Gundam Wing Fan Fiction / Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ A Thief in One Life, A Thief in the Next ❯ Tunics and Names ( Chapter 18 )

A/N: I want it to snow, Dammit! Snow! Well, until it does and we all run out to make forts and snowmen and to stuff snow down people’s necks, enjoy the latest chapter of the fic. Read and review!

A Thief in One Life, A Thief in the Next

Chapter Eighteen

Tunics and Names

If Heero had been under the impression that planning a wedding, or as they called it locally, a mating ceremony, in Makai would be any simpler than the horror stories he’d heard from fellow agents in the ningenkai, he quickly realized his mistake. If anything, youkai ceremonies were more complicated than human. The fact that his fiance was a lord’s brother who had apparently been dead for a couple of centuries old did not help any.

“We should let Quatre loose on it,” Kuronue suggested casually once they’d been arguing with the tailor by messenger for over an hour on the exact shade of Heero’s two necessary tunics. “He loves scheduling big events.”

“He’d have television news copters hovering over the whole event,” Heero said flatly. He blinked as a thought truck him. “Do they have helicopters here?”

“Never needed them.” The chimera stared at the color swashes laid out on the table in front of them, crossing his eyes. “Okay, I’m saying these two. Let the old lady saw which is for when.”

Nodding at Kuronue’s decisions, Heero scowled. “Why don’t we have to go through this for your tunics?”

Scribbling down a quick note for the tailor and stacking it on top of the chosen colors, the thief handed them to the waiting messenger before turning to his future mate with a grin. “Because I’m expected to wear the family colors, meaning that that’s Kurama’s job.”

Blue eyes glared at him. “I hate you.”

“Na, I know you love me,” Kuronue said, ruffling a long fingered hand through messy brown hair. “Now that this nightmare is over, we can get packing.”

“Packing?”

Kuronue nodded, standing up and stretching. “Yeah, the ceremony’s going to be at Kurama’s place, since he’s my closest relation and all. Didn’t someone tell you?” Heero’s expression said that he had been told no such thing. “Well, a good portion of the court and the help will be coming with us, so we won’t be traveling the same way as when we came here. Probably by carriage.”

“Horse drawn?” Heero asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Demon horses,” the chimera clarified. “They fly. Tro’s going to love them.”

“How did you stand the mundane world after growing up here?” the human man asked, nodding to one of the servants as she brought in a fresh tea.

“Heero, I grew up on L2; it’s hardly mundane,” Kuronue said with a snort, draining the last of his tea. “And then after that, I lived with you and the other pilots throughout the war. Believe me, this place is normal for me.”

Shielding his head, Heero drank half of his tea before leaving the rest for the flowery plant that had been literally eyeing it since his first have been poured. Gathering up the papers in front of them, he followed his fiance out of the room. “Do we even have anything to pack?”

“Couple outfits Kurama had made for us, our weapons, the tape I took from the kitchen security cameras of when we told the guys the good news,” the chimera listed off, his grin growing at the last item. “I should give a copy to Howie once we get back. And the Une lady. Maybe Sally too. Both of them could use a good laugh. Think I can catch when Wufei and Trowa find out who I am?”

“Thought that we should do that one outside,” Heero said, trying to figure out just where Kuronue was leading him. They’d left the area of the castle that he recognized and had kept going.

“If Gondara’s anything like what I remember, that won’t be a problem,” Kuronue said with a shrug. “That place does tech. You should like it there.”

The pilot stopped walking, glancing around. “Where are we?”

The youkai glanced back at Heero in question. “Base of the east tower. Fastest route back to my room.”

“This is the opposite corner of the castle. Your room’s in the west tower.”

When the other grinned, Heero couldn’t help but to notice that Kuronue had fangs. “Hee-chan, these lovely appendages on my back aren’t just for show, remember? We’re almost to one of the doors out to the gardens. From there it’s a quick hop, skip and jump up to my window. Knowing my brother, he’s probably already had luggage sent up to the tower.”

“We’re fortunate that he never fought during the war,” Heero said with a snort. “Even if he had been on the same side as us, it would have been unnerving to be around him.”

“Just wait until you see us working together when we get back,” the thief chuckled, pushing open the promised door. “We were scary ‘back in the day.’”

Heero’s expression was almost wistful as he took in the red, cloud covered sky outside. “If you start any stories with ‘when I was your age,’ I will tie your wings together and throw you off your tower.”

“Not unless you like getting Quatre’s sad looks every ten minutes for the rest of your life.” Kuronue opened his arms to the man, holding Heero tight once he had stepped forward. With a glance toward their intended destination, he lifted from the ground, loving the feel of the perfect soldier finally in his embrace.

Regrettably in his opinion, the flight to his window was not a long one, and both soon found themselves busily folding and packing the clothes they had been given into a rather human looking suitcase with their names on it. A lone disk went in the center to protect it from being damaged in the travel.

“You know, I was thinking,” Kuronue said, snapping it shut.

“Don’t hurt yourself.”

Violet eyes rolled. “Hardy, har, har, Heero. Anyway, I was wondering what we’re going to do about names.”

Heero glanced at him in confusion as the youkai dropped down onto the neatly made bed. The servants had obviously chosen to ignore the ‘do not disturb’ sign that he had cobbled up to hang on his door. “Names?”

“You know, our surnames.” By now, Kuronue was fiddling with the tip of one wing and not looking up. “We don’t have to do anything, my brother didn’t after all, though both he and his mate were already too well known, but we’re getting married in the ningenkai too, and I thought that we might do something traditional with the wedding.”

“You want one of us to take on the other’s name,” Heero said, making the connection.

Kuronue flushed. “Stupid idea, right? Forget about it.”

“It’s a good idea.”

The chimera blinked, slowly moving his eyes up to meet Heero’s. “Really?”

“Yeah.” Heero’s smile was slow, but all the more precious. “Maxwell Heero has a pleasant ring to it. In the Makai, I can use Youko.”

For perhaps the first time in human or youkai recorded history, Youko Kuronue was struck speechless. For a minute and a half. “You want to take my name? I would have thought-”

“Yuy was a name stolen from a dead man,” Heero cut in, taking hold of Kuronue’s hand. “You earned your names. It would be an honor to share them.”

Suddenly grinning, Kuronue used their joined hands to pull Heero down on top of him, moving his other arm to hold the human there, simply enjoying each other’s closeness. “You know, we’re going to positively give Une a heart attack when we get home.”

“Payback for the mobile doll attacks.”

“Only you would hold a grudge for that long.”