Master (FavoredFox)

[EDDE]

Yusuke Urameshi took a deep, appreciative breath of his scenic surroundings. The beautiful landscape the temple grounds and land surrounding it had to offer was only ever so impacting when he'd climbed one of his favorite trees. This tree was a good deal taller than most of the others. It gave a perfect 360 degree view of so much of the land they'd inherited. And, this being one of his favorites, the higher branches were thicker and stronger than the others. They bowed out and offered a lovely nook to settle in to. Because it was not just his favorite, but that of his lover as well. He couldn't be one hundred percent sure, but he did have the idea that this particular set of characteristics within the high branches of some of the trees that littered the area had at least something to do with Kurama, if not everything. After all, they shared just about every one of their favorite spots, which was quite possibly what made them favorites in the first place.

Chocolate eyes looked down over the landscape again to pull in the calming sight and let it settle in his bones. His attention was drawn over toward the temple, as it usually was during these times of rest. Despite the fact that he had needed a moment to get away for himself, there was simply no chance he could actually pull himself away from the area without his interests falling right back on his home; his family. Up here, still within view of the temple, he was able to get away just enough that the squabbling chatter, bickering fights, and chaos that surrounded the rather full 'house hold' couldn't reach him quite as easily. But it was close enough that he could keep the mindful eye of a protective nature he would never lose on the general area; and he could sense the goings-on as well. Should anything go wrong he would be able to make his way back in moments.

As he looked over the grounds he caught sight of the bright red hair of his husband. Focusing his eyes, he could see the blonde curls of the small girl who used to scream at the fox's very presence from over his shoulder. He couldn't help but smile at the warmth the interaction between the two brought to his core. Lilly wasn't as interested in Yusuke any more, surely, but he was willing to accept that for the bond it was forging between her and the man who claimed to hate children. For someone who supposedly did, Kurama was getting closer with them by the day.

The siblings, Keichi and Lilly, were the two he was growing closest with. Keichi was his apprentice so that didn't really surprise the former detective. Though he still wasn't quite sure how Lilly had managed to grab his attention. If he had to guess he would probably be a bit projective with it. The tiny girl was so adorable it was sometimes painful, at least in Yusuke's eyes. So, if he had to guess, he would suppose it probably had to do with that. It was insanely hard not to fall for something so cute. He knew. He'd fallen so hard for the cute thing in his life that he'd continued to follow it around like a lost puppy and had eventually married 'it'.

A chuckle wracked his chest for another reason though. A niggle of jealousy and possession rolled through him as he watched what little of the two he could see interacting. It amused him because he knew it was silly of course, but moreso because he almost couldn't decide which of the two creatures below he was more jealous of; almost.

A warm sigh huffed past his chest as he nestled down against the tree and formed into the grooved branch comfortably. Closing his eyes allowed him a nice long moment to soak up the warm rays of a beautifully sunny day all over again. His arms lifted and hands slid behind his head for a bit of comfort against the hard bark. If Kurama were here Yusuke would have had a much more comfortable pillow to rest against than his own hands. He'd wanted desperately to ask the man to join him; to take a nap curled up to his sweet fox and lying partially in his lap like he used to do so much more often than lately. Because with all of the children he'd brought in, and both of their apprentices to deal with, it was hard to find time together. Certainly they were able to when they really needed, but it wasn't as often as either of them liked...

He hadn't asked though. Because he had noticed that interaction between the two creatures he'd been watching just a moment ago. He couldn't interrupt Kurama and Lilly's time together. The softest of all soft spots he might have were reserved specifically for those two. It wasn't something he'd decided of course, just something that had happened. But seeing those two together, their interaction warm, thrilled, and abundantly enjoyed; he simply couldn't bare to be the one to pull them apart.

It was okay though. Even though he would have preferred to have his husband sharing in his 'alone' time at the moment it wasn't exactly horrible without him... Sometimes it could be, but just at the moment he could bare it. Another warm sigh rolled from his chest unbarred as the focus in his eyes bled away and he simply stared at the scenery he was graced with all over again. He was, in fact, so relaxed from the delicious wind wafting over him and the warm sun heating him to the core at the moment that it was entirely possible he might find a small nap for himself even without the comfort his husband brought him.

 

[FavoredFox]

She wasn't such a terrible creature. Ever since she stopped her wailing at the mere sight of him, she had become almost pleasant. Almost. He still had a strong dislike of children; she still grabbed at everything with grubby little fingers, she still covered her face in food when ever she ate, she still smelled of dirt and mud from 'play time.' She still pulled his husband from his arms on a nightly basis... No, that wasn't quite right. Once he and Yusuke began checking her bed and closet before bed the nightly interruptions had gone down considerably, but they still happened, and often at the worst possible times. Daily/nightly sex was still a far off memory her sorely missed. Still, it made his mate happy to have the little strays living in the temple, and so long as he didn't try to bring in more, the fox would try to make the best of it.

He'd been wildly surprised when the youngest member of the temple came up to him, greeting him with the usual growl he begrudgingly returned (he still found it to be tedious and a tad embarrassing when done in front of others,) and pleaded him with big blue eyes to teach her about plants. He'd been suspicious at first, but over the past week or so she had worked hard with each and every lesson. They weren't nearly as cruel as Kurama's lessons for her brother Keichi.

She now sat in front of him, her legs and arms crossed, and a stern look of concentration on her face. It matched Yusuke's all too well. "Come now," the fox scolded lightly. "You have performed this task before on several occasions." He was knelt in front of her, his back straight and expression focused. He took these lessons seriously, no matter how menial it seemed to be. Ten leaves and seeds were set in front of the little girl, and she was meant to match each seed to its leaf. Lily didn't look up from her task, but she twitched when Kurama spoke, and her arms uncrossed.

Tiny, grubby fingers reached out and moved one seed, then another, before her memory seemed to kick in and she began moving them around without pause. The fox smiled, just a little. It was nice to have someone else in the temple interested in botany. Heaven knew his own charge had no desire for it.

Emerald eyes were focused on the foliage on the ground, and he kept that focus even when a wave of ice rolled along his spine and set every hair on his body one end in a preen. A powerful, but harmless aura was coming closer. A white haired fox demon causally strolling up the temple stairs. That wasn't such and odd thing. After Genkai's death the temple and its grounds had become a safe haven for demon's traversing the realms. It happened significantly less now, the travelers often put off by the swarm of children, but it wasn't unheard of, so this shouldn't be so frightening. Kurama swallowed thickly as the energy grew closer, and the more it did the more familiar he realized it was.

No... No he had to be mistaken. He had to be! Why would that man be coming here; but he couldn't deny it.

Lily stared up at him in confusion. She had finished a while ago... "'Rama?" She asked. The little girl could probably say his name properly by now, but she insisted on using the shortened version. The fox jumped a little and blinked away the fog in his vision.

"Lily," he said softly, gently, but with a strong sense of urgency. "I need you to go find Keichi, and do not leave his side. Not even for a moment. Understand?"

She opened her mouth to argue as any toddler her age would, but he narrowed his eyes sharply at the girl and her lips instantly pursed. He didn't know if she feared punishment, or actually caught the gravity of the situation on some elementary level, but she got off of the ground and scurried her way inside the temple to find her brother. Kurama watched her run off until she disappeared behind a door, then he let himself shudder. His whole body shook in a quick spasm, but it stopped almost as soon as it started.

The red fox stood and casually brushed off his clothes. There was a warmth that flooded over him. The bit of Yusuke's energy mingled with his own offered a bit of comfort, and it was made stronger by the protective aura Yusuke exuded almost constantly. Kurama looked up in the direction of his mate. He couldn't see the other man, but he knew exactly where he was. He lifted his hand and made a 'come here' motion before his attention fell to the open gate of the temple just in time to see the personification of his nightmares and long repressed fantasies. Kurama found himself walking closer without his consent, and silently pleaded for Yusuke to hurry home.

The fox demon at the gate was taller. Taller even than Youko by at least a few inches. His snow white hair looked as soft as it was and reached down passed his backside. Matching fox ears were tall and perfectly sculpted, and the tail was wide and fluffy and long. It was slowly wagging across his backside as the beautiful redhead came to greet him. Once reaching him, emerald eyes had to lift and his head tilted back to meet the golden gaze staring him down with a kindness that made him want to both retch and tumble into his arms.

Kurama opened his mouth to speak, but nothing left his parted lips. Nothing but a tiny, whimpered, "Sir?"

A bright smile pulled the white fox's lips. "So the stories are true." His voice was warm and collected. The demon stood tall, and with his perfect posture and the traditional kimono decorating his pale skin with dark purples and light blues, he looked as regal as he acted. Kurama flinched when a clawed hand reached out, but he eagerly nuzzled into the large, warm palm that rested on his cheek. "This body... it suits you. So small and delicate, even though you are anything but."

Shuichi swallowed again, his lips quivering as he warred within himself. He wanted to run, he wanted to throw himself at this fox, he wanted to... to... He stayed rooted to the ground.

"I've heard you've taken a new title. Master Kurama." The smirk that pulled his lips made Kurama whimper pitifully.

"My mate and I train the children here," he tried to explain.

"Yes... of course."

The redhead jumped as he was suddenly enveloped in a strong hug. It was so... He was completely surrounded by the fox's arms, and Kurama couldn't stop from returning the embrace tightly. He nearly puked in fear and joy as the other demon purred into his hair.

"I have missed you. Little Kit."

 

[EDDE]

Yusuke was startled from his lazing, almost having drifted off, by something odd but not unfamiliar. Granted, the former 'bad boy' wasn't insanely in tuned with feelings and the like even as they'd grown older and had had so much time to break down that mental barrier of his. To be fair though, more often than not he could read a situation pretty well and understand on at least some basic level the whole tone of things.

When it came to his fox though, he was insanely in tune with him the majority of the time. He couldn't tell if it was the shift on the breeze that brought two scents along with it, one unfamiliar and the other deeply disturbing, or if he got the feeling in his gut just before the smell hit him. But it didn't matter either way.

A foreboding feeling had him sitting up quickly and popping his head back over the side of the branch to look down at the temple.

Golden curls were nowhere in sight. His husband stood alone in the same space he had encompassed in a crouch not even two minutes ago. And chocolate eyes narrowed into a sharp focus as he made out the movement of the foxy human turning his way. The deep frown had creased his lips even before the motion was made that had him skipping down the branches in a moment and shredding his way through the forest within a second of seeing it.

Worry etched across his mind, something else niggling in a space in the back. But he couldn't focus on that something else. Not with the feeling he'd gotten. Not with the scent of an unfamiliar demon in the air... Not with the deeply disturbing smell of fear and adrenaline that was distinctly wild but in no way calming. It was only the slightest shift. It barely rang true. And if not for the fact that he'd noticed Lily had been sent away and he'd been motioned to like that just after, he might not have even believed it was coming from his husband.

It was so slight it almost wasn't there at all. Kurama was incredibly well composed in just about any given situation. Sure he could snap and slip up a little at times. No one was perfect. But that shift, as miniscule as it was, wasn't something he could remember picking up in a long, long time.

The scent of the other fox was overwhelming in comparison. Hell, after the initial happening he couldn't even catch it under the new one. And as he got closer to the temple it became even stronger. Not that he placed it as belonging to anything other than some random demon, the decay that tinged the air in the Makai nearly as prevalent as the creature.

It was entirely possible it was only so strong to him because he was suddenly so alert in the light of things. But at the very least, even as he slowed upon reaching the temple wall he could tell he didn't even have time to check on the children before he needed to make his way to the entrance. That man was already here, but even though he knew as much, he was still shocked into a full pause when he rounded the large building to see the large man encompassing his lover in an overbearing hug.

That shock only lasted a moment. A flare of possessiveness and protective nature sharpened big brown eyes and focused their pupils nearly to slit points. He didn't notice as much himself, but the deep chocolate color in them even bloodied a bit as well forming a new, but not, color. It was entirely possible he was too far away from the other two men, and they were too distracted, to notice the change at all. Because it didn't last very long as the former king took in the scene further and realized his husband was curled against him willingly, with his own arms wrapped around his form.

The sight threw him off for several reasons, though mostly it was the surprise of it after what he'd felt on the way over. It brought down his guard slightly; allowed his focus to return to normal. But it didn't pull away the slight color change that resulted from that sense of possessiveness.

After half a moment's pause Yusuke closed his eyes and took in a needed, calming breath before stepping forward again. The smile for the serene morning he'd held before didn't return though. Instead a well practiced seriousness draped itself over his features and a sure posture righted him as he closed in on the embracing men.

Despite the sure and ready look that covered him and just barely gave the notion of the threateningly protective beast below the surface, the tone in his voice betrayed it fully. It was light, questioning, and somewhat unsure of itself as the former detective decided to speak up upon stopping mere feet from the other two. "Shuichi...?"

The tone might betray the look, but that didn't make Yusuke's 'papa bear' nature any less pronounced than it was. Even if he weren't ready to strike right in the moment, the need to protect his loved ones would have ensured that he would, and that it would be swift and devastating. The only part of him that was unsure was the part that was looking to his husband for some kind of sign of what was needed of him. Because the confusion caused by the clashing of senses and scene was enough to have him ready for either scenario.

He didn't recognize the fact that he'd uttered the human name in calling for his partner either, as it had been nowhere near a conscious decision. Just one that came due to some unknown, overwhelming desire.

He also didn't notice that despite sounding as though he were looking to the redhead for guidance, he hadn't removed his gaze from the large fox that had found his way into their territory either.

 

[FavoredFox]

It was so warm, so perfect, so... disgusting. Kurama buried himself into the kitsune's chest and took in long, unsteady breaths of the scent that had become foreign, and yet was still so familiar. Memories of joy and kindness and love were bastardized with hurt and agony and abandonment, and the redhead whimpered softly, fingers clutching at silky clothes while a clawed had gently pet atop his head. The weight was heavy and cumbersome. Yusuke's sweet strokes to crimson locks were far better, but he still held a nostalgic need for the back and forth movement on the top of his skull, scratching where his ear would have been lifetimes ago.

Kurama sucked in a sharp, muffled gasp when he heard his human name. The shorter fox was gradual in his movements, portraying his usual calm. He even managed a light, happy smile when he pulled out of the embrace to look at his husband. Anxiety retreated to the back of his mind as Yusuke's soothing aura caressed him inside and out.

"Yusuke," he started while the much taller fox turned a curious golden eye on the former king. It was difficult to read. Kurama continued, motioning his lover to come closer. "This is-" He cut himself off short, a slight panic rolled over his mind. He'd only ever known two titles for this man: Master, and Sir.

The silver kitsune chuckled softly. "Vagabond," he offered with no small amount of amusement. "I have since changed it. My given name has become nearly impossible to translate, especially in this world."

The excuse was as good as any, and Kurama was relieved, even if he didn't show it. "Vagabond," he repeated with a slight nod. It was disgustingly suiting for the nomadic fox. "He cared for me as a child. It has been some time since our last meeting." He glanced at his old care giver, forcing back a shiver as he remembered. Tossed out into the snow, the words 'you've gotten too old. Too used,' the pathetic life he lived before finding sanctuary in the Brothel...

Vagabond spoke again with a delightful tone filled with smooth amusement. "Shuichi?"

"Kurama, please," the redhead replied with only a little curtness.

"Yes, that does feel more natural."

Shuichi cleared his throat before continuing. "Vagabond, I would like you to meet Yusuke; my husband, and my mate." He couldn't help but reach out to take his lover's hand and tug him just a little closer, taking great pride in his chosen partner.

The tall demon gazed down at the young temple master with scrutiny. How young this demon half breed was. A slow smile crept along his lips, pointed canines just barely visible. "I am aware of who he is," he pointed out. "And I suppose... A former king could come close to deserving you, my sweet kit," he cooed, once more placing his hand on red locks to pat him like a good little puppy. "Such a protective mate you've taken, Kurama. He looks about ready to rip out my heart. Good," he praised once more.

Golden eyes pierced pleasantly into chocolate brown. "So far, he has my approval." Despite his proud stature, Vagabond easily fell into a respectful bow. "I feel it a great pleasure to meet you, Master Yusuke. And I hope you don't find me rude," he stood straight again. "But if this temple is still a halfway house between worlds, I would like to request a room for the evening."

 

[EDDE]

Yusuke watched the tall creature's hand as it pet over his husband's head. Despite the lit fire inside him that fed off that closeness, he couldn't help but wonder if the action looked so weird when he was the one doing that to his fox. The wonder didn't calm his gaze into that thoughtful, bubbly look that it usually might. In fact, nothing did. Not even as his redhead said his name in a way that could have soothed the churning feeling inside him under just about any other circumstance. After all, just hearing it fall from his lips tended to cheer him up immensely.

What he didn't realize was that it might have to do with the hard to read tone and temper it was said in; not that he recognized it at the moment. His attention lie elsewhere. Heavily. He did shift sharp garnet eyes to land on his mate when he made the larger movement in beckoning him closer; only for them to land back on the unfamiliar beast as he followed the lead of it and settled beside him. Even despite the incredibly stunting height different between them, that cold gaze remained focused pointedly without so much as a tip from his chin.

No matter how jovial or gentle the guy looked at the moment, every alarm bell Yusuke had had been alerted not just on his way over, but some had even rung out through just the few words that had been pointed at him up until that point. That look though, was almost purely in his eyes. The lack of tension in every bit of him below the neck was so fluid he'd even found the chance at some point before calling for his lover's attention to loosely pocket his hands.

The absolute reverse came though, when his husband's human name left the new fox's mouth curiously. As his hands balled into tight fists his shoulders rose slightly as his posture straightened itself into perfection. But the tension in his neck loosened, his chin lifting to push his face to the proper level to have those golden eyes centered in his sights, and pressed lips and slightly furrowed brow both relaxing into a lazed, monotonous expression that would have been utterly unreadable if those fiery eyes weren't still exuding the slightly darkening expression.

Kurama corrected the intruder, and the former king's head cocked to the side slightly in his lover's direction.

When he felt a slim, soft hand touch his wrist in search of his own it was freed and their fingers were tangled instantly. He stepped closer purely out of habit. But it was as that smile crept across that guy's face. And though the need to move closer was habit, the fact that the step placed him beside yet slightly in front of his human husband was purely instinctual. It placed him visibly, yet just barely between the two. He would probably be glad for this later as it gave him just enough security to stop him from slapping the guy's hand away as it extended toward his husband again.

It stopped him from doing any worse to that reaching hand too.

He wasn't entirely sure why he was half expecting this weird dude to side step him, sweep Kurama off his feet, and up and abscond with his husband; but he sure as Hell wasn't going to let a feeling like that go too easily. Of course, by this point it was obvious that he'd made this perfectly clear, as even the man himself had mentioned it in a round about way. The recognition served as a very weak balm on the burning wreck inside him.

What utterly threw him off however, was what the man did next.

Confusion and surprise boiled away a great deal of the heat inside him and marred his face as the man lowered himself humbly. Because despite the cordial attitude he'd presented so far the former detective had been incredibly convinced of the opposite nature he thought he was sensing from this guy. Something about him was just so wrong.

So that confusion, as well as the reminder that this temple served as a sanctuary for passing and wayward demons alike, even had him taking a small step back. It wasn't necessarily in retreat, as it moved him closer to his husband purposefully. And maybe the guy could tell as much by the very skeptical look he landed on him for a nice long moment. Up to now Yusuke had been perfectly silent as he'd gone through his assessment of this creature. It wasn't a trait that befell him often by any means, but it was one that definitely did when he was thinking. Truly thinking; as in taking stock of and forming an honest, thought out opinion of a situation.

Thing was, it wasn't like they could just up and deny the guy. Cold-hearted Yusuke was not. Despite the look he'd had to offer that might have given off that impression in droves. And the knowledge that he was going to have to give in to the guy as long as Kurama didn't protest--which didn't seem at all likely at the moment-- put a quick shake in his head and had him turning sharply on his heel.

The turn was taken in a couple of steps, distancing he and his mate from the weirdo just a little more. The grip he took on his husband coiled strong fingers in a sturdy grasp just below his shoulders. It also landed them in a position where both of their faces were about as fully in view as they could be as Yusuke lowered his chin and turned puppy brown eyes up from under thick lashes on those green gems that were barely half an inch above his own.

As quickly as the disturbingly dark look had entered blood-colored eyes it had been utterly sapped away as they turned on the object of his affection through the quick move. As if he could ever land that look on Kurama. What replaced it was a look that was easily familiar to probably any and everyone who'd ever even interacted with the former king; a childish, bubbly, puff of a pout.

"Hey!" He piped up, just shy of under his breath, which for Yusuke was plenty louder than it was for just about anyone else. Which, again, was perfectly fine considering he wasn't trying to hide what he had to say but make an impression with how it was said. "I get jealous enough as it is when you get all cuddly with Ma, Shuichi. I ain't about ready to share you with your old man all of a sudden too." He was serious of course, but only as serious as he could ever get when making such a comparison involving the woman--or anything involving her at all, really.

The human name, this time, was purely on purpose. Knowing he had introduced it to the newcomer, and that it was there for his fault it was used had only sharpened his reaction to hearing it. But since it had been corrected, it was his again. And he felt the need to use the Hell out of it now.

He moved closer, that pout still on his face as he brought it in all the way until their noses touched. And despite wanting to keep it on all the way through, there was no chance of hiding sparkling chocolate eyes and a happy puppy smile as he nuzzled their noses together in an affectionate, well trained manner as those tense hands loosened and slid their way down and around the small of his back and pulled him closer while doing it.

He did stop short of leaning in for a kiss despite that being the next step in their usual routine of this affection. But only because he pulled his face away again and turned it away from both his fox and the other one in order to land that huffy pout of his elsewhere (a little less moody as it came about this time), and muttered grumpily, "Well, maybe a little."

This of course was his way of telling the redhead he wouldn't say 'no' if he wanted him to stay. After all they'd only had the conversation he had played out the beginning of a million and a half times before. Kurama would remind him he wouldn't be so jealous if he had more time with him. And that he'd have more time with him if he hadn't gone off and brought home a bunch of rug rats that demanded attention every twenty minutes. And yada yada, et cetera, et cetera...

In better words that now tended to lead to playful banter and maybe a little make-out session here or there even though it had led to actual fights to begin with. And seeing how that was how it tended to go, they barely ever got that far anymore before Yusuke gave in willingly in knowing he couldn't win. So in other words, he was leaving it up to Kurama.

"Master Kurama--" Only because Yusuke had pulled away and ended their closeness did Keichi pipe up. But he was cut off abruptly.

"Yeeeeeew," Lily exclaimed in a sing-song fashion as she covered her brother's large purple eyes quickly. Her own big blues tuned up on Karasori, seeking approval. After all, this wasn't something she'd come up with on her own. Granted, she was meant to do it over kissing or even kissy faces. But she had the general idea down at least.

Keichi had a hold of Karasori's wrist in one hand, having tugged her out quickly with him once he'd gotten a better understanding of why on Earth Lily would ever willingly leave a lesson with his Master. Though to be fair he had sensed a churning of several confusing and deeply disturbing emotions in the air shortly after he'd noticed Cooryn sneaking by the door frame on her way to the front of the temple. As he had been quick to call his bunny friend by her proper name before grabbing and tugging her along, he had also seen fit to scoop up his little sister in a brotherly fit of protection.

Thus both of his hands were occupied. And instead of finishing what he was about to say (as it probably would have been out of line in the first place considering he'd been about to open his large, opinionated mouth about the stranger asking for boarding), instead his focus fell on the fact that he'd now lost his sight in the most annoying of ways. This hindered the deeply felt need to protect the people closest to him at the moment. So a short, scoffing grunt was let out instead.

It wasn't just the three in the now open door jam who'd come to spectate either. While she wasn't standing in full view like the others, Cooryn was there as well. And, sadly, those big crimson eyes of hers that always seemed to catch a sheen off surrounding light weren't the worst hidden part of her as they peeked out from the crawl space under the porch. A long, thin imps tail was perked straight up with curiosity and swishing back and forth sharply above the floor of said porch. With her latest tendency to phase through just about everything without thought, the distracting appendage had no trouble finding its way out of the cramped space she'd sunk herself into.

The other children that resided in the temple either didn't know what was happening, or weren't interested. Because they were not snooping about in any way, shape, or form.