InuYasha Fan Fiction / Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ Seductive Embrace ❯ Chapter 17 ( Chapter 17 )

A/N Would just like to apologize for the long wait. Everything has just been really hectic, but I haven’t given up on this yet. Thanks again to all the reviewers for your support!





Kagome continued to follow behind Kurama, still fighting the intense feelings that were consuming her. She continued to ignore it as best she could, but knew that she wasn’t being so successful at playing them off when she noticed the concerned looks that were directed towards her from Kurama. Still, if worse came to worse, she could always blame it on her worry for Shippo, which wasn’t far from the truth.

They soon reached Genkai’s, but Kagome immediately knew that Hiei wasn’t around. She had learned what his youki felt like during her short stay at the temple, and felt barely a trace of it as they neared. She was about to voice the information to Kurama when he stopped.

“I don’t believe that Hiei is here at the moment” he explained to the group.

“Well, if he’s not here, then he most likely will be in Makai doing what he does best” Yusuke replied, running a hand through his slicked back hair.

“Then I guess we’ll just have to head on without him” Kurama replied, not missing the look of momentary relief on Kagome’s face.


~~~~~*~~~~~


Nari headed towards Shippo’s chambers, balancing the tray of food intended for the kitsune. She knew that what she was about to do was suicide, but at the moment she did not care. Her only concern was getting him out of that place and Tarasu’s grasp.

She sighed as she neared his room, wondering what on earth Shippo had that captivated her so much. She had never really felt anything but momentary pity for her mistress’s victims, but this was different. Seeing him waste away tore at her heart, so she decided that she would do everything in her power to free him.

She pushed the door to the darkened chamber open, not surprised that the object of her concern lay motionless on the bed. Tarasu had made sure that he was immobilized, for his usefulness had run out for the moment.

She set the tray of food next to his bed, taking a seat by his still form. She knew that it would be difficult, but she had to wake him if only long enough to eat. After much deliberating, the only thing that she could think of that would help him would be some herbs that would strengthen his body. Hopefully that would be enough to bring him out of the trance like state that Tarasu had him in.

She grasped him by the shoulder, gently nudging him until his green eyes slowly cracked open. She bit back a sigh when she noticed how dull looking they had become, and hoped that it wasn’t too late for her plan.

“Shippo, I need you to eat something for me” she explained softly.

She remained motionless as his body seized in fear. She knew that she deserved it, for she was the reason he was there.

“Shippo, please. I’m not here to hurt you. I need you to eat this soup. It has herbs that will help your body become stronger. Please!”

She didn’t mean to come off so insistent, but the look of fear and betrayal in his eyes burned her to the core. He continued to stare at her like that for what seemed an eternity to Nari, but slowly he opened his mouth.

Shippo didn’t really think that he could trust her at this point, but he had nothing to lose. Death would be a blessing compared to the state he was in. He reluctantly opened his mouth, pushing down the feelings of embarrassment for the fact that he could not even feed himself.

As she spooned the first bite of soup into his mouth, he struggled to swallow and not choke. But the warmth was soothing on his raw throat, so he quickly opened up for another bite.

It was a tedious task, but the soup had been eaten completely. Nari felt the joy slowly wash away her feelings of guilt for what she had done. She remained by his side until he drifted into a dreamless slumber once again.

After a few more moments, she rose from the bed to prepare more of the soup for Shippo. It would take a lot of the herb in order for him to gather the strength that he would need.



~~~~~*~~~~~


Kagome looked around in awe at her surroundings. She had known that the Makai would be a completely different environment from the Ningenkai, but she hadn’t expected this. Her entire body hummed with her holy powers as she was surrounded by the youki of the land.

“Are you okay?” Youko asked, noting at the uncomfortable expression on her face.

“Yeah, it’s just been a while since I’ve experienced this much youki. I never felt anything like this in the Sengoku Jidai.”

“I’m sure it is just because the youkai are closer together and not so spread out as they were back then. If you need anything just let me know” he replied as he wrapped his clawed hand around hers. He knew that wasn’t all that was bothering her, but he didn’t feel it was the time to push it. He would be sure to get all the answers that he craved once they were finished with their business there.

He glanced behind her, looking for something that no human eye would ever detect. He could feel Hiei’s youki close by, for it had been almost non existent when they arrived, but now it was a constant, as if he were following behind them.

He knew that his refusal to show himself was most likely due to what he had witnessed in his human counterpart’s apartment, though he had no intention of making his presence known to the rest of the group. If Hiei wanted distance between them, then so be it. It just made it easier for him to get closer to Kagome without any distractions.



She smiled warmly at him, fighting back the flutters in her stomach as he embraced her hand. She was glad that Kurama had relinquished control over to Youko, for she still wanted to learn more about him before she had to sever their friendship. She was surprised at how much the two really differed. But even so she didn’t know if she could see one without the other.

She did her best to hide the uncomfortable feelings that were coursing through her. She was telling the truth for the most part, but in reality the thing that was bothering her the most was the unrelenting anger that pulsed through her being. After thinking on it, she decided that she deserved what was happening, for she should have never stayed at the temple and let Hiei become attached to her in such a way. She only hoped that she would be able to find a way to sever the link before she left.

Kagome caught site of Youko’s gaze, turning her own in the direction. She didn’t fail to notice that he immediately turned away once she began to look. Even though she dreaded seeing him, she tried to feel out Hiei’s youki once they arrived, but there was just too much of it for her to differentiate at the moment.

Kagome was so lost in her thoughts that she didn’t notice Kuwabara and Yusuke stop ahead of them, or as Youko tensed. By the time she had noticed, a group of youkai descended upon them, not giving the group a chance to prepare for the onslaught.

Kagome shrieked in surprise as she was shoved behind Youko, watching in amazement as he went into his defensive stage. He pulled one lone seed from his hair, pushing his ki into it. Within a matter of seconds it had become a withering mass of vines, lashing out at any youkai foolish enough to get close.

She was so engrossed with the vines that she didn’t feel the youki below her until it was too late. A screech escaped her throat as a hand sprung from the earth, grabbing her vulnerable ankle. She hit the ground with a thud before she was quickly dragged away with a speed that could only belong to a demon.


~~~~~*~~~~~

Hiei watched the group from a safe distance, not wanting to be seen. He had been surprised when he had felt his fellow team members enter through the barrier, but what surprised him more was the fact that Kagome was with them. He had no intention of approaching her at the moment, for the emotions of the previous night were still too fresh in his mind.

He still tried to contemplate why he had felt the way he had. It was amazing to him in the first place that he would even consider a human, but for his feelings to have run this far without him realizing it was disturbing. He began to chalk it up to the link that they shared, that somehow it was affecting his mind. But to accept that would mean to say that his mind was weak enough to allow such a thing.

He could tell even from this distance that Kagome was deeply troubled, and instead of making him feel better about the situation, that she was hurting too, it just made it all the worse. He slumped back in a tree, agitated beyond belief. All this for a human? He continued to watch the group, scowling as Youko took her hand, the intense fluttering of his stomach disturbing. If he had any doubts before, they were quickly diminished, for he was certain that Kagome was attracted to the fox.

He looked towards the sky, not wanting to watch anymore. He decided he would just need to find a way to break their link and then he could go on about his normal business. But the thought did little to extinguish the ache in his chest at the thought of not being around her. He slammed his fist into the branch before rising, intent on putting as much space between them as possible.

Just as he was about to move, he sensed the presence of several youkai moving into the area at a fast pace. Turning his attention to his team mates, he noticed that they too had felt the youki. Despite the brief warning, the group was not completely ready to fend off the attack. He considered going down to help them, but decided to wait and see if they couldn’t do it themselves.

He nodded in approval in the way that his team mates were taking care of the intrusion, and was about to leave, when a shriek echoed through the air. Returning his attention to the battle, he cursed under his breath when he saw Kagome being dragged away.

He knew that he had no time to waste, so without a second’s thought he bounded towards her. The only part of the youkai that was visible was its hand, which made it difficult to strike since it was wrapped around Kagome’s ankle. But with speed that greatly rivaled the offending demon, he unleashed his katana, slashing the wrist clean of its arm.

Kagome slid to a stop roughly, a soft moan escaping her as she tried to reorient herself. As she looked around, her gaze stopped on Hiei, who was standing over her just staring. Her first thought was of guilt, but then relief quickly flooded her. She now knew that she had wanted to see him, even if for a moment. She pushed herself up, grasping her now bleeding side in an effort to alleviate the pain. Once on her feet, she lunged at Hiei, wrapping her slender arms around his waist.

Hiei remained frozen in place, not having expected this type of reaction from her. He could feel her relief radiating off of her in waves, but it did nothing to break apart his confusion. His gaze left her and locked with golden eyes as his fellow team mates quickly approached, having finished off the last of the demons.

“Damn Hiei, nice save” Yusuke shouted as he approached, trying his best to not look too surprised at the way Kagome was latched onto him.

Kagome raised her face so that she could look at him, tears threatening to spill forth at the empty look with which he regarded her.

“Are you going to let go?” he asked, not trying in any way to sound polite.

Kagome nodded, whispering an apology as she disengaged herself from him. Hiei did his best to reign in his emotions, for he didn’t want to broadcast to her the emptiness that he felt when she removed herself.

“Well, Hiei, I see that you have finally decided to grace our presence” Youko said as he glared down the demon who he now considered his rival. He knew that Hiei felt something for the girl, knowing that if he didn’t he wouldn’t have allowed her to touch him so. It was also obvious to him now that Kagome held feelings for him as well, though he was still unsure how deep they ran.

“It wouldn’t have been necessary had you not fucked up and allowed her to be carried off” he replied, not trying in the least to restrain the anger that he now felt towards the fox.

Youko merely glared at the Jaganashi, knowing full well that he was right. The famous Youko Kurama was cunning and strong, but that didn’t mean he was never caught off guard, however rare that was. He turned his attention towards Kagome, leaning in to rub his hand on her side that was surely bruised from being dragged.

Hiei could feel the restraints on his control snap as a low growl escaped him. Without any warning, he snatched up the startled girl, putting as much distance as he could between himself and the fox.

Kagome stared at him wide eyed, until the thought hit her. His growl had not gone unnoticed by her, and remembering the possessiveness that Inuyasha would show towards her when another male showed her attention came to her mind. ‘Could it be that he’s really jealous of Kurama?’ she asked herself as they came to a stop in a secluded cave.

Hiei made sure that there was no vegetation around for Youko to use to his direct advantage. He had a feeling that the other tantei would soon follow, so he needed to get whatever it was that he needed to do out and over with. But looking at Kagome’s confused expression did nothing to help him think of what he wanted to say. Certainly he didn’t love her. Cared for her, yes, but how far he was willing to take it was uncertain to him.

“Hiei, what’s going on? I’ve felt your anger all day, and I am pretty sure that I am the cause” Kagome said as she slowly approached him.

Hiei remained glued to the spot, still unsure of what to say to her. But he did know one thing for certain.

“As long as we have this link of ours, you will refrain from being close to other males” he instructed, the tone in his voice leaving no room for argument.

Kagome could feel the anger inside of her rise. How dare he tell her what she could not do. They may have a link, but he didn’t own her.

“And why would that be” she replied angrily, placing her hands in her hips.

“The emotions rolling off of you are insufferable. It would do wise to not to tempt me any further into a quicker solution to our separation.”

She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. She understood full well what he meant by those words. “You wouldn’t” she replied.

"You have no idea what I would do" he stated as he slowly approached her. He felt his amusement rise as she started backing up, anger and uncertainty swirling in her eyes. But what surprised him still was he detected no fear.

Once she had her back up against the wall, Hiei planted both of his hands next to her, making sure that she wouldn't move until he was finished, though he still had no idea what it was that he would say.

Kagome remained motionless for a moment, her eyes locked with his. She could feel his confusion, and wondered if this was how Inuyasha had felt. She slowly lifted her hand to his face, cupping his cheek affectionately. A small smile graced her lips as his eyes fluttered shut, and she could have sworn that she felt him lean into her touch.

"Hiei?"

His eyes opened, locking on her once more. Before anything else could be said, Hiei closed the distance between them. Kagome's eyes widened in shock, not having expected something like this from Hiei. Her mind raced with confusion, but she couldn't fight the urge to give in to the kiss. She melted into his arms, sighing as he wrapped his arms around her. The sound of voices ended the kiss, Hiei immediately putting as much distance between them as possible. Kagome reached a hand towards him, but he turned his now cold stare on her.

"We are not done with this discussion" he stated before leaping out of the cave.

Before she could say anything, Youko appeared at the entrance, clearly agitated.

"Kagome, are you ok?" he asked, eyeing his surroundings.

She merely nodded her head as she walked towards Kuwabara and Yusuke, bringing her hand to her still tingling lips.


Youko narrowed his eyes at her, trying to determine exactly what happened.

'I wouldn't be too concerned with it Youko' Kurama explained, trying his best to calm the kitsune's anger. Youko was furious that Hiei would run off with the girl, and would make sure that such a thing didn't occur again.

'Like hell I won't be concerned. Did you see her face? Something happened, and I'll be damned if that hybrid steals her away from me' he explained as he followed outside. 'If he wants to play it that way, I'm sure it can be arranged.'

'Youko, what do you intend to do?' not sure if he really wanted to know.

‘Let’s just say two can play at this game.'












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