From above, the moonlit footprints resembled stitchwork. An endless pattern woven by the black-haired traveler as he walked. Cole was hot on Jay's trail, and had convinced himself to rest up earlier so that he could find his mate while he was most likely sleeping. He was still following the rich scent of his partner, drinking in the springtime sweetness as he continued onwards. The bear was even able to pick up the less prominent scents of jasmine and saltwater, as well as fresh linen and powdered sugar. Those two mixtures had to be the humans, although he was not focused on their smells.
Without Jay by his side, the yokai found his berry scent to be heavenly. It hung like a fine essence in the air, leading him through the wintry forest like a fairy ushering him into a trap. Cole was close enough to feel Jay's connection as if it were his own soul. He could even tell when the freckled bunny was about to sneeze. His determination led him down another path, across a frozen stream, past a small thicket, and ever closer to that oh-so-wonderful smell. He needed it, he craved it, because it belonged to Jay. His acute senses picked up on his mate and latched onto his soul. Willpower became the only thing he needed to find his partner.
Cole's mind was foggy, but he kept moving. That scent, it was so intoxicating. Even if he was not trying to find Jay he would still follow it just to find the source of that delicious vanilla and berry aroma. He did not just desire to find the origin of that fragrance because it was pleasant to him, but it was because it made him feel like he was returning home. He did not need to be back in the cottage to feel like he was where he was supposed to be. All he needed was to be near Jay, the boy who had built his life in tandem with him. The closer he got to the bunny's location, the better he felt about Jay's safety, about whether or not he would forgive him, about being able to just talk to his mate again, about not just being a monstrous predator who was born to hunt prey, about his unbridled love, about wishing to feel the rabbit in his arms again. It was imperative that he find him as soon as possible, and he would not rest until he reached him, or until he keeled over.
He pulled himself up to stand on a thick, low-hanging branch then leapt off of it, clearing a sudden rise in the forest floor that would have taken extra time to go around. A small creature scuttled beneath his feet, ducking for cover. Cole glanced and caught a glimpse of the opossum's tail. He paused and looked around, finding that the trees began to become more dense, more evergreens covering the area. That meant that he was near Lake Ajisai. Cole smiled faintly, remembering that Jay had suggested they go there on their first date after they went through their forging ceremony. They had spent their time talking endlessly and getting to know each other, skipping rocks and sitting side by side on the piers until well into the evening. It had been so innocent and awkward because they were strangers, but that was the best part about bonding. Being strangers adds a whole new thrill to the experience. You know that they are perfect for you, but you have to put the pieces of the puzzle together until your mate forms that image. Usually, they end up being completely different than what you were expecting.
For instance, Cole had expected to be partnered with a quiet bookworm, or at least someone who kept to themselves. Jay thought he would bond with a gregarious, spontaneous, and constantly energetic yokai. Boy were they surprised to find that they were completely off the mark. The rabbit was definitely a bookworm, but was never short on things to say. It was one of the oddly charming traits that the bear never thought would have made him fall in love. Whenever Jay's voice was absent, it felt unnatural, and the taller of the two found that he actually despised silence. For the freckled boy, Cole was a reminder to stay grounded, and to not let himself get carried away. He found that a nice, cozy evening at home could be just as entertaining or romantic as a night on the town.
It took some time and quite a few pointless squabbles for the rugged predator and the enthusiastic bunny to realize that their differences were what made them sensational. Although he might disagree with Jay sometimes, it was exciting to try things from his perspective, especially in terms of food. Growing up the way Jay did, the bunny had learned a lot of home style recipes from countless relatives and friends, and usually all of them were warm and delicious. Cole introduced him to the wonders of a rampaging sweet tooth, spoiling his little heartthrob with treats galore.
That was another thing that he found he relished in. He loved to spoil Jay rotten. It did not matter if there was an occasion or not, and there typically was not. The bear would bring home little trinkets that he knew were convoluted enough to catch the engineer's eye just so he could take them apart and reconfigure them, or he would buy him flowers on a whim, or he would purchase a fetching outfit in his favorite shades of blue because he thought Jay would look handsome in it, or he would bring him new novels that he had been thinking about getting, or he would go get some piano music because although he was a little rusty from years of neglecting practice, Jay loved to listen to him play. Sometimes, he would even sing if the bunny requested. He was always terrified, and usually messed up the lyrics, but his companion adored his voice. He did all these things just because he knew they would make his sweetheart happy. In return, he asked for nothing but affection, and gained it every chance that Jay was able to give it. Being as reserved as he was, it was difficult to express the true depth of his devotion in words, so he turned to gifts and physical attention to indicate his feelings towards the bunny.
As soon as he found him, Cole was going to bring Jay home and he was going to shower him with adoration. Not a second would go by where the smaller yokai doubted the bear's love for him. With a new spring in his step, he followed the trail even quicker than before. He could feel it, he was within his partner's vicinity. His ears picked up on something. The sound of something stepping onto the snow. Cole turned his head to the left and saw a little white rabbit trying to slip out from a tent, undetected, wiggling its rump until it nearly fell forward, free from the ensnaring fabric. Its nose twitched as it smelled the air, prickling as it sensed a familiar presence. The creature suddenly took a large leap and transformed, turning into the yokai that he had been searching for.
Jay started looking around, scanning the trees in front of him. Cole detected the little flutter of anxiety that the rabbit produced in the back of his mind, and immediately rushed to snuff out that feeling of apprehension. He sprinted towards his mate, vaulting over a fallen tree as the bunny's attention snapped to him. There was shock in his features, but there was also an ounce of joy.
"Cole-!" Before his partner could speak, the bear tackled him into the snow, wrapping his arms tightly around him and burying his face in the shorter boy's neck. Jay's hands nervously roamed over his shoulders and back, as if he was trying to test the reality of the beast before him. Finally, he embraced back, allowing Cole to rock him back and forth. "I was so worried, and I..." Jay cut himself off, reeling backwards and placing a hand on his companion's chest. Hurt constricted the predator's heart. He yearned to wrap his arms around his partner, to feel his touch.
"I have to apologize for the things I said and for running away-" Cole cut him off by batting his hand away and pulling his head towards him so that their lips met rather suddenly. There was a muffled gasp, then a deep sigh as Jay melted into the contact. There would be time for atonement later, right now the bear just wanted to hold his mate close. He broke away only long enough to let them both catch their breath, then leaned back in and devoured his little rabbit. He could not care less if his kisses were sloppy and overeager. He had gone only two days without his bunny and was this desperate for his touch. He never knew how much he would miss it if he were gone.
Jay could only do his best to keep up with him. The taller yokai could feel his hands running through his hair and over his animal ears. He twirled a few locks around his fingers. Cole chuckled against his lips and moved their torsos closer together, gliding his hands over the expanse of his back and accidentally brushing against his tail. The second that he skimmed it, however, he quickly moved to give it some attention. It was always his favorite thing to mess with, so soft and silky against his skin as he stroked the fur. Jay squirmed and hummed into his mouth, and the bear could feel the fluff moving underneath his fingertips until the rabbit suddenly burst away from him.
"Whoa!" the bunny cautioned, blushing like mad and ears twitching. "Calm down there, slugger. The humans are literally about twelve feet away from us." Cole laughed and held out his hand for Jay to take. The bunny grabbed onto him and allowed himself to be pulled closer again.
"I missed you," said the bear. They shared a quick kiss. "So much."
"It's 'cuz I'm so cute," Jay smirked. Another peck.
"Damn right you are," Cole replied with a smug grin of his own. He pulled his bonded partner flush against him and attacked his neck, pressing deep kisses against his flesh. The rabbit had to hold back giggles, seeing as it was one of his most ticklish spots. The bear itched to feel his tail again, so he took hold of the smooth fur once more.
"You don't need to be so handsy," the smaller yokai chuckled. "I'm not going anywhere. Don't worry, I won't leave again."
"I just can't keep my hands off of you, Jay," replied the predator. "I've gone half-crazy without you."
"Oh, it was only two days."
"The worst two days of my entire life." As soon as Cole said that, they both moved back and stared at each other. There was so much truth behind that sentence. They had both experienced sorrow like they never had before, and it was obvious that they both wished to prevent that from happening again.
"You knew I was going to come home after I was done, right?" Jay asked.
"Well… I knew that you wanted to come home because I made sure to monitor your soul, but I didn't know if you could. I was so worried about you." He did not mean to sound so shaken up. Cole never liked it when his mate could see just how frightened or uncertain he was because it made Jay fret over him.
"Cole…" the rabbit mumbled as he placed his palms on his partner's cheeks. "I was scared too. I didn't know if you were going to snap out of your fit or not, and I just ran off. I never should have left, and I'm sorry for that. I'm so sorry. Can you ever forgive me?"
"Jay, you're already forgiven," he insisted, placing his hands over his partner's and gently squeezing them. "It's my fault that you left, I'm the one who needs to apologize." His mate shook his head, a sad smile gracing his freckled face.
"We fight a lot, and I may act like I'm really mad at you after we argue, but you never need to worry about that. I will always forgive you," Jay declared. Cole was filled with indescribable happiness. He had expected the bunny to be scared of him or at least cross with him, but all he was hearing was positivity and declarations of love. He grinned wide and felt a fresh wave of heat wash over his cheeks.
"Gods above, how did I ever end up with you?" he whispered, unable to dim his own smile. "You're nice, way too generous, a perfect cuddling partner…" He noticed Jay's flush that he tried to hide behind his palms and sought to make him even more flustered. "...you're adorable when you cook or read, you make me laugh, you're so beautiful-"
"Shut up and kiss me you boulder brain!" the rabbit blurted, launching forward so that Cole could easily receive his smaller form. They were a tangled mess of laughter without a care in the world, and when their lips met the forest seemed to stop just to behold the couple. However, a sudden sound of rustling from the tent caused them to freeze mid-kiss. They did not dare to move, or make a sound. Save for the mingling of their breaths, there was no noise. A minute passed with absolute silence before they slumped into each other, relieved that neither of the humans had woken up.
"Stay right here," Jay muttered. He placed a peck on the bear's nose before sliding off of him, turning into his fauna form and hopping towards the place where the humans slept. Cole watched with amusement as the white creature scrabbled with his hind legs, trying to force his back half through the slightly smaller opening. Finally, the bunny dragged his infinibag through the flaps and out into the snow with his mouth before returning to his yokai body. Jay dug through the contents before pulling out his own tent with two hands.
"How come you didn't just sleep in this?" Cole asked. He began to help the rabbit pitch the shelter.
"We all figured that a second tent would take a lot of time to put up and take down every day," his partner replied. "I've just gone into my fauna form the last two nights to save space." It did not take long for them to finish putting the tent up. They tossed their things inside, then laid down in the warmer space.
"C'mere," the bear murmured with his arms open. Jay hastily scooted closer and found the perfect place to rest his head as Cole snuggled him. The predator was thanking his lucky stars that he was able to do this again, to fall asleep with his life partner in his secure embrace. "We'll have to talk with the humans in the morning about whether or not they can handle themselves after we leave. 'Cuz the second we get home I'm gonna love you until your pretty little tail falls off." He allowed the bunny to take what he would from that, feeling his mate's breath hitch as he giggled in anticipation.
Zane stretched his wings, finally fully rested after hours of sleep. The clock showed that it was almost midnight. He looked to his side, but found that Kai was not lying there. The yokai slipped out of the bedroom. His soul partner was sprawled across the sofa, dozing with his head rolled back. He smiled and turned on a lamp.
"Kai," he whispered, softly rubbing his shoulder. "Wake up." The human whined and took a deep breath, exhaling as he opened his eyes.
"What time is it?" Kai yawned as he stretched his limbs.
"It's almost twelve. We should get going," the falcon told him.
"Get going?" the hunter said, bewildered. "Zane, it's midnight. We shouldn't be going anywhere." The half-beast coaxed him to a standing position and led him by the hand towards the door while combing through his own hair with his fingertips.
"You're welcome to sleep on the way, but we have to go tonight. It won't be special unless it's tonight." Once they were outside, Kai allowed himself to be picked up without further refusal. Zane grinned and leapt off the platform, spreading his wings against the night air. It was a little cooler than he thought it would be, but it was better than being overly warm. The human in his arms did not sleep, but rather looked around at the moonlight mirage that Kyoboku formed. The falcon thought it was charming that he was so dazzled by the sky-high civilization. He wondered what it must feel like to have lived on the ground for his whole life, then suddenly find his home among the clouds.
The largest tree in the forest was the place they were headed, which was on the western side of the area. It stretched at least another mile above the other trees, and sported numerous platforms. Tonight, you could see the specific tree from a great distance, for it was lit up on each level. Young yokai took their bonded partners there once a month, when it was covered in lanterns, because it was a very romantic sight to behold the ceremonies of fairies. Zane figured it would be a wonderful opportunity to show Kai some yokai culture, and to hopefully spend a little more time working on their relationship.
"What is that?" asked his mate, pointing to their destination.
"That is Shinmitsu, the oldest tree in Kyoboku," Zane informed him, beginning to descend to the shortest platform. "Tonight, the sprites are going to play tricks on the humans, and we, as yokai, are responsible for sending them in the right direction."
"Sprites playing tricks?" Kai huffed with a raised brow. "I didn't think fairies actually existed."
"They're as real as you or I," said the bird. "Have you ever placed something somewhere specific, only to find it in a completely random spot the next morning? Or have you ever been about to fall asleep, then felt as if you are falling? Or have you found food or clothing miraculously missing, only to find it days later exactly where it's supposed to be? Those are just a couple minor tricks that the sprites love to pull."
"That's not sprites, that's having a sister," the hunter groaned with a slight laugh. Zane touched down and allowed his mate to stand on his own. Fellow couples milled about the space, looking around at the different baskets. "What're all these for?"
"Each of these baskets have flowers in them. We pick which town we want the sprites to go to by wearing them. It seems that the tiger lily is the most popular one tonight."
"Which city is the tiger lily?"
"Ninjago City, if my memory is correct. I shadowed Cole and Jay on their first outing here. They chose the Blackwood Forest, which was the bluebell. The tiger lily was right next to that." The pair moved towards the basket that almost everyone else picked, and decided to wear those flowers as well. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Kai waiting for him to place the bloom where it was supposed to go, not familiar with the custom. The yokai tucked the short stem over his ear, and the hunter followed suit. "It looks good on you, Kai."
"Oh yeah?" the hunter mumbled, turning his head to the side and glancing to the stars. "Thanks." The falcon smiled at his embarrassment, turning and leading him through the crowd towards a set of stairs.
"Now, we should find a place to watch Huoban River," Zane said cheerily. They made their way up to the third platform, which had plenty of space for them. Jar lights hung from thinner branches above. The knotholes were decorated with small twinkling gems. Below, all the way by the river, glows emanated from the banks. Some yokai preferred to stand over there and wait for the arrival of the sprites, and always brought a lamp with them. "See these holes?" Kai nodded, looking at the tough bark of the tree.
"Each of those knotholes houses a few fairies, who sleep all month until this night. They'll come out to greet all of us, then fly along the river towards the city they've been told to go to." He tried not to show his sheer excitement, but it was difficult. This was the first time that he was sharing this ritual with his partner, and he wanted him to be at least a little knowledgeable. "Oh, here they come!"
A tiny human-like creature flitted out of the dark space, followed by several more. They were dressed in mini leaf coverings, and the fairies themselves were no larger than a quarter. The whole tree was soon glittering with golden lights, much to the gathered crowd's delight. Each platform laughed and conversed merrily as the sprites came out. Zane held up his finger, feeling two of them rest on his outstretched hand. They giggled and said hello, hardly able to be heard with their pygmy voices.
"Good evening," the half-bird beamed at them. "Are you prepared for a long flight to Ninjago City?" They nodded, and fluttered away. Zane waved after them, looking over at the awestruck Kai. The hunter mirrored his partner's movements, extending his finger and watching as a multitude of fairies flew towards him. At first, the human flinched at the ticklish contact, but then got used to it as he was covered in the minuscule critters. Even over the chatter, the many voices of the sprites all came together to say, "Human? A human! He's a human!" Luckily, Zane knew that while he was awake they would not pull any pranks on him, but it was still amusing to watch Kai attempt to grow accustomed to the feather light touches.
"Pretty human has a secret," a chorus of tiny voices tittered, almost singing. "Birdie doesn't know it yet. Pretty human has a secret that he wants to keep from his mate. Pretty human should love his birdie."
"A secret?" Kai wondered aloud, and the sprites laughed together.
"Butterflies?" a few of them said. The others immediately replied with, "Butterflies! Let's give him butterflies! Yes, let's give the pretty human butterflies!" Every single fairy rose up to his face, pressing little kisses to his cheeks before rushing away to join the rest of the sprites.
"What was that?" the hunter inquired. Zane shrugged, unsure himself. Suddenly, the spots where the creatures had kissed him lit up, creating tiny golden freckles on his face. Kai had to cross his eyes to see the ones on his nose. "Whoa. Is this what they meant by 'butterflies'?"
"I do not know. Sprites are mysterious yokai," the falcon shrugged. "In any case, they're about to leave. We should watch the river." All the bonded pairs moved to the edges of the platform, watching as a stream of gold moved towards the water. The glow transferred to the surface, turning it bright and yellowish under the lights of the fairies. Everyone cheered, waving to them as they went on their way to play tricks. Only a few sprites stayed behind and flitted about, enjoying the company of the larger beings around them. A song of sweet voices rose from the brook, whispering a melody of mischief as the coin-sized sprites rushed to play their tricks. It was as if the stars had come down and were floating along the river like glittery foam. As they moved away from Shinmitsu, the fairies twisted their path to go to Ninjago City.
"It's beautiful," Kai breathed, still gazing out as the end of the herd of pixies faded from view. "Thanks for bringing me here."
"You're welcome," Zane immediately replied, joyful that his husband enjoyed the event. He was already planning to bring him back next month, wondering if they should schedule a date for the daytime as well. He stared at his fluffy human, who was gazing out at all the glimmering lights below. His dark auburn hair was tousled just so, and was accentuated by the stunning fire orange lily over his ear. His green eyes traced the lines of the landscape, which were flecked with the reflections of the jar lights around them. Kai was wearing an apple red shawl-collar sweater that he had bought for him, and under the glow of the sprites it made him look like a walking sunset. Beyond him, the contrast of dark navy from the trees and mountains gave him an almost ethereal visage. He was gorgeous.
"You're staring," the hunter pointed out, mumbling with downcast eyes. Zane straightened his back, listening to the giddy laughter of fairies who seemed very intrigued by the bonded couple. Kai's faux freckles grew bright for a moment, and his eyes seemed to glaze over as his cheeks grew pink. He turned his head up to face the falcon directly. "Can I hold your hand?" The statement sounded born from desperation, and was so unlike him that the yokai almost took a step backwards. However, his sudden elation at the promise of physicality kept him grounded.
"Of course," he grinned. He had to suppress his wings so they did not flutter when their fingers entwined. The fact that Kai wanted to share this contact with him was truly euphoric. The sprites giggled again, zipping around them and communicating with each other. The hunter's face glowed once more.
"Could you... um... Hold me?" Kai went on, hardly even speaking anymore. Zane quickly wrapped his free arm around him, but then slowed down to keep from diving into his embrace. He was ecstatic, but he wanted his mate to know that he still respected his wishes to not be so zealous when it came to acts of affection. The human dropped his hand and looped his own arms behind the beast's back, even running his fingers delicately over his feathers. Time seemed to stop for Zane, and he did not even hear the bell-like voices of the pixies anymore. He never wanted to leave this moment.
The hunter pulled back, sliding his hands so that he could keep close to his husband. His eyes were half-lidded, his golden speckles were shining once more, and a heavy blush was over his features. The yokai had to check and make sure everything around him was real, and this was not just another dream he was about to be woken up from.
"Can we... or me, I... You don't have to... We shouldn't, um, definitely not here, but... Could we maybe...?" He trailed off, leaving Zane to only guess what he could mean. Although when Kai started sluggishly and undecidedly stood on his toes, he got the message.
He actually wants to kiss me? he asked himself, fighting back the urge to pounce on him but then losing confidence. Okay, I... I should go for it. I have been wanting this, so why can't I move? Am I fearful? He closed his eyes, ready to receive the soft touch instead of give it.
A bright light flashed, startling both of them before they made contact. The sprites booed and fluttered off while Kai's freckles started to fade away. Zane adjusted to the sudden blinding glare in his eyes, then turned to see the source of the interruption.
"Aw, I wasss too sssoon!" said a young woman. "I got excited and took the picture early!"
"Skylor?" Zane asked with what hopefully did not sound like malice. He was just so frustrated that he had been cheated out of another kiss. The woman wore a peach kimono top, her crimson hair tied back in a ponytail. She was a snake yokai, known as a Hebian Serpentine. Skylor's torso was human, save for a few scales that decorated her cheekbones and arms, and her legs were replaced with the long body of a snake. The girl shook out the picture and stared at it, a playful smile over her features.
"Sssorry I interrupted you, Zane," she hissed with a dreamy sigh. "You jussst looked ssso cute together that I had to get a photo for my wall."
"Holy crap!" Kai startled, looking at the photographer with bug eyes. "You're a Serpentine!"
"I am indeed, you sssilly human!" Skylor giggled, fangs bared in a bright smile. Although Zane thought it might have been a little rude for Kai to just blurt something like that, the restaurant owner did not seem to mind at all. "It'sss nice to finally meet you, Kai! Pixal told me all about your forging ceremony! I'm sssorry I couldn't make it, Zane. I wasss visssiting my grandparentsss out in Eassst Ninjago. But congratulationsss!"
"Thank you, Skylor," the falcon bowed his head with a polite grin, forcing the pit in his stomach to subside. "What brings you out here?"
"I jussst wanted to take some picturesss. My sssightssseeing wall hasss been needing sssome fresh photosss," she told him, holding up her camera like a trophy. In her traditional ramen bar, there was a wall specifically dedicated to all the interesting yokai and places around Ninjago. "Oh well, do you want thisss? It may not be a kisss, but it ssstill looksss pretty." She handed him the picture, curling her carrot-colored tail a little closer. Their lips were at least two inches away from each other, and the more Zane looked at it, the more it teased him. Yet it was so stunning that he had to keep it.
"Kai, what do you think?" he asked his partner, who blushed and flinched as soon as he saw it.
"We almost... God, I didn't mean to, I didn't want to..." Kai stumbled over his words. Sprites landed on his shoulders and laughed. "It was you wasn't it? Did you make me do that?" The creatures giggled even more, driving his flustered expression further.
"Pretty human has a secret," they chimed at different intervals. "Pretty human wants something from his mate, and he wants to reveal his secret! Stupid pretty human! Pretty human is so easy to give butterflies to! Pretty human should forget about his secret and be happy with his mate!"
"Gah, shut up!" he growled, shooing them off in guffawing droves. "I'm not gonna tell him, so go away!"
"Tell me what?" Zane piped up. Kai spun towards him, shock in his eyes. "Is there something we need to talk about?" The hunter turned his head this way and that, as if scrambling to find a way off the platform. He unexpectedly gripped the chain that was around his neck and pulled the communication crystal from where it had been tucked.
"I, uh, forgot to give this to you earlier!" he said in a rush, clearing his throat and refusing to meet his gaze. Why this would be such a big secret, Zane was skeptical, but he took the necklace nonetheless. "I'm gonna, um... go down to the first platform. Meet me there when you're ready to go home, okay?"
"Alright," the falcon mumbled, more than a little disappointed. Kai disappeared as he dashed down the stairs, leaving him and the half-snake alone.
"Ooh, sssoundsss like the ssspritesss hexed him with a truth ssspell," Skylor chuckled with her hands on her hips. "Usssually they ussse it to make bonded couplesss confessss to each other." Zane's heart jumped with hope. Did his mate wish to confess his returned affections? Or did he have something else to hide? The latter seemed unlikely, considering that they had not spent enough time around each other to need to keep anything a secret.
"I should probably take him back home," said the bird, smiling weakly. "He's not much of a morning person, anyway." Skylor laughed and put her camera's strap around her neck.
"I'm having a little party at my shop for Ed and Edna'sss anniversssary. Jay wanted me to put it together for them next Wednesssday. You wanna go? I know how much you love my moussse-meat ramen." The avian yokai could already feel his mouth watering. She made the best food in all of Ninjago; she was an even better cook than him. Plus, it had been a long time since he had seen Jay's parents. They were nice rabbits, and had helped him build his home when he first moved to Kyoboku.
"I'll be there," he nodded, walking backwards towards the steps. "Should I bring anything?"
"Just your mate!" she grinned. "I think they oughta meet Kai." He grinned and made his way downstairs, hoping that the invitation would be accepted by the hunter. He still had a fluttering sensation of warmth, causing him to wish for the arms of his bond partner. He had been just a couple inches from a kiss in real life, even if it was the work of the pixies playing a cruel joke on the human. Poor Kai probably did not even want to kiss him at all yet. Zane sighed, knowing that it was selfish to want to jump into something that his mate was still not comfortable with.
"Zane, you ready?" Kai called to him. He nodded, stepping to the edge and picking his husband up. The yokai behind them clapped and cheered as they flew off. "What was that all about?"
"Do not mind them, they just think we're going to nest for the first time. It's traditional, but we're not going to do it," he huffed. Surprisingly, Kai laughed. It was a rich sound that made his heart flutter.
"I have no clue what that means," the hunter chuckled. "But it sounds like something you'd do if you're drunk at a party." Zane laughed as well, deeper and with a more flushed appearance.
"I suppose that could be true," he beamed.