And I'm back with more Hoohaku/HakuOni. I don't know why but I have a lot of One-Shot planned for those two. Well, I guess that it's great. Thus, I'm working of the sequel of "Incense", called "Slow Burning" and it's going pretty well. Without forgetting the sequel of this One-Shot. Because I can't let them like that, it feels unfinished.

I'll cut the unneeded chitchat and go to the interesting parts: I wanted to write this story because I got a review where someone told me that Hōzuki could still be in character even if he were to do what he does in this story. (Trying not to spoil... It's hard) Thus, I got this idea. And then, there was the OS of Allen. Nara, "Of Challenges and Seduction" (go read it, it's really good!) and it inspired me for a certain scene here.

Also a tayu is the highest rank for a geisha.

And now I'll let you read this thing.

"I arbour feelings for you. Go out with me."

"Huh?"

Hakutaku almost chokes on his sake and he put downs his cup, his hand shivering madly as he coughs to expel the liquid from his burning lungs. In front of him, the inexpressive demon doesn't even blink and waits for his answer. Except that Hakutaku can't even master the simplest words like "can you repeat?" or even "what?".

Really, it's disheartening to see the centuries old mythical beast like that.

The demon sighs and stands, his black kimono rustling softly as he walks, bypassing the small and circular table separating them, until he's a mere inches from the Chinese. Hakutaku freezes and it is with wide open eyes shimmering with fear that he observes the other man crouch until their noses almost graze.

"Really," the demon sighs as if he was aggravated by their situation. "How can be one so dense?"

Hakutaku narrows his eyes and growls, annoyed by the man's condescending voice. However, before he has the time to answer with a witty retort, the demon adds quietly something that simply makes the Chinese's intern system shut down.

"I love you," the most feared demon in Yomi says. "Go out with me."

A small squeak comes out of Hakutaku's mouth and he's actually pretty proud of him because he thought that it was going to be a horrified scream. See? That's how you can see if a man has nerves of steel.

"W-what?" He finally says and his voice actually creaks like a pubescent boy.

It is now very obvious that Hakutaku isn't a man with nerves of steel.

The demon rolls his eyes and the Chinese feels that if they weren't having this kind of conversation, he'd have probably been kicked now.

"How many times will it takes for you to understand it, Hakubuta-san?" the other man sighs another time and Hakutaku scowls because he can feel the demon's hot breath on his face.

It doesn't smell of alcohol and thus Hakutaku can't say that the demon is drunk. And that's enough to make him literally freak out. In fact, his hands are shaking like a drunkard's would have and he feels a little bit lightheaded. For a brief moment, Hakutaku even thinks that he's so drunk that he hallucinated everything.

Except that the demon is still there in front of him and those silver eyes are still piercing holes in his shivering and sweaty flesh.

The Chinese has never felt so awkward.

"I. Love. You," the Japanese demon articulate precisely and Hakutaku closes his eyes because this is really bad for his heart. And head. And life. "So go out with me."

If this is a joke, it isn't funny. At all.

Hakutaku creaks an eye open and glares at the demon. The latter is still watching him with his coolheaded face and he went back to his seat. It's almost like he doesn't care at all about him. And yet, the demon was the one who declared his love. If this is a dream, Hakutaku really wants to wake up now.

The Chinese beast closes his eyes again and takes a deep breath. Once he's assured that he won't freak out in front of the demon (like screaming bloody murder or running around like a headless chicken), he opens his eyes and meets those silver orbs so similar to his.

"Are you kidding me?" he asks with a stern voice.

Normally, Hakutaku isn't one to talk like that. He prefers to take things lightly and this also explains his presence in the tea house at this early hour of the day. Still, he doesn't like the demon and his joke doesn't make him laugh. Hakutaku is a ladies' man. Like he'd fall for a stern faced demon who has probably a broom sticked so far up in his ass that it could come out from his mouth.

"Do I look like I'm kidding?" The other retorts and Hakutaku almost chokes on his spit because holy shit, nobody should have a face like that.

Edvard Munch's "Scream" is nothing against Hakutaku's horrified face after he's seen the secretary's extremely displeased expression. That face could put to eternal sleep psychopaths like Jack the Ripper and even give nightmares to Freddy Krueger.

Yes, it is that scaring. (And yes, Hakutaku has been watching occidental movies. The bunnies are really fond of horror movies)

Thus, the demon isn't fooling around. (Not like Hakutaku thinks that he's even able to do that. It's a freaking workaholic after all) The Chinese takes a small sip of his cup and appreciates the burning sensation of the sake falling down his throat. He really needed that.

Hakutaku slams his empty cup on the table and ignores the demon's annoyed tsk. Then, he leans his elbows on the table and puts a fake amused smile on his face. He isn't amused at all but he feels like he'd lose if he let the other man find out his shock. Furthermore, the demon is smirking at him.

That annoys Hakutaku. Why? The demon was the one who asked him to go out with him and yet the one who acts like the bashful schoolgirl in love is himself. Where did his nerves of steel and balls go? (He's kind of needing them right now...)

"So you love me," Hakutaku drawls with half lidded eyes. He yawns to show the demon how bored that makes him and hides a smirk when he notices the almost imperceptible flinch.

Great.

"Prove it," he ads and that's when everything around them stops.

The demon tilts his head, his eyes narrowing a bit while his thin lips stretch into a smug smile. Hakutaku doesn't move an inch and keeps looking at him with bored eyes even if his heart is pretty much dancing the samba in his chest. (Once he leaves the tea house, he swears, he'd check it. Those moves were impossible after all.)

"To prove it?" the demon whispers and Hakutaku nears the heart attack when he notices the Japanese leaning his torso over the table separating them until his face is a mere inches from his. "How so? Please, enlighten me, Hakubuta-san..."

Hakutaku immediately closes his eyes and repeats frantically in his head that he hates the demon. And that baritone voices aren't sexy. At all. And that he isn't blushing. Really, he's not.

The Chinese takes a deep breath and after holding it during some seconds, he lets it out. And once he feels like he isn't about to freak out (for the fifth time since the demon's declaration), he opens his eyes and smirks with contempt at the other man.

"Really," he sighs with a mocking worried face, "How can one be so dense? It should be obvious, Ghibli freak! Show me how much you love me. Convince me that going out with you would be better than with everyone else-mon~!"

The demon rolls his eyes in exasperation and Hakutaku almost freezes when he feels that hot breath over his face. It smells of tea with an undertone of sake. The Chinese licks his lips absentmindedly, wondering how it would taste like.

But Hakutaku stops thinking that when he feels foreign lips pressing harshly against his. His eyes widen in shock and the Chinese can only look at the extremely close face of the demon. The latter has his eyes open and he's actually glaring at him. Their lips don't move and neither of them wants to make the first move or stop the kiss. So here they stay, unmoving and breathing by their nose. Also, the demon's horn is hurting him.

This was probably the most awkward kiss of all the times.

And then, just as Hakutaku thinks that and even considers breaking the kiss so he can go home and wash his lips until they bleed, the demon finally moved. He tilts his head a bit to the left and the Chinese can feel his horn grazing his forehead while the Japanese's nose nuzzles softly his cheek. The demon's lips make the next move, opening the slightest bit so his fangs can peek out and he nibbles on Hakutaku's under lip.

That goes straight to his crotch.

Hakutaku takes a deep breath and the feeling of those small and yet sharp fangs nibbling softly on his lips is probably the hottest thing that he's experienced. It makes him think of his nights with Daji and the warm and tight feeling in his crotch only increases at that thought.

Except that Daji didn't nibble on his lips. She wasn't a tayu for nothing and she simply had sinful hands who could make one moan in a little to no time.

The demon opens his mouth further and Hakutaku can feel the other's tongue slowly caressing his lips, coating them with saliva.

'Okay,' the Chinese shudders and he raises his hands to put them on the demon's shoulders. 'This is getting creepy.'

He tightens his fingers around the muscled shoulders, his nails digging through the black kimono until they touch the demon's warm flesh and Hakutaku tries to push away the man. Keyword being tries.

The demon growls and his fangs pierces through the sensible skin of Hakutaku's lips. Blood seeps from his small injury and the celestial beast shivers when a tongue coated in his own blood suddenly enters his mouth and tries to coax his tongue into a dance. The Chinese furrows his eyebrows and glares at the demon. They still have their eyes open and even if their heads are a bit tilted so the Japanese's horn doesn't hurt his frontal eye, they can still met each other's gaze.

The demon is also glaring at him, his silver eyes darkening while his fangs keep nibbling on his injured lip and Hakutaku takes a sharp intake of breath when he does that. The Chinese is also relieved that during all this time they were sitting and separated by a table because it hides really well his shivering legs and his growing hard on. And yet, the Japanese seems to realise his predicament because he suddenly cuts the kiss and leans back. Hakutaku's hands don't leave his shoulders and as such, he's pulled over the table. His chin hits the wood and he winces because that will probably leave a bruise on his flawless face. He scowls and rubs softly his chin, his two hands leaving the demon's shoulders and suddenly freezes when he hears a dark chuckle.

"My, my," the demon comments with his annoying voice. Hakutaku seethes and he quickly straighten his back, his hands smoothing the front of his clothes so they hide his excitation. "What was it again? To convince you that I'm better than someone else, was it?"

Hakutaku scowls and his glare increases tenfolds when he sees the Japanese smirk smugly at him. The latter stretch slowly a hand towards him and the celestial beast observes it like it was a dangerous and contagious species.

"I think that this is proof enough," the demon continues tersely and this is more than enough to blow the Chinese's fuse.

"Shut up," he scowls and his only reward is seeing the demon's smug smile widen.

"So," the latter drawls with mirth while Hakutaku places his hands on his lap. He doesn't want the other to continue looking at his really too slowly vanishing excitation. "Go out with me."

Hakutaku rolls his eyes, sighs in aggravation and finally, finally nods.

"Why not," he answers with a small shrug. "But the moment you stop amusing me, it'll end."

"Very well," the demon acquiesces shortly and that's it.

Hakutaku is going out with Hōzuki.

The Chinese groans and he raises a hand to call one of the waitress. He really needs a drink. However, he's surprised when a hand grasps tightly his wrist and he's forced to stay put. Hakutaku glares at the demon and his breath gets caught in his throat when he sees those darkening grey eyes that are looking at him intensely.

"No sake today, Hakubuta-san," Hōzuki chides calmly. "Or you'll forget everything about our agreement."

Hakutaku pouts and leans his chin on the table.

"You're cruel," he mutters gloomily. The demon sorts softly and he suddenly stands, his tall body towering over Hakutaku's hunched frame that is almost sprawled over the table.

"I am a demon," Hōzuki drawls with a light voice before he nods curtly towards the pouting Chinese and the waitress. "Give a tea. Not alcohol."

"Yes, Hōzuki-sama!" the beautiful demoness chirps happily and she watches the Yomi head staff leaves the tea house with a big smile before she turns and looks with contempt at Hakutaku's grumbling face. "So, what do ya want?"

The Chinese scrunches his nose and furrows his eyebrows. He feels something akin to a headache begin and knowing that he won't get any sake from the tea house, he decides to call it a day. He stands up and dusts his clothes with a goofy grin, even if he really don't feel like smiling at all.

He still has to process what happened with the Ghibli fanatic. (And also get rid of those squirmy feels that he still has after that annoying demon's kiss)

"Helloooo~" the waitress waved her hand in front of Hakutaku's nose and rolled her eyes. "What do ya want?"

"I don't know," Hakutaku answers honestly.

That night, when he's back in his cold bed, the celestial beast watched with hawk eyes his phone, waiting for the demon's call. Waiting for Hōzuki to tell him that it was all a joke. And also, waiting for Hōzuki to tell him another time that he loved him.

But the demon didn't text him.

The night passed slowly and when the early sun rose, Hakutaku was at his end wits. He gnawed on his lips and glared at his phone. He could see Hōzuki's contact and their previous text but that was it.

Hakutaku hesitated. Wasn't he the one who got declared to? Hōzuki was supposed to be the one madly in love with him! The one with the whole 'Notice me, sempai!' kink! Then... why? Why was it him who got so flustered about sending a simple text?

The Chinese growled loudly and trashed in his bed, beating his pillow to a pulp. Then, when his fit passed, he caught his phone and swiftly wrote the message that he'd been thinking of.

「So we're a couple now?」

Minutes passed and Hakutaku frowned harshly. He knew that the demon had received his text, he had seen it on his screen. Then why wasn't that damn Ghibli freak answering him?

Was he snickering at him for believing his trick?

Hakutaku's frown increased tenfolds and he screamed in his pillow while he kicked his mattress in anger.

And then, just like a godsend present for the poor pillow's life, the Chinese's phone buzzed. Hakutaku literally dived and took his phone with an evil smile on his face.

"You finally answered," he chuckled darkly as he saw the demon's name on the screen. "Seems like you're a lovesick puppy waiting for my text~"

He cackled evilly and opened the text. His laugh immediately died once he read it.

「Hakubuta, unless some idiots, there are people who have to wake early to work. Please, don't text me at such a late hour.」

"Eh?" Hakutaku blinked and he carefully read the text another time. This wasn't at all what he had expected from the demon who had confessed to him. At all.

Also, his answer made him look like he was the lovesick puppy. And Hakutaku clearly wasn't the one madly in love in their strange duo. His eyes narrowed into a killer glare and he quickly wrote his answer.

「Says the one who stayed awake for two days just to dig a pit for me~ （；￣ェ￣）So, are we or not?」

This time, Hōzuki's answer came after a mere minute.

「You deserved it. And I'm trying to sleep.」

Hakutaku grumbled under his breath and snorted while he carefully sent his last text of the night.

「Hope you'll have a nightmare then. (Yes or no?)」

The phone buzzed and Hakutaku opened the incoming message, his eyes widening in surprise as he took in the sight of those pixelled hiraganas.

「You'll be in there then. (Yes)」

Hakutaku felt his face get warmer and he burrowed it in his pillow.

"Gods," his voice was muffled by the pillow but it could still be clearly heard in the bedroom. "What am I? A schoolgirl with a crush?"

Yes, he totally is. Also, I don't know if I should make this a multi-chaptered story or to make one-shots for its sequel. Help?