A low grumble left the ex-detective’s lips as his tired gaze wandered back over to the fox and the unfamiliar demon cozying up beside him. There had to be some way to return to his own time– And to the Kurama he knew. Yusuke was fairly resilient when life threw obstacles in his path, never thinking twice when he knocked each and every obstacle out of his way, but this felt different. It took every ounce of willpower he had to keep his emotions in check. He hated feeling like he’d been cast aside, but it couldn’t be helped. This Kurama knew nothing of him and the future they shared together.
Feelings aside, there were plenty of other thoughts circling through his mind that left him with a sinking feeling stirring in the pit of his stomach.
He couldn’t upset the balance of time, and he feared his presence would cause too many changes if he wasn’t careful. Hell, as if dropping into Youko Kurama’s hideout wasn’t enough. Perhaps he’d already thrown precaution out the window. It wouldn’t be the first time, and he had strong doubts about it being the last.
“Geez…” He raked his fingers through his messy hair in an attempt to comb it back into place. “Hey! HEY! I ain’t food, ya hear me? I’m just tryin’ to get back to my own time. The sooner I find a way to get back home, the sooner I’ll be outta your hair.” In the meantime, he had to find some way to earn his keep. The last thing he needed was for the two demons to deem him useless and dispose of him however they saw fit.
“That loud and clear enough for ya?”
“Recovery is pain. What would you like me to do? Dilute it in amazake? I didn’t know you were a kit.” Secure as they were in their room, it was hard for Kurama to keep up any semblance of cold indifference. That was for intimidation, for reputation. With Kuronue, it was only achievable when he was actually annoyed. He was too amused for that, even with the human watching. He flashed a fanged smile, too sharp to feel friendly.
He hummed in consideration at his partner’s suggestions. Slavery, in Kurama’s opinion, was always out, even if the bat thought it a viable solution. Servitude, yes, but ownership was a grey area he didn’t like to touch. Food though… neither of them ate human flesh, but it was fun to treat it like an option. “I’m not sure. He looks more muscle than marbling. Don’t you think?” He gave Yusuke a sideways look, weighing his reaction to see if it was funny enough for not jump to punishment.
Thankfully for the poor human, Kurama’s curiosity for humans won out over his more torture-oriented habits. “You will have to prove that you’re not meat, little mouse.” He mused, crossing his legs elegantly. “I think you could provide a hearty meal for some of our more ravenous men…?” Again, not that he would allow that. There was just something viscerally dirty about human flesh and blood being spilled in his den. He tilted his head this way and that like he was musing. “Or perhaps…”
He stopped, quickly flicking his ears, then face back to Yusuke. What was that he’d just said? He’d mentioned some odd things the night before, but, as he’d said, he’d now been speaking loud and clear. “Time?” Home had been discussed, but this was a different element all together. “Now that’s interesting.”
“Yes, I would,” he retorted. Kuronue hated his partner’s nasty concoctions. They helped almost instantly, but they tasted fucking awful. It couldn’t be helped - he just dealt with it and rinsed his mouth with water.
He chewed on the tooth cleaning tablets and grabbed his teeth-cleaning brush. Kuronue hadn’t cared about his teeth before he’d started gaining more understanding and awareness. That came with power, becoming less like a mindless creature who ran on instinct and more like a creature of intellect.
The tall bat laughed around his teeth-brush at Kurama’s joke and at the human’s indignant squawking. They wouldn’t eat him. Kuronue had no qualms selling him into slavery, or using him if he proved useful, but they wouldn’t eat the young thing. Violet-indigo eyes narrowed as he settled his gaze on his partner, brushing his teeth. They had been together long enough now that he didn’t doubt Kurama would prove to have the soft spot.
Kuronue seemed like the easier going of the two, more prone to charm and laughter. But he was also with little empathy. He used people he thought were useful -- but he was fiercely territorial of people and possessions he considered his. Kurama seemed cool, but of the two of them he was certainly going to allow the human to remain for his own protection.
He scrubbed the now-wet powder into his teeth before rinsing out his mouth with a pitcher of water. Kuronue took a long swallow from the rim of the pitcher and returned his teeth-cleaning brush to its case. The water dripped down his chin and he wiped at it with the back of his forearm as he settled his gaze on the strange element. “The human is loud and obnoxious, but awfully calm for having spent a night curled up in our den.”
The pitcher was returned to the stand next to the accompanying wash basin. He let his wings hang a little more open rather than draw them tight, making himself look larger as he prowled towards the human.
“We could sell your body into slavery, human. Allow our men to eat you. Or perhaps merely end your life -- yet you’re not afraid. You managed to pass my magic barriers, and my partner’s physical ones. That makes you interesting.”
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