TCA- Well here is the next chapter...the chapter in which Yomi will eventually show off his mark to Kurama. Sorry it took this long, the O button on my computer wasn't working so I had to use copy and paste to put them in…….not very pleasant.

!3Abc

a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z +

As Yomi finishes off his bath and dries off with a fluffy towel he momentarily wonders if he could just make it all stop. He could stay in the bathroom, not come out for his meetings. He could barricade himself in, and never come out. He could but he won't. It's the story of his life. He shakes the depressing line of thought from his head and begins to get ready to face the day.

He yawns, stretches out, and then pulls his clothes back on. His skin feels cool after the warmth of the bath and he wraps his arms around himself in uncertainty. Today is going to be nerve wracking, he can tell it already.

The blind lord can hear Kurama breathing lightly from the next room. Oddly enough, it comforts him more than any other noise could.

It makes him smile, this small noise. It makes him proud, the fact that Youko trusts him enough to sleep soundly in his castle, in his personal chambers, on his pillow clad bed. It makes him feel very warm inside, almost like a toasted marshmallow. He grins softly, a deep blush staining his cheeks. He feels almost loved.

It is funny in a way; all of his carefully lain layers are slowly dissolving, leaving him at the same emotional standpoint that he had been at when he was Youko's second-in-command. While it was true that he had much more experience and a much calmer mind it was also true that his feelings for the spirit fox remained intact. If anything the emotions had increased. The kitsune's advances the night before didn't help quell the adoration that he felt for the youkai turned ningen.

Yomi bits at his lip nervously and then begins to towel dry his hair, section by section. He'll tell Kurama after the meeting…after the kitsune has had some time to rest and after Yomi has had some time to prepare himself. The blind lord pulls the towel away from his now semi-dry head and drops it into a dirty laundry shoot located by the tub. He hears it tumbling down the shoot and to the laundry room. Each turn makes a rather loud clank.

Yomi walks over to an adjacent room that contained a rather large boudoir. Not that Yomi would ever let anyone call it such a thing. He was no lady, and therefore it was not a boudoir. Or at least that is what he insistently told himself. It was his sitting room, plain and simple.

Yomi didn't consider himself to be a creature that needed a lot of care to look proper but he did need to do something. He also needed a place that was all his, with no work to worry about. Regardless of the fact that the room is not a boudoir it does contain most of the items that a boudoir would.

A lounger consisting of aubergine velvet and ecru pillows is situated right in the middle of the room. It has a thick emerald velvet comforter throw across the back. Silk sheets are folded underneath the pillows; the embroidered words and Yomi's crest still rather prominently displayed despite their position.

A desk made of oak is pressed tightly against the wall, a large mirror attached to its back. The mirror's frame is carved into an intricate pattern of roses and vines. Each rose was stained with a deep cherry, while the vines were dark brown. Of course the mirror is just for show, seeing how Yomi is blind. It was just a thing that comforted him at times.

Said blind lord sits down on the chair in front of his vanity and lightly runs his hand over the area that he knows his brush is in. He picks it up and begins to comb out his hair, yet again untangling strands from around his horns. Every now and then the brush catches on a tangle, and Yomi has to work it out with his fingertips and claws.

Kurama's breathing is still light and even, a sign that he is still safe in the world of dreams. Yomi's sensitive ears can hear the soft sound even though Kurama is two rooms away, and it brings strength to the blind lord. Yomi continues to pick tangles away from his horns, assured in his decision to tell Kurama what had happened between them. The kitsune is a calm person and Yomi just knows that once the whole thing has been settled they will both come out better. The kitsune would fall in love with him and Yomi would confess his undying devotion to the Youko. They would kiss, talk about how much they loved one another, and then live happily ever after-ruling the Maikai side-by-side.

It was the single most romantic thing Yomi could picture. All of his other fantasies paled in comparison. Granted he had never even dreamed that the Youko would mark him as a mate! Another blush taints Yomi's cheeks and he is glad that no one has witnessed the display. Blushing wasn't kinglike and would never be kinglike.

Yomi ghosts his fingertips lightly over the mark, making sure that it is really there and not some sort of dream he concocted when drunk. It is there, and the youki infused in it spikes at the light touch.

"Kitsune no baka…" The thick blush continues to stain Yomi's pale cheeks. "Even if you don't care for me at least you bound me to you." He whispers to the empty air in the plush room. He goes over a mental checklist, making sure that he has everything he needs on his person.

Once, as a young lord, he had walked into a very important meeting without his pants. It had been the most humiliating thing he had ever suffered through and he had killed off all of those that had seen the mistake. One little slip like that could travel far and wide…Yomi shivers at the memory.

He walks briskly into his room and places his hand on Kurama's back, gently shaking his beloved. He feels the kitsune's eyes open and holds back a dark blush. If he had more time…if he could gather more courage… he would admit everything that he had ever felt. Yomi would do it someday, but today he was taking a small step. It was insignificant in the scheme of things but it would make him feel better. He couldn't keep something like this from Youko.

"Kurama, it's time to wake up for the meeting. We'll get you dressed properly and head off. And after the meeting…I have something to tell you." Yomi casts his face downward, knowing that the way his face was scrunching up would alert Kurama that something was erroneous.

"Ah, okay then. My hangover has mostly dissipated and clothing does sound nice at the moment." Kurama's eyes flash dangerously and Yomi forces himself not to flinch. You don't flinch when the man you love glares at you, even if it does make you nervous.

Yomi hands Kurama a fighting outfit that has been custom tailored for the kitsune. It is similar in cut to the Chinese style tunics Kurama normally wears, as soft as the tunics that Youko once wore, and matches Yomi's outfit in color. There is embroidery work on the hem and the sides…the buttons are foxes curled up in sleep. Yomi had had an entire wardrobe of such outfits created before the kitsune arrived at Gandara.

Kurama flushes and begins to change, not even bothering to find a more private area. Yomi lets a small smile fill his face, his super active senses feeling the heat radiating from every pore of Kurama's body. He walks over and strokes his fingers down his Youko's spine. It is an automatic reaction to his mate baring his flesh so openly, no thought is involved. He realizes afterwards that he might have made a mistake even though the kitsune was tempting.

"Does what you need to say involve the way you've been acting?" The kitsune turns towards Yomi, brushing the blind lord's earlobe with his soft lips. Kurama's voice is calm and warm but has the sharp edge that Yomi remembers. The light voice sends a slight shiver down Yomi's spine. This is the way that Youko would act, this was the brash feeling of first true love renewed in full. This was the way that Yomi wanted the rest of their life to be.

"Y-Yes…" Yomi leans into the shorter male, his whole body quaking in fear and anticipation. He was going to tell Youko Kurama, he was going to tell, he was going to tell…

"Then I shall not force anymore out of you until after the meeting. As soon as it is over I will expect an explanation for your behavior." Kurama's eyes sparkle with golden flecks as he looks at Yomi.

'I love you kitsune no baka. Isn't that the only explanation that makes any sense? I was blind to think you wouldn't notice…eventually.' Yomi forces himself to pull away from the Youko's warm form. It just wouldn't do for him to stay there, even though he wanted to. They had a meeting to attend and he didn't want to build up his hopes only to have them crash into bits. Resigned, Yomi leaves the room.

a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z +

The meeting goes as planned, not a single hitch. Youda shows all the charts and graphs that he normally does, Kurama acts like his usual brilliant and sexy self, and the others all scoff scornfully at his genius.

Yomi had never before wanted to slaughter all of the members in his council, but today was turning into an exception. They were being cruel to his Seeme, his beloved Youko. Memories of the night before play merrily within his mind, each one becoming more and more vivid. As the memories fill his mind so does the resentment towards the members of his council.

"Enough of this ridiculous slander!" Yomi turns pointedly at the members of his council and hardens his features. His voice is loud and filled with hatred. "This is a meeting room and I expect it to be treated as such." Yomi gestures at Kurama, because pointing would be rude. As a demon lord Yomi is not rude, though at times he is impatient. "I trust Kurama more than any of you could possibly know, and I know that what he says is true. He is every bit as valuable to me as any of you."

'And he is undeniably more precious than any of you could imagine.' He finishes off the last part in his mind, but Youda looks at him with what he assumes is a look of understanding. Yomi can feel the odd mix of emotions that come off of Youda in waves. The little demon is still confused about what he had seen in the morning and is wondering about the relationship between his ruler and the kingdom's new advisor.

The meeting continues on in a more orderly fashion. Fearsome of Yomi's anger, the others in the room do not dare insult Kurama as they had before. Shachi spends the rest of the meeting glaring at Kurama, Youda continues with his charts, and Yomi's mind wanders into the land of possibilities.

Telling Kurama will be difficult, not just because Yomi is now marked but because Yomi will have to reveal everything that he has ever felt about the kitsune. It worries the blind lord to no end. Just the thought of Kurama's possible reactions are making him nervous, though he does not show it.

Later the two walk out of the meeting room side by side, both rather silent. As if by some unspoken agreement they both head towards the study in Kurama's room, hoping that they will be able to talk in relative privacy. As soon as the thick door that leads to the study is closed and the two are seated in comfort the discussion begins.

"Explain now, Yomi." Kurama crosses his legs neatly, casually resting on the couch. The kitsune is graceful in every way, managing to be regal and careless at the same time.

"I…" Yomi turns his head downwards, not wishing to face the fox. He has not felt so insecure for many years and it shows on his face. He forces his shoulders to stop shaking and turns his face upward. "You…you did a bit more than just kissing me last night."

"I thought as much, considering the way that you were acting this morning. Did I harm you in some way?" Kurama's voice is laced with concern and he reaches out to lightly touch Yomi's hand. The act does not fool Yomi and he brushes Kurama's hand away, knowing that he may never get to feel that soft touch again. A few teardrops fall from Yomi's useless eyes, trail down his face, and land on the lush carpet. Kurama quickly slips off of his couch and moves over to were Yomi sits.

"I did hurt you, didn't I?" Kurama's arms wrap around the demon lord, pulling him close. His fingers burry themselves in Yomi's hair and the tears only come faster despite the comforting hold.

"No…not in the way you think-an-and…" Yomi took a deep breath in an attempt to quell the sobbing. "It wasn't anything that I did not want." Yomi pulls out of Kurama's arms and reaches towards the collar of his tunic. He pulls it down, revealing the bandage on his neck. "Take it off kitsune."

Kurama blinks in surprise but then does as Yomi had said. As the bandage comes off Kurama can feel the slight amount of youki that had been infused into the bite. When the bandage is no longer in place Kurama takes in a sharp breathe, fully understanding the implications in that one tiny bite. Lord Yomi casts his face downwards again, to ashamed to let his friend see his face.

"Is this-?" Kurama's voice trails off as he touches the mark with his fingers. Yomi shivers at the contact and instinctively leans into the touch. Kurama's eyes harden. "You said that you stopped me from taking you. Why is it that this," Yomi's mate, his beloved kitsune, pokes roughly at the mark. "Is even there?"

"Kurama we didn't do anything… you marked me before I could stop your actions…" Yomi let the tears dribble down his face. "I just-I-I thought I should tell you—I…its only fair-and well I sort of li—lo-I-I-I just kinda…" Yomi stutters and trips on his words, even as his mind tells him the sort of rhetoric he should use to win the kitsune's heart. The cold tone in Kurama's voice is not the detached voice of Youko, nor the anger filled voice of Shuichi. It is something different, and altogether unpleasant.

Kurama pulls away, no longer offering the blind lord any comfort.

"Leave me alone Yomi." Kurama practically hisses out the words. "I need to think-without you anywhere near me."

Yomi leaves Kurama's study feeling downtrodden. He had not been able to tell the kitsune how he felt and he was sure that that mistake might cost him the kitsune-turned-human's heart.

Yomi goes to his room, walks straight through the bathroom, and locks the door of his special room. Lying down underneath the covers of the lounger Yomi's mind wanders to memories of happier times. Just that morning the kitsune had rested calmly in Yomi's bed…in another life, one that was long past, Yomi might have stood a chance.

The blind lord has never felt so alone.