Mikazuki sat outside, sipping a cup of hot tea. The sun was starting to set, and the sky was filled with every hue of yellow, orange and purple the Heavens could conjure. It was beautiful. The perfect sunset for lovers to watch while curled up in each other's arms.

Mikazuki had just set down his tea on the small table beside him, when a streak of white caught his eye. He rose slowly to his feet, moving to the edge of the deck for a better look.

There it was again!

Mikazuki squinted, trying to figure out what on earth it could be. The grass was high, so whatever was jumping around out there was obscured by the long wispy green strands. It looked almost like a cat or a dog, or maybe a… fox! A beautiful white fox chasing what looked like a large purple butterfly.

Mikazuki slipped on his shoes, rushing down the steps. His kimono whipped widely around his ankles as he raced towards the tiny fox. He knew it could only be one person, and if Kogitsune was currently in his animal form then there was a chance he would wander off again.

The last time Kogitsune had turned into a fox, he'd disappeared for weeks. Mikazuki had nearly died from the loneliness, and having cried for days, not knowing whether his beloved would return, he'd made a promise to himself that he'd never let his fox out of his sight again.

"Kogi!" Mikazuki shrieked, stumbling forward and falling to the ground. "Kogi, don't you dare leave me again!"

Mikazuki pulled himself up, tripping over his kimono several more times before he finally hiked it up and ran as hard as he could towards the fox.

"Kogi, you get over here right now!"

The fox froze, its head snapping towards Mikazuki as he approached. The animal was about to bolt, and Mikazuki knew it.

"Damn it, fox, don't you dare…!"

And the chase began…

Twice Mikazuki caught the tricky fox, only to be scratched and bitten until he had no choice but to let it go again.

"Gah, you stupid fox!" Mikazuki cried, examining a particularly nasty scratch on his arm. "When you turn back into yourself again, I'm going to…!"

"Jiji, what are you doing?"

Mikazuki spun around angrily, pointing a shaky finger at Kogitsune. "I'm trying to catch you," he hissed, shoving his lover in his muscular chest, "but you're so bloody stubborn! You bit me, too! Look, I'm bleeding!"

Kogitsune frowned, taking Kogitsune's hand and examining the tiny wound. "I did this?"

"Yes, you great oaf! And look at this one," Mikazuki whimpered, his bottom lip trembling precariously. "It's probably going to leave a scar!"

Kogitsune smiled, gently taking Mikazuki's arm and placing a light kiss on the long thin cut. Mikazuki's breath caught in his throat, watching in silence as Kogitsune kissed every scratch and bite mark the fox had made. Slowly Mikazuki's anger dissipated, transforming into something else entirely. A deep longing, coiling in his belly…

"Better?" Kogitsune asked, cupping Mikazuki's face and brushing his thumb across his cheek.

Mikazuki nodded weakly, falling helplessly into Kogitsune's crimson gaze. The male had a way of calming Mikazuki's spirit and making all the chaos swirling in his mind stand perfectly still…

Kogitsune turned Mikazuki around in his arms, pulling his slender frame against his chest. He placed a kiss atop Mikazuki's head, slipping his arms around his waist and squeezing gently.

"Look over there," Kogitsune whispered in Mikazuki's ear. "There's your fox."

Mikazuki saw the fox hiding at the edge of the tree line. Its head was peeking over a tiny shrub, its crimson eyes locked on the two of them. Kogitsune whispered something on the wind, and, just like that, the little white fox disappeared into the woods.

"It wasn't you," Mikazuki muttered, embarrassed that he'd spent the last 20 minutes or so chasing a wild fox he'd mistaken for his lover. "I'm such an idiot."

Kogitsune lifted Mikazuki in his arms, dropping a kiss on his brow. "Yes, but you're my idiot."

Mikazuki rested his head on Kogitsune's shoulder, closing his eyes and burrowing his face in the soft strands of his lover's long white hair.

"Why do you even bother anymore?" Mikazuki asked in a forlorn voice. "I'm hopeless."

Kogitsune started towards the house, carrying Mikazuki's slight frame easily in his arms. "Stop talking nonsense. I love you exactly the way you are, and there's nothing in this world that will change that."

"Wait," Mikazuki said, sitting up in Kogitsune's arms. "Y-you love me?"

Kogitsune frowned, looking down at him. "Of course I love you. I thought I told you that already."

Mikazuki shook his head. "You most certainly have not," he answered in a breathless voice.

Kogitsune smiled wickedly, placing a painfully gentle kiss on Mikazuki's lips. "I love you," he said again. "And as soon as I get you patched up, I'm gonna show you just how much."

END~