Disclaimer: I don't own Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan

Elegance

"Mm…" Yura moans, fluttering her eyelids open to see a hooded face. Her burry vision returns to normal, after she blinks her heavy eyelids several times. "You're…"

"Good evening, Onmyoji girl." Shoei said, shifting his hooded face to look down at her in his sturdy arms. There is a small smile that corners his smooth-looking full lips. His alluring red highlight fringes sweetly brush over his cheeks and continue to fully cover his right eye. "You know, you're really quite light-weight." He adds, as he still is carrying her in his arms.

Yura shifts her gaze away from staring into Shoei's snake-like left eye. She combs her fingers through her loose strand behind her right ear, as she is being carried bridal style in a firm grasp. "You know," She starts, sidelong glancing at him. "You can put me down. I can walk the rest of the way."

"Your left ankle is swollen red, Onmyoji girl."

Yura grimaces, when she tries to motion her left ankle. "I'm fine." She proclaims, squirming in his arms. "I've been through a lot worst. Let me go, Yokai! I can handle a tiny sprained ankle."

The young Kanto Great Ape clan head stops dead in his tracks. His sturdy arms re-shuffle her petite body frame in a firmer grasp. "Quit squirming, Onmyoji girl!" He roars, angrily.

"Put me down, Yokai!"

"Tch." Shoei releases a deep growl from his throat. He averts his gaze ahead of them. "I'm only half-Yokai."

"That's a lie!" Yura proclaims, still squirming in his arms. "I don't believe a word you say, Yokai."

"My mother is human." Shoei bluntly said, refusing to look at Yura. He resumes to walk down the sidewalk.

"What?" Yura said, stopping herself from squirming in his grasp. "How?" She demands an explanation, as she blinks her eyelashes. Her gaze looks up at the Yokai still holding her in his arms.

"I have been tasked with safeguarding you, Onmyoji girl."

"What? By whom?" Yura questions, as her eyelids widen in astonishment.

Shoei raises his left brow at Yura. The answer is really quite obvious to answer.

Yura gasps. "N-Nura,"

Shoei forces himself to ignore those visible rosy-colored cheeks of Yura's. He tilts his head from her eyesight. In the back of his thoughts, there is a faint and silent memory that resurfaces inside the back of his mind. This memory is of Yura in her elegant triple fusion that uses a combination of three shikigami. Those red fringes now shadow his eyes from sight and his hood drapes over his faint rosy cheeks as he starts blushing. 'How did Father feel when he met Mother?' Shoei thought to himself of how his parents first meet and how they both managed to fall in love with another. The pace of his heart quickens at the thought of 'falling in love'. There is such unbelievable warmth that fills his insides.

"Um… Why are your cheeks flushed?"

"Huh?" Shoei blinks his eyelids after returning to reality from his train of thoughts. He sidelong glances at the owlish gaze of the Onmyoji girl in his arms. After clearing his throat, he averts his gaze to the now empty sidewalk. The streetlight being the only bright nightlight for their pathway. "Elegance."

"What?"

"You're really beautiful with longer hair, Onmyoji girl." Shoei admits, a matter-of-factly.

Yura gasps, covering her face with her palms to hide her blushing face from Shoei's snake-like gaze. "T-That's a lie, Yokai!"

"I'm being totally honest." Shoei said, curtly.

"No way." Yura said, peeking from between her fingers. She no longer feels hostile resistance towards the Kanto Great Ape clan head, Shoei. And, she allows him to carry her bridal style all the way home that is down the empty sidewalk. "Thank you," Yura whispers not too sure of what his name is.

"Shoei." He answers her.

"Shoei," Yura repeats, fondly. She nestles her head on his forearm. Her eyelids surrender to a peaceful slumber.

"Elegance." Shoei whispers, admiring the strong-willed Onmyoji girl's slumbering frame nestled in his arms. The warmth inside his chest starts to melt his heart at the Onmyoji girl's sleeping frame. "Father, I understand this feeling that you had for Mother. I feel the same for this Onmyoji girl."

Ekosi.

AN: This is a one-shot of Yura x Shoei. Since Yura didn't end up with Yokai Rikuo. ('friendship zone'). I started to like this idea of Shoei x Yura becoming an item. Even though, these two never interact in Anime or in Manga. T.T It is more of the manga volume 23 (my personal favourite) that inspired this story between Shoei x Yura. Yura is really beautiful with longer hair and have an elegant appearance, when she is in her triple shikigami form.