Flashback continues...
Sozai lay comfortably behind Yurei, arms wrapped around his slim waist as though they belonged there. The younger fox's soft breathing rose and fell steadily, warm against the elder's chest. Yurei's silver hair still clung with damp strands to his cheeks and collarbones, and the faintest rose fragrance lingered between them.
Sozai inhaled slowly, eyes fluttering shut. The scent was dizzying. Not the sharp Yeifeng clinging to his own throat, but something gentler, something natural that seemed to pour from Yurei's very skin. He buried his nose into the younger fox's hair and purred softly, heart strangely at ease.
"Rose scent again…" he whispered into the strands, too soft for any ears but his own.
The sound earned him an unconscious response. Yurei gave a faint, instinctive purr back, his fox ears twitching, folding, drooping at the whisper's warmth. Goosebumps rose along his pale arms. Sozai smirked faintly, his hand tightening against Yurei's stomach as though to claim the shiver for himself.
"Too sensitive," he murmured. His green eyes glinted, hungry with secrets even he wasn't ready to admit.
Then, suddenly, Yurei stirred. He rolled in his sleep until his body faced Sozai's directly. Their noses nearly brushed. Their breaths mingled in the narrow space between them.
Sozai went still. Yurei's cheeks were faintly flushed, his lips parted, hair clinging wetly to his temples. The sight of him like that—unguarded, soft, breathtaking—made Sozai's throat tighten.
"Baby fox grew up…" he muttered under his breath, biting down on his wrist to stifle a low growl, "…and became even cuter."
But before he could lean closer, a name slipped from Yurei's lips in his sleep, fragile and murmured.
"Kyo…ren… sama…"
Sozai's chest went rigid. His brows knitted instantly, jealousy coiling sharp in his gut.
"Again?" he hissed, teeth bared in a half-growl. "Even asleep you call for him?"
The peaceful warmth of the moment shattered. Yet no matter how bitter the words tasted, Sozai couldn't pull away. Instead, he scooped Yurei's limp body into his arms with a suddenness that almost startled himself.
"Fine," he muttered, rising smoothly from the bed. "If Kyoren-sama isn't here to wake you, then I will."
The washroom awaited, already prepped for morning with steaming water filling the wide marble tub. Rose petals floated lazily atop the surface, glowing under filtered sunlight. Red-gold stone shimmered like firelight across the walls.
Sozai's lips twitched into a wicked grin.
Without ceremony—
Splash!
He tossed Yurei straight into the tub. Water exploded upward, drenching the air, the floor, and his own black-gold robe.
"Happy Royal Guard Parade Day!" Sozai declared dramatically, one eye winking shut, a hand cupped by his mouth like a herald's call.
From beneath the water, Yurei burst upward with a shriek, ears flattened, hair plastered to his face. He sputtered, coughing, water dripping down his nose.
"What kind of good morning is this?!" he barked, cheeks flushing a deeper red by the second.
Sozai only leaned against the rim of the tub, arms crossed, grin unfaltering. But his gaze betrayed him. His eyes slid down, following the way Yurei's robe clung desperately to his skin, outlining far more than propriety would allow.
"Look at you," he teased with a chuckle, tilting his head. "You really do look like a fox being forcefully bathed."
Yurei's gray eyes widened, then narrowed. "You—!"
Before he could finish, his hand shot out and yanked Sozai forward with surprising force.
Splash!
Both were submerged in the same instant, water surging to the marble floor.
Sozai surfaced with a cough, hair undone, wet strands whipping against his face. He blinked twice, then burst into laughter.
Yurei, on the other hand, was laughing too—but his laughter carried triumph. He pointed a dripping finger at Sozai, breathless.
"Now we're the same! Late together!"
Smirk fading into a dangerous grin, Sozai lunged forward and caught that finger between his teeth.
"Ah—! Sozai!" Yurei yelped, splashing backward against the tub's curved wall. "That's not food! Let go!"
Sozai's lips curved around the finger, eyes narrowed in dangerous play. He released it with a low chuckle, deliberately slow, his gaze sharp enough to melt Yurei's resolve.
"Ohh~ baby fox," he purred, voice sinking low and suggestive, "so dirty-minded… and too embarrassed to admit it."
He moved closer, caging Yurei against the tub wall with a hand braced above his shoulder. His other hand lowered near Yurei's hip, close enough to make him shiver—but never touching. Not yet.
The heat between them thickened. Wet robes clung to every inch of skin. Their breaths tangled, heavy and unsteady.
Yurei whimpered, eyes squeezing shut, ears folding flat. His hands pressed against the tub's rim as though bracing for something he couldn't name.
Sozai leaned in, lips brushing close to his ear, chuckling darkly. He knew exactly how far to push. He knew how to make Yurei senseless without ever crossing the line.
The tension snapped—only because Sozai jolted suddenly upright.
"Ah—shit!" He slapped his forehead. "I came to wake you up and ended up showering with you again. We're late!"
Before Yurei could even catch his breath, Sozai grabbed him by the wrist and yanked him out of the tub in one sweeping motion.
A knock echoed through the chamber door.
"Right Hand Yurei," a guard's voice called. "His Highness is summoning you."
Both foxes froze.
Yurei's face drained of color. "Shut up, Sozai!" he whispered harshly, pushing at his chest. "If he hears us—he'll think we're… doing something. Kuradome-sama will kill me!"
Sozai, shameless as ever, only smirked. "Then let me wear your robe. We'll match, drenched together."
Yurei's jaw dropped. "Don't you dare!"
Meanwhile, the poor guard outside tilted his head, frown deepening. Voices echoed faintly beyond the door, muffled but suspicious. That… sounded like Sozai. But wasn't he supposed to be in his own quarters? Were they… bathing together?
He hesitated, hand on the door, and slowly pushed.
The latch gave. The chamber was unlocked.
But before he could peek inside—
Sozai appeared in the hall, hair dripping, crimson-gold robe clinging wet against his skin.
The guard blinked, eyes darting between the door and the fox before him. "You… then who was—"
Sozai slung an arm lazily around his shoulders, damp ponytail flicking water against the guard's cheek.
"Dirty-minded," Sozai crooned, smirking knowingly. "Peeking at me and my baby fox. Did his rose scent bewitch you too?"
The guard flushed. "I—I wasn't—"
"Mmhm." Sozai shoved him lightly by the neck, sending him stumbling away with a scowl.
Inside the chamber, Yurei peeked nervously from the doorway, clad in a clean white-gold robe, hair dripping against his temples. His face burned.
"Y-Yeah!" he stammered, pointing at the guard. "Why were you peeking? At me?!"
The guard spluttered wordlessly before stomping off in defeat.
Sozai slipped back inside, grinning triumphantly. He tapped Yurei's forehead, water still dripping from his hand. "Told you. No one saw your little… situation."
"Shut. Up." Yurei slapped his hand away, then covered Sozai's mouth in desperation.
Sozai only smiled wider into his palm. Then he seized Yurei's wrist again, tugging him toward the hall.
Yurei yelped, stumbling after him, cheeks still burning as if they'd truly been caught doing something forbidden.
Flashback ends...
But something else waits..