Chapter Text
A Touhou Story
By Architect-Of-Light and another author. They wished to remain anonymous. Sorry! ><.
Enjoy! :D
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It was a Snowy day in Gensokyo. For some reason, the fairies were messing with the temperature and all the residents were either in their homes or in the Shrine, such as Reimu Hakurei. But standing outside, having just arrived, was Marisa Kirisame. She shook her hair of the snow that covered it moments ago and banged on the Shrine's door with her cold fist.
“Oi! Reimu! Open up! It's cold!” Marisa shivered as she spoke, “I told ya I was coming to visit today! Why you shut ze door!?”
Marisa tried to bang on the door again but found her fingers were starting to become like ice.
“Brr!” She shivered.
Behind the door, Marisa heard the sounds of shuffling, like Reimu was very slowly bringing herself to move.
After a few more seconds spent waiting in the cold, the door finally opened, swinging open at an oddly leisurely rate.
Behind it was Reimu, who looked as though she had barely moved for the entire day. She had a blanket over her shoulders and her hair was out of order, and she was just barely keeping her eyes open.
“Oh. Marisa.” Reimu stated.
Marisa locked her eyes onto Reimu and then to her hair, “Errr...Have you slept?
Marisa went silent for a moment.
And then,
“Errr... It's, like, over Sunrise… You should be awake.”
Marisa put her ice-cold hand on Reimu's forehead. “You ain't got no temperature, right?”
Reimu's forehead was warm but didn't imply any sickness. At the very least, it was a welcome change from the stark cold of the outside.
Slowly, Reimu shook her head, shifting the blanket and pulling it tighter over herself, like she was tucking into bed while standing up.
“I'm not sick, or anything. On a cold day like this, it's best to stay warm inside.”
Marisa frowned a little. “You could'a told me! I would'a come and stayed with ya!”
Marisa wrapped her arms around Reimu, her hat falling off of her head and... If Reimu didn't steady herself, Marisa was going to knock them both over.
“Reimu! It’s so colddddd!!”
Judging by Marisa's temperature - Marisa Kirisame was almost as cold as Cirno... And that was putting it lightly.
Awkwardly stumbling back, Reimu uneasily held her hands in front of her, unsure of whether or not to embrace her back.
“Y-Yeah...I can feel that...!” Her teeth chattering, she pulled Marisa back into the shrine and closed the door behind her, the sound of the wind immediately fading.
She looked down at the small pile of snow forming under Marisa's feet and winced, but shook her head and decided to ignore it.
Marisa was shivering quite badly. She was putting on a "brave face" and unwrapped Reimu before looking at her in her eyes.
“It-It-I wish those Youkai would stop making it so damn cold!”
With a quiet sigh, Reimu nodded and patted Marisa down, shaking off the last bits of snow from her outfit, “It feels like there’s always something going on with the weather, normally that only means trouble, but don’t worry about that too much right now.”
Marisa's eyes lit up for a brief moment before going back to slightly dim.
“Youkai... I'll... I'll....” Marisa made a fist but then fell to her knees in front of Reimu, finally succumbing to the cold in her legs.
“Sometimes... I wonder... Why I wear dresses…” Marisa sighs wearily as she grabbed her hat from behind her and looked up at Reimu. “Reimu... Have you got any hot drinks left? Or are you broke still?”
“T-Tch…” Gritting her teeth, Reimu grumbled something as she lifted the blanket off of herself, dropping it over Marisa's shoulders. She shifted it to cover her neck before turning around and beginning to walk off. “Not many donations still, especially in weather like this. But I'll make some tea. Have a seat and warm up. It shouldn't take too long.” Reimu stated.
Marisa nodded gently and slowly got into a seating position in front of Reimu's kotatsu that... Amazingly, had held up well over the years.
“Thanks, Reimu. I don't know WHAT I would do if you hadn't come to the door…” Marisa shivered one last time before settling down and allowing herself to warm up slowly. The colour in her cheeks went from a pale pastel white to a more healthy rosy colour.
Reimu shook her head, “Seriously...if I hadn't woken up…” Grumbling, Reimu reached up to tie her hair back before stepping into the kitchen and disappearing from view.
Everything within the shrine seemed pleasantly warm, and in a matter of moments, Marisa regained feeling in her fingers. From within the kitchen, the high-pitched whistle of a kettle began to sound out, and just a second later, Reimu's quiet humming followed it.
Marisa sighed happily as she settled into the Shrine's peaceful and warm atmosphere.
“Oh! I got something for ya, Reimu!” Marisa reached into her lower dress/skirt pocket and pulled out a few coins.
“These aren't in the best condition, I know... But I wanted to give them to you.”
Marisa dropped them onto the top of the kotatsu where the wooden part was, and the sound of coins was suspiciously like how it sounds when it falls into the donation box...
Immediately recognising the sound, Reimu raced back out to the living room, carrying a tea tray with surprising balance.
Marisa watched with her eyes wide open. “Best be careful with that tray…Her eyes narrowing, Reimu stared down at the coins, and although she tried to fight it, joy crept into her expression.
She set the tray down gingerly on the kotatsu, taking a seat just across from Marisa and taking hold of her cup with one hand.
The other went to the coins, sweeping them up into her lap while she cleared her throat and attempted to appear nonchalant.
“Ahem. Thank you.”
Marisa smiled at Reimu.
“I got that after working at Rinnosuke's for a few weekends... He wanted me to help him around the shop. I said I wasn't free slave labour, so he offered me that. It should be able to get you... Maybe a few new things?” Marisa tilted her head. “He said it was about... 1,000 yen? So, I just said thanks and brought them here. I hope you like them.”
Reimu nodded her head slowly. “It's the first donation I've had in a while, so...no complaints, here.” Once she was done hungrily lapping up the money, Reimu looked back up at Marisa and cleared her throat, still trying to keep her cool. “I mean. As I said, there's no way any of the villagers would come here with weather like this. And the youkai never donate, obviously...so it's just you and any of the brave humans.”
Marisa chuckled lightly. “Me? Brave? Some would call me stupid just for flying here in the cold... I mean, I don't wear much. And I was freezing my... Well, you know, off until you arrived.”
Marisa slowly put her hands around the other cup that was on the tea tray - Before starting to sip from it.
“This is tasty…”
Marisa looked back to Reimu as she sipped once again.
“Ya know... I outta do more jobs for Rinnosuke. I might be able to get you some good donation stuff that way... Or, bring you a new toy to play with?”
Unknown to the ordinary witch, she started to sway in place. Marisa didn't realise it, but she had sat down on the snow pile. The snow had seeped into her clothes and started to make her extremely cold. Without saying much she continued to sip the tea. She was warm on the upper level... But somehow, her face was saying a different story. TL:DR? She was going pale.
Raising an eyebrow, Reimu sipped at her tea and watched Marisa's odd movements for a moment before setting her cup down.
“Eh. I don't need anything like that. Just a donation is fine.”
“And...if you want to bring some sake over, I wouldn't mind that, either.”
Marisa smiled slightly, “Oh yeah? I'd do that. Definitely.”
Before long, Marisa's face was white and she slowly put her cup down, tilting her head at Reimu.
“What's wrong Reimu? You look like you've seen a ghost?”
Reimu gave Marisa a once over, “Eh...yeah. Maybe I have?”
Her eyebrow-raising even higher, Reimu leaned forward across the kotatsu, placing the back of her hand against Marisa's forehead.
Marisa blinked. “Eh?”
When she felt her temperature, her expression dropped, and she quickly leaned back and started rummaging about under the kotatsu.
Marisa leaned back and smiled.
“What's wrong? Lost somethin'?”
“Don't tell me you don't feel it?” Came Reimu’s reply.
“Feel what? I feel fine?” Marisa stated.
“You're cold. Really cold. We need to warm you up. Now.” Reimu said in a determined tone.
Marisa held her mouth open, “Wha?”
Reimu nodded from under the kotatsu. “Yeah. Your face is all white, and you're freezing to the touch. I must not have gotten all the snow off you when you came in…”
Reimu pulled her hand back from under the kotatsu, and in her grasp was another, smaller blanket.
“Stand up. I'll wipe you down more...and maybe you can get a small fire going with your mini-hakkero. It's not safe for you to stay like that.”
Marisa didn't seem to speak. She had her mouth open and her eyes were looking at Reimu... When she did speak...
“ ... Crap... “
And with that, Marisa fell backwards and smacked her head against the Shrine's floor.
Her eyes widened, Reimu leapt up from under the kotatsu and scrambled over to where Marisa fell.
Moving quickly, she scooped her up from the floor and stood up, and her expression fell again when she felt her sock touch a puddle.
With a grimace, she began awkwardly hobbling toward the bedroom, shaking her head and muttering things under her breath to stay calm.
Reimu heard Marisa whispering lowly. “Midnight work isn't all it's cracked up to be…”
Marisa's eyes opened slightly as she winced at the pain at the back of her skull.
A little while later……
“Reimu... Are you... Wait, where… Where am I?” Marisa asked herself.
Shifting about, Marisa saw that she was laying on a futon, with the blanket draped well over her shoulders. Her dress was hanging from the door to the room, and water seemed to be dripping from it onto the floor.
Suddenly, Reimu entered her vision, a concerned expression on her face and a hot cup of tea in hand. “Are you alright? You passed out suddenly. I was trying to tell you you were getting colder…”
Marisa leaned back and sighed.
“I must've been working too hard…” She then added in a mutter, “... again”
Marisa looked to Reimu.
“I'll be okay... I just... I guess I'm not used to these bitter temperatures…” She let out a low giggle.
Despite herself, Reimu let out a quiet chuckle as she set the tea down beside Marisa, taking a seat next to her futon.
“...I'm just glad you're alright. I got worried, seeing you fall over like that. Do you need anything to eat? I have some snacks in the pantry that I can get ready.”
Marisa smiled, setting aside her current thoughts.
“Ya know... That sounds good. But... One more thing?”
Marisa gently put her hand on Reimu's wrist.
“You're my best friend Reimu. Don't let anyone tell you any different.”
Marisa slowly got up into a seating position, gently picking up the tea and sipping it.
Reimu chuckled slightly, “...Heh. As if I needed a reminder.”
She nodded and stayed where she was for a moment before slowly standing.
“I'll go grab something. Stay right here. And shout if you need anything.”
As if she couldn't bring herself to leave, Reimu remained glued to the spot for a while longer before she finally stepped out, shooting Marisa another glance on the way.
Marisa smiled at Reimu before looking at her dress again. Shaking her head.
“I'd be dead in the snow if Reimu wasn't around... I need to thank her somehow…”
After a moment of waiting, Reimu stepped back into the room, awkwardly pushing the door open with her foot.
In her hands was another tray, with crackers and oranges and a small bowl of soup atop it.
She set it down beside Marisa and took a seat, grabbing one of the crackers and moving it about between her fingers.
“...Eat up. I'll probably be using that donation money to buy more food soon, anyway.”
Marisa nodded.
“Okay. Oh, and I need to tell you something. Lean closer.”
Marisa kept her grin to herself - Somehow making it seem like she just genuinely wanted to tell Reimu something.
Marisa waved in a "come closer to me" motion to Reimu. And when she did, because hey, Shrine Maiden's sometimes are curious - Comes with the job - Marisa very quickly kissed Reimu on the cheek before going for a cracker.
“Thank you... I mean it.” She whispered at Reimu.
Marisa slowly nibbled on a cracker, trying to hide her blush.
Her face flashing red, Reimu pulled back and put her own cracker to her mouth, taking invisibly small bites.
“ ...Th-Thanks. I, uh...A-Ahem. Thanks. It's...no problem, really.”
Her lips curled upward into a grin, and even as she moved the cracker to try to hide it the truth was obvious.
Marisa gulped down the cracker she had and then took in a deep unsteady breath.
Marisa mumbled to herself, “Now or never Mari....” She looks to Reimu, her blush obvious. “Reimu... I, errr... How do I put this…”
After a few minutes of fumbling about with words that didn't sound anything like any language, Reimu had ever heard of…
Marisa gulped. “I... I love you. I hope you don't hate me, and... if you don't like me that way we can always stay best buds.” Marisa then lowered her head.
“W-Well...a-ahem!” Reimu stated, unsure of how to react to this confession from her long-time best friend. Reimu lightly slapped her cheeks and took a deep breath, collecting herself as best as she could.
She looked back down at Marisa, though, and that composure faded away remarkably quickly.
“....I love you too, I think. I'm not really good with this kind of thing...but it gets kinda lonely when you don't visit. And when you leave, I really start looking forward to the next time you come by…”
Marisa giggled lightly, “... Eheh... I suppose I am like a lodger who doesn't pay rent…”
“But... Errr... I love watching you and seeing you sip tea is almost... Well... And seeing you protect the Shrine, day after day, with all the intentions to protect and make sure we all are safe... I... I want to help you, as much as I can really. Which is kinda why I-”
Marisa looks up at Reimu.
“I love you too much to stay away for long…” Marisa then stopped in her words and then a few moments later, “ Wait... Have you got the time, Reimu?”
Reimu tilted her head to the left slightly, “On a day like this, time is all I have.”
“No youkai to fight, no incidents to solve...and the weather's too bad to do much of anything else...Did you have something in mind?”
Unsure of what to think, Reimu's imagination began brimming with all sorts of ideas, from the mundane to the fantastic.
Marisa slowly leaned across to Reimu.
“Depends... I mean, I'm supposed to work tonight... But anything before then I could do....”
Marisa slowly put her hand on Reimu's arm before lightly going in for a kiss, gently and sweetly.