InuYasha Fan Fiction / Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ Such a Small World ❯ Chapter Fifteen ( Chapter 15 )

Chapter Fifteen

 

He smiled a little, sitting down across from his old friend in the booth. His wolfish grin caused her to shake her head, knowing that he was trying to make her laugh, and he was glad that his plan had worked somewhat. Though, it was rather disappointing that she had to be so serious all the time. Once he had settled, he asked, “Sup?”

 

“Kouga,” she greeted him. “It has been quite some time.”

 

“Yeah,” Kouga chuckled. “I just got this crazy idea that I should call you, being in town and all. And your company is a lot better than some of it I've almost picked up within the last week.”

 

“Oh?” the woman blinked. “What were you doing, going to clubs again?”

 

He nodded, saying, “Course I was! Mihoko loved that place, and used to go there all the time. I wanted to see if I could catch up with her, but apparently she's stopped going since the last time I was in town.”

 

“So, you two aren't dating anymore?” she asked.

 

“Nope,” Kouga replied.

 

“Was it because of Ayame?” she questioned, her tone rather dry. She had not liked that red headed girl. They had clashed much like fire clashed with ice, and it had taken her quite some time to actually contact Kouga. Little bitch had started making sure to delete her messages to his house—damn man could not keep track of a cell phone—thinking that there was something going on between them.

 

And again, just like during the strained years of friendship, she snorted at the thought.

 

He reached up to scratch the back of his head, nodding. He knew that she could see right through him. And she probably would have ripped him a new one had he tried to lie. However, he had to ask, “What gave me away, Kagura?”

 

Dryly, Kagura told him, “That girl had you wrapped around her finger. All she had to do was ask you if you wanted a little, and you'd go skipping around like a good little puppy that obeyed every command it was given.”

 

Kouga was slightly relieved. He knew that Kagura had never liked Ayame—even going as far as to insult her at every turn. But he was glad that his friend decided that this one time she would keep the insults to herself. She must have realized that he had really loved Ayame, even if she could be a little possessive at times. “I suppose you're right,” he said.

 

Kagura huffed, replying, “I know I'm right.”

 

Rolling his eyes, Kouga turned his attention to the waiter that came to take their orders. He told him exactly what both of them would want, having been around Kagura long enough to know what she would have asked for. When the waiter left, he turned his eyes to find that Kagura was glaring at him slightly. “What?”

 

“I am not mute, you know,” Kagura growled. “I can order by myself just fine!”

 

Kouga chuckled lightly, saying, “Man, when are you going to get over that? Since we order the same thing every time we come in here, it's easier for one of us to just order it all. Quicker, ya know. There's no reason for you to go all independent on me.”

 

Kagura frowned, stating, “When are you going to learn that not everything has to go at breakneck speeds?”

 

Kouga laughed. Shaking his head, he said, “Hey, you used to like going fast too.”

 

She narrowed her eyes, wondering again why she was his friend in the first place. However, she could not help but notice the slight suggestive tone he added to his statement, and muttered, “We were on the track team, Kouga. I was required to run fast once the finish line was in sight.”

 

“No, you just wanted to win!” Kouga smirked. “And then, you remember don't you—when—”

 

He was choking on his laughter, but as Kagura's eyebrow twitched, she almost wished he would die a little faster. “Can we not leave the past where it belongs, Kouga?” she hissed lightly, warning him about going any further.

 

“But—” Kouga snickered. “You were so funny! Thinking you were so great—that you'd never lose—and then what happened?”

 

Kagura remained silent. She flickered her eyes toward the counter, wondering when their order would come. At least then he could stuff his face into his chocolate pie and stop digging into the one time that she had made a fool of herself. It was not her fault that she had honestly believed she could beat him, since she was always getting times that were much faster than his own. And it certainly was not her fault what happened after they decided to race—in fact, she was quite positive, still, that it was his fault.

 

“Oh, come on!” Kouga continued. “You've got to find this funny sometime in your life! I mean, really, you were a great athlete who took a major spill. The whole place was laughing.”

 

“At me!” Kagura spat. “They were laughing at me! Because the track girl who had gotten the nickname `wind demon' went up against the fastest boy and tripped over her own foot! Personally, Kouga, I still do not find that funny in the slightest!”

 

Kouga blinked at her red face, bringing his hands up in defense. “Ok, ok,” he said. “Calm down. I just thought that after all this time you might find some humor in it. There's no reason to bite my head off.”

 

“I will never find humor in it,” Kagura frowned. “Especially when I remember all the lecherous comments you were saying to me while we prepared to start. If I remember correctly, you asked me something that went far over the line when we started, and that was the reason that I fell on my face.”

 

“Yeah,” Kouga said slowly, noticing that their order was coming. He decided not to remind Kagura of exactly what he had said, and was silently happy that she had cast it out of her mind. After all, anyone could slip up when they were asked if they participated in incest and if the person issuing the question could join in. Not that he had actually wanted to, he just wanted to rile her up some—he had not expected her to fall.

 

“So,” she sighed, “what were you saying earlier? About picking up some unwanted company?”

 

Glad that she had dropped the subject, Kouga took the piece of chocolate pie from the waiter, and waited until Kagura had her coffee. Then, he shrugged, taking a small bite of the delicious dessert. “Well,” he gulped down the small piece of pie, “I approached by a couple of whores. Can't remember their names. But there was this one woman who I remember completely.”

 

Kagura raised her eyebrow, asking, “Are you sure you weren't interested?”

 

“Hell no,” Kouga growled. “I only remembered the bitch because she mentioned the name of that blasted idiot, Inuyasha.”

 

“Oh?” Kagura asked. Her face became neutral, allowing him to go on with his little rant.

 

He was suspicious for a moment, and knew deep down that her suddenly sweet tone meant trouble. Big trouble that would be directed at him, and that piece of him deep inside shivered at the very thought. However, he continued, saying, “She kept trying to come onto me, even after I told her that I was still thinking about my last girlfriend. She obviously wanted sex or something—pretty sure of that. Said her name was Kikyo.”

 

“Kikyo?” Kagura's eyes narrowed. If that damn Inuyasha had lied to her—

 

“Yeah,” Kouga went on. “She said something about having dumped him a while ago. But there was something fishy about the way she said it. Like she was secretly plotting behind her back, ya know.”

 

“Did she say anything else?” Kagura asked.

 

“Well, I asked if she was the same woman that Inuyasha had used to cheat on another woman—one that Sesshoumaru knows quite well—because he was so in love with her. That's the only reason why Inuyasha won't come around to the company anymore, because he's too scared to face the music. Sesshoumaru said something about punishment, and he was gone the next day,” Kouga shook his head. “That brat needs an ass kickin', too, from what I heard he did to that girl.”

 

“Well, that is quite interesting,” Kagura muttered. She had not known that little piece of information. And if she had, she might have thought twice before deciding to commit to Inuyasha. “Kouga, what would you do if you knew I knew where Inuyasha was?”

 

“I'd call Sesshoumaru,” Kouga frowned in confusion. “It's not my place to interfere, even if I think he did wrong when he cheated on that girl. He cut her down and made her feel like shit from what I heard. But she's back on her feet now—apparently she's dating someone that Sesshoumaru actually trusts.”

 

“And if I told you I knew him personally?”

 

“How personally we talkin' here?” Kouga asked.

 

“As in dating wise?” Kagura asked.

 

“No!” Kouga almost choked on his dessert. “Kagura don't tell me you're dating that creep!”

 

“I am,” Kagura replied. “But after this conversation, I'm thinking about rethinking that decision. I'd need more information, though, to make certain.”

 

“About what?” Kouga asked.

 

“Well,” Kagura began, “Inuyasha came to me after I had made it clear that I liked him. He said that he had dumped his old girlfriend, Kikyo; in order to get away from the bad situation he had found himself within. However, now I am not quite certain as to whether or not he has been lying to me this entire time. And if he has, he is in for a rude awakening.”

 

Kouga smirked, laughing a little. Kagura was always good with revenge. He knew, he still had the bad memory of how she had gotten him back for making her look like a clumsy fool. And he still could not convince his old track friends that he had not been sleeping with their sisters and girlfriends. Apparently, Kagura was quite close to a lot of people, and had used her resources well, since the girls had kept their lips shut, despite the lie.

 

“Hm,” Kagura muttered. “Speaking of which, I think I'll need your help.”

 

“Yeah?” Kouga blinked.

 

“Inuyasha told me that he will be away for a while because he is being forced to go to Sesshoumaru's business party. Well, you'll be there. You can tell me what Inuyasha does in public, since he usually makes sure we're alone,” Kagura again frowned at the thought. “And, you can tell me who he goes with, since he told me that he was not allowed to take anyone. I'm pretty sure that's a lie, isn't it?”

 

“I couldn't tell ya,” Kouga replied. “Sesshoumaru might have told Inuyasha he couldn't bring anyone. But, from what I know, a lot of his business partners are bringing their wives, and the senior staff will have dates. In fact, I think that chick that Inuyasha cheated on will be there.”

 

“Well then, will you help me, Kouga?”

 

The devious gleam in his friend's eyes only increased when he said, “Sure. I've got nothin' better to do than hang around a bunch of greedy old bastards anyway.”

 

OoO

 

“Rini?”

 

Rini looked up from the dough she was kneading, surprised that her Godmother Yukina had decided to look away from her work with such a serious gleam in her eye. Usually they would work with the dough in silence until it was put into the oven, and even then her Godmother Yukina was very attentive to the item they were baking. Though, she would answer any question that she might have for her. “Yes?” she asked.

 

“Rini, you remember when we talked about how people sometimes don't work out, don't you?” Yukina asked. She smiled sadly at the little girl, knowing that her child innocence only wanted her parents to make up. This was just one time that Yukina was not sure that they would, and she knew that Keiko focused on the part of her child that was Yusuke that she could not try to explain the situation. So, she would help the best she could.

 

Rini nodded a little. She did remember, and she knew that her mother had probably asked Godmother Yukina to talk to her about it again. And she knew it was because of the fact that she wanted to see her father. But, she wanted to try and make her mother see that she needed it too, especially from how sad she looked, even when she was trying to be strong.

 

Yukina smiled at the adorable gesture that the little girl made with her head. She was not forgetting her task, but she could not help but wish that Yusuke would finally see his wrong. That he would forget his stubbornness and come back for his child and wife. “Well,” she said, “that's good.”

 

“Why?” Rini asked. “Is it because mommy's mad at me?”

 

“Oh, she's not mad, Rini,” Yukina said. She blinked, however, at the look that the girl sent her way.

 

Rini shook her head, replying, “Mommy is mad at me. She told me not to ask about going to see daddy, but I did. And she told me to stay in our room!”

 

“Your mommy is just,” Yukina looked for the correct word, “a little upset, Rini. She knows how much you want to see your daddy, but she wants to make sure that he won't do the bad thing he's done. She wants him to come to her; instead of letting him win and think he can do whatever bad thing he wants.”

 

Rini remained quiet.

 

“Rini,” Yukina asked, “do you understand what your father has done?”

 

Slowly, Rini shook her head. She said, “Mommy said that daddy went out with another girl that she didn't know, but daddy does that all the time. He goes out to lunch with the girls at work, he told me so, and mommy doesn't know them.”

 

Yukina sighed at the child's innocence, wondering how she could help her understand. “Rini, the way your daddy took this girl out was very different than how he takes out the women at his work.”

 

“How?” Rini asked.

 

“He takes the women at his work out to lunch because they work with him, and he respects them because of that,” Yukina began. She saw the understanding in the little girl's eyes, and was glad that she was getting through to her. “However, the lady that he took out—the one that your mommy is upset over—was someone that he wanted to know belong respect. He wanted to give her flowers, candy, and gifts like he does your mommy.”

 

“Why would he give her flowers or stuff?” Rini asked. “Daddy said he would only do that with mommy! He told me so!”

 

“I know he did,” Yukina said. “But the time that he took this woman out, he saw her in a way he sees your mommy. And because he saw her that way, and your mommy found out, is the reason that she is angry. Do you understand?”

 

Rini's cheeks puffed out, as she nodded vigorously. “Daddy said that he would only give flowers and stuff to mommy!” she stated. “Daddy promised me that he would! He lied and that's bad! I know it is, because you're not supposed to break a promise and mommy says that it's bad to lie!”

 

Yukina smiled. She reached out to pat the young girl's head, saying, “Please, try to keep that in mind, Rini. Your daddy will be forgiven if he apologizes, but if he doesn't or waits too long, your mommy might decide that his actions are too bad. If that happens, Rini, you must promise me that you'll try to understand why your mommy decided to do that. Will you do that for me, Rini?”

 

Rini nodded more slowly this time, as she said, “I will, Godmother Yukina.”

 

Yukina smiled, happy that she had managed to help her friend. Now all she wished to do was to see Kagome, and make sure that she was truly doing all right. She hated to think of what emotional scars Yusuke's actions had left behind, especially when she knew that Kagome loved Hiei very much. And she could not fully understand why Yusuke would do such a thing, since she had not known him to be one to take advantage of a woman.

 

Rini returned to her task of kneading the bread, gulping down the lump in her throat. She did not want to think about what her mother would do, but she understood if her father waited too long. He had done something bad—not only by taking that lady out, but by breaking his promise. And if he was bad, he deserved to be punished. Rini was always punished when she did something bad, so she was positive that her father should be punished, too.

 

But, in her youthful mind, she still hoped that he did not wait long. She did not want her mother and father to be the ones that did not work out. She wanted them to stay together, to stop fighting. She wanted them to be the best mommy and daddy on the block again, just like they were before she went to visit her relatives with her mother. She wanted that, and she hoped.

 

OoO

 

“I don't see why I can't see it!” he pouted. “I won't tell him, I promise!”

 

“Jakotsu,” Sango hissed. “I told you `no'.”

 

“But—!” Jakotsu stuck his bottom lip out the way Kagome had taught him. His look had been perfected long ago, when they had first met and he had decided she had the most perfect pout he had ever seen. And that, despite the fact she was a woman, she was someone that he would be willing to know.

 

“No, Jakotsu!” Sango growled. “You can't see it! But I will assure you that I picked out the loveliest outfit for Kagome to wear.”

 

Jakotsu faked tears, holding his hands out in front of his face as if in prayer. Giving the woman starry eyes, he asked, “So lovely that I'll get to see Kagome's little cutie faint from the lack of blood?”

 

Sango's eyebrow twitched, as she said, “Sure. There will probably be quite a bit of blood coming out of his nose.”

 

Jakotsu's face turned mischevious, as he stated, “Unless, of course, it starts rushing to other places.”

 

Sango batted him in the back of the head. She scowled at him, noticing the way that he was beginning to inch toward where she had hidden the outfit she had made Kagome buy. It was simply lovely, but she was not going to let anyone see it until the day they needed to. Besides, she knew that Jakotsu could wait at least two days.

 

“You're such a cruel woman,” Jakotsu muttered. His eyes slid by her to where her closet was, eyeing the wrapped up outfit that hung there. Oh, if only he could get his hands on it! He could already imagine what Kagome would look like on Hiei's arm, but the picture would be perfect if he knew the right colors and details he should be adding. “I do not understand why big brother likes you so much. Sometimes I think he only puts up with you so he can stay close to my little Kagome.”

 

Sango gave a fierce snarl, while Jakotsu stuck his tongue out at her, quickly turning on his heel to run downstairs. Her sound died away once he was gone, his laughter following after him, but she realized that she was not really angry at him. No, she was angry at the fact that Bankotsu rushed to even apologize. She had almost thought about giving him a chance that morning, until he had decided to call in order to ask if she had gotten over her tantrum yet.

 

Honestly, sometimes she was willing to jump back into Miroku's arms just to get away from Bankotsu's idiocy. She would gladly put up with his wandering hand, lecherous words, and perverted thoughts. And she would do it all, only because Miroku at least showed some intelligence. Unfortunately, though, Miroku had hooked up with an old acquaintance of hers—who dealt with his wandering hand quite nicely—and she was stuck with the oblivious, violent fool.

 

Sighing, Sango shook her head, thinking, Kagome got all the luck in that department it seems—at least in the end.

 

Moving into her room, Sango made sure to grab the key in order to lock it. She did not need to hear Jakotsu's squeals on her choice, or his constant questioning of what else he could do to make it better. To make sure Hiei began to bleed profusely from the nose. And though she often wanted to see how much it would take to make the little man crack, she was not going to let Jakotsu take over the entire thing. It was her family time with Kagome, not his advice time.

 

She also tucked away the little bag that she had made sure Kagome did not know she had purchased. Her sibling was always saying that she either spent too much money on her or that she did not deserve such a thing, and Sango did not want to hear it at that moment. Especially when she knew the little pieces of jewelry would go well with the outfit they had decided upon—or rather she had decided upon, since Kagome had wanted to go with something that was less expensive. And really, if she knew it would go well, and she wanted to buy it, then she should be able to.

 

Kagome would just have to get over it once again.

 

Glancing from the corner of her eye, she noticed the moment he tried to sneak into the room behind her back. She mentally rolled her eyes, making it appear that she was looking for something in the drawer she had opened. Really, he should not think that she was so dense that she could not hear him inching his across the old, squeaky floor. However, she allowed him to get within reaching distance before she finally took a step back, watching as he froze on the spot.

 

Smirking to herself, Sango inspected her dresser as if she was looking for something that she might have misplaced. She watched stealthily out of the corner of her eye as he finally reached out to grab at the packaged outfit, intending on snatching it up and running. However, he was far too obvious, and the moment he almost touched the protective packaging, she spun around and shouted, “Don't even think about it, Jakotsu!”

 

Jakotsu gave a high-pitched scream, before scrambling to avoid the swinging fist. He barely managed to avoid the first swing before another came his way, but he slipped a little on the carpet and fell beneath the second one. Afterward, he did his best to race from the room, shouting back at the vindictive woman that he would see that outfit. And Jakotsu was determined!

 

Shaking her head at his antics, Sango closed the drawer she had opened, and then went to slide her closet shut. Once done, she walked out of her room, closing the door, and slipping the key in for a quick turn, effectively locking Jakotsu out. However, when she looked up, she smiled when she saw that Kagome was peeking out of her room, Hiei doing much the same in a more manly way. They both looked rather curious, though Hiei's look contained a bit of malice.

 

Probably because Jakotsu's girlish scream had cut into his playtime.

 

“Sango?” Kagome asked. “What was Jakotsu doing in your room?”

 

Sango grinned, saying, “Oh, he was trying to sneak a peek! I got rid of him, though, and I'll do the same to Hiei if he tries anything.” She shot the man a glance, noticing the way he snorted. He probably thought he could slip into her room, look at the outfit all he wanted, and then leave without her ever knowing. And though he was Kagome's boyfriend, and he was good for her, she still reverted back to her old habit of calling him names.

 

Arrogant bastard.

 

Kagome smiled a bit, imagining Jakotsu trying to tap into his ninja qualities in order to get to the outfit. Apparently his ninja skills were not as developed as Sango's, though, for he had obviously failed in his mission. And the very thought made her giggle.

 

“Hn,” Hiei replied to her warning. His arm snuck around Kagome's waist, and tugged her back into her bedroom. However, he doubted that he would get very far when she was in a fit of giggles and thinking about all the things that the idiot would no doubt try in order to see that outfit. He really did not care either way, since he would see it sooner or later, but he was seriously thinking that it might be better to return to his place until a winner had been declared inside the war zone.

 

He had a suspicion on who it would be, though.

 

OoO

 

He smiled charmingly, absentmindedly smoothing out the slight wrinkles in his shirt. Today would be the day he took his first true step toward getting the woman that he had left go of so easily. He was positive he was making the correct step, too, since all women tended to have a need to be showed affection. It was a bonus that he could show a little kindness to those around her as well, though, since it would put him into a better light than Yusuke had ever been in.

 

After all, the man had thought taking a teenage girl to a ramen stand was romantic.

 

Kurama stepped closer to the bakery, delighted to find that Keiko was indeed behind the counter again. She had never been the type to mooch off of her friends, so he imagined that she had asked Yukina for the position while she was staying with her. And all the facts pointed to the fact that she was, which meant that it would be quite simply for him to play his little game of seduction.

 

Having already called Yukina for his order of sweets—which he truly planned on handing over to Hiei—he went to the door. His sense of balance was well shown as he pushed open the door, waltzing inside with the grace his mother had gifted him with. He nodded to Yukina, noticing her stick her head out with the tiny ringing of the bell, and then turned his attention to the woman smiling up at him from the counter.

 

“Good afternoon, Shuichi,” Keiko greeted him happily. “Is there something I can get for you?”

 

Kurama smiled a little more, happy to hear such a lovely tone escaping the captivating woman. He had known that she was a strong one, that she would fight Yusuke tooth and nail until her heart was finally within his grasp, but he had not expected her to appear so warm toward him so soon. “Good afternoon,” he nodded. “I called ahead this morning, so Yukina should have what I ordered. And you may call me Kurama, Keiko. All of my old acquaintances do.”

 

“I think I prefer Shuichi,” Keiko replied.

 

And the barrier went up in that instant. Kurama recognized it immediately, since she was probably waiting for Yusuke to get off his stubborn ass. However, he was not one to lose, and nodded in acceptance to her answer. “Forgive me, I'm just so used to being called Kurama after so many years, that hearing someone call me Shuichi seems a bit formal,” he told her. “Almost as if I'm back at work in the lab.”

 

“Oh!” Keiko laughed. “That's understandable.”

 

His eyes flickered to the side when the young girl raced from the back, her hair up and her face splattered with dough. He smiled humorously when she sent him a questioning glance, before quickly turning her excited eyes back to her mother. She was clearly proud of something she had done, and he smiled a bit more when she spoke quickly about how Yukina had taught her to make another type of cookie. She was very cute, and Kurama could clearly see the similarities between her and her mother.

 

However, the young girl quickly ended her tale of her kitchen adventure and turned her attention to him once more. He smiled at her, showing her that he was not one to be feared, while she merely blinked at the gesture. “Mommy,” she asked, “who's that man?”

 

Keiko laughed rather nervously, patting her daughter's head. She said, “This is a customer named Shuichi, Rini. He knows Yukina, daddy and I.”

 

Rini looked confused, as she turned to give her mother a long stare. Then she returned her eyes to the item he held in his hand, before once more looking at her mother. “But mommy, why is he carrying flowers?” she asked.

 

Keiko noticed them for the first time, and blinked in surprise at the long stemmed roses hanging from the man's fingers. She raised an eyebrow, but kept her attention on her daughter. “I'm not sure why he has flowers, Rini. Maybe you should try asking him that,” she said.

 

Rini bite her lip childishly, before turning her eyes onto him once more. They were large and curious, and Kurama easily saw both parents in the child. Though, he had to admit that when she spoke, she sounded much more like her mother. “Shuichi-san,” she asked, “why do you have such pretty flowers with you?”

 

Ah, it was almost easier than he had thought. Kurama chuckled at the little girl's innocent question, before saying, “I thought that Yukina might like them. She has always been fond of the roses that I grow at home, and she has been very kind to me lately. I thought that I would be kind in return.”

 

“Oh, you're giving those pretty flowers to Godmother Yukina?” she asked.

 

“I had planned to,” Kurama nodded. “But, I think that I might have to change my plan a little bit.”

 

“Why?” she asked, confused.

 

“Because,” Kurama stated, pulling a single rose from the bundle, “it would not be right to give flowers out without giving one to the adorable little girl that has probably worked very hard today. And perhaps even on the sweets that I ordered.”

 

Rini's smile brightened, as she chirped, “I get a flower?”

 

Kurama held the rose out to her, continuing to smile, as he said, “If you want one.”

 

Rini was more than happy to take the flower from him, instantly turning around to shove it underneath her mother's nose. “Mommy, look!” she cheered. “Shuichi-san gave me a flower! Isn't it pretty?”

 

“Very pretty, Rini,” Keiko grinned. “But you'll need to ask Yukina for some water, for it'll wilt soon.”

 

Rini nodded, rushing away to do as her mother had said. She held the rose as if it was the most precious thing in the world, though she did know that it was the prettiest in her opinion. And the nice man had been kind enough to get rid of the pointy thorns that used to be on the flower stem, since she could feel the indents underneath her fingers.

 

“That was very kind of you,” Keiko said.

 

Kurama tilted his head, while he said, “I have many of them at home. My friends and family often think that I should run a flower shop, but I am rather happy where I am.”

 

Keiko noticed the curious stare he cast her way. She asked, “Is something the matter?”

 

“No,” he said. “I merely wanted to ask if you wanted a rose as well?”

 

Keiko blushed a bit, “Oh, I really don't need one!”

 

Kurama pulled another rose from the bundle, holding it out to her. “Well, whether you need one or not, I believe that a beautiful woman should have one. And it would not be right for me to give it to every beautiful one in this shop except for one.”

 

Keiko's blush did not lighten, as she took the flower from him. She thanked him, while running her fingertips along the stem. It brought forth memories, but she could not remember a time that she had met such a nice man. Though, she supposed, that since she had actually known him longer than she thought, she had known a nice man for quite some time. So, again, she said, “Thank you.”

 

“Think nothing of it,” Kurama forced out. In truth, he wanted her to think about it. But, he supposed that it was too soon in the game to try such a thing, considering the fact she would probably back off rather quickly. And he could not have that if he planned to capture the gem that she was in the end.

 

Yukina came from the kitchen with a smile, Rini following at her heels with the flower sitting in a glass full of water. They were both smiling, while Yukina moved to hand him the package of sweets he had ordered. “I believe that's everything, Shuichi. I was rather surprised to hear from you so soon, though, since you usually don't come in more than once a month.”

 

“I simply could not resist,” Kurama told her. He held out the rest of the roses he held, and continued, “And I had promised you some more roses since the last ones died. I have just had my hands full lately.”

 

Yukina took the bundle, smiling, as she said, “Thank you, Shuichi. These will look lovely in the window.”

 

Rini remembered her manners at that moment, as she spoke up, “Thank you, Shuichi-san!”

 

“You're very welcome,” he smiled. He reached into his pocket for his wallet afterward, planning on keeping the meeting short before he decided to try a little more with the woman he wanted. Now was not the time, though, he reminded himself. And he had to do things right if he wanted to finally take her hand in his own and know that he had finally caught her.

 

OoO

 

“You're a lucky bastard,” Yusuke muttered, glaring at the tape that sat innocently on his bed. He had planned to destroy the damn thing once and for all, but the damn phone just had to go and ring at that moment. As he moved to get it, though, limping a bit on his bruised leg, he cursed the tape.

 

And he cursed the bastards that had kicked his ass.

 

Picking up the phone, he asked, “What?”

 

“There's no reason to be rude, Yusuke!” the woman on the other end of the line snapped. “I was only calling to see if Keiko was home from her family trip yet or not.”

 

“She's not here,” Yusuke told her.

 

“Well, where is she?” she asked. “Did you do something? You did, didn't you?”

 

“Look,” Yusuke growled. He really did not like this chick. “Keiko has gone to stay with Yukina for a little while, Yuka. There's no reason for you to suddenly jump the gun, because there's nothing wrong.”

 

Yuka huffed, “I doubt that, Urameshi Yusuke. But thank you, I'll make sure to call Yukina's instead.”

 

“Whatever,” he muttered, before hanging the annoying device up. His glare returned to the tape sitting on his bed. The thing did not even look dangerous—like it could not have done all of the stuff that had screwed up his life so far. And damn it, for that, he was going to rip it apart. He was going to make sure that no one else would ever be able to look upon it and see the crime that he had committed.

 

More importantly, they would never know he had gotten caught unless someone told them. Like that damn cross-dresser and the pretty boy that decided he had touched something that he should have left alone. Well, he knew that! He had just needed something that would make sure that he did not leave his wife and child, because he really did not want to be like his father. And his plan had backfired on him big time.

 

A gleam in his eye, Yusuke advanced on the tape. It would not have the chance to escape, and once he destroyed it, he was sure he could win back his wife and child.

 

The sound of the phone ringing once more caught Yusuke's attention, and he tripped. Hitting the floor roughly, he hissed as he landed on a large bruise that damn pretty boy had left behind. The area throbbed with pain, and he looked behind him to glare at the phone. Yuka's damn voice was coming out of the answering machine already, saying something about how she had forgotten to tell him something and whatnot. He did not really pay attention, as he held onto the damaged leg.

 

Glancing at the bed, he gritted his teeth. That damn tape was mocking him, he was sure of it. He had been ready to get rid of it—to chop it into a million pieces and laugh like he was crazy. Yet that blasted Yuka had to call and ruin everything, he was positive he would not be moving for quite some time.

 

Damn Higurashi Kagome. If she had just stayed home, he would not be sitting on the floor holding his leg and the bruise that just would not stop hurting for the life of him. If she had just had a little more faith in the faithfulness of her boyfriend, he would not have picked her up. He would not have wanted to go for a second time, knowing that he was committing the greatest of taboos and loving every moment of it, and he would not have screwed up his life.

 

Gritting his teeth, Yusuke realized that he was pressing on the area a little too hard. He was sure that the bruise was down to the bone from how hard the pretty boy had hit him. At least the cross-dresser had been more entertained with his thoughts of blood and beauty, occasionally taking a good hit that was sure to leave the loveliest of bruises.

 

If only there had only been one of the freaks. He could have taken one of them. Even after so many years of not having to fight, he was positive he could have taken one of them. And he really wanted to have the satisfaction of breaking the pretty boy's face, since the cross-dresser had appeared more concerned with the emotional trauma he had caused to Kagome.

 

Sighing, Yusuke rubbed his hand over the area that was in pain. His eyes flickered again to where the tape lay, and he scowled deeply. He would destroy that tape. He was determined, and once his leg stopped hurting, it was going to die. It would burn and shatter, and feel the pain that it had brought to him. He would make sure of it.

 

OoO

 

KibaSin: Whew, that took me a while to get around to typing up. And I think that Yusuke's slight insanity came from the fact that I was falling asleep when I wrote the piece with him. But, it's not too bad, so I didn't change it.

 

And I'd like to thank everyone who enjoys reading this story. I haven't really been paying attention to what it has been nominated for, but I just realized that it has been in the Feudal Association Nominations as well as the Inuyasha Fanguild Nominations. And at the moment I can't remember how many times it has been nominated. But, I'd really like to thank everyone and tell you what my stories are currently nominated for in the Inuyasha Fanguild awards:

 

Such a Small World - “Best Alternate Reality/Universe” and “Best Crossover”

Stains of the Heart - “Best Action/Adventure”

Faith - “Best One-Shot”

 

There are others that deserve to win much more than I do, but I almost cried when I saw my stories nominated in four categories. So, I'd really like to thank everyone (especially madmiko, though I'm still not quite sure why she likes my work so much. Lol). Anyway, I'm going to end this now before I start to cry, since I nearly choked when I first saw it.

 

Thanks for reading,

Kiba