Wow, I got a lot of reviews last chapter. Sorry it was so short, I didn't realize quite how short it was or I would've made it a bit longer. All these reviews have inspired me to write this chapter sooner. I hope this chapter will make up for the last one.
Unfortunately, it is now against the rules to answer reviews. There is a petition going around to stop it and until it works, I will just put the answer to any questions before the story.
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It's a Secret: Chapter 12
Without pausing to allow Yomi to speak, Youko raised his weapons menacingly. "Leave right now and I'll spare your life." He snarled, furious that Yomi had disobeyed his command. Something in Yomi's eyes seemed different, they were kind of glazed over.
Pure desperation drove Yomi now, all sense had left him. During his apprenticeship to the thief, he had learned a great many things. He thought he knew the fox pretty well, and believed that they were perfect for one another. That was why he was so jealous when Youko and Kuronue announced their strengthening of the mating bond. Now he didn't have even a chance of being close to the fox.
That heist had been a foolish attempt at winning the fox's affections. Instead, the fox he admired for being so cold and strong showed weakness by caring for the bandits he had lost. In Yomi's mind, the possibility that Youko valued the bandits lives more than treasure never even occurred to him. Now he had been banished, and he had nowhere to go. He had to get back into the band, and was willing to risk returning to do it.
Yomi just stood there, then he slowly spread his arms out to either side of him, leaving himself completely vulnerable. "You wouldn't attack me, would you?" Yomi asked, a slightly slurred sound in his speech. He's drunk! Youko realized with surprise. In all the time Yomi had been with them, he hadn't once gotten drunk.
Youko sighed, because Yomi was drunk, and Youko hadn't actually decided to kill him yet, his only option was to throw him out again. So Youko tossed his whips aside, and picked Yomi up, throwing him over his shoulders. He marched out of the cave and around the camp, making sure nobody saw them. During this he had to repeatedly fend off Yomi's attempts to pet his ears, the demon was very persistent. He ran a while until he came to a river quite a distance from the camp.(Yes, Yomi was heavy, but he's Youko.) Then he unceremoniously dumped his former apprentice in the river.
He watched with amusement as Yomi flopped around, he kept swinging his arms in the weirdest way to stay above the water. "Goodbye Yomi, don't come back." he said, turning and vanishing into the trees.
The next day, Kuro was fully recovered, though Youko was still pointlessly concerned about his mate. They took all of his old teachers, as well as Akiko, and were walking around the camp in a group. Basically they were checking on the security of the place before the thieves chosen for the theft would leave.
Youko was explaining spirit circles to Nori, who had quite an interest in ancient treasures and spells, when a faint scent reached his nose. He wouldn't! Youko inwardly moaned. "Youko are you in there?" Nori asked, waving a hand in front of Youko's face.
Normally Youko would have had made some witty response, but today he just nodded his head, a faraway look in his eyes. Kuronue caught this, and couldn't help but be suspicious about what was going on in his lovers head. He started to come over. Before he could reach them, however Youko left, saying to continue without him. "What was that about?" Kuro asked Nori. He just shrugged. Kuronue looked off in the direction that Youko had gone with a sense of dread.
Youko whizzed through the forest, searching for the source of the smell, hoping he was wrong, all the while knowing he wasn't. It took him a surprisingly long time to find him, and by the time he did, the others were starting to worry. Well, at least Kuronue was. That's why he decided to go look for his fox.
Youko finally found who he was searching for. Sprawled out on the ground at the bottom of a short cliff was a mysteriously clothes less Yomi. "You really have to stop doing this." he muttered, preparing to climb down to the unconscious demon. It looked like he fell off the cliff. That was strange, considering that by the time he got to the cliff, his drunkenness would have faded, so he shouldn't have fallen.
He made his way down the cliff, but in the process a rock that was sticking out from it snagged in his shirt. Due to a sticky substance that he didn't really want to know the source of, he couldn't get it unsnagged. So he slipped out of his shirt and fell the rest of the way to the ground, landing gracefully on his feet. As he landed, Yomi was starting to get up.
Due to the fact that he was still drunk, Yomi didn't remember much about being kicked out or Youko throwing him in the river. All he saw in his eyes was a gorgeous Kitsune in front of him. A kitsune who happened to be shirtless, he assumed that the shirtless part was because of him. Then when he realized he was completely clothes less, he thought that they were in the middle of something right now. (He's drunk, his brain isn't working right.)
Youko walked over to him, "Why are your eyes still blank like that?" Youko asked him. But he soon saw another emotion fill the demon's eyes completely, lust. Oh great, yet another idiot who gets like that just at the sight of me. I know I'm the second most beautiful creature in Makai, but really, he needs some self control. (Kuro he considers more beautiful than himself.)
Yomi was sitting up now. He looked into the kitsune's eyes, they were a beautiful golden color. In his mind those eyes were the ones full of lust. He decided that he would continue where they had clearly 'left off'. Yomi reached up and pulled the fox onto him. Then, before Youko could act, Yomi pulled him down into a kiss. Youko caught the taste of a Makai Passionflower on his breath the instant their lips touched.
Kuronue had been following the bond to his love when he felt the kiss. Just as he did, he also found Youko. Time seemed to stand still, Youko was partially undressed, Yomi's naked form beneath him. One of Youko's legs was in between Yomi's, his arms on either side of him. Yomi's hands were around Youko's head, and their lips were locked in a kiss. Kuronue felt so many emotions run through his body at once, surprise, anger, grief, betrayal, and hurt.
Youko was disgusted, Yomi had just kissed him. As quickly as he could, he pulled his head away from the demon. As his head came up, it turned towards that cliff, and the figure at the top of it. Kuronue? Youko's eyes widened in shock as he met his love's tearful gaze. Before he could react, Kuronue turned and ran away.
(Kuro's P.O.V. For the first time)
"They were kissing. But he said Yomi was gone. And sure, I knew Yomi liked him, but I didn't think he'd actually betray his own leader and do this either. How could he, Youko is my mate! How could they do this to me? I never really liked Yomi, I only let him stay for Youko's sake. He trusted the boy, apparently a little too much. Wait a second, that last kiss I sensed Youko receive. Was that Yomi too? Has this happened before, did Youko really lie to me?
Flashbacks
Youko lay next to Kuronue in bed, an arm around his bare shoulders. "Hey butterfly, are you really ready to do this?" Kuro looked at him in question. "To give up all of your other lovers permanently, I mean."
Kuro replied with fake haughtiness, "I'm fine with it, it's you who might not be able to handle it." Youko grinned. "Don't worry about that, I'm used to you." Kuronue leaned in and nibbled on Youko's ear. "Yes, I trained you well didn't I." He laughed at the faked offense on Youko's face. "We should really prepare for the auction now foxy boy." Kuronue told him.
Youko grinned. "Yes, so you go flutter your wings over to the bath and clean up." Youko told him. "Flutter?" Kuronue replied indignantly. "Yes, flutter, just consider that payback for the well trained comment." Youko said grinning. Kuronue couldn't help but laugh at the fox's playful mood.
End Flashback1-
Kuronue ran, tears flowing at the memories flashing through his mind.
now number 2
Yomi had just been admitted to the band as Youko's second apprentice. There was a bit of a party in the camp that night to celebrate. Most of the bandits were drunk or otherwise occupied. Yomi, Youko, and Kuronue were sitting together around the fire. Yomi's eyes just kept running over Youko's body, and it greatly annoyed Kuro. "Would you quit that already?" he snapped.
Yomi immediately came to focus on Kuronue, giving him a look that said it all. He was forced to obey Kuro, but he wanted Kuro's number one possession, meaning Youko. The look Yomi continued to give him was incredibly annoying, and Youko seemed oblivious to it.
"So, oh lord of sensual beauty and grace," Yomi said, turning to Youko "what kind of training will I go through now."
Youko grinned at the way Yomi addressed him. "That's so cute, you admire my beauty." Youko teased, his cold face still up, but more relaxed as he was in a playful mood. "I think we'll do some basic fighting practice tomorrow." he said in response to Yomi's question.
"Oh does that mean that I get to see the great Youko Kurama in training clothes?" Yomi said slyly. Youko laughed. "If you're a good little boy, of course I'll grace you with my beauty." he said, a serious look on his face. Kuro could already tell it was a mistake to bring Yomi into the band.
End flashback 2
Kuronue continued to flee from his mate, now flying above the forest where Youko couldn't see him.
now final flashback
Yomi and Youko stood facing each other in fighting stances. Kuronue sat watching them. "Ready?" Youko asked. Yomi nodded. They charged at each other, Youko crouched down and swept Yomi's feet out from under him. Instead of falling backwards, Yomi pushed himself forward, using Youko as a cushion. It seemed to Kuro that he remained there longer than necessary before springing up. As they sparred, Kuro noticed that Yomi kept getting as close as possible to Youko, and making skin contact more than necessary.
Youko caught Yomi in a headlock. Yomi pressed backwards against him, then slipped down out of his arms before Youko could pull his arms tighter. He turned and grabbed Youko's ankles, pulling them out from under him. Youko quickly maneuvered his hands and did a back flip, landing gracefully on his feet.
Kuro sat there glaring at Yomi when Takeshi came up behind him. "He's very skilled, Youko has found himself a first rate apprentice." the cat observed. Kuro growled slightly, his hands tightening into fists. He looked back to the fight just in time to catch Yomi giving him a satisfied smirk before dodging a swipe from Youko's claws. Kuro just turned and stormed away angrily.
End flashback mode
Tears flowing, wings fluttering, Kuronue managed to escape his love, but not until later would he realize what a mistake that was.
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Wow that was a long one. I hope that clarified the whole Yomi situation. And poor Kuro, he just got better, and now this. With Kuro escaping from Youko and a high class theft coming up, will the two make up or is this it for their romance? Find out on the next chapter of It's a Secret.