Matchablossom Yokai

Signs

"Are you ok?" Kaoru asked skittering back a few paces.

Kojiro cut off his escape route. "I'm fine too." He said.

They stared at each other for a long moment. There was a throat clearing behind them. Kojiro got to his feet. He took the delicately frail looking hands in his as he pulled the fox upright. Kojiro was aware how frail the fox appeared, yet he was far stronger than his appearance.

Slightly agitated, the three tails swiped around their two bodies. Kojiro caught one to brush some dirt off of it. He smiled back at the fox who wasn't looking at him any longer.

"Did you finish the sign?" He asked.

Kaoru shook his head. He twitched the tail Kojiro was still holding. The chef let it go. He grinned as he picked up the pot as he watched the Kitsune.

"Well, when you're done, I will get you a hot bath going." Kojiro offered.

The Kitsune only blushed deeper. He nodded his head before rushing back to the front of the shop where he had been working all day. Kojiro went back to the kitchen. He found the student who nearly hired down his restaurant. They discussed what had happened. Kojiro stood watch as the student remade the dish.

Time passed. The light outside faded. The dinner crowd came and went. Kojiro was finishing uupthe dishes when he heard a faint noise behind him. He turned to see the Kitsune standing in the doorway. He wasn't looking at Kojiro's face. In fact, Kojiro noted the golden eyes taking in his entire body.

"You hungry? Or would you prefer to bathe first?" He asked.

The Kitsune shook himself. He rushed forward to take hold of Kojiro's sleeve. Without a word he tugged at it gently. Kojiro replaced the towel he had dried his hands on. Laughing he told the Kitsune he was coming. They hurried outside.

Kaoru led him to the front. There stood Reki, Langa and Miya. Reki had a huge grin on his face as he rubbed at his nose with one finger. Miya looked bored but with an impressed air about him. His little cat eyes kept flicking to something Kojiro couldn't see yet. Langa had his arm around Reki's waist. He looked unenthused about everything.

"Can we eat yet?" He asked the red head.

"Not until Kojiro sees it!" Reki patted the soft blue hair as the head landed on his shoulder.

Kojiro was pulled before the trio. Kaoru stood before him. He looked shyly enthused. Gently the fox placed his hands on the broad, hard shoulders of the Fu dog. He turned him about. Kojiro's mouth fell open! What was this?

In a daze he staggered forward. Hanging where his old faded sign had been, was a fresh new one. His sun tattoo shined golden rays up under the name of his place of business. The name itself appeared to glow in gold and red hues, practically leaping from the sign. Behind it all was an intricately detailed grape yard with a wine tasting table set up within it.

"Kaoru, this is..." Kojiro couldn't find the words. They died in his mind since anything he thought of couldn't describe the beauty in what it was he saw.

"Prefect." He finally settled for. Even though it was underwhelming to what his eyes drank in.

"You're talent is amazing!" He cried.

Spinning the large Fu dog caught the Kitsune off guard. Kojiro swung his captive around as he laughed. He pulled him in tight to his chest kissing his face, eyes, nose, down to his neck as the Kitsune squirmed. When Kojiro kissed a soft spot on the fox's neck, he jerked kicking away. Kojiro let him go.

Kaoru gazed at him as if he were some freak of nature that the Kitsune had never seen before. His face was a deep red color.

"Can we eat now?" Langa broke into the moment by asking.