Chapter.6 That same night

Carefully easing the wolven boy back into bed, he watched as he became overcome with sleep. Kazuha smiled warmly at the boy, his cheeks flushed a soft pink as he moved his fingers from the silver locks of hair to the boy's ear, stroking it down to caress his soft cheek, studying his relaxed expression as he slept.

Moments before, Kazuha had been drowning in worry, blaming himself for what had happened to the wolven boy, and yet… Razor had washed it all away, like a beacon of light that shined through even the deepest of shadows. His heart had fluttered at the boy's affection, unable to stop the smile on his face or the heat that rose to his cheeks as he soothed the boy lovingly.

"Razor…thank you" Kazuha whispered under his breath before pulling his hand away. He stepped towards the other bed across from Razor's and took the discarded coat, careful not to let the jingling of the buckles wake the other.

Thoma and Kokomi had removed Razor's coat before working on his injury, never washing the blood out of it.

Kazuha took the coat with him out of the room, silently descending down the stairs. The living space was dark and quiet, the moonlight being the only source of light that illuminated the room. Kazuha took in the silence and admired the moon's glow before heading outside, feeling the cool night air greet him as it swept his hair into a gentle breeze.

Now that he felt more awake, he headed down to the beach where he would wash the feral boy's coat, soaking it in the water as he attempted to scrub out the blood.

When he was sure that he had gotten all the blood out, he ringed the water out as best he could before taking it to the maple tree that sat by the traveler's house.

He swung the coat over a tree branch to hang, hoping it'll dry in the morning later.

He rested his back against the tree and slid down until his bottom hit the ground, feeling exhaustion return as his eyes looked up at the stars that sparkled in the night sky, enjoying their beauty, even if they weren't real.

He closed his eyes, listening to the wind, smelling the air that gently blew around him. His cheeks flushed into a soft pink when his nose had realized how much Razor's scent had stuck to his hands after combing the boy's hair, after washing his coat.

"How is Razor's odor so strong…?" Kazuha's question lingered in the cool air around him, looking down at his hand before pulling it up to his face, digging his nose into his palm as he took in the muddy smell of Razor's scent, feeling the hint of wolf tickle at his heart.

The blush on his cheeks grew as he inhaled the odor on his hand, not realizing that his eyes had fallen shut again.

"Razor…" He nuzzled his face into his hand, pulling his knees up to his chest, letting the familiar scent bring comfort to his heart. But he started to feel a tinge of loneliness without the wolven boy by his side.

"Kazuha…?" A familiar voice called out. It was the traveler. He approached the swordsman with a weary expression.

"What are you doing up so late?" He asked, rubbing the sleep from his own eyes.

"I couldn't sleep…" Kazuha answered, staring up at the stars.

"But what about you?" It was Kazuha's turn to ask a question, turning his head to meet the traveler's gaze.

"I was too worried about you and Razor to fall asleep…" Aether answered, not wanting to remember Kazuha's cold and murderous behavior.

"We're both alright, but your concern is most appreciated" Kazuha smiled at the golden haired boy, watching his face relax into its own smile, relieved of his worries.

Aether sat down beside the swordsman, joining him in his stargazing. While the two of them sat together in silence, Kazuha couldn't help but notice that the young traveler was radiating with the Yaksha's scent. To most, they would say the Yaksha boy didn't smell much of anything, but to those with trained noses, they would know the heavy stench of copper surrounding him. But to Aether, he smelled like Qingxin flowers and sometimes almond tofu.

"You know...I've noticed you treat Razor differently," Aether said, breaking the silence. Kazuha looked at him curiously.

"You think so?" Kazuha didn't think he treated Razor differently, or at least he didn't think so.

"Yeah, I do... but I think he treats you differently too," Aether said, thinking back to all the times he had watched the swordsman and feral boy interact. Aether had always imagined the two to be like brothers, but lately, he couldn't help but notice something different, something that reminded him of himself and Xiao before they had become lovers.

Kazuha thought about it for a moment and wondered if Aether had been right... but right now, he was too tired to think much of it. Kazuha leaned his head back to rest against the tree behind him and close his eyes, listening to the wind, letting his mind wander... but all he could think about was the wolven boy.

"Kazuha...?" Aether looked over at the swordsman and was a bit surprised when he realized that he had fallen asleep. He smiled a bit before he headed inside, grabbing a blanket from the guestroom before heading back out to carefully drape it over the swordsman. Kazuha almost smiled in his sleep, feeling the warmth of the blanket as he slept, dreaming about the wolven boy, dreaming about the warmth of his arms wrapped around him. "Razor..." He whispered softly, unaware of the watchful traveler beside him.