clawed.

 His face wasn’t the reaction she was expecting, his question coming from left field as well. The girl near doing a double take at his question. Did she have anything specifically that made her laugh? “I don’t know, “ Admitting softly with a shrug. “Whatever makes me laugh, I laugh… Even air.” A small smile from her. “Sometimes – you know if … you scare a friend for example, that can be funny. Or if a baby animal does something silly.” Her brows furrowing before a breathy laugh escaped her lips. “It’s hard to say..”

   “Have you ever been asked what you find funny?” 

Sanzo’s brows furrowed as she spoke, and in his mind he pictured scaring people (didn’t that make them cry?), baby animals (fragile, uncoordinated little gremlins)-- inevitably, he shook his head when her question came, but that was probably expected of him.

“I’m not known for my sense of humour.” On the contrary, chances were he was better known as the most uncouth Elder in Crown Point, and that was assuming people actually knew he was one. Sanzo didn’t exactly have the clothing or the hoity-toity arrogance of someone in power. “I might not have one.

“And I don’t really have any friends who’d ask that.”

He crossed his arms over his chest, thoughtful. Were friends supposed to be important?

“it - it’s possible!” luka countered with a small huff. though it seemed something he was saying was making the others gears turn in his head. he was thinking about fucking him. that little comment told him so. “c’mon,” came another plea as the firm, strong hand gave a squeeze to the base of his cock. a reminder not to cum. how the heck was he going to last much longer? the human was worried of the consequences he’d face if he did prematurely cum, but maybe it would be worth it to have a blissful orgasm after being tormented for what he thought had been hours. 

the moment his wrists were free luka’s hands went to his silky damp hair and slicked it back out of his eyes. taking in the other just before he felt a pressure setting into his jaw. his own soft blue hues stared back into the others eyes. nothing but desperation in them, and clear panic that he was going to cum at any minute  as the other hand ghosted across his thigh. that was when luka wrapped his arms around the others neck, just as he dived down in for a possessive and open mouthed kiss. there was no dancing of tongues. it was clear from the moment it began who was in charge of who, but it was just how luka liked it. 

the sore lip was a nice touch too. “i thought you’d never ask,” luka whispered, sounding a bit out of breath still from the kiss. un-looping his arms from sanzo’s neck left him being a bit brazen with his next actions. his fingers pressed firmly against the others shoulders as he pushed him back a bit. with enough force to leave him landing back against the bed, with his legs open wide. now it was his turn to crawl between sanzo’s legs, and make work of quickly pulling back the pants that had been trapping his length in a cloth prison. when it did spring free a look of excitement passed over the boy’s face in the form of a mischievous grin before lowering down enough to seal his lips around the swollen head, and begin to find a steady rhythm with his head bobbing, and tongue rolling along the underside of his cock. 

The feel of those little human hands pushing him back was surprising, but in a way that had Sanzo letting out a short bark of a laugh in some wordless equivalent of an amused really? It was riveting, watching Luka move to some proper position between his legs, and as much of a relief as it was to have his cock free, more interesting was the way Luka practically lit up at the sight of it.

One hand curved against the side of Luka’s face, rough palm to soft skin, and Sanzo wet his lips with a brief flick of his tongue. “Eager, are we?” he murmured, and as he was proven right by the slide of soft lips around him, he felt a shiver crawl along his back and to his arms, pleased and pleasured and feeling good all over.

The animal inside him roared, demanding he snap his hips up into that perfect, wet heat. The animal wanted him to rut until he came down Luka’s throat, wanted Luka to taste him, eat him, choke on him-- wanted it so that Sanzo overpowered every single sense he had. And gods if it wouldn’t be easy with the way Luka lifted and dropped, with the expert slide of his tongue and the soft noises that came with every dutiful movement of his lips; the boy just wanted to please him, and Sanzo pressed both his palms to both sides of his face, cradling without quite restraining.

“That’s it,” he purred, thumb tracing the bulge in Luka’s cheek with every dutiful bob of his head. “Mm, you’re doing so good...” Sanzo was thick as much as he was long, and it was unfortunate that it took every single ounce of control he had for the first buck of his hips not to shove him all the way down Luka’s throat.

He blushed softly at the other admitting to the naked young men that he had around, wondering what the other was thinking of Alex and his nudity. “ I mean…it’s going to be a bit distracting, in general,” He admitted, a little nervous laugh as he moved to the shower, slowly, he had to use what was around him to get over it to it. Once inside, he looked around, there wasn’t really anything to sit on or to grab during his shower.  “ Do you have anything I can use to hold myself up…or I guess a bath would be better,” He didn’t really know how he was going to get clean by himself in a shower. 

Every time Sanzo thought it was safe to leave he was called back, and he raised a brow at this next question as if surprised by it. “You can’t sit on the floor?” he asked, but from the looks of the poor, helpless expression on Alex’s face, he let out a sigh and rubbed at the side of his neck.

“Maa. Come here, warlock.”

And without hesitation, he stepped forward, one arm sweeping beneath the boy’s bare thighs and the other cradling him around the back to lift him up into his arms. It might’ve almost been charming if not for the fact that Sanzo still looked dirty, wild thing that he was; as far as his workers could see from his broad back disappearing up the stairs, however, it looked very much like their master’d just taken a pet back from the forest to care for it.

Not that that was entirely wrong, per se, but Sanzo would’ve been gentler if it were an animal.

It was another flick of air that had him turning the knob to the master’s bedroom and pushing the door open. Sanzo moved across the threshold, used the same technique to open the bathroom, and stood there in the doorway like some silent Behold!-- indeed, a bathtub was in the room, and the shelves were surprisingly stocked with never-opened oils and things. Sanzo might have a fancy house, but he didn’t know how to use two-thirds of it or the fancy shit people kept getting him. He did know, however, that he had a modern bathtub, and apparently Alex was going to be picky about it.

“ Oh…well I won’t go spreading that around, I wouldn’t want other species coming onto your land, knowing you can’t kill them,” Alex replied. He didn’t hear the joke in it, thinking it was just a fact, “ I am sorry,” He repeated, looking up to Sanzo before they got to the bathroom.  Walking in, he leaned against the counter as Sanzo spoke, looking up at the other and blushing softly when he pointed out his shyness. “ I’m not…you’re just naked and it’s…hard to not be shy,” Alex admitted with a soft chuckle,” Y-You can take my clothes now if you want,” He stood up some to pull his shirt off. By looking at Alex clothed, it would be hard to guess how in shape he was, but Alex was just that, very in shape. His torso was sculpted fairly well, with a small light patch of hair on his chest as well as a happy trail that moved below his shorts, “ Do you have people over often this way,” Alex asked softly, pushing his shorts, then his underwear down, putting it all in a pile to hand to the other, his face was a deep red as they both now stood naked in the bathroom.

As Alex moved to slip his clothes off, Sanzo was surprised for all of a moment before he figured—what the hell—he didn’t know much about society, so who was he to argue? He took the offered clothes, looking down at the pile with a soft cock of his head, and then moved to set them by the door as he said.

It was strange, the things that Alex found interesting enough to ask about, but Sanzo wasn’t going to argue against them. Instead, facing away from him, he decided to go along with it. “No,” was his answer, “I don’t usually take near-kills to my house.

“But naked young men?” He considered this, then looked over his shoulder at Alex with a half-smirk and a shrug of his shoulders. “Sometimes, na.

“You got any more questions for me, or do you wanna go get clean?” A beat. “Or were you still distracted by the nakedness?”

He nodded softly, not undressing just yet. Even with the other standing naked before him with no shame whatsoever, it would be clear that he would care less that Alex was naked as well, but Alex was still a very shy person and just getting naked in front of the other was something he would have to ease into. “ It wasn’t out of fear, I ran out of fear, I twisted my ankle on a root,” Alex joked.   He jumped a bit at the sudden grab of his bicep, but followed as he was pulled up and leaned into the naked male, not really having a choice but the lean into him, his hip touching the other’s, “ Anything close to what I’m wearing,” It was only some hiking shorts and a t-shirt, nothing outlandish. “ Thank you…for not killing me.”

Thank you for not killing me.

Somehow, it was the most ridiculous thing Sanzo had ever heard. His expression held genuine confusion, head tilting down slightly to regard the top of Alex’s, and then he let out an amused little huff and shook his head from side to side.

“Aa. I’m not allowed to kill Masters outside my species, anyway.” Chances were he’d have sounded funnier if he knew how to modulate his voice for jokes, but as it was he might have said that too seriously. It was a shame his default tone was just a growl, every time. “Besides… the apology matters.”

But before Sanzo had the time to elaborate on that, they were in front of the door to the guest bathroom, which he pushed open with one hand. Compared to the rest of his decidedly simplistic home, the bathroom was both complete and lavish—it was, after all, maintained by the household help, and not Sanzo. He didn’t care much about what a bathroom he’d never be in would look like.

He smiled softly as the other pushed into himself, he couldn’t help but chuckle a little bit, it was kind of cute in a way, but getting a sense for the man, he would never go and actually say that. Dipping his head back as the other introduced himself, he smiled softly, seeing the other’s brown eyes, he figured they were okay now.  “ Kitsune, I have heard of that before, not so much the others,” He admitted, looking at the man again in his naked form, another small blush moved over his cheeks. “ I should, my spell doesn’t heal it all the way, but it should be enough to put pressure on.” Looking back up to Sanzo, he looked around,” It’s a nice home you have… would you mind if I borrow some clothes after I get cleaned up,” Alex asked, sitting up as he got ready to move.

“Be my guest,” Sanzo said, and though he took note of the quicker beats of Alex’s heart and the colour on his cheeks, he thought nothing more of it besides the observation. “I’ll have one of my servants bring you clothes.” He considered what Alex wore now, too, and deeming it messy covered in dirt and dried mud from his fall in the forest, Sanzo continued, “…and we can have that washed, too.

“Tch.” He snorted, hands moving to his hips as he turned away. “You’re the first person I’ve met to twist their ankle out of fear.” It wasn’t spoken in a particularly insulting way, however—maybe just a touch incredulous, a little disbelieving. Sanzo was too used to anyone who trespassed on his home being arrogant, self-absorbed bastards; Alex was an interesting change, but Sanzo wasn’t necessarily the best at being nice.

Without preamble, he reached down, gripping Alex’s bicep in one strong hand and pulling him up to his feet. “C’mon. You can lean on me.” And indeed, the moment Alex did, he was leading him towards the bathroom on the first floor, caring little for the weight of the shorter man against his bare skin.

He blushed softly, sensing the sass behind the fox’s movement to the deer, and his gesture back to him, “ I just didn’t want you to leave it here, I’m sure you put in some work to get it,” Alex clarified, holding the other closer as they started back to the fox’s home. Luckily it started off easy, he fell at ease against the soft fur, and he sank into it, very cozy in the moment.  As the fox got into a run, Alex was balanced on him and held a bit tighter, more than okay where he was. His head was protected by the fox’s head, but he could feel the wind on his back and legs, it felt just as amazing, he was having a bit of fun in the moment. Finally when they stopped, Alex kept hold but sat up some, looking at the Elder’s home.  It was beautiful, the fields of gardens, Alex loved his townhouse in downtown, but his garden for his potions was small, too small. It was clear this man was at home as an Elder, the house spoke for him. Ducking a bit as they entered the house, he felt the fox kneel and Alex sunk off him onto the couch, taking a soft breath as he relaxed a bit,” Thank you.”  “ I’m Alex by the way, Alexander Braun…we didn’t get to introduce each other earlier.”

Introductions were the furthest things from Sanzo’s mind; like most animals, he got by through scent and sight alone. But it occurred to him, again, that he was supposed to be more like a person, and so-- after pushing his snout into the boy’s arm in some kind of quiet nice to meet you-- he sat back on the floor and shifted back to human form.

This time, instead of blood on his hands he had dirt and grass, and he dipped his head with a quick, “Sanzo.” By the time he was looking up again, the gold of his eyes had receded back to his regular brown.

Rubbing the side of one curled fist against the corner of his mouth, he growled slightly at the inconvenience of the blood that had dried there. “I’m in charge of the fox spirits-- húli jīng from China, kitsune from Japan, kumiho from Korea.” His nose crinkled slightly. “Not that I look it.”

He didn’t want to oppose on the other, asking him for help when he was the one that trespassed on the his property, it was his fault that he twisted his ankle and he deserved what he got. Hearing the other speak however caught Alex’s attention just in time for the younger male to look over and see the first tail shoot out of the other’s body.  He watched with awe at the transformation, nodding softly at the other’s command, before he knew it, he was looking at the fox from before and he was beautiful now that he wasn’t looking at him with fear. Hopping over, he laid against the soft fur before pulling himself up and onto the fox’s back,” Don’t forget your deer,” He reminded, wrapping his arms around the huge neck of the animal and holding on, not sure how fast the other would go back to his home.

If it were possible for foxes to laugh, Sanzo might have. As it was, he only let out a brief snort of air through his nostrils, moving across the grass to pick the deer he’d hunted back up in his mouth. He turned his head slightly, looking up at the corner of one golden eye at the boy that had mounted him, and flicked his ear once in a silent question of does that satisfy you?

Still, all things considered, Sanzo was happiest like this, in the form he was born in. And right here, out in the wilderness instead of in modern society, was his most comfortable state to be.

He started with an easy gait to help the young man get used to the movement of his body, to the graceful shift of the muscles under his fur as they worked. And when he felt that the boy’d found his balance, Sanzo broke into a run-- not as fast as he’d been earlier, of course, but fast enough that the warlock atop him could feel the breeze in the air around them as they zipped past trees and plants and all sorts of wildlife.

True enough, Sanzo’s home was only a few minutes away, but what they stopped in front of was no normal Master’s residence. Looming before them were hectars of beautiful garden land, clearly tended to with care, if the workers that moved about them were any indication. The house, as with any other Elder’s house, was lavish and grand on the outside. If the boy hadn’t known Sanzo was an Elder then, he certainly did now.

On his own land, Sanzo was slower to move. He left the deer at a smaller house close to the main one for some of his workers to take, then manipulated the air about them to twist the knob of his front door and push it open. It was only when they reached his living room-- a decidedly sparse living space, compared to how grand the home looked on the outside-- that Sanzo folded himself down onto his paws for the boy to get off and sit on the couch offered.

  Was there a cliff to jump off near by? Maybe a hero would suddenly break in and save them both from this awkward conversation. “Yes… you do have a point there.” Nodding softly in agreement before her brows raised at his comment. Having to weigh her answers before actually responding, noting her shifted in his seat. 

   “Well,not physically but I am sure you could get a joke out or two. Everyone has at least  one thing that’s comedic.” Offering a small smile of encouragement. “After all everyone finds something funny so.”

He’d never heard the term ‘comedic’ applied to himself. Never heard the word ‘funny’ in a way that didn’t mean strange or weird. Sanzo wasn’t sure how to react to this unexpected comfort for something he hadn’t even really considered all that important, but he could sense the girl’s sincerity, and perhaps that made all the difference.

He decided not to pursue what made him hilarious as a topic, per se, but stayed in the same vein of thought all the same. “What do you find funny?” After a brief pause, he added, “Besides air.”

Alex looked over the man as he did his magic, he was in shape, though still covered in that blood, he tried his best not to think about, and he didn’t dare look any lower than his abdomen. Feeling the coldness on his ankle, he looked down, seeing nothing, but it was like ice was pressed against the swollen skin and it felt great for what it was.  He knew he couldn’t get back to the city himself, he could call someone, but then he would get in trouble, and he didn’t want that. Sure the other tried to kill him, but it seemed it was just to scare Alex away from the woods rather than to actually kill him. “ T-That should be fine,” Alex agreed.  As the other stood, he got a glance at the other’s full nakedness, and blushed lightly, looking back towards his path once more, “ Let me get up,” Alex replied, moving to push himself up to a sitting position, covered in mud. He then pulled himself back to the nearest tree for support as he started to move himself up to stand.

Sanzo actually entertained the possibility of the boy getting up and limping through the forest for a second there, admiring him for his attempt to get up and keep moving. In practise, however, he looked next to hopeless, and Sanzo’s bland expression probably betrayed his thoughts without hesitation. “...we’re not going to get anywhere like that.”

The first tail shot from his body, albeit made from light rather than fur without the promise of Sanzo’s shift. Then there were two, and three, and scars the shape of whiskers appeared on Sanzo’s face as his nails lengthened into claws. Two pointed ears made of the same, golden glow as his tails appeared on the top of his head, his hair a little shaggier now and curling over his ears.

“ I had no idea, I mean, I knew about the Elder’s grounds and that you need an invitation to come over to this side, but I still didn’t know that it was this side, there was nothing to tell me that,” Alex looked back the way he came, they really should put things like that around, to avoid things like this, he doubted the last thing that the Elders needed was one of their own killing the masters.  He tensed a bit as the other crouched down, trying his best to hide his disgust at the crusted blood on the male’s skin. Feeling the other grab his ankle, it was still sore, causing him to wince just a bit again, leaning into the hand that grabbed him. He was a bit surprised that the grip wasn’t as firm as he thought it would be and the other was actually looking at it with care. “ If I can get home that would be good,” Alex admitted,” But where ever is close would be just fine.”

Sanzo had noted that change in body language, the brief flick in the boy’s scent-- the body didn’t lie, and he knew well enough that he was certainly in no position to be close to anyone. Still, he smirked just slightly, the red of his mouth pulled along with it, and pointed eyes that flashed gold the young man’s way. “I’m sure you know I can’t take you into the city like this.”

His fingertips tapping once, twice, and thrice into the boy’s ankle, Sanzo brought a thin layer of ice-- so fine it could barely be seen-- over it to help relieve the pain and dampen the swelling. It happened quickly, telling of Sanzo’s skill, and as subtle a gesture as it was, it was also enough to numb the ache for now.

Hearing the other talk in a more human tone, he slowly looked back to the naked male before him. He could compare this encounter to the one he had with Chance, but the werewolf was kind to him, he didn’t lunge at him, covered with blood with the aim to maim him, but it turned that the other was backing off and the fox confirmed it by his promise to not hurt him.  “ Yes sir…I didn’t even know there was land, territories,” Alex looked over his ankle, pulling it slowly from the root with a wince. “ I-I got it,” He admitted. Taking a deep breath, trying to calm himself down, he held his hands over his ankle and with a bright white light that appeared under his hands, his ankle was healed, still a bit sore, but he could at least move it around, “ I didn’t see any signs on the trail or anything of the like,” He admitted.

His eyes widened briefly at the healing glow of his hands—a warlock? Sanzo had assumed those magic folk braver than this—but ultimately he shook the surprise aside. The boy’s little comment earned a bark of a laugh from him, albeit more sarcastic than any measure of joyful, and he shook his head as he made his way to stand at his side. “No, but this area is close to the city’s Elder grounds, and no-one is allowed there without invitation.

“We fox spirits just own more land than everyone else.” And only because they made an effort to preserve the nature surrounding them and the fragile ecosystem within. “There’s division even among the supernatural, you know.”

Alex hid his face from the other, not being able to bring himself to look at the other man, this wasn’t fair, why must he die? Feeling the air hit his forehead, he huddled down more into himself. Hearing the other, he didn’t answer, he just laid there until he heard the shifting, slowly looking back, he nodded,” Please just let me go back to my home, I won’t come over here anymore,” Alex asked.

Ah, Sanzo thought, faintly, I really did scare him. Though typically scare tactics and intimidation were his go-to for trespassers, even he knew that this poor boy had most likely wandered in without meaning to. The fear in his eyes betrayed some want to apologise—that promise that he’d never return, too, was a clear indicator that he knew he’d done something wrong. And though Sanzo was capable of cruelty, he didn’t believe in being cruel without a reason for it.

“You can’t walk home like that,” he said plainly, and after licking his palms to get them free of blood, he got up to his feet. Sanzo was tall even in bipedal form, standing barefoot in the grass, and he held his cleaned palms up at either side of him in a show of peace. “I won’t hurt you, boy.