Our Names

BNHArem Collab December 2021~

Theme: Secret Santa for the wonderful WardingWind! Merry Christmas I really hope you like it thank you for the inspiration!

Pairing: Onmyōdō!Shinsou Hitoshi x GN!Reader

Word Count: 1473

A/N: Another BNHArem collab!!! I’d see the reader and Hitoshi being around their mid-late teens (at least that’s what I imagined writing) and Y/N/N means your nickname or whatever sort of half name you’d have there and I. I thought a Studio Ghibli: Spirited Away which I rewatched and cried AU was in order for this one ~ Merry Christmas~⭒

Masterlist

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“You have to remember your name,” he told you, voice strained with urgency. “It’s the only way you’ll ever be able to leave this place.”

~

Now, how many days later, you couldn’t fulfill the one thing you promised him. Yubaba had succeeded in taking your name and adding it to her extensive collection.

“It’s not your fault,” he said firmly and grasped you by the shoulders. Despite not saying a word, he knew exactly what was going through your mind.

Hito, at least that’s what you’ve known him as since you met on this cursed island, his name having been taken long before you arrived. He’s been one of the very few people— err entities you could rely on.

Hito forgot his name and how he even got here years ago, and as for you… you could only assume it had been about—

“Y/N/N, you’ve been here for two weeks, eating the food and working in the bath house. None of this is your fault.” Violet eyes bore into yours, bringing your nerves down. Hearing everyone calling you Y/N/N has made you feel uneasy. But something about the way Hito spoke your name almost convinced you that it would be okay to be called that forever, so long as he keeps calling to you.

“B-But what if I’ll never be able to—”

“Don’t say that!” You could see him mentally scolding himself for raising his voice. There’s something about that very instant that hit you like you had fallen into a coursing river. You’ve never heard him raise his voice like that, much less scold himself for doing something out of line. And you’re just now realizing the significance of the sacrifices he’s made for you since you’ve met.

You love him.

“Please, just breathe with me.” You did as he said, letting your inhalations and exhalations sync up with his. After a couple, your breath hitched as you were hit with a series of quickly flashing images— no, memories.

It only lasted a fraction of a second, and you’re left reeling, like suddenly waking up from a dream. All the frames blended together and the only certainty you’re left with in the abstract blur, is the brilliant shade of indigo. The exact color you saw when you looked up. The same indigo you felt thread through your fingers after indulging the impulse.

Although seeming a little surprised, Hito did nothing to stop you. In fact, he relaxed almost instantly before being hit with his own confusing reel of memories. Or at least you had a hunch based on his change in expression mirroring what you assumed you looked like.

Neither of you could put your finger on it, but you felt like your connection deepened in this instant and could no longer resist the yearning for that closeness to be expressed. He pulled you close, wrapping his arms tightly around your waist, causing your fingers to slide through to the nape of his neck where you hung on like your life depended on it.

What happened next, you wouldn’t have believed if someone had told you. It’s what you can only describe as an out-of-body experience where you could watch the scene of the two of you clinging onto each other frozen in time. Then, like a glitch in reality, you witnessed the same scene but with younger versions of yourselves.

Much like mere moments ago, a blur of images interrupts before resuming the scene like a snagged film reel. You seemed to be around early middle school, judging by the matching uniforms. You’re crying, and he was comforting you; holding you like he is now. The memory fast forwards to you looking up to the sky in awe as paper dolls— shikigami danced around for you in the sky as your tears dried and your whimpers turned to giggles. Shifting your focus to the boy with an unruly head of indigo hair, you saw a slight smile grow on his face as he manipulates the paper dolls just like you’ve seen him do a handful of times in the last two weeks.

How easy it was to cheer you up back then. You seemed to be around early middle school, judging by the matching uniforms— wait…

Matching uniforms? Did you know each other? Was this really a memory? Focus!

The middle school uniforms had name tags, now if only your foggy vision could clear up—

“Hitoshi!”

You remembered him now. The boy many were afraid of, but you saw only the soft glow he always emitted. To you, he was never someone to be feared for his gifts, he was someone special. And he was also someone special to you.

Then why couldn’t you recognize him when you met in this cursed place?

That’s when more memories flooded in: your best friend’s disappearance, riding your bike for hours after school looking for him, the frustration of being the only person who even remembered him to the point where you questioned if he was even real, and eventually also forgetting him.

“Y/N!”

Hearing your name being spoken by his voice is so much sweeter and satisfying than if you had found it yourself. You never thought a name could have possibly held this much meaning and impact. You disregard your earlier thoughts, you don’t ever want Hitoshi to stop calling you by your realname.

“Hitoshi…” You pulled back for only a second before burying your face in his shoulder where your tears quickly dampened his shirt. “I-I’m so sorry— how could I? H-How could I forget—”

“Stop.” He pushed you back gently by your shoulders and surveyed your trembling features. His hands slid up to hold either side of your face as his thumbs swiped at the tear tracks. He repeated himself for the last time, with a tone of finality, “It’s not your fault. Thank you for being my best friend.”

Despite him not blaming you, you weren’t quite sure if you could forgive yourself. Or if you could even call yourself his best friend. One thing you did know for sure is that regardless of the distiant or recent past, he was and would always be someone incredible. And incredibly special to you.

Choosing not to waste anymore time, you pulled yourself closer to him, and absolutely shocked him by crashing your lips into his. The slight doubt in the back of your subconscious didn’t last long as he began to kiss you back. You only separated to come up for air, keeping your foreheads connected.

“Your love broke the curse,” he whispered to you as though he was telling you a secret he didn’t want anyone else to hear.

“My love?” Hitoshi nods, and places one more soft peck on your lips. This definitely wasn’t the right moment to joke but you couldn’t help yourself. “And what about yourlove?”

He chuckled, but gave you a serious answer anyway, “I love you, Y/N.”

“I love you too, Hitoshi.”

“Now let’s get out of here.”

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⭒~ BONUS ~⭒

As you walked hand in hand across the grassy field, a thought occurred to you, “Wait.. so you’re human?”

“I-I think so— sort of?”

“What kind of answer is that?” You chuckled lightly at his weak response. You definitely don’t blame him though, he was trapped in the spirit world for a long time.

You were now in the tunnel that seemed to stretch on way longer than you recall. It wasn’t difficult to resist the urge to look back. As the sunlight shining through the entrance grew bigger, you spoke softly, afraid that an echo might disturb the peace, “What’s the first thing you want to do when we walk through there?”

His pace slowed the both of you down as he pondered his answer— clearly wanting to come up with one before reaching the entrance, albeit to no avail.

“I don’t know.”

You gave him a soft smile, and a hand squeeze before confidently walking out into the light. The bike you rode here weeks ago was now covered in leaves and forest debris— not that it was much of a hassle to clean off.

Grasping your bike by the handles, you began to ask him, “Do you remember how to…” He’d been gone for years, this felt like an unnecessary expectation to burden him with. You threw a leg over the seat and motioned for him to sit behind you, to which he complied. “I’ve decided we’re going to go on our first date now.”

“But I haven’t had enough time to get ready,” he joked, wrapping his arms securely around your torso. You couldn’t help but let out a laugh in response. Your breath held a cathartic release to it. “And my hair is a mess.”