'I… I can't feel anything…' Thought a crimson haired man. He blinked his faded crimson eyes as he walked through the forest. Having just gone through a battle, his body was covered in blood, both his own, and the blood of those he's killed. 'I don't know… if that's a good thing, or a bad thing.' He stumbled a bit, his footing a bit unbalanced as he tried to keep moving. How was it that he was still moving in the first place?

Leaning against a tree, the young looking man took a deep breath. Just trying to get some kind of baring, to figure out what was going on around him.

Taking a look down at himself, he saw that his red robes were torn and shredded for the most part. His shirt, long gone, with only a strip of cloth wrapped around his left shoulder and to the right hip. His pants had left most of the right leg while the left had been cut off just below his knee. His long hair whipping around his face, almost slapping him onto the ground. Blinking his eyes slowly, the young man felt his red fox ears flicker atop of his head, his nine tails just dragging on the ground. He had no strength left in him, or at least most of his strength had already faded from the war.

'I have… to get further. I won't die here…' thought the man, no, thought the demon that went back on his journey. The battle, the war, it had felt like it was never ending. He had no idea that he would have survived, unlike his men… his men… Tightly shutting his eyes, he knew that he should have died with them, known that he shouldn't be alive right now but he refused to die in that place. He wanted to find a place to die, a place filled with peace so he could allow himself to go into another realm of peace… at least, he hoped that would be the case for him.

His face turning into a sad smile, he whispered "That would only be wishful thinking. There is no peace for me… I'm nothing but a monster, more so to humans." He gave a small sad laugh before he went on his way.

The crimson haired man had hoped that his journey to a peaceful rest wouldn't be far or long. Though, he had no idea if there was such a place waiting for him in the first place. All of it had been nothing but a dream… though, if he was honest with himself, he knew that he had many regrets in his life. He never found a mate, never had kits of his own. Never knowing the love of a woman.

Stopping in his tracks, he gazed up at the sky, wondering if maybe he was never meant to find love. Shaking his head, the young man kept on walking. He knew that he still had a ways to go, before his body would just give out on him completely. He couldn't just… give up. No, there was no way in hell, which his body would give up. Not yet! He still had to keep moving! 'Yet… would just a small rest be that terrible?' A part of himself spoke through his thoughts.

Shaking his head, the demon knew that he couldn't give in to such temptations. His strength of will, that was the only thing that he had that even allowed him to keep moving forward in the first place.

What would his resting place look like? Maybe a nice pond, filled with nothing but beautiful flowers, and trees that blew with cherry blossoms. Yes, that sounded nice, the sounds of birds chirping, the sounds of animals roaming around. Just thinking of such a place, it brought a ghost of a smile to his face… Yet, he could still feel no true joy. His body, he could feel something starting to come back to him now.

The first thing he started to notice, was the pain as it just seemed to jolt through his spin. Through his spin and to the rest of his body. Letting out a gasp of pain, the young man thought that he would fall over just from the shock alone. Gripping the nearby tree, the demon let out a sharp breath, his claws digging into the bark, his fangs grinding as he tried to control himself. No, he couldn't allow himself to fall… not yet. He had to keep moving, had to think of something else, anything really, to get the pain to stop in its tracks.

'More wishful thinking…' His thoughts told him.

Shaking his head, the young man tightly shut his eyes as he tried to breathe, tried to get his legs to stop shaking. Yet, even now, he could feel the pain steadily getting worse. If he didn't start moving now, he wouldn't be able to move again. Opening his faded crimson eyes, he pushed himself away from the tree and started to walk once more.

Every few steps, his tails would twitch from the pain. His ears perked and alert, the only thing on him that would even show any kind of emotion other than pain. He almost wanted to laugh at himself, a sad excuse for a demon. A demon, wishing for death right now… "Maybe I'll be lucky and heal the moment I arrive…" He said to himself, not sure if he would even heal in the first place. If he would, his healing would have kicked in by now. Not a single part of his body had started to heal, it was indeed, a cruel twist of fate right now.

Suddenly, the young man let out a yelp as he felt his foot get caught in a tree root. He fell forward, rolling down a hill as he cried out from the pain. Yup, a real great way to die right now… rolling down a hill and allowing his life's blood to spill from his wounds and stain the grass below him.

"Oof!" came out the small cry of the demon as he finally hit the bottom of the hill. All he could do, way lie there. His body, unable to move… Lazily, he lifted his head as he looked over at the side. Only for his head to fall down on the side, allowing the cool grass to brush his skin. Blinking lazily, his vision starting to blur at this point. 'Is… this the end?' he thought to himself, not sure if he could even speak anymore.

Yup, it was indeed a sad place to die, but sadly he couldn't go further.

"Hey, you okay?" asked a voice, causing the young man to look up. Or at least, attempted to. Blinking slowly, he looked up yet he couldn't make out much of anything with the way his vision had already blurred. "Are you even alive?" she asked, or at least he was sure that this person was a woman from the voice. Her answer? Him moving his tails as much as he could.

The woman got closer to him, causing him to get a better look at who she was. Or at the very least, what she looked like. She had long black hair, beautiful pale skin… eyes, a soft and loving brown. How was it that he's never met her before? What kind of demon was she? "It'll be okay, I got you… I got you…" She said in a gentle voice, causing him to just stare blankly at her. She reached out, cupping his cheek in her hand, he couldn't help but nuzzle against her open palm.

Her scent, it was calm… peaceful… it… it brought him a sense of peace. A peace, that he didn't think that he could feel, maybe this was what he was to do. He had to find her, to find this woman to help him with his peace to die… Taking one last look up at the woman, he couldn't help but think 'Beautiful' before closing his eyes.

Groaning, the young man started to open his eyes. He… was he dead? Blinking slowly, he looked around the area, wondering if this was the afterlife… It was a simple room, nothing special about it. Though, there seemed to be a few beds, all of them were empty though. A few wash bins at the sides of each bed, and a couple chairs in the corner of the room. There was even a small container that he figured held bandages.

'What is this place?' he thought to himself, trying to sit up only to growl in pain. 'Well, at least I know I'm not dead at the very least…' What was going on here though? Where was he? Where was that woman that he saw? Or was she only a figment of his imagination? 'No, someone that beautiful couldn't be made up.' God, his whole body hurt, though pain meant that he was still alive, so that had to mean something. Though, how was he still alive in the first place? Even if someone had found him in time, there was no way that they would have been able to heal him, unless they had some kind of special training with demons that would allow them to heal, or even if they had sacred abilities that would allow their powers to heal a demonic being such as him.

Taking another look around, he sniffed the air that surrounded him. Too many scents wafted to him, though most of them were stale, possibly days old at best, a week maybe. It had him curious, how was it that he couldn't smell a fresh scent? Or maybe his nose was a little damaged as well during his fight… That, or the other scents somehow over powered any new scent.

"Oh, you're awake! Thank goodness." Came a woman's voice, causing him to turn to the doorway. He could see her, so clearly now. Her skin, was indeed pale, more so than a human… Was she a Snow Woman? No, Snow Women don't have black hair… Her eyes, they were brown, just like when he saw her through his clouded vision. She wore a white kimono that seemed to move with her movements…

He remained silent for the most part, mostly out of thought. Trying to figure out who she was, and what she was. Yet, the woman must have thought otherwise, for she rushed to him and seemed far too concern with small things. Such as his pulse, and his wounds, not to mention his temperature. "Hm, everything seems fine. I'm glad you're doing better. You were in really rough shape when I found you. It's amazing really that I could have healed you at all. I am just glad I trusted my instincts to heal you…"

It seemed that she was starting to ramble on now. Did she ever stop talking? All he could do was stare at her, his ears flickering at her… He had to admit, she also had a beautiful voice, to go with a beautiful appearance. Yet, he still didn't know what she was or who she was…

The woman stared at him, her smile starting to form on her lips. Now that he thought about it, her lips… were a soft rosy pink. How was it that, that would be the only colour to her skin in the first place? "Do you speak? Or you just happen to be the only demon that doesn't seem to talk?" She asked in a joking manner. That itself, made him blink at her in shock. "Here, I'll introduce myself first, my name is Sachi. I'm a priestess." Wait, she's a priestess?! But, a priestess killed demons! They got rid of his kind and tried to wipe his kind out in a blink of an eye! Then again… she saved him… so, why?

It seemed that she saw the shocked expression on his face, before giving him a soft smile. "Do not worry, I don't hunt demons. You haven't done anything to me, yet… though, I highly doubt you will." She just smiled at him, god how was it that she could be this nice? Was she just too nice, or too naïve? "Can you talk though? If you do, it's only polite that you tell me your name."

Again, he seemed to refuse to speak.

Frowning, Sachi sighed softly before double checking his bandages. Why was it that she seemed sad that he hadn't said his name? Why did it bother him in the first place? Was it because she had, indeed, saved his life? Or was it something else? "I'm just happy you did wake up though. You've been asleep for almost a week. As soon as people saw me bring in a demon, they thought I was crazy and ran off." Letting out a soft sigh, she calmly said "I don't know why though, you haven't attacked them, you aren't one of the demons that have harmed any of us before. In fact, there aren't no fox demons near this village." No… fox demons nearby? He must have wandered further than he thought possible.

"Yet, I kept looking after you regardless of what they all told me. I wanted to know what happened to you. How you got that badly, even a demon don't fight and come out with injuries like that… At least, not alone anyway. What happened to your friends?" She spoke, her voice held a hint of softness to it. As if she was mostly saying it to herself the whole time, instead of to him. Didn't she know that she had turned herself into an outcast because she saved a demon?

"Anyway, I have to leave for a bit… I'll come back with some clean bandages and some food for you. I hope you feel better though… and return to your friends." Sachi said, smile in place as she pushed herself up and started to make her way out of the room, until a voice stopped her…

"Kurama…"

Sachi turned her head a bit, made the demon think if she had heard him. He tried again. "My name… it… it's Kurama."

Sachi seemed to have smiled a bit before she walked out of the door. Kurama couldn't help but smile a bit… he was alive, but he knew that he was still far from healing. Yawning softly, he laid down fully on the bed before he started to drift off to sleep once more. He was just… so tired, just wanting to sleep for a bit longer.

After a few days, Kurama had healed enough to stand up on his own. Though, still a bit wobbly on his legs… The war must have drained his chakra a great deal for it to have caused his healing to have slowed down so much. Sitting on the edge of the bed, he gazed down at his body, getting a good look at himself. He had bandages around his chest, all the way down to his hips. His arms were bandaged, as were his legs. The only thing he wore was a pair of shorts right now. Reaching up, he grazed his cheeks with his fingertips, feeling some bandages there as well.

'I must have been in worse shape than I thought…' thought Kurama with a wince. Taking another look around, he saw that Sachi hadn't come into the room to check on him yet. Odd, she's normally in here by now… Pushing himself up, he decided to walk around the place, may as well get a feel for the place since it seems that he'd be here for a while.

Sniffing around, he could only smell himself, and Sachi, no one else seems to dare come here so long as he was around. "Are they that afraid of me?" He asked himself, only to shrug before he walked out of the room and made his way down a set of stairs. Yet, the closer to the end of the stairs he got, the more sounds his ears picked up.

"Get rid of him! He's a monster!" hissed a voice, causing Kurama to freeze where he stood.

"No, he is an injured man, nothing more." Came Sachi's voice.

"He isn't no man, he's a demon. Demon's hunt and kill us all the time! He's just one of them!" came another voice.

"Yeah, he's nothing but a beast! He'll attack us when we least expect it!" shouted another.

Kurama wanted to growl, wanted to march over there and tell them off but refrained himself from doing so. If he did, that would only prove them right about him. Closing his eyes, he was about to go back upstairs, just so he could ignore their accusations of him until Sachi's voice made him freeze again. "How about you all just shut up! You don't know anything about him, for as long as I've been tending him, he's been nothing but polite and calm. He's never once tried anything with me, never threatened anything or anyone for that matter. He was near death when I found him, I won't kill a demon unless they give me reason too, and he has yet to give me reason." Kurama slowly turned his head, ears picking up on her words. How could she be so sure that he wouldn't attack her or her village in the first place? She couldn't guarantee that he wouldn't attack… she was a foolish woman, a beautiful woman, but foolish.

Blushing at his own thoughts, Kurama quickly ran up the stairs, or at least as quickly as his body would allow. Sadly, he may have made some sounds as he made his way up the stairs for the voices all stopped. Making his way back to his room, or at least the bed he was using before laying back down. God, he was exhausted already, damn… his body was weak. He'd have to get back to working out when he recovered…

Soon, he heard footsteps, his ears twitching toward the door before he turned and saw Sachi. She had a faint smile on her face before walking over to sit on a chair at the edge of his bed. Amazing how he hadn't noticed that there the other day. "So you heard all of that huh…" Sachi said with a sad smile. Kurama sighed softly before nodding his head. He couldn't lie to her, he looked up at the ceiling, as if he was trying to think on what he should, or could say to the woman. "I hope they didn't hurt your feelings. They have been bothering me to get rid of you since I first brought you here…"

"Why bother with me in the first place? They are right, my kind have hunted humans in the past. For all you know, I could be taking advantage of your kindness to get back to strength and slaughter you all." Kurama calmly said before turning to stare at her, his gaze void of all emotion. As if he was trying to see if she would believe his words, or just throw his words out the window.

"You haven't shown any kind of hostility towards me since I woke up. Not to mention, you didn't have to tell me your name Kurama, yet you have. Plus, even now you are strong enough to kill me but haven't even tried." Sachi calmly explained. Yup, she threw out his so called 'threat' out the window pretty much. Sachi just smiled up at him before reaching over into a basket and pulled out some clean bandages. "Okay, I'm gonna need you to sit up on the edge of the bed for me so I can change your bandages."

Kurama sighed softly and moved so he sat on the edge of the bed. Sachi carefully removed the bandages on his legs first. He couldn't deny that he winced at how bad the wounds looked. The wounds were still open, and raw, covered and stained with blood that had dried under his bandages. Sachi sighed softly before she grabbed the basin of water and started to clean the wounds on his legs. He blushed a little but turned his head away hoping that she wouldn't notice. Why was he blushing in the first place?

Quick with her work, she replaced the bandages before moving over to sit beside him and started to remove the bandages on his left arm, then moved to sit on his other side, removing those bandages. Tilting her head, she smiled to herself. "These ones healed nicely, so I'll leave these to air out a bit before double checking them later okay?" Kurama just nodded, his bangs thankfully covering his eyes and half of his face from her view. What really caused his heart to beat loudly in his chest was when she got close to his chest. Since her arms were a little short or at the very least couldn't really reach around him fully, she had to, in essence, hug him with his arms up high so she could unwrap the bandages from him.

Kurama's face was tainted in a deep crimson. God, when she had to unwrap the bandages, he could feel everything. He could feel her arms as they carefully removed the bandages, could feel her chest pressing against his side. He fought off a nosebleed, though he wondered how long until his strength of will just disappeared or wavered, whatever came first for him.

Gulping a bit, he saw that she had finally pulled herself away and saw that she had finished removing the bandages. Letting out a soft sigh, the young woman reached over to the basin and started to wipe his wounds, causing him to let out a sharp hiss of pain. "Sorry, I know these must hurt a lot worse. The wounds on your chest were the worse that you seemed to have received in your fight." Kurama just gave a sharp nod, not wanting to speak thinking that if he did, that he would whine from the pain. "It may take a while to heal properly, so… I hope you don't mind the company of a human woman."

Once Kurama saw that she had finished wiping his chest, she reached over and started to rewrap his chest and stomach. The pain still lingered, though for now, it was bearable. "I don't mind. To be honest… I don't mind humans. I try to… um… well… protect them." Sachi looked up at him as if she was in shock at his confession. Looking away, he scratched his unbandage cheek as he said "My village, I guess you can say that we protect humans rather than hunt them down. We depend on humans, much like how the depend on us."

"A demon village that protects humans. Didn't think I'd ever hear that" Sachi said with a giggle. God, her laugh was so adorable. Blushing at his thoughts once more, Kurama looked away, unable to look her in the eye right now. "Maybe… one day… you could show me? I'd very much love to see that village." Kurama looked down at her in shock, yet… the expression on her face. The look of contentment, the idea of seeing a village such as his, it caused a sparkle in her eyes to appear. He couldn't help but say…

"Okay, one day I'll show you."

Hearing those words, caused Sachi to look up at him with a bright smile on her face. The smile itself, caused Kurama's heart to beat loudly in his chest. How was it that this woman, had already wormed her way under his skin in such a short amount of time? He had no idea, but he knew… that he would keep that promise to her, somehow. But for now, he had to focus on healing and staying alive.

Kurama wandered around the house while Sachi was out gathering herbs. He wondered what there was to do here while he healed. It wasn't like he could really do much of anything to be honest, not to mention, he was still in nothing but shorts and bandages. It was rather difficult for him to move around still though, but he managed for the most part. Though, he wondered if it was even safe for her to be outside. He knew how the villagers have been acting lately.

They hated her, all because she was tending to him. His eyes changed to solemn at the thought. No, they changed into guilt, knowing that it was because of him, that her own people hated her. Hated her because she was helping a demon, calling her some kind of demon lover. This had been going on, a couple weeks now, or at least a couple weeks after he first heard them yelling at her. Frowning a bit at the thought, he wondered why anyone would yell at such a beautiful woman in the first place…

Eyes widening again at his words, Kurama covered his face. Wanting to slam his head into a wall. Why did he keep doing this to himself? He shouldn't have any of these feelings for her, he was a demon. She was nothing but a human, a priestess even, and yet… here he was… Already starting to harbor feelings for her. Was this because she saved him, or because… she was… the one?

Looking out the window, Kurama couldn't help but wonder. What his clan would think of him now, what would his own family think of him now, if they had been alive. They may be very disappointed in him, knowing that he had somehow fallen in love with a human. Closing his eyes, he whispered "What am I to do? It isn't like I can just go and tell her…" He opened his eyes once more before turning to the door, a scent had wafted to his nose, causing him to frown a bit. He could smell Sachi walking to the house but… he smelled… blood?! Rushing out of the house, not caring that he only wore shorts, he didn't care about anything other than reaching Sachi.

"Sachi!" He cried out and he couldn't help but stare in utter shock at the scene before him. Laying there on the ground, was Sachi, she was trying to shield herself from the people punching, kicking, and throwing rocks at her. Sachi was shivering, though he had a feeling it was a mixture of pain and fear. No, he knew that it was, he could smell it wafting through the air. Sachi cried out when another rock hit her, this time, it hit her in the head, and at that point all he could see was red.

Letting out a loud roar, Kurama rushed forward, eyes glowing a deep crimson as he stood over Sachi, fangs bared as he growled at the humans. They all backed away from the enraged demon, they didn't know if he would attack them, or worse, kill them. Kurama just growled at them, flexing his claws, as if daring them to come and attack him. Even though he was still injured, he wouldn't allow anyone to hurt her…

"I knew the demon would attack us the first chance it got. It's nothing but a monster." Said a villager.

His growl went deeper and darker at their words. Tails whipping around behind him only to curl around Sachi as if to protect her from any more harm. A small whimper came from behind him, causing Kurama to turn his head, lifting his one of nine tails to stare at Sachi. She stared at him with fear, though it wasn't fear of the villagers… but fear… of him. Eyes widening for a brief moment, looking away from her before the red haze had faded from his mind.

Turning back to the villagers, he growled out "Don't you EVER attack her again. She hasn't done anything to deserve this." With that, he walked over to Sachi and lifted her into his arms, ignoring his own pain before walking back to her home. There was no way that he could believe that this had happened to her. Why would her own people turn against her, was it just because that… it made him lose his cool. Letting out a soft sigh, the young man sat Sachi down on a chair before he took a seat of his own. Turning to look at her, he frowned a bit, wondering if she would have asked him to leave and never come back.

"Kurama…" she asked in a hushed whisper.

"Yes?"

"You… you wouldn't have really attacked the villagers would you?" asked Sachi.

Would he have? Frowning in deep thought, Kurama had no idea if he would have attacked them. He might have, though not hurt them. Maybe scare them off so they wouldn't have attacked her again. Letting out a soft sigh, the young man looked up at the woman whom had somehow captured his thoughts as he whispered "I… I don't know to be honest. I may have attacked to scare them, not hurt them. They were just… attacking you." Rubbing his face, he added "I know that doesn't justify things but… I don't know, I want to repay you for your kindness." The last part was a half-lie though. He was doing it, because he had started to grow feelings for her.

Man, when his parents had said that they had fallen in love at first sight, they weren't kidding. Though, he couldn't say that he had fallen in love at first sight, but… it had started from there hasn't it? Looking up at her, he added "Sachi, maybe… next time you go out… I… I can go with you. Just to keep you safe you know." He tried to smile, but it looked more like it was forced.

"Okay, but… next time maybe you should put on some clothes instead of shorts." She giggled softly. At least she wasn't mad at him. Well, maybe she was mad at him but didn't show it. Though he couldn't help but blush at the words that Sachi had said to him about his clothes. "Oh, that reminds me." Sachi pushed herself up and made her way out of the room, causing Kurama to blink in confusion as to why she left. Did she have something for him or was it something that she had pushed off to do until she got back.

When she returned, she held out some fabric for him. Blinking down at the clothes, Kurama stared at her, his eyes blinking in confusion. "I made you some new clothes. The ones you had on before were torn to shreds pretty much. So, I hope these fit you." Sachi said with a soft and gentle smile. Tilting his head, the young man carefully took the clothes from the raven haired woman and made his way to the other room. He was quick to throw on the clothes, though he couldn't help but stare at the outfit with shock and awe.

It was a simple outfit, a long robe, crimson much like his hair and eyes. It split down the sides starting at his waist allowing his legs free movement. His pants were black as coal but he thought that it suited him in the long run. Though, he saw the shoes and frowned a bit. He couldn't help but squint his nose at the idea, he didn't like shoes, and not many demons did. Shaking his head, he made his way out of the room and looked at Sachi with a small blush on his face. "They fit great, thank you." He smiled softly at Sachi, though the look on her own face had caused him to frown in confusion.

Sachi, just stood there. Her eyes were wide, her face tinted in a faint blush. A blush that only seemed to get darker and darker the longer she stared at him. "Um… Sachi?" He said, walking over to him as he stood in front of her. Huh… now that he got a better look at her, he couldn't help but notice that he was maybe a foot or so taller than her. "You okay?"

Sachi blinked her eyes as she looked up at the confused, and concerned demon before smiling up at him. "I'm just happy that the clothes fit you." Looking down, she frowned a bit as she added "You're not wearing the shoes…"

"I… don't really like shoes." Kurama answered honestly.

Sachi let out a soft 'hmm' sound as she tried to think on what she could do about that. Kurama wouldn't wear shoes, maybe because they didn't allow him to feel the ground. Then, she smiled before leaving the room and came back with some bandages, similar to the ones that she had wrapped his wounds in. "Try wrapping these around your feet." Tilting his head to the side, the fox demon nodded his head before he sat down, accepting the bandages and started to wrap the bandages around his feet. Leaving his heels, and his toes free to breathe.

"Hm…" Kurama finished his work before standing back up on his feet, only to smile. He could still feel the ground, so that worked out for him. Chuckling, he looked at Sachi as he said "This works for me." He grinned all the more before hugging Sachi in a tight embrace, causing her to blush.

Suddenly aware of his actions, Kurama pulled himself back and looked away. "Um… sorry… uh… thank you for the clothes Sachi." He felt a bit awkward right now. How was it that he allowed this to happen to himself? Turning to the human before him, he wondered if she would hate him right now… what he hadn't expected, was to see her smiling at him. Her smile, bright and radiant much like the sun flowers that he sometimes saw near his village.

Giving him a gentle smile, she said "You're very welcome Kurama. I'm happy that you have some clothes to wear… Now you can help me with some chores. If you want too of course." She giggled a little, her laugh… it was like bells to his ears. Smiling gently at her, the fox demon knew that he could love her, but knew that it couldn't be at the same time. There was no way that they could live a happy life together, not long anyway. Demons lived for thousands of years, humans, not so much. Giving her a sad look for a moment, the young man wondered… would this even work? Should he just run and never return? Should he even attempt it before he grew too attached to the tiny human woman?

Shaking his head, the young demon knew that he may as well enjoy what time he had with the woman. May as well right? Even if nothing could come of it, there could be a chance that they weren't meant to be together, and that his true chosen was someone else.

"Kurama?" Sachi called out.

"Oh, sure Sachi I'll help you around the house. Seems fair since you did save my life." He grinned from ear to ear. Yup, he was going to enjoy what time he could have with her. Because once he was healed, he knew that he would have to leave… even though a part of him, maybe a big part of him, didn't want to leave. Wanted to stay here really, and be with Sachi and just have as much time with her as he could. The thought though… of knowing that they could only spend at best maybe fifty years was something that broke his heart…

"Okay… I have to go tend to my injuries. After that I need some help with the herbs." Sachi said with a smile before leaving the room. The fox, could only stare at her with a sad sigh. Yup, he wouldn't have that much time with her before she was gone forever… Was it worth the risk?

Over the course of a few days, Kurama had helped Sachi with a few minor chores around the house. Mostly cleaning, helping her gather the herbs. A few times, he would have cut his hand on some kind of thorn, causing Sachi to giggle at him and tend to his cut. Kurama of course, would just stare at her with a blush on his face as she tended to him. To be honest, it almost felt like a never ending dream to the demon. A dream that he never wanted to end…

Letting out a soft sigh, the young man walked down the stairs of her home from his bed. He had started to heal a little better where he didn't need as many bandages on him. Though, he knew that he was still far from a hundred percent at this point. As he walked down the stairs, he saw Sachi yelling at a man that was at his door. Hiding himself once more, he knew that he shouldn't be doing this, but… he was worried about her. Thinking that they would attack her again. The thought of it, it almost made him growl.

"I don't care how many times you come here, I won't get rid of him, and, while you're at it, stop asking to marry me. You know nothing about me." Sachi said with a groan.

"He isn't safe for you Sachi… It's best that you stay at my place until he leaves. Plus, it gives us a chance to… get to know another." Why did hearing that piss the demon off?

"The answer is still no. Now leave." Sachi said with venom in her voice.

Kurama frowned a bit. Do people keep bothering her not just because of him, but for her hand in marriage? Hm… he'd have to do something to help her…

"Please Sachi, reconsider, if you're with me then you'll be safe from that monster!"

"I think she said to leave her be." Came a voice, causing both the man, and Sachi to turn their gazes to the man that now resided behind Sachi. Kurama had made his fox ears disappear, replaced them with normal human ears, and his nine tails have vanished. As had his fangs and claws, not to mention, his eyes were no longer crimson but a soft brown. Both the man, and Sachi stared at him agape, unable to comprehend what was going on here.

"Kurama?" Sachi whispered in shock.

"Hm?" Kurama looked down at Sachi with a big smile on his face.

"Sachi deserves a man who can protect her, who can give her everything she needs!" said the man with a glare. It was then, that the woman in question, or more likely in demand, glared at him and threw a fist at his fist, knocking him on his ass. The man glared at Sachi as he rubbed his cheek. "Why you-!?"

"I think Sachi can protect herself. Now, like she had asked you time and again, she said to 'leave'." With that, Kurama closed the door and let out a soft sigh. Though sadly that wasn't the end of it…

"Kurama, what have you done to yourself?!" Sachi cried out.

Turning to her, he frowned a little as he said "I… made myself look human. I hoped that maybe, the man would get the hint that he can't just 'ask' you to marry him if you declined." Rubbing the back of his neck in a nervous fashion, the young 'human' looking man, avoided eye contact with Sachi for a moment, only for his gaze to fall upon her. "I… I wanted to help you. I thought maybe if they see that a human male was here that they would leave you alone about a demon living here. It's my fault that no one wants to go near you, or your home. My fault that they're hurting you and… I'm just so sorry for all that happened to you for it was never my intention for you to get hurt." Letting out a soft sigh, he added "It isn't right for a beautiful woman like you to be hurt in anyway but to be cherished."

"Wh-What did you say Kurama?" asked Sachi, a soft blush on her face.

Kurama blushed, realising what he had just said to her before he looked away. "Oh look at the time, I have to go and check the garden for you!" He suddenly said before running off further inside the house. Not believing what it was that he had just said to her. He hadn't meant to just blurt that out at her yet, it happened. Damn him and his heart.

Letting out a soft sigh, the young man made his way to the garden, wanting to think of anything but Sachi… yet, he couldn't even do that. His thoughts would return to her, to her wonderful smile. Her beautiful hair… God, he wanted to just hold her and never let go yet, he just couldn't do that. Turning to his hands, he couldn't help but stare at the clawless fingertips that he had given himself. He looked human, yet… he knew that he wasn't human. He couldn't be a human, and would never be a human. That much was for sure yet, he wanted to be a human, never in his entire life had he ever wanted something this badly yet knew, with all his heart that it would never come to be.

Sighing, the young man looked up at the sky as he whispered "Maybe… I could just look like a human for her. That would be close enough… right?" With that thought running through his mind, Kurama knew that he would have to act like a normal human. Or at least, attempt to at the very least.

Smiling to himself, the young man went to tending to the gardens, knowing that he would have to make sure that he had a lot to learn in order to be a human for Sachi. A human, worthy of her…

Over the course of a few days, the young man had tried to act as human as possible. Yet, that was easier said than done. Kurama knew that this was something that he wouldn't learn overnight, that much was for sure. Yet, he knew that it was something that he wouldn't learn overnight. After all, he had no experience with humans so he didn't fully understand how they acted for the most part. Mostly from what he had seen with Sachi thus far and humans from afar.

Sitting down at the table, he tried to use forks, spoons and knives for his food instead of his bare hands and claws. At least with the solid foods. Soups, he would have used a spoon regardless.

He even tried to keep his… should he call it jealousy and protective nature to a minimum. Not wanting to scare off anyone else, in fact all the humans assumed that he was someone else, and that the demon had taken off already. Not that he would complain for the moment, he knew that it was best this way. Sadly though, he still had his slip ups here and there. Such as leaning in close to Sachi to inhale her scent, standing in front of her to protect her when a man got too close to her or got into… well, a bit of a rage when someone called her a 'demon lover' just because, she had saved his life.

Letting out a soft sigh, the young man looked out the window of his room. Today, it was a simple day really… he had been asked by Sachi to go with her into the village to gather some supplies that she would need. Such as food, bandages and other items that she can't really get from her own garden. He agreed, just wanting to spend more time with her. Plus, it would give him a chance to learn more about humans by observation… well, partly anyway. There was still some things that he wouldn't want to learn, such as being an asshole to women.

Walking with Sachi into the village, he had noticed a few women watching him with what he assume were hearts in their eyes. It had him a little confused as to why they were staring at him like that… though then again, for him a demoness was different compared to human women. "Sachi," Kurama began, leaning close to her so he could ask his question. "Why are those women staring at me like that?"

Sachi turned her head and stared at the women whom seemed to glare at her for how close Kurama was. She giggled a bit as she said "They like you Kurama. And, right now they're jealous for me being close to you." Kurama blinked his eyes innocently before turning back to the women. Whom, seemed to smile at him, the smile itself to him was a little difficult for him to understand, he was about to wave but something in him told him to just ignore them. Turning back to look ahead, he walked with Sachi, just wanting to get this trip over and done with.

"Sachi, why do you live so far from the village anyway?" asked Kurama.

"I don't like crowds. I do like to help people, but… being around so many people is nerve wrecking to be honest. Plus, if I'm healing someone, the peace and quiet is good for them." She answered with a smile.

That did make sense. The sounds of birds, the silence from people… the smell of flowers and fresh cooked meals, it was enough to help him calm down and relax. So, he could understand that for the most part and couldn't help but chuckle. "I can see that." He said with a grin. Turning back to her, he asked "Though, why do men… bother you when they ask for your hand in marriage?"

"To be honest? I don't want a stranger to be my husband. I know the names of the people here yes, but… other than that I don't interact with them." Sachi answered with a soft sigh.

"But, if you don't get to know them they'll just be strangers anyway." Kurama pointed out.

"True, but… they haven't shown to want to get to know me anyway. They just seem to like me for my looks." She whispered, a frown on her face.

Kurama frowned a bit. Was that how she was seen really? Taking a look around, he saw a few men in the crowd, staring at her with the same look that the women were staring at him with. How was it that they didn't bother to try to spend any kind of time with her in the first place? He rather enjoyed her company, and it made him feel… happy, complete even. Turning to her, he couldn't help but stare at her with a soft sigh. Gently, he grabbed her hand as he whispered "If they can't bother to take time out of their day, to get to know you… then they just aren't worth it. I spend time with you and I can see that you are a wonderful woman… who is full of nothing but life, love, and sunshine."

Sachi looked up at Kurama with a soft blush on her face. Why did he say that? Was that something that was in his heart or was it something else? He had no idea, but… it felt right for him to have said that regardless. Taking a deep breath, Kurama pulled her to his side as he said "Honestly, I want to spend more time with you, and… uh… um…" He was at a loss for words at this point.

"Sachi, what brings you here!" came a voice, causing Kurama to look up and glare. Coming their way was a tall man with short brown hair. He had a big smile on his face as he walked over to Kurama, and Sachi. "Who is your friend?" The man stared at Kurama, though a dark look was on his face.

"This is Kurama, and we are just shopping. What do you want Kenta?" Sachi said with a glare.

"Oh, I'm just shopping for some beautiful items for my home…" He said, staring at her with some kind of hidden look in his smile. IT was… want? Desire? Lust? Kurama had no idea, but he knew was that it made his blood boil at this point. "I was wondering, if you would want to… join me for dinner tonight?" he asked, his voice not even bothering to hide anything. Such as his desire for Sachi.

"Sorry, but I'm busy…"

"Ah yes, whatever has happened to that… demon that you had in your home a while ago?" The way he said demon, such venom almost made Kurama want to slap this man across the face, or at least punch him out cold. He refrained himself from doing so. Though, Sachi was not impressed either, telling him that the demon hadn't fully healed yet and that he shouldn't say the word 'demon' in such a way. "I'm sorry my dear, sweet Sachi, but demons aren't not meant to be pitied, but to be destroyed. They kill and hunt us! Why can you not see that?"

"He has done nothing of the sort Kenta. He has yet to attack us, yet to want to hunt us. Why can't you see that?!" Sachi hissed.

Kenta shook his head and grabbed at Sachi, her eyes widening for a moment before she found herself in Kenta's arms. "Sachi, I am only trying to look out for you. Someone, as beautiful as you needs to be protected from anything… dirty and disgusting. Demons are everything we're not and cannot know the true meaning of honour, love, or duty… why do you try to see something in something that is not to be?"

Kurama growled, not just because of what that man said, but because he was holding his Sachi! Growling all the more, Kurama punched Kenta in the face, pulling Sachi back and stood in front of her, protecting her from this man. "Don't you ever lay a hand on her again. She doesn't want you, doesn't want you to even touch her. Get it, through your thick fucking mind that she would never want you!" Kenta looked like he was about to speak again, until he went pale… everyone in the village had stopped and looked at what had happened only to gasp and cry out in fear.

Kurama looked around, confused as to what had them so afraid. It wasn't like he would have hurt them, he was harmless unless provoked. Yet, what they had cried out caused him to freeze.

"Demon!"

Looking down at his hands, he saw claws, and knew that his anger had caused him to shift back. Damn it all… Sachi gently grabbed Kurama's hand, causing him to look at her in shock, wanting to apologise to her only to freeze. She was smiling up at him, a true, bright smile. "It's okay Kurama, let's just go back okay? We can go shopping another day." Why… why didn't she seem mad? Upset? Anything of the sort? It just didn't make sense to him but… he wouldn't complain…

Turning back to Kenta, Kurama growled out "Leave her alone." After that, he started to walk off with Sachi.

The walk back to her home was silent for the most part. Kurama almost wondered if, in some way if she was mad at him for their trip being ruined for the most part. Yet, when she did speak… it was something else entirely.

"Why were you pretending to be human for so long Kurama?"

Blushing a little, he looked away. How should he tell her? To be honest, he wanted to be human, because she was a human… so she would… return his feelings for her. Yet, he knew that would be… creepy. Sighing softly, he looked away as he tried to think of something else to say. "Well… I… I thought you would hate being around me if I was a demon. You are getting hurt because of me so… I thought, if I was a human, that it would stop. It did, they stopped attacking you physically, but… I guess not verbally."

"But, why be something you're not?" she asked.

"I… wanted to be a better friend for you… I thought being a human would be the answer to be honest." He whispered softly.

Soon, he felt Sachi punch his arm, causing him to wince a bit. His body still hurt but at least it wasn't enough to do serious damage to him. Turning to the woman next to him, she just smiled up at him. "Kurama," She began, causing him to blink in confusion. "I like you the way you are. If you were something you aren't, then you are living a lie… just, be yourself. That was all I wanted from you is to be you." She finished, only to giggle a bit and walked on ahead. Kurama stared at her, a smile gracing his lips. She liked him the way he was huh?

'Well Sachi, I have a nice surprise for you after I've healed… I want to be the man… that you deserve, a proper man that is deserving of your love…' he thought before walking to catch up to Sachi. Life sure was going to be interesting for the two of them. Though, he still had many things to do before he's recovered… first things first, he had to get some metal and a stone…

Over the course of a few weeks, Kurama had been coming and going out of the house. He had gone out during the wee hours of the morning and coming back at dusk. He would appear tired and worn out, though he would just smile up at Sachi as if nothing was wrong. She had told him that he shouldn't be over doing it, and just focus on healing since he was still recovering from his near death experience. Though, Kurama would only shrug it off like nothing and go to sleep after eating something.

Sadly, Sachi couldn't deny that over the months, Kurama had grown on her. She didn't want to lose him, the way he would act around her, the things he would do and say… it made her heart flutter. Just like when he called her beautiful and that she needed to be cherished. No man had ever said that to her, not like that anyway. He seemed shy and bashful sometimes and innocent. Maybe that was because, he didn't know how humans were or acted.

Even knowing… that he would outlive her, she wanted to be with him. Her heart reached out to him but knew… that it couldn't be. Kurama wouldn't want to be with her and love her. She looked out the window as she wondered, where he was now. What he was doing and if he was okay. Had he been preparing for his journey back home? To go back to his own village and be with his own kind?

'I don't want him to leave…' she thought to herself before letting out a soft sigh.

Pushing herself back to her feet, the young woman made her way to her kitchen and started to get to work on something to eat. Making sure to make something for Kurama for when he returned. Yet, it still had her curious as to where he was right now.

Shaking her head, the young woman thought that she would make a stew for the two of them. Now that humans knew that Kurama, had in fact never left it was still rare for them to visit. More so for them to stay if she was tending to them after a serious injury. Turning her gaze back to the window for a brief moment, she couldn't keep her mind off of him for long…

The way he smiled, the way his tails or even his ears would move, showing his emotion. When he was sad, his ears would droop, his tails would just lay on the ground. Angry, frustrated or agitated, ears would twitch and tails would seem poofy. Happy, ears erect and tails wagging behind him… How was it that she could easily read him when that would happen? She had no idea, but knew, just knew… that he was the only man that she could ever love in her life?

"Sachi?" called Kurama, causing her to jump and look at the door. The man that had been haunting her thoughts walked inside with a small smile on his face. Yes, it… it just felt like he belonged here more than anything.

"Yes Kurama?" Sachi said, trying to hide her sadness.

"Well… you know I've recovered so… I could leave…" Why did hearing him say that break her heart this much? "And… well, I wanted to do something before I left. It's why I've been so busy and disappearing the last few weeks." What was he doing that would cause him to leave that much all this time? Sachi was about to speak but Kurama held up his hand, and she was silenced without a fuss. "Sachi… you saved my life… and I am forever grateful." He began, a soft smile on his face.

"Kurama…"

"Please let me finish… I won't be able to speak again if you do." He chuckled a little, causing her to smile a bit. "I was looking for a place to die peacefully in my battle… I had thought that I had died to be honest when I saw you." Blushing a little, he scratched at his cheek a little before saying "I thought I had seen an angel when you found me and… I still think of you as one. A beautiful angel anyway." Sachi blushed at his words. Taking a deep breath, Kurama walked over to the woman, his eyes kind and filled with a deep emotion that she didn't think could be possible. "Over the course of time that we've been here… you tending to me… I had started to grow fond of you."

"Kurama…"

"And, well… even before I first woke up I had feelings that I couldn't really explain. All my life, demoness's would throw themselves at me trying to gain my attention but I wouldn't give it." He sighed softly before turning away. "I thought I would never find someone to spend my life with, and during that battle I was even surer of it." Turning back to her, his smile once more filled with fondness and more. "Yet, when I first woke up, I believed it was a second chance to find 'the one' for me… and I have."

Sachi blushed at his words, not sure if she could believe any of this. What he was saying, almost sounded like he… as if he was… "Sachi…" he began, voice soft, loving… filled with the desire and fondness that she so wished would be directed at her and only her. "I love you…" He got down on one knee and held up a ring in his hand. It was a gold band with a transparent stone. It sparkled in warm colours, from what she could make out from it, they were red, orange and yellow. It just seemed to shine with the love that she could feel from Kurama.

All she could do was stare at him. Unsure if she could speak yet, unsure if she should speak as of yet. Her heart was pounding, and she could feel tears prickling at the back of her eyes. "Sachi, will you make me the happiest demon, man, alive and be my mate, and my wife? I promise that… I will spend every waking moment, every moment of our lives, to make you happy and never regret being with me… So, I ask you as a man, if you will marry me?"

"Yes!" Sachi threw herself at Kurama, causing the demon to yelp from the shock as he had his arms and tails wrapped around her. The young woman in his arms had her head laying on his chest, nuzzling him as she let out a happy sigh of content. The fox couldn't help but chuckle as he slid the ring over her finger as he cupped her face in his hand. Sachi looked up at him as she cried happy tears. "Kurama, I love you too… I was afraid you'd leave me alone."

"Never…" He whispered softly, leaning close to her as he pressed his lips against hers in a loving kiss. She wrapped her arms around his neck, just embracing the kiss as they laid there on the floor of the kitchen. They loved, laughed and enjoyed their lives together. Just like Kurama had promised, he made every moment together perfect… and she never regretted their love or their life together.