Why you never break superstition

Big thanks to my sisters Jenni and Hali! Jenni helped me start this story and Hali is co-writing it with me. So a big thanks to them! (Esperically since Hali doesn't really like Yoko much *shrugs*)

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The truth behind superstitions.

Chapter 1: Call for a thief


“Come on Name! Hurry up with that box will you!"

You sighed as you shifted, trying not to drop the heavy box full of only Lord-knows-what as you called back. "Yes Mother!" You rarely called your mom 'Mother' but right now you was tired, hot and really irritated so it was definitely one of those times.

"I wanted to move to Japan, not be the pack-mule in Japan." You growled softly as you lugged the box along from the back the small car you and your mother shared; your father had passed away when you was very young so it had always been you and your mom as she worked her way up in some big fancy computer company.

But a year and a half ago, with a promotion, your mother and you had moved to Japan for your mother’s job and stayed with some relatives (on your father’s side) until a few days ago when you mother found a home of her own. Since the expense of living alone in Japan was a bit steep for a college student you agreed to stay at home until you could find a place of your own (that you can actually afford) while you attended college. Besides, she didn’t want to live alone in a new country so you agreed to stay with her for a little while longer.

Sure it was at least half an hour drive to the closet city but you were near one of the few patches of real wilderness, you had a room of your own and you didn‘t have to worry about the dangers of the city life. After all, what danger could you find out in the middle of nowhere?

“Having a problem?”

You glanced up at the emerald eyes of your best friend, Shuichi, and shook your head. “Oh, no. No problem at all, I just have to try to lug this zillion pound box around. Whatever would make you think there is a problem?”

The red headed rolled his eyes heavenward with that infuriating knowing smile as he reached for the box. “Here, let me take it.”

“Nope, you didn’t offer before and I had to get this stupid thing so I will put it in the house.” You said, stepping around him as you carried the box towards the house. You had met Shuichi on your second day of college; you had allowed yourself to get worked up over some of your peers who took a snobbish attitude with you being half-Japanese and slammed open the door when you left that evening, accidentally hitting the red head right in the face because he hadn’t been paying attention either.

An embarrassment and half a dozen apologizes later you two had become acquaintances. Later, as time and continuous run-in provided, you became friends. You think you were probably the only girl that hadn’t tried to make a move on the handsome young man, and truthfully you only restrained from it because you could clearly see Shuichi had no interesting in dating anyone at the time, and had become good friends instead.

Beside you knew there was things he didn’t tell you, things that just happened that he didn’t explain and people he knew that didn’t quite fit into the image he carefully laid out for himself but you left it alone knowing he would only tell you when he was ready to do so. And for that you seemed to have his trust as he had yours.

Finally hauling the box into the house and pushing it (you refused to try to carry it another inch to the amusement of your mother and Shuichi) you stepped back outside to get the last box before your mom had to leave to see one of your relatives in the city and leaving you alone for the night.

As you looked up at the nearly set sun you shook your head. Even as old as you were and having practically raised yourself you were still a little nervous at being left home alone but what harm could come to you out here? You seriously doubted they had too many serial killers in Japan and besides that you were locking the place up after you mom left. It wasn’t like there was demons amok or anything.

Reassured with these thoughts you whistled softly to yourself as you picked up the lighter box but then your mother screamed. "NAME!"

You dropped the box, barely missing your own feet as you whirled around. "What?! What?" You asked, worriedly something might have happened as you spotted your mother in the doorway.

"Don't you know you don't whistle at night? Thieves will come if you do." She said with a lopsided smirk.

You growled softly under your breath in annoyance. "Come on mom! That is just some stupid superstitions to get kids to behave." You scoffed as you knelt to retrieve the fallen item and head inside.

“I won’t be so sure about that my friend.” You heard Shuichi say softly to which you snorted softly.

“Yea, right.”

But as soon as your knees hit the ground you suddenly felt an icily chill go straight through you and you looked up and around abruptly. Nothing, there was no one outside aside from you, Shuichi and your mother. For a split second you thought you saw something, like a flash of amber in your friend’s eyes but it was gone so quick you weren’t sure if there was anything there.

“Something wrong?”

“Nah,” You said as you straighten but still looked around. “Just got a chill.”

“Hm, you know they say you get a shiver down your spine when you are being watched.”

You stared at your mother for a few moments. “Mom what have you been reading?” You busted out.

She only laughed at your expression as she walked in and you rolled your eyes heavenward. “Crazy woman, and everyone wonders where I get it from?” You muttered to yourself and your friend, who abruptly covered his mouth to keep from laughing.

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About an hour later …

"I will be back in the morning. Make sure to lock the door behind me, I know I‘m probably being paranoid but it is better safe than sorry." Your mother said as she took out the keys and gave you a concerned look. "Unless you rather come with me ..."

Truthfully you did feel a little uneasy, especially after the weird feeling you got earlier but hide it behind a smirk; there was no way to were admitting that to her. "You kidding? A whole night without adult supervision? This is going to be wild. Get out of here so I can have some fun." You said as you gave her shoulder a small push in the direction of the door.

Your mother rolled her eyes at you, obviously believing your act and thinking she should have known you were going to say something like that as she nodded. "Just lock the doors."

"I will mother." You said patronizingly as you looked at Shuichi, who had grown strangely quiet over the last hour. Not that being quiet was strange for him, he always seemed to have something on his mind, but this was different. For the last twenty minutes or so you seen him glance out the window more time than in the year you ever known him!

“You ok Red?” You asked, calling him by the nickname you had given him.

“Hm? Oh yes, I’m alright. But Name …. take care tonight alright? Don’t go outside and call me if you need anything.”

“What is it with you guys? I’m nineteen years old Red I’m sure I’m old enough to stay a night alone. Now scat will you?” You asked as you walked around him and gently pushed on his back, trying to push him out of the door.

Shuichi (or Kurama as he was more well-known) smiled as he let you push him knowing full and well that if he wanted to he could stop you dead in your tracks. You may not have been the first girl he ever knew but you was the closet to him aside from his mother. There was just something about you; maybe it was your openness, the fact you didn’t chase him like most women did or the fact that you trusted him with your life despite the fact you knew he had secrets, the kitsune was not sure what but he did know that you had come under his protection, even if you didn’t know that.

Yusuke and Kuwabara knew this and when they met you they accepted you as such though being careful not to reveal anything discriminating about their former comrade and friend. Even Hiei, who still has a strong dislike for humans, accepted your presence although you never knew of his. This acceptance as well as your own beliefs made you one of the few humans Kurama really trusted and he knew when the time came, if it ever came, he would tell you of who and what he really was.

You were unaware of your friend’s thoughts as you manage to push him out of the door to get in the car with your mother but as he started your mother called to you. "And watch out for the thieves!"

"Ok mom! See ya Red!" You called back over your shoulder as you walked inside. "Stupid superstitions." You muttered but you still locked the door after you heard the car pull away, leaving you completely alone for the evening.

Standing at the door for a few minutes you listened to the movements of the house and night life beginning to stir outside. Everything seemed calm but something just didn’t feel right. Something was up tonight.

Deciding to take your mother’s advise of ‘better to be safe than sorry’ and act like the edgy American you were (your father may have been Japanese but you had lived in your mother’s home country too long not to adopt some of the mannerism of most Americans) you went into the few rooms of the house, checking the windows and such to make sure it was shut up tight before you headed back to the main room of the house and garbed a book from one of your boxes as you sat down to read.

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“Say goodbye, you filthy kitsune.”

“Goodbye.”

The demon didn’t even know what hit him, he thought he had Kurama, the famous bandit turn traitor. He thought wrong.

Yoko Kurama watched with distaste as the demon was devoured by one of his plants that he had planted earlier in the fight, he had allowed the demon to catch him off guard, so distracted by getting away from Name’s mother he had almost been killed in nearly taking a hit meant for the human woman.

Foolish. Thought the sliver headed kitsune as he called back the plant, it would not do for some stupid human to come across the plant and be eaten. Besides he had to make sure that the woman was alright and take care of her memories of the sudden attack that had caused her car to run off the road and nearly got both of them killed. Then, he has something else he needed to take care of.

A small smirk fitted it way across his face, golden eyes flashing at the thought of that ‘business’, after all he was never one to ignore the call for a thief.

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Time seemed to pass painfully slow as you tried to get some reading done, only to look up at the end of the mystery novel to find it had only been a hour since you started reading. "Ok, that does it! I'm going to bed." You said to yourself, sleeping would pass the time, beside it would get your mind off being home alone.

Slipping into the backroom of the house, your new bedroom, you slipped into a tank top and sweatpants to sleep as you crawled under the covers of the futon.

But as you laid in bed you found sleep won't come to you, there was a nagging in the back of your head. Maybe it was being home alone or maybe it was being in the ‘country’ but what your mother said worried you. It worried you more then you liked to admit.

Laying, fuming with thought you abruptly sat up and let out a piercing sharp whistle that even hurt your own ears and sat for a few seconds in the silence that followed. "See! No thieves!" You growled to yourself as you laid back down, pulling the covers over your head as you closed your eyes, resolving to get some sleep and stop letting some silly superstitions scare you.

At lest that was your resolve before you heard a sound that made you freeze like water on a lake: a very deep, very male chuckle. Oh shit. You thought; every horror movie and story running through your mind upon that sound. You laid still hoping you were imagining things but you knew that wasn’t your breathing you heard (you were holding your breath) as you gulped and closed your eyes even tighter. Maybe if I just pretend to be asleep…

“You know, you are not a very good actress. I know you are awake little one.”

You swallowed hard at this and took a deep breath realizing the jig was up. Ok, Nickname. Just sit up and see what he wants. On the count of three …. One … two … three. You sat up quickly, turning to face where the voice had come from and abruptly faltered in any further action. *What in the name of the mortal world?*

He stood there watching you with fierce eyes; he wasn't very tall, nor was he very stock but rather, he was slim with a mane of silky sliver-white hair. What was most attention getting about him was his ears and tail, he had fox ears and a sliver tail! "You should never whistle at night. It brings thieves you know." Was his only words.

The first you did, after staring for a lot longer then you probably should have, was bolt straight up in bed, blanket jerked up with you at a bid for modesty and security. "What the? Who are? What are? ….. How did you get in here?" You finally screeched after stammering over the other questions in your mind as you pressed yourself back as far as you could get from this stranger.

He simply laughed at you, a low and deep sound dripping with amusement, his arms folded over his chest. "I am a thief of course. My name is Yoko Kurama." His golden eyes full of mischievousness and a a wicked smile that made your stomach flip. "It was really easy getting in here." he said as he watched you.

"N .. no way. Demons are suppose to be myths." Great, now you were stammering, real smart. Show him you were scared witless, though you weren't completely sure if that was because of his sudden, and strange, appearance or that smile. That kind of smile had to be illegal, couldn‘t be trusted.

Your bad luck must have followed you from America, that had to be it, it would be just your luck that you would be the one in a thousandth person that broke superstition and actually faced the consequences. Either that or this was one really screwed up nightmare. You pinched yourself hard enough to leave a mark on the arm but found no change.

Ok, not a nightmare. Oh man, why didn’t I go with mom? Stupid pride. Stupid, stupid, stupid. You mentally belated yourself as you tore your eyes from him as you glanced at the door, judging the distance. Wondering if you could make it to that before he got to you. If he was a demon (really what else could he be?) he could probably catch you the second you were on your feet if the stories were true but if you didn’t try what then? Wait a minute! Didn’t you read somewhere that demons ate humans?!

His eyes seeming to glow with the moonlight as they flickered in the direction of the door then back to you. "I wouldn’t." He drawled as he pushed away from the wall and walk over towards you slowly, that smile seeming to be glued onto his face. "I promise I won't hurt you."

You cursed the fact that your back was already to a wall because if it wasn't you would have more room to back up. "Hn, I have heard that before." You muttered, mustering up your courage to try to keep your own fear from showing as you finally raised your eyes up. "Demons eat humans, why should I believe you?"

You thought he was going to hit you or at least get angry but that statement just made him smirk. "Eat humans? We don't eat humans, well, at least not all demons. I prefer just to scare them. Much how I am scaring you now." He chuckled as he came to stand barely two feet from you. "Now, you can either trust me, or attempt to run from me but I promise you, if you try to run you, there will be consequences.”

“And that is?”

His eyes flashed with amusement and something else that you couldn’t quite name. “I believe I will leave that to your imagination.”

You knew it was stupid. You knew he was expecting it. And you knew you would fail. There was no way you could be fast enough to slip pass him and out the door. But guess what? Yep, you tried for the door. Hey, you never claimed to be smart.

You were on your feet and sliding across the floor in a flash only to find yourself stopped suddenly as two arms caught you around the waist, stopping you in mid-flight as you were brought against a muscular and larger body; you're in his arms just as he stated.

He smirked down at you seeing your eyes widen at his speed. "I believe I warned you. However,” He whispered into your ear as he lowered his head, smirking slightly as he felt the shudders that went through you as his closeness and the feeling of breath against your neck. “I think you will enjoy this as well.”

“ …” You tried to say something, anything but found your senses going awry on you, you didn’t even seen him move before you were caught and to make matters worse you didn’t want him to let go. You had been scared nearly witless when he appeared but he also didn’t seem interested in hurting you despite the fact that you also felt the claws on his hands gently kneeing the skin between your risen shirt and pants.

You never had times for boys or dating throughout your life even when that was all most girls thought about and besides you kept strongly to morals your mother had taught you long ago. But right now, that was one of the last things on your mind. Fear, born from your original surprise was fading, replaced by only minor uneasiness. Hell, you were caught between the urge to fight free and the want to see just how those ears and tail of his felt.

You broke the lock of eyes feeling flames burning your cheeks with your own thoughts and his words, amazed that you could feel awkward in midst of all this.

“That it's, I’ve finally lost it. I'm crazy. It is the only explanation.” You muttered to yourself as you close your eyes.

The kitsune snorted softly in disgust. "Why do humans always assume one is mad when they see something they do not understand?” You could practically see him roll his eyes. “You're not crazy onna. If you were, then that would make everyone that's seen demon crazy." One clawed hand traveled up from your waist before it tipped your face up, careful not to scratch you as you were forced to meet his eyes once again. “And I believe I am very much real. Don’t you think so?”

“Y .. yea." You stammered and winced for it. Note to self, do not get distracted with thoughts when being held by a demon. You thought to yourself as you managed to wriggle your arms free to push your hands against his chest. "Let me go." You were quite proud of the fact that your voice didn't waver of course you were also refusing to look at him and your voice was quieter then you liked.

He snickered softly as you push him, shaking his head. "You humans never cease to amaze me. Trying so hard to be strong and brave, yet you refuse to look at me and your voice, mouse, gives you away." Your push didn’t even faze this guy, he only tightened his arms around your waist, his hands under your tank top, running up and down your soft skin.

"Mouse? Who you calling a .." Pride pricked you looked up with indignity but froze at the tantalizing light feel of his lithe fingers skimming over your back. "Mouse." You squeaked out the last part and saw him try not to laugh as you glared. "That is not funny." You said as you forced your voice to stay steady

"You sound much like a little mouse. Very squeaky." He grinned at you, wickedness and smug mirth flashing clearly in amber eyes.


Good Lord, help me. You thought to yourself as you swallowed again before looking away again, you wasn’t one to look anyone in the eye under normal circumstances and now you couldn’t hold his gaze for anything. There was just no way to look into those eyes and think straight.

But once again you were reminded that it was not a good idea to be distracted by your thoughts when the arms around your waist tightened again and you were lifted right off your feet, breaking a gasp from you and your hands went to his shoulders to steady yourself as you came nose to nose with the kitsune.

“Relax.” You felt warm breath against your ear when he said this but you still gasped softly with you felt his canines gently nip just below the outer shell of your ear before soothing the string with a slow sweep of his tongue. If you had been standing you were sure your knees would have buckled on you as he sat down on your bed with you in his lap turned so that you straddle his hips. "Now stop squirming. I don't want to hurt you."

You had been left in a daze of previously unstirred desires until his words shattered that blissful trance. When he sat you tensed, trying push away more earnestly heedless of the warning, he had already proved himself faster and more the likely much stronger then you and the position you were in left nothing to be imagined as to what he wanted from you. "Let go." You ordered again. "Damn it, I said let me loose!"

That mask of amusement slipped for a moment, surprise overcoming his face for a split second at your sudden fight as one hand went up to hold onto your shoulder while the other arm hooked around your waist held you firmly against him as he chuckled softly. "Wasn't it you who said that tonight was 'going to be wild?' I do believe it was your voice I heard." His eyes twinkle mischievously.

Your eyes went as wide as saucers and you were sure your face was probably resembling a tomato at the implication. "I didn't mean it like that ... wait a minute how did you know about that?! There was no one around aside from Shuichi and I?!"

Mentally Yoko grimaced slightly at the use of his human name, as if he needed to be reminded of that. With the ‘civil’ ties of the human world holding him back he could not see or have what he wanted. And perhaps what you did as well.

But none of this was shown to you as he lowered his head to indicate his ears. "See these ears? They hear a lot when I'm nearby. And I'm almost positive that's what you meant." Yoko ran his claws gently scrapping against your skin, trailing up and down your sides teasingly. "This could be wild after all."

You bit down on your lower lip to bite back a small whimper at the small shudders down your spine (more pleasurable when you liked to admit) at the scrap of his claws on your unprotected skin and just skimming the sides of your breasts. Just a slight shift of your body or his hands and he would …

"No."

Your voice was strained but deadpan as you garbed both of his wrists, holding on though
your small hands barely fit around them. "You came to the wrong place if you can for that.” You hissed, drawing on both your anger and fear to back you up; there was no way you were going to give yourself, your first, to a stranger and a demon at there! Nope, no way. No matter how much you wanted too.

Surprised amusement flashed across Yoko’s face as he looked down at your hands and shook his head. "Come on now. I won't hurt you, I promise this is something you will greatly enjoy.” His voice dropped deliberately as he stared you down, his liquid amber eyes meeting your own as you swallowed hard at the look of pure lust and desire in his eyes. You had never had a man look at you in such a way, with such wanting.

The kitsune leant in slowly, taking the advantage of you having a hold of his wrists as he gently pressed his warm lips to yours, waiting to see your reaction.

You gasped softly unintentionally tempting him to deepen the kiss. You hesitated at the open invitation, almost a gazillion thoughts going through your mind at once before you muttered. "If you are looking for a one night-stand you came to the wrong place but ….." You let yourself trail off, not bothering to complete your sentence as you gently kissed back as cautiously as the wings of a butterfly. Just one kiss, just one. You told yourself as your grip on his wrists slacked.

Lightly, careful not to break the delicately woven spell the sliver kitsune deepened the kiss, seeing how far he would be allowed to go; even if he didn’t know you so well he would be able to tell you were inexperienced, probably never been kissed by a man. Completely untouched treasure. This knowledge left many ideas playing in his head as his arms tightened when you returned the kiss a soft longing and the slight promise of passion under the awkwardness that only made him want to explore more.

But too soon he felt, Yoko pulled back slowly out of the kiss, looking down at you. "Now was that so bad?" He smiled gently while pushing a lock of fallen hair from your face to behind your right ear, not really losing much of that mischievousness, but definitely adding more charm.

You tilted your head a degree to the side as you looked at him with slight narrowed eyes, a habit of yours that you did when trying to figure something out. "No but I meant what I said. I'm no one's whore dem ... Yoko." You decided better and used his name. "If you came looking for ... for that .. you came looking to the wrong place. Leave." You said as steely as you could manage, knowing you couldn’t hold eye contact.

A spark of amusement hits his golden eyes, noting your inability to look him in the eye and he gently tilted your head so that you doesn't have much choice except to look him in the eyes. “Really now, why would I even think of doing such a thing?“ He teased softly.

You swallowed tightly, trying to get moisture back into your mouth as you attempted to turn your head. Note attempted, he wasn't letting go. "Y ..yes." You finally managed to say, mentally kicking yourself for stuttering again.

Yoko chuckled slightly and leaned forward, his breath brushing gently against your lips. “I feel a little insulted, I think.“ He brushed his lips against the corner of your mouth and pulled away though his grip tighten slightly.

You closed your eyes for a moment; sweet saints if you didn't get out if this one you weren't lasting long. “Please don't do that.”

You didn‘t see it but the sliver haired kitsune raised an eyebrow as he leaned in closer. “Do what?“ He asked innocently before he starts nuzzling gently into your neck, nipping the soft flesh under your earlobe.

You couldn't help it, you bit hard enough on your lower lip to turn it white but a small whimper still got passed you as your eyes snapped open. “THAT!“ You gasped out a little strangled as he hit one of your weak spots.

He chuckled, not pulling back from the tender skin, his warm breath hitting the moist skin. “Oh really now??”

Your only response was a small groan as you ducked your head against his chest, by now you knew you couldn’t get away but you could try to duck away as your nails dug in slightly on his shirt while words failed you.

Yoko did not give you a reprieve as his lips moved a little further down on your neck, nipping occasionally and sucking a bit on the junction of your neck and shoulder. And as a result your head did not stay down for long as, with a soft moan, you arched your back slightly. Being a sucker for any kind of touch around your neck and shoulders his ministrations felt sinfully good as you tilted your head all the way and to the side some instinctively giving him more room.

The kitsune nuzzled the skin with a final soft nip, the skin a little red from his pawing but not too noticeable as he gently pressed his lips against yours and once again pulling you flush against his body but by now you were a little too distracted to care. Heaven help you, when he finally pressed his lips to yours you kissed him back as your hands bunched in his shirt with a small sigh and you let your shoulders drops some in submission. There was only so much one could take …

Seeing the fight drain out of you Yoko brushed his tongue against your lower lip, asking for permission to take this further rather than demanding it. There was slight hesitation on your part, he had already your first kiss, but then slow parted your lips to allow his entrance.

He eased his tongue in, gently teasing yours into a tango with his as his hands slipped up the back of your shirt again, coming up to rub your shoulders from behind as you allowed him to lead in the kiss before breaking it gently for need of air as your own hands cautiously rubbed up and down his sides as you glanced up at him.

Yoko smirked slightly at the questioning glance; you were a moth to a flame but a cautious little moth all the same. He kissed your forehead, cheeks, nose, chin, and neck as his hands continue rubbing your shoulders. Might as well play by you rules for a bit, after all it did him no good if he scared you too badly.

You hands found their way under his shirt, tentatively exploring the smooth skin underneath as you titled her head up to brush your lips against back his.

Yoko let out an almost purring rumble when you initiated the kiss this time as he just started to teasingly brush his lips against yours, his hands sliding around to run up and down yours sides.

You blinked at hearing the sound as you tried to fight down a small smile and laugh. “I thought only cats purred.“ You whispered, breaking the silence as you gently nuzzled against his cheek.

Yoko shrugged carelessly. “Oh, what a world it would be if only cats were allowed to purr…” He snickered before leaning in and catching your lips in a hungry kiss, letting a little more passion show up in the kiss as his claws gently scrape up yours sides lightly enough to get a reaction, but not hard enough to hurt you. Shuichi would give him unholy hell if the red-head even thought he had put so much as a scratch on you.

You had opened your mouth to reply to his statement but your words turned into a small gasp as your own nails dug slightly in his back as you squirmed a little, distinctively you could hear something but you wasn't sure, or really cared, what it was.

But apparently the sliver haired fox did as he stilled, ears twitching as he also heard the sound, pulling back slightly as he tried to make out what it was and wondering whether or not to take his attention away from the girl in his arms. It only took a moment to realize what he had earlier heard and ignored: a car. “Damn, I thought it would take her longer to realize he was gone ..”

“My mother …” Your voice brought the kitsune’s attention back to you, you had noticed his distraction and soon heard the car pulling into the driveway. “She wasn't supposed to be home until morning.“ You he muttered as you looked up at him, looking like a kid with her hand caught in the cookie jar. “Oh I don't want to explain this ..”

Yoko mentally snickered at the expression on your face, a mix of embarrassment, lust, fear and disbelief before he composed himself. “Really now? I can just hear it: ‘Mother, this is my demonic boyfriend, Yoko... Oh no, he doesn't shed anywhere..’” He shook his head as he leaned down to steal another brief kiss. “I should probably be going, eh, mouse?”

“Boyfriend?” You echoed, raising an eyebrow at him, not able to hide your surprise. “So you will actually be coming back?”

Yoko nearly laughed outright at the open suspicion on your face, it toned down to a chuckle as he brushed the back of his clawed hand down your right cheek. “You can bet your life on that one, onna.” His golden eyes seem to glint at bit as he says this.

"Name." You muttered as you shook your head. "Not onna or mouse, Name."

“As you wish, onn … *Name* ..” He replied, hand going up to the back of your neck to hold you for a moment as his is mouth fastened on yours, hard, hungry with the promise of more before you felt yourself lifted slightly to be removed from the warmth of his body and when you opened your eyes you were was alone kneeling on the bed; he had vanished as quickly as he had appeared.

You took a deep, shaky breath, fingers raising to press against your lips with wide eyes as you searched the shadows but found no trace of the kitsune as the call of your mother rang to you, unanswered for the moment. “Whoa … what have I gotten myself into now?” You whispered into the night.