Xun decided against bringing Huli with him today. 

He forgave him for what he did the day before because of the circumstances of the lantern festival only happening once a year, but he wouldn't forget to dole out a punishment for having stolen his body on his literal birthday! 

And in such an underhanded way...

Sighing, Xun rode with Ling as they headed to have tea with one of the generals he'd served with while at the border. The man was quite a bit older than him but his mind had not faded one bit. 

He looked forward to seeing him, and at the same time, he also looked forward to not having to deal with his pesky fox for once. He'd reset his tethering spell so that the demon could not step foot out of his private pavilion. 

It was more freedom than he deserved, since it gave him access to several rooms, and even the back washing courtyard, but it was easier to just encompass that entire area over piecing it out. 

He also hadn't had much time to recast the spell, as he'd been summoned for the event with only just enough time to actually get there without being late. 

Now that he thought about it, it was a bit odd to give him so little time to prepare. 

I guess I'll see when we arrive. 

"Your highness, something seems a bit odd," Ling noted, drawing a smile to Xun's face as he turned away from the window of the carriage to look across at his servant. 

The man truly was too smart. 

Xun leaned back in his seat and nodded. 

"The invitation seemed simple enough. Though the writing was a bit hurried, it was definitely his," Xun said nonchalantly as he considered the situation. 

He wasn't worried about anything violent taking place, however, and even if it did, he didn't doubt his skills. He would handle whatever happened. Though he was feeling a bit more tired than usually. No doubt from Huli having taken his body the previous day. 

They pulled up to the man's residence a few minutes later. The gate was already open and servants were standing outside, waiting to welcome them. 

Xun glanced at Ling again as their carriage door was opened. His attendant shrugged, earning one back before Xun stepped down, then held a hand out to help Ling. 

He knew that it should have been the other way around, and even a few of the servants whispered about it, but Ling clearly hadn't been feeling his best earlier with an old injury acting up, so he would see to him safely dismounting the carriage, himself. 

With that done, they both turned and followed the maids inside the main courtyard, then onward into a large dark red and gold building. The architecture was quite impressive and Xun found himself looking around, getting ideas for when it was time to renovate his own place in the future. 

"Ah, your highness! Welcome, welcome to my home!" general Chu exclaimed as he came around a corner and immediately walked over to bow and shake hands. 

"It has been too long," he said, even though Xun could have sworn that they'd only been home barely a month so far, if that. 

Xun let himself be led to a large sitting room and took a seat with Ling at the meeting table set up on the floor, crossing his legs beneath it as the maids brought in an assortment of snacks and teas. What he didn't expect, however, was after general Chu sat down, his wife and young daughter also joined them. 

Once everything was served and the greetings completed, general Chu immediately launched into praises and stories from their time at the border together. It was humbling and made Xun blush a little, especially after a few drinks, but he couldn't help but notice that something seemed a little odd. 

Why do they keep staring at my chest? 

Sure, they were meeting his eyes quite a bit, too, but every so often their gazes would trail down to the left side of his robe, almost as if expecting...

Wait a minute. 

"Pardon me, general?" 

The man had just been finishing one of his stories and gladly ceded the conversation to him. 

"Yes, lord Xun?" 

"Are you all, perhaps, curious about the little fox demon I've procured recently?" 

The family's eyes lit up like the lanterns at the festival the day before. He had found his answer. 

"Ah, yes! We were quite interested in seeing that fellow, as well as speaking with you, of course, my lord!" the general said as he clasped his hands together in excitement. 

Of course, the one time I didn't bring him. 

Even the little girl, who couldn't have been much older than seven or eight, looked excited to meet his little oddity. 

You guys don't understand how much of a brat he can be. It was best not to bring him. 

Straightening a little, Xun offered a sympathetic smile. 

"I apologize, but I left Huli at home tod—" a loud, familiar chirp had Xun flinching as his eyes widened. 

The doors behind him suddenly opened as a servant poked his head in. 

"My lord, there's is a strange little thi—ah!" before the man could even finish his sentence Huli was bounding inside, his three fluffy tails swinging like little windmills!

Unable to believe his eyes, Xun remained utterly silent until he was forced to look down at the little fox now squarely situated in his lap, looking up at him with a rather displeased expression on its adorable face. 

How did you get out of my barrier? 

He hadn't seemed even able to break his simple tether before, yet now he's suddenly here, having somehow gotten through a full scale barrier? 

An annoyed little chirp snapped him out of his distressed thoughts, bringing him back to the present... and the four pairs of eyes that were now glued to his person. 

Well, one pair was glued to his face, while the others...

Inwardly sighing, Xun glanced awkwardly sideways to Ling. The man seemed at just as much of a loss as he was. 

They wanted to see Huli, and Huli had appeared. 

Maybe he won't make a scene? 

He knew that it was wishful thinking and that he should immediately take the fox and flee, but he couldn't be rude to such an important comrade. 

Please behave...

To try and calm the clearly frustrated fox down a bit, Xun reached over and picked up a candied orange slice from the treats that had been spread out on the table. 

With a nervous smile, he offered the item to Huli. 

Normally, the brat would take almost any food item with fervor, but right now... 

He's just glaring at me. 

"Mother, look! How adorable is he?!" the little girl squealed quietly, trying to muffle her excitement behind her hand as her other one tugged at her mother's sleeve. 

The excitement, of course, was heard loud and clear, and especially by a certain pair of big, fluffy ears. 

Huli's head jerked around as one of those big ears flicked. 

Just that little look made the girl squeeze her hands together in front of her mouth and blush with excitement!

You're a brat. An absolute brat, but please,  please don't be mean! 

Turning around in his lap to face the family of three, Huli seemed to contemplate his options. Xun could practically see the wheels turning in his mind, making him even more nervous about what he might do! 

After several tense moments, Huli hopped up onto the low table and sat down on the edge, letting his tails hang nonchalantly over the side.   

The general's family ate him up with their eyes, utterly in awe of the adorable little demon. And when he suddenly gave out a little happy chirp sound? It was all over. They were in love. 

"Your highness, how did you come across such an amazing demon?" the general's wife finally asked, breaking their joyful chattering in order to gain some information about the adorable little fellow. 

Xun pursed his lips but eventually mentally shrugged. Some basic information couldn't hurt. Besides, what did it matter if he told them such things? 

"I found him wounded in my back garden. I've been nursing him back to health." 

More like he's been nursing on me, but no one needs to know that. Or hear it stated in such a way. I need to clean my mind.  

That thought had his face warming slightly as his hosts discussed the information he'd just given them. 

"Um... would it be alright if, perhaps," general Chu started, then hesitated. 

"Yes?" Xun said, coaxing him to continue. 

"Um, would it be alright if Lin-er pet him?" 

Xun furrowed his brow as he looked slightly down at Huli, then back up at general Chu. 

"I understand your interest in him, but I must remind you all that he is still a demon."

And not a weak one at all! He's not a pet! 

"You are quite right, Xun-er. He is just so adorable, it is hard not to believe that he is a simple tamed fox," the general said, earning a nervous nod from himself and Ling. 

At least he's sensible. 

"You are all welcome to look, though. He is quite beautiful and even has three fluffy tails," he said with a smile. 

He felt a nudge from Ling a moment later, drawing his attention as his servant leaned over to whisper into his ear. 

"My lord, if this old one's eyes are not mistaken, it seems like our little master now has five tails?"

Xun felt his eyebrow twitch as he counted each individual tail. 

...

"My mistake, it seems as if he has decided to sprout two new lovely tails in the last two minutes," he said awkwardly as all five, slightly smaller and slightly thinner, tails began to lift until they framed Huli's body like a blossoming flower. 

It would have been quite a cute and cool sight to see if he didn't already know the true demon lurking beneath. 

The family sitting across from him, however, was not so guarded. 

"My goodness, how beautiful!" general Chu's wife gasped in wonder. 

Her daughter appeared just as much in awe as her mother, if not more so. Even her father, the imposing general of the southern border, couldn't take his eyes off of Huli. 

Xun glanced at Ling as his servant did the same. The look in both their gazes was quite similar, too. The general's family was being absolutely scammed! 

Even though he knew this for a fact, he couldn't just come out and say so. Huli was behaving and the general's family was quite happy with him. If he suddenly tried to remove the adorable creature from their sight, stating that he was in fact a vicious, energy-sucking demon, he doubted things would go over well. 

Perhaps he's not too bad. 

Sure, he'd stolen his body the other day, again, and on his birthday, to boot, but at least he didn't go on a killing spree or try to con people out of their hard-earned money. 

Even though he's frustrating and has threatened to permanently steal my body, I still can't really see him as a danger. 

But then again, he was likely just blind, because he had, most definitely, seen Huli catch an arrow, bare-handed, the other day, then simply throw it off into the distance before proclaiming that he'd hit his target and that their assailant was dead. 

I really need to start taking him more seriously. 

He also should start really thinking about executing him, too, since he was clearly becoming far stronger than he'd thought he would be. That would be the end result for him either way, anyways. There was no chance that the emperor would just let him keep a fully-healed demon, and if he found out that Huli could change into a human, let alone possess a body? 

Xun gave his head a little shake before he noticed something that had him frowning. 

General Chu's daughter was feeding Huli bites of braised beef with her chopsticks, and the fuzzy little brat was just eating them up!

Why are you accepting food from strangers?! You're a demon around humans! They could easily be trying to poison you! And I already tried to feed you! Why didn't you just ask me to get you something else?! 

Feeling a nudge against his knee, Xun glanced to his side again. The worried look from his servant quickly had him calming himself down again. 

Oops. 

For the rest of their meal Xun tried to focus on anything but the fox sitting directly in front of him on the little table, happily getting treats from everyone but him. 

He even turned around at one point and accepted a crispy seaweed roll from Ling! 

When they were finally sent on their way home, with an armful of extra snacks and treats for his adorable baby, Xun felt like he'd just been rescued from a bloody battle but was still being chased by a cavalry!  

"Your highness, please try to calm down. You look like you might catch a fever if you stress too much more," Ling said as he settled beside him and lifted a hand to press against his forehead. 

"...perhaps my warning was a little too late." 

Xun brushed away his hand and leaned against the side of the carriage. 

"It's fine. Yesterday is probably just catching up with me."

It was definitely likely that the previous day's possession, then staying out quite late, really had caused him to earn a bit of a fever. 

"I'll just rest when I get home."

With that discussion over, Xun allowed his eyes to close as he felt Huli move a little within his robe. The fox could no longer fit all of its tails inside, so it was forced to leave them hanging out, making for quite a sight for those not used to his little friend. 

"Xun-er?" 

I'm tired, Huli. I cannot afford to feed you right now. 

A quiet growl met his ears before he felt cold fingers press against the side of his face, then his forehead. Those fingers soon found their way to the gentle pulse in his throat, then down further to his chest and belly. 

"Perhaps I overestimated him. He might not be strong enough to help me finish recovering..." 

Xun coughed lightly, then licked his dry lips. 

"Xun-er, you are upsetting me."

Huli's stern tone made Xun try to open his eyes, but it felt as if there were weights attached to their lids. 

Another growl soon echoed around the room, proving that his demon was quickly losing patience. Xun clenched his jaw and slowly rolled over onto his side. 

"Xun-er, I have a question for you..."

Pressing his damp forehead to his blankets, Xun tried his best to get his arms beneath him and push himself up, but his body just wasn't cooperating. 

"Hey, Xun-er? Who in this palace is stronger than you?" Huli whispered, his breath warming Xun's ear even as it sent a shiver down his spine. 

Xun forced all of his energy into his arms and finally managed to sit up, though he soon found himself tilting to one side... until something firm stopped his slow-motion fall. 

"Huli..." he rasped before coughing quietly. 

He felt the man nuzzle against his hair, a content growl humming through his body. 

"Yes, my Xun-er?" 

Clenching his sweaty fists, Xun forced one eye open, then slowly managed the other before lifting his heavy head to meet Huli's cold gaze. 

"I..." he started, panting quietly as he tried to maintain enough air in his lungs to keep speaking. 

"I... am the strongest one here, you damned fox! If you need someone to feed from, I'm the one you want!" 

Xun promptly fell forward after his little exhausted rant. Huli caught him, but judging by the slight pain from his grip on Xun's shoulders, he wasn't happy with his little outburst. 

"You? You're half dead right now. What good are you to me in such a state?" 

This darn fox... has no patience at all! 

Blinking away the tears that had formed while he'd shouted and blurred his vision, Xun shook his head against Huli's firm chest as his hands shakily pressed against his cool skin. 

He was just about to try and lift his head again and say...something, when he felt a faint vibration that just didn't seem to fit the tense situation. 

Is he... laughing? At me? 

He waited and listened for a few moments, then felt his tired heart squeeze in his chest. 

Was he just messing with me? He woke me up when I was sick to scare me half to death? 

He really was laughing. 

It shouldn't have surprised him since he'd known, right from the beginning, that the little fox was a demon. 

You shouldn't be upset about this. You've been at war for the past two years, guarding the border against our enemies and dealing with countless demons. You've even killed tons of them. Hundreds. He's just a demon, taking advantage of you! He probably is just doing this to get back at me for trying to keep him here today. 

Xun sniffed to try and keep his runny nose from dripping. 

My head hurts. 

His stomach hurt a lot, too. 

"Xun-er, surely you know another strong human? I don't like waiting to feed," Huli said, his tone teasing as he sifted his fingers through his long hair. 

Xun felt moisture slip from his eyes again, but he didn't bother lifting his aching arms to wipe it away. Soon, more tears joined the first, then when Huli reached up to settle a hand beneath his chin and lifted it, Xun just let his emotions out without any further restraint. 

That left him an absolute crying mess sitting in Huli's naked lap with only a pair of pants between them, haphazardly settled low on his waist. 

"X-Xun-er?" Huli questioned, his laughing having stopped as soon as he'd burst into tears. 

When Xun couldn't get control of himself and began gasping while still sobbing, Huli grabbed his shoulders and shook them, then tapped the side of his face a few times, clearly trying to snap him out of it. Nothing seemed to work as Xun lost himself in his hysteric crying. That is, until, he felt Huli press a soft piece of fabric beneath his nose to wipe it clean, then leaned forward to seal his mouth over his own.  

"Enough, Xun-er," he whispered after allowing him a breath a few moments later. 

He started hiccupping and shivering as his breathing quickly picked up again with his mouth having been freed, more from nerves from the kiss over being teased now, but Huli wasn't interested in anymore tears and quickly sealed his mouth again. 

Then again. 

Then again. 

After the last kiss, Xun finally managed to calm his breathing, but then he felt an uncomfortable tightness in his stomach. 

It hurts...

It had hurt a bit earlier, too, but now that he'd calmed down after being stressed, it was really starting to feel painful. 

Huli looked like he could tell that something else was wrong, but wasn't quite sure. Xun realized faster, but right as he opened his mouth to tell the man, his stomach decided that it could no longer wait. 

At that exact moment, Xun puked their previous meal up all over Huli's bare chest, then promptly swayed to the left, then to the right, before passing out completely.