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Itto grunted as he stretched to the side. Sticking his tongue out in concentration while he stared at his reflection in the water, carefully tracing the red paint over his skin in the ancestral oni patterns. This was always the hardest part, trying to get the area on his back by himself.
It wasn’t always like this, there used to be other oni around who could help him out, like his parents. But he’s been on his own for so long, and granny oni is only human, so he’s learned to make do.
He held his breath while he traced a spiral shape up his ribs, reaching towards his shoulder, just a tiny bit more and-
“Hey boss.” Itto jumped up at Shinobu’s sudden appearance in the water and smudged the paint in his shock.
“Shinobu! What the hell are you tryna pull? Scare an oni like that?”
Shinobu snorted and crossed her arms, “I wasn’t trying to pull anything boss, the boys were just wondering where you went so I came to look for you.”
Itto huffed and set his paint brush down. “Well I’m here so no need for anyone to get all up in arms in a panic looking for me. I’ll be right back before you know it, in fact I’ll even beat you back to camp! Betcha didn’t think I could do that huh?-”
“Boss,” She cut off his tangent, “do you need some help?”
“Huh wha-”
Before he could react further, Shinobu had already reached down to grab a cloth and wiped at the smear of paint on his back.
“I can do your back for you, because you can’t reach.” She said bluntly
“Woah woah woah! Hey Shinobu, I know you’re my ever capable numero two-no but this is Oni paint! It’s an ancient and super cool practice that can only be done by an Oni and for an Oni! For this red paint, along with our horns of course, is what marks the allegiance to the Oni.”
He proudly puffed out his chest and grinned at her, the intricate designs he already painted on his torso on full display.
“Hmm…” Shinobu hummed, “Well I swore my allegiance to you.”
“That you did!” He agreed
“Which is to say that I swore my allegiance to the One and Oni Arataki Itto.” She teased out
“Exactamundo! You got that right! Kuki Shinobu’s on MY team!” He cheered
“So in theory I’m loyal to the Oni, so it should make no difference if I’m the one that paints them on.”
“Exact- well wait uhh…” Itto faltered and looked away.
“And there’s no way I’m letting my boss walk around with lopsided designs on his back.” She tacked on brutally.
“Wah hey! Shi-no-bu! That’s no way to treat your favorite boss! I was working hard on these before you showed up!”
“I’m sure you were,” She smiled and crouched down next him, forcing him to look down at her slightly because of their height difference. “But you wouldn’t have to work so hard if you let me help you, boss.”
She stared up into his eyes. Purple met red. She has never lost a staring contest with him and she wasn’t about to start now.
Her eyes lowered slightly in determination, and his eyelids twitched with nerves. Until finally, he blinked.
“Oh alright fine!” He huffed at his defeat and handed her the paint brush. Then he turned around, kneeling in front of her so she could reach his back. “You sure are persuasive, little deputy.”
She smiled as she dipped the brush into the paint and began envisioning the coolest, most awesomest oni designs to paint for him.
“Thanks boss, it’s what you keep me around for.”
-------
After a few weeks, it became their regular pattern. Whenever Itto needed his body paint done, he asked Shinobu for her help applying it. They’re in the middle of a painting session, sitting on the edge of their rented bed at an Inazuman boarding house, when Shinobu asks the question.
“Hey boss,” Itto hums in response when she pauses with the brush resting on his skin after just finishing off a perfect red swirl, “Wouldn’t it be easier to get these tattooed instead of having to reapply them after every other day?”
Itto yelped, “Ah welllll about that.” He trailed off and scratched the back of his head sheepishly.
“Technically, you’re totally right! Oni of the past had the coolest marking tattoos! -Even though if I were alive back then my tattoos would have been way cooler!- It’s just that well ya know things happened and the tradition kind of ehh…”
“Died out?” Shinobu asked quietly
“Eh no I wouldn’t say died out. I still know how to do it, cuz, psshh why wouldn’t I? Am I the One and Oni Arataki Itto or aren’t I? It’s just that I ah, haven’t had any practice with it and I don’t want my first attempt to be on myself and for my super cool ancestral oni tats to look all wimpy! That would be beyond lame!”
Shinobu looked down and mindlessly stirred the paint with the brush.
“If there’s a class somewhere for me to learn how to tattoo, I could become certified and do it for you.” She offered
“Aw Shinobu, I’m touched.” Itto cooed and wiped a fake tear from his eye. “But for realsies really seriously though, I don’t know if you could do that. There’s no certification around aside from being an Oni, and I happen to be the only one with those credentials.”
“I understand, I’m sorry if I overstepped.” Shinobu bit her lip, the brush pausing in its motion.
“Woah woah hey Shinobu its totally alright! No need to worry about bringing up uncomfortable topics between the two of us, ya know.” Itto waived off her concern, “Actually that does remind me though there is something I’ve been meaning to ask you.”
“Oh? And what might that be, boss?” Shinobu inquired, an edge of suspicion hanging off her words. When it comes to the boss, his plans are normally pretty reckless, or highly illegal. If this turns out to be another scheme of his thats going to land him and the gang in prison again…
“Hang on, stop painting for a sec, lemme just-” He shifted from his hunched position, turning over so he was facing her properly. She readily relinquished the brush when he took it out of her hands and set it off to the side. Then he grabbed both of her hands in his and looked into her eyes.
She gulped. His hands were so much bigger, they completely enveloped hers. Then she was suddenly aware of how close they were sitting, she was practically in his lap.
“Kuki Shinobu,” He began, dead serious. “You are one of the boys. I don’t know if I would have been able to make it this far without you as my partner, my second in command, the numero two-no to my numero uno. And basically like, would it be cool with you, if maybe perhaps mayhaps… you and me were matching?”
“M-matching? Boss, what do you mean?”
“Matching Oni markings of course! Pfft what else? Because ya know, you said you swore your allegiance to me and what better way to show that then by having matching body paint with me! The One and Oni!”
“I don’t know boss, is that even okay?”
“Course it is! If I say its okay, then it is totally and completely a-ok!”
Shinobu sighed, “Alright fine.”
Itto cheered and pumped his fist. “Wooo! Atta girl! Let’s goooo!”
“But no full-body stuff!” She cut off his celebration sternly, pointing a finger in his face. “I don’t want to be an exact copy of you. Neither do I want to have to worry about maintaining all those details.”
Itto blew a raspberry towards her. “Psssh. Spoilsport, so what? I only get to paint one body part?”
Shinobu rolled her eyes at him, “I never said that, just…you can just paint my back because I’ve been painting yours, that’s fair right?”
Itto thought about it for a moment before he shrugged, “Yeah alright that works. Turn around.” he ordered casually, letting go of her hands to reach for the brush.
Shinobu sputtered and leaned back to get out of his reach. “Wha- right now?” she squeaked incredulously.
Itto only raised an eyebrow, but otherwise remained unmoved. “Uh yeah? I mean, we already have the things out and stuff? C’mon, Shinobu! C’mon c’mon c’mon c’mon c’mon!”
“Ugh fine!” With little more convincing she huffed and took her jacket off. Itto is usually meticulous, but she wouldn’t want him to accidentally get anything on her custom-made onikabuto hoodie just in case. She scooted across the bed and laid down on her stomach, within range of Itto, but also within range of the pillows in case she needed to grab one and smack him.
“Alrightttt let’s get it started! I’m one of the best of the best of body painting I’ll have you know! You’re gonna look a-maz-ing!” Itto declared, his voice cantering with a playful tilt. The bed creaked as he leaned over her.
“Sure thing, boss. AH-!” Shinobu jumped at the cold feeling of the paint brushing against her lower back. Itto’s hand immediately dropping down to grab her hip in order to hold her steady. Shinobu was suddenly grateful that Itto couldn’t see her blooming red face from his angle.
“Oops, probably should have warned you about the texture. My bad! Just hold still for a bit, it won’t take long!” Itto chirped
She forced herself to hold still while Itto continued. She felt the brush dip down her side and rise back up along the muscle under her shoulder.
Itto moved from her side and shuffled over so he was kneeling above her thighs. His hand still pressing down on the center of the small of her back, he caressed the brush down softly against her other side, repeating the same pattern as before. Despite her rationale, her heart beat faster because of the position and she tried valiantly to focus on the sensation of the brush against her skin in order to not think about anything else.
After a short while Itto leaned back on the balls of his feet and hummed, assessing his work. Then he snapped his fingers. “Oh you know what this needs!” He murmured and leaned back down.
“Ah! Itto! what’re you-” Shinobu yelped when she felt him pull up her shorts slightly to expose the top of her thighs.
“Relax, relax! I’m just adding the finishing touches!” Itto said nonchalantly, clearly not understanding why she was unsettled.
The brush dabbed briefly just under the edge of her shorts on either side, before Itto pulled away and scooted back a few feet to give her space.
“Done-a-munzo! And might I say, I think I did a pretty good job!” Itto grinned.
She shuffled off the bed, careful not to smudge any of the freshly applied makeup on the sheets. Once on her feet, she stretched around as best she could to get a look at the swirling patterns he painted down her sides, ending with a small ascent symbol on her thighs.
“Well? You like it?” He asked slightly nervous, fiddling with the end of the brush with his thumb.
Shinobu turned back to him and smiled. It’s a sight he rarely gets to witness because she wears a mask all the time.
“I do like them. These look pretty sick, boss.” She offered genuinely.
Itto jumped up from the bed and pumped his fist in the air, a warm grin beaming on his face as he laughed, “Hahaha hell yeah! She likes ‘em!”
She rolled her eyes at his antics, a little self conscious at the attention.
“You know, Shinobu,” He added thoughtfully, “You look really good in my colors.”
With her face aflame with a blush she turned away and scrambled to get her mask while Itto laughed behind her. Her dorky boss really was too much sometimes.