A Dragon's Devotion. (Fox and EDDE)

[FavoredFox]

A delighted trill was Hakkai's response. He fluttered in place and happily kicked his feet in the air before following after his master. He settled on the table and looked up at Hakkai, clearly excited for his treat. "Just one is okay. I want to eat the hot pot too." Hakuryuu watched on excitedly as the bundle of sour treats was pulled free, but his attention faltered when his master's expression did. He stopped looking at the treat, and instead focusing on Hakkai's face. He didn't like his frown, but he waited patiently for the man to snap back into reality; and when he did, Hakuryuu instantly shifted the atmosphere right back to giddy.

Hakuryuu chirped a laugh. "Of course! Hakkai has to, he makes the best faces." He paused for a moment to think, then perked up high. He fluttered to Hakkai's side and landed on the floor. Hakuryuu clenched his eyes tight, and with much clearer difficulty, he changed his body once more.

He ended up on the ground on his knees and sitting on his ankles. He looked the same as he had just a minute before, but he seemed slightly winded. Changing into this new form so often so soon after learning how was starting to take its toll. Yet, he looked up at his master with a bright, happy expression. "But this time," he pinched his cheeks to pull them out. "Hakuryuu can make them too."

 

[EDDE]

The happy curve of Hakuryuu's eyes relaxed his shoulders. That laugh was all it took, though, for his desperate smile to soften into something far more genuine. Although, it turned a bit nervous as he realised just what he had pulled himself into with his rather rash decision. These candies were absolutely horrible; the sour part of them, at least. The tartness in them caused a reaction in him so strong that it was almost painful. But that was okay. He was craving this normalcy. He knew that now. And Hakuryuu was providing it for him so valiantly; so selflessly.

Too selflessly.

With a soft gasp and a worried furrow of his brow, Hakkai made to reach out for his little friend and dropped down onto his own knees to face him as he recognised what he was doing a moment too late once he was landing. "Oh, Haku--"

A much softer smile permeated his features as he looked over his winded little friend who was once again no longer so little. It oozed gratitude and held onto that edge of worry. "Please be mindful for yourself as well, Hakuryuu," he mentioned warmly. "You've had such a hard time of it taking care of us already. I don't want to cause you to make yourself sick in caring for me further. I will appreciate everything you are willing to do for me except for something like that."

With the others, there would never be a mention of them helping each other. None of them ever appreciated thanks or mentions or show of weaknesses between them. With Hakuryuu, he was willing to step out from behind that wall whenever his ego would properly allow it. It was only a small show at the moment, but it meant more even now. And he knew his little friend would understand; hoped that he would be willing to continue to indulge him when the time came to care for him when he allowed himself to be properly vulnerable.

Hakkai's attention turned to the window a moment after his little request, noticing it was still open. This time however, he didn't get distracted by it. It only drew that way because he realized that it was still open. "Speaking of becoming ill," he added lightly.

He lifted the Yukata he had abandoned in dropping to the floor with his dragon. "We don't want you to catch cold tonight either. Master Sanzo is bound to be in just as terrible a mood tomorrow as he will be tonight." It was said with a soft huff, though gently endearing.

Allowing the sash to fall away from it and peeking down at the candy he still held diligently between two fingers, he contemplated for a quick moment on what to do. After deciding, he opened his mouth and carefully tucked the end of the worm between his teeth, pulling his tongue far back into his own mouth away from it for good measure and closing his lips around it to secure it. With a flapping rise of his arms the yukata was brought up and around, high over Hakuryuu's head and allowed to flow down gently over top of him.

Hakkai's aim was spot on. the yukata landed perfectly over his head, and he was able to secure it right behind his horns. This made it so large flowing robe didn't cover that pretty face as it settled. In fact, it allowed for the perfect opening across the front of the once again newly transformed dragon. The material landed smoothly over him as a blanketed covering, shielding the entire back of him, and down over his shoulder and the sides of his arms without compromising his reach in front in the least. Being too big on him in the first place, he'd likely be able to even wrap the material around himself comfortably as long as he folded his wings in.

Perfectly pleased with his results, and with his mouth a bit busy holding the treat he would be offering his friend in just a moment, Hakkai took a cue to show it he'd gotten from the dragon on many occasions as his fingers slid down the material until his hands were framing Hakuryuu's face, where he could offer his cheek a gentle pet with his thumb; a small tilt of his head and the cheery expression portrayed through a lightly crescented squeeze of his eyes.

 

[FavoredFox]

Hakuryuu tilted his head a little, crossing his eyes to look up as if it would let him see the fabric falling on his head. When that failed, he turned his attention back on Hakkai and offered a sweet chirp. "Hakuryuu will do his best, but won't push too hard," he promised with a nod. He lightly grasped the edges of the yukata and pulled them in to better cover himself from the chilly air blowing in through the window.

The tip of his tail wiggled as that warm, sweet smile was offered to him, and Hakuryuu happily nuzzled his cheek into his master's palm. However, after a moment of enjoying the pets and affection, Hakuryuu leaned forward with parted lips to capture the half of the sour gummy hanging from Hakkai's mouth. He nipped it in half, their lips slightly brushing before he pulled back. The treat wasn't on his tongue for five seconds before he understood why his master didn't like them.

Hakuryuu's lips pulled together, his cheeks sucked in, and his eyes squinted in a harsh pucker. A high pitched sound left his nose as his body tensed in a full preen, his tail lifting straight up in the air, and his feather fluffing out like an offended bird. His eyes started to water, and he loudly whined as he wiggled his tongue around in his mouth.

 

[EDDE]

Hakkai blinked a bit in surprise as Hakuryuu leaned in to him and took up the gummy hanging from his mouth. It was only surprising for as long as it took him to realise that the dragon likely didn't understand how very forward the sudden action looked and felt given the change in dynamic of their relationship however. That made the slight brush of their lips feel innocent and somewhat sweet. But he didn't have long to linger on that feeling as his friend's reaction to the bitter treat was swift and rather harsh.

Despite the fact that Hakkai would never be purposefully cruel to Hakuryuu, the full body preen of a reaction pulled a large grin frin from him instantly. And just as quickly it pulled a quick chortle that turned into a full on laugh. In fact, the laughter was brought on so quickly and heavily that he almost missed catching the other half of the gummy with one hand at his chin because both of them wanted to land on the gut his laughter was pushing out of so hard from. The other hand landed there instead.

There was no helping it. While not as bad as Hakkai's reactions in the past, as there were no tears shed yet at least even if it had only happened once, it was so exuberant and embodied a perfect taste of some of the worst reactions he had had to the sour taste. And in that moment, where just before he was rather desperate for some for of normalcy, it was absolutely hilarious.

Still, he did try to rectify the cruelty of laugh9ng at his friend so mercilessly. "Oh...Oh no.... I'm sorry..." He gasped through the spurting laughter. Though it seemed he was rather helpless to it at the moment.