Disclaimer: I don't own Saiyuki or any of the characters in the anime or manga. That honor belongs to Kazuya Minekura.

Yaone shut the water off and wrung out the excess water from her long hair. Opening the shower curtain, she grabbed the smaller of the two towels that she had set out and wrapped up her long hair. Stepping out on the bath mat, picking up the large, plush towel, she dried herself off and wrapped it around herself. After brushing her teeth and moisturizing her face, Yaone left the steamy bathroom and went into their bedroom.

Hakkai was laying on the bed, reading one of his many books. Reclining on the bed, only wearing a pair of boxers, Hakkai smiled at Yaone before hiding back behind his book.

Yaone's eyes fell on the center of the bed. There was a small bowl sitting smack dab in the center of the bed. Inside the bowl, there was a towel, shaving cream and a razor.

"Hakkai? What are the shaving supplies for? You plan on shaving in our bedroom?" She grinned at him, their eyes meeting in the big mirror.

Hakkai tossed the book aside. "No, not exactly." He moved the bowl to the night stand and sat in the center of the bed. Spreading his long legs, he patted the sheets between his legs. "I'll comb your hair, if you'd like."

Picking up a wide tooth comb, Yaone unwrapped the towel from her head and her damp hair fell around her shoulders. It was so heavy when it was wet and she had been toying with the idea of cutting it but she didn't know how Hakkai felt about that. He loved to comb her hair and braid it before they went to bed. Sighing, Yaone sat down between her husband's legs, crossing her legs and waiting for the first touch of the comb through her long locks.

They were silent as Hakkai began to comb through Yaone's hair. Starting at the bottom, he worked through the damp locks, picking out the snarls with his fingers so he didn't hurt her. Her hair was so long, falling below her waist to the top of her hips.

"I'm going to cut my hair." The comb faltered in her hair for just a second. "It's too long and it's too much to take care of. When I lived at Hotou castle, I had a woman whose job it was to take care of my hair and nails." Looking at the neatly trimmed nails, Yaone sucked on her bottom lip waiting for Hakkai's opinion.

Kougaiji had always treated her as a servant, never as a woman with a valid opinion. She and Hakkai had been married for several months and known each longer than that. There was still a little bit of the old shy Yaone in her. The Yaone who felt the need to get Hakkai's ok on everything in their lives and she hated that part of herself. She guessed that all of the years apart from Kougaiji still hadn't driven that frightened Yaone out of her but with Hakkai's love and patience, that shy Yaone would soon be nothing more than a bad memory.

"It's fine with me if you want to cut your hair." The comb stopped again, Hakkai working out another snarl in her hair. "It's your hair, sweetheart. How short are you thinking about going?"

"What would you think if I got half of the length cut off?" She turned to look at Hakkai.

Smiling, Hakkai winked at her. "You would look beautiful no matter what the length of your hair is." He kissed her softly. "When you're on top when we make love, I love when you lean forward, your hair falling around us, like a curtain. Blocking out everything but your face. If you cut it to half of the length that you have now, you can still trap me with your hair." Fingers loosened the towel around her, dropping it to the bed and Hakkai's fingers traced her jawline. "Your hair hides so much of your body, teasing me with only glimpses of your breasts."

Their mouths met, hot and wet as Hakkai's kiss threatened to consume her. Long fingers danced over her skin, moving down to cup a plump breast. Moaning into his mouth, Yaone arched her back for more of Hakkai's touch. Breaking the kiss, he turned her away from him, the comb back in her hair, moving smoothly and quickly to finish the job. Once all the tangles were out, Hakkai quickly braided Yaone's hair, his body reacting to her scent. She was aroused, there was no doubt about it and he wanted to bury himself in her wetness but there was something he wanted to do first. Hands shaking, Hakkai hoped that she wouldn't think he was some kind of deviant when he broached the subject to her.

Braid finished, Hakkai began to caress the gray eyed youkai's shoulders. "Do you remember telling me how you'd like to be nice and smooth?" Moving his hand around to her belly, going lower until he was fingering Yaone's center, Hakkai continued his gentle assault on the youkai's shoulders. "How you would love to shave but you were concerned about your nails?"

Shuddering under Hakkai's touch, Yaone managed a nod, her mind racing, her body growing wetter as those impossibly long fingers circled her clit. She lay back against his body, his hardness pressed firmly against her as she shifted to give him better access to her clit.

A gentle bite at the juncture of her shoulder sent shivers up and down her spine. Suddenly, the warmth of Hakkai's chest was gone from her back and he was standing at the end of the bed. He lay a towel down at the end of the bed.

"Sit here." Hakkai kissed the tip of her nose, leaving the room to fill the bowl with water.

Yaone sat down on the towel and lay back on the bed, her legs over the edge of the bed. All of a sudden, it hit her what they were doing and she could feel her body responding. The palms of her hands suddenly were slick with moisture and her heart skipped a beat at the thought of her husband performing such an intimate task.

Returning with a bowl of warm water, Hakkai looked at Yaone, a soft smile on his face.
"Put your heels on the bed, sweetheart." Kneeling at the end of the bed, Hakkai helped Yaone position her legs just the way he wanted. "Let your legs fall to the side. It will be easier to shave you." Warm breath inched up on the inside of her thighs, his fingers following his mouth. "You're so beautiful."

A hot, wet tongue teased her flesh. Sweeping over her clean skin, licking her vulva as Hakkai got closer to her center. Arching her back, Yaone pressed herself into Hakkai's mouth, moaning as his tongue got more insistent, more strong and then suddenly, that wicked tongue was flicking and circling her clit.

After a few seconds, Hakkai drew back, licked his lips and bent down, picked up the shaving gel and squirted some into the palm of his hand.

"What scent is that?" Yaone picked her upper body off the bed and peered at Hakkai.

"Vanilla." Hakkai smiled up at his wife.

"Vanilla? Not very erotic, is….it…..?" Yaone held her breath, waiting for the first stoke from Hakkai. Her body fell back on the bed as Hakkai finally touched her, those long fingers slowly stroking over her soft flesh, teasing her as he pressed lightly in some areas and harder in others.

"Perhaps not to you." Hakkai wiped his hands on a towel and picked up the razor. "To me, however, the scent of vanilla always reminded me of you when we were apart. You use vanilla in some of your alchemic compositions, along with a spice that I can't quite place." Placing the razor on the top of Yaone's pubic bone, Hakkai began to shave. White lather collected on the razor, little black hairs interspersed with the foam.

"The first time we met, you smelled like vanilla." Another stroke with the razor. "That scent filled my nose and when I turned to look for the source of the smell, my eyes fell on you. You were being bothered by those men and I pushed the ashtray to Gojyo and he was the one that threw it at them." Water splashing in the bowl as Hakkai rinsed the razor. "When we met again and you asked me to battle you, I again caught that distinct scent of vanilla."

How could Hakkai affect her so much with just his words and a little touch? It had always been this way with him. From the first time they met, Hakkai had always treated her with respect and gentleness. Not like Kougaiji, who only treated her like a servant and not like a woman. Hakkai had always seen that she was a woman first, an alchemist second and slowly, the two had fallen in love.

"So, what you're saying is, you get excited when you smell vanilla?" Yaone let out a breathless laugh after she made that comment.

Hakkai chuckled, dipping the razor in the bowl and washing away the lather once more. Starting at the top again, he began to shave. Long, smooth strokes against Yaone's soft, silky skin, the black hairs disappearing and the bare skin coming into view.

"No, I don't get excited when I smell vanilla. I get excited when I smell the scent of vanilla on you. Now hold still, I've got to get into your folds." Moving her outer lips, Hakkai gently scraped the razor over Yaone's flesh. "You're so wet." Hakkai almost growled the words out.

"I know." Gripping the sheets, Yaone moaned out the confession. "You and only you do this to me. It's your voice, so soft and so erotic." She wanted to press her body into Hakkai's touch but he wasn't finished with her yet. His hands, still slightly rough from all the years on the road, created a delicious sensation as they moved over her skin. Almost breathless, Yaone tried to calm her breathing but Hakkai's mouth was so close to her center and she could feel hot puffs of his breath on her bare skin.

Swishing the razor around in the water, Hakkai checked Yaone once again, making sure he didn't miss any spots. Without a word, he stood and went into the bathroom that was connected to their room and dumped out the water. His hands shook as he quickly finished the task. Hard and aching for his wife's body, Hakkai tossed the shaving supplies in the sink. He would take care of them later. Grabbing a clean towel, wetting it, Hakkai went back into their bedroom.

Kneeling again, he cleaned Yaone, his hands wandering over her heated flesh, her moans making his blood run hot. She was dripping wet and he gave up cleaning her. He needed her now.

Raising her head, Yaone watched as her husband quickly cleaned her and then, tossed the towel somewhere in the room. As if she was prey, Hakkai crawled over the end of the bed, his eyes a deep emerald green, kissing her as they moved up to the top of the bed.

"Are we finished?" Running her hands over his shoulders and back, the muscles of his back bunching and relaxing as he covered her, Yaone let her hands drift to the waistband of his boxers.

"No." He breathed the word against her mouth. "Not by a long shot, sweetheart."

The boxers were shed and he was over her again. There would be no long sweet lovemaking tonight for they were both shuddering, kissing as if it was to be their last kiss. Tongues thrust against one another, hands were everywhere. Hakkai's limiters thrummed with power, holding his true form back only barely.

One long, powerful stroke and he was inside her. Gasping, arching her back, Yaone moaned out a yes, her trimmed youkai claws leaving bright red lines on his back. Hakkai was still for a moment and she whispered nonsense words in his ear, begging him to move.

Pulling almost all the way out, he thrust back into her heat, her walls gripping him tightly as he moved within her. He wanted to set a easy pace but he couldn't for his need was too great. He was positive he told her loved her over and over as his body cried for release but he couldn't be sure. The scent of vanilla surrounded him, along with her feminine scent, driving him closer and closer to the edge. Soft breasts brushed against his chest, her gently swollen belly canted up to meet his scarred belly.

Harsh breathing filled her ears. Her hips eagerly met each of his deep thrusts and he hit her clit with each stroke. The first fluttering of her walls told her that it wouldn't be long until she reached her peak, taking Hakkai with her. Moving a leg up, Yaone hooked it around Hakkai's sharp hipbones and he went deeper in her.

Soon, the bedroom was filled with their cries. Yaone came, her soft cries and moans in Hakkai's ear. One more stroke and he was falling with her. He stilled above her, his arms braced so he wouldn't hurt her as he came. Head down, sweat dripping from his brow onto her collarbone, he gulped in air, trying to fill his starving lungs.

Hakkai couldn't hold himself up anymore and he withdrew, laying down beside her. A hand automatically went to caress her belly. "I wasn't too rough, was I?"

Smoothing the worried lines on his brow, Yaone smiled at him. "Your son or daughter is youkai. It would take a lot more than making love with you to hurt them." A tiny kick surprised her. "Put you hand right here." She moved his hand lower a bit and after a few minutes, Hakkai was rewarded with a tiny fluttering under his palm.

Yaone had been feeling the tiny kicks and squirms for a month now but the baby was big enough that Hakkai could finally feel the babe move. They lay that way for a bit, just the two of them. The little one rolled from one side of Yaone's womb to the other.

"I hope it's a girl." Hakkai covered them up with the blankets and lay back down.

Yawning, Yaone snuggled closer to her husband. "I don't care if it's a boy or girl as long as it's healthy. I would like the baby to have your eyes." Yaone's eyes drifted shut and she was soon asleep.

Hakkai watched her sleep for a few moments. Never in his life after losing Kanan, did he think he could find happiness again, then, this gentle, sweet woman came into his life. Enemies at first, they soon had become friends and then, lovers. Yaone had shocked everyone at the end of the final battle, announcing to a stunned Kougaiji that while she loved and admired him, her life was with Hakkai now.

Another kick and a roll from their child brought Hakkai's thoughts back to the present. As he drifted off to sleep, Hakkai thought that perhaps his wife's gray eyes would look just as beautiful on their child.