Mutually Mated

Everything hurt. Itachi didn't know if he could go to work in the next week. While he couldn't quite feel his legs, his behind was on fire. Beside him tangled in sheets, Kurama slept on peacefully. The fox demon's presence made the CEO tear up a little. How many mornings did he wake up in this big bed alone?

Kurama woke up to the soft sound of muffled sobs. Although his mind was still clouded over with sleep as well as a pleasant type of tiredness, the Hunter was immediately alert when he realised the distressed noise was coming from his mate.

"What's wrong?" the fox demon asked. He was over by Itachi's side even faster than the CEO could blink.

Itachi shook his head and wiped the tears quickly, trying to get rid of the shameful evidence but as soon as they were gone, more took the place of the previous salt trails. Kurama didn't think that Itachi was sad from his soul bond so the reaction puzzled him greatly. All he could do was croon quietly and hope that his mate would calm down soon. 

Pressed against the hunter's chest, Itachi allowed the rhythmic beat of Kurama's heart to stabilise his emotions. The pain of finally becoming one was incomparable to the joy he felt at the moment. Were they finally mated in body, heart and soul?

"What are you thinking?" Kurama asked once the crying ceased.

Itachi smiled. "I'm happy to be alive."

Kurama felt his heart skip a beat and held his lover closer. Those words seemed to cut into his heart. Whatever that was troubling Itachi before was now finally laid to rest along with the past. From now on, could he look forward into the future full of sunshine with his mate? They met by chance but the decision to fall in love was by choice. Surely, Itachi didn't regret it right? Kurama couldn't demand too much out f his fragile human mate. Last night was something even Kurama didn't expect. The bruises on Itachi's snowy white skin reminded the hunter about how merciless he had been.

"How are you feeling? I wasn't too rough on you, was I?"

Itachi laughed. Worrying about his body the first thing in the morning seemed so surreal but that was exactly what he loved about Kurama. The fox might be an expert in charming his prey but after last night's display of unbridled passion, the CEO no longer had doubts about his mate's feelings.

"I'm feeling very full in here," he said and brought the fox demon's hand to his chest.

Kurama felt the steady heartbeat of his lover and swallowed thickly. Itachi definitely knew how to make him worked up. The fox demon tried his best not to look at the abused nipple that was glowing bright pink. He tried to look away from the countless of bite marks littering all over the man's torso. However, the bite mark on Itachi's neck stood out the most.

Absent-mindedly, Kurama reached out to Itachi's neck to caress the bite marks there tenderly. Itachi shivered as the warm trail of fingers tucked away loose strands of hair behind his ear. Those fingers slid down to the junction of his collarbone and moved upwards. The CEO felt a moment of vulnerability under the hands of such a powerful demon but he closed his eyes and bared more of his neck to Kurama as a sign of trust.

Kurama inhaled and froze for a while. That submissive action didn't go unnoticed and the hunter knew that he couldn't ever let this man go.

"Itachi Uchiha, my love and mate..." Kurama breathed and closed the gap between their lips, taking Itachi by surprise.

Was this a belated confession?

When they broke for air, the fox demon saw confusion in those beautiful onyx eyes.

Kurama decided to do some explaining. He had some guesses about Itachi's insecurities but was too afraid to confront them before. He thought that by adhering to the mating culture of humans, he would satisfy Itachi. However, Kurama had been too self-obsessed about what he wanted to do that he ignored Itachi's advances and hurt the man in the process.

"I'm sorry." he started. "Sorry for ignoring all your advances before this. I was too selfish in doing what I wanted so I ended up rejecting you. I didn't mean to hurt you. I want to hold you, treasure you and lock you away in a safe place to love forever. However, I'm also afraid that you'll come to hate the monster that I am. I don't want to hurt you and I'm a coward. I can't tell you how much I love you because of my fears. I don't want to lose you but it's too late now. You've already captured my heart from the very moment we met. I don't deserve you..."

Itachi wanted to cry at first when he heard the apology. He wanted the words to be a lie but when the fox demon explained the reason for his apology, the CEO noticed that they were sharing the same insecurities underneath the smiles.

Instead of getting angry, Itachi hugged the dumb fox of a lover. "Don't apologise because I would have to do the same. I'm not as great as you think I am. I'm selfish, insecure, demanding and scathing. They call me the devil incarnate of the business world. I'm very possessive, manipulative and will stop at nothing to get what I want."

Kurama looked into Itachi's eyes and smiled. "What a coincidence, so am I."

Itachi laughed and playfully punched his lover. Then his eyes softened and he lowered his voice. "What took you so long to hold me? I was starting to think that you weren't interested in me any longer and were only staying with me due to circumstances."

Kurama blushed. "First off, it was not an accident that we became mates. Yes, it might not have been the most romantic of settings when we did it but it was definitely something I wanted. Never doubt your place in my world. Second, I was told that in the human mating culture, one shouldn't bed with their mates until they have been married or gone on a third date after going through several physical base stages. I might have jumped the stages when we bonded so I wanted to do this the right way."

Itachi's eyes widened. He didn't know anything about the kind of information Kurama received but the CEO certainly wasn't one to follow rules. He was Itachi fucking Uchiha, he made the rules.

Angry at the silliness, Itachi pushed Kurama over and jumped on top of the fox demon despite his aching hips and thighs. He felt liquid drip down his parted legs but ignored it and glared at his lover.

"Don't you ever do something like that again. I'm Itachi Uchiha, I make the rules. Don't you ever think that mere societal rules can apply to me! Do you know how difficult it was for me when you so outrageously seduced me then left me dry and hanging? You made me feel like a toy!"

Kurama apologised with wide eyes. He didn't mean to offend his mate with his actions. Before the hunter could apologise, Itachi had sealed their lips in a fiery kiss full of tongue. Kurama relished in the action and sought for more by reaching out to hold his mate but Itachi slapped those hands away and pinned them over Kurama's head.

"Don't move," he growled and glared at the hunter. It was time for payback. All those times of being rejected hurt and he was going to make Kurama have a taste of his own medicine now that he knew.

"This is your punishment. You are not to touch me, resist me or deny me."

Kurama nodded and gasped when Itachi leaned down on his chest to bite down hard on his shoulder. The pain was nothing compared to the euphoria of being marked. As blood flowed into Itachi's mouth, the CEO lapped it all up. He sat back up to lick his lips in a teasing fashion and ground their hips together.

"How does it feel like to not be able to have what you want?" he asked in a haughty voice with an arrogant smirk while he looked down on the helpless demon. Now that Kurama was completely at his mercy, Itachi wanted to drill it into the fox's body who he belonged to.

Kurama growled but made no attempt to touch Itachi when the CEO raked his nails down that nice abs. The nails left a trail of red, painful enough to be seen but not breaking into it just yet. Itachi felt sore and numb but he still wanted to have his revenge. He might not be able to mount his gigantic lover who was already at full mast but he definitely could tease him.

Kurama was visibly confused when Itachi got off him and left the room. "Don't move," the CEO warned before he disappeared.

Kurama cursed. His mate was such a tease. The hunter looked at his erection and wondered what Itachi was up to. His question was soon answered when the CEO returned with an envelope and a pen.

"I hear that mating is for life in the demon world. If you want to learn from human culture, the equivalent of mating here is marriage. You cannot touch me until you sign this document and I get us registered. That's the deal and your punishment. No jerking off either. However, I can tease you as much as I want until we're legally recognised as spouses," Itachi smirked and Kurama grinned.

"Is that a challenge?"

Itachi shook his head innocently. "No, it's a promise. I will make you beg for it so badly that you won't ever think about those ridiculous rules. Unfortunately for you, I'm too sore for another round this week with how wrecked my lower half is. You're going to have to make do with a cold shower."

Kurama growled in frustration but took the marriage certificate and signed on it. "How long would they take to process this?"

Itachi pretended to think about it and Kurama's low snarling amused the CEO.

"At least a week. Let's see how well you can hold out till then," he smiled then leaned in for a peck before laughing and heading to for the bathroom.

Kurama blinked at the paper with the pen still in his hand. He was still painfully hard and not being able to jerk off was going to be tough with such a tantalising piece of meat like Itachi nearby. Just what did Itachi make him agree to?

On the bright side, they were now mutually mated in both the demon world's method and the human world's method. Despite the torture, Kurama was happy. He couldn't find a better mate than this man. The hunter knew now that he was hopelessly in love with Itachi Uchiha and there was no turning back.

This was going to be the start of their happiest days and he just knew it. He decided that there would be no more secrets from now on. He was going to spend the week telling Itachi all about himself, his life and his dreams. In return, he was going to make Itachi tell him everything from his darker days in his youth, his childhood, his fears and dreams.

When he heard the sound of running water, Kurama decided to get up and prepare breakfast. His mate would need that after such an intense night of passion. He also made a mental note to call in sick for Itachi for a week. The man was definitely forcing himself to stand and move. After getting pounded into so roughly, Kurama was amazed by how strong Itachi seemed to be even if it wasn't the case.

Last but not least, the hunter wanted to know who would be processing the papers. If he could charm them into giving them their recognition in twenty-four hours, Itachi was going to have to keep his promise and be prepared for a lot more than just touching.