Author's Note: Two months! How has it been two months since my last update? I'm sorry for the delay, everyone. OTL I've had an attack of real life, combined with my mind wandering over other projects. Rest assured, though, I have not forgotten about this fic. Huge thanks go out to all the people who continue to review/follow/favorite this story. Your support means a lot to me. c:

After the incidents at the hot spring, life in the Ichimatsu household returned to normal, for the most part. Kokkuri-san found himself feeling jittery around the old tanuki, but he covered it up by burying himself even more than usual in his housekeeping duties. Shigaraki could tell that the kitsune was avoiding him, but he did his best to ignore it. He had made his position clear to Kokkuri; all that remained was to wait. After all, forcing matters would only push the fox farther away. Things continued this way for a few months.

One day, as winter began to give way to spring, Kokkuri was surprised to find Kohina awake when he began making his rounds. Perhaps even more surprising was the fact that she was… decorating?

"Good morning, Kohina," he said as he began dusting the room. "What's the occasion?"

The girl looked at him with a mix of surprise and pity. "You don't know? Today is the greatest of all holidays."

The kitsune frowned, running over the calendar in his head. He couldn't think of any holidays that fell today. "The fifth of March? What's so special about the fifth of March?"

"Today is the day we celebrate the greatest man who ever lived, Ando Momofuku-sama, in honor of his birthday," she replied. Her eyes glistened with adoration as she turned back to her work.

Kokkuri was at a loss. He ran his hand through his hair. "And… who is this Ando-sama, exactly?" he asked carefully.

Kohina set down the streamers she had been working on and looked at him with disbelief plain on her face. "Ando-sama is my hero. Without the work of his genius, I would not have been able to experience the only true happiness life has to offer."

"Um."

By this time, Inugami had joined the little girl and the fox, and he brought out a laptop. A quick internet search brought up the answer. "I can see why my darling Kohina would be so fond of Ando Momofuku," he said, rotating the computer screen so Kokkuri could see it. "He invented cup noodles."

The kitsune sighed. "I should have known it would be something like that." Massaging the bridge of his nose, he turned back to the girl, who had returned to her work on the streamers. Trying in vain to keep the exasperation from his voice, he said, "I suppose, in light of the… the auspicious occasion… we can get you some cup noodles today."

Shigaraki yawned and stretched as he walked into the room to belatedly join the conversation. "That's not much of a celebration, kitsune," he said, running his fingers through his sleep-mussed hair. Kohina had already leapt to her feet, though, excited by the prospect of a trip to the grocery store.

Kokkuri, meanwhile, was momentarily distracted by the muscles that shifted beneath the tanuki's kimono as he moved. It had been some time since he had last had a chance to simply watch the older spirit, but the lazy way he stretched gave him ample opportunity. Involuntarily, the kitsune found an appreciative growl rumbling in his chest. Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, he tried to pass it off as a cough. "Well, what would you suggest, then?" he asked once he had regained his composure.

The old man shrugged casually, pretending not to have seen the momentary hunger in the fox's eye. "I dunno. I mean, cup noodles are all well and good… especially if we're celebrating their inventor's birthday…. I'm just not sure they'd be as enjoyable for all of us as they will be for the young lady. Maybe after she's had her noodles, we could all go out somewhere?"

The kitsune narrowed his eyes slightly. "Somewhere like where?"

Again, the tanuki shrugged. "When I was downtown the other day, I noticed there was a new dance club. If we go early enough in the evening, they should be open for all ages."

Inugami's eyebrows shot up in surprise, and he struggled to keep disbelieving laughter from his voice as he regarded the old man. "You dance?"

"Everyone dances. They just don't always do it in public." Shigaraki had been plotting for weeks, trying to come up with a way to invite Kokkuri out dancing without seeming suspicious. He hadn't been able to come up with any good ideas before now, however, so he was not about to let this opportunity pass him by. "What do you say, kitsune?"

The fox pursed his lips. He wasn't overly keen on dancing himself, but he had to admit that it was a more festive suggestion than simply eating mass-produced instant noodles. "You're sure that the atmosphere will be appropriate for Kohina?"

A small smirk curled the tanuki's lips. "As long as we're there in the early evening. I can't say what might happen as the witching hour approaches, though."

"Hmm. Well, all right. I suppose we can go out and celebrate this evening."

Already most of the way to the door, Kohina stopped and turned around. "Do I still get my cup noodles?"

Shigaraki set his hand on her head reassuringly. "I'm sure he didn't mean that you wouldn't be getting your celebratory cup noodles, little lady," he said with a smile. "It's them we're celebrating, after all."

The girl sighed with relief and turned toward the door again. "Well, let's go, then. If we don't hurry, all the good ones will sell out."

Kokkuri retrieved his jacket with a sigh. "I think you might be overestimating the popularity of this particular 'holiday.' Not many people are quite as fond of cup noodles as you are, Kohina."

"Just because you're biased against cup noodles is no excuse to be lazy, Kokkuri-san," she replied, her quiet voice cutting through the air.

The kitsune choked and clutched at his chest. "L-lazy? How could you say such a horrible thing, Kohina? You know how much work I do around the house…." His voice was little more than a whimper as he regarded the girl with a pained expression.

"Well, quit dawdling, then, and let's go get our cup noodles."

Sighing heavily, Kokkuri gave in. "Fine, let's just get this over with," he said quietly, still seeming wounded by Kohina's earlier words.

The three animal spirits escorted the little girl to the grocery store, where she took a considerable amount of time debating the relative merits of each variety of cup noodle over the next. She also had Kokkuri and Inugami choose flavors for themselves, with the logic that it would not be a very good cup noodle party if she were the only one eating them. When she turned to Shigaraki, he gave her a lopsided grin and ran his hand through his hair. "I'll give you my bowl, little lady," he said, chuckling. "Cup noodles don't agree with me anymore."

Kohina's eyes grew wide and she snatched another bowl from the shelf. Turning back to the tanuki, she shook her head sadly. "Old age is truly a horrifying thing."

Shigaraki patted her head, his smile widening into a Cheshire Cat grin, "You've got that right, kid."

After paying for the noodles, they left the store and began heading home again. "Say, kitsune," the tanuki said as they walked, "what are you planning to wear this evening?"

Kokkuri frowned. "What's wrong with what I'm already wearing?"

The old man laughed as he looked over the fox's kimono. Then, running his hand through his hair, he replied, "Well, how do I say this…. See, the place we're going is sort of like a disco. I'm not sure how well you'd fit in like this."

The kitsune's frown deepened. "A disco? I suppose I might still have a suit around somewhere." He was quiet for a moment before another thought crossed his mind. "But what will Kohina wear? She can't just go out in her school uniform." A sudden burst of color caught his eye: a vintage clothing shop. The mannequins in the window showed off a variety of brightly colored outfits and accessories. "Shall we take a look?" he asked, nodding toward the door.

"You three knock yourselves out," Shigaraki replied. "I have some things I need to do before this evening. Here's the address for the club," he added, handing Kokkuri a slip of paper. "I'll just meet you there later. Around seven or so?"

Taking the paper, the fox opened his mouth to say something, but no words came out. The tanuki gave him a small smile and then turned to head up the street. For a moment, Kokkuri simply stood there watching the old man's retreating back. When the wait became too much, however, Inugami coughed quietly and headed into the vintage shop with Kohina. Not wanting to leave those two alone, Kokkuri quickly followed.

In the end, Inugami decided to stick with his usual basic black suit. Kokkuri found a white suit that fit almost as though it had been made for him. And then there was Kohina. Despite her subdued personality, she picked out a red bell sleeve dress, oversized gold sunglasses, and string of fake pearls that made her look like she belonged in an American disco in the 70's. After the kitsune took care of their purchases, they headed back to the house. To his surprise, Kokkuri found that Shigaraki was nowhere to be found.

"What's your problem?" Inugami asked as the fox paced the floor. "He said he'd meet us there."

"I just feel sure he's out there getting into some kind of trouble," Kokkuri replied as he made another circuit of the house. "Gambling or something else equally seedy."

"You still don't trust him, do you?" the dog spirit asked, looking at the fox with disbelief plain on his face. Shigaraki had confessed his feelings for Kokkuri to Inugami a while ago, and although he couldn't really care less about the happiness of the two older spirits, he found he was waiting anxiously for them to finally get together. If nothing else, their being distracted by each other would leave him with more time free to be with his darling Kohina.

"It's not that I don't trust him, exactly…." Inugami gave him a look that said he was calling his bluff. "Okay, so maybe it is…. I've just… I've known him for a really long time, and he's just always been…"

The younger spirit raised his eyebrows. "He's been what?"

"A freeloader, lazy, slovenly…. Generally, a bad influence."

"And what's your basis for this belief?"

Kokkuri sighed. "I involuntarily shared an apartment with him once, and he always left the cooking and cleaning to me, without even asking. He sometimes left for long periods of time, and just expected me to take care of everything while he was away…." He looked up when Inugami started laughing. "What?"

"It sounds like you two were an old married couple."

A blush stained the kitsune's cheeks. "W-what? Why do you say that?"

"Well, think about it," the dog spirit replied, crossing his arms over his chest. "You two lived together, for one. You stayed at home, doing all the cooking and cleaning, and generally kept track of the household, and he wandered off, presumably to do something manly." He paused and then fluttered his eyelashes dramatically. "But he always came back to you. Face it, fox. You were basically his wife."

The color on Kokkuri's cheeks turned blotchy as his embarrassment gave way to anger. "I-I was no such thing!" he spluttered. "Now, j-just get ready so we can head over to this place." As Inugami walked away chuckling quietly to himself, Kokkuri released an exasperated sigh. "Is that how Shigaraki saw me, too?" he wondered with a frown. Before all the frowning could give him wrinkles, he took a deep breath and began to get himself ready to go out. He chose a black shirt for a bit of contrast with his white three-piece suit, and took some time to brush his hair smooth. Eventually, he opted to open the first few buttons of his shirt and expose a bit more skin. "It's a disco, after all," he figured.

Once everyone was ready, they headed back downtown. The sun had already set, and the evening was cool. In the twilight, the colors of the traffic lights gave everything a festive glow. Before long, they arrived at the entrance of the club Shigaraki had suggested, and already music poured through the door. The inside of the club was nearly as dark as the city street, but much more colorful. LEDs of every imaginable hue covered nearly every surface, and the dance floor was made of glowing squares that changed color with the rhythm of the music. Near the DJ booth, multicolored spotlights and strobes passed over the dancers.

Not sure where to find the tanuki, Kokkuri directed everyone to one of the tables scattered around the edge of the dance floor and took a seat. It had been ages since he had last been dancing, but already he could feel the beat pulsing in his veins. Looking around, the kitsune suddenly noticed that Inugami had disappeared. "Where did he go?" he asked Kohina. The girl, who had been gazing at all the lights with wide eyes, blinked and turned to the fox.

"Was I supposed to watch him?"

Kokkuri sighed. "Well, I suppose he can take care of himself when he wanders off. Have you seen any sign of Shigaraki?"

She looked blankly back at him and blinked. "A doll should not be asked to keep track of people."

"That's true," Inugami replied before the kitsune could argue that Kohina was not a doll. The dog spirit had just reappeared, carrying drinks for the three of them. "For you, my darling," he said, handing the girl a fizzing strawberry soda. "And for you," he added, handing another glass to Kokkuri, "since the old tanuki is not here to buy you drinks yet."

"Tch," the fox sneered. "As if he could afford drinks anyway, the bum." He peered at the pink concoction in the martini glass Inugami had given him. "What is this?"

Taking a sip of his own drink, he chose his words carefully. "It's called a Cosmopolitan," he replied at length. "I chose a drink with a sophisticated name for you. Besides, it's basically juice."

Kokkuri gave the beverage another dubious glance before taking a sip. Pursing his lips thoughtfully, he nodded. "That's not bad." Taking another sip, he smiled slightly. "Not bad at all. And it's just juice, you said?"

"Um. More or less."

The kitsune took another drink from his glass and looked back toward the bar. As his gaze swept over the crowd, his eyes met those of a tall, well-built man in a coffee-colored blazer with a black shirt. The man smiled broadly at him, and he did a double-take. It was Shigaraki. Kokkuri took yet another drink from his glass in order to mask his surprise, and the tanuki crossed the floor to their table.

"Well, I was going to get you something to drink, but I can see I'm too late," the old man said with a smile. "What are you drinking these days?"

"Um…." The fox paused, trying to remember what Inugami had called it. His head was starting to feel pleasantly fuzzy, and his thoughts were muddled. "I think Inugami said it was a… a c-… cos-…. Er…."

"A cosmo?" Shigaraki supplied helpfully.

"Yeah, something like that."

"Huh."

"What?"

"Oh, nothing in particular," the tanuki replied with a shrug. "I guess it's just not something I thought you'd drink. Then again, I didn't really figure you as the drinking type."

"Well, Inugami told me it was basically just juice."

Shigaraki raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Did he now?" When Kokkuri nodded, the old man decided he'd have to keep an eye on him for the rest of the evening. If he didn't have much experience drinking and was under the impression that he was just having juice, he was in for a rude awakening in the morning. Shaking his head at the situation, he turned to everyone else as an especially lively song played over the sound system. "Well, we're here to dance, aren't we? What are we doing standing around this table?"

"Dancing sounds like fun," Kokkuri replied cheerily. Draining the remaining contents of his glass, he grabbed the tanuki by the arm and dragged him out onto the floor. "It's been ages since we've been out to a place like this," he said, beginning to move with the music.

"Mmm, yeah, it has," the older spirit agreed, trying not to be distracted by the sway of the kitsune's hips or the way the light from the dance floor caught his hair just so….

Suddenly, the fox stopped dancing and grabbed Shigaraki by the lapels. Running his thumbs over the soft suede of the jacket, he looked up at the taller spirit, whose lips had parted slightly in surprise. For a moment, Kokkuri looked like he might tip his chin up to catch those lips with his own, but his attention soon shifted back to the jacket in his hands. "How long have you had this?" he asked, breaking the heavy silence between them.

It took the tanuki a moment to gather his scattered thoughts enough to form a coherent reply. "Huh? Oh, the outfit? A while, I think. This is the first time I've worn it, though. I've never had the occasion to before." He ran a hand through his hair and gave the kitsune a lopsided grin. Just as he was opening his mouth to say something else, he found himself being swept around the floor by the smaller spirit whose hands still gripped his lapels. Not wanting to ruin the moment, but wanting more control over the situation, Shigaraki pulled Kokkuri's hands from his jacket and held them in his own as they moved together in time to the music.

By the time they returned to their table, the kitsune's empty glass had been replaced by a full one. He picked it up and took a sip as he scanned the dance floor for Inugami and Kohina.

Shigaraki frowned as he watched Kokkuri burn through his second cocktail. "You may want to slow down on those drinks," he said, loudly enough to be heard over the music, but not so loud as to draw attention from other patrons. "They may not taste like it, but the alcohol in there will really sneak up on you if you're not used to it."

The fox waved his hand dismissively. "I'm fine, just a little fuzzy. Besides, you drink all the time."

"I'm a tanuki," he replied. "It's in my nature, just like the dark circles under my eyes and the two-toned hair."

"You know, I've always wondered," Kokkuri said, his voice dropping conspiratorially as he sidled up next to the older spirit, "are there other tanuki… characteristics that are also in your nature?" He looked Shigaraki up and down, any traces of his usual shyness swept away by the alcohol he had consumed.

The old man choked on the sake he had been drinking from his own bottle. Chancing a glance in Kokkuri's direction, he felt his mouth fall open in surprise. The rim of the mostly-empty cocktail glass was resting against his slightly parted, cranberry-stained lips, his golden eyes were mildly unfocused, and his pale cheeks were flushed with drink. In short, he looked delectable. The tanuki's first instinct was to forget about the others, throw the kitsune over his shoulder, and find somewhere more comfortable, like a bedroom, or a cave, or a reasonably private alley. Shoving those thoughts to the side, he forced himself to remember where he was and who he was with. Taking a deep breath, he placed his hand over the top of the glass and pulled it out of Kokkuri's grasp. "Kitsune," he said quietly, struggling to keep the desire out of his voice, "I think you've had enough to drink. Let's get you some water and then head home."

Kokkuri pouted. "I feel like you used to be more fun." He tried to reach around the taller spirit to retrieve his glass. "At least let me finish that. I'm thirsty."

"Kitsune," he said again, a bit more forcefully. "Your happiness is very important to me. You're not in your right mind right now, and I know we will both regret it tomorrow if I let you make poor decisions tonight. It's taking absolutely all of my self-control to say this right now, so please don't tempt me." After stretching to set the glass back on the table, he wrapped his arm around Kokkuri's shoulders to shepherd him toward the bar. "If you're thirsty, drink some water."

Waving the bartender over, Shigaraki acquired two glasses of water. Drinking one himself, he made sure that the kitsune had enough to satisfy his thirst. It might not be enough to stave off the headache he would inevitably have in the morning, but it was a start. After he was satisfied, he walked Kokkuri back to the dance floor to find Inugami and Kohina.

"Come on, you two. It's starting to get a bit late, and we still have to walk home."

The girl tilted her head to one side, looking inquisitively at the fox. "What's wrong with Kokkuri-san?" She turned to Shigaraki. "Did you do something to him?"

"What? No! He's just… feeling a bit under the weather."

"He wouldn't let me have the rest of my drink," the kitsune added sulkily from under the tanuki's arm, his eyelids drooping and his words slightly slurred. "Said I had to have water 'nstead."

Inugami snickered. "You'll probably thank him for it in the morning. I didn't realize you were such a lightweight."

The quartet began heading home, enjoying the cool air after the warmth of the active club. Even being guided by Shigaraki's arm, Kokkuri wove back and forth down the street. When the fox stumbled, the tanuki resolved the issue by sweeping him into his arms and carrying him the rest of the way home, ignoring his protests. Inugami took a few photos for posterity… or blackmail… or both, and by the time they reached the Ichimatsu household, the kitsune had quieted, his head nestled comfortably against the old man's shoulder.

After making sure that Kohina got to bed without being disturbed by the dog spirit, Shigaraki carried the Kokkuri to his own room. He set the kitsune back on his feet, being careful not to let him lose his balance. As he turned to leave, slender hands grabbed his lapels again. "Don't you want to stay?" the fox asked, leaning closer as he tried to slide the jacket off of Shigaraki's broad shoulders.

"I can't," the tanuki replied, his voice rough with barely contained emotion.

"Sure you can, it's easy. Just don't leave." Giving up on the jacket, Kokkuri reached up to wrap his arms around the old man's neck, running his fingers through his feathery hair.

Shigaraki rested his hands on Kokkuri's forearms. "Please stop," he said quietly, closing his eyes in an effort to maintain his composure.

Using his arms for leverage, the fox moved forward until his body was flush against the tanuki's tilting his chin up slightly, he let his warm breath dance over the other's lips. "I thought this was what you wanted."

"K-kitsune, please…." Shigaraki was fighting a losing battle. He didn't want to hurt Kokkuri, and didn't want to do anything either of them would regret, but he was running out of ideas about how to get out of this situation. The fox was so warm, and it felt so right to have him pressed close like this….

Kokkuri tightened his grip on the tanuki's hair, using it to pull his head downward. Just as their lips were about to touch, there was a puff of golden smoke, and the kitsune found himself nose to nose with a raccoon dog. He blinked a few times, as though unsure what had happened. "Shigaraki, you…." He paused, looking at the animal he held in his hands, so different from the tanuki's normal plush-like animal form. Suddenly, a smile split his face. "You're so fluffy!"

Sitting down cross-legged on his futon, he pulled the raccoon dog into a hug and buried his face in his long fur. When sleep claimed the kitsune a short time later, Shigaraki returned to his human form. Kokkuri had been using him as a pillow, and now curled snugly against his chest instead. Not wanting to disturb him, the tanuki covered them both with a blanket before falling asleep himself. That night, he slept more soundly than he had in a long time.

A/N, supplemental: Uff da! This chapter ended up being longer than I expected. Some things feel a little off to me, but it's been so long since I last posted that I just want to get this up here to prove that I'm still alive. XD

Anyway, I hope that you enjoyed it. Thanks again for your continued support!