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“Do you ever think about it?” A sudden question that seemed to pop out of nowhere as the two infamous thieves sat around a secluded fire drinking tea in the evening. Golden eyes gazed questioningly at Kuronue as Youko set his nearly empty tea cup down.
“About what?” The kitsune pushed, wondering what could be on the komouri’s mind. They had been partners for a few years now but he didn’t even try to think that he knew everything about the ravenette beside him. There were certainly things that the bat didn’t know about him. Like the fact that he was an Omega. That was something Youko kept locked down and would take to his grave if he could.
The issue was that his fated mate was sitting right beside him. This caused a lot of issues for the fox. He had to take sporadic trips under the guise of gathering rare seeds to replenish his supply. Luckily he had an herbal concoction that he used to make his heats more sporadic and not on a timed schedule. He could only imagine what would happen if he left every three months like clockwork. Surely someone would have pieced it together if he did by now. No, this was something better left unsaid, unknown. Youko had worked hard to make a name and a reputation for himself, and he wasn’t about to throw it all away because of his status as an Omega. He refused to be reduced to nothing but mere breeding stock.
“About that fated pair crap.” Kuro chuckled as he used his clawed thumb to tip up his hat a little more. Indigo hues studied his partner in a casual way, and for that Youko was glad. The question had sent chills down his spine, like he was being doused with ice water, but on the outside his pale features showed no tells. Golden eyes glanced up towards the stars for a moment as he answered.
“I don’t think about it. There are many other things to worry about.” His answer was nonchalant, pointedly vague and devoid of emotion. What was he supposed to say? ‘I think about it every single day because you’re here’? No, instinct and self preservation kept his words silent.
It wasn’t even like he thought Kuronue would be that typical Alpha. In fact he was almost certain that Kuronue wouldn’t treat him any differently than he did now. He hadn’t ever treated any of the Omegas in their squad differently, though he did see the way Youko uncharacteristically protected them from the other Alphas. But there was always that small seed of doubt...the ‘what if’ to contend with. That and the fact that he knew Kuronue wasn’t interested in finding his mate. He had made that clear plenty of times, jesting that a mate would only slow him down and that he didn’t want that responsibility. The bat liked being free, his freedom meant almost everything to him. So Youko knew that if he came out and told him that they were a fated pair, it would only damage their relationship instead of making it closer.
“Yeah yeah yeah. Big bad Youko Kurama is gonna be a bachelor forever.” The younger demon joked around. Kurama couldn’t quite muster up a sincere smile and simply replied,
“Yeah…”
It was a few days later and the duo were on a heist. They had decided to take this one without the rest of the crew since there were a lot of intricate parts in the mission. There was no way they were going to trust it to a gang of nitwits.
The castle was huge, it had taken quite a few days for Youko to map it out, and even longer for him to work out all the weaknesses, fortitudes, traps, stations; everything. They had planned on this heist for the last couple of months. These were Kuronue’s favorite ones, where they went without the crew. Seriously, some of them he wondered what Youko kept them around for. On the other hand he did notice when they were on these solo missions that he had this tendency to be over protective of the kitsune. The bat didn’t understand why; as far as he knew, Youko was another Alpha, so these instincts to protect him were completely unwarranted. Little did he know.
They started together, but ultimately had separated mid way through. There was too much ground to cover for them to stay together. Kuronue had taken to the chambers where the priceless jewels and gold were held, knapsack in hand and ready to scoop up all the loot. Youko had taken to guard, making sure that no one stumbled upon his partner.
Youko sat perched in the rafters, sharp golden eyes sweeping over the area he could see while his ears strained to hear any movements around him. It was the dead of night, and everything was quiet; it was too quiet. This was too easy, and the thought put the fox on edge. It was always his experience that when things were going smoothly, that’s when they got into the most trouble. He didn’t trust it, and with all the stealth he had, he moved from the rafters to the floor, stalking forward around the corner. He was scoping the surroundings when he heard it; hurried footsteps charging down the hall towards Kuronue.
“Shit..” Youko cursed under his breath as he turned heel and sprinted towards the chamber. They must have caught the bat by surprise or mid way through stashing the treasures, because when he turned into the room he was greeted by a sight that he never wanted to see. Two demons flanked on either side of the koumori, who had put up some resistance if the bloody lip and black eyes were anything to go by on the guards. He was still now, the taller guard had his ebony locks fisted in one hand and a knife to his throat in the other while the more chubby of the two was holding his arms behind his back. It seemed he had gotten there just in time, he could see that blade starting to press into his skin and yelled as soon as he came to a halt.
“Stop!” He obviously caught them off guard enough to make them freeze and turn two deadly gazes at him. His instincts were taking over. Normally any demon would be in self preservation mode, but Youko was on the opposite end. This was his Alpha, his fated pair, and he had to protect him at all costs even if the bat had no clue. “Take me instead, I’ll bring more reward, more acclaim, I’ll come with you willingly if you just let him go.”
“Are you fuckin batshit crazy, Youko?! Go!” Kuronue was more than taken aback by the kitsune’s plea with the guards. He couldn’t fathom what possible thought process could make the silver fox say or do something like that. It went against everything they knew as demons, but apparently it’s what the guards needed to hear.
“Youko Kurama trading himself for his partner? We can be the ones to kill the infamous thief? You drive a hard bargain.” The taller of the two sneered, his yellow teeth almost glowing in the dark with their plaque. “Fine, but you come here first. How can we trust that you both won’t just take off if we let him go?”
“Deal.” Youko almost growled before stepping forward. The demon holding Kuronue’s arms let go and quickly grabbed Kurama’s instead, turning him around and folding his arms behind his back in an uncompromising hold. Another, more jagged and rusty looking blade was pressed to his fair throat with a threatening pressure. It was almost a miracle when the other demon marched the koumori forward and then shoved him out the door, letting go of him completely.
The bat whirled around on his heels intending to charge right back in, but seeing the fox with two knives now aimed at him made him pause. He didn’t like this feeling one bit, seeing Youko in such a position made his instincts go into overdrive.
“Just go, Kuronue. Go.” Youko urged, keeping as still as possible even after that dirty demon’s hand fisted itself into his silver locks instead.
“No! I’m not goin-”
“That’s an order, Kuronue, not a request. Leave. Now.” ‘Go...save yourself and leave me behind. As long as you’re ok..’ Golden eyes clashed with indigo for a few seconds before the guard started to pull on his hair more, forcing his head to tilt back and breaking their eye contact and making him hiss slightly from the pain in his scalp. “I’ll figure this out...you know me.”
Kuronue couldn’t even fathom the idea of leaving, but seeing a rivulet of blood starting to trail down the kitsune’s throat from the blade pressing deeper into his skin made his resolve pause. He knew the fox was crafty, and the look of determination in his eyes that he had held was the only thing that made Kuronue think that this was all a ruse, a plan crafted on the spot. Kurama was well known for getting out of sticky situations after all, he had done it many times before, and why else would he practically trade his own life away for the bat?
Coming to his own conclusion, Kuronue relented, “I’ll see you on the outside.” He refused to say goodbye, and it was his way of telling Youko that he trusted him and whatever his plan was.
“Go on now!” The guard teased while yanking on Youko’s hair even harder, “We got a name to make for ourselves here.” The koumori gritted his teeth and turned, running down the hall and thinking of his own plans to try and rescue Youko if he needed it. But he wouldn’t need it, right?
“Boy your partner sure is lucky to have you around isn’t he?” The main guard asked before pointing to his sash. “Narumi, hold him steady.” He instructed the other guard as he reached down and took the sash off of Kurama’s waist. Kurama held still, knowing that any slight move could slice that blade into his jugular and cause him to bleed out, while the guard used his own sash to tie up his arms behind him.
“Good thinking, Sora.” They had finally let go of his arms, but that blade was a constant companion to his throat.
“So how should we do this?” Sora asked as he paced around the silver demon, twirling his blade in his grasp, “Slow and painful?” He laughed as he came to a stop in front of the fox.
“Just get it over with.” Kurama spat as he glared at his captors. He didn’t want slow. Slow would set off his hormones. Slow would alert Kuronue to the truth and practically force him to come back, and Youko didn’t want the Alpha putting himself back in danger.
“So glad you agree!” Sora laughed before plunging his blade into the thief’s diaphragm, making him cry out and tense up from the pain.
“I said just get it over with!” He barked at them as the blade was pulled back out making him gasp in pain again.
“You’re not the one in charge anymore~” Narumi sang while slicing his dagger down Kurama’s chest, trailing blood behind the pointed metal. The cut was deep, enough to show the bones of his ribcage beneath the flesh. His body was going into shock, and he couldn’t control it’s natural reaction to his imminent danger. Without his say so he began releasing a specific hormone that spread like a wildfire. He could smell it before his vision got fuzzy,
“No…” His voice was barely audible and ignored by both his captors before he was thrown to the floor, hitting his head hard on the concrete. That with his shock and blood loss was enough to rip his consciousness from him, and his world went black.
Kuronue made it around the corner of the hall and was almost to the open window at the end of the other one when it happened. He stopped immediately in his tracks, crouched in the window frame and ready to jump, and sniffed the air tentatively.
His eyes widened when he realized what this scent was. His Alpha brain screamed at him ‘Omega is in trouble’ and in that instant that’s all the bat knew. He flew back down the halls, scythes already in hand and his energy flaring around him with contempt. He was going to be the one with the jump on them this time.
The scene he came back in on was barely scrutinized, he took in the bare essentials: Omega on the ground, lots of blood, unconscious.
“YOU FUCKING BASTARDS!” He yelled as he threw those scythes with deadly precision, decapitating Narumi in one go. Sora jumped up, leaving his blade in Youko’s arm where he had just stabbed it. Kuronue wasn’t going to give him time to situate himself though. He charged forward and stabbed his scythe deep into Sora’s chest as the guard swung and managed to land a good hit to the koumori’s jaw. Kuronue left the blade in and surged his energy into the metal, sending it pulsing through Sora’s body in electrical like waves and frying everything from the inside out. The ravenette didn’t even bother taking it out as the body fell to the ground. His focus turned to the fox instead.
“Shit...you really didn’t have a plan did you?” Kuronue muttered while quickly picking up that lithe form into his arms, dagger and all, and making a mad dash for freedom.
The gods must have been feeling generous as they managed to make it out of that window. Kuronue spread his wings and flew off into the night, making sure to keep a secure grip on the kitsune in his arms.
He flew for what felt like hours with all the thoughts running through his head. The most prevalent one being ‘Why?’. Why had Youko kept this from him this whole time? He knew how this shit worked. Omegas knew the instant they saw their Alpha, they knew in that very first moment that they were a fated pair. An Alpha wouldn’t know until their Omega went into heat, or if they had been put into danger like Youko had. Knowing this now made Youko’s whole scene earlier make a hell of a lot more sense. He wasn’t going in with a plan, he was going in to protect his fated mate.
“Stupid…” He muttered as he closed in on camp in the night sky. He had wondered if Youko hadn’t told him because he didn’t want to be with him, but his actions tonight had proven that wrong. You don’t throw yourself into danger like that for someone you didn’t want to be with; especially not here in the Makai. Had Youko been keeping this bottled up this whole time?
The thoughts kept plaguing his mind as he gently started to glide into a smooth landing just outside of camp and quickly made his way into Youko’s tent. He was grateful that it was early morning, since all their little henchmen were still sound asleep and were none the wiser to their return. He kneeled down on the mound of blankets and furs, holding the kitsune to his chest while he carefully reached around and untied his arms from that white sash.
Afterwards he gently laid the fox down and began cleaning up the wounds as best as he could and wrapped him up with that sash he had just removed. He wasn’t very skilled at the healing arts, and it had never really been needed before now. All he could do was sit there and watch over the Omega.
It gave him plenty of time to think, and to go from shock to anger at his partner’s secrecy. How dare the fox keep something so big from him? What right did he have to make that decision for the both of them?? He was an Omega, he had no right too-
Kuronue jolted into an upright position at his own train of thoughts. ‘How dare he do this, he’s an Omega.’ Just that thought alone put a small damper on the koumori’s anger. He realized in that instant just what Youko was facing if he was revealed to the world as an Omega. All this time he had thought that Youko’s skills, his strength, his leadership, had all come naturally to him as an Alpha, but as an Omega….
“He would have had to fight tooth and nail to get to where he’s at…” He murmured softly as he shifted his legs to shake off the sleep they had fallen into. It was enough to stir the slumbering fox from his sleep, and he came too with a gasp of pain.
He felt like his body was throbbing. His diaphragm, his chest, his arms, his head and his shoulders were all on fire. He kept his eyes closed as he willed the pain away,
“Hell is a bit worse than I thought.” Youko uttered before finally opening his eyes and immediately catching sight of the bat. “K-Kuro?” The kitsune pushed to sit up from the surprise of seeing his partner there, but the pain overwhelmed him and caused him to collapse back onto his bed.
“Youko.” Kuronue answered while taking in his condition, “Stay down. You’re not going anywhere for now, and I think you know you have some explaining to do.” The younger demon said pointedly, setting his ireful gaze down upon the silver apparition. “What the hell, Youko? When were you going to tell me about this; about US? Were you planning on telling me at all?”
His tone was very accusing, his black wrapped arms were folded over his chest in a closed off manner, and his scent was very commanding. It was clear that Youko wasn’t getting out of this until he had the answers he wanted. It felt weird, Kurama wasn’t used to feeling like he was not in control. He wasn’t used to feeling compelled to follow the commands of someone else. It was clear the Omega in him was finally taking control for once and he wasn’t sure how he felt about it.
“It’s not what you think…” He started with a wince in his voice.
“Oh take your damn seeds. You’re not getting out of this.” Kuronue scoffed, his glare never once leaving the infamous thief. Sure he was still very much concerned about his condition, but he also knew that the fox was in the clear; he wasn’t going to be dying today at least. Kurama again felt compelled to listen with that scent in the air and blindly reached up with his good arm retrieving the seeds needed and ingesting them quickly.
The bat allowed him only a couple of minutes to let those seeds work their magic before starting back up again, “It’s not what I think huh? What is it that I think?”
“This whole time...I wasn’t hiding it from you because I didn’t want you as my Alpha. We live in a kill or be killed world, Kuronue. We live in a world where you should be on the top, and I should be at the bottom, doing nothing but producing your heirs.” The kitsune started softly, turning on his side and facing away from the koumori. He didn’t want to see the look in his eyes anymore, and didn’t want to be facing him for his ultimate rejection. “I worked so hard to get where I am now, I clawed my way to this spot. I never once let the fact that I’m an Omega hold me back. And when I met you….of course I knew. I knew immediately. At first I kept it to myself because I was afraid of losing everything I had worked for...I didn’t know you then, and wasn’t sure what kind of Alpha you were. As time went on I began to feel more comfortable with you, I even...started falling in love with you, not just as my Alpha…” He paused here, taking a breath to gather his thoughts and calm his nerves.
“So what? You felt comfortable, fell in love, and what? You still refused to tell me something that I deserved to know.” While Kuronue did feel for his struggle, and did understand where the fox was coming from as far as fighting and clawing his way to the top, he didn’t understand why Kurama kept it from him if he felt like Kuronue was someone that could be trusted as his mate.
“So...how many times have you told me that you didn’t want your mate? How many times, Kuronue, did you tell me that your mate, ME, would be dead weight and a responsibility that you didn’t want??” Now it was the kitsune that was accusing as he balled in on himself and pulled his arms into his chest, “How many times did you tell me that you would choose your freedom over your mate every time?”
Kuronue was silent as he replayed every conversation in his mind where he had said that to Youko and his arms fell from this defensive position to his lap.
“That’s not even fair, Youko. You know I wouldn’t have said that if I knew!” The koumori moved from his position at the side of the makeshift bed to climb on top of it and attempt to pull Youko from his closed off position. He reached down and gently grabbed the fox’s shoulder to push him onto his back so that he could look into the ethereal face.
“Why should that change anything...You were telling me your truest feelings about having a mate, the ‘who’ didn’t even play a factor in it, you just knew how you felt about mating already. So just say it already….tell me that you don’t want me and we can go back to our regular lives.” He still didn’t look the bat in the eye. He kept his gaze pointed towards the wall of the tent, and his cheeks flushed without his consent with emotion that was reflected lightly in his scent. This was it, this was the moment he had been dreading; losing Kuronue from his life because of fucking course they couldn’t just go back to the way things were now. Not with this bombshell dropped on the koumori like this.
They’d most likely separate, the gang would follow Kuronue of course, as his Omega status would be known and would drive the fox into the lowest bars of their society. He would have nowhere to go, and no one to fall back on. Everything that he had worked for would be gone in an instant.
“No.” Kuronue grabbed Youko’s chin and forced him to look up at him. “You can’t tell me how to feel, Youko. You can’t dictate what decision I make.”
“You don’t want a mate, you said that, not me. How is that me making a decision for you?” Kurama shot back, glaring up at the Alpha with challenge.
“Gods for such a clever fox, you can be fuckin dense sometimes ya know that?? Get a clue, Youko, when I said all those things they weren’t said with you in mind. They were said with the stereotypical weak and needy Omega in mind. That kind of Omega I would reject, but you’re obviously not that Omega.”
“But I am still an Omega!” The fox shot back, frustrating Kuronue to no ends.
“What do you want me to say, Kurama?? What do I need to say to convince you that I do not reject you as a mate?” The ravenette challenged, not once breaking their eye contact. The air was tense around them, two strong energies sparking all around and fighting with each other. They were both stubborn, set in their own thoughts, but Kuronue was not about to let Youko win this round.
“You can’t say anything that would undo what you’ve already said.” Kurama managed to jerk his chin out of the bat’s grasp and turned his gaze away once more, intending on turning away from the Alpha beside him.
“Fine, if words can’t fix this…” Then actions can. Kuronue took advantage of Youko turning away, and swooped down in quick motions. The fox was too injured to keep up with his movements or his thought process, and was caught off guard when he felt those warm lips make contact with his ivory skin. Golden eyes widened and the kitsune began to turn.
“Kuronue?!” But it was too late. Fangs that were already meant for the consumption of blood pierced through the soft skin straight into Youko’s scent gland, stunning the infamous thief in place with a sharp intake of breath. He was frozen, physically unable to move as Kuro clamped his jaw more, securing his mark into his skin permanently.
Youko was shocked beyond any response, his world felt like it was turned upside down in that very instant as he felt his energy leaving his body and Kuronue’s energy surging into him, laying claim to the famous demon. He hadn’t imagined that his partner would do something so brash. He hadn’t even asked, but it was his right to lay claim to his Omega if he wanted too. Youko just didn’t think that he had wanted to.
What would this mean for them moving forward? Everyone would know of his true nature now, and in their world that meant his ultimate demise. Omegas weren’t meant to be leaders. They were meant to follow, to obey the Alpha without question. The few Omegas that were in their group were all talented in their skills, but they weren’t powerful and Youko had seen time and time again how they would listen to whatever Alpha was talking to them. He had tried his best to discourage the Alphas in their group from utilizing such authority over the Omegas, but it did still happen from time to time.
Youko had fought those instincts hard, to the point of making himself physically sick, and now it wasn’t an issue. They all knew to never question or boss around the silver kitsune, or at least they did. What would they do now?
Kurama could feel an anxiety attack building up within him as Kuronue pulled back and licked off the dripping blood from his mark. The contact made him shiver, sending unknown sensations down his spine. This mark would be there forever, for everyone to see.
“What have you done?” The fox whispered, turning stunned golden eyes up to his mate.
“What I would have done a long ass time ago if I had known.” Was the reply he got as Kuronue settled back into a more comfortable position beside the Omega. “You made the choice to keep this a secret by yourself, so I made the choice to prove to you that you’re not a damn burden, Kurama. What did you think was going to happen? Did you think that I would scoff at you and turn away? Did you really think I would reject the most gorgeous, skilled and smart demon I’ve ever known?”
Kurama didn’t know what he thought at this point. He felt like his mind was already changing; his hormones were going haywire as his body not only healed from his injuries but also adjusted to being claimed. The silver kitsune could already feel the pull that connection was creating within him, sparking to life an undeniable desire to be near his Alpha. It scared him. He didn’t used to feel the need to depend on anyone, or the need to just be with them like he was now. It scared him and he wondered if it would be permanent. He wondered if he would always be at the mercy of his Omegan instincts now that Kuronue’s claim had truly awoken the Omega within him.
“I..I don’t know, I didn’t think you would do this. Marking me like that….this could very well turn me into the type of Omega you didn’t want, Kuronue.” He murmured as his hand moved on it’s own to grab at the bat, only to stop a couple inches away when he realized what he was doing. His anxiety spiked more when he realized he wasn’t in complete control of his actions, and the Koumori felt it like pins and needles in his skin. Indigo hues watched his Omega intently as he reached down and grabbed that wandering hand into his own.
It was natural, Kuronue didn’t even have to think about what to do. His scent gland automatically started secreting pheromones to soothe the fox beside him. He squeezed that hand in his own before scooting down to lay beside Youko, resting on his elbow with his chin in hand so that he could still keep a vigilant watch on his mate.
It was odd. Kurama couldn’t actually smell or distinguish the pheromones that the bat was producing, but he could feel their effects immediately. His racing heart began to slow down, his fears seemed to be melting away from his mind. Even the new fear that popped up in his mind from this sudden turn vanished instantly. So what if Kuronue could CONTROL HIS MOODS NOW. What did it matter? Everything was fine. They would face each challenge as they came right?
“What have you done to me?” Kurama questioned as his golden eyes settled on their connected hands as he relaxed into the blankets and furs beneath them. The Omega in him delighted at being close to his mate, that Kuronue was already taking care of him. It was the complete opposite of how he was as a person. “What if I become like all of them…”
Kuronue clicked his tongue in an amused noise as he removed his hat and set it aside, “You? Become like all of them? What, Omegas? Like that would actually happen.” He let go of Youko’s hand and brushed his fingers against that pale cheek, careful of his nails, “You know, and I know, that you’re not like all the other Omegas. So what if you have typical Omega tendencies? I’m sure after all of this sets in it won’t matter, and who cares if you're like that behind closed doors?” Kuronue certainly wouldn’t mind. He didn’t mind Kurama depending on him, or needing him only. It actually made him happy, and he wondered when he had actually developed those feelings for his partner because he realized now that it didn’t just start five minutes ago with that bond.
As for the question of what he had done to the fox, he couldn’t really say. He wasn’t sure himself what exactly had happened, but he could tell that the kitsune was relaxing more. The tension in his frame and his eyes seemed to dissipate in mere moments.
“As for what I did to you...I really don’t know. I knew I just wanted to make you feel better, and then you were. For now at least.” He was sure that ever complex mind would be rattling with more worries again soon.
Kurama wasn’t the only one feeling the effects of the new bond between them. Those instincts he already had to protect the fox were now thrumming with more intensity within him, and he felt like he could physically feel whatever emotions Youko was feeling; good and bad. The bat already had an inclination for it before, life energy was something he was very familiar with after all as a vampire, but this was a whole new level beyond the minor itch he used to feel. He had already been committed to the fox before as his partner, but now he felt compelled to take care of him beyond just partners in crime. It was a lot to take in within a few minutes, but he couldn’t let it overwhelm him when he was trying his best to keep the infamous thief calm.
“Who cares? I care...I don’t want you to start thinking less of me now.” Youko almost whined as he yawned and pushed his cheek into those gentle fingers without thinking about it. “What are you trying to put me to sleep now too?” He could feel the weight of sleep falling on him after the long night, and couldn’t help but to wonder if the Alpha was behind this as well.
“What? No, I’m not trying to make you go to sleep. Though in your condition it’s probably not that bad of an idea, fluffy.” The bat moved from his elbow to fully lay beside the fox, pulling him in gently to himself and wrapping a large wing over the pair in a protective gesture. Youko’s face lit up in a blush and his nose instinctively turned towards the scent of the koumori beside him. “Look, you’re still the big bad terror that you always were. You’re still an S-Class demon for Kami’s sake. Sure you might run into some resistance from those nimwits out there, but I’m pretty sure you can single handedly kill every single one of the ones that do challenge you after learning about your presentation. As for what I think about ya? Nothing has changed, no matter how clingy you get, no matter how much time we need to take to take care of you during your times, I’ll still respect you for the demon you’ve always been. Besides, you won’t hear me complain about having a sexy demon on my arm.” The bat waggled his eyebrows at the silver demon in the dark with a smirk, which broke through Youko’s wall finally and he gave a small genuine smile as well. “Good. Now, let’s get some sleep. We’ll deal with whatever comes our way later.”
Sounded good to Youko. No matter what came their way, he felt more confident now that he could handle it, as long as he had Kuronue at his side.
The Lazy End