♢My Master♢ {Yukonwolfspirit~M-jow (18+}

[Yukonwolfspirit]

“Seems you like the view~ sad I can’t display it more while doing this.” Yukie teased as he got down on his knees and licked slowly up Julius’s cock making sure to flick his tongue at the tip to add extra pleasure. Slowly taking Julius’s cock in his mouth Yukie got to work sucking and licking the meat enjoying playing with his meal.

———-

“I envy you, being allowed to roam free. I’ve never really been allowed that I’ve always been tethered to someone. I wouldn’t openly say it to mom and dad…but I’m looking forward to my trip just to be able to have time not being watched 24/7. To breathe and have some freedom.” Haru admitted understanding Shan taking time to himself and sneaking out something he wish he could do.

“My only warning is that you make sure you sneak out safely…don’t leave the house open for anyone to get in or do anything to cause them to end up hurt.” Haru added as he was more so mentioning to their parents getting blindsided by something happening while Shan was gone or Shan getting himself hurt.  “Be smart about doing it and I’ll look the other way.” Haru stated as he wasn’t going to snitch on Shan as he trusted Shan would heed his words.

———-

“I love you too, but…a track? It sounds interesting and a nice idea but…darling as much as I feel healthier lately, I doubt I could fully run on a horse track. Hell at the near ideas of it Haru wouldn’t even let you talk about it let alone drag me there. He would fight you on so many grounds and most likely find it offensive suggesting I become a racehorse.” Haruhi informed as gently as he could while looking at Yumro complete concern on his face as he was genuinely confused on the type of racing not even thinking that Yumro meant car racing.
 

This conversation was short lived though as Shan came back with Haru instantly speaking up on his bug bites. “I should really use it then, I mean the bugs have just been eating me all morning.” Haruhi replied with a small smile as he noticed Haru who hid a small snicker at Shans comment.

”Seems you found time to relax.” Haru mumbled poking fun at the face Haruhi was stuck in his little white lie as he dug through the cooler for their lunch the boy starving.

[M-jow]

On 5/27/2025 at 10:36 AM, Yukonwolfspirit said:

"Seems you like the view~ sad I can’t display it more while doing this.”

"Mn~ I do like it" Julius chuckled. It wasn’t new. Yukie had a really nice body and Julius never got bored or tired of seeing it.

Julius almost began to feel shy as yukie kneeled down and was looking at him very close up. The witch bite his lip harder. He fought the Instinct to cover himself with his hands. He drew in a breath to calm his racing heart as Yukie leaned in and touched his lips to his menber.

Julius trembling a little. He moaned as yukie took him into his mouth and slowly began to pleasure him.

"~uhm~ ah ngh good... ah your mouth feels. Ah mn so fucking good~" Julius moaned as he tried his best not to jerk his hips too much although it was hard not to sway his hips. Yukie mouth felt so good he alle knew he wouldn't be lasting as long as he would have liked to. But he still tried.

---------------

Yumro listened to Haruhi will an confused expression until he actually understand what Haruhi thought he meant. He took himself to the stomach as je started laughing without helping it. "Puhaha.. haha no.. haha not that kind pf trace sorry Babe you missunderstood" Yumro explained to explained through his fit of laughter.

It didn't help at all with Shan's comment and everyone going with the bug story to keep Shan's innocence.

Yumro trying to hold it back but it only made tears stream down his cheeks as he held his breath in.

Shan knew Yumro and Haruhi was a couple but he didn't know much about what couple's actually did. He only knewnit was awkward being around them when the stared kissing.. lots of kisses.

He looked at Yumro as he helped Haru. He took four plastic cups out and poured everyone some lemonade. He brought a cup over to Haruhi and held out one for Yumro too.

When Yumro finally calmed down again he took the cup and drank it all in one go to relax his throat. Then he looked back at Haruhi with a smirk. "Seems to me like it's some very local bits. Maybe the bug only went for the juicy spots" he teased Haruhi right back and gave him a toothy smile.

Pulled out some sandwichs from the cooler and let Haru have the first pick then took one for himself and sat down in the warm sans to eat. It was comfort.

"So did you two exploring?" Yumro asked as he made a little tray for Haruhi with a bit of everything on. Fruits too.

"Yeah there was so much to see and then there was a waterfall right in the middle of nowhere." Shan began after swallowing the food he had been chewing.

[Yukonwolfspirit]

Yukie could only let out what sounded like a cheeky grumble of happiness mixed with teasing at his mates enjoyment of such a simple task of pleasure. Twirling his tongue around Yukie continued to suck and lick Julius’s cock enjoying the task and watching his mate melt with pleasure before his eyes. Continuing his fun Yukies fingers playfully danced on Julius’s hips tracing light circles all over his lovers skin as he knew gentle brushes of fingertips could heighten their fun.

—————————

“oh the bugs have such a great sense of humor and such keen ways of biting such places.” Haruhi responded to Yumro with a roll of his eyes as he sipped his drink feeling a little silly for forgetting that there was a huge percentage of humans and demons that enjoyed vehicle racing.

”We had fun exploring around the place, we found out Shan doesn’t get affected by the icy cold water at the waterfall.” Haruhi stated as he poked at his sandwich and set it on Haruhi’s chair before digging around for a different one eventually finding one with just lettuce cheese and tomatoes.

“Ugh. Cold water sounds horrible.” Haruhi added as he inspected Shan with his eyes looking for any signs of freezing or distress, unable to find anything out of place he looked to Yumro and raised a brow at the twos adventure by themself as if asking if they had been safe enough. Eating his food on his tray Haruhi also picked up the open sandwich and took a bite from it not understanding why Haru had rejected it until as he detected the traces of ham in the sandwich upon opening it.

”Yumro, I want to go hiking with you in the morning? Think we could go just us? I want to get closer to the higher elevations to see if I can find some plants I suspect grow here.” Haru asked rather casually as he had been thinking on the walk back more about the time he would spend away from his family and well he needed Yumro to teach him a few things sooner then later since he knew Yukie wouldn’t know how to help him.

[M-jow]

Julius ran his hand behind yukie head to not lossen his ponytail. His cheeks were flusthered with a bright blush from neck to ear, as Yukie was bringing him closer to orgasm.

He could only moan and whispered out incurringting words for his mate. Telling Yukie how good it felt and that he was getting so incredibe close.

The witch melted and trembled as Yukie's fingers tickled his skin and send sparks of pleasure. It was almost embarressing just how much Yukie could make him moan and groaned at such a short time. His cock was throbbing hard and his mucles tensed.. Julius was so close to coming. His hips jerked on their own and his fists curled around whatever they could get a hold on. The one behind Yukie's neck grabbed a handful of the demon's hair.

"Ngh~ Ah I..  am going to! Ah Gods Yukie! Mnh~ cuming!" Julius only just got to cry out his warning before his vision blurred and it felt like all blood rushed from his head down to his crotch. He came fast and hard. The moment after he found his vision returned and he slumped back into bed with heavy breathing.

"Mn..." he groaned as his body was still quite sensitiv after his release. "Fuck what a way to start the day" he chuckled.

--------------------------

7 hours ago, Yukonwolfspirit said:

"Ugh. Cold water sounds horrible.”

Shan shook his head as Haruhi tried to watch him from any harm. "I couldn't really feel it and I didn't effect me at all. But there were a lot of tiny funny fish" the boy explained to set Haruhi's mind at ease.

Yumro caught Haruhi sending him that look and Shrugged. "He is a shadow still and properly those traids still shines through even in his human form. I however wouldn’t recommend him taking to too far to test it. Don't know if he can get a cold or not" Yumro looked at Shan. "The wind is warm here so I don't think anyone will happen but don't go overboard"

Shan nodded. "Okay"

7 hours ago, Yukonwolfspirit said:

"Yumro, I want to go hiking with you in the morning? Think we could go just us?"

Yumro turned his eyes to Haru when the boy spoke up. He had a feeling Haru might ask for some alone time with him at some point to start training himself to ajust to his newly evolved form.

"I don't see why we couldn't do that. It quite the walk through." He smiled at Haru and looked to his mate. "I'll be sure to carry a phone on me just in case either of us need to contact the other. Is that okay with you" he asked Haruhi not wanting to have his mate worrying about them. "Shan will also be here but I still feel better knowing you can contact me if anything.. or if you just miss the sound of my voice" he chuckled, teasing Haruhi a little.

Shan looked up from his sandwich at the meantioning of his name but didn't say anything. He was find with it. Just a little sad he couldn't join too but he wasn't gonna complain or act spoiled.

[Yukonwolfspirit]

“Well I found it quite fun~ Quite exciting also~” Yukie teased as he licked the side of his mouth with his long tongue having taken all of Julius’s orgasm. Moving to stand back up Yukie stretched his body for a moment to relax all of his muscles before laying beside Julius the demon snuggling into his lover.

“So~ what shall we do today? I know a nice bakery that makes amazing tasting cakes. We could look at cake options? Or we could explore or just relax?” Yukie offered as he kissed Julius’s hand before taking it in his own to hold it. 

——————

“I’m glad you had fun Shan, just no more cold water until we see if you can catch colds and get sick” Haruhi asked as he sighed and smiled at the boy quite happy he was okay. As for the strange behavior he was rather unbothered by it only worrying about safety since Haru had basically ran him ragged growing up. To Haruhi a little cold water was a cakewalk compared to some of the crazy things Haru did when he was curious.

”oh, I’ll defiantly call you just to tell you all about the fun Shan and I will have while you to go look at boring rocks and plants.” Haruhi teased Yumro back as he rolled his eyes a little before looking at Shan. “Shan~ I hope you’re prepped for our bonding day. I plan on pulling out all of the fun tricks I know it will be much better than hiking.” Haruhi explained as he didn’t want Shan to feel left out.

”ugh, I’ll take rocks over that kinda stuff. Moms….more feminine with his bonding.” Haru whispered to Shan as he felt a little bad about leaving him at Haru’s mercy but well he needed to talk to Yumro alone and to learn. “If you need help just shoot up a flare there’s one under the couch.” Haru added with a whisper as Haruhi rolled his eyes at how dramatic Haru was being.

”Please you act like relaxing and doing some self care is torture. I’m sure Shan will survive one day with me” Haruhi grumbled with a small huff at how cheeky Haru was being.

[M-jow]

Julius smiled as Yukie crawling back in bed next to him. His heart began skipping as Yukie snuggle him and caressed his hand with a gentle kiss before he took it in his own. Julius kissed Yukie's cheek and the the tip of his nose in returne. But not on the lips. He already knew they wouldn't be able to stop if they began someone up now.

"Hmm~ I like cake. We can explore that and maybe we'll have them make our weeding cake. If you like their cakes they most be good" Julius said as his fingers gently caresses Yukie's hand holding his.

He took in a deep calm breath with his eyes closed and then opened them again to look at his mate. The powerful energy Yukie usally admitted out was much less potent and more clean. Most likely cause of all the sex they'd had over the few days. Julius hoped it would help Yukie later when he needed to leave him to go travle.

"But first we both need a shower" the witch smirked as they both reaked of sex. "I don't mind my scent all over you. Its the strong smell of sweat and cum on you I don't want to share." Julius explain with a teasing grin as he slowly stretched and sat up.

"And we should eat some light breakfast  before go out too"

----------------

Shan didn't really know what a self-care day with Haruhi would intell. And when Haru warned him it would be boring he had to put on his best neutral face to not look disapointed. "Maybe I might like it. I haven't tired it yet" he tried to sound convincing. And really he hoped he would like it. If not it was gonna be a LONG day.

Yumro smiled as he reached his hand out to ruffle Shan's hair.

"It's gonna be nice too" Yumro assured him. Shan nodded as he took another bite of his food.

"So after lunch who wants to go watch delfins? Maybe we'll even get to see some shark too" Yumro asked everyone there.

[Yukonwolfspirit]

“Cake and a shower~” Yukie mumbled with a smile as he looked at Julius amazed by the man’s endless energy. Watching Julius easily get up and stretch Yukie could only chuckle a little and let out a small groan as he followed and got up. “Mmh I’ll make sure to wash myself very well then, I only want my mate to smell things like that on me” Yukie teased as he lead the way to the shower and started pulling out soaps and supplies from under the sink the place having not been used in a while.

”you mentioned breakfast, do you have anything in mind?” Yukie asked curiously as he opened a plastic bag and set their towels on the counter alongside all of their new bathing supplies.

—————

“I wouldn’t mind seeing some sharks” Haru stated as he dug through the cooler and devoured his third sandwich easily following it with another drink. “Depends though if you’ve got any good sharks. While I’m a fan of the great white shark, I’d much prefer to see a lemon shark.” Haru added as he munched on his food.

”i think I’ll take a nice little nap back in the cabin. I already feel like I’m burned to a crisp.” Haruhi stated as he was still a little tiered from their fun and the day in general. “Think you could handle these two alone?” Haruhi asked Yumro knowing that if he really wanted him to go he of course would no questions asked.

[M-jow]

Julius turned on the water to let the cold water run out of the pipes till it turned warm.

On 6/5/2025 at 10:00 AM, Yukonwolfspirit said:

"you mentioned breakfast, do you have anything in mind?”

He hadn't really thought of and dish especially. Or craving. "Hm not really. I could eat something but something simple like oatmeal with fruits?" He shared his thoughts with Yukie as the other couldn't exactly read his mind.. from what he knew.

"But with how much you've put me to work these last few days I doubt I've gained much extra weight. Even with all the snacks and dessert." He chuckled as he caught a look of himself in the mirror and blushed at the sight of the many lovebites spread out over his chest and neck.

Yukie had some to too. The demon seemed to wear his proudly. It made Julius smile but still a little more aware for both of them when they were gonna get dressed.

Julius ajusted the towels so they were within reach from the shower and then not-so-accidentally bumped his shoulder against Yukie's as he leaned over to kiss his cheek. Meanwhile his hand stole the soab bar from right in front of Yukie. "Join me when you are ready and I'll help you with a scrub down" Julius winked. Clearly awake and in a great mood.

He got into the shower and began cleaning himself after enjoying the warm spray of water against his naked body.

---------------- ------

"Well I usally see some sharks near the reef. Like lemon sharks, nursing sharks, black or silvertip reef sharks. Zebra and leopard sharks. Of coures not all at once But I have seen them around.

And out in the deeper waters is not unusual to meet a whale shark there is quite a few breeding pars migrating to this place every year." Yumro shared with them some of the species around the Island. 

"They don't attack pray larger that themself but I'll still make sure nothing happens to none of you just incase." Yumro pulled out a wristband with a littl black stone tied into it. When we go diving you are both gonna wear this. It gives off my dominance and will make the predators respectful towards you. As long as you do frighten or harm them they will not attack unless provoked." Yumro looked at Haru as he pointed the last part out. "Understood?" He looked between both boys. Shan nodded. He was exited to go swimming and see more of the stuff from his book but also a bit nervous.

Shan held his hand up for a second to gain Yumro's attention like they were in a school. Then lowere it back down again. "Um, actually..I don't know if I can swim or not?" It sounded more like a question to Yumro whereever or not he knew if he could.

But how would Yumro know? He hadn't even thought about it. "Well I can show you how to do it. But if you can't swim, you can shift into your shadow form and sticks it either me or Haru."

[Yukonwolfspirit]

“Oh yeah? Am I that dirty I need a scrub down?” Yukie asked with a raised brow as he finished his set up and joined Julius in the shower staying more towards the back away from the water. “I don’t know, I’ve been told I’ll melt if I get to wet, better be thorough cleaning me so I’m not to soaked.” Yukie teased as he looked at Julius glad to see him so happy and recharged. Watching his lovely mate a little longer Yukie couldn’t help but smile at how cute Julius was and eventually he found himself wrapping his arms around Julius as he snuggled into his soapy mate.

“I love you.” Yukie whispered as he literally soaked in the blissful moment of just spending time with his future husband.

————

“Can his shadow form even hold its breath? I’m all for looking at the coral reefs and sharks…but only if it’s safe for everyone.” Haru asked concerned as he continued to eat his sandwich the centaur amused by the selection of sharks and the chance to see a whale shark.

”I’m sure Yumro can take care of it, the trip sounds fun, but please don’t loose any limbs or bring home any pets.” Haruhi asked as he looked at Yumro and sipped his drink knowing Haru would try to smuggle some weird creature back to the house.

[M-jow]

Julius chuckled softly, the sound echoing gently in the warm tile chamber of the hotel shower. He reached for the body wash, flipping the cap open with a practiced flick of his thumb, squeezing a modest amount into his hand before lathering it between his palms. Yukie’s words — teasing, lighthearted — made him smile in that familiar, crooked way. He didn’t respond right away, but there was a quiet gleam in his eye, the kind that said he was storing every moment, every second, somewhere deep and sacred.

The steam curled around them, rising in gentle wisps, and Julius leaned slightly forward, letting the water run down his back. He felt the comforting weight of Yukie's arms wrap around him and the press of his cheek against his shoulder. Julius didn’t move for a second — just stood there, letting the sensation sink in, grounding himself in the reality of it. Yukie, here. With him. Warm, affectionate, safe.

He tilted his head to the side, just enough to rest his cheek briefly atop Yukie's damp hair before pulling one arm free and reaching behind to guide Yukie a little closer into the water. 

“You’re so brave,”” Julius held back from chuckling, while reaching out with lathered hands. “I thought I might have to bait you in.”

"But if you’re gonna melt." Julius murmured, voice low and rough with affection, “at least let me be the one to do it.” His fingers grazed the edge of Yukie’s hip as he pulled him forward, careful not to push too much — just coaxing, offering, not demanding. He stayed facing the wall for a moment longer, letting the water cascade down his chest and shoulders, then turned slightly to reach for the washcloth draped over the shower caddy.

“So,” he continued, gently catching Yukie’s wrist and lifting one of his arms as he began to slowly soap up the cloth, “arms up. Gotta be thorough, remember?”

There was something deliberate in the way he moved — not rushed, not teasing, just present.

He let his fingers trail along Yukie’s upper arms first, beginning a slow and tender scrub. Every motion was deliberate—not rushed or overly playful, but deeply gentle. Julius worked in soft circles, cleansing the demon’s skin with soapy care, his thumbs occasionally sweeping across muscles that tensed then relaxed under his touch.

Though his focus was on the task, there was reverence in the way he moved. Washing Yukie wasn’t just practical—it was a ritual. A quiet form of worship wrapped in the guise of routine.

The sound of the water filled the silence between them, but it wasn’t awkward. Julius never minded the quiet. Especially not with Yukie. 

Julius didn’t say much more. He didn’t need to. Every slow stroke of the cloth, every glance, every breath drawn close to the other’s body said it all for him.

"I love you too," he said, just loud enough to be heard above the water, his voice thick with something deeper than steam.

He had stolen glances at Yukie in the mist, at the relaxed line of his jaw, the easy way he let himself be cared for now.

Still, he admired how the gentle fog clung to Yukie’s silhouette, how steam wrapped around him like something divine. Even in the mundane, Yukie looked otherworldly. But here, he was just his—flesh, warmth, and quiet affection.

 

After a while of good scrubbing. Julius let the water rinse the soap from both of them. He ran a hand through his own damp hair, then leaned in to press a kiss to Yukie’s temple—brief and warm.

“You cleaned up nicely,” he murmured near his ear, voice low and teasing.

 

Making sure neither of them had soap clinging in awkward places, Julius shut off the water and stepped out first. Tugging a towel from the counter and wrapping it around his waist. The air outside the shower felt cooler, crisp against his damp skin.

As Yukie emerged behind him, Julius handed him his towel without a word, though his eyes lingered in quiet appreciation before turning away to give him space. He wiped the mirror with his palm again and caught sight of his own reflection—flushed, clean, and marked. The lovebites weren’t subtle. He tilted his head slightly, examining one just below his collarbone, and laughed softly under his breath.

“Hopefully the café downstairs doesn’t have a dress code for recently ravished guests,” he muttered to himself with amusement.

 

He ruffeled up his hair with another towel to dry it. After he just let it fall damp around his shoulders, and then padded barefoot back into the room to dress. 

Julius dressed in light, casual clothes—his shirt tucked in just enough to look clean, not enough to hide everything—Julius stood by the door, keys and wallet in hand, waiting. His hair was set back loosely

 

By the time they headed down to the hotel restaurant, the world had started to feel real again—though the dreamy haze of their shared bubble still clung to them like afterglow.

Julius chose a quiet table by a window that overlooked the courtyard, watching the morning light dapple across the patio tiles. He settled into his seat and ordered something light: oatmeal with a generous topping of fresh fruit, a cup of green tea, and a croissant to split between them.

His fingers drummed lightly on the edge of the table while he waited, gaze drifting toward the garden. A few birds flitted between the flower bushes, and somewhere in the distance, someone was playing soft music.

This was the kind of morning Julius had never known he’d wanted. Quiet. Intimate. Safe. Not dulled by routine or boredom, but brightened by the presence of the man who sat beside him now.

Julius glanced toward Yukie as their food arrived, and then—without thinking—reached across the table to brush his fingers lightly over the back of the demon’s hand.

“After this,” he said, eyes locked with his fiancé’s, “let’s go find a cake that’ll be almost as sweet as you.”

His smile was full of mischief, but it was softened by affection. As he took a bite of his oatmeal, he allowed himself to imagine, for the briefest moment, what the wedding would be like. Not the ceremony, not the guests—but the vows. And the moment they’d say 'yes'.

 

........................................

 

The quiet chatter of birds and the rhythmic crash of the ocean were a peaceful backdrop to their little lunch.

Yumro gave a quiet laugh, low and warm in his chest. The demon leaned back on his palms, face turned toward the glinting sea. The sunlight reflected off his pale skin like polished ivory, but even in the heat, he looked untouched by the warmth—cool, composed, and quietly radiant. He watched the waves roll against the sand and let the moment settle between them.

 

"Shan, you don’t have to be nervous. You’re strong—even if you don’t know how to swim yet. Your shadow form doesn’t need to breathe the same way. It absorbs, not inhales. But we’ll keep to shallow waters at first until you’re comfortable.” His voice was even, calm, spoken not just from responsibility, but genuine care.

"No one is getting anything eaten on my watch" he assured Haruhi.

Then Yumro returned his eyes back on Shan again.

The boy sat beside Haru chewing on his sandwich with his small frame. His dark eyes seemed to absorb more than they expressed. His hair, black with a deep violet hues that shimmered faintly in the sun, and his dark skin had a soft, dusky undertone that seemed to shift like shadow.

He reached forward, brushing Shan’s bangs from his forehead in a gesture that was part affection, part instinct. 

“Besides,” Yumro added with a faint smirk, “I have no intention of letting anyone smuggle home a marin eel or somethinginto the houe.. right Haru?”

Shan gave a small chuckle. As Haru was but in the spotlight for something he could picture him doing.

“Will the whale sharks come close?” Shan asked, to try and save Haru.

“They’re gentle giants,” Yumro answered, and began gathering the last of the picnic remains into a basket... No i the lattedt modle “They glide past, slow and curious. Quiet playfully really.”

He set the lunch wrapping aside and waited for everyone to finish eating. Before he announced. “Come. Let’s get ready. I want to get us out there before the tide shifts too much.”

Yumro leaned in to place a brief soft kiss on Haruhi’s lips. "Don't get any sunburns. The cabine frige is stocked with drinks and water and there is ac inside." He told the other adult before kissing him again almostnot ableto bring himself to leave him.

"We aren't going far. Shout if you need us and I'll hear" he gave Haruhi one last kiss before pulling himself off his mate before the boys just went off on their own

 

Shan was looking away and covering the side of his face with his hand as he looked at Haru and giggled. Then when Yumro finally tore himself off Haruhi and called out to them Shan removed his hand and eagerly nodded, he got up and took Yumro’s free hand—not because he needed the help, but because he wanted the connection.

“You know,” Yumro said to both boys as they walked down the trail toward the cove, “Neither of you don’t need to be like anyone else. And no one expectes you to be a copy of Haruhi or me. You’re something of your own. That’s rare. You should keep it safe.”

Shan didn’t answer at first. He stared at the sand shifting under their feet, his shadow form flickering faintly around his ankles, curling like smoke.

“I don’t think I know what I’m supposed to be yet,” Shan finally said. “I’m just... me. But sometimes I feel like that’s not enough.”

Yumro's voice was low but firm, a steady rumble like distant thunder. “Being yourself is always enough. Growth isn’t about becoming someone else—it’s about becoming more of yourself.”

Shan stared at him for a moment, eyes wide and searching. Then, slowly, he smiled—a quiet, grateful thing—and gave a tiny nod.

The trail was warm under his bare feet, but the warmth didn’t bother Shan. He stayed close to Haru, but he was beginning to feel much more comfortable with Yumro too. Not just by his presence but by how solid he felt. Yumro always seemed untouchable—like even the world’s worst storms would break against him and scatter like mist.

Shan wasn’t like that. He felt every shift, every change. His emotions lived in his skin, his breath. He wasn't like Haruhi, who could make people laugh or sigh just by entering a room. He was properly more like Haru. Scared to not know what he really was. They were both... still becoming.

But when Yumro spoke to him like that, like he mattered, it helped silence the doubts in his head.

The cove came into view—clear water in all shades of blue and green, shallow reefs stretching into deeper cerulean. Shan’s breath caught at the sight. This wasn’t just a swimming lesson. It was a portal to a new part of the world.

“Is this where the whale sharks come?” shan asked softly.

“no it'sfutherout,” Yumro said, adjusting the wristbands and handing one to Shan and Haru. Then helped them fasten it. “If we’re lucky stingrays sometimes comes here”

Shan watched the black stone pulse once as if acknowledging his presence. It made him feel braver. Not stronger, not suddenly bold—but a little steadier inside.

He stepped forward to the waterline, hesitant and waited for the other's to join him.

“Yumro?” he asked, not looking back.

“Yes?”

“If I get scared... will you push me?”

“I’ll do more than that,” Yumro said from behind, his voice like a calm wave. “I’ll be your shadow until you find your own.”

Shan smiled and slowly stepped into the sea.

The first step into the water sent a shiver up Shan’s legs—not from cold, but from sheer awe. The sea wrapped around his ankles like silk, warm and strangely electric. The sunlight hit the surface just right, making the water shimmer like it held stars beneath it. Shan paused, blinking against the light, then took another step, then another, until the water reached just past his knees.

Yumro was beside him, calm and unhurried, his pale presence an anchor. As they waded farther out, the sand beneath their feet gave way to textured stone and the glassy edge of coral beds.

And then, just as Shan slipped beneath the surface with Yumro’s guiding hand—the reef revealed itself.

At first, it was all color.

Bright reds, soft pinks, electric blues, and vibrant oranges bloomed everywhere—coral of every imaginable shape and hue. Some looked like towers, spires rising from the ocean floor. Others stretched like delicate fingers, or massive stone fans swaying with the current. Schools of fish darted between them—glinting silver, yellow, indigo—flashes of life that danced like living confetti.

Yumro was prepared for Haru to make a run for it. The kid was motion itself. One moment investigating a coral cave, the next trying to race a silver barracuda. Yumro couldn’t help but smile. Haruhi’s boldness was inherited, no doubt. But in water, even he was slightly more grounded, more present. Like the sea calmed some of that fire in him.

Yumro swam to a wide coral arch that dipped into a hidden lagoon beneath the reef, motioning for the boys to follow. Sunlight poured in from above, casting rainbow patterns on the rocks. Through the arch, fish larger than any they’d seen yet moved lazily in the distance—angelfish the size of a dinner plate, glowing lionfish nestled in their poisonous beauty among swaying sea whips

Yumro stayed just behind them, calm as always, eyes scanning the water like a proper guardian.

 

Shan had just adjusted his breathing when a flicker of movement caught the corner of his eye.

At first, he thought it was just another school of sleek, silvery fish flashing by. But then the flicker grew into shadows—long, slow, deliberate.

Sharks.

Three of them, gliding in from the deeper blue beyond the reef wall. Their bodies moved with practiced ease, slicing through the water with all the grace and none of the menace Shan had expected. Their eyes, dark and unreadable, studied the newcomers with curiosity rather than hunger.

Shan froze for a moment, instinctively drawing closer to Yumro.

But Yumro didn’t even blink.

He tilted his head toward the nearest shark—a sleek blacktip with a scar along its dorsal fin—and met its gaze like he knew it.

The shark veered closer, a smooth arc of muscle and silence, but not threatening. The others followed, their bodies weaving between shafts of light and drifting silt. The largest of the three, a wide-bodied gray reef shark, came nearly within arm’s reach.

Shan held his breath.

Then something passed between Yumro and the sharks. It wasn’t words—not in the way people spoke—but something more ancient, more fluid. A recognition.

Yumro’s presence was quiet, but unmistakable. Even here, in the deepest part of the reef, the sea seemed to bend around him. The sharks circled once, close enough that Shan and Haru could see the fine lines around their gills, then eased back, as if satisfied. They never turned their backs—only shifted, watchful, slipping away into the blue like phantoms.

Shan exhaled slowly, only then realizing his heart was thudding in his chest.

Yumro glanced over his shoulder and gave a faint, amused smile, bubbles curling from his lips.

The sharks had looked right at them, decided they were no threat—or maybe, because of Yumro, decided they were under protection. Either way, it felt like being accepted by the sea itself.

The reef opened wider here, a cathedral of stone and coral, alive with movement. But now, with the sharks’ passing, the space felt more sacred than ever. Like they’d crossed some unseen threshold.

And with Yumro behind them calm, quiet, eternal, they dove deeper.

[Yukonwolfspirit]

On 6/22/2025 at 2:18 AM, M-jow said:

“You’re so brave,”” Julius held back from chuckling, while reaching out with lathered hands. “I thought I might have to bait you in.”

“You might still have to bait me to keep me in.” Yukie admitted as he let out a small sigh at the slightest touch from Julius’s hands. Feeling Julius coax him into the shower more Yukie obeyed the demon silent as he was cared for. The act of being cared for was strange for Yukie, with each brush of Julius’s hands  Yukie couldn’t help but relax his body aching for the soft touch and gentle caresses Julius offered in the moment. 

Yukie had unknowingly grown use to the hush of a sudden silence over his lifetime. He had learned to let it sink into his very bones, deep inside of him he had found it a sickly strange comfort. Yukie had only known the unwavering coldness of silence, the sudden terror of it when it seeped into your lungs when you needed to escape it. He also knew of the deep rooted anger that came from such silences ones that could rise inside of you from trying to break away from the hopelessness of his brothers before it.

With Julius this type of silence was different it was a strange peaceful silence one of mutual love and in a strange way reverence. Yukie didn’t feel trapped in this moment of silence in a way he felt an unexplainable comfort in the moment he shared with his mate. The only break from their cosmic dance of silence was when Yukie focused hearing Julius speak again.

On 6/22/2025 at 2:18 AM, M-jow said:

“You cleaned up nicely,”

“Well I have to darling~ if I didn’t you wouldn’t let me sleep in your bed.” Yukie teased as he cheekily smiled and made sure his body was free of any pesky soap. Watching Julius exit Yukie followed the man enchanted by his mates simple gestures and movements as if his body was yearning for him to soak up any more affection he could.

Watching Julius walk towards the mirror Yukie watched as his lover wiped away the steam from the mirror only to inspect the bite marks from their fun earlier. Catching his own reflection in the mirror Yukie turned away busying himself with his own drying off.

Yukie wasn’t fond of mirrors…he had never really allowed them at home he had made it clear from day one that they weren’t allowed, he wasn’t heartless though…Yukie allowed the exception of one mirror being for Haruhi for daily use. Haruhi had kept one in his bedroom a simple vanity, but when he knew Yukie was wandering and it wasn’t in actual use he kept it neatly covered. Out of respect for Yukies request. The mirror being in this hotel room…it had been a forgotten mistake and should have never been allowed. Yukie had only used this suite to sleep in before so, of course he wouldn’t have even looked in the bathroom trusting the staff to follow his orders…the lack of use was evident by the supplies being untouched and rotated out monthly from under the counter. Looking back at Julius for a moment Yukie worked on a busy body task of drying his hair until the sound of his mates voice popped up again the sound almost like a distant echo as he tried to focus.

On 6/22/2025 at 2:18 AM, M-jow said:

“Hopefully the café downstairs doesn’t have a dress code for recently ravished guests,”

“Oh, the dress code is casual. I came down once in pajamas to tiered to find real clothes after a late shift. I think I made them panic seeing the owner so casual since because they became much more laid back about those kinda rules here.” Yukie explained having focused on Julius’s worry as he continued to dry off focusing on being fully dry until he heard Julius leave towards the bedroom to dress. 
 

Glancing at the mirror again Yukie looked at the image his eyes full of a uncomfortable hatred as his face morphed into a deeper more sinister demonic creature only visible in the reflection of the mirror as the casual relaxation left the room leaving only a cold angry chill in its wake. Looking at the image of himself, the sudden monster that Yukie only saw in the mirrors reflection glared back. Ripping at the towel as he threw it down Yukie couldn’t explain the rushing feelings of anger and udder despise surfacing in his heart and on his face as the demon walked over silently his hand unknowingly having slipped into a dark clawed demonic appendage. His hand was almost pure black as if he had dipped it into a pot of ink, the long black fingernails razor sharp matched the color of his arm as he set his arms on the counter staring into the mirror. Yukie didn’t even register his actions as right hand raised up the nails grazing the mirror cutting it like butter as the mirror quickly snapped and cracked splintering into hundreds of pieces.  Looking at the shattered mirror Yukie withdrew his arm happy the mirror stayed intact enough to not make a mess on the floor. The once beautiful and ornate mirror now unusable as the image Yukie once saw was in a wave of clarity washed away once he could no longer see himself. Looking away from his handiwork Yukie turned swiftly away his body shifting back to normal in seconds as if the shadows where just playing with his face. As he exited the bathroom he shut the door behind him the lock clicking softly on the door to hide away his private tantrum as he walked to his closet to pick out some casual clothes.

Once dressed Yukie followed Julius down his hand intertwined with his mates as they found their seat and Julius ordered Yukie just accepting a cup of tea as he watched Julius amused by his choice of breakfast. Staring out the window Yukie seemed lost in his morning thought only to react slightly at the sudden touch to his hand the demon almost jumping in surprise.

On 6/22/2025 at 2:18 AM, M-jow said:

“After this,” he said, eyes locked with his fiancé’s, “let’s go find a cake that’ll be almost as sweet as you.”

“Ooooh you’re so looking for cavities if you try to find something that sweet. Maybe a nice lemon one would be better.” Yukie teased with a small chuckle as he kissed Julius’s hand enjoying the soft morning now that they were out and about. “We can go right after you eat all of your breakfast. I worry I’m not feeding you enough.” Yukie admitted as he brushed his hand against Julius's cheek his eyes showing a tender worry for Julius’s health. Watching his mate eat Yukie wasn’t fully satisfied with the amount Julius chose to eat but he knew better than to press on this topic.

——————

“Mmmh you’ll have to prove I even brought one home.” Haru stated as he looked at Yumro knowing full well he would know if he did but that didn’t mean Haru wasn’t going to try. Listening to Yumro and Shan talk Haru slightly tuned them out and went to sit by Haruhi for a moment the centaur relaxing as he looked at Haru.

”If you can actually sneak one past Yumro I won’t squeal. I know an eel has been on your bucket list for a while.” Haruhi teased as he looked at Haru with a small smile. As Haru mentioned to the now added bracelet.
 

“Pretty sure he’s got it set to shock me if I do.” Haru teased back dryly as he wasn’t the best at humor making Haruhi chuckle. Haruhi smiling waved the three off watching them head off to the costal area to dive the man gathering up his things and headed into the cabin to take a nap in the rare silence.

-meanwhile-

 Haru had taken to the water instantly like it was an old friend welcoming him back into it home. The feeling of the water enveloping him felt like a weighted blanket calming every sense of his body as he settled down and looked around him. Studying the fish around him and the delicate corals Haru wandered around as he gently watched the more dangerous creatures and fish. Eventually Haru turned feeling the presence of a stronger predator and once seeing why he was feeling such a sense of danger Haru calmed down watching the sharks with awe and wonder as he gently touched them as they passed. Watching them leave Haru went back to exploring the deeper rocks looking all over for an eel cave the boy looking for a moray or a banana eel. 

[M-jow]

Julius stirred the honey into his tea absentmindedly, but his focus wasn’t on the steaming cup before him.

It was on Yukie.

More specifically the shift he felt it the moment Yukie got out of the bathroom. It hummed along the edges of the bond between them like static under silk. Faint, but unmistakable. Yukie’s energy, usually calm after their nights together, had begun to twist again, coiling inward, tight and cold like a storm front hiding behind a warm sky.

Julius didn’t show the concern on his face. Not yet. He just studied his fiancé over the rim of his cup as Yukie stared out the window, quiet and still in a way that wasn’t rest. No, this stillness was armor.

He reached across the table, fingers brushing Yukie’s hand. The moment contact was made, he felt it. A soft flare of cold, the lingering aftertaste of something foul Yukie hadn’t let go of.

Something happened.

And not just emotionally.

Julius’s magic wasn’t loud or flashy, but it was intimate. Alchemical in nature, drawn through physical connection, emotional resonance, and sacred trust. When Yukie allowed him close, allowed him in, the shadows curling in his soul would unspool, softened into light by the sheer force of closeness.

But this morning, even after the shared tenderness of their shower, something remained undone. Yukie had walked out of that bathroom with shoulders too stiff and an aura that buzzed like glass before it shatters.

 

Julius pressed the back of his spoon against the last bite of oatmeal, soaking up in the milk. His appetite wasn’t poor — just steady. Always had been. Human enough, in that way. Breakfast was breakfast: a ritual, a rhythm. Something normal in a life.

Still, Yukie was looking at him. He didn’t have to look to know it. The way that subtle shift in energy tilted toward him, a quiet pulse of focus, told him everything.

He’s worried again.

Julius exhaled quietly through his nose, keeping his expression easy, unconcerned, the way he always did when Yukie turned the full force of his gentle scrutiny on him. That unspoken worry… it showed itself in soft ways: in how long Yukie’s gaze lingered on his plate, or how his fingers tapped idly against his tea cup — not impatiently, but calculating. Tracking every bite Julius took.

He lifted the spoon to his mouth, chewed, swallowed.

Then, finally, he looked up, meeting Yukie’s eyes with a soft half-smile — a smile he used when Yukie got like this. Overprotective. Subtle but persistent.

“I promise,” Julius said calmly, “I’m not going to collapse in the middle of the café. If anything you might with how you worry over nothing”

He took another sip of tea before Yukie could say anything. Not to interrupt, but to gently preempt the quiet guilt or fretting that usually came next.

It wasn’t that Yukie didn’t know Julius was physically fine. He did. But when the energy in his own body was out of balance. Like it was this morning. Yukie started projecting that fragility outward. Watching Julius more closely. Trying to protect him from things that weren’t there.

Julius could feel it, just beneath the surface. A quiet flick of energy passed through his palm, directed toward Yukie’s aura like a soothing balm. Not enough to pull the dark energy out. Tot here.. in public. But enough to soften the edges. To let Yukie breathe, even just a little.

And still, he watched. Not openly, not intensely. But with that same patient attentiveness he gave all things he intended to heal.

Yukie worried because he cared. Because the weight he carried, the weight Julius helped him burn off, made him desperate to protect what remained clean. What remained good. Julius understood. He even cherished it.

But he wasn’t the fragile one in this equation.

He took another deliberate bite. Chewed. Swallowed. Leaned forward just slightly, resting his chin in his hand as he watched Yukie across the table.

His voice was softer when he spoke again. Not teasing nor dramatic, just honest.

“You don’t have to worry so hard, love,” he said, “Not every crack means something’s breaking.. but I do wish you would share more of your troubles and thoughts with me”

He meant it, for both of them.

Julius could hold his own quite well. What Yukie didn’t yet realize… was that Julius could hold him, too. With both hands and without breaking him.

Even if it meant finishing breakfast a little slower than usual.

 

- --- ------ --- -----------

He felt the moment Haru settled, the nervous flicker that had bristled earlier finally easing from seeing the sharks. Haru was learning. The sea was teaching him in ways Yumro never could through words.

He watched as the boy disappeared into the deeper shadows of the reef, but he wasn'twouldas he could feel Haru's where abouts and his mood in the morning. The motion in his energy felt relaxing yet exited in search for something specific.

An eel cave, Yumro guessed.

He didn’t follow.

Instead, he let his body hover in the still water, suspended in the wide silence left behind by the sharks.

Yumro exhaled softly, letting his breath rise in a trail of bubbles, watching them catch the light like scattered moons. He ran his fingers across a smooth outcrop of stone as he floated nearer to the center of the space. The current here was slow, deliberate. Like the sea wanted them to stay a while.

His energy reached out, subtle and unseen, brushing against the edges of the coral and the faint shimmer of plankton in the blue. It didn’t disturb anything. Only listened. The reef answered in rhythms. Pulses. A faint call from the east, where something large had moved hours ago. A clutch of anemones curling closed over a disturbance. Sea urchins adjusting their spikes to the path of a rising moon.

Everything in balance.

Yumro stayed still.

He let the others explore, roam, feel in the cathedral of the reef.

Yumro felt it before he saw it. The quiet bloom of wonder in Shan.

The boy’s energy shifted the moment they passed deeper into the cathedral of coral. It pulsed, soft and radiant, like warm light filtering through sea-glass. Yumro didn’t need to turn to know the look on Shan’s face. 

Shan moved just infront of him now, drifting slowly, head tilted back, limbs loose and unguarded. No tension. No fear. Only awe.

Yumro slowed his pace a little, letting the current do the work as they moved through the gentle reef corridor. Coral rose on either side of them in every color the sea could offer. Lavender plates with ivory-tipped edges, delicate pink branches swaying like lace, vast amber fans veined like stained glass windows. Everything alive. Everything in motion.

And Shan, he was gathering it all in.

Not literally. Yumro would’ve stopped him if he had tried to touch anything but with his eyes. Like he wanted to remember the shape of every fish. Or the way sunlight danced off the scales of a passing parrotfish. The way the sand glowed softly under translucent anemones. The way the coral breathed.

It was Shan first time.

A soft pulse brushed against Yumro’s aura. Not fear. Not confusion. Just… gratitude.

"Thank you', it seemed to say.

Yumro smiled to himself happy to hive the boys this trip just for them. He adjusted his course slightly, guiding them toward a pocket of the reef where the coral bloomed highest—like underwater spires, filled with color so intense it almost hurt to look at. A natural garden, protected on all sides by stone shelves. Quiet. Sheltered. Sacred.

He paused just at the edge, motioning for Shan to go ahead as he looked for Haru.

Yumro watched him from behind, still and steady.

Shan didn’t speak, none of them could, not underwater, but his body said everything. The way he moved closer to a coral bloom without reaching. The way he turned slowly to take it all in. He didn’t rush. He noticed.

That was what Yumro liked most about him, perhaps. Shan didn’t just love beautiful things, he respected them. He knew they were alive. That they could break if held too tightly.

Not everyone understood that.

Yumro let himself drift upward slightly. His pale hair swayed like silk in the current, catching slivers of light that refracted across his still form.

The reef shifted again around them. Fish darted through coral arches like threads pulled through embroidery. A sea turtle turned lazily near the top of the reef wall before floating away again. Shan watched it with open eyes, awe softening every line of his expression.

There was no danger here. No shadow. Even the memory of the sharks had faded into the deeper blue.

 

The reef was quiet in a way that only underwater places could be. But no true silence, there was still softened sounds. The click of fish jaws, the whispering of current through coral branches, the occasional pulse of movement far beyond sight.

But then Yumro felt it.

A tremor in the water. Long, deep, rhythmic. Not a threat, but a voice.

Low..Ancient.

He tilted his head toward the deeper blue. The sound came again, he felt more than heard the vibrations through the water like a slow drum echoing against the ribs. Not a song in the human sense. Not words. But a call. A communication too vast for language.

Whales.

Yumro’s eyes narrowed slightly in concentration. Once he confirmed his suspicion he looked back over his shoulder. Shan was still taking in the reef garden, his energy now vibrating with quiet joy, like a crystal humming in a sunbeam. Yumro held still for a moment, making sure Shan was settled, safe, before raising his hand and beckoning him gently toward the open water.

There was no urgency in his movement. Only invitation.

The coral cathedral faded behind them as they swam outward, past the final outcrops and sand plateaus, into deeper, cooler water. Here, the light changed. It turned sapphire, then blue-black. The pressure shifted subtly. The reef gave way to open ocean, the domain of giants.

Yumro kept himself slightly ahead, his presence a guiding tether. With each stroke, the song grew stronger, deep pulses rolling through the water in long, slow intervals. It wasn't song for mating, or mourning. It was gathering. A low, harmonic language meant for kin.

And then, like a mountain rising from the depths.

The first one appeared.

Massive. Silent. Covered in constellations.

A whale shark.

It glided into view from below, its wide, blunt head cutting through the lightless blue like a ship’s prow. Dappled with white spots and cross-hatch scars, it moved with the kind of slow, solemn grace that only creatures hundreds of years old possessed.

Yumro hovered, still and watchful.

Behind him, Shan came to a full stop his presence pulsing with shock, then wonder, then something deeper. Awe, yes. But also reverence. The whale shark passed beneath them like a drifting island, its sheer size overwhelming. Another followed, then another each one larger than the last. Gentle giants, moving in no rush at all.

Yumro extended his awareness farther. He could feel their energy so different from the reef. Older. Calmer. Their mimdes wasn't sharp like a predator’s; it was wide, soft, like tides moving over centuries. They weren’t here to territory or fights.

They were passing through.

Migrating.

And more than that they were all females with caves.

Yumro felt the echo of it in their resonance. They’d come from far south, where warmer currents nurtured their youngs before the long journey north. These adults mothers, most of them were slow now, healing, exhausted, sacred and vulnerable even with their huge sizes.

One of the females rose higher in the water, her vast mouth yawning open to filter plankton in a lazy spiral. Her eye, dark and intelligent, drifted over Yumro then past him.

Yumro stayed perfectly still.

He could feel the shift in Shan again.

The boy hovered in the water near him now, quiet and weightless, his wide eyes tracking every flick of the whale shark’s fins.

[Yukonwolfspirit]

On 6/28/2025 at 2:24 PM, M-jow said:

“You don’t have to worry so hard, love,” he said, “Not every crack means something’s breaking.. but I do wish you would share more of your troubles and thoughts with me”

“….sometimes I find it hard to explain things about myself. It’s easier to worry about you, to keep from thinking about everything it’s much nicer to ignore such troublesome things in favor of taking care of you.” Yukie admitted with a small dry chuckle trying to playfully push off the topic before them as he looked at Julius able to see so well that his mate read him like an open book.

Letting out an annoyed sigh at the realization Julius knew something was up Yukie pulled away from Julius kindly while he tapped on the table in a nervous manner finding the talk at hand rather unpleasant since he knew he would come out of this explanation quite…unpleasant looking to those around him.

”…I’ve only slept here…never really needed anything than a bed. I traveled for work and gave each place specific instructions on how I wanted everything set up. I left no room for error…everting detailed down to the thread count on the sheets.” Yukie stated as he tensed a little still feeling sore about the mistake. “I’m careful about everything because I know I’m unstable…I know I’m flawed” Yukie stated as he stared at his own tea finding it easier to stare at than Julius’s caring eyes.

”I set up rules, boundaries….specific areas of comfort and security. It’s why my home….” Yukie stated a small crack sharp crack echoing in front of Julius, the teacup now showing a large crack inside of it as Yukie held it in his hands the sudden realization of his home being so destroyed and tainted causing him to break and unwillingly push his energy into the drink in his hands.

“It’s why it moved. I made sure to find a home that could come with me when I started to first settled down. I liked feeling secure…to feel grounded in my own comfort to have a world away from everything. I planned on just claiming a nice closet to replace this need once we found a home together” Yukie whispered his voice showing a deep fear of the sudden unknown and a new realization that his security and safety wasn’t there anymore for him, his mate, or his family.

”I’ve always been like this. The elders understand…to an extent I like things how I set them up. They only go in to my room in the villages to clean the bedding and refresh the room they don’t add or take anything away. It makes it safe…it makes me feel safe.” Yukie explained as he had spent most of his early existence as his father’s creation, in total chaos. Once he had stepped out of that world, his freedom era was undeniably shaky Yukie had never settled down never existed anywhere for more than a few days he moved from place to place.
 

Eventually he settled down more solidly  for work…and then he met Ren. After that he felt a need for an actual secure home for them…he wanted a place of safety…of belonging.

”I found out early on…at some point that I react unpleasantly to certain things…best I can describe it is like how some demons are allergic to silver or some people are unable to have certain colors without getting annoyed.” Yukie tried to explain as he set the cup down pushing it to the side as he looked at the soft  reflection of Julius’s features in the liquid. Looking back up finally to meet Juliuss eyes Yukie couldn’t help but feel a dose of dread hit his stomach as he continued to explain the more unpleasant matter.

”I don’t like mirrors…for some reason they cause me to get all…demonic. I’ve tried to cope but I just can’t…Sometimes that part of me is fine with quick glances or passing by them…but it can’t behave…it won’t behave if the mirrors exist around me.  I can easily become something terrifying it’s why I am careful and use other methods when I need a mirror like bowls of water. It’s the same worry  for a long time that I had for Haru…that he…would be like me set off easily, and in a way I was right…but he seems like less of a ticking time bomb” Yukie stated his voice flat with a hint of amusement as he talked about Haru being much better at the whole demon thing then him.

“I asked when they built the room and in every place I plan to stay to remove and not have any mirrors along with a few other small things. This place didn’t listen…so I broke the mirror in anger because I didn’t like seeing myself in it…they went against my wishes and angered me, that side of me tends to linger…it’s a part of myself I refuse to understand or get to know. It’s a part I’m going to figure out while I’m gone.” Yukie admitted his lips frowning as he knew this all was such a childish thing to deal with and such a reaction was rather silly for him over not liking a mirror, and simply put with how powerful he was he shouldn’t have reacted in such a way. 

——————

 Haru had felt the shift of the energy around them as he wandered the soft excitement and warmth of the coral reefs fading behind him as he wandered down his own path. Going toward a more rocky area he watched some of the fish before tilting his head at the caves.

Swimming over Haru looked at the darkness the energetic pull of whatever inside calling to him as he stood in front of the many smaller caves the eels watching him from their hiding spots.

Going forward alone Haru felt the cold of the rocks around him surround him more almost humming softly with the acknowledgment he belonged with the creatures that stayed alone  a strange deep understanding of such beings that only sought out their own kind when needed.

Swimming into the opening of a medium cave Haru moved through the narrow passages as he kept following the deep calling that seemed to sing out to him almost like a siren becoming him towards his watery grave. Continuing deeper Haru hadn’t even noticed his body having to twist to fit through some tighter spots his skin getting scraped in the process and in some areas receiving cuts and bruises. As Haru moved through the suddenly deeper and colder areas of water, Haru would only stop once he had hit a big enough area for himself to float upright enough at least to look around the cave.

Touching the sandpaper feeling rocks that surrounded him the darkness was suffocating with how little light came down from the opening up above him. The opening being only the size of a large dinner plate  showing a dim light that was bright enough for Haru to make out some bigger tunnels around him the size much larger than the one he had squished himself through. 

Moving to step away from the wall Haru suddenly fell back his body shifting away from where he was resting. Haru quickly was pulled down by the intense movement of water around him causing him to slide down into a pile of icy cold, smooth flesh.

Looking up as scrambled to find his balance Haru stared into the ancient eyes of an eel who looked down at Haru a big yellow eye watching him as it opened its mouth showing its rows of teeth that were the size of Haru’s arm. It was if it was almost guarding the cave it lived in Haru of course being a surprise guest . Haru finding his way out changed and the sudden deep connection with the eel just watched the massive creature exist having found the creature that had called out to him. 

[M-jow]

Julius listened quietly.

Not just to the words Yukie said, but to everything underneath them. The tension in his shoulders. The way his fingers hovered a little too tightly over the teacup. The slight quake in his voice when he talked about rules, and the hesitation when he confessed what the mirror had shown him.

It wasn’t just a bad morning.

It was something old. Something Yukie had clearly carried a long time—sharp-edged, unexamined, buried deep in careful routines and flawless control.

And now it was bleeding out across the breakfast table.

When Yukie stopped speaking, then the last thread of his confession drifted into silence, Julius didn’t rush to fill the space. He took a moment to breath and think. Letting the moment settle like dust in sunlight.

Then, he reached across the table.

His hand found Yukie’s—solid, calm, a point of contact meant to ground the other.

He didn’t speak right away. Not until he was sure Yukie was still here with him and not drifting too far into the self-loathing that always followed moments like this.

Then finally and softly he said. “You didn’t overreact.”

Julius kept his voice steady—quiet, but firm enough to cut through the fog of guilt in Yukie’s eyes.

“You were clear about what you needed. Someone ignored that. That’s not immaturity. That’s not instability. That’s disrespect. And you reacted in the way you knew to.”

His thumb brushed gently over Yukie’s knuckles, a small ritual of reassurance. A tactile spell. Quiet magic in the shape of care.

“I’ve known warlocks who salt their windowsills every night. Familiars who can’t stand certain wood in the house because it messes with their attunement. I’ve watched my own grandmother refuse to use mirrors because they didn't showe her the young face she had, when she was young.”

He tilted his head slightly, catching Yukie’s eye—not forcing, just inviting.

“There’s nothing broken about creating a space where you feel safe. That’s not weakness. That’s wise because you know your reactions.”

A pause. Julius’s gaze softened.

“And you’re not the only one in this relationship who’s dealt with ugly reflections.”

He could feel Yukie begin to retreat emotionally. The subtle pullback of someone embarrassed to have been witnessed too clearly.

But Julius didn’t let go.

“You’re allowed to want peace,” he said, gently. “You’re allowed to have control over your space. And if mirrors trigger something inside you—something dark, something dangerous—that doesn’t make you less. It means you’re still carrying something that hasn’t been healed yet.”

Another pause.

“And that’s okay.”

Julius shifted, resting his forearms on the table, leaning closer. His voice lowered even more—intimate now, like a vow spoken in sacred space.

“When you leave to figure it out… to face whatever part of yourself still lingers in those reflections…”

He didn’t need to finish the sentence with poetry.

Instead, he said the truth plainly:

“You won’t be alone.”

He meant it, on every level.

Emotionally and spiritually.

Their bond—deep, slow-burning, rooted in care—wasn’t some fragile thread to be snapped by distance or difficulty. Julius didn’t just love Yukie. He chose him. Again and again.

And this?

This darkness?

It wasn’t too much.

“I’ll be there when you come back,” Julius said, “and I’ll make sure wherever we settle next doesn’t have a single reflective surface. You can have the whole damn closet, and then some.”

His smile was crooked. Small. Full of warmth and quiet fire.

“You don’t scare me, Yukie. Not the polished version of you, and not the raw one either. And whatever you find in that reflection… I trust you’ll make peace with it. Maybe even learn its name.”

He squeezed Yukie’s hand, one last firm press of affection and promise.

Then, quieter:

“And when you’re ready… we’ll build a home that moves with us.”

 

----------------

Yumro stayed still, but his shadow did not.

While his body remained near Shan, calm and glowing faintly in the filtered blue, a second shape unfurled beneath him—flickering, formless at first. It stretched long across the sea floor like spilled ink, then gathered itself and flowed away from his feet, toward the reef’s edge and beyond, into the deeper stone.

Shan didn’t notice. Or if he did, he said nothing. He was watching the whale sharks. One hand had drifted up, fingers outstretched—not to touch, but just to feel closer. As if the nearness of something so old and gentle made the water around them softer.

Yumro glanced down at him briefly. The boy’s energy was full of light, but underneath it, a slight thrum of anxiety lingered. Not fear. But awareness. The weight of the moment. The vastness of the ocean. The deep realization that he was very small.

Yumro laid a hand gently on Shan’s shoulder, grounding him. The gesture was wordless reassurance: You are not alone.

And far away, in the still-dark cave where Haru knelt before something older than memory—

Yumro arrived.

Or rather, his shadow did.

It stretched across the jagged cave wall in silence, untouched by the light from above. A shimmer passed over it, then the shape coalesced—an echo of Yumro’s form standing just at the edge of the clearing inside the cave. No glow. No current stirred from it. It simply was, like something the stone itself remembered.

It spoke—not in sound, but in vibration, the way whales called or currents whispered across the bones of the reef.

“Don’t even think about bringing it home.”

The words moved like ripples through the still water.

The great eel’s yellow eye narrowed ever so slightly. Its body, coiled beneath Haru like a living ledge, did not flinch or strike. It watched. Aware.

Yumro’s shadow tilted its head. It didn’t threaten. But the tone was unmistakable—firm. Immovable.

“This one is not yours. None of them are. They are not pets. Not prizes.”

“They are where they belong. You are not.”

The eel’s long body shifted, subtly. Its tail uncoiled partway behind Haru, nudging the boy—not to harm, but as if encouraging him to listen.

The cave responded with a low resonance. A pulse that hummed through the rock and the eel both. As though the place itself agreed.

Yumro’s shadow didn’t move closer. It didn’t need to.

“You felt it calling. And you came. That’s fine. The sea wants to show you. But it also wants you to understand.”

There was a pause.

Then softer:

“Come back, Haru. Come rejoin us. There is more to see. Things that don’t need you to crawl into darkness to find them.”

Outside the cave, in the open blue, another whale shark turned slowly beneath Yumro and Shan. Light danced off its back in broken patterns, and Shan mirrored it unknowingly, arms drifting wide like fins. His energy was calm again. Balanced.

Yumro, the real Yumro, still stood beside him. His hand had never left Shan’s shoulder.

But down in the cave, his shadow faded a little, like mist peeling away from rock.

“Don’t make me come in there.”

Even as a shadow, the amusement in his tone was dry and unmistakable. But could still sound fondly.

He stay around Haru in a swirl of black tendrils, keeping to the shadown, like he wasn’t even there..

 

[Yukonwolfspirit]

8 hours ago, M-jow said:

“You won’t be alone.”

Hearing Julius say those four words made Yukie look away the demon overwhelmed with emotion. Julius’s words were comforting, they were like a soothing balm over so many old wounds that festered and ached when things got bad. It was strange having someone that could understand him so well, to have someone not judge by his habits. To have someone understand and validate his way of living…it was a breath of fresh air. Yukie had been dealing with this part of himself for so long, he kept it in check always watching himself always afraid to breathe. 

Sitting here beside Julius watching as the sunlight danced through the window and graced Julius’s stunning features. Yukie could only take a shaky breath for the first time in a long time, he finally truly understood that with his mate he could be fully open he didn’t need to hide away, Julius could handle the hard parts of being with him. The feeling flowing inside of himself was just so surreal, it was something that Yukie hadn’t expected.  Yukie had never thought he would be able to let himself feel so vulnerable to fully explain his actions and feelings without being shamed or judged.

A world wiith Julius was constantly proving to be different in this world…he was safe, he was loved, and he would always be accepted. Yukie was learning that the world was so much more than the box he spent trapped in. Looking at Julius Yukie nodded his voice unable to speak as he could feel his throat tightening as he held back the urge to cry.

8 hours ago, M-jow said:

“I’ll be there when you come back,” Julius said, “and I’ll make sure wherever we settle next doesn’t have a single reflective surface. You can have the whole damn closet, and then some.”

Yukie just laughed a little in a surreal awe at Julius’s promise of there being a home still for him and that he would be waiting for him to come back. 

Yukie knew Julius would be there but it didn’t mean he didn’t have fears…pulling away gently Yukie only hid his face in his arms, unable to stop the tears falling down his face as he tried to compose himself.

The wave of love washing over him was too much for Yukie to handle as he hid away and cried in front of Julius the demon deeply sobbing. His only response to Julius’s comfort was to also reach out and take Julius’s hand still wanting to hold onto his mate. Yukie hadn’t ever broken down crying in public before. Not even when his life had been nothing but fear and misery…not even when he had gone to Rens Funeral...he had always kept his composure he had to because emotions were dangerous.

8 hours ago, M-jow said:

“You don’t scare me, Yukie. Not the polished version of you, and not the raw one either. And whatever you find in that reflection… I trust you’ll make peace with it. Maybe even learn its name.”

“I-I’ll do…I’ll do my best…” Yukie finally spoke out his voice shaky as he took a deep breath trying to still steady himself this only proving all the more that he was still crying.  Yukie just stayed hidden holding Julius’s hand firmly, the act alone one that could only be seen as a life preserver for a man thrown out into the sea. Yukie sitting across for Julius’s still refused to come out of hiding in his arms the demon so uneasy with all the raw emotions he was feeling each one being so new and so powerful that it was utterly terrifying. The waves of new emotions of love, and happiness that washed over Yukie felt like he had been thrown into a string of Tsunamis and Yukie was just learning how to swim in a raging sea.

8 hours ago, M-jow said:

“And when you’re ready… we’ll build a home that moves with us.”

“We don’t need the home to move…we just need us. We could be anywhere as long as I’m with you.” Yukie whispered his voice so shaky and delicate as if he would shatter with just a firm angry glance or word. Looking at Julius Yukie just held his lovers hand all the more hus eyes bright red from bawling and slightly puffy as he tried to keep back another sob and more floodgates of emotions from erupting. 

“I-I love you.” Yukie whispered out still choking on sobs as he spoke only to start to cry more at how much he felt for Julius the feeling of love overpowering him again as he tried to keep from sobbing even more then he was holding back.

*************************************

9 hours ago, M-jow said:

“Don’t even think about bringing it home.”

“This one is not yours. None of them are. They are not pets. Not prizes.”

“They are where they belong. You are not.”

 “Where would I put it? I doubt you could build anything that would make it happy though I’m sure I could make a big enough room eventually for it. It would live a life of misery though…it wouldn’t belong with me…” Haru mumbled almost longingly as he watched the eel not even looking over at Yumro. Haru could feeling the shift in the water sensing as Yumro seeing that it was like a version of Shan that was standing behind him.

9 hours ago, M-jow said:

“You felt it calling. And you came. That’s fine. The sea wants to show you. But it also wants you to understand.”

”The sea holds many secrets…creatures of old…ones that don’t belong in the world that exists now. Is the sea telling me what should be hidden can still live even when it shouldn’t?” Haru asked as he gently reached out and pet the eels flesh the boy running his fingers across the eels face as he soothingly pet it.

9 hours ago, M-jow said:

“Come back, Haru. Come rejoin us. There is more to see. Things that don’t need you to crawl into darkness to find them.”

“…I want to stay here a little longer I need to figure out why I was called here.” Haru whispered as he looked at Yumro finally turning his back to the eel as his yellow glowing eyes matching the eels showing just how quick he adapted and how well he was able to see in the dark.

“I’m fine I really am please…I’m not going to be hurt, and oxygen isn’t a problem.” Haru added as he mentioned with his newly clawed fingers to the sharp gills that looked carved into his neck and were filtering the water his body having quickly forced itself to unnaturally adapt to survive better.

“I don’t feel afraid of it Yumro, it’s like me…a creature who shouldn’t exist… that doesn’t fit what the normal type of its kind is. Yet it’s learned to live happy to thrive, and to make its own home, and to fit in with the ones that share similarities like itself.” Haru explained as he mentioned to the smaller eels that were all different sizes the eels swimming around them as Haru picked one up and held it in his arms. “I want to learn from it….one day when I can talk better to it. I want to know if there are others like us.” Haru whispered as he looked at the eel before gently petting it again as if saying goodbye the boy having found a connection that he wasn’t alone in the world in what he was. He knew though he had no choice and if he didn’t leave Yumro would be mad and most likely it would affect his trip all together. Pulling himself away he knelt down to pet and say goodbye to all of the eels and with a sullen frown walked over to Yumro to be lead out.