, you don’t have to apologize. Remember when I said you deserve good things? It’s still true.”
“B-But I ran away…” he looks down, feeling incredibly guilty.
“That doesn’t make you bad. You’re still a good boy, you know that don’t you?”
“I am?” he whimpers.
“Of course you are, silly!” you playfully squish his cheeks, “Now let's go home, we can talk more about this after we get you cleaned up.”
Gyutaro nods then kneels down in front of you, “Let me carry you, you’re tired.”
“Are you sure? You must be tired too after being out here for so long,” you rub his shoulder as if to thank him for the kind offer.
He shakes his head, “Mm mm, not tired. Promise! Wanna help you,” he insists.
“Well ok, thank you Gyutaro. But if you get tired you can put me down,” you blush slightly and climb up onto his back. He holds you with ease, standing up and walking beside Ume as if you weigh nothing at all.
So exhausted from the emotional and physical turmoil of today, you quickly doze off on your demon’s back. Hearing that you’ve fallen asleep makes Gyutaro feel a sense of pride, like he did a good job in protecting his human and taking care of her. Just one small step in his efforts to make it up to you after causing so much trouble.
On the venture back, Ume uses your phone to navigate back to your farm. The howls of animals in the forest occasionally stir you in your slumber. But having two strong demons by your side puts you at ease.
~
Once home your drowsiness subsides and your compulsion to take care of your demon takes over. Finally able to see him in the light you realize just how much care he’s going to need. He looks physically fine, but just really dirty and in need of a bath. Of course the first thing he asks for when he gets home is some food.
So you prepare a meal for him and Ume. And while they eat together you go upstairs and take a shower, cleaning all of the sweat and grime off of your body from traversing the woods for hours on end, then change into your pajamas.
Once done, you look over at the clock, “How the hell is it already one in the morning?”
Your body is exhausted but it’s well worth it now that Gyutaro is home. You don’t care how many hours you have to stay awake, as long as he’s taken care of and back at home safely that’s the only thing you care about.
Giggles and playful sibling bickering can be heard downstairs as you prepare a bath for Gyutaro.
“Gyutaro!” you shout, “Your bath is ready!”
A few seconds later you hear heavy footsteps thumping up the wooden stairs, thudding down the hallway until Gyuytaro’s face peeks into the bathroom, “It’s bath time?”
“Yes, you’re filthy,” you giggle, waving him over, “you’ll feel a lot better after this bath. Then we can go to bed, ok?”
“M’kay!” he says enthusiastically before closing the door behind him and stripping his clothes.
“Wait,” you notice something, “What is that?” You point to a large red stain on his shirt.
“Blood!” he says happily.
“What?!” you panic, “Did you hurt yourself?!” You begin looking all over his body, inspecting him for cuts.
“No, m’ok,” he whines, “Got hungry…”
“Oh,” you sigh in relief, “Thank goodness, I was worried you hurt yourself. But um, what did you eat?”
You start feeling a bit worried, hoping he didn’t somehow kill a human or a stray pet.
“It was a giant goat with big horns!” He holds his arms out, emphasizing how big this creature was.
“A big goat with horns…?” you furrow your brows in confusion, trying to think of what he could possibly be talking about. “How big was it?”
“Like this much,” he holds his hand up next to him showing the animal was about four feet tall, “And the horns were spikey like a tree!”
“Spikey like a tree?” For a moment you think that maybe your demon got a hold of some hallucinogenic mushrooms on his visit to the forest and started imagining strange creatures. But then you connect the dots, “Oh! Was it a deer?”
“... maybe?” he looks confused, he must not know what a deer is so you show him a photo on your phone. “Oh yes yes! That thing! The dee-are!”
He’s so cute and gentle with you that you often forget that demons are quite literally killing machines. Capable of killing and devouring a full grown deer with his bare hands. Gyutaro has shown great compassion and care towards every animal you’ve introduced him to. But when he’s hungry it’s obvious that he will do what he has to do and his demon instincts shine through. Despite that though, you’re just happy that he’s alright.
Seeing the concern on your face he gets worried, “Did I do bad?”
“No no honey you didn’t do bad at all!” You ruffle his hair and caress his cheek, “You did a good job taking care of yourself. Just remember that if you see a deer on the farm, don’t hurt it, ok? Deer are friends.”
“M’kay,” he nods happily, “Dee-ares are friends.”
“Good boy, now go ahead and get in the tub for me. The water should be warm enough.”
He nods and finishes removing the rest of his clothing. Then he hops into the tub.
Seeing your demon sitting in the tub, covered in dirt, reminds you of the first time you bathed him. After going through so much trouble with him, getting him to the point where you are now wasn’t easy. Not in the slightest. All of the emotional and physical trauma he had been through made him so weary and untrusting of you. He would shy away from your touch and flinch when you spoke. But now he leans into your touch and happily engages in conversation with you.
He’s come so far.
Lathering up his body and massaging soap into his hair, he groans in content. Closing his eyes and enjoying the personal treatment from his favorite human.
But despite how pleasant this moment is, there is still something plaguing your thoughts.
“Gyutaro…” you mutter, “Why did you run away?”
There’s a long moment of silence and a guilty look on his face.
“I…” he stutters, “I felt bad.”
“Felt bad for what, honey?” you gently rub his back to comfort him and show him it’s ok for him to speak honestly.
“For hurting you during my heat,” he looks away shamefully, “You deserve better than me… M’ugly and useless… shouldn’t be allowed to touch you like that.” You want to interrupt him and tell him that he’s none of those things but you let him finish.
“Felt like I deserved to be thrown away… like trash…”
His words break your heart.
“But I miss you too much, Miss Y/N,” he continues, “I realize I can’t live without you and regret leaving,” he chokes up, “But can’t find my way back home… figured it was for the best you live without me to burden you…”
“Oh sweetheart,” you lean forward and hold him close, not caring that you’re getting soap and water all over your pajamas, “You know you’re the best thing that ever happened to me right? You don’t realize what a blessing you are, Gyutaro. You are so sweet, so kind, so gentle, and not to mention strong. I feel so safe with you around. You’ve always been a good boy, ever since the day I first laid eyes on you I knew it.”
Faint whimpers and sobs escape his lips as he wraps his arms around you and cries into your chest.
“You are perfect just the way you are,” you coo, “There is nothing wrong with you, and I would never change anything about you. I know it’s hard to forget everything that other humans have said and done to you in the past, but I need you to know that everything I’m saying is true. You do not deserve to be discarded… I love you dearly, Gyutaro.”
The sobbing coming from him intensifies as he clenches your shirt with his trembling hands. Never in his entire life has a human shown him such genuine kindness. So much so that they went out of their way to care for him, and went above and beyond what he needed. Spoiling him when they had no reason to. But why? Why would a human do something like that?
In the beginning, he thought you were just naive. But over time he’s come to learn that you aren’t naive at all. Quite the opposite actually. You see things plainly, never blinded by inexplicable hatred that so many owners before you seemed to have.
So if you aren’t naive then could it be that perhaps the things you say about him are actually true? Not only a truth to you because you believe it, but a universal truth. Gyutaro is beginning to realize that maybe he isn’t bad. Maybe he isn’t flawed like everyone has told him. Maybe, just maybe, he is perfect just the way he is.
No one has been able to convince him of that, not even his sister. Until today.
“I-I am a good boy…” Gyutaro whispers.
“That’s right, Gyutaro,” you smile through your tears, “You are. I’ve known it since the day we first met.”
“Thank you,” he looks up at you with a smile, his eyes still full of tears, “Thank you for never giving up on me.”
“I never will, I promised you that a long time ago,” you lean forward and kiss his nose, “Now, let’s finish washing your hair so you can get some rest ok?” With a loving smile, you tenderly wipe away his tears.
“M’kay,” he nods and blushes slightly, “Can I sleep with you tonight?”
“Of course.”
~
The mourning doves sing a melancholy song as the sun slowly emerges into the lavender sky. Creating a comforting ambiance as your eyes shift awake. Soft snores can be heard beside you where Gyutaro lies. His sister sleeping soundly huddled up beside him.
After the tiring and emotionally draining events of last night, the three of you crawled into your bed. Gyutaro sleeping in between you and his sister, having the best night of rest he’s had in his entire life. He got to sleep beside his sister like they used to before they were separated, bringing a comforting nostalgia that he’d missed so much. And also having you by his side makes him feel warm inside like everything in his life is right for once.
And you didn’t mind it either. After all, it is your last night with Gyutaro so you were happy to allow Ume to sleep beside him as well to make him feel more content. You want him to be surrounded by as much love as possible because it’s most certainly well deserved.
Mindlessly rolling your fingers through Gyutaro’s hair, you sit there and watch him sleep peacefully. Taking in your final morning with him.
You aren’t sure how much time passes, but eventually you hear a soft knock on your front door.
It’s time.
Careful not to wake Gyutaro, you slip out of bed and head towards the front door. Opening it reluctantly.
“Good morning Mister Kagaya,” you say, trying your best to hide the sadness in your heart.
“Good Morning Miss Y/N,” he walks into your home with a soft smile, “I was so delighted when you told me Gyutaro had been found.”
“Yeah, I’m so relieved we found him. Thank you again for all of your help, I couldn’t have found him without Ume.”
“No need to thank me, it was the right thing to do. I am looking forward to taking him home, I know Ume is thrilled.”
“Yeah…”
Hearing the commotion downstairs, Ume and Gyutaro wake up from their peaceful slumber. A feeling in Gyutaro’s gut tells him that something is off and he quickly runs downstairs to see you talking to a strange man he doesn’t recognize.
He can tell that you aren’t in immediate danger, but he doesn’t know who this man is and his protective instincts take over. Quickly rushing over to you, Gyutaro puts himself between you and Kagaya, pulling you closer to him. “Who is this man?” he growls.
“Don’t worry Gyutaro, this is Mister Kagaya, he’s Ume’s owner,” you gently rub his arm.
“Oh,” Gyutaro calms down and stands beside you, still inspecting the strange man’s appearance with a curious gaze.
“You’re going to come home with us, brother!” Ume chimes, jumping up and down as she runs to Gyutaro.
“Wh-what…?” his eyes widen and his eyebrows raise in surprise. He looks at you, his eyes pleading with you to tell him it isn’t true.
“Don’t worry, Gyutaro. You’re going to be very happy with him… he will be able to take care of you much better than I ever could,” you choke up, failing in your attempt to hide your emotions.
Gyutaro looks back at Ume, who’s holding onto his arm excitedly, then back over to you.
He’s torn, and the heartbreak can clearly be seen on his face.
“No…” he looks down at his sister and pries her off of him, “M’sorry Ume, but I won’t leave Miss Y/N.”
Ume tries to interject but Gyutaro cuts her off, “She is my human, and I won’t leave her side ever again.”
He tries to come back to you, but you put your hand on his chest to stop him from coming any closer. “Gyutaro, I know we had a lot of fun together but you deserve better. Mister Kagaya knows how to take care of demons, he can give you a better life than I ever could.”
Gyutaro frowns and scowls at you. Looking genuinely angry for the first time.
“You can’t say that!” he snarls, “I said the same thing and you remember what you said to me? That I was perfect! And I… I believe you now. M’sorry it took me so long to understand but I do now! Because I see you’re the same as me…”
He trails off, his voice becoming faint like a whisper before he raises his voice again, speaking bolder than he ever has before.
“You say I deserve better?! It doesn’t get any better than you!! You are the most perfect human! Because you are my human!! And I am your demon, no matter how much we think we aren’t good enough for each other! It just shows how much we love each other!”
His words hit you hard. He’s completely right. The two of you claim that you aren’t good enough for each other. Gyutaro thinks you deserve better, and you think he deserves better. But it all stems from the strong love you have for each other. You view each other so highly that you believe that the other person deserves more than you could ever offer. But who else could love him as much as you do? And could anyone ever love you as much as he does?
You both know the answers to these questions. And that’s exactly why the both of you know that things are just as they were meant to be.
Looking into Gyutaro’s eyes, you see a demon who loves you deeply beyond any bond you thought possible. No other words need to be said, you both understand.
Gyutaro calms down and hugs you, this time you’re the one that needs to be comforted. And he’s more than happy to provide.
You begin to quietly spill dry tears, having cried so much these past few days that there are no more tears left to fall from your eyes.
“I see that Gyutaro is right where he needs to be,” Kagaya says blissfully, “You and Gyutaro are welcome in my home any time.”
“Thank you,” you whimper, “The two of you are always welcome here too.”
Ume shoots Gyutaro a look as if silently saying, “You better come visit me soon.”
And he responds by nodding and giving her a toothy grin.
With that, Ume and Kagaya leave your home. Leaving you and Gyutaro alone, just as things were before.
“M’sorry I yelled at you…” Gyutaro looks at you, his eyes full of guilt.
“No more apologizing, ok?” you tenderly move a strand of hair out of his face, “You didn’t do anything wrong. Thank you for being honest with me, you said exactly what I needed to hear.”
“M’kay,” Gyutaro smiles happily, showing off that charming snaggle tooth smile.
You can’t help but giggle seeing the cute look on his face, something about that silly smile of his always makes you feel so happy. Your heart fills up with an immeasurable amount of love for him.
“I love you, Gyutaro,” you caress his cheeks and softly kiss his lips for the first time since his heat, “my perfect demon.”
His cheeks turn a light shade of pink.
“I love you too, my perfect human…”
