Chapter Text
The wind of the night tugged at the fox’s white fur. He raised his head to the moon, staring at it as it shone down on him. His nine tails swooped along the forest floor. He had been running for so long. He finally felt safe enough here. He could relax for a moment. But only for a moment. He decided to start digging a little hole to sleep in. He wrinkled his nose at the thought but knew he had to. He couldn’t complain about his lack of comfort. Being hunted meant he could never be given the luxuries he used to have.
As he settled into his makeshift nest, he suddenly felt his fur lay on end. He was being watched. He quickly scrambled up, cautious of all of his surroundings. This was an unfamiliar place, he didn’t know where to run. But he knew this couldn’t be them. They wouldn’t be able to reach him so fast. He made sure of that. But that didn’t mean he was safe. A kitsune was easy prey for other creatures. He sniffed the air and could faintly pick up the traces of other creatures. A nekomata was definitely among them.
“If you’re just going to stare at me, why don’t you come out?” He snarled into the dark surroundings. His tails were raised threateningly. He was confident in his abilities but he wouldn’t win against a large number of creatures. He was only one kitsune. Just because he was seen as a holy creature to humans didn’t mean anything amongst creatures who harbored hatred towards them. He lashed his tails, growling. He knew a small fox wasn’t very threatening and if he changed into his other form, it wouldn’t be much different. He would just be in a more human form. He heard faint steps getting closer. He was outnumbered. There were multiple footsteps. He wouldn’t be able to fight them all off.
He stepped back as they got closer. They had started to show in the light of the moon. He was right in there being a nekomata but there were also two onis, a tengu, and a tsukumogami. He had no chance of winning. He turned and ran blindly through the trees. His white pelt would only make him stand out more amongst the dark undergrowth. He had been running for so long already, he felt like his legs would give out at any moment. His heart pounded in his ears, bushes scraping against his body painfully. He couldn’t die here. He wouldn’t die here. There was no way he would allow himself to have gone through all of that only to die here. His paw pads were scrapped raw and he knew he couldn’t go on for much longer. He could hear them pursuing him. He skidded to a halt when he came across a structure. It was incredibly familiar. What was a shrine doing in the middle of the woods, so far from human civilization? He shook his head when he heard the sounds of his pursuers. He quickly changed into his more human form in case there were humans inside. His white ears and tails would let them know what he was and he would be seen as sacred. A good omen. He ran up the steps of the shrine and ran in.
The shrine was completely dark. It didn’t look like there was electricity which made sense. His advanced eyesight allowed him to see in the dark anyway. He didn’t take the time to sniff out the area before he ran in but he did now. There was definitely something living here. He could also tell that humans had not been here for a very long time. The creatures had not pursued him into here. His tails quivered at the implications. Maybe he made a mistake. What if whatever was here was worse than all of the creatures out there? He cautiously stepped forward into the dark shrine. He couldn’t help but feel happy to be in a space like this. It was somewhere he was more used to. Even if it brought its own bad memories. But he definitely preferred the idea of sleeping here rather than outside. He was sheltered here. But he couldn’t relax yet. Not until he knew what lived here. The god that used to reside in this shrine must have abandoned it. He could find no trace of a divine presence. Maybe there used to be a path leading from this shrine to a human civilization but when the god abandoned it, people stopped coming.
Suddenly, a hand covered Dazai’s eyes. His immediate instinct was to start thrashing and fighting but the creature wrapped another strong arm around his chest, effectively trapping him.
“What do we have here? Such a pretty kitsune doesn’t belong in such a decrepit shrine,” a deep voice rumbled in Dazai’s ear. Dazai smirked at the fact that based on how the hand over his eyes was positioned, this creature was significantly shorter than him. He sniffed the air and could finally figure out what the scent he had smelled before was. A demon. He could feel the demon’s hot breath on his neck. “What are you doing here? You won’t be reclaiming this place. It’s mine now.”
“I had no intention of doing that. I was being chased. I ran in without thinking. I’m just seeking refuge until the morning. Hopefully, they’ll leave by then. They’ll think you’ve dealt with me,” Dazai explained. He wanted to complain because his tails were squished against his back since the demon was so close to him.
“I see. Little kitsune couldn’t deal with them?” The demon taunted. Dazai bristled at the comment. He usually would just insult the demon but his only hope was this demon agreeing to let him stay. He couldn’t go on running. He would be killed. He kept his mouth shut, even though it pained him. “Some beautiful tails you have. You didn’t answer. What is such a pretty kitsune doing in the middle of nowhere?”
The demon grabbed one of Dazai’s tails. Dazai shivered. He felt the demon’s long fingers dig into it. Not to mention the fact that he was weak to flattery.
“That’s not very important. I’m searching for a place to stay I suppose,” he made sure to be vague. The demon huffed and squeezed his tail, clearly dissatisfied. His hand was still covering the kitsune’s eyes and Dazai wanted to complain. He was curious as to what the demon looked like. The demon finally stepped away from him and Dazai turned around to look.
He was right that the demon was short. He had ginger hair as well as two prominent black horns sprouting from his head, fading to red at the tips. He was wearing a top that cut off at the end of his chest, hugging his muscles tightly. Dazai’s eyes kept drifting to the uncovered skin underneath it. There was no denying that this demon was beautiful.
“Like what you see? I wouldn’t mind a night with a kitsune. A way to entertain the two of us until morning,” the demon purred. Dazai’s ears flattened to his head. The demon was attractive but he wasn’t fond of the overconfident attitude. Especially since demons were meant to tempt humans. They were garbage.
“I doubt you would be able to please me,” Dazai said with a huff. The demon immediately growled and looked ready to pounce on him.
“At least tell me your name if I’m going to allow you to stay here,” the demon demanded. Dazai nodded. That was a reasonable price.
“I’m Dazai Osamu,” he said with a small bow. The demon looked him up and down, blue eyes piercing.
“Nakahara Chuuya,” the demon responded. Dazai smiled. He didn’t expect to get the name so easily. If he knew a demon’s name he could research them. He straightened up. “What’s with the bandages over your eye?”
“These? You already want my traumatic past? You’ll have to work for that,” Dazai teased. Chuuya rolled his eyes.
“Just don’t make too much noise tonight. I have things to do,” he said with a scoff as he turned away and walked further into the shrine. Dazai was grateful to have a place to stay. Even though the shrine was abandoned, it was in a remarkably clean state. The demon must have worked hard to keep it presentable.
Dazai walked further into the shrine to find a comfortable place, shifting into his fox form. He smirked as he saw the “things to do” that Chuuya mentioned seemed to be drowning in alcohol. He ran up to the demon since he was putting his drinks on a kotatsu. He scurried underneath it, making a delighted noise at the warmth it was putting out.
“What the fuck are you doing?” The demon asked. Dazai didn’t care about his irritation as he circled in place and plopped down.
“Everywhere else is cold. Let me have this simple pleasure, oh great demon,” he chirped. He already felt himself drifting off, grateful to finally be able to rest.