Yoko's "Protection," Suichi's Suffering...

Suichi had no idea how much time passed as he cowered in Kuronue’s arms, trying to banish his terror. He was so afraid that Yoko would lose and that Kuronue wouldn’t be strong enough—or wouldn’t want—to fend Karasu off. Despite his misgivings about Kuronue, he could tell the bat shared his anxieties, if not for a very different reason, and could find some consolation in Kuronue’s sympathetic arms.

When Kuronue stiffened, so did Suichi. After a moment he could hear the dragging footsteps that had caught Kuronue’s attention. Kuronue readjusted his grip on his scythe, his body coiled to spring. They both watched the cave mouth as the stumbling footsteps grew closer.

Shock assailed Suichi as his eyes found the bloodstained fox. Yoko smirked victoriously, swaying gently on his feet.

“Suichi…you’re safe now,” Yoko said hoarsely. “Karasu will never hurt you or anyone else again, I’ve…made sure of…that…” the fox’s legs gave out and Suichi felt a breeze as Kuronue rushed to catch Yoko as he fell.

Suichi stared at the blood that trickled from Yoko’s skull, running down his forehead and over his closed eye to continue trailing down his cheek. There was an entire chunk of flesh and muscle missing from Yoko’s upper arm, leaving bone glistening in the flickering candlelight. A shallower hole in his thigh leaked blood down the fox’s leg. Four evenly spaced gashes crossed Yoko’s flesh, still smoking gently. Even Suichi’s weak human nose could pick up the stench of burnt flesh. For me…Suichi suddenly realized, watching Kuronue drape Yoko around his shoulders and drag him inside. He was fighting…for me…so Karasu wouldn’t—wouldn’t get me again.

Yoko smiled at him as Suichi approached timidly. “You’re safe, Suichi…” he repeated. “Karasu will pay for what he’s done before he—ow, Kuronue! That hurt!—before he dies.”

Kuronue was trying to get the fox’s shredded clothes off without jarring Yoko too much. He flinched when Yoko yelped. “Sorry, fox, but I want to get you cleaned off…”

Suichi suddenly felt guilty. He looked shyly at Kuronue. “Please…Kuronue…let me do it?” Both demons stared at him, and the redhead blushed. “I just—Master fought so hard and got so injured for-for my sake. I w-want to—“ Kuronue smiled and stepped back, and Suichi hesitated, but only for a second. Slowly he peeled the charred and tattered remains of Yoko’s robe from the fox’s shoulders.

“P-please, K-Kuronue…” Suichi whispered. “Can you—can you go get me some water from the stream?” Kuronue nodded and left with two buckets. Suichi found a clean towel and wrestled with it for a moment, trying to tear it into strips, or even just in half. He strained uselessly for a while, until a hand reached over his shoulder and took it from him. Suichi looked up sheepishly at Kuronue as the bat smiled and tore the towel into jagged strips with ease.

Suichi found another towel and dipped it into one of the buckets of water Kuronue had brought back. He gently mopped up the blood marring Yoko’s face. The wound was just a scratch. Suichi moved on, mopping up the blood on the fox’s chest.

Yoko closed his eyes, purring. “That feels good, Suichi…” he whispered. “Thank you, love.”

Suichi smiled timidly, rinsing the towel out in the bucket. “Master…it’s the least I can do; you—you saved my life…” Suichi eyed the mass of gore that was Yoko’s right arm and sighed, stomaching his nausea. “This—this might hurt a bit… Give me one of those towel strips please, Kuronue.”

Yoko only whimpered once as Suichi washed away the blood and clumsily wrapped the makeshift bandage around the fox’s arm. Suichi glanced at the wound on Yoko’s thigh, which was still sluggishly bleeding. He blushed, raising his eyes to Yoko’s shyly before sucking it up and reaching out to undo the tie at Yoko’s waist. With trembling hands Suichi and a flushed face the redhead pulled down Yoko’s pants so he could access his injury.

Suichi looked up for a moment as he was gently washing away the blood, meeting the fox’s eyes. He couldn’t look away. Yoko held his gaze, his eyes burning, not with desire, but with the joy and love that the fox was too tired and sore to express in words. Something stirred in Suichi’s breast, something that started to gradually burn away his fear. He smiled shyly again, but forced his eyes back to the task at hand. Something’s changed between us… he’s proven too me how much he’s willing to sacrifice for me…he wasn’t lying when he said he loves me…Master… Suichi finished tying off the last bandage and smiled at the fox again. Kuronue handed him another set of Yoko’s clothes and Suichi helped the fox redress. After, Yoko lay back on the pile of furs and heaved a sigh, closing his eyes.

Suichi pulled a blanket over him. “D-do you want me to stay, Master…?”

“I do, but you don’t have to stay if you don’t want to,” Yoko said drowsily.

Suichi hesitated only a moment before gently pulling the blanket back and crawling under it. Careful to avoid the fox’s injuries, Suichi curled up gingerly against Yoko’s chest. “Master…it’s the least I can do…”

Yoko whimpered a little and wrapped his arms around Suichi’s shoulders. “Suichi…”