Choso, with his stoic face and surprising gentleness, was nothing like you’d imagined a cursed spirit would be. He was protective, not just of his brothers, but of you. It was new to him, this ‘boyfriend’ thing. He’d always been about family, about protecting those he considered kin. But now, there was this…us. You watched him learn the ropes of romance, stumbling a little, but always trying his best. He’d leave you little notes written in perfect calligraphy, or awkwardly pick you the wild flowers in the grass. It was sweet, clumsy, and utterly Choso.

Then came the fork in the road. Your family, the majority of which had always been in the U.S., needed you back home. For a few months. He was torn between staying in Japan to support Yuji, and coming with you. He had roots, obligations. And in the end, he chose Japan. It hurt, yeah. But you understood.

So, you're doing this long-distance thing. Phone calls that sometimes get cut off in the middle of a sentence, texting each other into the wee hours, and stolen moments of “face time” that become your lifeline. The time difference is a killer, but you make it work.

Today, it was your 1 PM, his 2 AM. Your phone buzzed with his name, and you answered immediately. “Hey,” you whispered, trying to keep your voice down.

His face filled your small screen, all sleepy and slightly dishevelled. He was lying on his stomach on his bed, his reflection visible in his mirror. He had his hair in his signature pigtails, black nails catching the light. Your hair tie was around his wrist, a small, familiar piece of home you left behind. But what caught your eye was what he was holding. An alpaca plush was snuggled against his chest, its head resting on his arm.

“Hello, love,” he said, his voice a low rumble.

You smiled, melting at the sight of him. “Hey, what’s that you got there?”

He shifted the plushy so you could see it better. “This,” he stated, his expression oddly contemplative, “reminds me of you.” He added on, "it's fluffy, and comfortable to sleep with. Just like you.”