Lost & Found
~Amiko

    The relative silence of the wooded mountain was quelled as two quarreling voices rose up from beneath the foliage, two male voices making their way down one of the many deer paths. One voice sounded out indignantly.
    "I knew where I was going."
    "Oh, sure."
    "I don't need your help! I would've found it eventually."
    "Right. Like last time, when you promised to back me up in that fight, and ended up wandering all the way to the northern fortress. Idiot."
    "Who're you calling an idiot?? Prepare yourself, dog!"
    "Who're you calling a dog, fang boy??"
    Sounds of a scuffle broke out. Branches shook as bodies were slammed against trees, dust rising into the air from the furious fight done on ground level, invisible to anyone with a bird's eye view. Finally things seemed to calm down once again, and after a little while longer, the voices continued down the path.
    "Look, how many times do I gotta tell you? You go south. The den is south of your hut. If you can even find your own hut."
    "I know that! I was just sidetracked."
    "Sidetracked my ass. You got lost. Just admit it for once."
    "I wasn't lost! Your stupid waterfall is just impossible to find."
    "Not when you have explicit fucking directions!"
    "'Head south until you reach the waterfall'. You call those 'explicit directions'?"
    "A dog could find the place better than you."
    "You should know."
    More scuffling commenced, this one ending in a startled yelp.
    "What the hell's wrong with you?? You bit me!"
    "You deserved it, you ninny."
    "Only mutts and girls bite. Look at that!"
    "Oh, quit being a baby. It's not even bleeding."
    "It is!"
    "Oh, for the love of... what do you want me to do, lick your wound?"
    "Get off, you pervert!"
    "Whatever. You want me."
    "I'll kill you."
    Laughter, teasing but not unkind, floated up in the air. "You're cute when you blush, fang-boy. And you do it so often."
    "Oh, stuff it." The retort was muttered and only a little sullen.
    There was a break in the trees suddenly, the wild growth of the woods interrupted by a rushing river.
    Two young men emerged from the woods, looking a little bruised and ruffled from their fighting. Anyone with eyes could see right away that there was something very strange about the picture.
    One of them was obviously human, despite the sharpened canines. A human male, well-built but young, his ragged dark bangs kept out of his face with a black and yellow bandanna. But beside him stood what was unmistakably a demon of some sort. The pointed ears and wild look to his eyes gave it away even before his predatory stalk-- like that of a wolf's.
    The demon pointed towards the waterfall crashing down into the river, his proud face wearing an expression of slight scorn and triumph. "There, you see. How the hell could you miss it?"
    The boy glared first at the waterfall, then at his companion. "Shut up. You live here, of course you know where it is."
    "Whatever. Look, try not to beat the snot out of my pack-mates this time, will ya?"
    "They're the ones who keep saying you should serve me up for dinner," the human snapped.
    "They're joking," the demon reassured him, flapping a hand carelessly. "They wouldn't mess with my mate. They know I'd rip their throats out."
    "I can take care of myself," the boy retorted, then added with a slight flush, "And who says I'm your stupid 'mate'?"
    The demon moved faster than any human could. He whipped out an arm and snagged the boy by the front of his shirt, dragging him close so they were pressed tight together. "Oh, but you are," he said firmly, eyes dancing with mischief. The boy tried to protest, but his words were gagged by an insistant tongue forcing its way past lips and teeth to investigate a warm, moist mouth.
    "Pervert," the human said, without force, when the kiss was finally over.
    "Feh." The demon only smirked in a superior manner. "You know you like it."
    "You wanna fight?"
    "Is that all you think about?" the demon demanded.
    "Koga," the boy said pointedly, "you're the last to talk. You go out of your way to pick fights with that guy, what's his name, the dog guy..."
    Koga's lip curled in disgust. "That mangy mutt Inu Yasha? Hn. He's beneath my notice." He showed where his 'notice' was by seizing a firm handful of butt and pulling his self-proclaimed "mate" even closer. The boy yelped and blushed to the roots of his hair.
    "Knock it off!"
    "Why? You don't mind when we're in the dark," Koga pointed out with a leer.
    "Your stupid 'pack' can see us," the boy hissed, struggling to pull away.
    "So? They know you're mine."
    "Look, you..."
    "Come on, Ryouga," Koga snickered. "Loosen up a little." And he planted another sloppy kiss on the lost boy's mouth. Ryouga struggled just a little bit-- just to make his point --before responding to the kiss.
    "Stupid mutt," he muttered against the firm mouth.
    The lips against his quirked in another smirk. "Stinking human."