EPILOGUE

"Kyou-kun, what are you still doing down here? You should be getting ready!"

The cat looked up from placing a shinai back in its rightful place on the rack. "I'm cleaning up. What the hell am I supposed to be getting ready for?" He frowned. "And how many times do I have to tell you that 'kun' is completely inappropriate?"

Momiji ignored the last question. "How could you forget that Haru and Yuki are coming over for dinner tonight?"

Kyou's frown turned into a scowl. The rabbit had walked up to him and he studied his lover's small hands as they fidgeted with his black belt. His brown eyes were reproachful, his pink lips set in a petulant pout. As soon as the cat had moved into that first apartment with the blonde all those years ago, his fate had been sealed and he had become smitten, moreso each and every day. Momiji was everything he was not and kept him in balance with his lighthearted ways, and as time passed his inner wounds healed enough to become bearable. He also had his boyfriend to thank for motivating him to return to his passion and finally take over the dojo that Kazuma had left him.

And also to quit smoking. It was the first thing the rabbit had nearly nagged him to death about, he still remembered with fond annoyance.

He had completely forgotten that the rat and the ox would be coming over to celebrate Momiji's thirty-eighth birthday. He buried his face in his lover's hair, nuzzling into the honey-scented locks. "Who says I want to see those two assholes?" he growled.

"That's not very nice, Kyou-kun!" Momiji reprimanded. "Besides, it's not like you have anything better to do."

Kyou felt the edge of his gi slip from his shoulder as his belt loosened. He dragged in a deep breath of his lover's fragrance. "I can think of plenty of better things I'd rather do," he rumbled. His hips pressed forward in case the rabbit didn't get his drift.

The blonde arched in response. "Oh, Kyou-kun. You're so bad," he murmured. His hands fisted in the cat's gi and pulled until tan chest was exposed. Momiji brushed his lips over a light brown nipple. "So very, very bad."

The orange-haired man hissed as a tongue flicked over the sensitive nub. With a guttural grunt he hefted his naughty lover up by the backs of his thighs; the rabbit cried out in surprise, fingers digging into tan shoulders. "Look who's talking."

Momiji laughed at his lover's grumpy look. The cat was always so used to frowning but there were also laugh lines lightly etched into the skin around his eyes, and it warmed the rabbit's heart to know that he had put them there. He ran his fingers over those little wrinkles as they kissed for a moment, warm and sweet, tongues twining in a familiar dance. "You should put me down so you can get ready," he murmured, lips wet.

"No." Crimson eyes sparkled with lust. "I'm going to take what's mine." The rabbit began squirming, much to his annoyance. With another grunt he hefted the younger man up over his shoulder and headed to the stairs that led to their apartment above the dojo.

"Kyou, put me down! Haru and Yuki will be here soon!"

"Now you want to be serious about dropping the 'kun' off my name?" the cat growled. "I don't give a damn about Haru or Yuki. You're the one who got me riled up in the first place."

Momiji meant to protest more but the words died on his lips as a strong, broad hand moved over his rump and down to caress his manhood through his pants. His back arched and he gave a completely undignified high-pitched moan at the touch. Kyou laughed, that completely devious, lascivious, evil laugh, the one that made the rabbit's toes curl in excitement. The blonde went limp, melting against his lover as he gave in.

And when Kyou laid him on their bed and kissed him and touched him and made love to him, he forgot all about Haru and Yuki and how they would have to wait outside in the cold, because he was in the arms of his soulmate.