darkelf1996

Prompt: Zen's healthy for once, and Reader-chan has butterfly wings which show up when embarrassed.

Reader POV:

The sun moves to make way for the moon which is bound to appear any moment. While normally you'd consider it to be a great time to stay outside and watch the sun setting into the horizon, I find myself looking at everything else. Kappa are playing their version of 'tag' with each other, Kurotabo seems ready to bang his head against a wall, Tsurara is running around with a bunch of laundry as usual. 

The grass is a healthy green, like what one would see after a good shower. The bench I am seated on in the veranda is a beautiful silvery teak, and that's when realization strikes that my gaze is downward. Is it that obvious? 

"Your wings sprouted again," points out a certain longtime friend.

Zen and I have been friends for at least 10 years, if not longer. Being a yōkai with wings has its advantages. As for our meeting today, it's almost a sort of anniversary of our friendship.

"You're blushing so much. You know, it reminds me of the first few times we met, especially the one when we turned Kubinashi into our canvas."

I redden further. My wings begin to change between colours rapidly, much like a kaleidoscope. Zen makes me rest my head on his shoulder. The calmness and safety I feel is unparalleled — even if Rikuo himself were to hold me, it wouldn't stand a chance against this ... this entirety. 

/CLICK/

"Who's that?" Zen asks Kurotabo, who is now in front of us.

"Oh, don't bother about them, I'll get that picture deleted. It's nice to see you all well. This 'friend' of yours probably helped with that, didn't she?" 

Kurotabo looks at me, and Zen replies in the affirmative.

"You're one odd butterfly yōkai. After all, we don't often see one in the healing arts — your clan excels in performing sneak attacks. Then again since it's you, being a distraction would be the perfect role."

I have no clue what to make of this. Sure, people in my own clan objected earlier when the decision had to be made, but this is the first time someone from the Main House itself has spoken up about it.  Is he mocking me? The expression on Kurotabo's face tells me nothing.

"We have another healer in here, and you complain? Are you drunk or something?" 

Zen stands to be almost as tall as him and sniffs him like an Inu Yōkai, or possibly an ordinary dog.

"Never mind. You'll understand soon, Zen. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA"

Aotabo arrives to take Kurotabo along with him, partially carrying the man. That's enough proof that he is drunk - what even happened to him? 

"I apologise for his behaviour, blame a certain Natsumi Torii for that outburst. Zen, come with us for the meeting."

They whisk him away and leave me to attempt to socialise. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 "Did you get the spray cans, Tsurara?" asks Kana Ienaga, a human who seems to be made for Rikuo. :P

"Yep."

"And the confetti, Kiyotsugu?"

"It's not a wedding! We brought streamers though, who'd clean up confetti anyway?"

"What's all this about?" I ask them, my head spinning in confusion.

"Well it's Zen's birthday tomorrow. You forgot?" 

Chuckles escape from the group.

"She wouldn't remember, having her hands full with you-know-what. Or should I say who? It is him though."

"Hey, I'm right here."

Oh brilliant! These people know all about it. Mental note -- interrogate the living daylights out of Kejoro. How dare she tell EVERYBODY, even the humans?

The conversation goes on until it's suddenly silent.

Where did they go? I search every room at ground level. Nothing. Nobody, spiders excluded. A crack of thunder resounds across the household. This is getting really creepy. 

A hand holds mine in the darkness. I nearly elicit a scream.

"Found you. Let's go to our spot, we all know how lost you can get even being around people."

Rikuo holds in his laughter. Zen fails, and is unable to stop for nearly a minute. We go to the West end and find the hidden stairway, which is unexpectedly intact after all the years of use. Rikuo leads, then I follow, leaving Zen at the rear. 

The room is camouflaged so well, it seems as if the entire previous generation completely forgot about its existence. 

"Do you guys remember what we found in here the first time? All those scrolls?"

Zen replies before I get a chance.

"Definitely. Those scrawled 'things' couldn't escape my mind for quite some time."

"Why do you ask us about this now?"

"Well, we got a translation just this afternoon. It's a human language, so we'll have to thank Yura-chan and the gang later."

I flinch at her name; the only time we met, she nearly killed me.

"What did it say?" 

Zen may be the type to obsess over scrolls and other ancient things. I, on the other hand, assume anything forgotten as worthless — that's precisely why they are lost; call me a believer in natural selection.

"One of them was poetry — or prophecy, whatever you'd prefer to call it. Another turned out to be a folk tale; there were three maps out of which two are of the Ancient City and the last is of this very backyard."

"And let me guess, we will have to look for treasure. This is gonna be out of yet another fiction book."

"Um, yes. But only you two will go on this 'treasure hunting' trip. I'll need to help with the birthday party they're setting up in the attic."

That's where they are. The attic. Exactly how much of the plan is known to him? And to Zen?

"And I'm leaving you two now. Have fun, and do stay over the night."

"Sure. Thanks."

Zen seems quite happy that we're together. I'm a bit freaked out, to be honest. Those damn butterflies won't leave my stomach, if you know what I mean. 

"You really seem intent on being alone today, even more than your usual. Could you tell me why? Are you fed up of me, after being around for so long?

"No, dummy. I wouldn't have stayed last week if I got tired of you that easily. Someone needs to give you company."

"And you're going to do that?"

"Well, yeah." 

Oh no! The wings come up yet again, but this time they're in varying shades of red - I can't believe this is really happening.

"Let me guess, you're super embarrassed, even though there's absolutely no reason for it. Come here."

He hugs me, wait, let me reword that. I am totally engulfed by him. Zen lifts my face upwards with a finger, to meet his eyes, I'd guess. I am devoid of thoughts, just looking at that visage. He seems to come closer and closer, until ...

(I give up. I've never really written proper pairing fics before, so I'll just leave the rest to your imagination. XD)

(

Edit 1: Ik it was supposed to be Zen's Bday, but I felt keeping the fic on the eve of that day would be better for the now-couple.)

(Edit 2: They obviously kiss here, but Reader-chan is too speechless too articulate any thought process and so the fic couldn't continue.)