InuYasha Fan Fiction / Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ Seductive Embrace ❯ Chapter 15 ( Chapter 15 )

Hiei continued to watch Kagome from his tree, amazed by her fast recovery. Although Yukina had healed her, she shouldn't have been up and about after the wounds she received. He could feel through their newly acquired bond, a great deal of uncertainty whenever she glanced his way, and wondered what it was that bothered her.

 

Deciding that he had enough of the feeling, he left his tree and entered her small room. She sat up from her futon, wincing as she put pressure on her wounded shoulder. Hiei turned his eyes, not feeling comfortable with the fact that she didn't have anything covering her top half except a bandage that was wrapped around her torso. When she remained silent, Hiei knew that he would have to be the first to break the silence.

 

“What is bothering you?”

 

Hiei could feel here uncertainty increase, but choose to be patient for her reply.

 

“Well…its just that you seem to be angry” she replied softly.

 

Hiei closed his eyes for a moment, wondering how he could forget that she could sense what he was feeling as well.

 

“My anger is not directed towards you. It is directed at myself for allowing you and Yukina to be hurt.”

 

Kagome smiled, relieved that he wasn't upset with her.

 

“I'm glad to hear that. Thank you for getting me back here.”

 

Hiei was about to leave, not wanting the girl's gratitude when she spoke once more.

 

“How was it that you knew we were in danger?”

 

He paused, knowing that he would have to explain their connection. He still didn't fully understand it himself, but she would just have to accept what he knew.

 

“It seems that we are linked emotionally. I can sense your feelings, just as you can mine. When you were attacked, I felt your fear through the bond.”

 

Kagome's eyes widened a bit at the revelation. She had been sensing some odd feelings lately, but hadn't thought they belonged to Hiei.

 

“How?” she asked, clearly puzzled.

 

“I believe it has something to do with my encounter with the jewel last night. That is all I know for the moment” he replied as he continued to leave.

 

“Hiei, where are you going?”

 

Hiei could pick up on her disappointment at his departure, but it couldn't be helped. Although he could easily block her emotions, he didn't know if she would be able to. He didn't want to subject her to his varying emotions, knowing that she had enough to deal with. He knew that it wouldn't be likely, but he had to try and find a way to break their connection, and if it could be found, it would be in the Makai. And if that was not the case, then his last resort would have to be Kurama.

 

“I have business to tend to. I do not want you wandering the woods alone, so if you cannot wait until my return, a close friend of mine is making his way here. He should be able to see you home safely.”

 

Kagome nodded her head, still saddened by his going. She couldn't understand it, but she craved his company. She sighed as he exited her room, deciding that she could use some fresh air.

 

After slipping on the robe that Yukina had lent to her, she made her way outside to watch the sunset.

 

 

~~~~~*~~~~~

 

 

Kurama was almost to the temple when he felt Hiei's energy fading from the area.

 

`It seems that we were too late. Should we wait for his return?'

 

`I suppose so. We haven't had any luck on our own as of yet.'

 

He continued on his way, the both of them wondering what had caused Hiei's hasty departure. They were sure that Hiei knew that they were coming, as he was always aware of his surroundings. They made their way up the steep staircase, and once at the top, headed towards the main house. If nothing else, they could always keep company with Yukina and Genkai while they waited.

 

Kurama knocked on the door, which was soon opened by Yukina. Kurama noticed her tired appearance, but shrugged it off as exhaustion from her chores. Although Genkai offered her sanctuary, the old woman did expect a lot from the ice apparition.

 

“Kurama, how nice it is to see you. Please come in” Yukina offered, showing him into the sitting room.

 

“How are you Yukina?” Kurama asked as he took a seat.

 

“I'm doing ok. How about you?”

 

“I'm fine. Do you know when Hiei could be expected back?”

 

“Hm, I didn't even know that he had left” she replied.

 

Kurama nodded his head in acknowledgement. It was very uncommon for Hiei to announce his leave, usually meant as a way for him to escape to solitude.

 

“Would you mind if I waited here for him?”

 

“Not at all. If you would like, I could make you some tea.”

 

“That would be nice. I'll be outside till then” he replied as he rose from his seat.

 

He walked outside, inhaling the clean scent of the forest. He always loved to come here, it was much nicer than the city. The sun had already dipped below the horizon, shadows creeping here and there.

 

Kurama headed towards his favorite place on the grounds, a bench that was placed under a small tree. He was almost there when the sight before him caused him to stop. Kagome sat on the bench, gazing up into the darkening sky. He was shocked, to say the least.

 

 

`What in the world?'

 

`So this is where she has been hiding.'

 

`Of course. She must be Genkai's new student.'

 

`And that does pose a problem. We may have some competition.'

 

`You don't mean Hiei do you?'

 

`Of course. Who else could have caught his eye?'

 

`That would explain a lot. How close do you think they are?'

 

`It is inconsequential. We will continue to pursue her regardless, and may the best youkai win' he replied.

 

`Youko, Hiei is our friend.'

 

Youko remained silent for a moment. `Let's just consider this a healthy competition between friends' he chuckled.

 

Shuichi chose not to question him any further, knowing that it wouldn't do any good. He didn't even know if there was anything going on between the Jaganashi and Kagome, and hoped that it would not become an issue.

 

They resumed their pace, putting on a most charming smile. They knew that Kagome would be surprised to see them, but they didn't know exactly how she would react to their presence. After all, the last time they had seen each other was in the museum, and that didn't exactly go well.

 

 

 

Kagome sat, gazing up at the first stars of the night. She had a lot on her mind, and it mostly revolved around Hiei. She was most surprised to learn of their connection, and he didn't seem too happy about it. Was it because it was with her? She sighed, wondering if he really liked her at all. Sure he had brought her back to Genkai's after she had been injured, but it could have just been his sense of duty.

 

She was brought out of her thoughts when she sensed another presence. At first she thought it might be Hiei, though he hadn't been gone that long. She looked towards the direction, and who she saw was the last person she thought she would see there.

 

She locked wide eyes with his as he casually made his way over to her. She had no idea what he was doing there, though she felt confused by her reaction. One part of her was dreading the confrontation, but another was glad to be in his presence again. From the looks of him, he didn't seem to be angry with her, but then again, she could be wrong.

 

She slowly stood, clasping her hands in front of her. She couldn't figure out what she would say to him, so she chose to remain silent.

 

“Hello Kagome. It sure is a relief to find you here. I've been looking for you all day, and I surely missed you” he replied, making sure to keep his voice soft.

 

She looked up, the amount of sadness that was radiating from her eyes bothering him.

 

“So you aren't mad with me. About yesterday?” she asked.

 

“Of course not. But I do hope that you know what this means.”

 

Kagome remained silent, not sure what he meant by that. When she didn't reply, Kurama continued.

 

“It means that there will be no more secrets between us. I do hope that you have learned to trust me, Kagome. There is no need to hide anything from me.”

 

Before Kagome could reply, Kurama stepped forward and embraced her. Kagome tensed at first, but slowly relaxed into his hold.

 

“I'm sorry” she whispered. “I didn't mean to lie to you, it's just not something that I can tell everyone. So how much have you figured out?”

 

Kurama lowered their bodies to the bench, though not relinquishing his hold on her.

 

“I know that you must be a miko to display such power. And now I know that you are the student that Genkai has acquired.”

 

“So you know Hiei then?” she asked as she looked up.

 

Kurama chuckled. “You could say that. The two of us go way back.”

 

Kagome nodded her head. “So what about you? What secrets do you have?”

 

“Well, it might be a bit confusing. You must have figured out by now that I am Youkai. But I am also human in a way.”

 

Seeing Kagome's confused expression, he continued with his explanation.

 

“Housed inside this body is the soul of a human and the soul of a kitsune spirit. Though it is not very common, we coexist peacefully…most of the time.”

 

Kagome smiled. “So there are two of you in there?” she asked as she poked his head with her finger.

 

“Yes. My human name is Shuichi, but as a youkai I am known as Youko Kurama.”

 

To emphasize his point, Youko pushed through. Kagome gasped when his green eyes began to swirl with gold. Within seconds, the green was completely gone.

 

“Wow. Youko?”

 

“Yes” he purred, delighted in the way she looked at them.

 

“So what about you, dear Kagome. Is there anything else you wish to tell us?” he asked as he ran his hand down her cheek.

 

Kagome thought on it for a moment. She didn't feel that it would be right to lie to him anymore considering the circumstances.

 

“Well, as you already know, I'm a miko” she replied. Kurama simply nodded his head.

 

“I don't know if you will believe me or not, but I used to travel back in time” she explained as she watched his face for any sign of disbelief. When she saw none, she continued.

 

“Well, the time period happened to be the Sengoku Jidai. While I was there, I came to travel with a hanyou, along with a kitsune kit, a monk, and a Tajiya.”

 

“Sounds interesting indeed. But why did you have to go back to that time period. Why did your little group form in the first place?” He already knew the answer, but wanted to see how much she was willing to tell.

 

“I don't know if I should be telling you this, but we agreed no more secrets.” Kagome paused long enough to sigh. “You see, I was born with a jewel inside my body, known as the Shikon no Tama. I was pulled into that time due to my connection with it. While I was there, I accidentally shattered the jewel, trying to protect it from a youkai. It was then that our group formed in order to retrieve the shards and defeat an evil hanyou named Naraku.”

 

Kagome waited for him to show any interest at the mention of the jewel. She didn't know how old Youko was and what he knew, so she was still wary about revealing such. But she was relieved when he showed no change of emotion.

 

“I have heard of that tale before, and of the hanyou Naraku. You are a brave soul indeed to have faced such a villain. But do tell, how was it that you were able to defeat such a foe.”

 

Kagome frowned as she thought of the day and the events that followed. “Once all the shards had been gathered by either party, he attacked us. Luckily we were able to defeat him, thus completing the jewel.”

 

Kagome remained silent, hoping that it would suffice for now. But the look in his golden eyes told her that he wasn't satisfied.

 

“So are you still able to travel back in time?”

 

“No” she replied. Even if she could, she didn't know if she would. She didn't know what had happened to Inuyasha since she had left, but she didn't know if she could bear to see him once again.

 

Seeing her becoming uncomfortable, both Youko and Shuichi agreed to leave the rest of their questions for later. Even though they both wanted to know what had happened, they had no intention of causing her any distress. Kagome watched as the gold was replaced with green.

 

“Enough with the questions. Why don't we go inside and have some tea” he suggested as he rose from the bench.

 

“Thank you Shuichi. I promise I'll tell you more later.”

 

“Please Kagome, just call us Kurama.”

 

Kagome smiled at him before testing the name on her lips. “Kurama it is.”

 

He offered her his hand, and soon the pair was on their way to the main house.

 

 

~~~~~*~~~~~

 

Kouga had been looking for quite some time now, and was becoming frustrated. His time was running short, and he didn't know where else to look for her. Her scent was scattered throughout the city, but it was very faint. He began to walk idly, ending up at a small park. Shrugging his shoulders, he ventured in. That was when he was assaulted with Kagome's scent.

 

“Of course” he muttered out loud. Kagome did always prefer wooded areas. What she would be doing out in here at this time of night was beyond him, but she was always a strange human.

 

He made a beeline towards the woods where her scent was the strongest. Hope began to rise in him once more, for he was certain that he would find her now.

 

 

~~~~~*~~~~~

 

Kurama and Kagome entered the sitting room, taking a seat together on the couch as they waited for Yukina to join them. Kagome smiled meekly at the kitsune. So far everything had worked out between them, and she was very relieved. It was one more thing that she didn't have to worry about.

 

Within a matter of minutes, Yukina made her way into the room. She set a tray down in front of the couple, before pouring everyone their tea.

 

“I see that the two of you have met” Yukina said as she noticed how close they were sitting together.

 

“Actually I met Kurama in the city” Kagome replied.

 

“I see. Are you feeling any better? Still sore?” Yukina asked as she took a seat.

 

Kurama turned a concerned eye towards Kagome. “What happened?” he asked. “Did someone hurt you?”

 

Kagome did not fail to notice the gleam in his eye that promised death.

 

“I'm fine. Really” she replied as she turned her attention to Kurama. “We were attacked in the woods today, and I was injured. But Yukina healed everything for the most part. I'm still a little sore, that's all.”

 

“What attacked you? Is it still alive, for I will quickly remedy that” he replied.

 

Kagome noticed that his eyes had turned golden once more, signifying that Youko was the one talking at the moment.

 

“No, I managed to kill it. But if it weren't for Hiei, I probably would have bled to death out there. He's the one that brought me back to the temple.”

 

Kurama's eyes slowly gave way to green as he relaxed. He would have to make it a point to thank the Jaganashi for helping Kagome. But it did bother him a bit, for Hiei did not just help anyone willingly.

 

“Speaking of the forest, would you be willing to take me back out there. I dropped something very important and I would like to find it before I head back to Keiko's” Kagome asked.

 

“Of course. We will leave whenever you are ready” he replied suavely.

 

Shuichi could feel the excitement build in Youko at the thought to getting the girl alone. It would be his chance to reveal his true form to her.

 

“Well, if you don't mind Yukina, I would like to leave now if possible. I don't want to get back to Keiko's too late. I wouldn't want to wake anyone up.”

 

“That's not a problem. I'll fetch your clothes for you. They should be dry by now.”

 

Kurama and Kagome watched as Yukina left the room. As soon as she was gone, Kurama turned to face Kagome, taking her hand in his.

 

“I'm sorry that I wasn't there to protect you. Please promise me that you will have someone escort you into the forest from now on. Though it is very rare for there to be youkai running around this area, I couldn't bear it if something happened to you.”

 

Kagome smiled at him as she tried to fight back a blush. But is was funny, for it was almost the exact same thing that Hiei had told her.

 

“I promise Kurama” she replied. “Thank you.”

 

“It is my pleasure.”

 

 

 

Once Kagome was dressed, they headed out into the darkened forest. She really didn't have a good idea where they had been attacked, so she followed Kurama's lead as he led them through the trees. She watched, clearly amazed when the plants automatically moved out of their way. She laughed when Kurama turned to wink at her, knowing that it was of his doing.

 

After a while, Kagome started to recognize their surroundings. When they came upon a clearing, she stopped as she looked around.

 

“It was here that we were attacked. We were eating lunch and the youkai jumped out of that bush” she explained as she pointed. “After it knocked Yukina out, I ran this way.”

 

Kagome began to walk in the direction. She couldn't remember where she had thrown the stone that Genkai had given her since all she had been concerned about was getting the youkai away from Yukina.

 

Kagome began to look around as she traced her steps. “I think I threw it over here” she said as she circled the area.

 

Kurama followed her lead, and within a matter of minutes, he found the object.

 

“Would this be it?” he asked as he held the gem up for her to see.

 

“Oh thank you Kurama! I didn't think that it would be that easy to find” she replied as she took it and placed it in her pocket.

 

“So, shall we head back?” she asked as she turned around.

 

She was stopped though as Kurama gently placed his hand on her shoulder.

 

“Kagome, we have something that we would like you to see.”

 

Kagome eyed him curiously. “What is it?”

 

“Youko would like to reveal his true form to you, if you're alright with that.”

 

“So you can actually transform from one body to another?” she asked, her curiosity growing by the second.

 

“Yes, though not very often. It is much easier to blend in with others in this form.”

 

Kagome nodded her head in understanding, her eyes glued to him as he stepped back. Kurama closed his eyes as he felt the shift begin, grounding himself as his youki spiked.

 

Kagome took an involuntary step back at the amount of energy that was coming off of him. Every hair on her body stood on end, and she was glad that they had found the gem, for she could feel her miko power spike in response to him.

 

His hair began to fade to silver as his height drastically changed. She watched as ears pushed through to the top of his head, and the long bushy tail that formed behind him. When all was said and done, Kagome gasped. It was uncanny, the resemblance, and she tried to keep the tears that were threatening to form at bay.

 

Youko opened his eyes, revealing his golden orbs. His look of satisfaction quickly dissipated when he noticed Kagome's distraught look.

 

“Kagome, what is the matter? Does my appearance not please you?” he asked as he took a step forward.

 

Kagome almost shrunk away in fear, but mentally smacked herself. This wasn't Inuyasha. It was Youko, and she was certain that he would cause her no harm. She plastered on as big of a smile as she could as she approached him, glancing him up and done.

 

“No, it's just you remind me of someone is all” she replied.

 

When she got a good look at his ears, she could fight the urge no longer. Stepping up on her toes, she reached up to rub one furry ear. She giggled when he growled a little, but shrieked in surprise when she found herself up against a tree.

 

“You have no idea what that does to me, Kagome” he whispered sensually into her ear.

 

Kagome fought back the shivers that his hot breath caused, but soon lost the battle when he began to nuzzle her neck.

 

“Youko?” she asked timidly, not entirely sure what he was doing.

 

“Do you know how long I have waited to feel you with my own body? I can wait no longer.”

 

Kagome was about to ask him exactly what he meant by that when he engulfed her in a kiss. It caught her off guard, and before she could think straight, she was melting into his embrace. She moaned when one fang gently nipped her lip, and she almost collapsed when the warmth was pulled away.

 

“I see you liked that” he replied, a cocky grin spread across his face.

 

His voice brought her back to her senses. She looked up at him and tried to be angry, but couldn't find it in herself to be.

 

“Look her, mister Youko. You just can't go around doing that” she scolded as she poked his chest with her finger.

 

Youko merely chuckled before sealing his lips with hers in another kiss. Mentally he was taunting Shuichi, since he was the one to have had more kisses, when something nudged at his senses.

 

He broke the kiss to stare off in the distance, giving Kagome the chance to slip out of his grasp. He turned his attention back to her, chuckling at her disheveled appearance. He knew that it was a youkai approaching them, but he wasn't about to let someone ruin his fun. So he sent out his energy, beckoning the plants to aid him.

 

When he was sure that it would be done, he moved towards Kagome once more. He was amused by her shyness, as it only fueled him on even more. She continued to step back from him, only to back up into a tree. He sauntered up to her, nuzzling into her neck once more, knowing that it would get a reaction out of her.

 

“Youko…um…I really think we should…stop” she stated as she tried to suppress another moan.

 

“And why would that be. I'm just getting started. As you can see, I am not as reluctant as my human counter part to get what I want” he replied as he lowered to capture her lips in another kiss.

 

But the sound of someone cursing caused Kagome to turn away, causing Youko to only kiss her on the cheek.

 

“What is that?” she asked as they listened to the angered swearing.

 

“Don't worry your self over that. Just someone who might interrupt us.”

 

But Kagome continued to listen, her eyes widening in surprise. “It couldn't be” she said aloud as she once again escaped Youko.

 

The kitsune sighed. Never before had it been this hard to seduce someone, but that was what had attracted him to her in the first place. He followed close behind her as she walked in the direction on the intruder. When they were almost there, he moved in front of her.

 

“Kagome, stay behind me” he instructed.

 

Kagome did as she was told, although she had a feeling that she knew who it was. The anticipation was almost too much as they finally reached what looked like a blob of vines, which squirmed more and more with every curse.

 

“I don't know what you are doing in these woods, but you are not welcome. For that, I will have to kill you” he replied as he readied his plants.

 

Kagome ran up to him, grabbing his hand with hers. “Wait. Please. Let me see who it is.”

 

Youko looked at her curiously, but abided by removing the vines from the victim's face. He heard Kagome gasp as he came into view, and watched in alarm as she ran towards the youkai.

 

“Youko, release him. This is my friend!” she asked as she began to pry the vines away with her hands.

 

Youko considered letting one of the vines `accidentally' slip, but knew that it would upset her, so he reluctantly released the youkai. He watched as she helped him up, his eyes narrowing at the familiarity that they showed each other.

 

“Kouga? I can't believe it! What are you doing out here?” Kagome asked as she embraced him in a hug.

 

The wolf pushed her back a bit in order to get a good look at her. He smiled when he realized that she looked exactly she same as she had the last time he had seen her.

 

“I'm so glad that I found you” he replied as he returned her hug, not dismissing the growl that came from the male behind her.

 

Kagome heard the growl as well, sighing as she released her long time friend. She turned to face Youko, almost rolling her eyes as the look of disapproval that he was giving her.

 

“Kouga, this is Youko. Youko, this is Kouga, one of the youkai that I knew from the Sengoku Jidai.”

 

She watched as the two males sized each other up, praying to whoever was listening that it would not end up another repeat of Kouga and Inuyasha. She sighed in relief as Kouga nodded his head as the kitsune, both backing down for the moment.

 

“Kouga, would you like to head back to the city with us?” she asked.

 

“That would be great, but I don't have much time left. I need to tell you something very important” he replied.

 

Kagome began to worry when his once happy face turned to into uneasiness. She watched as he pulled a piece of paper from his pocket, handing to her. She immediately began to read, and had only gotten halfway through when tears began to drip onto the parchment.

 

“Shippo?” she whispered. Even when she wasn't physically around, she was still putting her friends in danger.

 

“I'm sorry Kagome, but I didn't know of any other way to tell you. Sesshoumaru is searching for him, and I will be as well once I return.”

 

Kagome dropped the letter as Youko wrapped his arms around her small frame. Kagome turned to him, burying her face into his tunic. Kouga remained passive for once, knowing that he now had no claim on her. Once Kagome had ceased the tears, she turned back to Kouga, a sheer look of determination etched across her face.

 

“I'll be going too. I will not let anyone harm Shippo” she replied.

 

Kouga mentally cringed, knowing that Sesshoumaru would not be happy with him, for once Kagome made up her mind, there was no stopping her. But he had to try.

 

“Kagome, let us handle it. It is not safe for you to venture into the Makai.”

 

“I will be fine. I'll have Youko come with me, if he will” she stated as she turned a questioning look towards the kitsune.

 

“I will do whatever it is you ask of me” Youko replied.

 

Kouga merely sighed. He didn't have the time to try and talk to her about it anymore.

 

“Fine, but listen here, kitsune. I will trust her in your hands. Though I normally do not trust strangers, I will trust Kagome's judgement of you.”

 

Normally Youko would take what the wolf had said as an insult, but knew that now was not the time. He nodded his head as he drew the girl closer to him.

 

“Kagome, I'm sorry but I have to get back. You come find us once you enter Makai. Understand?”

 

Kagome nodded her head as she broke away from Youko to give the wolf one last hug.

 

“Thank you for telling me.”

 

Kouga remained silent, not wanting to say that he regretted telling her. But she had a right to know. After one last squeeze, he released her.

 

“Ja ne” he replied as he turned and ran off, waving until they were out of sight.

 

Kagome watched as he left, a heaviness like no other weighing heavily on her chest. Youko place a clawed hand on her shoulder, drawing her attention away from her friend's retreating form.

 

“If we are to leave as soon as possible, I suggest you get a good night's rest. You will be needing it.”

 

Kagome nodded her head in understanding, and with one last look behind her, turned to follow Youko out of the woods.