Jᴜsᴛ ɴᴏᴛ ɪɴᴛᴏ ʜɪᴍ ᚜ᴋᵘʸᵃ ˣ ɴᵉʷ ᶜˡᵃⁿ ᵐᵉᵐᵇᵉʳ!ᴍʀ᚛

XXXV

Jᴇᴀʟᴏᴜs Kɪᴛsᴜɴᴇ

Now at the palace, Dante escorts M/n and Kuya to his office to discuss important matters retraining to the alter.
"You're saying it's tainted...How?"

"I'm not sure but when I tracked it, there was some type of miasma hanging around it and being fed into it. I felt sick when it reached out to me... Anyway, now that I confirmed what I needed, I should head to a hotel to prepare for my journey back to the light territory-"

"Nonsense, you'll stay here in the palace. There's a bathhouse connected to the palace-"

"Do you uh...Have a private one?"M/n interrupts before Dante could finish. The Phoenix wasn't too keen on sharing a bathing space, last time he did this Kuya and Levi nearly killed a few people and since Kuya is with him, it was definitely a bad idea.
"Indeed I do, however, it's in my private quarters. If you don't mind, that is."

"...."

"*Growl*"Kuya didn't like the sound of that and M/n could only sigh, it was either be surrounded by people who would gawk at him the entire time or accidentally share the bath with the Sun Lord and Kuya...
"It's better than the first option, thanks."

"Hm, how old are you?"

"I'm assuming this but I'm probably younger than you but not by a lot. Now to answer your question, twenty."Dante blinks for a moment then explains that M/n wasn't wrong when say his age was twenty-one.
"No wonder you're so easy to talk to!"

"I was thinking the same, Dante. Hey, wanna share an apple?"Now at this point, Kuya had enough, he grabs the bad and moves away.
"Ku?"

"No way I'm allowing you to share this apple with him! We're supposed to share it..."

"We'll split it three ways, come on~ don't be stingy, Ku-Ku~" M/n coo's sweetly at the Yokai, he could tell that Kuya was feeling replaced but M/n was quick to reassure the large light purple fluff.
"Are you worried that I'll hang out with him more? I promise I won't!"

"How in the hell did your beast get so clingy?"Dante questions as M/n gently tackles Kuya into a hug, lightly wrapping his arms around the Kitsune's neck.
"Oh, a series of events over the last few months. He means well, I promise. Well, I need to bath, show me to your room so I can get clean."

"Pft, eager are we?"

"Keep it up and I'll allow Kuya to torment you."

"It was only a joke."

🌕🌕🌕

M/n sighs heavily as the hot water eases his muscles, oh he was happy to finally have hot water after nearly a week of bathing in small ponds and streams of cold water.
"Kuya, you don't have to worry, Dante will never replace you."

"Oh yeah? But you shared an apple with him."Kuya pouts even more while still in his Kitsune form, he stuck to it just in case Dante would accidentally walk in. So instead of seeing another human-like being bathing with M/n, he'd walk in to see a Kitsune covered in soap bubbles...Not Kuya's best or most elegant moment but it'll keep their secret for the time.
"It's a sign of good faith and you're the one who said I needed to start making friends with people around my age, remember?"

"I-...I did say that.."Kuya sighs then plunge under the water to get some of the soap from his fur but it didn't work too well when he came back up.
"Geez old man, let me help. You won't get the soap out like that."M/n chuckles lightly while running his hands through the soft fur, massaging the soap into the fur then rinsing it out using a small wooden pale to pour the water over Kuya.

The entire time Kuya was flustered and embarrassed by his childish actions. Usually, he was more refined and things such as this wouldn't bother him but there was something within his chest that made him into a fool, not that he minded, it was just strange. Even now as M/n helped him, it wasn't his usual prideful attitude of 'you should be honored to touch me'. He held that attitude towards Eiden but when it came to M/n...Kuya was the one to feel honored to be close to the Phoenix.
"....Kuya?"

"Yes?"

"You shouldn't...You shouldn't distance yourself from Eiden. You need-"Kuya turns his head and lightly bites M/n's cheek. The white-haired male squeaks from the light chomp.
"I don't need Eiden to stay regulated. I've been well on my own for twenty years, just as Quincy."Kuya finally understood why he felt the way he did.
"If you say so old man~"

"Oh hush!"