Sex wasn't necessarily a big deal for demons and often different types copulated for pleasure just as humans did. Mating was different, however, and the other night Hizashi had offered her his essence and she had accepted.
It might have been a mistake, but neither had ever felt this way about another before. Since both of them had been alive for quite some time this meant a lot. They wanted, felt like they needed, to salvage anything and everything they could from whatever time they had together. Hizashi was adamant that the choice had been a good one, yet he was now horribly invested in a situation that was more than likely going to end badly. He felt remorse come the morning, and he wasn't sure how to handle that.
"Now you <i>really</i> need to eat well," he fussed as they heard Aizawa yawning in the shelter. "I won't let him starve you."
"Zashi," she sighed sadly, touching his face with a cold hand, "you can't fight. I don't want to see you hurt."
The night's rain had eased up in the early morning hours and stopped as dawn streaked the sky. The forest was sodden an uninviting, but they knew they would be heading into it after breakfast. They waited and eventually the human that controlled them stuck his head out and looked around.
"Lot of thunder last night," he remarked blandly, staring at Hizashi.
The thunder demon turned red and squared his shoulders. "And?"
He raised his eyebrows but said nothing else. He did, however, offer food to them both this morning. Elly took the rice and dried fish with such a relieved expression he managed to look a bit uncomfortable. "Not hungry?" He asked the male demon when he didn't immediately eat.
"Huh? Oh, no, it's - I'm fine!" Hizashi had been lingering over his food, hoping to give some of it to her. He bit into his rice ball and chewed.
"We're going to stop at a local wood cutter's village close by. You'll need to hide your demonic characteristics in order to pass unnoticed."
Elly curled her tail around herself under the robe he had given her without protest. "I can't hide my ears unless you have extra cloth to tie around my head."
Aizawa handed her a kerchief. While she was tying it about her head Hizashi shrugged and looked down at himself. "I can pass, right? If they don't look too closely at my eyes, that is."
He nodded. "All right. Let's go."
She hadn't realized how rowdy the men would be. As they walked down the single, muddy path lined with wooden huts the men whistled and called out, excited by a female in their midst. Hizashi's face took on a scowl and he stood close by her side as Aizawa questioned several of the workers sitting around outside what passed for a bar there.
"Hey! How much to rent this one?!" One of the more drunken men shouted in their direction. She tried to ignore him, but he stepped close and grabbed for her.
"Back away," Hizashi growled in a low voice. His anger was real, but the fact that he didn't meet the other man's eyes made it less threatening. "Damn it. Aizawa!"
"What? Y'not renting? Selling?" Elly hissed in disgust and tried to capture Aizawa's attention, unsure of what he would do but certain he didn't want someone taking his prisoner away. She could clearly see the fleas poking out of the man's beard.
"No. Go away."
"Aizawa!"
"Hey, is it free?!"
That was it. Hizashi had called out twice with no response and he was not going to let this person scare his mate. He flashed the drunkard a quick, angry stare. "That's my <i>wife</i>, you swine," he told him firmly. "Now back off, or I'll gut you."
The man stumbled back into the mud and scrambled off, terrified.
"Little trouble?" Aizawa's mouth twitched.
"How long were you standing there?" Elly asked him.
"Your wife, huh."
"I had to say something." Hizashi shrugged, trying to affect an air of indifference.
"Sure."
"Did you get what you needed?"
"I think so." The human was staring speculatively at Elly. "Maybe."
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