krystalkatzficz | The friends of the Kitsune 2 (Reply)

Ohno sat and stared in awe and bewilderment at the two men that were in front of him trying to get over the confusion and shock that was running around inside of him. He didn’t know why it was so much harder to believe that Aiba was one of the Yōsei people or that his cat was suddenly a humanoid sulky over protective creature that rested against his husband and glared out with eyes that were as red as rubies, than it was to accept that Nino was a kitsune. He guessed that it was because Aiba had been in his other life and merging the two felt alien and strange.

“Ohno-sama…Would you like tea or coffee?” Nino asked, his voice close to his ear and cutting through his thoughts like a warmed knife through butter. He blinked and looking up into the understanding smiling face of his Kitsune.

“Um…Coffee…Please…” Ohno murmured feeling some surprise at that, Nino’s magic was powerful as long as they had the items in the house he could make it appear cooked to perfection without even touching an oven but it wasn’t like he could just pop down to the shop so they had what could be found in the forest and coffee wasn’t one of those things. An explanation came quickly when Aiba pulled a bag of coffee beans from his coat and handed them to the Kitsune saying cheerfully;

“I’ll have coffee…”

“Nettle tea…” The Bakeneko mumbled his arm circling around Aiba pulling him down onto his lap his head resting on his shoulder. “I knew that you would go with the kitsune…”

“Ex-Excuse me?”

“When I saw you in the camp I knew that you were lonely…And when you said that you had seen Ninomiya…I knew that you would agree to go away with him…You seemed the type…”

“I’m not suicidal” Ohno mumbled his cheeks quickly staining with a blush when the pair opened their mouths wide in surprise and confusion. Aiba’s hair changed from green to blue and then back again his cheeks shining with glitter while Nino appeared at his side holding a cup of coffee “I mean…I…Mean…Um…”

“I do not think that Sakurai meant it that way…” The kitsune said gently putting his cup down next to the plate of food that was going cold. Nino’s mouth twitched a little with a smirk and then hummed shrugging his shoulders as his arms wrapped around him tightly their cheeks pressing together “Though I’m still not convinced…You did give up everything pretty easily for me…”

"There wasn't that much to give up you're the best and most interesting thing that's ever happened to me" Ohno admitted honestly not realising how direct he was being until the Kitsune's pale skin was a deep red and Aiba was giving him a pleased beaming smile

"Aww no wonder you like him Nino-chan!" Aiba giggled his skin flashing a few times and his hair going an even more violent shade of green. It seemed that Nino was too embarrassed to answer but he gave a soft lick on his cheek before moving away and sitting down on the table his tails wrapping around him like a thick fur piece. The shy pleased smile on his lips was enough for Ohno to forget his embarrassment at sounding so cheesy and he sipped his coffee sighing with happiness that the taste was just right.

"Um...so...um what are you...um..." He asked looking across at Aiba hoping that that didn't sound as rude as he though it did. He had every right to be curious Yōsei just meant western spirits after all he could have been one of a million things and he didn't want to play a guessing game.

"I'm a fairy..." Aiba answered cheerfully and Ohno almost choked on his coffee. "Well a quarter Elf from my grandmother’s side..."

"You're a fairy...like Tinkerbell?" He said gulping the coffee down so quickly that it was almost painful and Nino looked up sharply his eyebrows drawing together and Ohno was almost positive that he was a about to growl as he spat out;

"Who?"

"It’s just a cartoon fairy...” Aiba said soothingly waving his hand at his friend and Ohno was glad that he wasn’t the only one that had picked up on the jealousy in the Kitsune’s voice “Sort of like that..."

"But you're so...big I always thought fairies would be..."

"Haha, you're interesting Oh-chan, you're not worried cause I'm a fairy but because I'm tall?" Aiba grinned giving a wink and Ohno gave a gasp as the man started shrinking before his very eyes. It didn't take long before he was about the same height as a hand stood on Sakurai's knee the sparkles on his body shining so brightly that he looked like a ball of light. There was a soft sound of bells for a moment until Nino clicked his tongue and rolled his eyes saying;

"He can't hear you! He's human!"

The bells got louder for a moment and then, like a flower growing in stop motion, the Yōsei grew again. It was an amazing thing to witness and Ohno was determined to watch it all just like when Nino shifted from human to fox. Soon the full sized Yōsei was sitting on his husband’s lap playing around with one of his ears and beaming proudly.

“There we can go really small if we want to...It’s how we’ve survived so long with humans around…If we’re seen we get mistaken for fireflies…Cool ne?” The Yōsei explained and Ohno nodded in agreement having to admit that he thought that it was very cool.

“Um why do you work at the camp?” He asked and Aiba bounced up and down in his husbands lap, not noticing that the Bakeneko winced with pain a few times, as he explained proudly;

“It was Sho-chan’s idea! He’s so smart, more and more people are coming into the forest camping and things and the risk gets bigger that they will stumble onto our camps and things accidentally…”

“But…I thought you were…Out of time…” Ohno frowned remembering what Nino had explained to him on his first day here when he had showed him around his home and gardens. The place was like a vision of paradise a small holding in the middle of the forest completely with a garden of vibrant flowers and a crystal clear stream. It was completely unspoiled by the modern world and Ohno had well and truly believed that he had died in the forest the first day he had met Nino but his Kitsune had pinched him with a laugh and asked if he'd felt it. He had reassuring him that he was both alive and awake.

“Only a kitsune has that ability! They have to..." Aiba mused thoughtfully Sakurai's ear moving through his fingers and Ohno watched as the bakeneko blinked a few times looking like he was struggling with something before giving in a letting out a loud purr that both shocked and amused Ohno. Neither Nino or Aiba seemed affected by it and Ohno was determined not to upset the bakeneko. As a cat he had seemed formidable but in the human cat form he was terrifying and his ignored the purrs and focused instead on what Aiba was saying to him "They stake a claim on the forest that they are in and the pow! They are bound to the forests they live in!”

“That…Is not the whole truth, Ohno-sama but some of it is correct…” Nino told him softly from the table where he had been listening quietly playing with his tails.

"You really don't explain anything do you Nino-chan!"

"I prefer to listen, Ohno-sama has a nice voice..." Nino shrugged grinning at him in a way that had him blushing and looking away quickly thinking about his promise of 'later' "I enjoy listening to him..."

"Aww so cute!" Aiba giggled causing Ohno to clear his throat and look away from the Kitsune worried that they would be able to read his thoughts.

"You were explaining why you worked in the camp..."

"Ah...well it's so we can divert people away from the areas that hold our kind! It works out better this way!" Aiba finished happily with a shrug and Ohno hummed nodding a few time wondering how many mythical creatures there were in the forest.

"Are there any more Kitsune in the forest...?" He asked wondering if Nino had family living close by. He quickly got the feeling that he had asked the wrong question when all three men fell in to a strange crackling silence before Nino took a breath and shook his head slowly;

"No, there haven't been for many years, Ohno-sama I am the last..."

TBC
A/N: I hope that this is okay ^_^