Chapter.9 Finding love in spring

It was the first day of spring, the snow blanketing Tyvat had long since melted and the birds sang their morning songs as the sun rose into the sky, warming the once chilled lands. Spring was the time of flowers, new life, and most all, love.

Spring was the season of love, the time for animals to start mating, but not just animals, people too found love during the springtime.

Razor, in particular, was familiar with such a time, as this was the time of year when his Lupical back home would mate in order to grow their pack, to strengthen their numbers… but he never participated in the process, not because he was human, but because all the female wolves he had known were all motherly or sisterly figures in his life growing up, and members outside of the pack were enemies.

Outside of Wolvendom, there were plenty of beautiful young ladies, but due to Razor's feral appearance, most girls were intimidated by him, and his limited knowledge of speech didn't help any. The only girl that really showed any interest in him was Klee, and she was a handful little sister to have around, much more energetic and loud than Kazuha's calm and quiet demeanor.

"Kazuha… look for a mate?" With Kazuha in mind, Razor couldn't help but wonder if the swordsman would be looking for a mate this season… and for some reason, the thought made him sad and even angry. Just the mere thought of someone making the swordsman smile more than him caused him to snarl, feeling sorrow pinning his heart like needles. But why? Why was this so upsetting? The more Razor thought about it, the more he felt a sharp pain pull in the pit of his stomach. He couldn't allow anyone else to touch the swordsman but him, so he sat up from his seat in the grass and quickly made his way to find the swordsman.

Kazuha on the other hand was still coming to terms with his feelings for the wolven boy, and now that spring was here… he wondered how much it even mattered. Like his Lupical back home, Razor would search for a cute girl to bear his children and grow his pack…

So would he have to let Razor go? To give up his feelings once more?

He had loved Tomo dearly, but before he could find the strength and courage to convey those feelings, Tomo's life had been taken and sorrow weaved its way through his heart like roots embedded in the earth… but Razor had brought a smile to his face again, and warmed his heart. He thought it impossible to fall in love again, but the wolven boy was so different from anyone he had met, and that had caught his attention, and after spending so much time together, he only now realized that his heart and body were already moving on from the loss of Tomo before his mind had even realized it, finding new comfort in the wolven boy's warmth and kindness, enjoying each and every moment together.

It had already been painful enough to watch Tomo fawn over the Raiden shogun, so to watch the wolven boy start a family with some girl was just too painful to bear…

"Kazuha" The gentle voice called out, stirring the swordsman from his thoughts. Kazuha put down the leaf he was playing music with and looked down from the tree to see the young and graceful Sangonomiya Kokomi standing below him. She smiled at him as she watched him descend from the thick branch. The young priestess always smelled of saltwater with the faintest scent of sakura.

"Your highness, do you need something of me?" He asked, letting the leaf from his hand flutter into the wind.

"I was wondering if you had seen Gorou around," She asked, seeming a bit worried.

"Gorou? No, I'm afraid I haven't crossed paths with him" Kazuha answered, almost frowning when he realized he hadn't even seen the wolven boy today.

"I see..." she sighed, seeming almost guilty, or so that's what Kazuha's eyes could see in her expression.

"May I ask what caused his disappearance?" He asked, wondering if the young lady had done anything to cause the other boy's disappearance

"Well... it's spring, so I may have maybe joked about Itto giving Gorou some flowers and... well, now I can't find Gorou. I-Itto seemed so excited, so now I'm worried Gorou might be hiding" She explained, remembering the sparkle in the red 0ni's eyes. It was so cute how Itto fawned over the dog boy.

Kazuha chuckled a bit, but before he could give any aid or guidance to the young lady, he caught the familiar muddy scent of the wolf boy, and his cheeks flushed pink. His heart fluttered with anticipation, but Kokomi had noticed the small amount of heat building in his cheeks. She reached a hand towards him, and that's when Kazuha tensed, feeling a sense of aggression behind him, followed by a pair of footsteps. He quickly whipped his head around, only to meet sharp crimson eyes. Razor growled, tightly grabbing him by the arm as he pulled him away just before Kokomi's hands could make contact with his forehead.

"No touch Kazuha!" The boy snarled, surprising the young lady. Kazuha ripped his arm away from the wolven boy's iron grip and tightly pinched the feral boy's nose. The boy in response whined as he shook his head to pull away from the swordsman's steel grip. Once the wolven boy was free, he met the swordsman's gaze, only to regret it. It was that glare, that same glare of disapproval that he had given him when he had attempted to bite Gorou... He hated that look.

Razor felt frustration boil inside. Why did he feel this way? He had seen Aether and the others come into contact with each other, he had seen them make each other smile... and yet when it came to the swordsman, he wanted to be the only one. He wanted to be the only one to make him smile, he wanted to be the only one to make him laugh, to see him flustered, to touch him, to smell him or wrap his arms around him, to...-

Kazuha could see the frustration and confusion boiling inside the wolven boy's eyes, the way his expression struggled to understand what he might be feeling... He couldn't even seem to find the words to express what he was thinking. He looked back toward the young priestess and softened his own expression to give her a reassuring smile.

"I'm sorry your highness, I need to speak with Razor privately for a moment" When the girl nodded in understanding, Kazuha took the wolven boy by the arm and lead him down towards one of the many beaches in Inazuma, hoping the sound of crashing waves would help bring clarity to the feral boy. Razor had only been aggressive in battle, but this is the second outburst that he had shown outside of battle, and he didn't like it. He cared for Razor and trusted him, so it was upsetting when he showed such aggression towards others that he trusted or cared for.

Once they reached the beach, he could see the feral boy's distressed features slowly softening. He released his arm and gently rested his palm on the boy's cheek, blushing a bit when the boy instantly leaned into his touch, seeking comfort and possible answers to his problem. He was relieved when his gesture had brought the boy comfort, even if just a little.

"Razor, we need to talk. I should have talked to you when you tried to bite Gorou back then, but I was too caught up in my own thoughts about it that I neglected to talk with you about it... So this time I want to make sure I talk with you." He said, feeling guilty for the loneliness he must have caused the feral boy when he avoided him.

Razor took a moment to hold the swordsman's gaze before slowly nodding, hoping to solve the conflicting feelings that stirred inside him.

"Earlier you said... not to touch me?" Kazuha pulled his hand away, crossing his arms.

Razor nodded "She try to touch you. Make chest hurt, hard to breathe..." He answered, putting a hand to his chest as he recalled the feeling.

"I see..." Kazuha thought for a moment before asking the next question. "Why did you try to bite Gorou back then?"

"He make you smile lots and... and try to touch you. Pain in chest grow and I get angry" Razor explained, feeling frustrated just from the thought of it, wishing he knew why he felt this way, wishing he didn't have to make the swordsman angry with him.

"Razor..." Kazuha didn't want to be conceded or delude himself in wishful thinking but... Was it possible that Razor was... jealous?

"Razor... why does that upset you?" He asked, wondering if the wolven boy would even be able to answer that question. Razor struggled for a moment to find his words, but when he did, Kazuha couldn't stop the blush that painted his face.

"Don't want anyone to touch you, don't want you to smile at others... only me. I want to touch you, want to make you smile" As Razor explained, he felt his heart growing lighter, and he felt like he was getting closer to finally reaching the answers he had been looking for.

"Want to see your red face, to smell you lots" He continued, watching the swordsman's blush growing as its color darkened.

"Razor that's-"

"When I smell you, stomach gets hungry and body grows hot. Makes me want to bite you, want to bite all over-" Before Razor could say anymore, Kazuha's hands covered his mouth, his face looking more flustered and panicked than he had ever seen him. When Razor looked at him, Kazuha had struggled to hold his gaze, and when he felt the feral boy's warm hands grip his wrists to move his hands away from his mouth, he nearly gasped, feeling excruciatingly sensitive to every touch as his heart beats wildly in his chest.

"Kazuha? " Razor looked at him curiously, fighting back every urge in his body that wanted to bite the swordsman, to see him blush more.

"R-Razor...do you... love me?" Kazuha just barely managed to find the strength to speak. Razor thought about the swordsman's question, and suddenly... it all made sense. He had seen many of his friends fall in love, but he wasn't familiar with the feelings that came with it since he had never been in love before. But now... now he finally understands, and it feels like a fog in his heart had finally cleared... and he finally knew what he had been feeling, what he wanted for so long.

"I love... Kazuha" His cheeks flushed a soft pink, and he couldn't help but wonder if this was what the traveler would experience with the Yaksha. Kazuha froze at his answer, almost as though he couldn't believe it... as though he was so ready to let his feelings for the wolven boy go, that it was hard to see the truth standing in front of him.

"R-Razor you..."

"I want to be your mate, like Aether and mask man," Razor said, wrapping his arms around Kazuha's smaller frame, embracing him in a loving hug. Kazuha nearly choked, feeling tears well up in his eyes as he returned the loving gesture, reaching his arms around to rest his hands on the feral boy's back.

"Razor I... I love you too" Any thoughts or doubt that clouded Kazuha's mind slowly melted the longer Razor held him in his arms. But when Razor heard the swordsman return his feeling, all he could think to do was tighten his hold on him, wishing he had a tail to wag. He pulled away and gently licked the swordsman's lips, giving him light and gentle dog kisses. Kazuha was still trying to grasp reality, but the soft touch of the wolven boy's tongue was proof that he wasn't dreaming. He felt the feral boy's hands gently hold his face, and their crimson eyes met.

"Are we... lovers now?" Razor asked, wanting reassurance in the swordsman's feelings. Kazuha took a moment to breathe before finally smiling, fighting back another wave of tears that threatened to escape, wondering if Tomo was watching him, proud to see him moving forward.

"Yes Razor, we're lovers now" Kazuha finally answered, putting his own hands over the boy's warm cheeks, pressing their lips together. A rush of electricity ran through their bodies, butterflies fluttered whirlwinds in their stomachs as a single moment felt like an eternity.