"Miss, if you have no place to rest for the night, may I offer my house?" the old man tentatively asked, afraid that the young couple might not like the accommodation.
They were, after all, wearing expensive clothing, and the bearing of the young man was that of royalty.
"We would love that sir. Thank you so much," Yuki accepted enthusiastically, her eyes shining with joy.
"You trust so easily." Kaede looked at her, almost disappointed.
How could it be that he found the qualities he hates the most adorable when it came to this woman?
He sighed uncontrollably, "My wife spoke. We must accept your offer," Kaede extended his hand to the elderly Louis for a handshake.
"It is the least I can do after all the trouble you went through saving me," the old man smiled.
He could see how the young fae truly felt. Concern for his gullible woman, and yet at the same time adoring her every flaw as well.
Kaede pulled Yuki close to him, his protective hand wrapped her shoulders. He kissed her forehead, all the while looking at the elderly fairy.
He would have to lecture her later when they were alone. The one fault of the woman he fancied might lead to her downfall.
His shoulders were tense and his eyes were alert, looking for any signs of deception from the frail-looking old man.
"Stop being so tense," Yuki whispered as she felt yet another kiss land on her forehead. She's going to get used to his touch at the rate he is going, she sighed.
"How can I not be tense when you are so impossibly naive?" Kaede said, his tone condescending and almost angry.
"Didn't you say before that it makes me adorable? So don't complain now, husband," Yuki laughed a little.
Kaede looked so cute this way, with his handsome face all worried and his fox ears pointed up, trying to scout the area.
"What did you say?" Kaede's eyes lingered on her lips.
"That you must not complain," Yuki said, afraid that the demon fox would once again lean in for a kiss. As they followed the old man the other vendors were all looking at them with sudden interest.
"No, the other part. Say it again," Kaede said, like a little child, begging her to say the magic word.
"Husband," she said, understanding, and she felt her cheeks get hotter than molten iron.
Why on earth is he asking me to repeat that? What is so special about that word anyway?
This is embarrassing, Yuki thought as Kaede chuckled and got into a better mood.
Kaede started humming while they walked behind the old man. Louis couldn't help but feel envy. If only his love were still alive, he sighed.
They reached a large tree deep inside the woods. Yuki watched with wonder as the old man tapped the tree and a door appeared before their very eyes.
He opened the door and muttered, "Welcome to my humble abode."
The house’s interior was simple but beautiful, everything was made from wood. It felt like the house was a part of the tree itself, and that it was the tree that had welcomed them inside.
The house was warm inside and made them feel secure and protected from the icy cold wind howling into the night.
"This is a very beautiful home, sir. Thank you so much for inviting us in," Yuki smiled as she thanked their host.
"Oh, I am glad you like it. Your room is quite small, though. I don't often have guests around, I hope it won't bother the two of you." Louis smiled, thanking the heavens he could somehow repay the good sir and his wife.
"Sir, if you don't mind me asking... how many bedrooms do you have in this house?" Yuki asked, almost afraid to hear his reply.
"Two, of course. One for myself and my grandson, and one for the guests," the old man said, not sure why the young sir's wife asked a silly question.
Yuki felt her ears turn hot as he looked at the gorgeous hunk beside her, grinning from ear to ear.
"That won't be a problem, sir. We are, after all, married," Kaede's throaty chuckle can be heard, sending Yuki's heartbeat to go a mile faster.
This was going to be a long and arduous night. That much she could tell.
***************
The two were forced to sleep in one bed.
After much argument, Kaede agreed to put a pillow in the center of the bed, setting up a boundary.
Yuki was able to sleep soundly until she felt Kaede shift uncomfortably in the middle of the night.
She opened her eyes and was mortified to see him in much pain and discomfort as if fighting an unseen enemy, "Stay with me. Don't leave me," his voice sounded in pain.
"Kaede..." Yuki gently shook his sleeping form, he is having one of his nightmares.
Kaede was always perfectly calm except when he dreamed.
The torture and ardent training when he was a child under the hands of his heartless demon father... and the pain he felt when his mother abandoned him, fleeing the tower without him, saving only herself.
Yuki gently caressed Kaede's sleeping face. His fox ears, and the exquisitely beautiful face, a perfect match to his tall, well-sculpted body.
"Kaede, please wake up." Yuki gently tugged on his fox ears in the hope of getting him back to reality.
Kaede opened his eyes, strain written in his face from the terrible dream he had had to fend off once again.
Kaede tried to smile, not wanting Yuki to worry, but his mind was clouded with agony.
"I'm sorry. Did I wake you up?" he asked apologetically, concern for her well-being apparent in his eyes.
"What is it about?" Yuki asked, clearly disturbed by what she had witnessed. She had never seen Kaede as weak or as defenseless as he was now.
"Don't worry, my love. I'm okay," Kaede embraced Yuki and placed her head on his chest.
Kaede Oda. The demon king's strategist and the highest ranked general had been known as a powerful, vindictive, and cruel demon fox throughout the realm.
And yet, he had been willing to lay down his life for her without question, even when she did not ask him to. He had not asked for anything else from her in return.
Kaede kissed Yuki's neck as if trying to assure himself through her scent that Yuki was with him in the present.
Still, he shivered, and his skin felt clammy to the touch. He had been affected by the nightmare he dared not say so.
Yuki hugged him... and when it felt like it was not enough, she whispered against his ear, "Taste me."
Kaede's eyes looked at Yuri intently, "Are you sure, my love? You don't sound like you," he asked, concerned.
Yuki nodded and smiled. It was the only thing she felt she could do for him since he never shared his troubles and faced everything by himself.
She didn't understand herself as well, how she could say those words to him, and to mean them at the same time.
"I want to ease your burdens, even just for a night," Yuki blushed profusely, unable to meet his eyes.
Yuki felt that it was only through intimacy that she could somehow share the nightmares that haunted him in his sleep.
"Do you know what you ask from a demon fox? Asking me to taste you is a very bad idea,"
Kaede's eyes glimmered in the night as his selfish desires grew more intense with each passing minute.
"Show me how it was a bad idea," Yuki tried her best not to tremble with his touch and forced her eyes to meet his.
The demon fox bared his fangs, and Yuki felt them on her neck slowly sipping her blood through her veins.
Yuki moaned in both agony and pleasure, his saliva mixed with human blood was the greatest aphrodisiac yet to exist.
Kaede sipped until Yuki's mind became hasty. When Yuki's mind was clouded by thoughts of him alone, he looked into her eyes, and asked her, "Do you now understand what I mean?"
Yuki nodded, clinging to his shoulders, her eyes full of wanton desire to feel more.
"Bad idea... hmmm…" her hands were now tearing on his clothes, loving the feel of his naked chest against her palm.
Her thoughts were all incoherent and unable to say anything more as she felt his need grow. She felt his pulse with uncontrolled desire underneath her legs that now straddled him like a maniac.
"I don't want you to hate me, Yuki. If I take you now, when your mind is clouded like that... you might hate me for as long as you live," Kede told her, as he contented himself with an embrace.
"Therefore, do not ask me again for something like this. A predator never lets go of a prey twice,"
Yuki wanted to protest but she was silenced with a kiss. She felt her body went limp as she was once again pulled into a deep sleep.
Kaede sighed as he fixed his clothes and laid the woman beside her.
He couldn't understand why he stopped.
He had never cared much about control in that aspect, and yet, when it came to Yuki... he felt the need to protect her.
He would take her of course, for she was his, but not under these circumstances. Not when her feelings for him were still so unsure, like a flower that has yet to bloom in full.
"You have given me a very challenging night, my love. I hope you appreciate that I might not be able to sleep for the rest of the night,"
Kaede whispered as he pulled her body close to him, throwing the pillow far away from them and embracing her sleeping form with much love and affection.