《Aki Kitsune》


 1 Chapter 1

    It''s survival of the fittest in life; even for the gods. There is no organism who can escape fate when they are born into this life. The law of survival is something that can not be out ran no matter how high you may be in power. That was a simple rule to living that I had to learn from a young age. All things must come to this conclusion at some point in life or living can become one of the hardest things to do.


    I had always wondered what other worlds were like and if life was the same for all things and simply put.. it is. I have spent the past years of my life traveling from world to world to experience how vast and different life can be for all things in this world. I have come across many types of people in my travels from mortals who live their lives full of joy and love to those who live in pain and suffering to an extent that it''s hard to simply walk away without getting yourself involved. I have even met gods themselves who had reached a pinnacle point in their power that had erased their very capability to have emotions to the point that they were living their lives like an empty shell just living to fulfill their duties in life.


    Eventually observing them at some point became something more than a hobby and I began to indulge myself in the lives of those I find fascinating or simply can''t help but to step forward. I guess you could call it a fox''s nature to play with others. I, Aki Kitsune, am a fox god at the end of the day.


    Though I never expected to find myself curled up in human form to nap in an alley where I would meet this guy, Felix. His purple hair is covering half his face while his pink eye seems to be glaring down at me with a questioning look behind his glance. His clothes are black and purple; his personal bartender suit. If you had to take a glance at me, however, I''m simply wearing casual clothes and a white hoodie. My eyes are two different colors, one is pink while my left eye is a baby blue, and my hair is an orange color. I couldn''t call it short but my hair doesn''t exactly read my shoulders either, not like this man''s beautiful hair. At a simple glance my eye color alone is probably something that most people would pause to look at since it''s unusual for someone on this planet known as earth.


    "How long are you going to sleep behind my bar?" Felix''s eye seemed to pierce Aki with a deep questioning expression as he folded his arms across his chest. The boy had been sleeping in the alley behind his bar since yesterday and he had checked on him multiple times but Aki had never once spoken to Felix. Every time he came to check on if the boy was still outside or not the only thing he would get would be the sight of a sleepy looking teenager curled up behind the trash to nap.


    "Ah- Is that why I keep seeing you mortal?" Aki Kitsune thought out loud as his eyes glanced up in Felix''s direction. There was something to his gaze that felt almost as if a hopeful puppy was gazing up at Felix causing the man to go speechless for a moment before clearing his throat. "My bad.. You serve food inside, right?"


    "Yes, but given the fact you''re sleeping behind the trash I doubt you can pay, right?" Felix wanted to be stern with the kid but something in the boy''s eyes felt like he was refusing a hungry animal. It almost made him feel cold if he was to refuse him.


    "Pay.. right.." Aki put a finger to his lips as he let out a hopeless sigh. The air was dead silent except for the sound of Aki''s sigh as the thought of food caused his stomach to grumble. It almost made the veins of agitation on Felix''s forehead all the more noticeable.


    "Forget it.. Let''s go." Felix grabbed Aki by his shirt collar and pulled him up to his feet. The boy did not make much of a struggle against his pulling as they found themselves both heading into the bar. The whole time that Aki was being lead into the bar by Felix the man never once let go of the boy''s shirt until he was pushing him down into a seat at the bar. There were sounds of whispering from all around the bar that could be heard but not may words could be made out. Whispering mortals was not something that Aki had much attention for the only thing that caught his attention was the sight of a colorful jar on the bar. It seemed like some sort of mortal candy that was in the jar.


    "If you want one just help yourself. They are mostly just for decoration since nobody else really eats them." Felix spoke as he slid the jar towards Aki.


    Aki slowly pulled out a candy from the jar and unwrapped it. It was round and had a long stick that came out of the candy. He was certain it was what the mortals of this world called a sucker. As the boy popped the candy into his mouth the sweet flavor seemed to melt over his tongue causing his eyes to light up. It was not every day that he got to taste something so sweet and delicate to his liking. He could see Felix from the corner of his eyes staring at his excitement over eating the sweet candy but he had no care in the world at the moment. Aki Kitsune had just discovered his own love for suckers in this world he was passing through and the last thing he was going to do was let someone else disturb his joy at the moment.


    "I take it you don''t get sweets very often." Felix laughed slightly under his breath at the sight before him. He had never expected to see someone react so favorably over a simple sucker but something about seeing the boy smiling made his chest feel slightly warmer.

 2 Chapter 2

    "We don''t have things like these where I''m from." Aki toyed with the sucker using the tip of his tongue as he glared over at Felix for his comment.


    "You mean candy?" Felix asked as his brow raised curiously to the boy.


    "Candy?" Aki repeated the word as if he was trying it out.


    "Well, kid.. Can I know what I''m suppose to call you since I''m feeding you?" Felix asked as he slowly pushed a plate of food in front of him.


    "Aki Kitsune." He responded as his small hands quickly pulled the plate towards himself. Aki had no mortal table manners as he roughly scoffed down the food on the plate as if he had not eaten in days. It had been a long time since Aki had actually ate a thing and he was not sure how long it had been in reality because his body did not require him to eat on a mortal''s schedule. When it came to eating it was more of a pleasure of Aki''s for the most part as long as he ate every couple of weeks he would not die of things like starvation.


    "Felix." The bartender spoke as he pointed towards himself as if he was trying to ensure that Aki did not forget the name of the man who fed him.


    "Your name sounds like a cat.." Aki leaned towards Felix and sniffed a few times. The man to him looked like the sort to live his life like a wolf in sheep''s clothing. From a glance he could tell the man was more dangerous than others may perceive him to be. "But you smell more like a wolf."


    "Why on earth do you think it''s appropriate to smell me?" Felix could feel his own head beginning to hurt due to the way the boy acted with him.


    "You know.. I think I found something fun~" Aki Kitsune smiled at his own words as his eyes gazed towards Felix with a deep interest. It was unknown to himself why he felt like he was drawn to Felix so easily but there was just something about the man that seemed to peak his own interest.


    "I''m not a toy. Once you finish eating please go home and stop sleeping with the trash because I do not run a homeless shelter for run away brats." Felix''s tone was stern. In his hands he was holding a glass as he cleaned it in silence. Every time someone would enter the bar Felix would send them a warm welcome with a smile on his face but behind that smiling face was something that seemed almost hollow and empty. It was obvious to someone like Aki to see the hidden empty emotions behind the false smile that Felix would put on his face because Aki had seen it so many times over his lifetime. Aki Kitsune was a god from another world so he could easily spot the minuscule expressions that most wouldn''t spot.


    "Very well.. I promise!" Aki Kitsune mumbled under his breath as he thought about the words that Felix had just spoken to him. There was a slight smile on his face as he debated on where to take his next nap. If it was somewhere warm he was certain he could rest easy so the many warm places in the city that he had found so far during his visit began to run throughout his mind.


    At a glance Felix could tell that the boy seemed to be up to something but he did not respond back. If he gave the boy a response he was worried what kind of remarks the boy would try to push off on him. There was not enough time in his days to worry about taking care of a troublesome brat like Aki in his mind and he did not want to get pulled into something that he did not have to be. Felix was a high level cultivator on earth so his life was not required to do his job as a bartender but he loved his work and did not want to waste time on unnecessary things.


    The rest of the time that Aki Kitsune was in the bar he kept quiet and kept to himself aside from his wandering eyes. One minute it would be obvious that Aki was intently staring at Felix out of curiosity or some other motive while the rest of the time Aki spent his time listening to other people''s conversations about their own personal lives. It was not clear to Felix why Aki was trying to pry his ears into the personal problems of others around him when he knew none of the people but he never spoke a word about the matter.


    After a few hours between back and forth paying attention to the others in the bar Aki Kitsune eventually left the bar with a warm smile on his face. The smile was sent directly towards Felix as he left with a sucker in his mouth and a slow wave of his hand. Seeing Aki smiling so warmly in his direction caused Felix''s chest to tighten. There was just something about the boy that felt like it was toying with him emotionally and it made him feel frustrated.


    "What the hell is wrong with me?" Felix grit his teeth after the boy was gone from his sight. He could feel the tight grip in his chest that made him want to kick himself for making the boy leave. It was hard for him to understand why he hated the thought of the boy leaving when he had only seen him a few times and every time was because he simply found him sleeping by the trash.


    "When tomorrow comes he wont be there.. he''ll be back home where he should be."


    The more he thought about the fact that Aki Kitsune was not going to be outside the bar sleeping by the trash tomorrow the more he realized just how lonely that made him feel.

 3 Chapter 3

    The next day...


    Felix cleared his throat as he stared down at the alleyway ground behind his bar. The orange haired boy, Aki Kitsune, was napping away curled up in a ball. By the way he was laying there he almost looked like a small animal that had simply curled up for an afternoon nap. Sunshine reflected off his colorful clothing and bright hair. As the boy heard him clearing his throat he seemed to shift slightly in his slumber but was too deep into his nap to realize Felix was standing there.


    Bending down over the young man he reached out his hand and placed it gently on Aki''s forehead to make sure that he was alright. From what Felix could tell the boy was not hurt or sick but simply deeply snoozing. As he considered his options for a moment he felt his own brow twitch. Lifting his hand slightly he thumped his middle finger hard against Aki''s forehead causing the boy to jolt quickly awake. There was a look of shock on his face as he let out a slight yelp as he awoke.


    "Wh-What?" Aki muttered out the word with a start as his two differently colored eyes gazed up at Felix with a slight blush on his cheek from the embarrassment of how he''d been flicked on the forehead by him.


    "I thought I told you to stop sleeping in the alley behind The Sunny Wolf?" Felix scolded him as he remained kneeling there above him. With Felix towering over Aki it felt almost as if he was bullying him but he did not like the idea of Aki scaring off his customers if they realized he was always sleeping in the alleyway.


    "Did you have to be so rough with me?" Aki sat up with one eye closed. His left eye stared up at him with it''s deep blue color as if it was trying to draw him in.


    Felix could not help but watch as the boy''s own hand slid up under his shirt to rub against his chest. The motion caused his stomach to be exposed under the sunlight bare. A soft yawn escaping Aki while he looked exhausted as if he had not got enough sleep. The sight in front of Felix caused his heart to slightly race. If he had not been so frustrated with the boy he might had considered making a move on him right there.


    "Don''t say things like that." Felix reached out and flicked his middle finger hard against Aki''s forehead again causing the boy to wince and hiss from the slight pain on his head. "Come on."


    Rubbing his head for a moment to get the slight pain to stop he watched as Felix extended his hand in front of him. Reaching out his own hand in return his hand was grabbed by him. His body was lifted from the ground as Felix pulled him to his feet in front of him. Aki''s body lightly bumped against the firm chest of the man who''d pulled him to his feet causing him to blush once again for a split second as he glanced up at the one visible pink eye that gazed down at him. The man''s purple hair seemed to always cover the right eye making it impossible to see it.


    "What did I say exactly?" Aki Kitsune smirked as he allowed his body to fall into Felix''s arms. Just barely placing the tip of his pointer finger against the chin of the tall man in front of him he could see a faint hint of blush start to take place just under the one eye he could see perfectly. He knew the man thought he was younger then he was because there was no way Felix would expect him to be a god who''d lived for thousands of years when his body was still so young. At the most for a mortal Aki would be seen as his early twenties at most.


    "You''re playing a dangerous game," Felix narrowed his eye down at the boy and pushed his back up against the wall of The Sunny Wolf bar before leaning in close to him. "I''d stop before you start something you can''t finish."


    "You''re an interesting one. I like you!" Aki laughed quietly to himself as he could feel Felix''s warm breath gently blowing against the skin of his neck.


    "I''m not interested." Felix placed his hand on Aki''s head and roughed up his hair with a faint smile on his face as if he thought Aki was trying to confess his feelings to him like an innocent child.


    Aki Kitsune did not mean that he had feelings for Felix. When he had told him he liked him he simply meant what he had said. He liked the fact that Felix was something he could enjoy playing around with. His heart had not yet realized the warmth it felt when he was close to the man. It had never crossed his mind that he could grow feelings for someone who was mortal.


    "I wasn''t asking," Aki smiled brightly up into that pink eye that gazed so warmly down at him. "I''m not interested in you that way either. I just find you interesting. That''s all I meant."


    Something about those words sparked a slight tinge of pain in the chest of Felix that he failed to understand. He was not sure what it was he felt for the boy in front of him but he was not looking to fall in love with anyone. Felix was not lacking in the number of people who would line up to be with him. If he wanted a partner he could find someone easily but when it came to the young boy just scolding him alone made his heart pound against his chest. It felt as though everything he knew about himself was screaming at him to take care of the young man.


    "Come inside. I''ll get you something to eat." Felix''s spoke as his hand was still resting atop the boy''s head. His fingers were toying with the soft orange hair gently as if he was petting a young puppy.

 4 Chapter 4

    After a while of waiting on a stool at the bar counter Aki watched as Felix slid a freshly cooked hamburger across the bar in front of him. Smelling the freshly warmed up meal in front of him he could not help but salivate at the sight. Just looking at the food alone was enough to make his stomach growl even if he thought at first that he was not that hungry. He began to wonder if the man was always this kind to people but quickly rid himself of the idea considering he knew the man was losing money by feeding him for free two days in a row.


    "So good~!" Aki blurted out with a mouth full of food as he held it in his hands. The slight sound of chewing could be heard as he filled his mouth with the largest bite he possibly good causing the burger to drip ketchup onto the plate below it.


    "Don''t choke yourself and eat more carefully because your making a mess on my counter." Aki scolded him as he reached across the counter. Wiping his thumb gently across Aki''s cheek to remove a bit of ketchup that had gotten on his face he could see the boy blushing at his touch. Once the ketchup was on his thumb he placed it into his mouth and licked it clean off while watching him chow down on the food.


    Aki''s heart raced at the sight in front of him as he gazed at the man with a mouth full of food. He was not sure if the man was naturally like that or just teasing him but what he did know was that it felt oddly enticing to him. Turning to glance around the bar he could see many of the girls who were blushing at the sight of how Felix was acting besides himself. From a glance he could tell that the man was very well liked by the customers as if he was a piece in a museum. Everyone at the bar loved to gaze upon the sight of Felix behind the bar counter on any day of the week but seeing him act the way he did with Aki seemed to send them into an overload of joy.


    "Your food is just too good I could not help myself." Aki spoke as he tried to calm his beating heart.


    "Well take it easy," Felix said before sliding a jar of suckers in Aki''s direction as he recalled how much the boy had enjoyed them the day before. "Here."


    At the sight of the sweet suckers coming in his direction it was like a light lit up in Aki. His entire body began to shake from the pure joy at the sight of them. Reaching his hand out as the hamburger fell to the plate he pulled a sucker from the jar and popped it into his mouth. It felt like pure bliss to have something so sweet at the tip of his tongue.


    "So much for my burger being that great, huh?" Felix laughed as he watched the boy quickly abandon the food for the sweets.


    "It''s great, but this is heaven." Aki sighed happily as he pulled the sucker from his mouth and pointed the sucker at Felix.


    Felix smirked slightly as he bent over and crunched on the sucker. Shaking inside his mouth he could taste the sweetness while his eye gazed deep into Aki''s. Those two eyes shined with a bright spark of confusion as he was startled at the fact that he had just taken the sucker he had been enjoying. It looked as though Aki had been wounded at the fact that the candy in his hand was suddenly gone. Slowly leaning back up straight in front of Aki from across the bar he laughed slightly for a moment before wiping his own mouth with his thumb to make sure there were no crumbs from the sucker on his face.


    "If I keep finding you behind my bar sleeping in the alleyway you wont be seeing these anymore." Felix said to him with a kind smile on his face that almost seemed fake. It was as if he was threatening to stop allowing Aki to have candies at his bar if he kept sleeping on the street.


    "Fine. I won''t sleep out there again!" Aki pouted for a second before smiling as he held up a peace sign with his hands at Felix. "I promise!"


    "I mean it. I don''t want to see you out there again tomorrow." Felix said as he turned his back to Aki and went to cleaning off a glass. He was not certain if the boy would listen to him this time or not and could only hope for the best. When he thought about it he almost wondered if the boy simply had no where to go but no matter how he looked at it he was sure that Aki was not living on the streets because he was too clean to be homeless.


    After a while Aki felt it was time to part with the man at the bar. No matter how much the man scolded him over where he slept he was sure the man cared more then he let on. If Felix had not cared for Aki in the slightest he would not be willing to feed him for free two days in a row. It was not new that Aki slept behind the bar in the alleyway so it was not that Felix had not found him back there before. He had simply gotten tired of hearing complaints from others who had walked by and simply glanced at Aki asleep back there. Not every mortal had a heart big enough to reach out to Aki on the street like Felix had. It was interesting to see how deeply this man seemed to care for him.


    Leaving The Sunny Wolf bar that day Aki could feel a slight warmth to his chest as he thought about how Felix would react tomorrow when they met again.

 5 Chapter 5

    The Following Day....


    "The hell is this?" Aki''s eye brow twitched at the sight in front of him as he walked up to The Sunny Wolf bar''s doors. Before he could reach the building he could see Felix outside the bar talking to a beautiful woman. There was a strange feeling in his chest that made him want to run up and interrupt their conversation immediately. Fighting back the urge to act jealous as best as he could he slowly walked towards them. He could see Felix reaching out slowly towards the woman as he carefully brushed the woman''s hair behind her ear.


    Flirting! He''s flirting with that woman! Aki thought to himself as his face turned slightly red as he stopped in his tracks just far enough away that Felix had heard his footsteps. He watched at Felix turned his head to glance in his direction. The expression on Felix''s face felt unreadable to him as the look only lasted a moment before he turned back to the lady and continued talking without so much as a hello in his direction.


    Standing there in silence Aki did not know whether or not to speak out or remain quiet. Turning to run off from the scene in front of him he could hear Felix calling out to him from behind but he could not make out the words because his mind was too jumbled up at what he''d seen. He could not understand why he felt jealous that Felix was touching that woman''s hair. It was clear at a glance that Felix was probably flirting with her and it caused his chest to tighten like someone had wrapped a noose around it.


    "Aki! Aki, Wait!" Felix called out louder as he reached out and grabbed him by the wrist. It was clear by his heavy breathing that he was out of breath from chasing after him.


    "Who.." Aki muttered a single word out of his mouth without turning around to look at Felix. He was not certain he could bear to look at him right there.


    "Why are you running off like that when you just got to the bar? Are you trying to deliberately make me chase you down like a child? Have you even ate yet to have so much energy like this?" Felix began to scold him.


    "Who was she?!" Aki could not stop the question from blurting out in a shout as he swung himself around finally to glare at Felix. The anger and jealousy was obvious on his face as his eyes shook with fear of what the answer might be.


    "Name?. Ah.." Felix scratched behind his neck as he tried to recall the woman''s name.


    "That''s not what I meant and you know it." Aki grit his teeth together as he held in a growl the best he could. If only he could turn into his fox form right there he would use his canine teeth to shred Felix apart.


    "That''s not your business to worry about." Felix scolded as he planted his hand down on the top of Aki''s head and roughed up his hair gently.


    "It is my business." Aki said as he puffed out his cheeks in pure jealousy. He had already decided this mortal was his property and now the mortal was doing things he did not like. If he could scold the man he would but he could not decide how to handle the situation.


    "No. It''s not." Felix took his hand and held onto Aki''s chin to force him to look him in the eye. "I''m not yours. You''re not mine. I can do whatever I want with whoever I want."


    "Whoever?" Aki asked bluntly as he stared up into that pink colored eye.


    "Yes." Felix responded simply while staring back down at him.


    He did not want to tell Aki the truth that nothing had happened between him and the girl because he rather enjoyed seeing Aki act jealous over him. Felix knew that withholding the fact that nothing happened for that simple reason might have been childish himself but he could not help the rush of pleasantry he felt knowing that Aki was aching over the idea of him with another. It was not like Felix did not play around because he was not against one night stands with random strangers that he found to his liking but the past few days his mind had been filled with nothing but the sense to take care of Aki that he had completely went without acting out on his playful whims with others.


    "Right.." Aki said out loud as his mind got lost in his own thoughts. He could not help picturing Felix with others because to Felix they were nothing more then a man taking care of some boy he thought was simply unable to properly care for himself. It was true that Aki was not the best at taking care of himself when it came to a mortal''s standards but his body simply did not require everything a mortal did.


    "Come with me today because I have somewhere to show you. I''ll have someone else tend to the bar for me today." Felix smiled kindly as he tussled Aki''s hair with his fingers. His body was knelt down just enough so that his face was inches from Aki''s causing the boy to blush slightly at how close they were to each other.


    "Where are you taking me?" Aki asked curiously as he wondered what plan this mortal might be having for him.


    "Hopefully somewhere that will solve the issue of you sleeping by my bar''s trash." Felix sighed deeply as he was just happy that he saw Aki today before he passed out with the trash again because it was starting to get on his nerves. He was the sort that had no patience so it was already shocking to himself that he was tolerating the fact that Aki never listened to a word he said to him. It was obvious by the look on his face that the boy was not sure how to take the fact that he was planning to take him somewhere but he only hoped it would go well when they got there.

 6 Chapter 6

    "Where are we?" Aki asked as he followed Felix into an expensive home.


    The place was larger then most homes the average person in the city could afford. There were a total of three bedrooms in the place and it was in one of the most expensive neighborhoods in the city. Distance from the bar wasn''t that long allowing them to get to and from the bar quickly without a problem. Felix was the sole owner of the home and it was filled with expensive furniture. It was clear at a glance that the man had more money then you''d assume at a first glance, but before even wondering how much money he made one would naturally become drunk on his looks so that did not matter much.


    "This is my home." Felix stated out loud to the boy as he shut the front door.


    "Why are we here?" Aki could not understand the meaning behind his actions to bring him here. He wondered about it but no matter what he thought of there were too many things a mortal could be thinking in such a situation.


    "So you''ll stop sleeping by my bar''s trash you''ll be staying here for now. I don''t think you''re homeless at a glance so I can only assume you''re simply running away from something or possibly someone. If you need a place to nap you''re going to start taking your sleep here. I have two extra rooms so just use one of them." Felix started talking about Aki as if he was moving into the home with him.


    "You want me to stay here with you?" Aki''s face turned red at the idea of sleeping in the same home as the man.


    "I don''t want you to. I need you to!" Turning around to grab Aki by his shoulders Felix had a look of determination in his eyes. There was a spark of something else as well while a slight tint of pink could be seen on his face like he was blushing at the idea as well. His heart was racing hard within his chest as he shook his head slightly at Aki while speaking. Of course he simply meant that he needed the boy to stop sleeping behind his bar but when he said the words that he needed Aki he could not help but feel something burning in his chest.


    What''s wrong with me? He''s a hopeless kid.. Felix thought to himself as he slowly released his grip on Aki''s shoulders. He could see the dazed expression on his face as if he had just heard a love confession from another. The thought that Aki might have taken his words the wrong way caused him to want to clear up the misunderstanding. That lasted only a moment before he forced himself to remain silent because the look in Aki''s eyes like a fiery desire had been lit made it impossible for him to open his mouth again.


    "Alright! I agree! I agree!" Aki shouted out in agreement repeatedly before jumping into Felix''s arms.


    Felix had been caught off guard by the sudden leap into his arms but he could feel nothing wrong with it. A comfortable sensation shot throughout his body as he smiled down at the young man. His heart was racing faster then he had ever felt it beat before. There was never anything in his life that had made his heart pound so wild in his memories that he could recall. It made him wonder if what he really felt for the boy was as simple as he wanted to tell himself it was but in the back of his mind he knew no matter how many times he told himself it was simple there was nothing more complicated then what he felt.


    Amid the silence Aki slowly tilted his head up to look at Felix''s face. The face that he so wanted to look at was looking right back down at him just inches apart from each other. Raising slowly onto the tips of his toes so that he was closer to Felix as if to kiss him he paused half way to see if Felix would return the affection. They could both feel the warmth of each other''s breath as they both began to close their eyes slowly. Only after their mouths almost connected with each other did Felix push Aki away from him to stop himself from going through with it.


    "I should head back for work. You can stay here and rest." Felix said as he quickly retreated from the house before he could be coerced any further. Temptation from the boy was just too much for him to handle right now. If he had stayed with him any longer he was certain he would really turn into a big bad wolf preying on a small animal.


    "You''re always so interesting.." Aki mumbled under his breath to himself after watching Felix leave the house with him still inside of it. A smile slipped onto his face as his chest burned with a fiery passion to make Felix truly his. He was not certain how much time he would have in this world before he traveled to a new one but he was certain of one thing and that was he wanted his days on earth to be spent with Felix at his side. "You.. will become mine."


    Slowly turning away from the door he walked further into Felix''s home to inspect the place he had decided to make his official den. Walking over to the closest bedroom to where he was he pushed the door open. Stepping inside the room his heightened sense of smell could tell the room belonged to Felix. It was heavy with the scent of Felix in the bedroom but at the same time it had other odors as well that made his stomach churn. The number of other people''s scents in the room caused his face to darken.


    "Everything in here goes." Aki said out loud to himself as he lifted his hand up. In the palm of his hand a small blue flame appeared and was sent flying right for Felix''s bed. In a matter of seconds the entire bed was set on fire as if he had lit a bonfire in the house.

 7 Chapter 7

    "AKI!!! What the hell happened to my bedroom?!" Felix screamed at the top of his lungs as he flung the other rooms of the house open one after another until he found Aki.


    Aki was curled up in the laundry room on a pile of Felix''s dirty laundry snoozing away like a dog might do to it''s master''s clothes. For his sensitive sense of smell the dirty laundry felt like a sense of bliss for him as he could smell the strong odor of Felix all over the place. He could not help himself from rolling around in the pile of clothes that he had found while searching the house for more things to burn that reeked of other people''s scents around the place. Every now and then Felix could see the boy''s body twitching like a dog chasing something in it''s sleep.


    Felix almost felt sorry for waking the boy up from his sleep but when he recalled the fact that his bedroom had been burnt to a crisp the veins on his forehead felt like they could pop. Leaning down to thump his middle finger hard against Aki''s forehead he heard him let out a yelp from the sudden shock. Aki jumped to his feet suddenly and grabbed hold of the closest thing to him he could find to refrain from falling over but it was all too sudden and his foot slid on the clothes under him. Tumbling forward he could feel himself about to hit the floor but instead found himself wrapped tightly in Felix''s warm embrace.


    "The hell is wrong with you, why are you sleeping there? Also... What. The. Hell. Did you do to my room?!" Felix repeated the question again as he tried to calm his rage before he personally threw the kid out a window.


    "Oh. That." Aki could see the rage in Felix''s eyes and gazed up with an expression like he had been wronged. His pink and blue eyes both began to tear up whether it was on purpose to cover why he had burnt down the room or if he really did feel like crying Felix could not tell.


    "Yes. That! What the hell happened in there? It looks like doomsday hit my house!" Felix grit his teeth as he forced himself to remain calm. The saddened expression on Aki''s face made his heart ache as if he had kicked a sick puppy.


    "I knocked a candle over?" Aki tried to come up with an excuse to cover why he had burnt down the bedroom of Felix. It was not like he wanted to blurt out that he burnt it down because he could smell other people had been in there; and not a small number. Even remembering the scent of that room from before made his stomach want to flip over.


    "That.. is the lamest excuse for my room looking like it does.." Felix glared down at Aki with suspicion in his eyes before sighing heavily. "Fine, at least your not hurt.. I wont ask further but I have the sudden urge to block you off from accessing my kitchen to cook now."


    "I''m sorry." Aki muttered out an apology as he began to bury his face into Felix''s chest causing him to realize he was still holding Aki in his arms. Closing his eyes Aki couldn''t help but intake the scent of the man. He knew he enjoyed the scent of him even on the things he''d touch but when it came to physically being held it was by far the freshest and the best way to take it all in.


    Felix could feel his heart beat beginning to race at the way Aki was nuzzling into him. A slight blush covered his cheeks as he quickly grabbed hold of the boy and pushed him away so that he would not get any further ideas. Looking down into his face he left out a soft breath in attempt to calm his own heart.


    "Are you ready to eat? I''ll go fix something for us. It''s time for dinner." Felix was not really hungry but he figured Aki might be since he was in his house all day while he was at work. When it came to Aki he could not help but feel as though the boy might not even understand how to work the oven. There was also the fact that he could no longer use his own bedroom due to a fire that he still did not know how it even began. It felt like the boy was someone who just attracted troublesome matters to him wherever he went.


    "I''m not hungry." Aki replied. He did not want the man to worry about him when it came to food so much since he did not require a mortal''s intake of such things. Since Felix was at work he could easily accept it as if he had already ate before the man came home.


    Aki was not wrong that Felix would think he had ate while he was gone. When it came to being rejected about eating dinner Felix simply felt as though the fire in his bedroom might had been something involving the kitchen materials. It was clear to him that Aki did not understand some common things that most people would be aware of. Even when it came to candy Aki had originally mentioned he did not know what a sucker was until he had tried it.


    "Oh, right, I brought this for you since you weren''t at the bar today." Felix said with a sudden realization as he pulled a sucker from his pocket he had brought back with him and opened it up. He could see the sparkle in Aki''s eyes at the sight of the sucker he was opening up. Placing the sucker in Aki''s mouth he couldn''t help but smile at the delighted expression on his face. Aki might not have required as much food intake as mortals did but when it came to suckers he was sure he had found a new desire in his life. His two favorite things from this world he was visiting were most definitely the two things that he had right in his eyes.

 8 Chapter 8

    Later that night..


    Aki walked around the home as Felix slept in the other guest room. He could hear the sounds of the man''s calm breathing with the door shut. Placing his hand flat against the door he leaned into it. With his forehead pressed against the door his free hand slowly grabbed the knob of the door. He debated on opening it and going in there to Felix''s side as he slept.


    A smile on his face as he remained at the door while considering the thought he could hear the sound of Felix shifting the position he was laying. Turning his head to the side to glance across the room his eyes connected on sight with something reflecting in the light. With a twinkle in his eye he moved to inspect what he had found. It was a large glass aquarium that had fish swimming inside of it. The fish varied in color and type that swam around in the aquarium.


    Aki could not help but feel excited at the sight of wild fish swimming in front of him. To a kitsune the sight of freshly trapped fish was like something that gave him the urge to play around. He also enjoyed the idea of just enjoying the water that was right there. Shaking from the pure joy from the idea he had in his mind he began to climb upward.


    Ffffsshhhhhh.....


    As Aki''s body slid inside of the large tank with the fish the water raised higher and began to flood the living room floor. Smiling from the feeling of being engulfed in the aquarium water he pawed playfully at the fish with his hands. He was not interested in eating the fish but simply wanted to toy with them in the water. The scent of fish stuck to his clothes from the water as he bounced around excitedly inside of the tank.


    After a while when his excitement faded and he climbed out of the tank he strode around the home looking for more interesting things to play around with. Things that caught his attention varied from jumping around on various pieces of furniture to eating half the things in Felix''s kitchen just to see what different mortal foods tasted. The place really felt comfortable to him and he had lost himself in the joy of playing around that he had not even realized that Felix had walked up behind him with a darkened expression.


    "What are you doing?!" Felix shouted his question as he grabbed onto Aki by the collar of his pink shirt. He had not gotten much sleep and it was the middle of the night. When he was jolted awake from Aki''s mischievous behavior he wanted to knock him on the head. The boy had trashed another room in his house making him wonder if he could ever leave him alone. Standing there with his grip on Aki he could see and smell fish tank water all over the place as it had drenched a lot of the floor.


    "You''re up?" Aki asked with a look of embarrassment on his face from being caught playing around. He was not sure how he would detour Felix''s attention from another mess. The only thing he could think of in that moment was to push for making the man feel embarrassed.


    "How can I not be awake with all the racket your making?" Felix sighed heavily as he felt too tired to deal with cleaning up the mess. Deciding to leave it alone til morning he swept his eyes back to look at Aki''s soft blush. No matter how many times he saw it he always felt like his heart would waver to scold the boy when he saw him. There was something about Aki that just made his chest ache for the boy.


    "That''s not what I meant~" Aki teased as he closed one of his eyes up at Felix. Grabbing hold of Felix''s arm slowly he began to slide his right hand up to his shoulder. The blush on Aki''s face deepened a bit more at his own words. He could see the hint of a blush on the man''s face as well making him feel all the more nervous.


    The feel of Aki''s touch felt like it was sending shocks of electricity throughout Felix''s body. In a daze they both lost themselves in each other''s gaze as they stood there. Neither one was sure how much time had passed before they realized what they were doing. Felix was the first one to break free from the trance. Clearing his throat he thought for a moment before continuing with their conversation. If he was going to make the boy learn to take care of himself better he could not lose himself in the moment.


    "Stop it," Felix scolded while moving his hand from Aki''s shirt collar up to cover the boy''s mouth so that he could not speak further. Able to see the hint of disappointment in Aki''s eyes over how he had responded to the boy caused him to sigh. "Get to bed, now. If I catch you out of bed until morning I wont bring you back any more sweet tomorrow."


    Felix knew that the sweets were probably the easiest way to get him to listen. When it came to the candy it was something that Aki was showing a unique obsession for. Taking note of his love for suckers he felt he could use it later if the need arose.


    "Alright.." Aki pouted as he walked off to the room he was staying in. When he got in the room he closed the door behind him, leaving Felix alone in the living room with the mess he had caused. For a moment Aki felt bad for having gotten so excited and making the mess. With his back against the door he listened to the sounds of the man moving around until he had gone into his room as well.


    That night Felix felt as if he had given up two rooms in his home to the destruction of a little orange hurricane.

 9 Chapter 9

    "What.. What is this?" Felix''s face blanked at the sight in front of him as he woke up.


    Sunlight shone through the window into his bedroom lighting up everything clearly. Felix was on his back in his bed under the covers. It was warm and comfortable but there was a heavy weight on top of him. He could not tear his eyes away from the heavy boy that was on top of him. Aki was curled up right at Felix''s side with his arm and leg wrapped across the man. The boy''s face was nestled up against his chest as his soft breath could be felt against Felix''s chin as he lay there.


    Waking up to someone in his bed with him was something that Felix was not use to and it left him unsure of how to react. He could handle flings with others but he had never allowed any of them to stay over night. A strange sensation in his chest made his face flush as Aki let out a soft noise that sounded like a sigh in his sleep. Aki wrapped his body slightly tighter against Felix causing the man to clear his throat to rid himself of any unnecessary thoughts about the boy.


    "Aki," Felix asked as he thumped the boy on his forehead causing him to jolt awake. "wake up."


    "Oh, morning Felix." He yawned out in response to the strange expression on Felix''s face as they gazed into each other''s eyes. Smiling brightly up at the man he allowed his own body to collapse back onto Felix''s warm body. It felt comforting to be close to him and made him want to enjoy even more of his warmth.


    "Why are you sleeping in here? When did you even get in my room?" Felix tried to sit up but it only enticed the boy to shift his body so that he was straddling on top of his lap. The both of them were sitting straight up with Aki on top of his lap; his legs at Felix''s sides as he remained on top.


    "Last night while you were sleeping so beautifully.~" Aki had a face of bliss as he recalled sneaking into Felix''s room last night and seeing his sleeping face. It was truly interesting to see the man sleeping so soundly as if he was staring at a prince from some fairy tale.


    "Get off." Felix said sternly as he tried to calm his beating heart at the way Aki was positioned.


    "Why?" Aki brought his face in closer to Felix''s with the sudden urge to tease him further. Their noses became so close that they could almost touch each other. "Do you not find me attractive?"


    Felix tried to suppress himself as best as he could but before he knew it he had flipped Aki over onto his back. Towering above the young man as he gazed down into his eyes he could feel his heart racing. His long purple hair draping down over his shoulders as his single visible eye narrowed with contemplation over the situation. There was a slight sense of hunger behind his gaze that caused the young man to shiver like a small helpless animal.


    "See? I knew you''re really a wolf.." Aki whispered into his ear as his arms wrapped themselves around Felix''s neck. One of his hands slowly slid downward against his back as he felt Felix''s body warmth radiating. The scent of the man felt intoxicating and made him desire more.


    "Then what are you? A fox? Cause you''re definitely a trickster." Felix scoffed slightly as his forehead sat down against Aki''s shoulder. He could not see the expression on Aki''s face but the boy was surely blushing.


    Aki could not respond to Felix''s joke because he really was a fox; he was a fox god. If he opened his mouth he was worried he might really admit to what he was and yet that was something he would have to carry to his grave from this man. There would never be a day when Felix would be allowed to know of what he was. If a day was to ever come it would surely be the day that they were forced to part. Felix would grow old as mortals did and Aki like other gods would remain young until the day he died. Death for gods did not come as simply as it did for mortals like Felix and that was something Aki knew he had to accept. No matter how much his heart fell for Felix he could never allow himself to become lost in him.


    "What are you doing to me.. I don''t think I''ve ever fallen for someone like I''m afraid I might be falling in love with you.." Felix muttered under his breath without removing his head from Aki''s neck. He could feel the young man clasping his hands against the sides of his face as he pulled Felix''s face up to gaze into each other''s eyes before speaking in response.


    "Don''t say that," Aki spoke with a serious tone that he''d never used in front of Felix before. "I don''t like when people use the three words so the only thing I ask you in our cohabitation is that you NEVER say those three words to me. Even if you feel you''d die for me.. Never in our time together shall you ever tell me you love me."


    "Don''t you feel it too? Aren''t you in my bed trying to make me yours?" Felix lifted his hand up and slowly began to stroke Aki''s orange hair with his gentle hand. He was not sure why the boy was trying to pull away so suddenly after pushing him so far. Gazing down into those eyes of his he could see the complicated emotions that plagued the young man''s heart but he could not understand the pain behind them.


    "I never said I don''t. I just can''t bear to hear someone speak those three words to me so I''m asking you to never say them." Aki forced a smile to his face so that Felix would not worry about him. The man was truly sensitive to him looking upset so he did not want him to realize how badly it hurt him to ask him for this simple favor.


    "I promise I wont use those words with you til the day I die." Felix stated out loud as he accepted the terms of the young man. There was no way that Aki would realize it at that time but Felix would be true to his word. He would never speak the three words, I love you, to Aki but that would never stop their hearts from burning for each other with a fiery desire that transcended all need for those simple words.