A/N: Here's a nice, lengthy chapter for you all! Enjoy~

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the story. Thanks to Milaya Milen Zeal for helping me with this!

Steal My Heart

Chapter 4

X*X(2 ½ Months Later)X*X

It had been two and a half months since Joshua's arrival at the Sakuraba palace, and since Neku had been shot in the shoulder with an arrow. Fortunately, by now, the redhead had fully recovered from his injury, and things had been peaceful. Of course, during this time, Joshua had gotten closer to Neku, and vice versa. But, despite this, the two still weren't ready to admit their feelings for each other. Joshua was well aware of how he felt, but he was still uncertain of Neku's true feelings towards him. Currently, he was seated in his room, waiting for Roxas to knock on his door that morning so they could go down to the dining hall for breakfast. The silverette sighed heavily, wondering if he should tell Neku how he feels about him…

"Joshua?" Roxas's voice called through the door after a quick knock. "Can I come in?"

"Yes," the younger male answered. The blonde came in, closing the door behind him, and then approached Joshua, concerned when he saw how the smaller male was sitting.

"Are you okay?"

"Not really," Joshua admitted with a one-shouldered shrug.

"What's going on?" the neko frowned, placing a comforting hand on the younger's shoulder.

"If I tell you, you won't tell Neku, right?" Joshua asked.

"Of course not," Roxas promised.

"I'm in love with him…" the silverette whispered, blushing as he lowered his gaze to his lap. "But I don't think he thinks of me like that…"

"Now, I think you're wrong there," the blonde told him, making Joshua look at him, surprised. "Neku may not show it, but I've noticed a change in him since you were brought here, and it's a good change. He's become close to you, in my opinion, and I think he's just not fully aware of his feelings towards you."

"You mean that?" Joshua questioned, his tone hopeful.

"I wouldn't say it if I didn't mean it," the older bearer chuckled. "Now, let's go down and get some breakfast. Axel and Neku are already down there, waiting for us."

"Sounds good," the younger smiled slightly, and the two bearers went down to the dining hall. Sure enough, Axel and Neku were waiting for them, engaged in a quiet conversation. As they got closer, however, the pair stopped.

"What was that all about?" Roxas demanded, narrowing his eyes suspiciously.

"I'll tell you later, Rox," Axel said. The neko rolled his blue eyes, but focused on his food when the servants brought out their plates. Joshua did the same, focusing on his food. Occasionally, though, his gaze would flick briefly to Neku, and he would blush faintly. Neku didn't look up from his food, seeming to be lost in his own thoughts, with his tails swishing quietly by his feet.

Once the four youkai had finished eating, Joshua looked at Neku expectantly, silently wondering if the redhead had any plans for the day.

Neku took a deep breath, seeming to think, before he let it out and rose from his seat. "I'm going to practice," he said solemnly, not really looking at anyone, before he walked off.

"Is he okay?" Joshua wondered aloud to Neku's parents after he'd left.

"He must mean archery practice," Axel replied. "I'll take you to the archery grounds, and you can watch." The silverette nodded, and the pair went down to meet up with Neku. He was already there, firing arrows at the various targets scattered around ahead of him.

As the two settled down on the nearby seats, Neku pulled out another arrow from his quiver, cocking it along his bow, before he pulled it back and raised the bow. As the string was pulled taut, the arrow resting alongside his cheek, the kitsune breathed slowly and steadily, regarding the target in silence.

And then he released the arrow, and it whistled through the air, before striking the target directly in the bull's-eye.

"Nice shot, Neku," Joshua smiled, and Axel smiled as well before standing.

"I'm gonna leave you boys to it. I need to take care of something," he said, and then left. Neku glanced over briefly, before he hummed and turned back to what he was doing, taking out another arrow.

"Hey Neku?" the silverette chimed suddenly.

"Hm?"

"Would you mind teaching me?" he asked.

"…sure. Get over here."

Joshua stood from his seat, and joined Neku where he stood.

The redhead passed Joshua the bow and arrow. "Okay…try to shoot it."

"Um, okay," the smaller kitsune said, and attempted to copy Neku's actions from before.

"You're holding it wrong," Neku suddenly pointed out as he stepped up behind Joshua and moved his arm along the shorter kitsune's to adjust his grip on the bow. A faint blush formed on the younger's cheeks at the contact, as he actually enjoyed the feeling of Neku's skin on his.

"Stick out your finger," the redhead instructed, not seeming to notice as he made Joshua adjust his hand. "Use that as an extra guide for the arrow." Once he was satisfied that Joshua was holding it right, he made him cock the arrow. "The string goes in here... you can use your thumb to hold it, but you don't need it," he said as he had Joshua raise the weapon. The smaller kitsune complied with Neku's directions as he attempted to fight off the earlier blush.

"Pull back… Keep an eye on the wind," the redhead said, nodding toward the small windmill set up on the side of the course. "Adjust your stance to counter it." Joshua did as he was told, glancing at the aforementioned windmill and adjusting his stance a bit accordingly. "…Right…once you think you got it…let it fly." Remembering how Neku had been breathing before, Joshua did the same, and then released the tension on the arrow, letting it fly. There was a brief whistle as the arrow flew through the air, followed by the thunk as it struck the target, one ring outside of the bull's-eye.

"…huh. Not bad."

"Thanks," Joshua smiled, looking at the older kitsune happily.

Neku merely nodded, before he asked, "Right. You wanna try one on your own?"

"Uh…sure," Joshua nodded after a second.

X*X*X*X*X*X*X

After firing off more than a few shots, each one a little closer to the bull's-eye, Neku finally declared they'd been going on long enough.

"A'ight, let's take a break, otherwise your arms'll hurt like hell tomorrow…"

"Sounds good," Joshua agreed, handing back the redhead's bow. "How's your shoulder feeling? I know you haven't been able to practice since before the accident…"

"It's fine," Neku said. And then, as if to prove his point, he pulled out an arrow, swiftly armed his bow, and let it fly after only a moment of aiming.

It was a perfect bull's-eye.

"Axel was right, you caught up in no time," the silverette smiled. After a bit of quiet, however, he murmured, "Neku, can we talk?"

"Hm? …oh, sure, I guess," Neku said with a small shrug. Relieved he was willing to talk, Joshua led Neku to the nearby seats, and they sat down.

"I…I have something I want to tell you…" Joshua said softly, swallowing nervously. Neku didn't reply to those words; he merely watched Joshua quietly, his tails swaying behind him lazily. The smaller kitsune's ears folded back and the tips of his tails twitched anxiously against the ground as he next spoke. "I…know I've been here for a while now, and that…even though things weren't exactly planned, and you were…against my being here in the first place…I…I've fallen in love with you…"

"…"

There was no verbal response from Neku, or even a visible one. The only noticeable fact was that his tails stopped moving as he continued to stare at Joshua in silence. Said smaller male began to fidget a little under Neku's intense gaze, hoping Neku would say something soon.

After a few more moments of silence, Neku finally opened his mouth and said, "I see…" Joshua lowered his gaze, feeling that hope crumble all around him. Even though Neku had spoken, it wasn't very reassuring. What followed was a heavy silence as Neku lowered his own gaze to the ground, turning an arrow between his fingers. His expression didn't change, nor did he move aside from his fingers.

The silverette began to tremble as Neku seemed to ponder his confession, the hurt starting to take over. He exhaled shakily, now wishing he hadn't said anything.

"…how can you be so sure?"

Joshua looked up, tears forming in his eyes, and mumbled, "Because I've never felt like this before…"

Neku solemnly looked up, still turning the arrow between his fingers. "…so how do you know?" he asked again. "If you've never felt it before…it could be anything. It doesn't have to be 'love', yanno?"

"I know that, but…when I saw that you'd been shot with that arrow, I was terrified. I barely knew you as a person, let alone as a mate, but I was terrified you wouldn't be okay," Joshua explained. "And ever since our conversation when you woke up from being stitched up, I've just cared so much about you, and wanted to be there for you, support you, and make you happy." He took a deep breath before adding with a deep blush, "And when I first met you, despite your coldness towards me, I found you attractive…"

"…Being attracted to someone doesn't immediately translate to love," Neku pointed out. "Nor does the wish for someone to be happy mean you're 'in love'. You can still wish for that and not love someone in that way."

"You're right, but I can't imagine going back to my old life now and just pretend that none of this ever happened," the silverette muttered. "It hurts too much to even think about it. And not my body, either. It makes my heart ache, and I just want to cry if I had to leave and not see you again. Even if I were to see you every now and then, it wouldn't be the same as being with you as your mate."

"…you can't redo a choice like that…you know that, right?"

"I know. But I wouldn't want it any other way," Joshua said firmly, despite the tears.

"…I see…" Neku murmured, glancing down again. The younger kitsune waited for Neku's next response, praying to whatever higher powers there were that he would accept his confession.

Meanwhile, on a higher balcony, Axel and Roxas were hiding, listening in on the two boys' conversation. Roxas was excited that Joshua had finally confessed, but he was hoping that Neku would accept. Granted, it had only been two and a half months, but still! After Axel had told him of the conversation he and Neku had had earlier, the blonde neko had insisted on eavesdropping on the pair.

Again, though, Neku spent a long time just staring at the ground, still turning the arrow.

…up until the point where he snagged up his bow, cocked the arrow and drew back the string, jumped to his feet while spinning around, right before firing the arrow upward to strike the beam of the balcony's roof above them.

"Would a little privacy be too much to ask here?!" he shouted right after. There were a couple of startled yelps, and then Roxas's voice yelled down.

"Sorry, we'll leave you be!" he called in a panic. Joshua's ears twitched, and then he blushed a deep crimson at the realization that Axel and Roxas had been listening in the entire time they'd been talking.

"Oh gods…" he whimpered, hiding his face in his hands.

"I swear…there's a reason they coined the phrase 'curiosity killed the cat'…" Neku grumbled, running a hand through his hair. Joshua, however, didn't move at all from how he was hiding his face.

"…Oy…"

The silverette peeked up at Neku in question. The redhead watched Joshua silently, one hand on his hip and the other still holding his bow. "…last chance; no way back if you keep going like this."

"…I love you, Neku, and I want to be your mate," the younger finally said after taking a deep breath and looking at Neku properly, his tone absolutely certain without a hint of doubt. Neku continued to watch Joshua for a long time, unmoving. But finally…

"Well don't say I didn't warn you…"

The redhead crossed the distance between them in merely two strides, then dragged Joshua to his feet by his collar and, without a moment of hesitation, kissed the silverette square on the mouth. Startled by the suddenness, Joshua almost didn't react for a second. But then instinct and emotion kicked in, and he wrapped his arms around the older kitsune's neck and kissed back, warmth washing over him and sparks running along his spine.

Neku's hands moved swiftly to pull the shorter kitsune in closer, one by the back of his head and the other by his rear, where he let one of his fingers trail along the base of his tails. Joshua whimpered when he was pulled closer, and tangled his hands in Neku's hair. As his tails were lightly teased, he moaned into the redhead's mouth, and his eyelids slipped closed as he became lost in the moment. Neku briefly pulled away then, but only so as to adjust Joshua's head for a better angle before he dove back in. With a soft purr rumbling from his throat, he then licked at Joshua's lips. Said kitsune instinctively parted his lips to let Neku's tongue enter his mouth. He tightened his arms lightly around Neku's neck, and whined softly. After what felt like forever, Neku finally pulled away entirely, though his hands didn't budge from where they rested.

Joshua was breathing heavily, his eyes still closed, and then he opened them to look at Neku. He gazed at the older kitsune happily, his lips curving into a small, content smile. He leaned his ear against the redhead's chest, listening to his heartbeat as he attempted to steady his breathing. And Neku, as usual, didn't say a word. He seemed more than content just to stay there, as he ran one hand through Joshua's hair and traced circles over his back with the other. After a few more minutes, Joshua eventually broke the silence.

"…We should probably go tell your parents so they can prepare for the mating ceremony," he murmured, not really wanting to move.

"Maybe later…leave 'm wondering how it went for a bit."

"Fair enough," Joshua giggled.

X*X*X*X*X*X*X

When the pair finally left the archery grounds, they were soon met by Roxas eagerly approaching them, Axel waiting a few feet behind him.

"Well?" he asked anxiously, and then Joshua pressed himself into Neku's side as he wrapped his arm around the silverette's shoulders. The blonde gave an excited noise before hugging the two younger kitsune tightly. "I'm so happy for you guys!"

"Rox, let them breathe," Axel chuckled. "Congrats, guys. I'm glad you talked to me earlier, Neku. Did it help?"

In response, the younger redhead snorted. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

"We would, but we'll leave you be," his father smirked.

"When do you guys want to have the mating ceremony?" his mother inquired. Joshua looked at Neku expectantly in response.

"Better question; when 'can' we?"

"Whenever you want," the neko promised. The redhead hummed softly, before he looked to Joshua.

"Let's do it tonight," he finally answered after a second. Thinking about the kiss they'd shared earlier made him want to go further.

"Sounds like a plan," Roxas grinned. "Axel and I will get everything set up, and after the ceremony, Joshua, you can share Neku's room."

"Thank you," the younger bearer smiled.

"Now, go get ready, and clean up. By the time you're both showered and dressed, we should be ready for the ceremony," Axel told them. Joshua nodded, and then kissed Neku's cheek before heading to his room to clean up, his tails waving happily at what was to come. Neku merely snorted, but there was a small smirk on his face as he headed off as well.

X*X*X*X*X*X*X

Later on, Joshua was getting dressed for the ceremony, but as he was about to slide on some boxer briefs, he paused before deciding against it and slipping on a kimono. He wanted Neku to claim him tonight, now that they would finally and officially be mates, and any undergarments would just get in the way. Soon, he was fully dressed, and then there was a knock at the door.

"Joshua? Are you ready?" Roxas's voice called through the door.

"Yes, I'm coming out now," the silverette answered back. He then emerged from his room, and the blonde smiled brightly at him.

"You look nice, Joshua," he told him kindly. "Let's go. Neku's waiting." The two bearers headed to the garden, where an altar had been set up for them. Waiting beneath it was Neku, Axel standing a couple feet away. A fluttering feeling went through Joshua, and he eagerly joined Neku beneath the altar. Roxas took his place off to the side, and then Axel spoke.

"Neku, I want you to repeat after me," he said, looking at his son. "My mate, I promise to care for, love, hold, and cherish you, no matter what life may bring, for as long as we both shall live."

Neku nodded softly, before he regarded Joshua quietly. He waited a moment before speaking, though. "My mate, I promise to care for, love, hold, and cherish you, no matter what life may bring, for as long as we both shall live." Axel nodded in approval, and then looked at Joshua.

"Joshua, repeat after me. My mate, I promise to love, cherish, support, and be truthful, no matter what life may bring, for as long as we both shall live," the older kitsune stated. With a small smile, Joshua nodded minutely.

"My mate, I promise to love, cherish, support, and be truthful, no matter what life may bring, for as long as we both shall live," he repeated, and then Roxas spoke.

"You are now officially mates, and are free to continue your lives together, supporting, caring, and loving one another," the neko told them. He then added in a whisper, "You're free to go to your room together now." In response to that, Neku gave a small, cheeky smirk, before he shrugged. "Fine by me."

And then he abruptly bent down and, quite literally, swept Joshua off his feet and walked away without another word said. Joshua gave a startled yip at the action, instinctively wrapping his arms around his new mate's neck for support. Once he had settled into Neku's hold, the smaller male once again studied the redhead's face, admiring how handsome he was.

Joshua considered himself incredibly lucky to have this wonderfully amazing kitsune as his mate now, even though initially they hadn't wanted each other at all. Eventually, they reached what would now be their room, and Neku entered, locking the door behind them for privacy. Done with that, Neku remained standing where he was for a moment more, seemingly thinking, before he pulled Joshua's head up and once again kissed him. The silverette instantly responded, moving his lips smoothly against Neku's. With their mouths still connected, Neku effortlessly moved toward his bed, and only broke the kiss after setting the silverette down on it.

"I love you, Neku," the smaller male whispered, a faint blush on his cheeks as he gazed at the taller male.

The redhead didn't reply to the words immediately, before he murmured, "You talk too much," before moving in to kiss Joshua again, nipping at his lower lip with his teeth. The younger kitsune gasped into the kiss at the nip, allowing his mate to slide his tongue into his mouth.

Neku purred softly at the sound, as he let his hands play along Joshua's arms, teasing him through the fabric of his clothes. The silverette shivered lightly at the contact, and then reached down to untie his own kimono. As the cloth came undone, Neku wasted no time and immediately let his fingers roam the bared skin, pushing at the kimono whenever it was in the way. As his fingers teased there, Neku finally released Joshua's mouth, only to instantly latch on to the shorter male's throat.

Joshua gave a pathetic whimper as Neku suckled and nipped at his throat, grasping at the redhead's shoulders tightly in an attempt to keep himself grounded. His tails twitched and writhed behind him at Neku's ministrations under his kimono that was pooled around his waist, hiding the fact that he wasn't wearing any underwear. Joshua's head tilted back, giving his mate more access to his throat and neck.

Neku gave an almost possessive growl as he lightly bit at the other kitsune's throat, scraping his nails along Joshua's bared skin. And then, without warning, his own tails moved in, with five of them entrapping all of Joshua's while the remaining four began toying with Joshua as well. The bearer gave a soft moan, but despite enjoying the attention, he wanted more.

"Neku…" he whined. A small smirk came across Neku's face, but he kept up his slow torture of his mate, swirling his fingers around his nipples, but never really touching. "Neku…I need you…" Joshua pleaded, his violet eyes darkening with his lust.

"Don't be so impatient…" his mate chastised, flicking one nipple with his nail. "We have all night…" The silverette gasped softly at the tease, and the ends of his tails twitched madly in the grasp of Neku's tails. And the redhead noticed, as was obvious by the smirk on his face.

Reaching up, Neku forced the kimono down Joshua's arms to rest it at his elbows, but in such a way that it became virtually impossible for Joshua to move his arms. As the smaller kitsune realized this, he whimpered, but remained still other than his breathing and the quivering of his body in anticipation of what was obviously to come.

Neku smirked and bit down on Joshua's neck one more time, before he began trailing kisses down his chest. Joshua squirmed at the kisses along his chest, the unfamiliar sensation feeling weird, but in a good way. Warmth bloomed in him with each kiss, even as Neku traced down along his stomach.

Just as Neku's fingers moved down along Joshua's hips, the redhead suddenly paused in his motions. "…oh?" he murmured as he pushed up a little. "Ne…" he purred softly, his smirk growing slightly as he trailed his fingers over his hip. "Isn't something…missing here?"

"I don't think so," Joshua smirked back, feigning innocence.

"You 'think', huh?" his mate purred, moving his fingers across Joshua's stomach. "You know what I think?"

"What's that?" the smaller kitsune asked with a small smile, shivering at the touches.

"I think…that you're trying to tell me something…ne?" As Neku said that, he let his fingers curl around Joshua's bare flesh. Joshua moaned at the touch to his half-hardened cock, and looked at his mate, silently begging for more. "So…are you?" the redhead purred, moving his fingers slowly but firmly.

"Y-yes, N-Neku," Joshua stuttered as those sinful digits moved. "Please, claim m-me."

"Needy, aren't we?" Neku purred, his eyes darkening as he licked his lips, before he locked their mouths together again. Joshua moaned into the kiss, desperate to have his mate make love to him. He attempted to wrap his arms around the taller kitsune's neck, but was halted by his kimono. Mentally apologizing to Roxas, he struggled to free himself before finally ripping the kimono's sleeves so he could move once more, and quickly embraced Neku tightly as they kissed.

The redhead gasped slightly in surprise when he did that, but he shook the matter off swiftly and, instead, moved Joshua's kimono aside entirely, before lowering himself down so that he was pinning his mate with just his body weight. The bearer purred loudly at the feeling of being so close to his mate, pleased by the sensation. With a small smirk, however, Joshua gave a small buck of his hips against Neku's, hoping to spur him into action.

The motion had Neku groaning as their cocks were pressed together, before he chuckled and pulled away. "Oh, is that how you want to play?" Joshua stuck out his tongue playfully and gave a teasing smirk in response. Neku smirked at the gesture, before he sat back a little more. Before Joshua could complain, though, Neku began sliding his own kimono along his shoulders. The silverette's eyes widened in surprise, as he had yet to even see Neku without a shirt on, let alone naked. Joshua watched eagerly as his mate's pale skin was revealed to him, inch by inch.

As the cloth fell away, it became clear that Neku's arms were a lot more muscular than they had always appeared to be, likely because of all his archery practice. What did stand out aside from that, though, were the scars that littered his chest and arms, including a star-shaped scar along his shoulder. Joshua's eyes widened further in shock at the sight of all the scars.

"Neku…" he whispered, shocked that he had been attacked so many times. He reached up and gently traced the one along his shoulder, remembering that incident.

Neku let Joshua trace the scars for a moment, before taking hold of his hand and placing a kiss along the silverette's fingers. "Don't worry so much… I'm used to it," he murmured, leaning in and briefly kissing his mate. "That's what you get when you're the son of a lord…" The smaller kitsune nodded, understanding, but still didn't like the idea that his mate had almost been killed on more than one occasion.

"I love you so much, Neku," Joshua breathed, pushing himself up to kiss the redhead lovingly. Neku returned the kiss quietly, running one of his hands through Joshua's hair, with the other pushing him back down, before his tails slipped the remainder of their clothes off, tossing them aside to be forgotten. Joshua trailed his fingers lightly along Neku's bare back as they continued to kiss, purring in a satisfied manner into Neku's mouth when the older kitsune's muscles rippled at the touches.

Neku's hands, in the meantime, were moving along Joshua's sides, caressing the skin gently, before he moved one hand lower, along his thighs. And then he paused briefly and pulled away. "Just relax…"

Joshua did as he was told, breathing in the strong scents of their arousal and lust for each other to relax himself. As he did, even his tails relaxed against the bed covers, and his ears lowered slightly in response. Slowly, Neku let his fingers play along the skin, before he pushed one finger past the relaxed muscle, all the while placing soft kisses along Joshua's face.

The younger kitsune almost tensed at the intrusion, not used to such a strange, new sensation. With the affection his mate was providing him, however, he soon relaxed again, reassured by the tenderness behind each touch. As Neku slipped his finger in and out steadily, he let his free hand play with Joshua's nipple, as one of his tails slipped over and curled around the shorter kitsune's burning need.

"Ahh-ha…!" Joshua panted when he felt that furry tail around his erection, and his hands gripped the bed cover tightly.

"Feels good…huh?" Neku murmured softly, as he let a second finger play along the twitching muscle. The silverette nodded weakly, twitching when another finger entered him.

"Can't…wait for…the real thing…" the redhead's mate gasped out.

"Bear with it for a little bit…" After pulling his finger out again, he paused briefly, before he slipped two in. "Otherwise this is going to hurt…"

"I trust you," Joshua whispered, giving the taller kitsune a loving gaze. Neku regarded him for a bit, before he smiled softly and moved in to kiss his mate. As he did, though, he curled his fingers. Immediately, the silverette broke away from the kiss, throwing his head back with a pleasured cry.

"Aahhh…there we go," Neku purred with a small smirk, pulling out, before moving back in at the same angle. This time, Joshua moaned loudly, his knuckles turning white as his grip on the bed cover tightened. After what felt like forever, Neku finally removed his hand and moved into position. "Ready?"

"Make me yours," Joshua breathed, shivering lightly in anticipation. He smiled softly at his mate, prepared for this.

The taller male nodded softly, taking hold of one of Joshua's hands…and then he moved. The shorter kitsune tensed slightly at the feeling of Neku's large cock entering him, but as he saw the calming look in his mate's sapphire eyes, he relaxed fully, a small groan escaping him at the filling sensation. Neku gently shushed the bearer by running his fingers through his hair and nibbling on his bottom lip teasingly. At the same time, though, his tails kept Joshua pinned to the bed, not allowing him to move.

Joshua finally kissed Neku back, and then whispered, "Move, Neku." Upon those words, the older kitsune gave a small nod and began to move, a little unsteady at first, until he finally fell into a rhythm that was good for both of them.

Joshua purred loudly, content with the pace, until he realized they wouldn't be able to cum like this. "F-faster, Neku," he whined.

In response to those words, Neku smirked cheekily and actually slowed his pace rather than hasten it. And when Joshua whined and looked at him pathetically, Neku purred into his ear, "You forgot to use the magic word," before he nipped on the ear's tip.

"P-please go f-faster, Neku!" Joshua begged, shuddering at the nip to his sensitive ear. The other kitsune chuckled at his obvious need, and did as he was told…going right back to his earlier rhythm.

Joshua groaned in obvious frustration before bucking his hips against Neku's, growling, "Fuck me, please!"

Those words almost made Neku laugh, but he held it in. "Better," he purred, just as two of his tails snagged up Joshua's legs, lifting them higher right before he practically slammed into his mate. The silverette cried out in pleasure as that spot inside him was hit again, and he clenched around Neku in response. And Neku, in reaction, groaned loudly, though he tried to keep it in by gritting his teeth. Sadly, he wasn't able to hold back anymore, and planted his hands by Joshua's head and set a fast, almost desperate pace.

Joshua moaned and cried out in ecstasy, his tails writhing beneath him at the flood of pleasure overwhelming his body. He squeezed his eyes shut, trying not to cum too soon, and stuttered out, "N-Neku…! I…I'm gonna…!"

"It's okay," Neku murmured, nipping on his throat. "Let go…just let go…"

And with a piercing scream of pure ecstasy, he did. Joshua's cum spattered onto Neku's stomach, and he clenched tightly around his mate in the process. Neku groaned at the sensation, and he managed two more thrusts, before he gave a barely contained cry of his own as his own release hit him.

The smaller kitsune shivered as his mate's white hot seed filled him, and he gave a weak, tired whimper as well. After a moment more, Neku breathed out slowly as he pulled out of the silverette, before he leaned down and wrapped his arms around the shorter. Joshua winced at the withdrawal, knowing he would be sore later, but right now, he didn't care. He merely turned in the redhead's arms so he was facing him, curling up against his mate's warm chest.

"I love you so much, Neku, he whispered tiredly.

Neku peeked out through one eye briefly, before he snorted as he shut it again, using his tails to tug the blankets over them. "You still talk too much…"

However, shortly after…

"…love you, too."

A small smile curved the bearer's lips at that, and Joshua soon fell asleep in his mate's comforting embrace.

A/N: R&R, peeps!