InuYasha Fan Fiction / Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ Such a Small World ❯ Chapter Six ( Chapter 6 )

Chapter Six

 

Kurama sighed, glancing to the other side of the street once more. He'd checked with Shizuru, and no Keiko. He'd checked with most of her friends that he did not have names for, but knew that they nearly swooned when he showed up on their doorstep, and no Keiko. He was beginning to wonder just where she'd gotten to, since he'd made sure to check her home beforehand and she hadn't been there. He was beginning to think that she knew from the way he'd saw Yusuke stumbling upon like he hadn't gotten any sleep that morning, which meant she was either with her family or one of her friends. Where, though? That was truly the mystery that he wanted to solve.

 

Tilting his head back, he wondered if Hiei was making any progress. He knew that the man was stubborn, but he did love Kagome. If she even started to slip away from him, he'd most likely try anything in order to get her back. He even knew that there might be a real bloodbath if Yusuke tried to get his hands onto her again. Kagome might not be one for violence, but he hoped that she listened to the fact that Hiei was, and if Yusuke did try something again, Hiei wasn't going to be happy about it. Hiei may actually grab some type of blade and run Yusuke through if it meant keeping him away from his woman, even if she turned to hate him in the end. However, Kurama knew that Kagome was too kind of a soul to hate anyone, no matter what they did, which made him worry about them. Would they make it?

 

Shaking his thoughts away from his friend, he focused his task back onto Keiko. Sometimes he cursed his curiosity, but he knew that he was concerned for his friend. Hiei wasn't the emotional type, which might be exactly what Kagome needed at that moment, or at least someone that she could talk to and get a supportive answer out of. With Hiei she would have to know him very well in order to understand he was supporting her in his own way, quietly. Scowling at himself, Kurama once again shook himself away from that, promising himself that he'd go check on his friend later on, perhaps the next day, in order to see how things were fairing for him. Who knew, he might get information on Keiko from him if he could not find any.

 

He was concerned for her, as well. He wasn't sure if she knew, and if she did, how she knew. If she did, how had she found out about it? They were all questions that swarmed into his head, but mostly he was simply concerned for her current situation. Surely she'd taken her daughter with her, especially if she knew Yusuke had cheated on her, and was probably putting up a strong face for her, before crying in the dark alone and sad, yet angry.

 

Now that he thought about it, she and Kagome were a lot alike, which meant he might be able to kill two birds with one stone by finding Keiko. By learning more about Keiko, he might be able to help Hiei if he was having any trouble. He knew there were differences between the two women, but they were somewhat the same. They were both loyal to a certain breaking point; they were both kind unless angered; they both hit a pervert if he deserved to be hit, though he was sure from seeing them both firsthand that Keiko's was much stronger; and they both tried to make others happy, though Kagome more so than Keiko. Keiko would want to talk about the problem, while Kagome would merely smile and say that they could come to her when they wanted to talk, putting her own feelings aside for that time.

 

Kurama, more so than anything else, hoped that Keiko was all right, though. He'd watched her interact many times with Yusuke, and had thought about what it would have been like if he hadn't stepped down and let Yusuke take her without a word? He often wondered if they would have fought, though he doubted it, and he wondered if they would have fallen in love and had a child? He wondered many things when it came to the woman he'd allowed Yusuke to have, though he had found an interest in her when he'd first met her, something rare and surprisingly new. Refreshing, even.

 

Which was another different between her and Kagome. He hadn't thought that when he'd first met Kagome, for she'd been trading snide remarks with Hiei at the time, though he could tell that his friend's eyes had been twinkling silently as he insulted her time and again. Apparently, though when they'd first met he'd insulted her, she'd poured his drink into his lap in front of business partners and quit her job, Hiei had found something that interested him. Kurama, however, had found nothing that really interested him. Kagome was a wonderful person, almost like a great light sent from above, but she was more suited for a person who needed her patience and kind hand.

 

He almost hoped that if Yusuke were trying to get his wife back, since he slept with Kagome twice, he'd be able to see the differences as well. If he couldn't, he doubted that he'd be able to get anywhere. As much as he'd once respected Yusuke, he found it disappointing that Yusuke had slept with his friend's girlfriend, someone he'd known was special to Hiei, and blackmailed her the second time to do so from what they'd been told. Or what Hiei had yelled him at, and Kagome had told Hiei. Yusuke was thickheaded, though, and probably wouldn't be able to see the reason why he loved Keiko and merely found something nice about Kagome until the last moment. Even then, he might have other reasons, reasons that would cause Kurama to not allow him to get his hands onto the woman he didn't deserve then.

 

Kurama had stepped aside once; he would not step aside a second time unless told to by Keiko herself.

 

OoO

 

He wiped his mouth, stumbling down the road on his bruised leg, and wondered how bad his wounds really were. He was sure he'd taken worse, but it had been so long since then that those punches and some kicks had actually felt like his bones were being crushed under the assault. He knew he deserved it, though. He deserved it for the fact that he'd cheated on his wife and practically chased her out of his life, along with their daughter.

 

Leaning forward, Yusuke coughed, blood trickling down his chin from the cut on his lip. His hand reached out to find something to hold himself up on, wondering if those two guys were going to follow him. That cross-dressing Jakotsu had said something about fetching something, and when Bankotsu had said he'd join him, Yusuke had faked being unconscious and stumbled away as soon as they were out of sight and out of hearing range, or he'd hoped so, he'd waited for about two minutes before moving again. Still, he couldn't help but take a look behind him. He also guessed that it was just ironic that it wasn't Hiei who beat him up first, but someone else close to Kagome. That just meant that Hiei's truly painful beating would be lingering in the future if he decided to take out his anger on him. He doubted the guy would take it out on Kagome; he seemed to care for her a lot more than he'd first thought.

 

That look in Hiei's eyes when he's punched him told him that he was fighting against himself to hit him again, or go with Kagome. The shorter man had gone with Kagome in the end, thus leaving him to the fate of those who crazed freaks. It made him wonder how the hell Kagome managed to attract such strange people. They did not even seem good enough to be put in the friend category. That Jakotsu guy had been mumbling about swords, and grinning at the thought of cutting his face up like it was the greatest thing in the world. The guy named Bankotsu had gotten a rather sinister look in his eye when his `brother' had mentioned something named Banryuu, and he wasn't sure he wanted to know what that was. Still, he couldn't help but wonder why the hell that stupid woman attracted such dangerous and crazed people to her. Surely Hiei could be put into that category, and he was sure Hiei's boss, Sesshoumaru, could be put there as well. Hell, he bet everyone that damned woman was associated with could be put in that category!

 

Damn, Yusuke coughed again. He wanted to blame Kagome, but he knew that those stupid freaks were acting on their own accord. There was fucking way Kagome knew he was married unless Hiei had told her, which he doubted he had yet for he'd probably be facing her wrath as well, thus there was probably no fucking way those two guys had been told to attack him. Then again, Bankotsu had mentioned being the boyfriend of Kagome's sister, or something like that, which probably meant her sister might have had them looking out for him.

 

He shivered. He could just see the way her sister probably looked. A knife on one hip, a lopsided smirk, her eyes wide as she watched them cutting up another person, while she laughed the entire time—crazy, just like everyone else that woman knew. It just figured he had to have some strange thing for her, or her personality or whatever it was that drew him to her, and she was the one person in the world who befriended and was protected by tons of crazy people just waiting for something like this to happen. He could bet there were lots of others just like the two who'd beat him up, and each one of them, within a few weeks time, would be out for his blood now that Bankotsu and Jakotsu would be able to describe him to the other hoards of people out for blood.

 

He shivered again. It just figured he'd have to think about those things at the moment. It almost made him want to go against the fact that he wanted Keiko to come back to him, and go to Yukina's and beg her to come home. To right everything and then never leave his little house again—never, ever again. Lock himself up so that those crazy people couldn't find him and seek revenge on him for what he'd done to `their Kagome', as they'd dubbed her. However, he was stronger than this, he knew he was, and he wasn't going to allow two crazy men to scare him simply because they'd spoken of twisting his limbs and gutting him like it was an everyday occurrence for them.

 

Sighing, Yusuke began walking forward once more. Now he really wished he hadn't screwed up, for then he wouldn't have any of these problems. He wouldn't have chased away his wife and daughter; he wouldn't have some strange attraction toward his friend's girlfriend; he wouldn't have betrayed someone who'd taken forever to even call him by his first name out of respect; and he wouldn't possibly have Kurama trying to steal his life. Most of all, he wouldn't have crazy people coming after his ass simply because he'd blackmailed a girl to sleep with him after she'd done so willingly the first time.

 

Shaking those thoughts away, he decided that he was going to go home for now. Rest, and figure out what he was going to do with that stupid tape. He'd left it where he'd found it after Keiko had watched it, not knowing exactly what to do with it, trying to think that it wasn't true. He should destroy it, he knew that, but he wasn't sure how to do so. Throw it away and possibly have someone else find out about his little adventure? Break it to pieces and hope that no one who found it could put it back together? Keep it and wait until Keiko returned, before allowing her to smash it to bits? No, that one wasn't good enough, he was sure she'd think he kept it because of his perverted-ness, since when they were younger she'd always shriek about him doing anything she could consider perverted, and he bet that one would be chalked up as one-hundred percent perverted.

 

Or maybe one-hundred percent chance of her thinking he had been watching it while she was gone, thus being perverted, and thus betraying her more?

 

Nodding to himself, he began to trek home, decided that when he got there, he was going to smash that tape to bits. At least it was something that he could take his aggression out on without someone freaking on him.

 

OoO

 

“There you are,” Yukina smiled. “I was beginning to wonder if I'd have to come get you in order to bring you downstairs again. Locking yourself up while Rini isn't here isn't going to solve anything, Keiko.”

 

“I know, I just wanted to think about something once she left for school. I'm sorry if I worried you, Yukina,” Keiko replied. “I told myself when I first came down that I was going to get over this, and then I just ended up going back to wondering if he was ever going to try and fix this. I mean, I wouldn't have been so angry at him if he'd told me to my face, I wouldn't even have thought of leaving the house, especially if he'd explained it to me. But, I started thinking about that tape and I started thinking that maybe he's at home watching it, smirking at the fact that he has proof of his victory, and I caved. I just needed to get that off my head, that's all.”

 

“I understand, Keiko,” Yukina nodded. “I can't put that against you. Besides, you're going through a rough time right now, and I'm sure that you will be until you can figure out which road you're going to take. However, I wanted to see if you'd like to come work at the bakery tomorrow with me?”

 

Keiko blinked. “Which reminds me. Why haven't you left for work, Yukina?”

 

“Because, today I don't open the bakery until eleven, instead of nine. I like having one day where I can stay in bed a little later than usual,” Yukina giggled. “I love owning the business and everything, but I also have to allow Mina and Yukio a day off, and today seemed like the perfect day. So, on this day, their day off, I open the bakery later in the day.”

 

“You're all alone on Thursday's?” Keiko asked.

 

“Well, yes,” Yukina nodded. “Sometimes Mina will come by and help me if she doesn't have any other plans, but it's nice to have some time to myself. Other times it just seems crazy, since I seem to get more customers on days that I decide they can go home early or send them on other errands and things.”

 

“I'd love to help you, Yukina,” Keiko smiled. “Because you're allowing me to stay here. I'm sure it gets lonely inside that bakery all by yourself.”

 

Yukina nodded again. “Perhaps. But not as lonely as you'd think! Thursday is usually the day that most of my regular customers come in and they make the loneliness go away.”

 

Keiko shook her head. “I'd still love to help you, Yukina. Even if not for money, simply to help out and do something while Rini is in school. I can come back before she gets here later on, but I'd still like to do something. I hate to impose on you.”

 

“Oh, you're not doing that, Keiko. I'm happy to help you,” Yukina said.

 

“Still,” Keiko sighed.

 

Yukina's lips tipped into a smile. “Tell you what. You can come help me at the bakery in exchange for staying here, and while we're there you'll tell me more about everything that's happened.” Seeing Keiko give her a slightly horrified look, she giggled. “Not when there are many customers, of course. And just the little things until you're ready to tell me everything. I just,” she paused, “I really want to find out if the Kagome you spoke of was the Kagome I know.”

 

Keiko frowned. “Why?”

 

“Because she's a very nice girl who was hurt very badly by a man she thought she loved. I met her through her stepsister, who often comes into the bakery with her boyfriend. She's currently dating someone else that I happen to know, someone that might make her think he's going behind her back like the man she thought she loved did. That might make her do something very stupid, or in this case, might make her end up sleeping with someone else.” Yukina allowed her eyes to lock with Keiko's. “I want to help her if it is her. She's kind of like you, Keiko, but she's a lot easier to break and could easily become very insecure. I don't want that to happen to her.”

 

Keiko nodded. “I'll… I'll do it, Yukina. I feel we might be talking about the same person. I might not like the fact that she slept with Yusuke, maybe even more than once, but if what you say is true, I can't truly put any blame on her. Yusuke can be a jerk.”

 

Yukina smiled, nodding. “Thank you, Keiko.”

 

She smiled as well. “Of course. Besides, you're doing all this to help me, and now you just want to help another friend, Yukina. I can't come in the way of that. Especially not when you're helping me.”

 

OoO

 

“He got away,” Bankotsu growled. “That bastard.”

 

Jakotsu sighed. “He had such a pretty face, too.”

 

Bankotsu looked down at the spot where he'd kicked Yusuke to the ground and left him. “If you see him again, Jakotsu, call me and the others. He didn't get even a fourth of the punishment he deserves, and I'm not going to allow him to get away with doing this. Kagome doesn't deserve to be treated with anything more than respect, not after what Inuyasha did to her.”

 

Jakotsu nodded. “Yes, brother.”

 

Bankotsu sighed. “And remember what I told you this time, Jakotsu. I don't want you to end up in jail again, alright.”

 

Jakotsu grinned.

 

“Don't give me that look, Jakotsu,” Bankotsu huffed. “You shouldn't have went after Inuyasha by yourself thinking he would simply allow you to do whatever you wanted to do with him simply because you were alone. You should have tied the bastard up and called us.”

 

Jakotsu nodded sadly, “He has a pretty face, too.”

 

Bankotsu felt like hanging his head in shame. “Jakotsu, when will you learn?”

 

“When there are no longer any pretty faces in the world, brother,” Jakotsu sang. He stopped, and then held his chin in his hand. “Except mine and Kagome's, for the world would not be able to function without them,” he smiled.

 

Shaking his head, Bankotsu almost forgot about the punk that had managed to make Kagome so sad. Kagome was like his sister, even more so to Jakotsu because she accepted him instantly for what he was and how quickly he could change in attitude. Jakotsu, though, was always known for making jokes like that, and he was slightly surprised that his brother had actually become so close to a woman that he was including her in them as well. He bet that if Jakotsu wasn't into men that he'd be fighting to keep Kagome locked up for his eyes only.

 

“Bankotsu! Bankotsu, are you in there?”

 

Rolling his eyes, he said. “Yes. Of course, I'm in my own body, Jakotsu. Do you think that I suddenly stepped out for five minutes and would let it sit here without me?”

 

“I was only checking,” Jakotsu smiled. “Now, why don't we go see Sango? I want to wait until Kagome gets home. I'm sure that her cute little boyfriend will keep her for a while, but when she gets home I want to ask her about this outfit I think she would look absolutely adorable in! She needs something to cheer her up with all these mean people trying to ruin her relationship with her little cutie.”

 

“Alright. Just don't let her hear you calling him that.” Bankotsu paused. “Scratch that, she probably already knows you call him that, doesn't she?”

 

“Mmhm,” Jakotsu agreed.

 

“Fine, then don't let him hear you calling him that,” Bankotsu sighed. “No reason to get him angry when he's already in overprotective mode.”

 

“Oh,” Jakotsu frowned. “But he's even cuter when he's angry. Even Kagome thinks so.”

 

“You think everyone with three legs is cute, Jakotsu. I know that you usually said all those things in front of Kagome before this happened, but I don't want her getting the wrong idea. I want her to stay with Hiei, all right. I don't know why, but I do, since I happen to like him,” Bankotsu said.

 

Jakotsu's eyes brightened, “Why do you like little Hiei, Bankotsu?”

 

He grinned. “Because, I might get to watch a pretty good show if that bastard Inuyasha ever comes back around when Hiei kicks his ass to next year. Plus, if that idiot Yusuke decides to show his face to Kagome again, from what I heard, he'll pound his face so badly no one will recognize him. I'd pay money to see that, wouldn't you?”

 

Jakotsu's eyes took on a different gleam, his tongue coming out to lick at his lips. “Of course I would, brother.”

 

“You're sick, Jakotsu. You know that, right?”

 

“You have no room to talk,” Jakotsu laughed, and then decided it was time to leave. He raced away from Bankotsu, leaving his brother there, but knew that he wouldn't be too much longer.

 

Bankotsu looked down at where they'd left Yusuke. If I ever see that bastard again, I'll personally see to it that he finds himself stranded in the middle of nowhere. He'll pay for what he did to Kagome, especially when it's making Sango sad to see her this way. He'll pay for hurting them both by hurting one.

 

OoO

 

He smiled softly, looking in through the window. There you are, Keiko.

 

Shaking his head, Kurama decided that today was probably not the best day to begin. He knew where she was now, and that was the most important thing. However, from the looks of things they were talking about something important, most likely what was happening in Keiko's life at the moment, which meant she knew what Yusuke had done. Which would make it slightly easier and slightly harder for him. Easier because he wouldn't have to tell her about it, and harder because he'd have to find a way around her new defenses that she'd probably built to keep out that type of hurt again.

 

Nodding at his plan, he decided that he'd pay Hiei a visit a bit later on now that he knew Keiko was staying with Yukina and helping her in the bakery she owned. See if his friend was making it anywhere and if he needed any advise. Perhaps see if he was becoming frustrated and tearing his hair out because the independent woman he knew was clinging to him for support. He wasn't sure if Kagome was doing that yet, but from what he'd been told, her sinking to her knees while she told Hiei what she'd done, suggested that she might. Her pain from her past relationship would most likely resurface and it would take some time before she managed to get back on her own two feet. Either time, or something that caused her to suddenly want to—not a miracle, but perhaps someone that might make her want to be able to protect herself. Who knew, though, except Kagome herself, though?

 

Yes, a visit to Hiei would be good. Especially if Kagome was there, since he'd often liked talking to her as if she was his own flesh and blood. She was a good person; she didn't deserve this anymore than Keiko did. He hoped in the end both of them would be happy, but he hoped that it would be with Hiei and himself, no matter how selfish that actually seemed.

 

OoO

 

KibaSin: And there's Chapter Six! Chapter Seven is in the making, though I'm not entirely sure how long it will take me to write it. I'm trying to bring out the feel of the characters and everything, before shooting straight into how everything will start to get better, if ever for some of them. I'm happy that people are enjoying my Crossover, since this is actually one of the first ones that I decided to write after reading “On The Night Of A Blood Red Moon” and “Silent Regrets” by Ryukotsusei. Both of which are Hiei/Kagome, which is probably why I like this pairing so much, the stories are so good! So, I must thank everyone who's reading and possibly reviewing and be on my way to finish the next chapter.

 

Kiba