The story about to be told happens long before now. In the time when samurai and honor was receding into the background of Japanese society. This is a story of three boys who grew into men. And the tale of how they fell in love. The story begins as all do, at the beginning. At this time, Japan was assimilating itself into the cultures of others and times were changing. While the streets of poverty stayed the same, riches were being made elsewhere. And as anyone would know, where there is money, there is a thief there to steal it.

"Get back here you little shits!" A sweaty merchant shouted, barely dodging the car that zoomed past. Unlike the two boys he'd been chasing, he couldn't weave through the crowd so effortlessly. Panting, he watched the two boys run off with his goods, pissed that the police were too busy to even notice the robbery.

The two boys slipped into an alleyway, smiling as they noted the lack of shouts. The younger of the two, Kohaku, who was not very well known as a thief since it was his first time stealing, was having a lot of fun. At the age of seven, everything was fun. Gin, The elder, was a troublemaker well known to the neighborhood. Being only ten didn't stop him from becoming a more than usual thief in the neighborhood. He even came by sometimes just to mess with people.

Their hands full of food and money, Kohaku and Gin ran. Around the corner, past an officer guard and through the grass fields they ran with their bounty. No one could catch them. They were as free as the birds they ran beneath. Out of breath and satisfied with a day's work, Kohaku and Gin sat back in the grassy field as some of their more persistent pursuers passed them by. When the air was silent, they finally spoke.

"Why do we take their food, Nii-chan?" Kohaku asked as he rummaged through the pile of goods for a snack. "They always get angry and chase us around. Is what we do bad?" He looked up at the older boy for guidance.

"No, we haven't done anything bad, Kohaku." Gin replied already half way through an apple. "We take their food because they refuse to share. They have more than enough for themselves but insist on hoarding it all to themselves. Besides if we don't take their food, all those rich folk will get fat off their asses and never move again." He joked, bringing to mind a round as a ball figure. Kohaku couldn't help but snicker at the image. Gin followed along, his eye distant for a second as his mind wandered. What the young boy thought was not clear but he was a little less amused than his little brother. That moment went on for another minute while the two waited for the air to settle.

Yawning, Gin helped Kohaku to his feet. It was time to head home. Holding his hand, the walked the usually treacherous path to find himself in a small clearing. In the center was an abandoned hut far from the more well traveled paths. Gin had found the place by accident one day and declared it home.

It was by no mean a good hut. It was as run down as it could possibly be without falling to pieces. There were days that Kohaku thought just walking from one end to the room to the next would cause the roof to cave in but after all this time, it remained steady. The board creaked as they walked and the ceiling leaked in the winter but it was better than nothing at all.

The duo went over to store their stolen goods away for winter. As they did so, Kohaku's stomach grumbled and Gin reminded him that their brother was surely finishing dinner. This stopped him from complaining, though he really wanted to. Soon after, they walked in to main room to greet their eldest brother. The second they opened to the door, a shout filled the room.

"What did you two do now?!" Hideyoshi, their eldest brother shouted from the fire pit. He towered above them, which meant little since they were all malnourished. It was clear from the smell of the room that he had been cooking dinner before this. Despite being only fifteen, he did almost all the work for their makeshift family. While he didn't do much housework other than cooking, he was the only one making money. "And do not lie to me." He stated, brushing his hair out of his eyes.

Looking over the three young boys, it was clear they were not of the same blood. All of them were pretty in some sense, Hideyoshi being the most obvious. Long black hair that shimmered in the fading light and luminous blue eyes that drew anyone's gaze. Gin was a bit less pretty but had a charm that his youth only slightly masked. Unlike his brother, his hair was only to his shoulders, messy and wild. At a glance, it could be mistaken for black but truly was a dark brown. The most eye catching part being his green eyes, reminding most of a cat, watching from the dark. Kohaku on the other hand, was the least pretty but the most adorable. Being as young as he was, he radiated a charm that few could resist. Add to it his very light brown, almost blonde hair and big brown eyes, he was the cutest thing. For various reasons, Hideyoshi was the one of them allowed to work or to go out in public.

"Lie? I would never lie to you, Hide-nii." Gin lied, looking up at his brother innocently. "How do you know we did anything at all?" Hideyoshi did not budge, cocking a brow as if to ask 'are you seriously asking me that?' Kohaku didn't bother trying to lie, remaining silent under his brothers gaze. No matter what, Hide-nii always knew when the two had caused trouble. No matter how well they tried to hide it, Hide-nii always figured it out. As such, Hide remained silent. His glare said it all. Kohaku and Gin sobered and bowed respectively to their older brother.

"We're sorry, Hide-nii." They said in unison, looking up at the older boy pleadingly. Hideyoshi was not swayed, continuing to scowl and hold their dinner away from them. The two looked at each other and Gin sighed.

"We promise not to steal again." He promised, noting how Kohaku nodded alongside him. Silence met the promise. After a long sigh, Hide surrendered the bowls of gruel to the two children. They attacked the food with a vengeance, much to Hide's amusement. Of course the two were starving. They had to store their food for the winter, so their small snack was barely filling. Hide briefly scolded them, instructing them to sit down and eat like 'proper men', which amused everyone involved.

Their dinner was short, since they didn't have a lot of food to eat, no that any of them minded. Their conversation made time fly anyway. Kohaku asked about their eldest brother's day at work and such. He didn't know what Hide did but he had been told that the pay was great. Which mean they had just enough to splurge on sweets sometimes.

After cleaning up the mess that dinner created the brothers sat together. The three sat near the fire, huddled under their single blanket. Kohaku snuggled close to Hide, resting his head on the young man's legs as Gin leaned on his shoulder.

"You smell nice, Hide-nii." Kohaku sleepily commenting, missing the slight flinch from Hide. Gin snorted at the remark and told him not to lie and go to sleep. Hide kissed them both goodnight, letting their smiling faces be the last he saw before resting. They smelled bad in general. Sweat and dirt caked their skin and clothes but every night they slept like this. Not only to keep warm though. The best part of sleeping in such close quarters is knowing that they were safe as long as they were together. They fell asleep, content and warm.

*****

The next morning, Kohaku woke up alone. The blanket they'd shared the night before tucked away safely, far from the elements and animals and the spot beside him cool to the touch. Yawning, the little boy stretched his arms out to greet the sun. He wasn't bothered by being alone. It happened fairly often.

Hide-nii left for work at dawn everyday, so he was used to him not being around in the morning. Gin-nii was just a general loner so he went off by himself just for the heck of it. While Kohaku wanted to spend times with his brother, he understood that they had their own grownup things to do. Which often left Kohaku alone.

It basically meant he was free to do as he wished, though the one condition was that he wasn't to leave the forest. He was too little to defend himself and since the last time he went out alone, he was almost kidnapped, he knew better than to test his luck. Still, that didn't mean he'd stay indoors!

He jumped to his feet, opening the cupboard to look for some clean clothes. All of them were threadbare from frequent washings and could hardly be considered clothes but Kohaku didn't think too much about it. Nicer clothes were not something he could ever have anyway. Even Hide-nii had to borrow clothes from his work.

Finding the clothes, Kohaku left the hut with a skip in his step. Excited, he clutched the small bar of soap in his hands. It wasn't often that he found soap to bath. The little he had was just enough to get the smell off him. Hide always smelled clean and Gin never cared so it was Kohaku's personal luxury. He parted the bushes, revealing his own super secret bathing spot. Seeing it empty, Kohaku excited striped his meager clothes and jumped into the water.

The water was frigid.

He'd expected it but basked in the sting. It just meant that the bath would have to be quick. He floated in the water relaxed. He could already feel the weeks of grim sliding off his skin. Scrubbing as hard as he could, his skin was getting smoother by the second. A sound rang out.

Some distance away, Kohaku heard something. It was faint but the young boys senses told him he wasn't alone. Wary, Kohaku eased out of the water to grab a weapon. It might be a pervert, so he'd need to defend himself but stopped as continued to listen.

Someone was crying.

The sound was faint but definitely there. Frowning, Kohaku washed off a bit and followed the sound. He didn't want to waste time so he just went without clothes. He still had his stick so he could take out most threats. The sound was just beyond some bushes and what he found nearly stopped his heart.

It was a spirit.

It had to be a spirit. Something as small and sweet had to be a spirit. In the middle of the small clearing, was a mound of fabrics hiding a child within. Despite the distance, Kohaku could tell he was a boy. There was no obvious clues but his instincts told him so. The boy was sobbing. Loud enough to be heard by Kohaku some distance away but somehow still subdued, as if trying to hold it in. His kimono was trailing behind him like a tail and only his head could be scene. Long dark hair drifted down the boys shoulders, like a curtain over his colorful and beautiful robes. Kohaku had only heard of such figures in legends. Legends of gods and spirits told to scare children. Awestruck, Kohaku didn't even realize he'd stepped from behind the bushes until the boy flinched and looked up. Large violet eyes gazed up at him through the curtain of dark hair.

"Ooo, are you a Kitsune?" Kohaku guessed, drawing closer as his heart raced with excitement. He noticed that the boy's face was covered in dirt and grime. Somehow that made Kohaku feel better as he approached the boy. The boy however looked nervous and moved back. "Or maybe a spirit! You're pretty like one." The boy's face went from almost sickly pale to blood red the closer he got.

"Eep~~!" The boy covered his mouth with his robe, muttering something behind it.

"What was that?" Kohaku asked, frown as he stood a few feet from hi. "Speak up, Kitsune-san!"

"Ah! Y-you're... Y-you're naked!" The boy cried, his face flushed behind the layer of dirt. Kohaku looked down and saw that he was, in fact, still naked. What was the big deal?

"Well, yeah, of course I am! How else will i get clean if I'm not naked?" He stated as if this was obvious. Which it was really. "Do you take baths with your clothes on?"

"A bath?" The boys eyes scanned the area skeptically. "You were taking a bath? Out here?"

"Of course." He retorted, rolling his eyes. "What? You think I have a river running through our house?"

"But it's freezing out? And... and your naked! Ah!! I shouldn't be seeing another boy naked. Or is that girls? Oh, dear, these things always confuse me and-" Kohaku lost interest in this conversation and decided he wanted to go somewhere else. Grabbing the boy's sleeve, he pulled him to his feet. He was a little taller than Kohaku but that didn't matter.

"Let's go!" Kohaku said, pulling him away from the clearing, smiling as he got further away.

"G-go? Go where?"

"To the river!" He answered. He was glad the river wasn't too far from here.

"Why?!"

"To have fun!"

"W-what?"

"Trust me."

"But I..." Before the boy could let out another complaint, they reached the river. It was the same spot, Kohaku noted, seeing his wet clothes hanging off a tree branch.

"Well, here we are!" He announced as if showing off. And he was. This spot was his super secret spot. Not even Gin-nii knew about it! Kitsune-san was special.

"Quite." He replied, a bit unsure. He didn't look impressed though. He looked around with a somewhat lost expression. "Look, I don't understand why you brought me here but-"

Strip!" Kohaku suddenly ordered, smiling back at the boy. A moment of silence fell between the two.

"...Huh?"

"Strip!!" He repeated, proceeding to undo the ties of the boys lavish clothes.

"Eek!" The boy cried out in protest, though he didn't fight it. "W-what are you doing?"

"You were crying because you were sad, right?"

"W-well..." He looked away for a second before nodding. [nods]

"For me, when I'm sad, I go and play by the river." He stated, pointing to the water. He held out a hand to the boy. "So, to cheer you up, lets play in the water!"

"But... I don't want to get my clothes dirty."

"They're already dirty. You were sitting in the dirt."

"It is?!" He cried, twisting around to check. At the sight of the stain, tears welled up in his eyes, threatening to fall. "Oh! how terrible. My clothes are ruined!" Tears began to fall and Kohaku felt weird. He'd never met someone who cried this much, especially over something as small as a stain.

"They're just clothes. Just wash them." He proposed, shaking his head. He really didn't get what this fox's issue was. His clothes were always dirty but he never cried about it. Maybe it was a spirit thing?

"But... aren't' they special?" The boy ask looking up, his large violet eyes gazed up at him, vulnerable and meek. Kohaku couldn't help but think he was cute. So he smiled, watching the boy get redder by the second.

"They're nice but I think you can still wash them." He said, taking them off the boy who reluctantly let him. As soon as he was naked, Kohaku tossed his robes in the river. The boy looked aghast but held his tongue when Kohaku assured him. "Here, I'll show you how."

Kohaku took his hand and lead him to the edge of the river. While he didn't have a lot of soap, he still used most of it to wash the boy's robe. A robe as pretty as his shouldn't be left stained like that. After hanging it up to dry, Kohaku, being the child he was and chose to play for the rest of the afternoon. The sun was still high and what was better than playing with a friend?

Jumping into the chilly water, he shivered as the cold race up his skin. The boy shared his reaction but still smiled when Kohaku looked back. The two spent the rest of the day playing in the water. They also bathed each other, since they were dirty. The act was a bit intimate for two who hadn't even exchanged a proper introduction but the two didn't care. They felt close.

Kohaku had just finished washing the dirt from the boy's face when he noticed how he looked. He was a foreigner. Kohaku hadn't seen a lot of them but he knew how they looked. Still, this boy didn't look like the ones he saw in town.

"Hm." He frowned, leaning close to study his face. The boy's face got red as he moved back.

"W-what is it?"

"You look weird." He stated bluntly, ignoring the tears that filled the boy's eyes again. "Your face is all... weird."

"Eh?! Is that bad?" He asked, wanting to hide. Was he being disliked cause he wasn't Asian?

"Hm?" Kohaku frowned at his conclusion. "No, it fine." He replied, continuing to wipe the boys face.

"But you said-"

"I said you look weird but you're a kitsune, right?" He said, nodding at his own conclusion. Spirits take on different forms so maybe they sometimes looked like foreigners. It made sense. Kohaku had never seen a foreigner look as pretty as this boy after all. "You're not supposed to look normal. Besides, you're really cute looking."

"T-thank you..." He whispered shyly, staring at the water. Kohaku was enjoying the sight of the water splashing as he kicked it when the boy spoke up again. "Oh, um... what is that?"

"Hm?"

"Y-your thigh?" He asked, earning a look of confusion. His face got redder, if it was possible. "That mark?" Kohaku's eyes drifted down to see what mark he was talking about. Had he missed a spot while bathing? Instead, he spotted the mark he had been born with. A strange little thing that resembled a crescent moon.

"Oh, this? It's a birthmark." He said with a fond smile. "Me and my brothers have similar marks, but they're all in different places. Hide-nii has a full moon and Gin-nii has a half moon." He explained, looking up at the sky. "They're magic marks, that's supposed to bind us together. In fact, Hide-nii said we'd always find each other with these marks because we are brothers of the moon." He laughed. "That's what Hide-nii calls us."

"You... have a brother?" He asked, suddenly curious. His eyes glowed with clear envy. Kohaku couldn't help but puff up at the sight.

"Yep! I have 2!" He proclaimed, earning a surprised gasp from the boy, as if he'd proclaimed himself to be a god. "They are so amazing! Gin-nii is super fast and strong despite how much he cries during thunderstorms and Hide-nii is really pretty but snorts when he laughs." He knew if his brothers ever found out what he'd revealed even soft-hearted Hide-nii would punish him but he didn't want to hide anything from this boy.

"He snorts? How amusi-" He stopped when a bell rang through the air. The was distant and unfamiliar to Kohaku but the sound of it sent shivers through the boy. He jumped up from the water, rushing to the shore in a hurry. "I have to go!"

"G-go? Go where?" Kohaku questioned trying to reach him but he moved fast. Despite how reluctant he was to strip, he sure got dressed fast. Less than a minute and he was almost fully dressed though his hair was still damp.

"I have to go now." He repeated, flapping his sleeves to make sure it fell correctly. He gave Kohaku a brief look before turning away. Just before he took his first step, Kohaku spoke.

"We had a lot of fun today, didn't we?" Silence met his words. Without looking back, Kohaku started to get dressed as well. "Will you come by again, Kitsune-kun?" For a while Kohaku wondered if the boy had left. He was too scared to turn around to find out.

"A-as you wish." Was the only response. Kohaku turned to see the boy disappear into the forest. Just like a fox spirit. With a smile on his face, Kohaku dashed home. The sun had set on a new friendship. Hopefully tomorrow would be just as fun.