Heads or Tails

kingfishers' game

Chapter 9: RED

…

Notes: Thank you, coni2016, for this chapter prompt—"RED". It took a long time for me to think of what to write for this one, but I finally decided on a fairy tale AU featuring Little Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Wolf. Rather than a full-blown wolf, Sougo's more like a wolf spirit/yōkai.

I love this AU and hopefully one day I'll write a longer story about it.

She shouldn't have worn red, the wolf thinks as he watches the little girl through the trees. Her scarlet cloak stands out like a beacon among the greens and browns of the forest. Even if she were wearing black, though, her hair would still make her a target.

She shouldn't have strayed off the path, either.

Her gaze moves in his direction as he slips out of the woods that surround the tiny clearing where she's on her knees picking wildflowers. The little girl looks very small and very innocent sitting among the silver-white lilies, and the wolf can't believe his luck that of all the evil things in these woods, he's the first one to find her. When she sees him, she sits up and blinks, surprised, but there's no fear on her face.

"A boy?" she whispers to herself. "A boy with…" Her eyes flit up to the top of his head. "…doggy ears. And a tail."

"I'm not a dog. I'm a wolf," says the wolf. She doesn't seem scared, so he steps closer and crouches down next to her. "Are you lost, little one?"

A frown passes over her childish features. "You can't call me little one. You're little too."

Brat. His tail twitches, and the girl's eyes follow the movement with tangible fascination. "What are you doing in my woods?" he asks.

"Papi told me not to talk to strangers."

"Then introduce yourself. That way we're not strangers."

She considers him for a moment, staring directly into his eyes in a way that unsettles him. The only sound is the wind singing through the grass (his presence has scared away all the birds), and then her high voice breaks the silence. "…My name is Kagura."

"Nice to meet you, Kagura," the wolf says, and his grin is a little bit too wide.

Kagura uproots another wild lily to add to the pile in her basket, and then looks back up at the wolf-boy, who is reaching down to her for some reason. "Well?"

"Well, what?" He's taken aback by her lack of anxiety. Has she really not yet sensed that she's in danger?

"Well, what's your name? It only counts as introducing ourselves if you do it too."

His hand stills an inch away from the collar of her cloak. It's something only a child would ask, but he supposes he can allow this final indulgence. "…My name is Sougo."

Funny. The name—his own name, his real name—feels unfamiliar on his tongue. He'd almost forgotten it.

"Nice to meet you, Sougo," Kagura says.

Sougo hasn't heard anyone speak his name out loud in a very long time. He doesn't dislike it.

"Can I pet your ears?" Without waiting for a response, Kagura reaches up and strokes one of Sougo's fuzzy wolf ears. It's his own fault for being within arm's length of her, but the contact shocks him and he has to stop himself from jerking out of her reach. Her touch is careful and delicate, like she's coaxing a wild thing. Her hands are warm.

Stupid. You should be afraid, Sougo thinks, but he lets her pet him anyway.

"I'm taking medicine to my Mami," Kagura tells him, scratching behind his ears. Without meaning to, he leans his head into her hand. "I wanted to bring some flowers to her along with her medicine and snacks, but now I can't find the path."

"What snacks?" Sougo asks, watching her face through half-lidded eyes. She pulls her hand away to open the wicker picnic basket, and Sougo tries not to admit to himself that he misses her touch as soon as it's gone. He can tell before she pulls it out that the food in the basket is good—the mingling smells of rolls of fresh bread, a hunk of cheese, apples, and a few rich cuts of bacon make his mouth water. It's not quite as enticing as the meal he'd had planned, but it'll have to do. "Give me the food."

"What? No, it's for me and Mami!"

"I can take you back to the path, but you'll need to pay a toll. These are my woods."

He can tell she's not happy about it, but after a moment of pouting and internal debate, she nods. "Fine."

Sougo opens his hand and closes it in an unmistakeable give it to me gesture, not trusting Kagura to hand over the food once she's back on her way to her mother. She glares at him, but when it's clear there's no way she's getting out of the woods without his help, she relents, stuffing the bottle of medicine and the lilies into the pocket of her coat before handing the basket over to the wolf-boy. "You better enjoy it," she gripes.

"It was this or you," Sougo says, keeping his tone light enough so that if she's really as foolish as she appears to be, she'll think he's joking. He stands up and holds his hand out to her.

Her small fingers lace together with his to pull herself up and once again, he notes how warm her hands are. She's short enough that he has to slow his footsteps so she can keep up with him as they walk through the forest.

"You shouldn't come through these woods again," Sougo tells Kagura. "And if you do, stay on the path. There are yōkai here who eat little girls for breakfast."

"Don't worry, I'll be careful," Kagura tells him, her voice playful enough that he thinks, for some reason, that he's being teased. "When I come see Mami again, I'll bring more food for you. To 'pay tribute'."

For such a vulnerable little human girl, she's not nearly as fearful as she should be. Sougo decides he likes it. "Make it a steak next time. Extra rare."

Notes: God, I love fairy tale AUs. Sougo and Kagura are so good in these roles.