Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“How much would a ramen bowl cost me, Mister Owner?” Kurama asked nervously as he surreptitiously eyed the lone staff in the small diner called Kurameshi’s Lair. Based on his surveillance, all the other staff of the new ramen stand would have gone home at this hour. The owner is usually the last to leave as he made sure everything was in order for tomorrow's shift before closing for the night.

“Kurama! Is that really you?” Yusuke’s brown orbs grew wide as saucers when he recognized his last customer. He was about to close for the night and had just turned off the stove that kept the broth piping hot all throughout the day when his friend arrived.

"Has it been that long since you seem to have forgotten what your old friend looked like?" Kurama tried to put up a brave front but he almost crumbled at the disappointment that briefly crossed the former Spirit Detective’s face.

“You’re not an old friend to me,” Yusuke replied curtly as he took a clean bowl from the dish dryer before opening the refrigerator to get the cooked noodles he kept there.

“Yusuke…” Kurama began as he took his favorite spot on the table facing the counter. He briefly loosened his tie because he felt a lump forming at the back of his throat. Seeing Kurama looking like he was about to burst into tears immediately thawed the resentment enveloping his heart, like how the frozen noodles softened in the bowl he was holding after he poured hot broth on it.

"You're ancient remember? Old couldn't even describe how many years you have existed," Yusuke’s voice cracked a little as he backtracked on his cold response.  His unbeating heart almost skipped a beat at the hopeful smile that lit up the older man’s previously grim countenance.

“Did you miss making fun of my age, Yusuke?” A well-shaped eyebrow arched in question and the former Spirit Detective almost tore up at the realization that he missed this face more than he would ever care to admit to anyone.

“Not as much as I missed seeing your handsome mug around,” Yusuke said simply as he placed the still-steaming ramen in front of Kurama.

“I’m sorry, Yusuke,” Kurama said with palpable sincerity and Yusuke felt his chest constrict in response.

“It’s just a joke, Fox Boy. You know I don’t hold grudges,” Yusuke shrugged his shoulders before handing Kurama a clean pair of chopsticks in a sealed paper package.

“I wanted to drop by several times but work has been both hectic and toxic lately and…” Kurama began his explanation as he tore open the packaging while Yusuke looked on impassively, noticing how thin Kurama had become in all those months they hadn't seen each other.

“Oh, I’m sure work is hectic the whole year round, right?” Yusuke couldn’t help but interrupt loudly even as Kurama clasped his hands together in brief prayer before digging into his meal.

“Has it been a year already? My bad, I have been so busy learning the ropes in Kazuyu-chan’s company that I haven’t had time to hang out with anyone,” Kurama smiled sadly as he spoke while chewing on his food. Yusuke's ramen tastes even better than the ramen at Yukimura’s diner. I wonder why Yusuke named his own ramen stand like that. Is that a nod to his previous relationship with Keiko? Is he still not over his ex? He thought absently, careful to keep his mask of indifference in place lest the former Spirit detective see through him.

“I don’t accept hollow apologies, Fox Boy. You need to pay your dues like everybody else,” Yusuke said cockily as he leaned forward the counter towards the eating Kitsune.

“Dues? You mean I need to pay for the ramen?” Kurama teased guilelessly as he continued eating. He never realized he was starving until he tasted his friend’s new ramen recipe.

“Don’t play dumb, Kurama. It doesn’t suit you,” Yusuke rolled his eyes in feigned annoyance before straightening up to continue cleaning his kitchen before closing.

“I’m afraid my brain is not working up to par right now, Yusuke. Could you kindly spell it out for me?” Kurama furrowed his brows in confusion before finishing off his ramen while watching Yusuke's broad back as the former Spirit Detective wiped his countertops clean. He has muscled up quite nicely in all the right places, a welcome improvement from the adolescent Yusuke I met years ago. Adulthood suits him. The kitsune thought wistfully as he took note of the taut muscles that rippled under the thin fabric of Yusuke’s signature white shirt.

“A good ancient friend does not forget to check on their friend just like that, Fox Boy,” Yusuke retorted with a hint of resentment in his tone while he rinsed the rag he used to wipe his countertops clean.

“I know and I’m really sorry. How can I make it up to you, Yusuke?” Kurama said ruefully as he put down his chopsticks and placed both his forearms on the table while waiting for Yusuke to finish what he was doing and face him.  

“Hmmm, now that you mentioned it…can I ask anything from you?” Yusuke hummed thoughtfully, still with his back facing Kurama as he hung the damp rag into a mini clothesline under the counter to air dry it. He didn’t want Kurama how nervous he was and that his hands were trembling in anticipation.

“As long as I can do it, you are well aware of my capabilities and limitations, right?” Kurama said evenly even if his human heart was skipping beats in gladness at being given a chance to make up for his secret love.

"Hmmm, how about a sleepover at my place tonight? I missed having you over for some beer like we used to before you graduated,” Yusuke blurted out excitedly as he slowly turned around and smiled sheepishly at Kurama’s puzzled expression.

“All that drama and you only want that?” Kurama cocked his head to the side while eyeing the younger man suspiciously. His instincts tell him Yusuke is up to something but he couldn’t quite put a finger on it.

“What do you want me to ask from you, Kurama? You know that I’m a simple guy and I don’t want a lot of things. Right now, that’s all I can think of at the top of my head,” Yusuke scratched his nape awkwardly as he thought of ways to convince Kurama to spend some private time with him.

“Would hanging out with me tonight make you happy, Yusuke?” Kurama said simply even if he almost choked on his words due to the emotion that started welling up within him. He’s so precious! How could I ever say no to this man? He thought to himself in a mixture of adoration and self-loathing. He hated himself for hurting his “friend” like that because of his own selfishness.

“Of course, it’s not every day that I get to hang out with an ancient friend,” Yusuke chuckled excitedly and Kurama couldn’t help but smile despite the bitterness he suddenly felt inside at the younger man’s words.

Why does the word “friend” sting more than the word “ancient”?

“Wow, your cooking has improved a lot, Fox Boy!” Yusuke exclaimed after finishing the bowl of fried rice that Kurama whipped up in a hurry after learning that his friend hadn’t had dinner yet because of his arrival. Yusuke prefers to eat at his place to avoid dirtying the kitchen he just cleaned before clocking out.

“When you live alone, you have no choice but to learn certain life skills. Although nothing I do can beat your cooking, Yusuke,” Kurama replied bashfully even as he removed the pink apron he wore before forcing himself into the former spirit detective’s kitchen in the latter’s apartment. It warmed his heart that the apron Yusuke uses was a housewarming gift from him when Yusuke moved into his own place a year after returning from the Demon realm. The former spirit detective wanted a place of his own in preparation for his planned marriage to Keiko and Kurama’s heart ached at the remembrance of such painful memories. He remembered having to put up a jolly façade as he, Kuwabara, and a handful of human friends talked about the most-loved couple's impending union. Although he joined the housewarming party, he felt like dying inside every time talks about the forthcoming marriage were brought up in conversations.   

“Let me whip up something nice for you too, Kurama.  Now, what would go well with beer?” Yusuke wondered aloud as he stood from the couch he was lounging in because he wanted to watch the news while eating. He is monitoring the progress of a case he has been working on behind the scenes. He might have been fired as a Spirit Detective but he can’t say no to Yokai friends who also live in the Human realm like him and Kurama ever since the barrier was removed. His deduction skills have improved a lot although he wishes that Kurama was still with him during the most baffling cases.

“I saw a lot of Nori and flour. Can you make Nori Ten (Seaweed Tempura)?” Kurama asked in the tone he uses whenever he wants to ask for a favor complete with puppy dog eyes while gratefully sinking into Yusuke’s cozy couch. He likes to believe that Yusuke can’t say no to him whenever he utilizes that voice and that gaze.

“Piece of cake! I think I still have some leftover squid here and I can also make Ika Kun while I’m at it. What are you having, Fox Boy?” Yusuke said as he frantically rummaged through his fridge for the needed ingredients.

“I’ll have what you’re having, Yusuke,” Kurama smiled indulgently as he reached for a can of beer placed inside a plastic bag on top of the coffee table in front of the couch and the TV. They picked up a few cans of beer on their way to Yusuke’s apartment and since it’s a Friday, Kurama has no qualms about staying up late because he knows that he doesn’t have to work the morning after and he has waited for this opportunity for a year. He wants to make sure that everything is set up to favor him when THAT moment arrives.

“Can I have you too, Kurama?” Yusuke suddenly blurted out as he stood there, holding the bowl of frozen squid rings in one hand and the bags of flour and nori in the other. He was lost in his thoughts while staring at how comfortable Kurama looked while he lounged on the couch he helped pick for Yusuke's apartment. He just realized that he said the words aloud at the look of shock that suddenly appeared on the redhead's usually stoic face.

“I beg your pardon?” Kurama narrowed his eyes and Yusuke swallowed nervously at that intense look that can flay his insides whenever he is the recipient of such a look. The kitsune unconsciously does that glare when he thinks that someone is taking him for a ride and he detests being lied to.

“I mean, can I have you back as a friend, Kurama?” Yusuke stammered nervously as he turned his back on the redhead under the pretext of working on their otsumami on his kitchen counter.

“You never lost me, Yusuke,” Kurama said with a smile before opening his can with a strong curl of his finger.

“It really felt like I did,” Yusuke said in a sad voice while washing the squid after preparing the batter. The loneliness in his tone tugged painfully at Kurama’s heartstrings that he stopped midway from taking a swig from his beer can.

“Yusuke…” Kurama began but couldn't find the right words to say to assuage his friend. He knew he hurt Yusuke by deliberately staying away from the former Spirit detective but he wanted to believe that their sacrifice would not be in vain before the night was over.

“Let me cook everything first while you take a shower like you used to, Fox Boy. You still have clothes here, remember?” Yusuke turned around with a small smile and indicated the door leading to the bedroom with his wet thumb.

“You remembered that I hate staying in my uniform for too long after school hours,” Kurama marveled loudly, touched that the younger man remembered despite not seeing each other for a long time

“Old habits die hard and even yokai’s are not exempted from that rule, Fox Boy,” Yusuke smiled to himself as he started coating both the seaweed sheets and squid rings in the batter he prepared with extra pepper since he knew that Kurama always preferred his snacks spicy.

"It's disgusting to lounge around wearing the city's pollution on you like a second skin," Kurama explained haughtily as he entered the bedroom and opened Yusuke’s closet like it was his own. He immediately located his clothes folded neatly in an inconspicuous corner of the closet and his heart warmed at how they were arranged like they were waiting for him to come back too.

“I know, right? Hurry up as I will take mine after you,” Yusuke shouted over the hissing noise of the squid rings and nori deep frying in hot oil.

“You never listen whenever I tell you that it’s bad to take a shower after being exposed to heat for too long,” Kurama reappeared in the doorway holding a pair of silk olive green pajamas, boxers, and a light pink terry towel he brought when they first had a planned sleepover in Yusuke’s place with Kuwabara and Kaito to help Yusuke with minor renovations.   

“I’m half-demon. My body can take more than a normal human body can,” Yusuke scoffed as he turned off the stove while taking out the crispy seaweed and squid rings from the hot oil using a metal strainer especially made for that purpose.

“Always so stubborn,” Kurama murmured in a mixture of amusement and frustration before finally entering the bathroom with his towel and sleepwear slung on his shoulder. It warms his heart that his things still smell fresh even after lying unused inside the closet for more than a year. He didn’t notice the grim look on Yusuke’s face as the latter watched him behind his back.

It all ends tonight, Kurama. It will be a make-or-break for both of us this time around.

"I missed this, ya know?" Yusuke drawled as he sidled closer to Kurama on the couch while they both nursed their beer on their pajamas. He is now wearing a silk crimson pajama pair. This was a gift from Shiori, Kurama’s mom who bought the four of them silk pajamas in their signature colors. Kuwabara got the blue one while Hiei got a black pair that he loved but never used. The red was originally Kurama’s but Shiori mixed up the sizes so Yusuke and Kurama had to switch theirs.

“What’s this?” Kurama asked nervously as Yusuke's proximity was already wreaking havoc on his hormones. It didn't help that the former Spirit Detective smelled of roses and lavender from the shower gel they both used.

“This,” Yusuke shrugged as he pointed at Kurama before pointing at himself using the opened can of beer. “You…me…hanging out,”

“We’ve changed, Yusuke,” Kurama said sadly as he looked at the screen with a blank look on his face. Yusuke chose an adventure-themed movie that failed to capture their attention as much as each other’s mere presence.

“I didn’t. You changed…a lot,” Yusuke sighed sadly as he boldly laid his head on Kurama’s shoulder like he always did.

“I had to,” Was Kurama’s cryptic reply but he didn't make any move to pull away from the contact that Yusuke initiated, and that somewhat reassured the former Spirit Detective.

“Why did you leave without a word then? Did I do something to offend you while I was drunk with guilt and misery that night?” Yusuke couldn’t hide the resentment he felt for what his beloved friend did exactly a year ago and he felt rather than saw the deep sigh that Kurama let out.

"I just remembered that I had a report to finish and…" Kuyrama began in a nervous tone but was easily cut off by a single angry word from Yusuke.

“Liar,” Yusuke almost growled before removing his head from Kurama’s shoulder.

“What do you want me to do? It’s not as if I can change Keiko’s mind that time,” Kurama said in an indifferent tone even if all he wanted to do was grab Yusuke by the shoulders and shake him till he regained his senses.

“It wasn’t her who needed to reconsider,” Yusuke drew up his knees and hugged his leg as he muttered regretfully.

“What do you…” Kurama suddenly jerked away from the other man as if he was burned before looking at Yusuke incredulously but the former Spirit Detective couldn’t bring himself to meet the other man’s intense gaze.

“I broke up with her, not the other way around,” Yusuke declared in a somber tone even as he buried his face on his knees at the guilt and shame that crawled to the surface of his consciousness.

“But everyone thought…” Kurama began but couldn’t find the words to continue. He had thought that Yusuke was broken for being dumped. He didn’t realize that Yusuke was miserable for letting a good woman down after everything she went through for him.

“Of course! How dare a delinquent like Yusuke Urameshi break up with the perfect girlfriend like Keiko Yukimura? It's better for everyone, especially for Keiko's pride that they thought that it was her call,” Yusuke rambled on bitterly without lifting his head from his knees.

“Why? She has been there for you for years?” Kurama asked in a tone that dripped with disbelief despite his heart’s doing somersaults because of happiness and hopefulness when Yusuke lifted his head to fix him with a pointed glare.

“To follow your logic, why didn’t you choose to stay with Yomi and be the second father to Shura? It’s obvious he still likes you,” Yusuke rolled his eyes in annoyance after spitting out the words furiously. He still can’t get over the jealousy he felt when he saw Yomi holding Kurama up after the latter’s match against Shigure.

“I never loved him. Even when I was Youko Kurama, he was at most just a convenient body for me when we were in the same group,” Kurama turned up his nose in distaste and Yusuke inwardly smiled at the knowledge.

“You never grew to love him? Even after decades or maybe even centuries of being together?” Yusuke buried his face to his knees anew to hide his smile. He is confident that Kurama will eventually get his line of reasoning.

“We didn’t start out like that and then…wait. That was sneaky of you, detective,” Kurama narrowed his eyes in annoyance as he forcefully pushed Yusuke’s shoulders.

"You get my drift, don't you? You have always understood how my mind works, Kurama,” Yusuke finally lifted his head and put down his legs so he could face the other man squarely.

“But you loved her! You fought demons for her,” Kurama intimated fiercely, clutching at straws and the last shred of his sanity as their current situation gradually dawned on him.

“I fought demons for myself and for survival, Kurama. I fought for everyone I valued, not just her,” Yusuke replied in an affronted tone, slightly hurt that his friend would think that he did all that because of his love for Keiko. I might have loved her then but my world does not revolve around her. I didn’t even miss her in my three years at the Demon Realm. He thought inwardly.

“But I thought…” Kurama faltered anew, uncharacteristically at a loss for words. The kitsune’s uncertainty sparked hope in the mazoku’s chest as he prodded further to understand how they now stand with each other.

“Was this why you left without a word after that night, Kurama? Was this the reason why you have been avoiding me for one whole fucking year?” Yusuke knew that Kurama hated being shouted at but he couldn't reign in his emotions any longer, he had waited for too long for the opportunity to clear things up with his secret love.

“Yusuke, let me explain…”

"No! Hear me out first, Fox Boy. What kind of friend leaves a friend at a time when that friend needs comfort and clarity the most, huh? I have always admired you for knowing how best to handle me and my outbursts. I needed you to ground me that time, Kurama because I was really a mess after the breakup. But you were gone when I woke up the next morning,” Yusuke’s voice gradually lowered down to a whimper as realization dawned on him. Could it be that he didn't want to see me in that condition? Could it be that he only wanted to stay by my side when I was all gregarious and driven to win fights? The thought hit Yusuke like a combination of Sensui and Taguro’s punch to the gut.

“Maybe I am not that kind of friend, Yusuke,” Kurama said sadly when Yusuke slowly stood to go to the window. What do I do? What do I say? What is he thinking right now? Kurama tried to rack his brains for a solution but Yusuke’s feelings have always been the ultimate puzzle for him.

“Maybe you aren’t. Maybe I thought wrong about you all these years, Fox Boy,” Yusuke said in a pensive tone as he opened the glass door that led to the balcony and inhaled the chilly night air to calm his frayed nerves and clear his mind.

“What do you mean?” Kurama stood and slowly walked towards the former Spirit Detective whose back was still turned on him as Yusuke surveyed the night cityscape beyond his apartment balcony.

“Why did you stand by me all those years? What were you hoping to gain from me, Kitsune? Is there some grand plan that I need to know about?” Yusuke enunciated each word slowly, betrayal gripping his chest in a treacherous embrace as he contemplated if falling 23 stories down would kill him instantly but he quickly banished the thought.

“I can’t quite understand, Detective,” Kurama addressed his friend in the title he used when they first met. He has this ominous feeling that if he didn’t handle this conversation right, he would lose Yusuke forever.

“Did Koenma ask you to keep an eye on me? And finish me the moment I become uncontrollable because of the demon blood in me?” Yusuke slowly turned around, his eyes lit with anger and pain that it physically hurt Kurama to see his beloved in that state of mind and body.

“In case you failed to notice, my loyalty has always been with you, Detective,” Kurama jutted his chin out defiantly. He has never backed down from the mazoku’s anger before and he is not going to start doing that now when everything hangs by a precarious balance.

“That’s what I thought. But then you avoided me for a whole damn year and I don’t know what to think anymore,” Yusuke’s blazing anger simmered down a notch but Kurama didn’t miss the former tightly clenching his fists to his sides.

“Yusuke…” Kurama gingerly approached the younger man, wary of any sudden movements or any attempts to attack him. Yusuke never attempted to hurt me but it’s hard to tell with how he looks and feels at the moment. The aura he emits is a huge glob of convoluted emotions. Kurama thought guardedly.

"That night, I was so emotionally exhausted I fell asleep curled up on the couch beside you while we watched a B-rated action film for background noise. I felt you lift me up, carry me to bed, and cover me with a blanket. I might have dozed off at that time but I was aware of everything that was happening," Yusuke stated in a calm tone but Kurama didn’t miss the massive tension in the younger man’s body like he was a snake about to strike.

“You…knew about…” Kurama placed a hand against his chest, horrified at what Yusuke’s words implied.

"I felt something soft against my forehead so you must have kissed me while thinking I was asleep, and then I heard you apologize. Were you apologizing because you knew you would be betraying me by staying away from me for a year?” Yusuke stared straight into the other man’s eyes; fiery brown locked into a showdown with cool green.

“No,” Kurama drew himself up to his full height as he steadily approached the younger man. Yusuke might have grown taller these past few years but Kurama is still taller than him by nearly a foot and the kitsune wanted to make sure that the mazoku is at arm’s length in case the latter decides to do something really stupid like jumping off the balcony.

“Then what were you apologizing for? For kissing me while I was asleep?” Yusuke chuckled bitterly as he tried to blink back tears. If he wasn’t emotionally exhausted at that time, he would have grabbed the kitsune and kissed him properly. He was hoping to clear the air between them when he woke up but was disappointed and frustrated when he never saw Kurama again after that as the older man avoided him like the plague since that night.

“I was apologizing for being a bad friend, Yusuke,” Kurama said calmly as he gently drew Yusuke into his arms to subtly pull his friend away from the open balcony.

“Oh, so you had plans of falling off my radar at that time huh? Guess you couldn’t handle a broken Yusuke on top of your job and…” Yusuke allowed himself to be led back into the safety of the room and felt the relief in Kurama’s chest when the latter was finally able to lock the glass door leading to the open balcony.

"I can handle you in any state you are in, Yusuke. What I can't handle is the self-loathing I felt at that time," Kurama pulled back from the half-embrace so he could look at Yusuke directly.

“Why? Did you do something wrong by me or by our friends?” Yusuke narrowed his eyes in confusion and Kurama wanted to kiss him then and there for being such a good friend despite the situation at hand.

“Yes,” Kurama sighed in defeat as he let go of Yusuke by letting his hands fall limply to his sides.

“What did you do, Kurama?” Yusuke’s voice took on the tone he used when he suspects that Kurama is going back to his old thieving ways. He is worried that the kitsune might not get pardoned by Koenma as easily as he and Hiei were let off the hook last time.

"It's not what I did. That's how I felt at that time. I may have chosen to stay as Suichi Minamino but there are parts of my Youko personality that are hard to take out of me and I felt so bad for feeling that way in your time of crisis," Kurama smiled sadly but there is a dangerous glint in his green eyes that Yusuke couldn’t quite fathom.

“How did you feel?” Yusuke furrowed his brows in confusion.

“It doesn’t matter now,” Kurama tried to turn away but Yusuke’s hand on his bicep stopped him from doing just that.

“It matters to me, damn it!” Yusuke’s grip on Kurama’s arm just above the elbow was so tight that it would have hurt a more fragile individual.

“Why are you so angry, Yusuke? I didn’t do anything bad to you,” Kurama tried to clear his head as Yusuke's proximity triggered all his senses to go on overdrive.

“I wish you did! I wish you had ended me on the spot that night because I can’t stand the misery and guilt that is eating me up right now,” Yusuke grabbed Kurama by the shoulders in exasperation and started to emit a powerful aura that was both threatening and exciting the kitsune.

“You know I could never do that, Yusuke,” Kurama tried to break free but Yusuke's fiery eyes seemed to have a death grip on him and he couldn't move.

“You can revert back to your demon form to put me out of my suffering. The Youko Kurama never cared for me the way Suichi Minamino does,” Yusuke stated bitterly and his despair seemed to reach out to Kurama and lock him in a chokehold.

“I am still Youko Kurama. Our consciousness is the same, he would never dare lay a finger on you unless I said so,” Kurama said patiently as he grabbed Yusuke's shoulders while the latter's hands were still on his biceps.

“Then finish me now, Kurama. Put me out of my misery,” Yusuke begged as he slid his hands towards Kurama’s wrists.

“Are you drunk, Yusuke? What’s going on with you?” Kurama gently shook Yusuke by the shoulders to attempt to wake him up from the trance he seemed to have fallen into.

“I can’t bear losing you again, Kurama. I know that after this night, you will distance yourself more from me and I have no one to blame but myself. But I need to do this tonight. If you hadn’t come to the stand earlier, I would have gone to your house tonight,” Yusuke admitted in frustration as his grip on Kurama’s wrists tightened.

“What do you need to do that would push me away from you, Yusuke?” Kurama narrowed his eyes suspiciously. What is Yusuke planning on doing? He thought with much trepidation and anxiety.

“This,” Yusuke quipped before pinning Kurama against the wall and muffling the surprised gasp of the kitsune with his mouth. Time seemed to stop for the two men and if Yusuke’s heart was still beating, Kurama would have felt it like a hammer against his chest as they stood pressed against each other, their mouths locked in a stagnant kiss. It was Yusuke who pulled away first when Kurama went still as a statue at the gesture.   

“I’m sorry,” Yusuke apologized as he slowly let go of Kurama’s wrists which are now slightly bruised because of how tight he had been holding them.

“You should be. This is how you do it properly, Yusuke,” Kurama said breathlessly before pulling Yusuke closer by the collar of his pajamas so he could devour that potty mouth he adored so much. His human heart beat so frantically and Yusuke could feel it thumping against his chest with how close they were pressed against each other’s bodies.

Yusuke’s hands seem to have gotten a life of its own as they slid across the kitsune’s broad back, deftly skimming across firm muscles that spoke of a gentle hidden strength he has witnessed several times in and out of the fighting arena. Kurama’s taste on his lips was so addicting and Yusuke craved more. He has never been kissed like he is being devoured but it didn't feel unpleasant at all. This experience easily trumps all his awkward makeout sessions with his childhood friend he thought he loved. They were both out of breath when Kurama abruptly pulled away leaving a string of saliva precariously connecting their swollen lips.

“We should stop this, Yusuke,” Kurama murmured huskily as he pulled Yusuke’s head to his chest, panting as they tried to catch their breaths.

“Why?” Yusuke deftly slid his hands around Kurama’s narrow waist while he snuggled closer to the other man.

“I might not be able to control myself. Damn, I have wanted this for years!” Kurama said edgily as he kissed the top of Yusuke’s head.

“I think this is the first time I heard you curse, Kurama,” Yusuke lifted his head from Kurama’s chest as he gazed lovingly at the man he didn’t realize he would learn to love in a manner surpassing comradely standards.

“You don’t want to know the things I want to do to you right now, Yusuke. If you knew, you would run away even if this is your place,” Kurama murmured huskily as he tilted Yusuke’s face up using his forefinger while his thumb ran across the mazoku’s slightly swollen lower lip.

“Why would I run away when I have fantasized about this moment ever since that night you kissed my forehead?” Yusuke admitted shyly and the faint tint of blush in the younger man’s cheekbones endeared him to Kurama even more.

“I had to leave you alone, Yusuke. I don’t want to get my hopes up that we stood a chance after you and Keiko broke up but my heart won’t listen,” Kurama raised his hand so he could smooth back the bangs falling on Yusuke's forehead, silently glad that the younger man finally ditched the disgusting hair gel he liked so much back in his adolescent years.

“You should listen to your heart sometimes, Kurama. It seems way smarter than your brain,” Yusuke raised his hand but stopped in mid-air. Will Kurama allow me to touch his hair? He thought with trepidation.

“I listen to my instincts, they never betray me," Kurama caught Yusuke's raised hand and placed it against his cheek, reveling in the warmth the calloused skin emanated.

“Did you listen to your instincts a year ago?” Yusuke marveled at how smooth Kurama’s skin felt under his fingertips as he traced the kitsune’s prominent cheekbones with his thumb.

“No, I listened to my brain because my instincts and my heart are ganging up against me. I didn’t want to take advantage of your misery and guilt at that time,” Kurama cradled Yusuke’s face with his hands, amazed at how Yusuke grew even more attractive with age.

"Nice call there, Fox Boy. If you had confessed to me that night, we would have been celebrating our anniversary on the same day I broke up with Keiko. That won't be nice no matter how you look at it," Yusuke lazily allowed his fingers to play with the strands of crimson framing the older man’s delicate features. 

“But why would you…wait, do you mean to say that…” Kurama’s realization hit him harder than Jinda’s whirlwind and he almost staggered backward if Yusuke didn’t catch him by the waist.

“I broke up with her because I realized that it was you whom I really loved and I didn’t want to be unfair to anyone,” Yusuke's eyes glistened with unshed tears as he finally admitted his deepest darkest secret he had harbored inside him for years.

“But…how? When? Why?” Kurama’s brain seemed to have short-circuited at this piece of information and Yusuke playfully bopped his friend’s nose.

“Are we playing detective now, Kurama? Don’t we have better things to do now than pussyfoot around each other?” Yusuke murmured huskily as he drew himself up to his full height so that their lips were lazily hovering next to each other.

“When did you start feeling this way about me?” Kurama still couldn’t process everything. He finds it hard to believe that he has held himself back for nothing all those months.

"I can't tell when it actually started but I first realized how strongly I felt for you during the dark tournament. In our match-up against Jinda’s team,” Yusuke’s hands fastened on Kurama’s waist as he tentatively grazed the older man’s hips with his fingers.

“Oh, you carrying me like a princess in front of thousands of demons will always be embarrassing for me knowing that everyone there knew that I was the legendary Youko Kurama everyone feared,” Kurama rolled his eyes in feigned annoyance that Yusuke couldn’t resist planting a quick peck on the older man’s lips.

“Still salty about that, Fox Boy? I actually wanted to hug you tight at that time because I felt so scared of losing you. Just be thankful I still had some restraint left at that time,” Yusuke’s hands absently caressed Kurama’s hips while Kurama grabbed him by the shoulders.

“You call that restraint? You aimed your rei gun at Baku while you were outside the ring. That was against the rules,” Kurama reminded Yusuke in an admonishing yet playful tone.

“If you were in my place, would you have done nothing even if I was being pummelled while I was unconscious?” Yusuke asked innocently and Kurama hugged him close to his chest in a sudden burst of adoration at how honest the mazoku is.

"I would have summoned all the blood-hungry plants from the Demon Realm and have them feast on his filthy body…and forfeited the fight for all of us," Kurama said in an even yet deadly tone that never failed to give Yusuke goosebumps whenever he hears that tone.

“See? Baku is lucky I didn’t kill him. You’re alive and that’s all that mattered at that time,” Yusuke chirped happily as he drew Kurama closer by the waist in a tight hug.

“I…I don’t know what to say. This is a lot to unpack even for me,” Kurama shook his head briefly, wondering if this was all a dream and if he actually passed out from the little alcohol he consumed.

“I don’t need your words, Fox Boy,” Yusuke drawled impatiently as he grabbed Kurama by the latter's olive green silk collar so he could pull their faces closer.

“Don’t you want me to say the words back?” Kurama tried to stall the other man further but the fire in Yusuke’s brown orbs told him that the mazoku would not be denied further.

“Of course, I do but there’s something else that I want from you right now,” Yusuke whispered in a voice trembling with need and desire that Kurama could feel his insides melt at the passion starting to burn within him.

“What do you want, Mazoku?” Kurama asked in a heady tone as he planted a chaste kiss on Yusuke’s parted lips.

“All that you are willing to give me, Fox Boy. I want all of you, right here, right now,” Yusuke growled impatiently as he pulled Kurama closer, letting their bodies speak their own language.

“Consider it done, Your Highness,” Kurama smirked seductively before sealing the promise with a kiss.

Chapter Text

“Have you done this before?” Yusuke asked breathlessly as he felt Kurama’s hot breath on his neck as the kitsune had him pinned against the wall while fondling him through his clothes. 

“As Suichi, no,” Kurama retorted simply before letting his teeth graze Yusuke’s collarbone.

“But as Kurama?” Yusuke’s breath hitched at the gesture but he managed to keep his voice even.

“Do you really have to bring that up at a time like this?” Kurama asked in an exasperated tone as he pulled back from what he was doing so he could read Yusuke's expression. Is he having second thoughts about me? About us? He thought with trepidation wrapping around his heart.

“This is my first time,” Yusuke admitted shyly before lowering his head and bracing himself for the rejection he was expecting.

“Really? I thought you almost got married?” Kurama’s green eyes were wide as saucers when he raised Yusuke’s head by lifting his chin using his forefinger.

“We didn’t make it past making out,” Yusuke blushed with embarrassment as he pushed the words out so hard he almost coughed them out.

“Why?” Kurama’s eyes were lit with curiosity and Yusuke was glad he couldn’t sense any rejection from the former’s intimidating aura. 

“My heart and mind isn’t up to it and that’s when she finally saw through me,” Yusuke admitted with a resigned sigh, his shoulders slumped dejectedly as he pondered on how inadequate he must look now for Kurama.

“Poor thing,” Kurama cooed empathically as he pulled the other man closer in a tentative embrace. He can sense Yusuke’s hesitation and he now understands why. A yokai doesn’t care about gender when they get together with another yokai in the demon realm but in the human realm, the pressure to find a partner from the opposite sex can be overwhelming to some and he believes that as tough as Yusuke may be, he isn’t immune to this pressure especially since he gave up an ideal woman to be with a weirdo like Kurama.

“Sorry for dampening the mood,” Yusuke murmured against Kurama’s shoulder and the latter rubbed his back comfortingly.

“We don’t need to do anything you aren’t ready for, Yusuke,” Kurama said patiently as he straightened Yusuke's shirt that was rumpled by their brief makeout earlier. He wants Yusuke too much but he can wait if his beloved isn't ready yet to take their relationship to the next level despite his bold pronouncements earlier.

“But I want this too, Kurama. I’m not a kid anymore, I just turned 20 and…” Yusuke desperately pleaded as he held both of Kurama’s hands by the wrist.

“I know but I can feel your trepidation, Yusuke. What are you afraid of?” Kurama cupped Yusuke’s face lovingly with both hands, his thumbs rubbing the latter’s cheekbones to reassure him.

“I have heard a lot about Yokou Kurama when I was still in the Demon World. I’m just scared of disappointing you because I don’t know how to do stuff like this,” Yusuke lowered his head timidly and seeing the overly confident mazoku admit his insecurities tugged painfully at Kurama’s heartstrings.

“You can never disappoint me in such a trivial matter like this, mazoku. Actually, your innocence entices me and I want you even more now," Kurama said as he took Yusuke's hand and placed it over the mound below his navel, beneath the silk pajamas he still wore. Yusuke's brown orbs grew bigger than a kiwi fruit when he felt how hard the slightly older man was. Tentatively, he rubbed the kitsune through his clothes and beamed happily at Kurama when the latter barely stifled a moan.

“You like that?” Yusuke asked in child-like exuberance as he fondled Kurama through his clothes.

“Yes, but I like you even more,” Kurama said huskily as he forcibly removed Yusuke’s hand on his groin lest he lose control this early in the game. He smiled before kissing Yusuke's pouted lips.

“You have to teach me what to do, Kurama. I know nothing about this stuff,” Yusuke almost whined.

“Shuichi is also a virgin, in case you failed to take note of that,” Kurama retorted haughtily

"Only in the body. Come on, Kurama! Don't be such a tease!" Yusuke tried to make grabby hands at Kurama but the latter just held his wrists in place.

“I love it when you get impatient, Yusuke. Unfortunately, I do not plan to rush anything tonight,” Kurama said in a stern tone that raised the hairs on Yusuke’s nape even as the latter struggled to free his hands from the former’s grip.

“But Kurama, I have waited for this moment for so long,” Yusuke mumbled desperately as he racked his brains for tricks on how to trick Kurama into agreeing with what he wanted.

“Me too. That's why I want to take my time making love to you. There are so many things I have fantasized about doing to you all those months we were apart," Kurama admitted in a throaty whisper that went straight to Yusuke’s nether regions.

“Damn, that’s hot, Fox Boy. What do we do first?” Yusuke exclaimed candidly as Kurama started kissing his calloused fingers one after the other.

"First, let's remove all the obstacles to our goal, shall we?" Kurama's eyes shone with mirth as he gently released Yusuke's hands so he could unbutton his silk pajama top.

“I just realized that this will be the first time I’m going to see you topless, Kurama. Why are you always covered up anyway?” Yusuke asked evenly as he started to unbutton his pajama top while his eyes followed Kurama’s nimble fingers leisurely unbuttoning his own shirt.

“I have always been scantily clad as a yokai. When I was reborn as Suichi, I really enjoyed human fashion, especially the traditional one. I like to treat every street as a runway,” Kurama smiled in remembrance of the time he fell in love with dressing up when he realized that humans have far more choices than the yokais. 

“I remember you always being pristine and put together even during your matches in the two tournaments. You like wearing white even if you know it’s going to be stained or torn,” Yusuke shrugged off his silk shirt and it slid off his arms before fluttering to the floor like a drunken moth. He then impatiently reached out to undo the last two buttons on Kurama's shirt as the latter seemed to be taking all his sweet time in getting the job done. 

“I like wearing white. It seems so pure and innocent, like you,” Kurama chuckled in amusement at Yusuke’s actions before shrugging off his shirt with a smug smirk. 

“I’m nothing like that,” Yusuke hitched a breath distractedly as he inwardly marveled at Kurama's lean but mean torso. The kitsune might not be as ripped as him but he never expected the half-yokai to be concealing a six-pack under those pretty clothes.

“Take a picture, Yusuke,” Kurama said in a smug tone as he spread his arms in an inviting gesture.

“Can I?” Yusuke retorted absently before blushing at the realization of what he just said. He didn’t want to sound as excited as the kid who just received what he fervently wished for on Christmas morning.

“Nope, this is for your eyes alone,” Kurama said as he suddenly grabbed Yusuke by the waist and pulled their bodies flush against each other before capturing the former Spirit Detective’s mouth in a hungry kiss. Yusuke responded eagerly to the kiss while his calloused hands skimmed along the other man’s toned biceps.

Kurama swiped a tongue against Yusuke’s lower lip to politely request additional access to the latter’s mouth. Yusuke responded by letting his tongue greet the welcome intruder and they got engaged in a fierce battle for dominance while Kurama inched them slowly toward the bed. 

Yusuke let out a frustrated whine when he felt the mattress on his back at the same time Kurama broke the kiss and slid his lips down into the tanned neck, tasting the salt of his lover's sweat and reveling in the heady scent of his pheromones. He suddenly wanted to bite into that supple flesh but he immediately reigned in his inner yokai, he didn’t want to hurt Yusuke.

"Kurama," Yusuke gasped as he felt Kurama's tongue lick at the sensitive spot on the base of his neck. He felt like all his senses were going haywire especially when he felt his remaining clothing being pulled down by strong hands. He finished the job by kicking the seemingly offending fabric out of the way leaving him as bare as the day he was born into the human world.

“Do you know how I ached to touch you like this? Not as a comrade in arms but as your lover,” Kurama whispered huskily against the heated skin before sliding further down and capturing a turgid nipple in his mouth. 

“I’m flattered, Fox boy,” Yusuke managed to blurt out even as he struggled to breathe with Kurama’s relentless assault on his body.  He fisted the sheets when Kurama’s left hand slid down his abs while his other hand played with his lover’s pebbled nipple all while sucking at the other like a newborn hungry for milk.

“You can grab at me instead, my sheets are expensive and I wouldn't like it if you tear them in the heat of passion," Kurama said evenly even if his heart seemed to be bursting with anticipation and excitement for what the night holds for the two of them. He lifted his head to lock eyes with Yusuke to gauge the latter's readiness for what the kitsune was planning to do.

“I’ll buy you new sheets if I mess this one up,” Yusuke said glibly as he let his hands slide along the taut muscles of Kurama’s shoulders. He marveled at the firmness of the muscles underneath and realized that even if Kurama was playing cool, he was as worked up as he was at this point. The knowledge seemed to settle him enough to nod his assent at Kurama who smiled in relief at the gesture.

"I said I'd take this slow but I'm afraid I might not be able to keep my word this time," Kurama replied in a strained voice as he planted kisses along the happy trail that led to the object of his deepest desires. Yusuke arched his back involuntarily when Kurama tentatively stroked his hardness, testing the waters.

“Fuck, no one has ever touched me there before. Your hands feel so smooth and warm, Kurama,” Yusuke exclaimed as he hid his face with his hands in a mixture of embarrassment and excitement.  

“Do you like it?” Kurama asked in a breathy whisper as he boldly stroked the engorged flesh.

"Yeah, feels so much better than my own hands. Fuck, yeah," Yusuke muttered a string of expletives as Kurama stroked him to a full erection, his eyes shut tightly as he basked in the pleasure he is being given.

“Look at me, Yusuke,” Kurama commanded testily as he struggled to remove his pants and boxers in one go using his free hand while he continued his ministrations with the other.

“You’re more beautiful now than when we first met,” Yusuke muttered dreamily as he opened his eyes and discovered that Kurama had now straddled him and their erections are now rubbing against each other.

“I’m also a man like you, Yusuke. Do not be fooled by how pretty I look,” Kurama murmured testily. He hates it when anybody measures his capability based solely on how pretty he looks. It’s not my fault my biological parents had great genes.  He thought bitterly to himself.

“I know. I loved you not just for your looks, Kurama. You should know me better than that,” Yusuke replied in a placating tone even if it stung a little to be taken out of context by the man he loved.

“I did not mean to offend you, Yusuke. Just want to give you the heads-up that what will happen tonight isn’t your typical wet dream fantasies,” Kurama said in a tentative tone as he started stroking their erections together.

“I don’t care. As long as it’s with you, I’m down for it, Kurama,” Yusuke replied breathlessly as the friction of their maleness rubbing against each other is proving too good to be ignored.

“Are you sure? This might hurt a bit, just so you know,” Kurama warned in a soft tone. He didn't want to rope Yusuke into something he couldn't back out from even if every fiber of his body yearned to be united with the love of his human life.

“I’m used to pain, Kurama. It riles me up even more, haven’t you noticed?” Yusuke propped himself up by his elbows so he could watch what Kurama was doing.

“I wouldn’t want to deliberately hurt you, Yusuke. I want you to enjoy this as much as I will,” Kurama replied honestly even as he deliberately stroked the proof of their arousal using both his hands.

“I trust you, Kurama. You can do anything and I will still love you for it,” Yusuke replied cheekily and this made Kurama tear up a little. He almost overlooks the fact that despite Yusuke being a reckless delinquent, he has one of the purest hearts in all the humans he has ever met as Suichi. 

"Come closer," Kurama whispered hoarsely as he suddenly felt a lump in his throat. Yusuke sat up obediently so that their faces were just inches away from each other.

“Is something wrong, Kurama?” Yusuke immediately sensed the shift in the redhead’s mood. Darn, what did I say, or did that make Kurama seem to change his mind about us? Yusuke inwardly berated himself.  

“Thank you for always trusting me, Yusuke. I will always cherish you for as long as you want me to," Kurama sobbed before pulling the surprised Yusuke into a crushing embrace. He felt overwhelmed that despite Yusuke knowing about who he was in the past, his trust in him never wavered. 

“Hey, what’s with the waterworks, Fox Boy? I thought we’re gonna get down and dirty tonight, huh?” Yusuke pulled back from the embrace and held Kurama’s face with both hands, using his thumb to brush off the tear that streaked the redhead’s cheek.

“I just realized how much I love you, Yusuke. I got lucky in this lifetime despite everything I did in my previous centuries of existence,” Kurama couldn't bear to look at Yusuke's eyes lest he get totally overpowered by his emotions. He feels so unworthy of Yusuke's innocence.

“Hey, not fair! I am the lucky one, remember? Who would have thought that the school delinquent would have a genius, gorgeous redhead fall in love with him despite everything, huh?" Yusuke cradled Kurama's face with both hands so he could look straight into those glassy, green orbs.

“You’re incorrigible, Yusuke yet I wouldn’t have it any other way,” Kurama smiled beatifically before pulling Yusuke close for a stunning kiss that took both their breaths away and reignited the mood that was slightly dampened by unaddressed issues. Their hands mapped each other’s bodies with enthusiasm and passion while their lips communicated to each other with a language that only they could understand. 

 
“Can I have you, Yusuke?” Kurama asked nervously even as he licked the remnants of Yusuke's release on his lips after he deep-throated the latter into submission.

“You haven’t finished yet?” Yusuke asked while still in a confused daze as he came down from the high he was brought into by Kurama's ministrations.

“I would like to finish inside you, can I?” Kurama asked with bated breath as he absently stroked his still-hard member. Yusuke noticed the gesture and smiled groggily at his lover who keeps springing surprises one after the other in just a few hours.

“Of course, you can! You silly Fox Boy!” Yusuke laughed nervously as the anticipation inside him started to build up anew. He might have just gone through the best orgasm he’s had since puberty but he trusts Kurama to give him more than what he has already experienced.

“I need to open you up first,” Kurama whispered in a strained tone. He is already at his limit but he couldn’t rush this process knowing that Yusuke has never done this before.

“I don’t think you’d last any longer, do you want me to go down on you too?” Yusuke asked as he sat up but Kurama’s hand on his chest stopped him.

“I wouldn’t last a second in that potty mouth of yours, Yusuke,” Kurama muttered breathlessly as he summoned a demon plant that sprouted from his crimson mane and slithered next to his face. The plant’s bright blue flower opened up and started secreting a slippery substance that dripped into the kitsune’s open palm.  

"Then let me help you with this," Yusuke smiled warmly as he started stroking Kurama's engorged manhood. His calloused hand produced enough friction to drive Kurama further to the brink of release.

“Fuck, Yusuke!” Kurama exclaimed in a shocked tone as he clutched at the mazoku’s shoulders with both hands and buried his nose into the soft juncture between Yusuke’s neck and shoulder.

“Easy there, Fox Boy. This might be the only part of this process that I’m good at,” Yusuke smirked smugly as he relished Kurama's hot puffs of breath against his collarbone. It gives him a weird sense of satisfaction that he can witness Kurama's calm demeanor dissolve under his ministrations.  A couple more expert flicks from Yusuke's wrist and Kurama was coming so hard he swore he saw stars at the back of his eyelids. 

Yusuke whimpered and only then did Kurama realize that he bit hard into the soft flesh at the hollow of the mazoku’s neck when he came. He was just glad he was able to retract his fangs at the last minute as he surveyed the mark with his thumb while coming down from his high.

“Shit, I’m sorry, Yusuke. I didn’t mean to…”

“Even your cursing sounds sexy, Kurama. I heard from the grapevine that mates like to mark each other by biting, right?” Yusuke laughed without any trace of regret or resentment that Kurama's face almost turned into the same shade as his hair.

“You’re such a conceited piece of ass,” Kurama murmured in an embarrassed tone as he tucked his face into Yusuke’s sweaty neck to hide his blush. This is the first time my instincts betrayed me. Or did it really? He thought to himself absently.

“I like potty mouth Kurama more. Expletives sound so hot coming from that wonderful mouth of yours,” Yusuke beamed happily as he tilted Kurama’s face up using his sticky forefinger before planting a chaste kiss on the redhead’s lips.   

“You’re full of surprises, Yusuke,” Kurama murmured hazily as he rubbed his nose against Yusuke’s while secretly coating his fingers with both the slippery substance from his plant and his own semen. 

“There’s still a lot where that came…” Yusuke’s confidence started to waver when he felt Kurama’s sticky fingers against his entrance. He instinctively spread his legs wider to allow the kitsune better access as he felt a long and slender finger breach the tight ring of muscle.

"Relax, Yusuke. You're so tight and warm inside," Kurama murmured huskily against his ear and Yusuke could almost feel his remaining brain cells start to shortcircuit as he wrapped his arms around Kurama's neck to pull him closer.

“Kurama,” Yusuke moaned lustily while brown orbs locked into green ones. He tried to pace his breathing and willed his body to relax as that wicked finger started reaching places inside of him he never knew existed.

“Does it hurt?” Kurama asked anxiously as he tried to focus on Yusuke's expression rather than on how the latter's insides clenched tightly at his finger every time he dragged them out. 

“No, not at all. It feels amazing,” Yusuke panted breathlessly as he instinctively rocked his hips to meet each slow thrust of Kurama’s fingers without looking away from the look of concern in Kurama’s delicate features. 

“Good boy. You learn fast,” Kurama smiled beatifically as if Yusuke was a pet who just learned a new trick while Yusuke’s eyes watered due to a sudden upheaval of emotion.

“Please, Kurama…” Yusuke whined desperately when Kurama withdrew his finger to add another one while Yusuke wrapped his tanned legs around Kurama’s narrow waist to pull him closer.

“What do you want, Yusuke?” Kurama asked in a patient tone with his eyes not leaving Yusuke’s face. He wants to commit this sight to his memory; of how Yusuke’s nose scrunches up while his lips part and his eyes grow lidded as his desire builds up.

"You, inside me, now," Yusuke rasped airily before finally closing his eyes to surrender to the pleasure assaulting his senses when Kurama curled his fingers against that bundle of nerves that could bring him to the brink of fulfillment before making slow scissoring motions to loosen up the mazoku’s virgin hole. 

"That can be arranged," Kurama said politely but his voice had a certain edge to it that told Yusuke that his lover is not as unaffected as he wants him to think. 

"Please…" Yusuke let his arms fall limply to the mattress before propping himself up on his elbows in anticipation of what was about to come.

“Lift your hips, Yusuke,” Kurama ordered in a tender tone while coating his erection liberally with the slippery substance the blue demon plant flower provided him earlier.  When Yusuke did as he was told, Kurama placed a pillow under his lover's lips to make him more comfortable in this position. Taking his lover on all fours would have been more comfortable but judging from the way Yusuke clung to him, Kurama understood that Yusuke wanted to see his face while doing it with him. Lining his erection to the loosened entrance, Kurama rolled his hips in one solid thrust that had Yusuke throwing his head back in a mixture of agony and ecstasy.

“Kurama…” Yusuke exclaimed in a shocked tone as he looked down on his body to see where he and his lover connected. When his eyes looked back to Kurama’s face, he saw the mixture of pleasure, concern, and restraint in the kitsune’s flaring nostrils, narrowed eyes, and slightly parted lips.

“I’m sorry, it would be more painful if I entered you gradually,” Kurama apologized for what he did as he sat on his haunches and rubbed Yusuke’s hipbones using his thumbs to somehow alleviate the ordeal for his lover.

“I understand. I trust you, okay?” Yusuke gently ran his hands along the corded muscles of Kurama’s arms as he wiggled his hips slightly to adjust to the feeling of Kurama being sheathed to the hilt inside him. The stretch burned slightly but Yusuke is more excited for the pleasure that he is sure will follow.

"Thank you, Yusuke. Tell me when I can move, huh?" Kurama smiled reassuringly as he braced himself on the bed using his forearms before planting a tender kiss on Yusuke's slightly swollen lips.

“You can move now, Kurama. I can’t wait any longer,” Yusuke bit his lower lip as he slightly blushed from his admission. Kurama just had to look down Yusuke’s navel to understand what he meant.

“Oh, someone’s hard again! How old are you again, Yusuke?” Kurama asked in a lilting tone as he started making shallow thrusts to help Yusuke get accustomed to the hardness inside him.

"I just turned 20 you asshole, stop making fun of my age!" Yusuke admonished Kurama breathlessly even as he braced himself on his elbows, watching with rapt fascination the kitsune’s deliberate movements as the latter pushed in and pulled out of his body on steady strokes as if he was dancing to music that only he could hear.

“The taste of your own medicine always tastes a bit sour, right Mazoku?” Kurama intimated smugly as he started to pick up his pace causing Yusuke to surge forward and cling to his lover’s biceps in pain mixed with pleasure. 

“Fuck, Kuramaaa,” Yusuke drawled as he threw his head back while wrapping his arms around Kurama’s neck and baring his smooth neck to his lover’s hungry gaze. Kurama bit his lower lip so hard in restraint that blood bloomed promptly from the place his teeth sank into.

“Maybe some other time, Yusuke. But right now, you’re mine,” Kurama buried his nose into Yusuke’s neck, scenting the mark his teeth left there earlier. He resisted the urge to leave a hickey there as he didn't want to embarrass Yusuke in front of his kitchen staff who would surely see the proof of their amorous activities when Yusuke clocks in for work tomorrow.

“You’re lips are bleeding, Kurama. Did I do that?” Yusuke narrowed his eyes in confusion and concern when Kurama lifted his head to look at him. Kurama couldn’t help but kiss the crease in the former Spirit Detective’s brows to somehow placate him.

"No, I did this to myself," Kurama absently licked his lower lip and tasted the iron of his blood without messing up his rhythmic undulating. Yusuke's hands disengaged from Kurama's neck while his legs wrapped tighter around Kurama's waist, his heels digging against the small of Kurama’s back urging him to go faster.

“You’re more beautiful like this, Kurama,” Yusuke murmured breathlessly even as his hands cupped Kurama’s firm chest muscles, his calloused thumb brushing intently against the tight pink nubs causing Kurama to groan huskily in response.

“Can’t keep your hands to yourself, huh?” Kurama whispered menacingly before capturing Yusuke’s mouth in a messy kiss. Teeth and tongues clashed together even while Kurama rolled his hips relentlessly to edge them both closer to fulfillment.   

“I like touching you, I love the feel of your skin under my fingers,” Yusuke rambled mindlessly as he pinched and pulled at Kurama’s nipples, imagining putting his mouth on them as Kurama did to him earlier but their position right now made it physically impossible.

“Waxing poetic all of a sudden, huh? Shall I get you off like this?” Kurama smiled coyly as one of his hands wrapped around Yusuke’s neglected erection.

“Please! Let me come again, Kurama,” Yusuke exhorted his lover as Kurama deliberately thumbed the weeping slit, licking his lips in remembrance of how the mazoku’s seed tasted earlier.

“It’s so uncharacteristically polite of you to ask. Can I come inside you, Yusuke?” Kurama murmured in one breath as he felt his release approaching. Yusuke's insides clenched and unclenched around him with every thrust and withdrawal driving him delirious with passion. 

“You can come as you want, Kurama. Just don’t get me pregnant,” Yusuke joked even as he released Kurama's nipples so he could cup his lover's face lovingly while the latter repeatedly invaded his body.

“No one’s getting pregnant here, Yusuke,” Kurama rolled his eyes in feigned annoyance but automatically kissed back when Yusuke planted a peck on his bruised lips.

“You have to marry me first, Kurama. Then we can have kids like how Yomi had one,” Yusuke said as he peppered Kurama’s face with small, wet kisses. 

“Yusuke, I’m close…” Kurama whispered against Yusuke’s lips before playfully nipping the latter’s lower lip. The former Spirit Detective’s child-like antics only served to spur the kitsune on and fan the flames of his desire.  

"Me too," Yusuke keened as he reached down between them and started pumping himself vigorously while Kurama commenced a breakneck pace to chase after his release. He burst inside Yusuke with a hoarse shout before feeling warm, sticky liquid coats his abdomen after Yusuke followed him over.

Kurama slumped against Yusuke’s prone body as they both struggled to catch their breaths. Yusuke ran his hands lazily along the broad planes on Kurama’s back even as he unwrapped his tired legs from Kurama’s waist and let them fall limply on the mattress.

“How do you feel, Yusuke?” Kurama asked in a concerned tone as he slid to the side after pulling out from Yusuke so as not to burden his lover with his full weight.

“I feel great, how about you?” Yusuke smiled groggily as the exhaustion started to creep up on him.

“No word is enough to describe what I feel right now, Yusuke,” Kurama whispered fervently as he pulled Yusuke closer by the waist ignoring the stickiness of both their abdomens.

“Aww, Kurama the genius is out of words. I never thought this day would come,” Yusuke said cheekily even as he placed a chaste peck on Kurama’s slightly parted lips.

“You never failed to exceed my expectations of you, Yusuke,” Kurama murmured huskily as he cupped Yusuke's face with both hands and tenderly claimed the latter's lips.

“Glad to hear that. So, do I make the cut?” Yusuke grinned sheepishly to hide how emotional he was starting to get from Kurama's pronouncements.

“You have always been a cut above the rest, Yusuke,” Kurama smiled indulgently before rubbing their noses together. Yusuke pouted at the childish gesture his mom liked doing to him when he was younger.

“Stop teasing me, Kurama,” Yusuke tried to turn his face away but Kurama pressed their foreheads together by holding the former’s face with both hands.

“You’re cute when you get embarrassed,” Kurama smiled teasingly as he kissed the tip of Yusuke’s nose.

“Let’s sleep, my lower back is sore and I have an early start tomorrow,” Yusuke almost whined as he placed an arm around Kurama’s neck and used his right leg to pull Kurama closer by hooking it over Kurama’s hips.  

“Let me clean you up first, Yusuke,” Kurama said in a stern tone as he disentangled himself from Yusuke’s embrace despite the latter’s whines of protest. He padded steadily to the bathroom to get what he needed leaving Yusuke sprawled naked on the bed in exhaustion. The mazoku was already snoring loudly by the time Kurama came back with a clean washcloth floating on a stainless basin of warm water he procured from the kitchen.  Ignoring his own nakedness, he carefully sat beside the former Spirit Detective's sleeping form and started wiping the latter's washboard abs clean with the wet washcloth.  He is also sticky himself but he figured that he could take a shower after cleaning Yusuke up.
Because his limbs were too tired from all the exertions earlier, he summoned demonic vines from the demon realm to help him move the sleeping mazoku around. Kurama knows that Yusuke is a heavy sleeper but he still took great pains to be gentle with his lover’s sleeping body by having the vines cautiously prop Yusuke into a reclining position directly above the basin like he was seated on a birthing chair.  

“Hmmm…” Yusuke slightly flinched but remained asleep when Kurama started washing his abused hole by squeezing water from the drenched washcloth into the reddened flesh. Sticky transparent liquid steadily oozed out of the puckered hole and Kurama had to enlist the help of another demonic plant to catch the substance before it drips into the basin of warm water he is using to clean Yusuke. Another demonic vine provided the slimy substance Kurama applied on Yusuke’s devirginized hole to facilitate faster healing. 

After the mazoku had been cleaned and dried enough, Kurama banished all the demonic plants back where they came from before proceeding to wand the room to protect Yusuke while he was taking a brief shower.  He doesn't know if Yusuke is aware of the wands that he secretly set up in the former Spirit Detective's apartment to protect him from malevolent spirits he might run into because of his side hustle.  Kurama might have stayed away from Yusuke physically for an entire year but he made sure that during those months, his beloved would not be an easy target for any entity who wished him harm. He pulled the covers over Yusuke and kissed his forehead lovingly before padding into the shower naked to clean himself.

Yusuke cracked open an eye as soon as he heard the bathroom door click shut. He has been awake throughout the “cleaning” process and his demon core acting as his heart felt like it would burst open from the seams due to the adoration and gratefulness he felt. Kurama has always prioritized Yusuke’s needs before his own and what happened earlier just proved to Yusuke that the leap of faith he made was well worth it. He was glad he listened to his instincts and not to his human brain which is filled with prejudice and insecurities. He couldn't help but smile before closing his eyes to catch some rest before his lover returned to his side.

This one’s for keeps, Fox Boy. I’m not letting you run away from me ever again. You’re stuck with me for life.

Chapter Text

“Is it morning already?” Yusuke asked with a yawn as he was startled awake by Kurama nuzzling his neck and tenderly kissing the bite mark he unknowingly created earlier. He felt pins and needles on his left arm after Kurama used it as a pillow while they slept.

“It’s barely midnight, Yusuke,” Kurama answered silkily as he scooted closer to Yusuke, reveling in the warmth of their naked bodies underneath the covers. He buried his face in the crook of the latter's neck, inhaling the musky scent of his lover’s pheromones.

“What?! How long have I been asleep?” Yusuke rubbed his eyes sleepily before taking a whiff of Kurama's hair. He loves how Kurama always manages to smell like roses and sakura blossoms no matter how sweaty he gets during a fight.

“More than an hour, I think. You might be exhausted from your shift,” Kurama lifted his head and smoothed back Yusuke's bangs using his free hand as the other was tucked underneath Yusuke's waist.

"It was not work that drained my energy, it was from pleasure," Yusuke murmured huskily as he pulled Kurama closer by the back of his head to kiss him but remembered at the last minute that he had just woke up so he abruptly drew back in alarm and covered his mouth in embarrassment.

“What’s wrong, Yusuke?” Kurama narrowed his eyes in confusion and anxiety. Did Yusuke suddenly change his mind about us? He thought as fear gripped his heart.

“Morning breath,” Yusuke blushed slightly as he covered his mouth using the back of his hand.

“It’s not morning yet,” Kurama reached out with a relieved sigh and gently pried away Yusuke’s hand from his mouth.

“But…” Yusuke began but was silenced by Kurama’s lips on his. Sighing gratefully that Kurama wasn't as snobbish as he looked, he gratefully returned the kiss. It was warm and lazy but not lacking in passion and seconds later, they had to pull back to catch their breaths while smiling shyly at each other.

“It will take more than foul breath to push me away from you,” Kurama murmured huskily against Yusuke’s lips as he caressed the latter’s cheekbone using his thumb.

“Glad to know that. How do you feel, Kurama?” Yusuke asked nervously as he held Kurama's hand that was against his cheek. Everything still feels like a dream. He thought absently. He never expected that things would turn out this way between them and that it would escalate to this level in just a few hours after they confessed to each other.

“I’m still up for another round, how about you?” Kurama admitted in a teasing tone as he let his hand roam across the hard ridges in Yusuke’s naked muscular chest. He had been waiting for the mazoku to wake up from his short nap so he could love him again. He never thought that Suichi's body could harbor this much libido without any manifestation during puberty. Kurama even thought that Suichi might be asexual which would be most unfortunate considering how he was as Youko Kurama. He was just glad that he thought wrong or it could be because his two personalities have irrevocably merged with each other after the dark tournament awakened his past form.

“I would be too sore to go to work tomorrow if we go at it again,” Yusuke whined apologetically even as he turned to Kurama and hooked his legs against the latter to coax him closer. Kurama scooted closer into the circle of the mazoku’s arms and pulled Yusuke closer by the waist.  

“I’m just joking, beloved. You need to rest as you have a long day ahead of you tomorrow,” Kurama gazed at those brown orbs in adoration before leaning close to nuzzle their cheeks together while holding himself from rubbing back against his lover’s semi-hardened member.

“What did you just call me?” Yusuke asked in a shocked tone and Kurama had to hurriedly backtrack through his mind still foggy from post-coital bliss. Damn, what was I thinking? He inwardly reprimanded himself.

“I’m sorry, Yusuke. It was just a slip of the tongue,” Kurama said in a cold tone, the familiar mask of indifference sliding into place once more but it didn’t escape Yusuke’s keen eyes.

“Is that so? I thought you meant it,” Yusuke rolled his eyes in feigned annoyance at the obvious lie. He knew Kurama too well to see through the nuances of his actions and words.

“Meant what?” Kurama sat up and hugged his knees under the sheet. He suddenly felt cold after momentarily being away from Yusuke's warmth.

“You called me “beloved”, I thought you meant it,” Yusuke scooted closer to tenderly hug Kurama from behind, his arms easily encompassing the taller man’s narrow waist.

“Of course, I meant it! It’s just that you sounded horrified when you heard it,” Kurama answered bitterly and Yusuke couldn’t help but laugh and hug the other man tighter in his delight.

“I wasn’t horrified, you silly fox boy! I was just surprised. It was the first time someone called me that. It has a nice ring to it, I must admit,” Yusuke nuzzled his cheek against the smooth skin on Kurama’s back.

“You liked it?” Kurama turned to Yusuke with hopeful eyes. Damn, what’s happening to me? What is this feeling? Is this what humans call emotional attachment? This is scary. Kurama thought to himself as he looked into Yusuke’s intense brown orbs.

“Are you kidding me? Of course, I liked it! I love it,” Yusuke exclaimed with such fervor that Kurama couldn’t resist probing further to lay his doubts to rest.

“You…you love that?” Kurama stuttered and he wanted to kick himself for faltering like a teenager confessing to his long-time crush. He couldn't help it, he still had a human heart after all.

“No, I love you, Kurama,” Yusuke cupped Kurama’s face tenderly with both hands as he said those words while looking into those glassy green orbs.

“Do you…mean that?” Kurama’s voice broke and his eyes watered with emotion as he reached out and tenderly caressed Yusuke’s cheeks with his thumb.

“There’s no harm in saying it back, you know,” Yusuke pouted as he withdrew his hands and crossed his arms obstinately. He seems to have misunderstood the reason for Kurama’s hesitation so he responded in the only way he knew how, acting unaffected and bossy.

“I know, Yusuke,” Kurama is now smiling in amusement as he easily saw through Yusuke’s tough guy façade. It never worked on him in the first place.

“Kuramaaa,” Yusuke whined as Kurama forcibly took a sulking Yusuke into his arms and peppered his face with wet kisses.

“You’re incorrigible and I love you for it,” Kurama said in between fleeting kisses all over Yusuke’s face all the while holding the mazoku’s face with both hands.

"No more takebacks, Fox Boy. You bit me earlier so you are bound to me now," Yusuke used both hands to pull away Kurama’s hands and hold them against his chest.

“Who told you that’s how it works?” Kurama cocked his head to the side in puzzlement and amusement at what Yusuke said and did.

“Nobody. I decided on that myself,” Yusuke declared proudly and Kurama couldn’t help but burst out laughing at his lover’s cluelessness. He is not about to pop his lover’s bubble though.

“We’ll just have to make it official after two hours,” Kurama reached out and smoothed away the bangs from Yusuke’s face.

“Why? Is today not an auspicious date to get together?” Yusuke narrowed his eyes in puzzlement and Kurama’s hand suddenly stilled from caressing Yusuke’s hair.

“Today is still the anniversary of your break up with Keiko,” Kurama suddenly remembered and the confused look on Yusuke’s face felt like he was figuring out the answer to a complicated Math equation he didn’t care about.

“Oh, I almost forgot about that,” Yusuke scratched his nape as he instinctively does whenever something catches him off guard and he feels dumb about it.

“We have to be sensitive about this, Yusuke. Even if Keiko has moved on, our friends might not take it too kindly if they found out about us,” Kurama turned his body so he was facing Yusuke as he held the latter’s hands.

“If they won’t understand us, then they are not really our friends,” Yusuke’s eyes narrowed angrily as he tried to pull away his hands from Kurama’s grasp but the latter held fast.

“Yusuke…” Kurama began but couldn't find the right words to continue so he just squeezed Yusuke's hands, hoping he got the message.

“I don’t know about you, Kurama but I have never cared about what people think of me and I am not about to start now,” Yusuke was finally able to pry his hands out of Kurama’s grasp as he crossed his arms over his chest while stubbornly scooting away from the latter.

“Stubborn oaf,” Kurama shook his head in a mixture of amusement and frustration as he watched Yusuke’s naked butt when the mazoku got off the bed in all his naked glory.

“Are you embarrassed that a genius like you only settled for a former delinquent who secured his own ramen stand by a stroke of luck?” Yusuke pointed angrily at his chest using his thumb and Kurama elected to train his sights on his lover's face lest he get distracted by the mazoku’s well-built and tanned physique that looks even more glorious without a stitch of clothing on.

“You know that social status doesn’t matter to me, Yusuke. You can even be jobless and homeless but I will still love you for it. I can work for the two of us,” Kurama remained seated on the bed, looking up at a standing Yusuke while hiding his nakedness under the covers.

“Oi, save me some pride, Fox Boy! I am a delinquent, not a freeloader,” Yusuke tapped his chest furiously with his palm and Kurama knew he hit a sore nerve there. While Keiko and Kuwabara continued to pursue higher education, Yusuke dropped out completely to focus on his business and side hustle as a former Spirit Detective.

“I knew you would say that. But what’s with the name of your ramen stand, though? Don’t you think it’s somewhat inappropriate after all that happened?” Kurama cleverly veered the conversation away from the triggering topics while also addressing a question that has been bugging him ever since Yusuke opened his own ramen stand.

“Nah, nobody knew that you go by Kurama. I just wanted to name the stand after us. You know, my version of manifesting things to work out between us,” Yusuke shrugged his shoulders indifferently but his words felt like a rug was pulled from under Kurama at that moment.

“Us? I thought…” Kurama began but the loud beating of his heart drowned out his vocabulary so he just sat there with eyes as wide as saucers and mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water gasping for its last breath.

“Kurama plus Urameshi equals Kurameshi, do you see what I did there? I practically gave you my surname then I added the word lair for some foxy effect. I thought you would like it,” Yusuke lowered his head remorsefully and Kurama wanted to kick himself for being an idiot and hurting Yusuke’s feelings instead of appreciating his ingenuity. 

“I thought it stands for K. Urameshi as in Keiko Urameshi,” Kurama finally found his voice as he slowly stood from the bed, letting the covers fall away to reveal his nakedness.

“Did you see the sign, Kurama? Did you see any period after the K there?” Yusuke rolled his eyes in annoyance as he turned his back on the approaching Kurama, determined to show the other how petty he could get when offended.

“I didn’t look at it closely because I was too hurt to dwell on the fact that you still named your ramen stand after her and the fact that you did that even after you broke up,” Kurama placed both hands on Yusuke’s shoulders as he kissed the latter’s temple apologetically.

“You thought I was still pining for her and manifesting a reunion? Is that why it took you this long to approach me again?” Yusuke asked in a miffed tone as he kept his back turned on Kurama. Fox Boy has been overthinking a lot. Couldn’t blame him though it would be nice to hear him beg for forgiveness just this once. Yusuke thought deviously as he willed himself not to easily give in to Kurama planting tender kisses from his nape along the lines of his shoulders.

“I wanted to give you time and space to recuperate. I couldn’t trust myself not to take advantage of your brokenness,” Kurama explained patiently in between leaving a trail of kisses along Yusuke’s broad shoulders.

“Really, Kurama? You might be a genius but I guess you just didn’t know me that well,” Yusuke sighed exasperatedly before finally turning around to face Kurama with a raised eyebrow and arms obstinately crossed over his chest.

“I had to assume the worst. I don’t want to be overly optimistic about us,” Kurama let his hands fall limply to his sides as he lowered his head in shame.

“Sooo, am I clear with my intentions now, Fox Boy?” Yusuke finally took pity on Kurama and held the latter by his elbows before seeking his lips for a quick peck.

“I don’t know what to say. You continue to perplex me, Yusuke,” Kurama wrinkled his brows in confusion at the tender gesture while Yusuke met his gaze with a confused grin.

“Is that a compliment or a dig?” Yusuke whispered huskily as he slid his hands from Kurama’s elbows to the latter’s hips, his thumbs rubbing circles against the kitsune’s hipbones.

“You can take it any way you want to, Yusuke,” Kurama relented as he gently took Yusuke into his arms and buried his face on the latter’s neck.

“What if there’s something else I want to take right now?” Yusuke asked in a tentative voice muffled by Kurama’s shoulder against his face. Damn, it’s hard having a lover slightly taller than you. He thought absently as Kurama pulled back from the embrace to survey his face closely.

“And what could that be?” Kurama cradled Yusuke’s handsome face in both his hands as he slightly tilted the latter’s face toward him.

“I want to have you too…if you would let me,” Yusuke spoke the words with such honesty and sincerity that Kurama felt his heart ache in its yearning for this fine young man.

“How do you want to have me?” Kurama gulped nervously first before speaking as he felt a lump form at the back of his throat and slightly impede his speech.

“Would it be weird to ask if we can do it in our yokai forms?” Yusuke's round brown eyes are filled with so much anticipation and excitement like a kid wishing for a favorite toy for his birthday that Kurama immediately tore up in surprise and gratefulness.

“I thought you didn’t like my yokai form?” Kurama smiled brightly even as tears fell unbidden from his dazzling green eyes.

“I never said I didn’t like it, it’s part of who you are as much as being a mazoku is part of who I am too. It’s one thing we have in common and I think it’s also one thing that made me gravitate towards you gradually though we were already close before I reawakened,” Yusuke explained lengthily even as he cupped Kuramas’ face with his calloused hands, brushing the tears away from the kitsune’s cheeks using his thumbs.

"I believe the pull got stronger after you were reborn. It's like my yokai has been yearning for your yokai since we first met although they were both dormant at the time,” Kurama ran his trembling fingers through Yusuke's tousled damp locks as he fought valiantly to keep from bawling like a child owing to the amalgamation of emotions he is feeling at the moment.

“Would you say that we were destined to meet and get together?” Yusuke asked in a grateful tone as he buried his face into Kurama’s bare chest and inhaled the distinct rosy scent that the kitsune’s body always emanates.

“I don’t know? Destiny is a human thing. Yokais don’t have that,” Kurama rubbed his cheek against Yusuke’s slightly damp locks as he basked in the mazoku’s musky woodsy scent like how the forest smells after a thunderstorm has cleaned away the vestiges of all that’s dead and rotting.

“We choose our path, Kurama. Both Yokai and Humans get to choose who they want to end up with and I choose you. Is that too bad?” Yusuke pulled back from the embrace so he could lock gazes with Kurama.

“I’d say, let’s get this party started,” Kurama said in a teasing tone before lazily throwing his head back and letting the crimson mane fade into silver. When he looked at Yusuke, golden orbs had replaced the familiar green.

Not to be outdone, Yusuke summoned his dormant yokai energy until the marks started manifesting on his body. His inky black strands also grew longer as they did during his reawakening and Kurama licked his lips in anticipation of the "Match" that was going to happen.

“Are you sure about this, Yusuke?” Kurama asked as he traced the markings on Yusuke’s chest using his long nails.

"I have always been the undisputed risk taker in the team and where did it take me?" Yusuke cocked his head to the side as he reached out to run his finger through long silver strands. They’re like spiderwebs but the strands are stronger. He noted with fascination.

“Into my arms and just a fair warning here, Kitsune’s mate for life,” Kurama gingerly drew Yusuke into his arms using his right hand as the left hand purposefully wanders along the length of the mazoku’s nakedness.

“Ohhh, interesting! Mazoku’s do that too as Hokushin told me why Raizen never got a mate after his affair with my human ancestor,” Yusuke held his breath as he let his palms travel along Kurama's flanks, marveling at the hard muscles that seemed to have appeared out of nowhere. "Damn, you’re huge,” Yusuke exclaimed loudly when he spotted the kitsune’s obvious erection.

“Do I intimidate you in this form?” Kurama’s low and gravelly voice seemed to flow through Yusuke’s senses like golden honey while the kitsune lazily caressed the hard ridges of muscles on the mazoku’s abdomen.

“Uh-huh. In your kitsune form, you are way taller than me and your body is more muscled and…" Yusuke laid his head on Kurama’s broader chest as he let his palms run the length of Kurama’s muscled arm.

“Manlier than Suichi?” Kurama asked in a low seductive voice as he used his forefinger to tilt Yusuke's chin up towards him so he could see the latter's expression.

“Hey! Suichi is manly in his own ways. He’s prettier than you, though,” Yusuke boldly declared as he reached up to tenderly cup Kurama’s cheek.

“Is that meant to be an insult or a compliment?” Kurama’s eyes narrowed as he held Yusuke’s hand that was caressing his face while allowing his lover’s other hand to explore his yokai form.

“It’s just an honest observation, Fox Boy. You’re very handsome like this, no wonder yokais fall for you like fruitflies to ripe fruit," Yusuke said cheekily as he marveled at the broad expanse of Kurama's chest, running his calloused palm across the taut muscles and relishing how they tensed under his fingertips.

“You entice me like a flame to a moth. Just to be with you I don’t care if I will turn to ashes the moment I touch you,” Kurama’s low baritone suddenly cracked with emotion and Yusuke’s core warmed at the realization that this form of Kurama possessed the same heart and spirit.

“You won’t. I need your hands on me, Fox Boy. Come on, let me see that ferocious side everybody fears,” Yusuke boldly pulled at Kurama’s hands and placed them on his chest as if daring the latter to touch him more.

“Be careful what you wish for, you just might get it,” Kurama chuckled lewdly before hoisting Yusuke by the waist to carry him.

“Wait! Aren’t you forgetting something?” Yusuke squeaked in alarm as he was bodily carried to the bed and gently laid down on the mattress.

“Make me remember, mazoku,” Kurama murmured huskily against his lover’s ear as he covered Yusuke’s body with his larger one.

“Kuramaaa, we agreed that I get to have you this time around,” Yusuke whined in protest as Kurama proceeded to hover on top of him, suddenly nervous that with how much bigger Kurama was right now, he could easily force Yusuke against his will.

“Oh, sorry. You’re so enticing that I almost got carried away again, I apologize for that, my beloved,” Kurama chuckled warmly before pulling away and sitting on his haunches like an obedient puppy and Yusuke was able to breathe easier.

“Excuses! So, how do we go about this?” Yusuke warily eyed the kitsune’s bushy white tail wagging excitedly behind his lover’s massive body and Kurama easily understood his lover’s hesitation.

“Would my tail get in the way of your plans? I could cut it for you if you want, it would grow back later,” Kurama reached for his tail and let his fingers run the length of it.

“Seriously? You’re so mean, Kurama,” Yusuke sat up from his prone position earlier and huffed when he realized that he was being teased.

“You never took your Biology classes seriously, Yusuke,” Kurama stretched out his long legs from beneath him so that Yusuke was directly between them.

“I never took my classes seriously but I learn fast,” Yusuke declared proudly and with one swift move tackled Kurama into the bed until the bigger yokai was now pinned underneath him.

“You catch up easily,” Kurama smiled indulgently as he spread both his arms and legs wide in invitation while Yusuke looked like he was staring at a complex puzzle that he needed to solve immediately.

"So they say. Now, don't distract me as I go to work," Yusuke said with grim determination etched on his face as he straddled the larger Kurama, trying to rewire his brain that despite the differences in appearance, this is still the Kurama he fell in love with.

“Do you want me to change back to Suichi for this?” Kurama sat back up as he sensed Yusuke’s hesitation. Does he only want me in my human form? He couldn’t help but think.

“No, I got this, Fox Boy. Just give me…” Yusuke was cut off by Kurama’s lips on him. The kitsune’s lips felt different but the kiss felt familiar and Yusuke easily let himself drown in the kiss, not noticing that he was now in Kurama's lap as the latter steadily engulfed him in his strong arms as their kiss deepened.

“Kuramaa,” Yusuke moaned against Kurama’s lips when the latter hesitantly broke the kiss. He opened his eyes to see that the kitsune's golden orbs were now mixed with green.

“See? This is still me, Yusuke,” Kurama said in his deep kitsune voice while running his fingers up the long strands from Yusuke's nape until he had gotten a good grasp on those luscious ebony strands.

“You’re gorgeous in either form, Kurama,” Yusuke muttered huskily as he sank his fingers into those silky silver strands, marveling at how soft they were to the touch before grabbing a handful of those so he could tilt Kurama's head backward earning a surprised gasp from the latter.

“I like it when you are being slightly aggressive, it riles me up further,” Kurama whispered silkily as he felt Yusuke’s hot tongue against the sensitive skin of his neck.

“You taste so damn good, Fox Boy,” Yusuke murmured reverently as he kissed the smooth length of Kurama’s neck while gently pushing the latter back down into the mattress.

“I could say the same for you, Yusuke,” Kurama muttered breathlessly as he willed himself to lay back and allow Yusuke to lazily go down on him. The mazoku's lips slowly traveled down the kitsune’s body in torturous slowness, taking his sweet time to cover the vast expanse of smooth skin and firm muscles with his saliva like Kurama is a stamp that is about to be pressed against the smooth surface of an envelope later.

"You might be more ripped and all but you still taste the same to me," Yusuke stated cheekily as he kissed the silver trail leading down to the kitsune's erect member. Yusuke looked up to see Kurama's face that was looking down at him with concern as he ran the flat of his tongue against the underside of the latter's erection. Kurama knows that he is "bigger" in his youko form and for a beginner like Yusuke, he is worried that his current form might be too much to handle.

“Easy now, mazoku. Don’t push yourself too far with ungh…” Kurama’s words melted on his tongue the moment Yusuke took him into his mouth. The latter didn’t anticipate how long and thick the former was and he almost choked when the tip of his lover’s maleness hit the back of his throat. Kurama threw his head back and clutched at the sheets so tight his knuckles turned the same color as his hair as he resisted the urge to thrust upward into that warm mouth.  

Yusuke felt the stretch slightly burn the corners of his mouth. He never anticipated that Kurama would be bigger in mouth than in hand. He had to use both hands to pump the base of the kitsune’s hardness as he couldn’t take them all in without triggering his gag reflex. Throwing up his supper all over his lover would be the worst on their first night together as lovers.

“Hmmm,” Yusuke hummed around Kurama’s engorged member and the vibration went straight to the kitsune’s groin, igniting a spark that is bound to become a prairie fire that threatens to engulf all sense and reason.  With trembling hands, Kurama grabbed a handful of raven locks to gently try to pull his lover away.

"Enough, Yusuke," Kurama huffed in a strained tone but Yusuke refused to budge despite the pressure on his scalp from Kurama's fingers. Nothing riles him up better than being able to push the usually calm-as-a-cucumber Kurama to the edge of fulfillment. Fastening his fingers into Kurama's hips, Yusuke rhythmically bobbed his head up and down, struggling to keep his eyes open even if they tore up from the abuse he was imposing upon his mouth because he wanted to feast his eyes on this version of Kurama he rarely sees: narrowed golden green eyes, nostrils flaring, cheeks tinged with the tender pink of sakura blossoms, lips slightly parted like a rosebud that is just beginning to bloom while his silver mane is spread out around him like some ethereal halo as he writhes under Yusuke in a mixture of anticipation and frustration especially when Yusuke released his aching member with a lewd pop.

“Can I?” Yusuke asked politely as he circled the tight ring of muscles with his hesitant index finger. He knew that Kurama used a certain kind of lubricant earlier but he was so caught up in the wonderful head he was being given that he barely noticed anything during that time.

“Use these. I got them from the convenience store earlier while you slept,” Kurama said as he threw down some stainless sachets that he had taken from under the pillow. He is not sure if Yusuke would be comfortable seeking assistance from his demonic plants for this purpose.  Yusuke picked up the sachets and squinted to read the instructions in the package.

“So I just slick up before putting it in, right? Fingers and my…” Yusuke wondered aloud as he tore open the packet of lube using his fangs. Kurama bit the inside of his cheek to keep himself from smiling stupidly at the long-haired mazoku, markings and all, trying to figure out how to use lube.

“Coat it before you stick it in, that’s the basic principle,” Kurama propped himself by his elbows so he could see what Yusuke was doing.

“I see. Sorry for being so dumb about these things,” Yusuke murmured remorsefully as he gingerly coated his fingers with the cool and slippery substance.

“I actually find it endearing that all of your firsts are with me, Yusuke. Nothing is sexier than that,” Kurama drawled in his low baritone that went straight to Yusuke’s groin.

“I’m putting in a finger now, Kurama,” Yusuke warned softly as he tenderly inserted a slippery finger inside Kurama. The kitsune gasped at the sudden intrusion but immediately willed himself to relax.

“You don’t need to be too gentle with me, Yusuke. This body is not as frail as Suichi’s body,” Kurama scoffed as he wrapped his long limbs around Yusuke’s narrow waist to pull him closer.

“Let me try to remember what you did earlier, Kurama,” Yusuke pointedly resisted Kurama's pull but Kurama's legs wouldn't budge

“Yusukeee, you’re teasing me,” Kurama whining in that low gravelly voice of his would never be not funny for Yusuke that he wished he could have recorded it and used it as his ringtone.

“You’re hotter when you’re all riled up, I’m putting in another one,” Yusuke murmured silkily as he withdrew his forefinger so he could reinsert it with his middle finger while his tongue licked against a beaded nipple.

“Hurry, “ Kurama seemed like he was running out of air as he panted breathlessly while Yusuke's hands and tongue worked their magic on his body.

"I think I like bossy Kurama a lot. And that deep voice gives me goosebumps,” Yusuke stealthily coated his hardness with the cool slippery substance before aligning it against the entrance he was scissoring open with his other hand while ravishing Kurama’s chest with his mouth.

“Stop teasing or I will pin you do…” Kurama had his voice stolen from him when Yusuke entered him in one smooth thrust. Turned out, he was just distracting the kitsune with all that talk and ministrations because he wanted to catch him off guard.

“Gotcha, Fox Boy. Damn, you feel so tight and warm inside,” Yusuke whispered breathlessly as he willed himself to hold back from making full thrusts. He pulled back to make eye contact while subtly wiggling his hips instead to burrow deeper into the intoxicating heat. He braced himself using his forearms to prevent his lover from bearing his full weight while the black curtain of his mane covered their naked upper torsos.

“Move, Yusuke. You won’t break me, don’t hold back,” Kurama reached out to lovingly trace the markings on the mazoku’s face with his long nails. The demon markings did little to diminish Yusuke’s boyish charms. He thought fondly as he absently licked his lips and adjusted his hips to find a better angle that would work for both of them.

“I won’t! Fuck, I’ve been fantasizing about this for years,” Yusuke exclaimed breathlessly as he lazily rolled his hips without taking his eyes away from the kitsune’s handsome face. He may look different from Suichi but my demon core years for this being just the same. The eyes might be fooled but the heart would always know. Yusuke thought absently as he started to rhythmically roll his hips against Kurama’s welcoming warmth.  

"That makes two of us. Fuck, you're amazing for someone who hasn't done this before," Kurama wrapped his long legs tighter around Yusuke’s waist, the heel of his feet digging against the mazoku’s thighs.

“You of all people should know how fast I learn and adapt,” Yusuke tried to pace his thrusts as he didn't want to come too soon. He slid his hands up the length of Kurama's arms so he could intertwine their fingers.

“Yes, please,” Kurama squeezed Yusuke's fingers like he was clinging for dear life as the mazoku’s pace gradually quickened.

“Fierce as a fox yet still proper like a top-ranking student. Your duality would never cease to amaze me, Kurama,” Yusuke muttered breathlessly as he hovered over his bigger lover, his jet-black tresses forming a black curtain around their faces.

“I’m flattered, mazoku. You can go faster and harder now, I won’t complain,” Kurama retorted airily as he untangled his limbs from Yusuke's waist so he could brace them against the mattress.

“Brace yourself, kitsune. I’m not holding back now,” Yusuke lifted Kurama's hips before entering him again, pounding at him so relentlessly that the bed started to creak like crazy.

“Yessss, please don’t! Please don’t stop,” Kurama arched his back as the new angle managed to help Yusuke reach places inside of him that were previously untouched.

“Are you close, Kurama?” Beads of perspiration trickled down Yusuke’s chin and fell into Kurama’s chest as the mazoku braced himself over Kurama by pinning the kitsune’s hands on either side of his face.

“How about you?” Kurama answered evasively as he didn't want Yusuke to think that he was unable to bring him fulfillment.

“I can manage,” Yusuke retorted cryptically as he didn't want Kurama to feel like he wasn't enjoying this as much as he was. He wanted to last longer than Kurama this time.

“Let’s switch things up a little, shall we?” Kurama smirked before suddenly sitting up, surprising Yusuke who suddenly ended up sprawled on the mattress beneath the kitsune.

“What the…” Yusuke’s shock and anger at the sudden shift in position instantly dissipated when Kurama started to purposefully ride him. Yusuke’s breath got caught in his throat at the sinful sight: Kurama repeatedly impaling himself in Yusuke’s rock-hard maleness, his nails digging into Yusuke’s chest, nostrils flared in the heat of his passion, golden eyes hooded, high cheekbones flushed beet red down to the long, slim neck. Kurama absently bit his lower lip as he relished the feeling of being pierced repeatedly from below by his lover’s hardness.

“There’s more than one way to skin a cat, Yusuke. Fuck, you feel so good,” Kurama murmured huskily as he threw his head back in a mixture of agony and ecstasy, his silver tresses bouncing on his shoulders from the rhythmic undulating.

"You're so beautiful you take my breath away," Yusuke whispered in awe as he let his calloused palms caress the strong thighs that were straddling him. He never realized that they could do it in this position but he likes learning new things. 

“Glad I do,” Kurama retorted in a huff as his movements started to turn erratic. Judging from the energetic way the kitsune’s tail wags behind him, Yusuke can sense that Kurama is close so he reached out to touch the latter’s weeping erection bouncing on his abdomen.

"Let me help you with this, Kurama," Yusuke said in a strained tone as he could also feel his release approaching. He wants to discover how Kurama would feel around his hardness when he climaxes first.

“Hold me, please,” Kurama almost sobbed as Yusuke timed his pumps with his thrusts to meet Kurama’s movements. Yusuke responded by pulling himself up in a sitting position and pulling the kitsune close by the shoulders using his free hand.

"Not letting you go, Fox Boy," Yusuke whispered against Kurama's fox ears, pulling the latter close by the shoulders while continuing to fist him even as Kurama's movements turned sloppy due to his impending release. Gently, Yusuke pushed their intertwined bodies down into the mattress so that he was on top once more.

"Please let me come, Yusuke," Kurama pleaded as Yusuke hooked one of his lover's legs over his shoulder, allowing him to go deeper from a different angle without his wrists breaking the rhythmic pumping of the kitsune’s engorged member.

"Come for me, Kurama," Yusuke whispered hoarsely as he was also nearing his limit. As he feared that he wouldn't last long enough, he felt warmth coat his fingers as Kurama came with a keen, piercing shout muffled against the mazoku’s shoulder. With Kurama’s insides spasming around him, Yusuke followed him over with a breathless shout as he painted the kitsune's insides with his seed; the orgasm was so powerful he shook violently and his vision turned white as Kurama's hair when he came.

“We’re like Yin and Yang,” Kurama whispered shyly out of nowhere as he lovingly caressed his lover’s chest with both hands, noting how his pale skin and hair looked next to Yusuke’s ebony tresses and tanned complexion with dark markings slowly fading away.

“We have always been the perfect match,” Yusuke hummed happily as he gently pulled out of Kurama’s abused entrance. His seed oozed out of the reddened skin and dripped into the sheets but he didn’t mind.  He rubbed their cheeks together in one of their non-kisses before standing and surveying the stickiness covering his abdomen.

“You need a shower, Yusuke. I took mine earlier while you slept,” Kurama commented good-naturedly as he lay on the bed sated and exhausted but also feeling exuberant. So this is how making love is different from simply having sex. He thought giddily as his silver tresses slowly bled back to the crimson mane Shuichi had the moment his body morphed back to his human form.

“Now, I need to get rid of all this hair again,” Yusuke lamented in mock annoyance as he ran his fingers through tangled raven locks. He can never understand how Kurama keeps his hair untangled and tidy even after fierce battles and after their passionate romp.

“I’ll cut it for you like I always do,” Kurama said simply as he got up from the bed and motioned to Yusuke to sit on a nearby chair where the mazoku likes to drape his laundry after taking them off.

“Did you know I got painfully hard when you cut my hair last time?” Yusuke asked shyly as he sat naked on the chair Kurama indicated after removing the clothes draped there earlier and depositing them on the laundry basket.

“Really? I never noticed. Or maybe because I never thought that your body would react that way to my presence,” Kurama also didn’t bother with clothes as fashioned out a blade from the steel-like leaves of a demonic plant he conjured from a seed he plucked from his mane.

"It's not just your presence. It's everything about you; your nearness, your smell, the pressure of your fingers on my scalp, the sound of your voice…that's when I realized that I was in trouble. It added to the crisis I was experiencing at that time," Yusuke surveyed his and Kurama's nakedness on the full-length mirror he was facing at the moment. He instinctively covered his crotch using both hands to hide his semi-erection in the direction his thoughts went.

“About being reborn as a yokai and suddenly feeling like a square peg in a round hole?” Kurama said in a patient tone as he swiftly cut off the shiny raven locks using the improvised knife.

“Yeah, you know all about that because you are the only one who understood how I felt,” Yusuke hummed thoughtfully as he looked at the growing mound of black hair on his feet.

“I’m glad you got past that phase fast enough,” Kurama sighed in relief as he surveyed his handiwork. I did a better job this time. Maybe I should explore being a barber next? He thought with an amused smile.

“You know me, I hate overthinking. I would rather keep my mind and body busy than mop around just because I turned out to be one of the entities I have been fighting as a Spirit Detective,” Yusuke turned this way and that to gauge how much Kurama was able to cut off and was silently relieved that it was close enough to his current hairstyle and his kitchen staff would not notice anything out of the ordinary especially once he dons his cook’s hat at the start of the day.

“That’s what I really admire about you, Yusuke. Your ability to bounce back no matter how devastating or crushing the experience was. I guess resiliency and tenacity runs in your blood,” Kurama said as he dutifully started to vacuum the hair out of the carpet using Yusuke’s vacuum cleaner which was a gift from Shiori and Kazuyu when the former Spirit Detective got this place.

“Don’t distract me, kitsune. I have to prepare for work in a couple of hours,” Yusuke's tone suddenly turned grim and Kurama turned to him in confusion as he was putting the vacuum cleaner back in the closet where it was always hidden.

“What do you mean? I wasn’t trying to distract you from anything,” Kurama closed the closet and leaned on it, suddenly realizing that they were both still naked as a newborn.

“What are we now, Kurama? Please don’t tell me we can remain as friends because after everything we did to each other last night, “being friends” just don’t cut it anymore,” Yusuke crossed his arms over his sturdy chest as he placed his weight on one foot.

“I know. We are lovers now in every sense of the word,” Kurama said in a calm and quiet tone as he approached the standing Yusuke with added spring to his steps.

“That’s more like it! No more running away, huh?” Yusuke strode purposefully toward Kurama, meeting him halfway instead of waiting for the kitsune to reach him.

“No more running away…beloved,” Kurama placed his arms around Yusuke’s neck before smiling at the latter beatifically.

“Awww, it still gives me goosebumps whenever you call me that but don’t misunderstand. I like it as much as I love you,” Yusuke pulled Kurama closer by the waist and tiptoed slightly so he could plant a chaste kiss on the taller man's lips.

“Yusuke…I love you too,” Kurama said with much emotion before pulling Yusuke into a crushing embrace after their lips parted.

“The hell you should! I already registered the diner’s name. I ain’t changing it no more,” Yusuke declared stubbornly even if his demon core was pulsating wildly in celebration.

“You say the darnest things and it makes you too cute…hey, what are you doing?” Kurama yelped when Yusuke suddenly seized his waist and the underside of his knees.

“I’m bringing you to the shower with me, we’ll clean up together,” Yusuke huffed determinedly as he carried Kurama in the way he did after the kitsune’s horribly lopsided match against the sweaty Baken. This time though, they don’t have millions of yokais in attendance.

“Just clean up?” Kurama tightened his arms around Yusuke's neck as he gazed at those brown orbs with a teasing glint in his green eyes.

“It’s your call, Fox Boy. You know I can’t say no to you,” Yusuke smirked in that signature cocky expression of his that had Kurama falling for him all over again.

“Because you love me so much?” Kurama asked coyly, his bright green eyes sparkling in mirth.

“Because I love you so much, you dumb Fox Boy,” Yusuke relented in an annoyed and embarrassed tone that Kurama couldn’t help but throw his head back in gleeful triumphant laughter even as they entered the bathroom with him still being carried in Yusuke’s strong arms. We all know what happens after the bathroom door clicks shut.

Author’s note:

Whew, it finally ended! Thank you for reading!