InuYasha Fan Fiction / Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ A Light in the Dark ❯ Red Scarf ( Chapter 9 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Kagome went around settling things around the camp. It was near dusk now; much of the daylight had been taken over for Kagome’s story. She really didn’t think it would take that much time to tell them. Then again to her it had been over seventy years… Still, she couldn’t complain much. Many things had happened that was sure to help her more now than ever before. Of course she was still sad about Miroku and Sango, but she had decades to cope with their death and didn’t take it as hard now.
Kagome had noticed the slight temperature drop in the air due to night coming. She looked around and saw almost everyone was fine. Of course she took more care to look over her children and saw them huddling under one of her blankets already talking and getting to know each other more. A smile lit her face at the sight, but then went away as soon as she saw one of them shivering.
Hiei was in a nearby tree and also took notice of this. Of course he saw them shivering as soon as the temperature dropped 5 degrees. Out of everyone he was the most alert and unbeknownst to anyone, he kept track of everyone’s wellbeing. He didn’t say anything though, just kept track of it. He was about to light the kindle they got but it would be pointless since the stars hadn’t even come out yet.
The forbidden knew the celestial miko had noticed this as well.
He watched as she rummaged through her pack looking for something. He knew they would have to stop by a village soon to get Shen some clothes. No one had expected her, but he didn’t know Kagome very well.
Kagome resurfaced from her over stuffed, oversized, pack with a small yip of glee. In her hand she held a small size of what seemed to be green little girl flannel pajamas. She called Shen over with a small smile.
Of course the small kitsune ran over to her mother, leaving her new brother under the blanket all by himself. Shippo had the blanket over his head like a shawl, his nose sticking out and his eyes blinking in wonder. He didn’t expect Shen to leave that fast.
Arashi giggled at the scene while Kurama allowed himself a small chuckle. Shippo did look quite cute within the pastel blue blanket. Of course as soon as they were done with their little laugh they went back to planning things in the ancient kitsune language. Which of course the children understood, and infuriated the other members of the little group. Kagome only because she thought she should be able to understand because of her children. She understood other youkai languages, but kitsune always seemed to escape her grasp like trying to hold water.
“Yes Okaa-san?” Shen asked.
“I noticed you were cold sweetheart, here.” she gave Shen the small flannel nightgown, “I brought this just in case. I didn’t know I would be having you or who I would run into. I hope it fits. It’s supposed to be one size fits all, but we know how that doesn’t always work. So try this on.”
Shen smiled and nodded, then went behind a tree to change clothes.
“Ano… Okaa-san? I think I need help.” Shen called to her mother.
Kagome giggled and went to help her young kit.
She noticed that the young kitsune had managed to get her clothes off, but was beyond baffled of how to put this thing on. She noticed how her small kitsune like ears were bent back, and a small teary pout was on her face.
“I don’t know how to do this, Okaa-san.” Shen said again, this time holding the small nightgown up to her mother.
Kagome giggled again and this time took the small nightgown from her.
“It’s okay, Shen. Now lift up your arms so I can put this over your head.” Kagome instructed.
Shen did just that. She stuck her hands up over her head and waited for her mother to dress her. She didn’t question the celestial that was her mother.
Kagome carefully pulled the nightgown over her child’s head. When she was done she smoothed out the wrinkles that were at the bottom.
“There”, she said with a smile.
Kagome kissed the top of her daughter’s head and folded up her discarded clothes that she left on the forest floor.
Shen thanked her mother and ran to where she left her older brother.
Everyone in the camp smiled knowingly at Shen. Shen just smiled back up at them. They knew Kagome was a capable mother at her age, and they all knew she was single. If they didn’t know better, they would have thought Kagome did belong in this time period; a time where it was expected for her to have a child or 2, a time where it wasn’t questioned about where the father was. For all the other people knew, he could have been killed in war. But then again she didn’t, she was a celestial miko mother, to 2 youkai children. If she were left here alone, they were sure she would have been killed by humans, for she did not belong, and youkai would be after her looking either to mate, or eat her for her power.
Kagome went over and leaned on the tree she was behind, watching her children talk animatedly under the blanket once more.
“You are a fine mother for them.”
Kagome looked up the tree she was leaning on. When she saw who it was she smiled brightly at them.
“Thanks, Hiei. That means so much.”
Hiei just ‘hn’ed and looked forward. He was sure the youkai in the area could hear his heart beat it was so loud in his ear. He glared down at the plotting kitsune. He knew they heard it, and he knew they were plotting something.
‘I’m not paranoid. I know exactly what I’m thinking. I know those damned kitsune are plotting something to do with Kagome. Them and their damn ancient language.’ he thought while glaring at them.
Arashi nearly glared back, but knew since he would catch on decided not to. As much as she was hiding that she couldn’t help but allow an arrogant smirk to cross her face.
‘He won’t know what hit him when he realizes it’, she thought joyously.
Kurama had to bite back a laugh. He knew what they were talking about usually went against what he usually did. But it was Kagome and Hiei, and they were two powerful beings who didn’t have a clue on how to get closer to each other.
‘Totally worth it.’
‘I agree with you on this, Youko.’
‘Red! I think I’m rubbing off on you!’ he thought practically prancing around with happiness in Kurama’s mind.
Immediately Kurama regretted his choice of words. Youko just shot off talking a mile a minute. It was like talking to a native Spanish person. Once they had started, they never stopped. Kurama rubbed his temple to try to get the future coming migraine to not come at all.
Arashi thought it was her fault so she stopped talking and furrowed her eyebrows as her ears went down.
“Sorry.”, she whispered.
She then left the kitsune to himself and went to go watch the children in a tree right above them. She didn’t mean to annoy the other kitsune, really she didn’t. She didn’t even know she was getting on his nerves.
‘He could have at least told me.’, she thought dejectedly.
Kagome noticed this and thought something was wrong. She looked at Kurama with questioning eyes. Kurama looked at her with hurt eyes and shrugged like a small child. Kagome nodded in understanding what was misunderstood.
She walked over and knocked on the trunk of Arashi’s tree.
“Knock, knock.” she said gently.
Arashi looked at Kagome then hopped out of the tree and stood in front of her. Her ears were still down and she still seemed hurt. Arashi threw her arms around Kagome and nuzzled her head in on her collar area. Kagome just softly petted her head and whispered assurances to the vixen. Arashi looked at Kagome with her bottom lip jutting out.
She looked like a puppy which had been kicked and was trying to get assurances from its master that it wouldn’t happen again. Kagome just smiled lightly at the kitsune and kissed her forehead softly. After a few more whimpers and kisses, Arashi smiled lightly. Even though it didn’t flash her pearly white fangs, nor reached her eyes.
The first of the stars had come into view as far as they could see past the blanket of leaves that was the canopy of the forest. Hiei had jumped down from his tree and arranged the kindle in a way to keep it burning longer. He then willed the top of the kindle to set aflame, and it obeyed his will. Then he motioned for the children to get closest to the flame.
“You mother would not want you to be cold.” he stated.
Shen and Shippo looked at him with their big glimmering kitsune eyes and smiled at him thankfully.
“Thank you Hiei-sama.” Shen said at first.
Hiei rose one of his eyebrows at being called ‘Hiei-sama’. No one had ever called him that before, and he knew that the child was just being well mannered as she was taught. Hiei looked and nodded to her with a light ‘hn’ to show he acknowledged her.
The children scuttled closer to the fire, but not so close where they would be caught on fire. Their toes became warm as the cold also left their noses. They smiled and laughed lightly at each other.
Kagome caught this and smiled softly. But she also saw, that as everyone else went to gather around the fire, Hiei just went back to his tree. Kagome went back into her pack as the boys helped themselves to making ramen for everyone.
Everyone knew she was looking for something, but didn’t know what yet. Still she rummaged as though she wasn’t being watched and went to what seemed to be the bottom of her pack. When she found what she wanted she smiled victoriously. She quickly put it in a place within her kimono.
She then went and walked over to the tree Hiei was in. She started to climb said tree until she made it to his branch. Hiei was indeed shocked, since he took the branch that was as steady as could be while at the same time high and farthest away from the rag-tag group. She climbed all the way up for him.
Kagome reached into her kimono and pulled out something that was red. Hiei didn’t know what it was at first. Kagome moved to get closer to the hybrid. Hiei just sat there and watched her, but she returned his staring with a smile.
“I thought it might be cold up here, so I brought you a scarf.” she said and held it up for him to see.
“I can’t reach you, so can you lean this way so I can put it on you?” she asked gently.
Her kindness was a shock to Hiei. Still he leaned her way so she could wrap it securely around his neck. It wasn’t tight, yet not too loose. He didn’t really need it, but it would be more than rude to just turn her away. She did after all climb a great height just to be sure he was warm.
Her skin touched his a few times. She was nearly amazed to find it warm. So when she was done she placed her hand on his face gently.
“Sleep well Hiei-kun.”, she said.
Kagome leaned in closer and kissed him on the cheek. When she pulled back she smiled but was blushing brightly. Hiei also had a small blush on his face, but nodded his thanks and acknowledgement.
Kagome then tried to start with her task of getting down from the tree. She looked this way and that but couldn’t find the right way to get down from the tree safely.
Without a word Hiei grabbed her gently by the waist and dropped to the forest floor. He planted her softly on her feet and jumped back up to his previous position. Kagome’s blush grew further; she tried to hide it looking the opposite way of her new friends and children. But it was obvious with the way she held her face just standing there.
No one said anything though just shared knowing smiles, and for once Yusuke and Kuwabara weren’t fighting. They just grinned like Cheshire cats over their cups of ramen.
“Kagome-chan, if you don’t come over here your food will get cold.” Arashi called over.
Kagome scurried to get her food with thanks and slurped her noodles with a dazed expression on her face. Shippo and Shen noticed this of course.
“Okaa-san, do you like Hiei-sama?” Shen asked curiously.
That snapped Kagome out and her face turned as red as a cherry.
“W-what!?” she stuttered.
“Shen asked if you like Hiei, Okaa-san.”, Shippo repeated, also curious.
Kagome giggled nervously. Arashi spoke up for her though.
“Oh you two, leave you mother alone. Look at how red you’ve made her face. Things like whom she likes though shouldn’t be discussed in front of the person who has received her affections.” Arashi said with a small foxy smile. She knew she wasn’t really helping the miko out. Kagome tried to hide in her hands, while some of the other youkai saw Hiei’s face match the red scarf that Kagome had just given him.
“Yeah. As if your mom would want to talk about those things while he’s up in the tree right above her.” Yusuke said with a large grin.
Kurama chuckled lightly at his imouto’s predicament. He moved over and lightly patted her back. “Am I that obvious?” she squeaked out to him. Kurama laughed a bit more at the young miko under his arm. “I’m sorry imouto, but I’m afraid you are.” he said with a small smile.
Kagome groaned lightly. She also spoke words incoherently. Kurama just chuckled more at her.
Kagome glared half-heartedly at the kitsune closest to her at the moment. Unfortunately for Kurama, he was that kitsune.
“I’m sure if you ask, Hiei would be glad to share his tree with you.” he said trying to cheer her up.
“But I want to sleep with Okaa-san!” two smaller kitsune chorused with a pout.
They ran over and nuzzled themselves in Kagome’s lap so she wouldn’t have a choice but to sleep with them. Kagome ran her hands over the tops of their heads to assure them. Shen however did more and got herself into the kimono of her mother. She placed her head neat her heart so she would sleep without nightmares. She was soon followed by her older brother. Kagome’s mother instincts kicked in and she didn’t move from her place.
Arashi smiled at her predicament and closed her Kimono for her, securing the two kitsune in place. Kurama also helped by putting a blanket over them.
“Thanks guys.” she whispered to them.
“No thanks needed, Kagome-sama. You just keep those two happy.” Arashi replied.
Soon things died down and most of everyone went to sleep.
The one with red orbs for eyes watched them all fall asleep, but he also noticed that the one who was quickly overwhelming him was uncomfortable. The children didn’t give her a chance to get comfortable herself. So he jumped from his tree and sat behind her, pulled her to lie on his chest without disturbing the two listening to the sound of her heartbeat as their night music.
Kagome was quiet, but had a feeling of who it was. “Ano, Hiei?” she whispered softly. She felt him nod curtly. As soon as she was sure it was him she started to drift back into sleep. He watched as she drifted into a more peaceful sleep than before. Unable to help himself he ran his fingers lightly through her hair.
What had he gotten himself into? If only he had died when they threw him off the island he wouldn’t be in this position. Would she have been the one to greet him and accept him warmly? He knocked that thought out of his head as fast as it came.
If anything he could expand his feelings for her more, he now knew she at least liked him, but… to what extent.
‘Enough to sleep on your chest and be comfortable.’ He cracked himself a small smile.
She must trust him if she allowed this. She didn’t seem the sleazy type to him, no matter what her choice of clothing was.
For the rest of the night Hiei went back and forth between the good things about her, and how she could like him. To reasons of why he shouldn’t allow her to like him, even if he (now) admitted he liked her back.
‘I’ll get some form of present… a courting gift. I’ll show her I can be something to her.’ he thought to himself.
Sometime after she went to sleep he was sure to leave her in a comfortable position before anyone else woke up and caught him.
He wasn’t hiding from them. No! He just didn’t want to suffer from their insane chattering that would make him want to shove his own sword through his head. Even though he would cut out their tongues before he did so. At the same time he didn’t want to suffer the Reikai prison cell and listen to the bumbling idiots who worked there for the rest of his life.
He nodded his head and accepted that. Hiei Jaganshi was not afraid of a bunch of people who called themselves a team, or at least he kept telling himself.
End Chapter