Shadow Wolf (Shinobi Saga)

by Sessha Batto

  “I'm going to ask him to marry me.” The interrogator blushed bright red and studied the floor underneath his feet.

  “What's that?” The stocky wolf sat back on his haunches, cocking his head quizzically.

  “It's like mating for life,” Makoto decided after several minutes thought.

  “You mean you want to join the pack?”

  “Yes?” Makoto almost whimpered as the rest of Yoshi's familiars, with the exception of Oushi, suddenly appeared.

  “Where's Oushi?” Konki barked.

  “With the boss and his pups,” Pi-natsu explained. “It's a good thing, too. We need to talk about this without Yoshi butting in.”

  “So what's the big deal?” Shinzui yawned. “I was taking a nap.”

  “This one here,” Pi-natsu indicated the interrogator with a flip of his paw, “thinks he's going to mate the boss and join the pack.”

  “Without even asking us?” Guruko growled. “You can't just barge into our territory. The brat is ours.”

  “I have no intention of taking him away from you,” Makoto attempted to explain. “I just want to make sure nothing else can force us apart.”

  “I don't think he's interested in something like that. No offense,” Onchu explained. “Boss doesn't trust humans.”

  “He trusts me. He told me so.”

  “Big deal.” Shinzui gave an exaggerated sniff. “He says lots of things he doesn't mean.”

  “He meant this,” the interrogator snapped. “You weren't there, you don't know what you're talking about. You're not even human, how can you possibly understand?”

  “It doesn't matter,” Pi-natsu began only to be cut off.

  “You're right,” Makoto decided. “It doesn't matter. Now get out of here, all of you. I have cooking to do and I don't need a bunch of mangy wolves underfoot.”

  “You need our help,” Onchu insisted. “We know the boss better than anyone.”

  “Out, and no put upon big sad eyes either. They won't work on me. Stop back tomorrow and I'll fix you all some steaks, I just don't have time tonight.”

  At the promise of steak Pi-natsu began chivvying the others into a group, yapping and nipping until the roiling mass of wolves slowly disappeared, protests lingering in the quiet house. Makoto quickly got to work, dismayed at how much time he had wasted arguing with Yoshi's demons and unsure whether or not he'd finish his preparations before the shadow wolf got home.

  Thankfully the elite had Mayu's twins again that day, and detoured to her house to drop them off, lingering to chat while she started dinner. He finally realized the time and hurried toward his own home, trying to remember if he had something in the fridge that would do for their meal.

  Much to Yoshi's surprise, he opened the door to be met by the smell of all of his favorite foods. “I'm home.”

  “Hello, sweetheart, I missed you.” Makoto strode out of the kitchen, giving his lover a lingering kiss before shooing him off. “Go soak while I finish dinner. I put some clothes in the bathhouse for you already. Hurry up, I need to get back to the kitchen.”

  “What are you up to?”

  “Just pampering you. Now go get cleaned up.”

  Yoshi gratefully headed for the furo, scrubbing himself clean before slipping into the hot water to soak. When he emerged he roughly toweled himself off, admiring the workmanship of the embroidered silk yukata waiting for him. He carefully slipped into it, reveling in the feel of the rich fabric against his sensitive skin.

  “Okay, all clean,” he called as he headed back toward the kitchen, only to stop in shock when he reached the lounge, eye drawn by a sea of flickering candles surrounding a mound of cushions.

  “Make yourself comfortable,” the interrogator called. “I'll be right in with dinner.”

  “Okay, what's up?” a suspicious shadow wolf demanded. The interrogator slipped onto the cushions next to him after making several trips back and forth with various bowls and platters.

  “I wanted to make you a special dinner all by myself. Just relax and enjoy for a change.”

  “It's not my birthday,” Yoshi probed. “Are you leaving on an assignment?”

  “No, no, nothing like that,” Makoto assured him. “Don't think so hard about it. Just relax and enjoy.”

  “Alright, I trust you. What did you fix?”

  “Broiled eggplant and asparagus, miso soup and okonomiyaki.” The interrogator proudly lifted the covers to reveal his hard work.

  “All my favorites. Thank you. Seriously though, what's the occasion?”

  “I did something today and I'm not sure how you'll feel about it,” Makoto admitted. “This dinner is supposed to make you more open to what I have to say.”

  “Which is?” the elite asked warily, chopsticks half-way to his mouth.

  “I know there's still time left on my year. But I was wondering how I'm doing?”

  “I don't plan on leaving you willingly, if that's what you're asking,” Yoshi assured him. “If you're asking me if I love you, I'm afraid I'm not sure what love is.”

  “I met with the council today,” Makoto explained as he pushed the food around on his plate, eyes riveted on his dancing chopsticks so he wouldn't accidentally meet the shadow wolf's eyes. “I convinced them to change the marriage laws.”

  “I don't understand. What are you trying to say?”

  “I want to marry you, sweetheart, let the whole world know you belong to only me. Would you please do me the honor of becoming my husband?”

  “I can't,” Yoshi insisted. “It isn't safe.”

  “It's no more dangerous than our living together,” Makoto retorted. “That seems to be working out.”

  “But you haven't thought this through. Eventually you'll want to move on. Being married would make that awfully hard.”

  “Stop it. If you don't want to marry me just say so,” the interrogator gritted out. “I'm not going anywhere, don't foist your fears off on me.”

  “I do want to stay with you,” the elite whispered. “I'm just afraid you'll regret it.”

  “Never, I swear.” Makoto pulled the shadow wolf into his arms for a soft, loving kiss, burying his fingers in shimmering strands as he tried to convey all the emotions he felt for his lover in this one, desperate embrace.

  ****

  Over the next three weeks Makoto repeatedly tried to get a commitment out of the elusive elite. The shadow wolf deftly avoided the entire issue, waking early to slip out to the shop and spending long hours in the furo alone. Eventually the interrogator could take no more and decided the time had come to force the issue.

  “What are you doing today?” he asked as they were eating breakfast.

  “Mayu asked me to help her take the twins to the doctor. After that I'll be in the shop. Why?”

  “No reason, just curious. Would you like to have lunch when you finish at the doctor's?”

  “I'll stop by your office before I open for the day,” Yoshi decided. “I'm not exactly sure what time that will be.”

  “That would be lovely, sweetheart. Now I have something to look forward to.” Makoto bent to give the shadow wolf a kiss, brushing the backs of his fingers over a prominent cheekbone almost wistfully, leaving the elite staring pensively at the spot he'd recently occupied.

  “Just go ahead and mate with him already,” Oushi rumbled from under the kotatsu. “You know you want to.”

  “He deserves better than me. No matter what he says now. Sooner or later he'll change his mind and then it will be too late.”

  “Don't listen to the pack, demons don't mate for life,” the massive wolf advised. “You need to trust your human instincts.”

  “I'm afraid I never bothered developing them,” Yoshi admitted. “They weren't useful. Every time I listened to them I ended up hurt.”

  “You're retired, there are no threats anymore,” the familiar insisted. “At least discuss it with your bitch, she seems sensible.”

  “And who, pray tell, is my bitch? The last time I checked there
were no women here, and if you say Makoto I swear I'll tell him.”

  “Your pups' mother,” Oushi replied with an exaggerated roll of his eyes. “I thought you were a genius.”

  “In the first place, they aren't my babies,” the shadow wolf explained. “They belong to Tatsuya and Mayu. I'm just their godfather.”

  “Father, godfather, what's the difference?” the wolf replied with a shrug. “They smell like you, that's what matters. Anyway, ask her. She'll tell you what to do.”

  “That's the problem, she'll tell me what to do, not help me figure out what I really want. I don't need a lecture on why what I'm doing is wrong. I just wish I could talk to Hideaki, he'd understand.”

  “So get one of the lazy ones to take a letter for you. They don't do anything most of the time now that you're retired.”

  “I hope you don't call them that to their faces,” the shadow wolf scolded.

  “Like I'm afraid of them,” the massive wolf retorted. “Besides, it's true. Pi-natsu's getting downright tubby.”

  “Oh ho, now the truth comes out,” the elite chuckled. “Come on, let's get going, Mayu will kill us if we're late.”

  “And you'll send a note?” Oushi prodded.

  “Yes mom.”

  ****

  After he left Mayu and the babies, the shadow wolf went to find his lover. “Hey you,” he called when he spotted the interrogator walking down the corridor. “Ready for lunch?”

  “Give me five minutes and I'll meet you out front.” Makoto hurried away to finish up, hoping that he wouldn't be coming back later.

  “Ready to go?” He was breathless when he reappeared a few minutes later.

  “What, you decided to get a little torture in before lunch?” Yoshi joked. “You look like you wrestled a bear.”

  “Ha, ha very funny.” The interrogator straightened his jacket and brushed some imaginary dust off his pants. “At least I don't have drool down the front of my shirt.”

  “That's not drool, it's vomit,” the shadow wolf decided after a moment's scrutiny. “Ko didn't like getting her shots.”

  “Ewwwww, and you didn't change it? How can that not bother you?”

  “All the nasty substances you get splattered with and a little baby puke bothers you? I can't believe that.”

  “Believe what you like,” the interrogator insisted. “That's worse than any torture.”

  “Oh, is big scary Sasaki Makoto afraid of babies?” Yoshi continued to tease.

  “Here we are.”

  “What the... why are we here?” the shadow wolf asked as he read the sign.

  “I want to get a tattoo and I wanted you to keep me company,” Makoto explained. “Don't worry. You don't have to do anything but sit.”

  “Since when do you want a tattoo?”

  “Since now. Just come on, already.”

  The elite's curiosity overwhelmed his natural caution and he slowly followed Makoto into the small shop, watching avidly as the interrogator unfastened his pants and dropped them before stretching out on the table.

  “Explain,” Yoshi demanded. “What are you doing here?”

  “I'm getting your name tattooed on my ass. Maybe then you'll believe me when I say I have no intention of leaving,” Makoto explained. “Even you should believe permanent ink.”

  Surprisingly, the shadow wolf made no further protest, watching with rapt fascination as the kanji making up his name gradually appeared on a taut cheek. “All done, try not to irritate it for the next week,” the tattoo artist warned. “Did you want one too?”

  “Yes?” Yoshi decided after a moment's thought.

  “No,” the interrogator insisted. “Not until you agree to marry me. There's no undoing this, you need to be sure.”

  “I am sure.”

  “Then why won't you say yes?” Makoto asked. “Obviously I have no intention of changing my mind about you. Are you ready to say the same?”

  “I never had any intention of changing my mind,” the shadow wolf protested. “I just wanted you to have an out.”

  “I don't want an out.” Makoto pulled the lean figure close and rubbed a comforting hand up and down his tense back. “I only want you.”

  Yoshi tilted his head against his lover's firm chest, closing his eyes and willing his heart to calm as his mind reeled with the implications of what he was considering. After a few moments he opened his eyes. “I give up,” he declared with a loud sigh. “You win. I'll marry you.”

  “Thank you sweetheart.” The interrogator bent to press his lips against a perfect plump pair, groaning brokenly as they opened immediately to welcome him inside. “You won't regret it.”

  ****

  “Let's go home and celebrate.” Makoto traced the kanji to move them there, pulling the lithe figure tightly against him as they flickered out and reappeared in the lounge.

  “I have something for you.” The interrogator reluctantly let go of his new fiancé to rummage in the pocket of his coat. “Here you go. You're tough to buy for. I didn't want to get you an engagement ring, I thought it was too girly, wedding rings are enough. But jewelry is traditional, so I thought, perhaps, a necklace... but I was afraid it would seem too controlling, you know, like a collar.”

  “You bought me a present?” the shadow wolf stammered uncertainly. “I don't understand.”

  “It's an engagement gift. To celebrate your promise to be mine always.”

  Yoshi studied the small box closely before untying the ribbon and lifting the lid. He let out a gasp as he lifted out an elaborately carved pocket watch. “One side is the Sasaki clan seal, the other is the Takahashi,” Makoto explained. “Look inside.”

  The shadow wolf opened the watch and studied the inscription. 'Always remember, with every beat of my heart I love you more'. He looked up into worried onyx eyes, studying the impassive face for signs of deception. “It's very beautiful. I'll treasure it always.”

  “Of course, now you no longer have an excuse to be late,” Makoto quipped as he pulled his new fiancé close and kissed him thoroughly.

  “On the contrary,” Yoshi murmured when the kiss broke. “Now I have the best excuse of all. I was lost in the contemplation of your love.”

  “Cheesy.” The interrogator moved to kiss his lover again.

  “Cheesy!” the shadow wolf exclaimed as he deftly avoided the arms trying to snag him. “I'll have you know that was a heart-felt sentiment.”

  “I'll admit it was sweet. Probably why it sounded so cheesy. I forgive you for being a sap though, just this once.”

  “Ha, ha, very funny. It was no sappier than the inscription.”

  “So,” the interrogator deftly changed the subject. “How soon can we do this?”

  “Get married?” Yoshi replied hesitantly. “I don't know. We don't have to make a big deal out of it, do we?”

  “Don't you want your friends to be there, sweetheart? Yuu and Shouhei would be hurt if they weren't invited, so would Hideaki and Katsutoshi.”

  “I guess you're right,” the elite admitted. “But I don't want a lot of fuss.”

  “I take it you're not planning on telling Mayu then?” Makoto retorted. “Because she's bound to try and turn this into the social event of the year.”

  “Shit,” Yoshi muttered. “I can't keep it from her. She already suspects something. She's going to turn this into a circus.”

  “So let her.” Makoto pulled his fiancé close, bending to husk in his ear. “I want the whole world to know you're mine and mine alone. Just tell her it has to be soon, please.”

  “Why soon? Is there something you're not telling me?”

  “Oh no, no, nothing like that,” the interrogator soothed, voice dropping to an erotic growl as he continued. “It's just that I don't want to wait much longer to make love to you. You're driving me insane.”

  “And why are we waiting?” the shadow wolf whispered against the interrogator's neck, sending a rush of gooseflesh across his chest.

  “Because I want to wait until
you're mine.” Makoto nipped at the long column of his lover's neck. “Only mine, forever.”

  “Possessive much?” Yoshi muttered sarcastically, but he didn't resist when Makoto easily lifted him up and strode into the bedroom, divesting them both of their clothing along the way. The shadow wolf relaxed as he was pressed into the bed by the interrogator's hard body, arching up as his mouth was plundered.

  “Totally and completely possessive,” the interrogator murmured, nipping a pale ear as he ground their hardening lengths together.

  “So now I need to give you a gift... right?” Yoshi snaked a hand between their bodies to wrap around both their erections, rubbing and squeezing the sensitive flesh together.

  “Ah... ah... I won't complain,” Makoto gasped. “But you don't have to do anything but marry me.”

  “No, that won't do at all,” the shadow wolf husked. “I need to prove I want this as much as you do.” He slid his hand lower, gently fondling his lover's sensitive sac, stroking the thickly puckered scar with a calloused thumb, making his lover press close and recapture Yoshi's lips.

  They rocked against each other, hands smoothing over all the sweat-slick flesh they could reach. The shadow wolf wrapped long legs around Makoto's waist, pressing their bodies flush and moaning when the interrogator's insistent erection rubbed against his. He broke away to gasp “more,” before diving back in for another passionate kiss.

  Makoto let out a broken groan, fisting his hand in shimmering strands, aggressively devouring the sweetness that was his intended's mouth as their hips ground together frantically.

  Eventually Yoshi's head twisted to the side and he let out a loud grunt as he came, hot spurts of warm seed shooting between the pair as the interrogator picked up the pace, twisting and writhing until ki infused fingers wrapped around his throbbing length and began to stroke. He tumbled over the edge with a roar, adding his cum to the slick mess as the lovers reengaged their leisurely tongue battle.

  After a few minutes Makoto pulled back, easily pulling the lanky elite up to join him. “Shower, now. Then we need to go to the market.”

  “I thought we were celebrating,” the shadow wolf teased, “not doing chores. You might as well go back to work.”