CH6 Innocent As Heaven

Continuing Laurence’s POV:

"Well you're free now, you can go home to him. Keep that as a gift," I suggested. He looked towards the cloak then nodded before he looked at me and shifted nervously.

"W-well... you see.... I don't know how to get home," he told me. "I've never been outside the shrine's gardens...." He blushed as he admitted it then rubbed the back of his neck. "I have no clue where I even am."

"Well.... that'll be tough for me to get you home if you don't know...." I whispered. "It's cloudy for me too like I don't take you back." He whined and looked a little sad to hear it.

"So... I'm not going home?" He asked me, frowning. "I won't be reunited with my master?"

"Not until I figure out how to get you back," I told him. He whimpered but nodded.

"Okay," he whispered then walked closer to me. "I'll stay with you until then. I owe you a lot for my rescue, so I'll stay by your side until it's time for me to go home."

"Well let's get into the car before my demon comes back," I told him. He growled then.

"That demon is trouble. He's Calix, Insanity's Demon. He makes crappy deals," he warned me then looked towards the woods. "He's scum...." He looked back at me then smiled happily before he glowed and the cloak fell to the ground. He poked his little white fox head out from under it then shimmed out from under it before he ran up to me and sat at my feet. "I think I'll stay like this though for now... so I can be closer to you. I'll tolerate this form for now... and I don't want your maker to freak out." I scooped him up as well as the cloak and got into the car.

"My maker wouldn't mind anyways," I promised. "He's had quite a shock though tonight...." I trailed off. "So Calix is my demon? He's pissed he won't get my soul is all."

"Yes, he can't break the contract with you," he told me and looked up at me from my lap then started to lick his paw before he gagged and quit, looking disgusted.

"Don't worry. We'll wash your fur when we get to my maker's castle..." I whispered. He gave me a pleased look then nodded before he crawled up me and got onto my shoulder, nuzzling his furry little head against me.

"Mkay... I feel really safe with you," he mumbled absentmindedly like he was surprised a little. "You remind me of Inari...." He made a happy noise then nipped at my ear playfully. I laughed and pulled my head away from his jaws.

"You'll be safe with me," I promised. "For as long as you stay with me." He yipped excitedly then got closer to me, snuggling up to me.

"I will?" He asked happily. "I'll be safe with you? No one will steal me away again?"

"You'll be safe forever." I kissed the top of his head. He gave me a sweet look and then pawed at my face again, growling playfully.

"I think Inari would be okay with me staying with you until we find out how I get home," he said and flicked his ears. "He'd be happy that you're taking care of me, not someone else. He'd approve."

"You think so? Makes me feel better then." I purred to him. "I'll just keep you," I teased. He yelped and stopped playing with my face, watching me before he started to shrink back a little on my shoulder. "Or I won't," I sighed out. "I'll find a way to bring you back to Inari." He watched me then laid his ears back a little before he snuck up to me again, smelling me.

"W-well... I-I should really stay though.... You've got that demon after you. You need me to protect you from it... and I need to repay my debt to you... and it's unlikely I'll get home. Inari will look for me though... so I'll stay till then," he promised me and then perked his ears up as he watched me with a sweet look. "It'll be fun! I've never been outside the garden before~"

"Well we could wait for him to find you," I suggested. "Meanwhile you can help me with my demon problem." He nodded and then started to paw at my hair, giving a playful growl before he started to bite at it. I gasped and leaned away from his jaws again.

"Hey, watch it!" I hissed. "That's my hair. I like it green." He laughed and then smelled me before he started to lick my cheek, moving closer to me. I pulled him closer to my chest and hugged him tightly. He stopped and smelled me again before his entire body relaxed and he looked up at me with a happy look in his eyes. He licked my cheek one last time before he pawed a little at my chest then snuggled up to it, laying his head over my heart. I purred with delight, wondering where my maker was at. He was taking forever....

~~~

After a few minutes, he walked out, running his fingers through his hair. He walked up to the car and paused as he watched the little fox nestling against my chest. He laughed and then leaned in, looking at him. "He's actually real cute," he whispered then rubbed his head. "I wouldn't mind keeping him around if we can't find out where he belongs. He'd make a great pet for you. He'd teach you some responsibility before you can become a maker which will be good for you."

"Yeah," I nodded in agreement. "I'd love to keep him but I think he really wants to return to someone called Inari." He frowned then.

"The rice god in Japan?" He asked me, looking skeptical.

"You know him?" I asked.

"I know the legends. He's a rice god in Japan, usually shown with white foxes called kitsunes," he informed me calmly. "There are other kitsunes, but they're more mischievous than his foxes."

"Well I think he belongs there then, in a garden...." I frowned. Looks like I'll lose him quicker than I imagined. He frowned then.

"I don't think that the legends are real though." The fox perked it's ears up and looked at Silas.

"No, they're real," he spoke up, making Silas jump. He hit the top of the car with his head then groaned, backing out.

"Fuck," he groaned and held his head in pain. The fox laughed at him then nuzzled his head into my chest and playfully nipped at me.

"He's funny," he whispered to me then looked up at me sweetly before he licked my cheek and yipped happily. His eyes looked a lot brighter than they had back in that horrid place, seeming to be doing better with me. He started to crawl up my chest again and up to my neck then slipped his body in the collar of my shirt, poking his head out as he snuggled up against me. I could feel his paws were a little cold from the outside air. "Sorry... it's just a little cold," he mumbled to me then pressed his nose up against my chest as he laid his ears against his head. "I hope you don't mind."

"Next time go in from the bottom," I pleaded and rubbed his head. "You're very silly and dirty.... I'm going to have to take a shower after I bathe your fur clean.. Oh well... I suppose it wasn't avoidable." I looked towards my maker. Is he going to drive us home yet? He watched too as Silas rubbed his head then glanced at us. He frowned and then sighed.

"I know what that look is," he mumbled then pulled out his keys and got into the driver's seat. "Yes, I'll take you two home. I expect you to take good care of the fox too, Laurence. We don't know if Inari will come looking for him or if you are going to be able to keep him for a very long time." The fox watched Silas putting the key in the ignition curiously then growled as the car started. He slipped further into my shirt so that only his head and ears were out of it and curled his body up into a ball against my chest. I could feel his fur rubbing against my skin as he breathed softly, his body rumbling with his growls. Silas glanced at him and smirked. "Oh hush, you'll be fine. Do you have a name?"

"Ritoru," the fox said quietly, his growls subsiding. "You may call me Toru though if you'd like." He relaxed slowly as Silas nodded.

"Alright... We'll have to introduce you to everyone tomorrow night," he whispered and then started to drive us away from the place. Ritoru looked out the window in wonder and slowly edged his body up my chest more to free his neck up from my shirt. He perked his ears up, tickling my chin as he flicked them slightly.

"Don't worry. We're safe inside the vehicle," I told him and gave a playful purr. "I'm going to take very good care of you Toru, you'll be pampered and you'll almost be as rich in admiration as Toma is.... Probably more because you're so sweet." He looked towards me and then licked my cheek quickly before he laughed and then placed his paws against my chest and started to lick my chin then once on my neck before he smelled me.

"I'll do my best to make you happy then," he whispered happily to me. "I'll protect you from that evil demon."

"I'll have a maid set a room up near mine," I suggested to him. He nodded and then licked my cheek again.

"Okay," he said and then sighed contentedly before he sniffed my ear. He gave a playful growl then nipped at it, his sharp little teeth scraping against my earlobe. I gasped and stuffed his head down my shirt quickly and covered up the top of my shirt so he couldn't slip his head back out. He yelped and I felt him shifting against my chest, whining loudly before he nipped at my chest to get my attention. His tail brushed against my stomach as he brought it closer to his body and whimpered. I laughed and refused to let him back out. He whined again and then nipped at my chest before he pawed at my belly, trying to push his head back out. He whimpered and nipped at my chest again, this time licking it then sucking gently on it, trying to win his way back out of my shirt. I gasped and quickly started to yank him out from the end of my shirt.

"TORU!" I screamed and laughed. "Stop!" He wagged his tail and gave me an innocent look before he licked my hand then managed to get out of my grip and was back against my chest, snuggling against it. I growled a little and exposed my fangs. "Don't you dare," I warned him. He looked up at me and curled up against my chest.

"Do what?" He asked innocently, looking towards my fangs then up at me. "I'm not doing anything."

"You know what you were doing," I grumbled to him and looked away. He laid his ears back as he watched me then slipped away from my chest, moving down to my lap then looked at the floor before he jumped down to it and curled up at my feet. He yawned cutely then licked his paw as he stayed down there. Now he chooses to keep his distance? I looked away and frowned slightly. I should find his master quickly and let him go home happy. He laid his head down against his paws then stared at the side of the car before he flicked his ears and closed his eyes, taking a nap.

Silas glanced over at me after a few minutes and frowned, noticing my uneasiness. "Are you okay?" He asked softly.

"Just thinking about how I'll get him home," I told him. He nodded and looked back towards the road.

"So... you're going to return him then? I thought you'd like to keep him. He seemed happy enough, but if you think he should go home... then I'll put him on a plane to Japan and have someone go with him," Silas whispered to me. "I was planning on letting him stay, but if you don't want him to, then it won't be too much trouble for me to get him back to his home. I'm sure there are some people in Japan that know about his shrine and could help one of the servants help find Toru's way back. It might be in his best interest... since how we know nothing about him... and he belongs to a god's shrine. After all, fate works in mysterious ways. They'll rip you out of your home one moment then have you put right back in it, just smarter and more wary for the future."

"I don't want him to go there with a servant! If he's going to Japan to look for his god then I want to go and help him." I looked at Silas with a serious expression. Silas frowned slightly at me.

"I can't just send you to Japan," he told me firmly. "It wouldn't be right. I'd need to watch you, but I need to be here... so I'll send him with Esther since how you can't send him with a servant."

"No, I want to go with him. Silas, I'm mature." He shook his head.

"You're only a few days old! You're not going! I'll send him with Esther and that's the end of it," he told me firmly, giving me a serious look that told me not to question him. I frowned as my very being told me not to argue back since he gave me that look. I glared him down instead. He stared me down then pulled the car over. I kept my eyes on him, fuming with rage to object to his 'end of it' speech. "What?" He asked, his voice dripping with danger.

"You know," I told him softly.

"Know what?" He challenged me.

"You know it's not the end," I challenged.

"I'm your maker and I say it's in your best interest to NOT go to Japan," he told me firmly, staring me down.

"Then come with me and leave Lyle in charge," I begged. His expression softened a little as he watched me, but I could tell he was still not backing down just yet.

"Why?" He asked, keeping his voice strong.

"Wouldn't it be a fun vacation and you'd see a friend home?" I asked.

"He's not my friend. He's some fox we rescued. There's a difference," he told me sternly.

"He's not just a fox. He scared away my demon and he can transform into a humanish form. Oh and he like us. We have to go instead of Esther. Plus we can eat some sushi over there and go to one of those anime theatres." I begged him and grabbed his hand. "Please Silas? I won't ask for anything else." He tensed up and looked towards my hand then at me before he sighed and looked out the window, thinking hard.

"Is there really a demon?" He asked softly. "You keep saying demon, but you haven't really explained to me."

"Oh that's right, you don't know do you?" I asked him. "A demon of insanity came to me while I was at my lowest in the asylum and promised me freedom if I gave him his soul... So I made the deal as a human and he killed everyone there.... slaughtered them and gave me my path out of that place. I started to run from him in fear and well that's how I ended up in the road..." I trailed off as I remembered everything, the pain of the impact and how angry the demon was at me. "He was pissed off when you turned me into a vampire. Now he can't have my soul unless I die in this form.... He showed up before we got in the car and that little guy in the floor chased him off for me." He nodded and then ran his fingers through his hair.

"Damn..." he whispered then glanced at me. "You really do have a demon after you, huh? Well..." He looked down at Toru at my feet then groaned, rubbing his neck. "Shit. I owe it to him, don't I? Fine. We'll go to Japan, but we're only staying until he gets returned. As soon as he's back in his shrine, we're on the plane back home," he told me firmly.

"Okay," I agreed and gave him a huge smile. He smiled softly at me then pulled out his phone.

"I'll buy us some plane tickets for us to-"

"Lyle has a private jet, why don't you ask him if you can borrow it?" I asked. "Kingsley gave it to him as a gift." He frowned.

"How'd you know that? Oh..." He trailed off then sighed, starting to call Lyle. "Hey Lyle, I need to go to Japan. Play substitute king for me," he said, laughing.

"Japan? You're going on a vacation without me?" Lyle asked. "Now that's just unfair. You better take Charles and Laurence with you! I'm not watching them cut each other's throats for your attention on the phone when you call to check up on them. Oh and Silas, you want to use my private jet? That'll cost you. How about I take a shirt from your room that I really like?" Silas frowned.

"First, it's not really a vacation. I'll explain why it's not when I get home. Two, I was planning on taking the two of them. Three, I didn't even ask to use your jet yet! You can't have one of my shirts! You'll take my favorite anime shirt!" He whined.

"What? You mean I can't have the Black Butler one? Man! I was going to frame that reward on my wall over my bed..... You can still use my jet anyways. One of the butlers is certified in flying it as well."

"Oh... okay, I'll use it then. Ask the maids to start packing my fledgling's bags for me, will you? Get Pierre ready too. I don't want Charles to get hormonal without him," Silas purred with a smirk. "Meet me in my study when I get home. I'll show you why we're going to Japan."

"Oh boy, is it some anime con?" Lyle teased Silas. "I'll get it set up for you and meet you in the study."

"Thanks Lyle," Silas purred then hung up, starting to drive us home quickly. "That settles it. We'll go to Japan~" He told me with a smile. "Hopefully it won't take too long to find Toru's shrine."

"We should let the vampire king of Japan know we're visiting. He might even help us find the shrine," I suggested. He nodded.

"Good idea," he whispered, watching the road. "I guess it's a good thing we're doing this now, not later when you've gotten attached to him. The goodbye would be harder for you."

"I know," I whispered. "Probably for him too. I don't want to anger a god either. We need to try our hardest to get him back to the shrine so we don't look bad in a god's eyes." He nodded.

"Yeah... just know that even if you're not going to see him again and you manage to get really attached to him before we find his shrine... it's not the end of the world. He'll be happy in his shrine, and I can get you a pet of some sort to keep you company and help heal the pain," he whispered. I nodded and looked my little companion over before scooping him off the floor and placing him back in my lap.

"I'll just have to visit him in the future if I get attached," I decided. "I'm sure the god won't mind." He shook his head.

"I doubt he will mind," Silas purred then smiled. "We'll have fun over in Japan too."