InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Heart Within ❯ Chapter Fifteen ( Chapter 16 )
[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]
By: YoukaiFate 
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Hentai / Drama / Adventure / Action | Type: Crossover | Uploaded On: 02.16.2009 | Pages: 4 | Words: 7.6K | Visits: 468 | Status: Completed
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Hentai / Drama / Adventure / Action | Type: Crossover | Uploaded On: 02.16.2009 | Pages: 4 | Words: 7.6K | Visits: 468 | Status: Completed
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, etc., of Inuyasha or Yu Yu Hakusho. This story is for entertainment purposes only, and not for profit.THE HEART WITHINSummary: She has carried vengeance in her shadowed heart for 500 years, sacrificing her self for that dream. Now, Sango just might get her chance… (IY/YYH crossover) A/N: A warning about Kuwabara’s family---I don’t remember seeing any mention of them while watching the anime, so have conveniently invented a background for him. It’s probably entirely inaccurate, and chalk it up to my lazy sass for not reading up on the manga. Anyhoudini, I wanted to give special thanks to Crazy4u, who has kept asking for updates and made me sit down tonight and finishing editing this chapter, Guyute24 for actually updating her own fic and getting me in the mood, Guardian Angel Sango for inspirational HieiSan artwork, Yue no Rei for her continuous reviews, as well as too many others too name in this insanely long A/N. I will grab you on the next chapter, which is already being written. Thank you all so very much for your continued encouragement!
This chapter is especially dedicated to Tausha for letting me read aloud all day Sunday and helping me outline What Is Gonna Happen Next. MWAHAHAHAHA!
O.O
(Fate)
WARNING! SPOILERS FOR YYH BLACK AND THE THREE KINGS SAGA! RUNNY SENTENCES AND BAD LANGUAGE AND DELIBERATELY MANGLED IRISH GRAMMAR (MY MEMA WITH THE SMILING IRISH EYES WILL KILL ME FOR IT, LOL)
WORDS
koorime - ice maiden
kaze - wind
Chapter Fifteen
“Damn it, Shizuru, you’re going to make me late for my first day!” Kuwabara yelled at his sister as she tossed one last item into the paper sack she was preparing for his lunch. Folding the end over neatly, she crumpled it into her tightening fist as her brown eyes narrowed.
“Well, then you better get your ass in gear, baby bro.” She rammed the crumpled bag into his broad chest to send him stumbling on his way.
“Hey!” Kuwabara protested as the poor cat who had been rubbing up against his legs made a mad dash for the safety of the living room. “You almost made me step on Eikichi!”
“Quit fooling around with that cat and go!” Shizuru scolded, pushing him along with several hard shoves as she herded her towering brother toward the front door. “Do you want to be late on your first day?”
“But---” Kuwabara’s breath exploded as his heavy briefcase slapped him in the stomach, courtesy of his sister’s forceful toss.
“Go, Kazuma!” Shizuru helpfully opened the front door and pushed him out by her spread fingers on his broad forehead. “Don’t you want to make something of yourself? Well, then, quit dawdling and get going!”
She stood on the front stoop as he lurched down the steps, face red and grumbles kept to himself. For all her slender build, his older sister had a mean right hook and wasn’t averse to using it when needed. Leaning against the side of the railing, Shizuru pulled out a cigarette and lit it, inhaling the fragrant tobacco before releasing it with a sigh as she watched him go, her expression softening as he turned away.
Straightening his blue uniform with a jerk, Kuwabara squared his wide shoulders and made a face. *Stupid sister, always making me late…*
Still, it was nice of her to have made him lunch, though the crumpled bag looked pretty sad, squashed as it was. He wondered idly what she had made for him, and hoped the hours wouldn’t drag before he could find out at lunch-time. He always seemed to be hungry. Shizuru often complained that his bottomless pit of a stomach was going to drive her to the poorhouse, though she didn’t stint on the groceries and seemed to like making him big dinners. She often bribed him with food to get him to do his homework. Though he knew it was for his own good, the added bonus of her midnight snacks sure helped keep his brain interested in all that boring extra studying she was making him do.
But he had a lot of work to do if he wanted to get into a good college. He’d missed a lot of school during the Dark Tournament, not to mention the last few weeks spent fighting Sensui’s gang of psychotics. Now that Yusuke was stuck in demon world for who knew how long with Kurama and Hiei---and Koenma was still not talking to his daddy, the god Yama---Kuwabara had plenty of time on his hands. Shizuru was determined he make something more of his life than she had of hers, and had forced a reluctant promise from him that he would try his best---after much yelling, two solid black eyes and a thorough ass-kicking.
Shizuru had always believed in tough love. Kuwabara just wished she wasn’t always so ready to tuck into him for the least little infraction. Not that she didn’t always have his own best interests at heart. She had given up her own scholarship to a good school in order to take care of him after their parents died. She had only been eighteen, and she had had to work two jobs to keep a roof over their heads and food on the table. The fact that she had sacrificed everything to take care of him both humbled and embarrassed him. He wasn’t the smartest guy in the world, but he was determined to make her proud.
And if Kuwabara had nothing else, he had stubbornness and determination to see him through. He never had a problem with hard work, and while it was not going to be easy, he had made a cross-my-heart promise to Shizuru, and Kuwabara never broke a promise.
Besides, there was more than just him to consider now. There was his one true love, the beautiful koorime, Yukina. What kind of life could he provide for her if he kept acting like a dumb delinquent, skipping school and beating up the local toughs? Yukina deserved better of him than to be some high school dropout with no real future. And no matter how damn hard it was going to be, he also knew that anything was possible with the power of love.
And his love for Yukina was that truest kind of love---she was his red-pinky-string soul mate, his ruby-eyed princess, his blue-haired lady fair. Sweet and kind, with the sweetest smile and the kindest eyes…the gentlest nature and the gentlest touch when treating his wounds…he could spend the whole morning just thinking of the concerned look in her beautiful red eyes as she looked up at him…concern for him, Kazuma Kuwabara, and only him…oh, Yukina…
With a start, Kuwabara realized that he had arrived at the large school where Shizuru had enrolled him in a special Saturday class that would help him catch up on his missed schoolwork and help him study for the upcoming exams. He was lucky Shizuru had managed to get him in, even if it wasn’t at his own Sarayashiki Junior High School, but another one.
Eying the neat navy uniforms around him, Kuwabara felt like he stuck out like a sore thumb, though his bright-blue uniform wasn’t exactly regulation at Sarayashiki, either. He had to give this school credit, though---the girls’ uniforms, skimpy as they were, left a lot less to the imagination than his school’s. Ducking his head, Kuwabara felt his cheeks reddening as he caught himself eying more than one pair of bare legs. *Think good thoughts…think good thoughts…why do they have to be so short, anyway? Damn school. I wonder what Yukina would look like in one of those green fuku…*
Eyes bulging, his cheeks got hotter by several degrees and several shades as his treacherous brain supplied him with an image of his one true love thus attired. Embarrassed, Kuwabara ducked himself through the nearest door, hoping against hope that this hallway was both empty and close to his classroom.
Well, he was lucky on one count, at least. It was close to the classroom he was looking for, but there were quite a few students milling around before the bell rang. *Why are there so many of them? Nobody in their right mind would be at school on a Saturday if they could help it!*
But it seemed this school had more than one class on Saturdays, so his luck was against him as he trudged his way past the students who eyed him so nervously. He was used to that---besides being rather tall and built for his age, with a bright crop of orange hair that he wore in a carefully curled and gelled pompadour, his uniform was decidedly different from the ones worn here. Well, he would just glare off anyone who dared to think they might try and punk him, and try and avoid stepping on anyone else as he stalked down the hall. There were an awful lot of girls here, all dressed in those short green skirts and white tops that barely covered their midriffs. What kind of wacko pervert had designed these uniforms?! Keiko would have had a fit if she had had to dress like that. Her skirt was even three inches below their school’s regulation of just past the knee, and he sure as hell was suddenly aware there might be good reasons for that particular rule…
He managed to make it to the classroom, and before the bell rang, too. That was a novelty, but something he had to start getting used to if he truly wanted to better himself. He surveyed the crowded class with a cool appraisal he was far from feeling, as all the uniformly dark heads turned to stare at him in curiosity. Glaring belligerently, Kuwabara stalked past the full rows to the one empty chair near the back. Many of the students avoided his gaze, surreptitiously edging their desks away or even outright flinching if he stared at them too long.
People often reacted to him like that, even if he wasn’t as defensive and embarrassed as he was right now. It still kind of bothered him, even when he wasn’t going out of his way to intimidate anyone. But he had always been a big boy, especially around his smaller classmates of full Japanese descent. He had his Anglo father to thank for his height, as did Shizuru, and he never felt so tall and bumbling as he did right now going down that too-narrow aisle.
He paused beside the last empty seat in the crowded room, and eyed the small space between the connected table and chair with resignation. Most school desks were far too small for his big frame. Wedging himself into it was not going to be pretty. He wished the teacher would hurry up and get here. The furtive whispers that had risen in his wake would then die off and he wouldn’t feel so damn self-conscious. He could feel the flush creeping up his collar---which suddenly felt too tight---and heating up the back of his head and steaming out his ears, which had to be redder than his hair right now.
Maybe this hadn’t been such a good idea after all. Stupid Shizuru. Why couldn’t she find him an accelerated class at his own high school, where he wouldn’t stand out like such a sore thumb? Their neighborhood was more interracial than this one, and he didn’t stand out as much there. Dang, this was embarrassing!
His black eyes flicked over the kids surrounding him, and he blinked in surprise when the girl who sat at the desk on his left gave him an encouraging smile. Unlike the other students, she showed no nervousness as she said, “Hi. Are you new here?”
He nodded, slightly suspicious of her open, friendly smile. She was pretty, with long, wavy, blue-black hair and wide, thickly-lashed brown eyes. She had that ivory type of skin that looked both translucent and all glowy somehow, and she would have been beautiful, actually, if he didn’t think that only his Yukina could ever carry that title. She wore the school’s uniform, complete with red kerchief. Her shapely legs, clad in white knee socks and brown loafers, peeped out from under her desk. He felt discomfited, eyeing her legs like that, and tried to hide it by dropping his briefcase and crumpled lunch on his desk. Something about the girl was driving his spiritual sense bonkers, and he shrugged uneasily as he somehow wedged himself into the desk by sucking in his flat gut as much as he could and hoping to God he wouldn’t get stuck.
“It’s hard being new. What’s your name?” the girl asked, pulling out a Hello Kitty notebook and a rather battered set of textbooks. They looked like they had been dragged through the dirt and dropped down a well, complete with wavy pages and mud stains.
“Kuwabara,” he said, sheepishly returning her smile. She was making him feel at ease just by the warmth of it. Maybe this class wasn’t go to be so bad. She sure seemed nice. “It’s nice to meet you, uh…”
“Kagome Higurashi,” she hastily supplied, brown eyes turning to the teacher who had just walked in. Kuwabara groaned, realizing he would now have to get back up out of his seat and hoping he could manage to do it without pulling the damn desk with him…
Kurama set himself down to listen as Jin and Yusuke exchanged news after they had exchanged a few fists in joyous greeting. Jin was rather impressed with Yusuke’s new combined youkai and spiritual strength. “Ye’ve gotten even more powerful, you bugger, since last’s I’ve seen ya, and here I’d thought I might be catching up to you, curse it!”
Yusuke only laughed. “Well, one day you might, Jin! But it wasn’t easy. I died, you know---”
“No!” Jin whistled. “Now if that ain’t just like you. Never do anything by halves, do ya, Urameshi? I told you, you were one crazy bastard, didn’t I just? So what’d you do---let a bomb go boom in your face?”
Yusuke howled over the reminder of his memorable fight with the Wind Master, when Jin had pulled his blow at the last minute because Yusuke was willing to play chicken with his Sprit Gun and the wind demon’s Tornado Fist. He gaily recounted his adventures since the two had parted, catching the Shinobi up on events since the Dark Tournament.
Jin grew more somber as Yusuke described the ex-detective Sensui’s dark plot to build a tunnel for demons to cross over into human world, and nodded. “Aye, I remember the right tear over that one---all the crazy demons there be, thinking they could go off for easy pickings in the living world once they got through the barrier. We Guardians had a time of it then, let me be telling you. We’re still trying to contain the upset---where Touya’s right now, I suspect. I was sent to go check out this little tussle ye’d had---though it do be sounding like rather a big blow, and sorry am I to have missed out on all the fun you had of it!”
Kurama could only shake his head, thinking of how they had barely survived that battle, but Yusuke changed the subject by asking after their friends. Jin grew a little melancholy, saying as how each of them had gone off to do their own thing pretty much. They were all a little restless and unhappy, missing the tournament and all the training and excitement of it. “It’s just not the same, Urameshi, without that fire to win. You know, though, that I’m determined one day to get strong enough meself to thoroughly kick your ass. Guarding’s not the same anymore. It’s just toss this demon or that, with nothing much exciting happening. How I do miss that.”
“Ah, Jin, you’ll find it again. You’ll see.” Yusuke punched the demon’s wide shoulder and the long, pointed ears, which had been lowered dejectedly, rose up and twitched.
“Well, now, you’re one for encouraging up a lad all right!” Jin beamed. “And with you back around, there’s guaranteed to be something exciting happening, no?”
“I’ll take that as thanks,” Yusuke said dryly, a warm gleam in his brown eyes. He’d missed the simple companionship and understanding he’d had with his best friend, Kuwabara, and Jin was almost as good as having the big oaf around.
“That’s not the only thing to get one excited, no?” Jin asked, elbowing Yusuke in the ribs as he did a double-head poke in the taiji-ya’s direction. She sat some distance from them, seemingly lost in her own thoughts as she slowly sharpened one of her many knives. Even as they watched, she tested the keen edge of the blade before sheathing it into place alongside the others in the leather belts she usually wore cross-girded along her upper torso. Putting the whet stone aside, she slipped the belt through her fingers, pulling it taut and checking for any stretching of the worn leather.
She suddenly looked up, feeling their eyes on her, and Yusuke’s teeth flashed in a grin at her suspicious gaze. A light blush stained her cheeks as her eyes lingered on Kurama for a moment, before flicking to the other two.
Bouncing to his feet, Jin languidly strolled over to the slayer. Leaning an elbow against the rocky wall of the cave beside them so that he could prop his head on his fist, he grinned down at her with eyes too blue and interested for Kurama’s growing annoyance.
“So, Lily, you like to play with knives?”
A thin brow rose, and she suddenly went from relaxed and easy to dangerous and threatening without so much as moving a muscle as her eyes narrowed. It was rather enjoyable to watch how she managed to do that; sweeter in Kurama’s opinion was the fact that it was because of Jin that she did.
“Why?” she demanded, and Kurama felt a smug smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.
Ignoring the snap in her voice, Jin only inquired lazily, “Ever use the force of the wind behind ’em? To help toss them about, mind.”
Anei blinked; clearly the possibility had never crossed her mind. Pulling a knife free from her belt, she thoughtfully examined it, then silently got to her feet. Walking past them to the edge of the steep hill, where she wouldn’t get in anyone’s way, she studied the forest just beyond for a moment before suddenly whirling and letting the blade fly with a practiced flick of her wrist. Whistling through the air, it landed with a solid thunk right in the middle of a dead, lightning-struck tree that stood on the perimeter with enough force that it rattled the few dead leaves stuck to its upper branches free.
“Ah, now that there’s a fair throw,” Jin complimented as he came up beside her with a wicked grin. Chucking her under her chin, which had her drawing back with a sharp intake of breath, he added, “Almost as fair as my sweet Lily’s glare, which has the very stars glittering in its dark dep---”
“Enough,” she growled, back stiff and spine as straight as the cold steel at her side.
“Oh.” Jin’s comment had her eyes narrowing. Gone was the gamine grin and playful mischief as his expression turned serious, blue eyes suddenly compassionate as he gently said, “You’ve been hurt by love then, in the past. I’m that sorry for it, Lily.”
“Don’t.” Her harsh whisper was poignant, her eyes shadowed with a pain she quickly hid by turning her head sharply away.
“We’ve all had that pain, lass, from time to time,” he said, his fingers reaching out to gently tuck a stray strand back behind her ear. Kurama froze, his knuckles whitening imperceptibly on his knees as Yusuke’s eyes rounded, waiting for her reaction.
“No.” She looked up at him, her dark eyes searching his for a long moment before some silent understanding seemed to pass between the two of them. The stiff line of her shoulders relaxed minutely. Jin offered her a lop-sided smile, finally letting her hand go so he could prop his fists on his hips and abruptly change the subject.
“Well, now, how about you give me one of those wee pot-stickers you’re so fond of using, and may be it I can show you a better way of throwing, no?”
She snorted, and his eyes twinkled. Shaking her head, she passed him one of her knives, hilt first, and he weighed the finely balanced blade in his calloused palm. “Now, that be a rare fine blade,” he said, before suddenly turning and tossing it after hers, the corded muscles standing out along his arm as he let it fly.
With a rush, the wind rose up behind the blade, sending it spinning as it slammed into the center of the dead tree, a few feet above hers. A loud crack splintered up the tree’s length, separating the upper half of the trunk until both sides abruptly fell away with a crash that shook the ground beneath their feet as they landed. Several birds took flight from the surrounding forest, screeching in protest at the sudden disturbance.
“Wow.” Yusuke walked over, rather impressed as he stared over the edge of the hill at the two halves that now lay neatly on either side of the dead tree, the knife dead-center at the crack’s juncture.
“Can I do that?” Sango asked, rather impressed herself by the strength of the wind demon’s arm.
“Of course!” Jin said, smile smug. “Let me but show you…”
Quirking a brow in amusement, Yusuke retreated to stand beside Kurama’s rocky seat. Crossing his arms, he settled in to watch the show as Jin took the slayer in hand---literally. He had to give the wily demon credit---the taiji-ya didn’t even flinch when his hands curled over hers, showing her by demonstration how he channeled his energy directly into the throw, releasing it just before that final snap of the wrist. He took her through the motion a few times, somehow curling his large frame around hers so that their bodies aligned. The slayer didn’t even seem to notice, so deep was her concentration as she nodded at whatever he was saying as a slight line formed between her delicate brows and her eyes grew thoughtful.
Yusuke couldn’t resist nudging Kurama, grinning wickedly as he said sotto-voice, “He’s good.”
Kurama only gave him an enigmatic stare out of eyes too dark a green. Yusuke winked, but both of them turned back as Jin suddenly shouted, releasing the slayer, “Now, lass! Let ’er fly!”
Her arm snapped forward, and the knife went hurtling over the edge. There was a crack as loud as a gun shot, but it wasn’t that that had them drawing back, but Hiei’s abrupt appearance in front of the slayer, glower fierce and red eyes hot.
“Watch where you’re aiming, hanyou!”
Startled, Sango shied back into Jin’s all-too-ready embrace, and the demon’s glare flicked down to where the youkai’s hands curved lightly over the slayer’s hips and then back up. His eyes narrowed dangerously as his hand clamped down on the hilt of his sword.
Hastily scrambling up to his feet, Kurama said sharply, “Hiei---”
“Hn.” The fire demon sneered before abruptly vanishing to reappear just past the ashes of their fire, where he dropped a brace of dead birds before jumping up to his chosen perch above so that he could ignore them all to stare up at the darkening purple clouds. It would probably rain later, for they appeared swollen and restless.
“Holy shit!” Yusuke suddenly exclaimed, snapping their attention back as he stared in disbelief at the tree that now stood with a clear crack split straight down its center, Sango’s knife dead center at the bottom.
“Wooieee!” Letting go of Sango, Jin flew up a good ten feet as his ears wiggled and his eyes danced. “Now, that there’s a good throw, Lily, it being your first and all!”
“Impressive, Anei,” Kurama complimented as he came up to them, green eyes warm. Sango flushed, unused to the praise, and Yusuke grinned. Hiei only closed his eyes on an impatient sigh as the ex-detective gave the slayer a mock-punch to the shoulder that left her staggering.
“Oops! Sorry, Anei---I’m not used to my own strength!” He grinned unrepentantly at her and she shook her head, smiling back as she ruefully rubbed her aching shoulder. She stiffened when he threw a friendly arm over her, but he ignored her to grin up at Jin, who was now lightly bouncing overhead, arms crossed behind his head as the wind riffled through his bright crop of shaggy red hair.
“C’mon, Jin, you gonna stay up there all day?” Yusuke teased as the Shinobi gave him a toothy grin, rolling over into a lazy sitting position still some five feet above the ground.
“Perhaps!” was his smart reply, and Sango grew redder as Yusuke deliberately bumped his hip into hers, waving at the smart-ass wind demon with a hearty laugh at her expense.
One red eye opened, and Hiei glared down at them from his negligent perch on the rocks above as Kurama said sardonically, “Well, perhaps it’s time we consider starting dinner. It looks like it might storm tonight. You should probably come down, Jin. I wouldn’t want you to get struck by lightning.”
Jin started, eyes rolling up to the lowering clouds as he made a face. Flipping over, the Wind Master hastily landed as thunder growled above them but still quite some distance off. “Oh, aye, that would ouch, Kurama, that it would!”
“Hmph.” Hiei closed his eyes once more, but a smug smile tugged at the corner of his mouth, one mirrored by the kitsune as he turned away.
At first, Yusuke had been a little amused as Kurama carefully separated himself from the rest of them by sitting on the far edge of the cave’s dark entrance so he could stare at them broodingly as he and Jin entertained Sango with exaggerated stories of their various fights during the Dark Tournament. Seated between them, she was constantly having to turn her gaze back and forth between the two as they both tried to one-up the other with bad lies and worse jokes, snagging her attention by pulling on her elbow or nudging her arm or shoulder.
At least the damn taiji-ya had quit stiffening up like she had a poker up her ass, or worse---shying away like some bugged-eyed virgin nun surrounded by sweaty porn stars. That touch-me-not wall she usually built around herself couldn’t hold up to their constant tug-of-war for her distracted attention, and Yusuke had to secretly grin at Jin’s adept handling of the slayer when she first flinched away from his touch. The incorrigible apparition had only given her a wide-eyed, hurt look that had made her frown, and then innocently brushed her bent knee when reaching for a second helping of dead bird. Her frown had grown deeper, that thin line appearing between her troubled brows, but Jin had only waved his food around, spouting off about something or other that had made Yusuke, of course, retort with some smart-ass comment that left the wind apparition all but howling and hanging off of a startled Sango’s shoulder as he wiped the tears from his eyes and laughed even harder as Yusuke joined in the merriment.
Oh, that had been priceless---especially the resigned look in the taiji-ya’s eyes as she finally gave in to the inevitable as Yusuke draped himself along her other shoulder, his free fist hitting his thigh in time to his rising chuckles as Jin chortled beside her. Meeting the wind demon’s blue eyes across from him, they had both shared a knowing grin as Sango forced a smile and suffered their presence with a wan look of resignation.
Kurama had watched the whole scene without once cracking a smile, though normally he would at least share their jokes in his own quiet way. But he seemed unusually withdrawn and distant, growing even more so as they kept the game up through dinner, and it had really gotten on Yusuke’s nerves. Those two demons could at least quit acting like moody teenagers, and admit they were jealous of Jin’s attentions toward the slayer. Sheesh! One would think neither Kurama or Hiei had ever felt that way before…
Yusuke blinked as the thought occurred to him. Sneaking a look at the fox, who wasn’t even looking at them anymore, but staring up at the dark, cloud-troubled sky, he wondered if he had thought wrong, for Kurama was suddenly standing and walking away without looking back. A moment later, a black blur followed with the quiet scrape of a boot on stone as the fire demon leapt down from his perch.
“Where be it that they be going?” Jin asked, a brow quirking up as his laughter died and he stared after the departing demons in question.
“Ah, who cares?” Yusuke folded his arms and scowled after his retreating friends. Stupid demons.
“Are they all right?” Sango asked, concerned.
Jin shot her a look, one eye closing as he peered at her with the other, a single finger coming to tap at his chin thoughtfully. Blue eyes cutting back to the place where Kurama had disappeared, the kaze warrior said thoughtfully, “Ah. So that be the way of it, eh?”
Sango shot him a puzzled look but Yusuke only shrugged, though his chocolate-brown eyes crinkled up at the corners in a smile. Ha! Leave it to Jin to figure it out. People always said he and the Wind Master were two of a kind, and the Lord knew any idiot could put two and two together with the way those two emo-boys were acting.
Except one significant idiot was still oblivious, for she gave Yusuke a questioning look that he could only answer with a bogus shrug. Meeting Jin’s blue eyes over the top of her black head, Jin mouthed an “Oh!” of understanding, and smirked.
“Oh!” was right, as in “Oh, crap!” for the skies finally opened up with no warning but a faint rumble of thunder, drenching the three of them in icy buckets of pouring rain that had them all diving for the cave at once as the fire hissed its dying breath in a smoky stink of wet ash.
Jin beat them, of course, swooping in under the stony overhang like a deranged Superman as Yusuke and Sango scooted in on their feet, all but tripping over each other in their haste to get out of the pounding rain.
“Shit, that rain’s cold!” Yusuke stuck his fists in his armpits and shivered. Scowling down at his drenched jeans, he tried shaking the wet tangles out of his eyes as Sango cursed softly, her boots squelching as she tried searching for her dry cape in the inky blackness of the inner cave.
“Oh, give me but a moment---” Jin’s cheerful lilt came out of the dark, and Yusuke felt a sudden drawing in of the power around him.
“Jin, wait---”
Too late. Releasing his jyaki, the Shinobi smiled as the wind blasted back out of the cave with a mighty swoosh of expelled air, taking all kinds of dust and debris with it. Yusuke yelped as something round and hard (probably a skull left over from one of the bear’s dinners) knocked him in the thigh, and then dove as something else whizzed just over his head. Dirt scoured his crossed arms as he braced himself against the force of the gale, and he sputtered as silence suddenly descended inside the cave as the wind finally died.
“Whoops.”
*Whoops?!*
He was going to kill that stupid Irishman. “Jin, you idiot---”
“Ah, Urameshi, don’t be getting your panties in a twist now. You’re dry, aren’t ya?”
There was a muffled sound of indignation from the slayer, who had finally won free of her cloak, which had wrapped itself around her like a flagpole in the wake of Jin’s impromptu blow-dryer. Yusuke wondered if her hair was standing on end like his now was, but couldn’t see anything in the darkness.
“Was that really necessary?” Her voice grit out from the dark as she dropped her cloak at her feet and automatically felt for her weapons.
“It worked, though, didn’t it just?” Jin demanded, somewhat chagrined that his impetuous idea was getting such a bad reception.
“One of my knives is missing,” Sango said, chagrined as well.
“Uh…I think that was what went whizzing by my head,” Yusuke told the slayer, ignoring the wind demon, whose eyes were glowing faintly in reaction to the darkness. Too bad he and Sango didn’t have such a convenient pair of blue headlights.
“Damn,” Sango muttered, dragging her knife belts to her with a clink of metal. They, at least, were too heavy to have blown away. “That was one of my favorites.”
“Oh, I’m that sorry, I am, Lily. I didna mean for one of your wee sticks to go skittering off---”
“It could’ve killed me, Jin!” Yuuske decided getting out of the main entrance was a good idea as lightning flickered, momentarily searing the inside of the cave in a brilliant wash of light that left spots in front of his eyes after it left. Grumbling, the ex-detective put his hands out in front of him, trying to make sure he didn’t bump into anything. Thunder growled, far too loud and close, as his fumbling fingers touched something soft. Surprised, his fingertips skimmed over the round shape, trying to map out just what it was.
“Hentai!” Sango squealed as Yusuke suddenly groped her ass. She had been bent over, trying to gather up her cloak when she had suddenly felt his hand rubbing all over her bottom. Reflex took over, and the sound of her open-handed slap on his cheek echoed throughout the cave as a stunned Yusuke blinked and Jin---who could see everything perfectly well in the dark---fell over laughing, holding his hurting stomach as he gasped and wheezed to catch his breath.
“Urameshi---oh, by Eire---hee, hee----you should but see your face, lad!”
“I can’t see anything, damn it!” Yusuke growled, touching his hot cheek with a wince. Damn, but that taiji-ya’s smack was almost as strong as Keiko’s. Surreptitiously checking for any broken bones, he grimaced. “What’d you do that for, huh? I didn’t mean to grope you---”
Contrite, Sango bit her lip as her cheeks flamed. Thankfully, it was too dark for the Mazoku to notice. “I’m sorry, Yusuke.”
“Ah, no fears, lass. Urameshi’s survived worse than that with that hard head of his. Why, Keiko, now she can send him sailing off with one swing. That’s a right fine treat to see, Lily.” Jin’s fangs flashed in a smile as lightning lit the cave’s interior again.
“Shut up, you damn blowhard.” Yusuke scowled, not feeling all that charitable with his face still on fire. He could swear that her handprint was now tattooed across his flesh. Damn, but that girl could slap. He was lucky she hadn’t used any of that type of strength on him yesterday, when he had sparred with her. Still, the slap might almost have been worth it, for she did have a nicely-shaped ass, one that was very grope-able. It might even be worth seeing if he could get away with it again. But then the thought of Keiko’s reaction, if she were ever to find out, made him blanch and discard that idea real quick.
While he sat there lost in space, Sango had pulled some scrap of cloth from her cloak and stuck it outside the cave mouth long enough for it to get wet. Bringing the cool cloth over to him, she silently offered it, expression troubled. Lightly crossing his arms behind his head, Jin summoned a bit of air to cushion his seat as he watched with a knowing little smile as the taiji-ya made what amends she could. Taking the wet cloth that smelled suspiciously of metal polish, Yusuke thanked her and pressed it to his hot cheek.
“I’m sorry,” she said again, truly repentant.
“S’okay.” Yusuke managed a weak leer. “So long as you don’t hit me the next time I decide to grope your butt.”
“Good luck with that.” Jin smirked as Sango steamed.
“Oh, for my Hiraikotsu,” she grumbled as she stomped back to her abandoned cloak.
“Your what?” Yusuke asked, water dribbling down his cheek from the soaked cloth that was actually helping to cool off his smarting skin.
“Nothing.” Dropping to the ground, she pulled the voluminous folds of her cloak over her as she rolled her eyes.
Hiei had disdained the use of his umbrella plant, content to stalk the trees above Kurama’s idle wandering through the rain. Well, the hot-blooded fire demon could certainly dry himself off quickly enough, and would expend little of his demon energy to do so. Kurama did not have that luxury. He already felt a little chilled, as the temperature had dropped quite a few degrees after the sky had opened up. Even through the tightly woven leaves of his umbrella plant, rain still managed to slither down his skin, and his zubon were soaked half-way up his calves.
Hiei, impervious as he was to cold or heat, being of both natures, was probably not feeling that, either.
“Heh.” It was foolish of him to have left so abruptly. But he had felt the need to get away from everyone, to be by himself with just his thoughts. He needed to sort out his feelings regarding the slayer, and watching Jin and Yusuke flirt so outrageously with her was not helping to dispel the strange sense of jealous irritation he had.
Such petty emotions were beneath him. He was not the emotional type. He was logical, intelligent, cognizant and in control. He was not some moody teenager swayed by undue passion. True, he was passionate, and perhaps too idealistic, but he could also be ruthlessly self-analytical---
“You think too much.”
Kurama stepped back, surprised by the fire apparition’s abrupt appearance in front of him. Hiei looked rather soggy, though his spiky hair was hardly squashed by the incessant downpour.
“Perhaps,” Kurama admitted, and then frowned at his use of the word and the image it conjured up of Jin and Anei’s meeting that afternoon.
“I don’t know why that particular word is suddenly so popular, Kurama, but it’s growing tedious.” Hiei, who had not been there for that meeting, turned his red eyes away to the distant shadows under the trees.
“You’re soaked.” Kurama changed the subject.
“The rain does not bother me,” came the sharp retort. “But you trying to change the subject does.”
Amused, Kurama only waited for the shorter demon to continue.
“Hn.” Hiei’s mouth twitched as his red eyes flicked back toward the fox. “You like her. Why is that so hard for you to accept?”
“And what about you?” Kurama challenged, trying to deflect the demon’s veracious question.
Hiei gave him a deadpan look. “I’m not the one who kissed her.”
Kurama stiffened, his knuckles whitening on the hard grip he had of his umbrella’s root. “You followed us?”
“There was no need.” Hiei turned away. “Sometimes your emotions bleed through my barrier, fox, no matter how well you try to contain them.”
*But so far?* Kurama was more than a little perturbed by that fact. It suggested a closeness between the two of them that he was not particularly comfortable with, for there were secrets that he didn’t want the fire demon, especially, to be privy to.
“You forget, Kurama, that distance is negligible to the Jagan.” Hiei spoke aloud, as if sensing how Kurama was suddenly uncomfortable with the thought of how their minds could speak so easily with one another’s. Kurama appreciated that small courtesy.
He was startled from his preoccupation once more by the fire demon’s abrupt movement as Hiei leapt back up to his abandoned tree, pausing only long enough to say enigmatically, “Don’t worry, Kurama. I will not interfere---much.”
And then he was gone, leaving Kurama to ponder alone the empty void he had left, and what it might mean, as the cold rain continued to patter steadily around him.
This chapter is especially dedicated to Tausha for letting me read aloud all day Sunday and helping me outline What Is Gonna Happen Next. MWAHAHAHAHA!
O.O
(Fate)
WARNING! SPOILERS FOR YYH BLACK AND THE THREE KINGS SAGA! RUNNY SENTENCES AND BAD LANGUAGE AND DELIBERATELY MANGLED IRISH GRAMMAR (MY MEMA WITH THE SMILING IRISH EYES WILL KILL ME FOR IT, LOL)
WORDS
koorime - ice maiden
kaze - wind
Chapter Fifteen
“Damn it, Shizuru, you’re going to make me late for my first day!” Kuwabara yelled at his sister as she tossed one last item into the paper sack she was preparing for his lunch. Folding the end over neatly, she crumpled it into her tightening fist as her brown eyes narrowed.
“Well, then you better get your ass in gear, baby bro.” She rammed the crumpled bag into his broad chest to send him stumbling on his way.
“Hey!” Kuwabara protested as the poor cat who had been rubbing up against his legs made a mad dash for the safety of the living room. “You almost made me step on Eikichi!”
“Quit fooling around with that cat and go!” Shizuru scolded, pushing him along with several hard shoves as she herded her towering brother toward the front door. “Do you want to be late on your first day?”
“But---” Kuwabara’s breath exploded as his heavy briefcase slapped him in the stomach, courtesy of his sister’s forceful toss.
“Go, Kazuma!” Shizuru helpfully opened the front door and pushed him out by her spread fingers on his broad forehead. “Don’t you want to make something of yourself? Well, then, quit dawdling and get going!”
She stood on the front stoop as he lurched down the steps, face red and grumbles kept to himself. For all her slender build, his older sister had a mean right hook and wasn’t averse to using it when needed. Leaning against the side of the railing, Shizuru pulled out a cigarette and lit it, inhaling the fragrant tobacco before releasing it with a sigh as she watched him go, her expression softening as he turned away.
Straightening his blue uniform with a jerk, Kuwabara squared his wide shoulders and made a face. *Stupid sister, always making me late…*
Still, it was nice of her to have made him lunch, though the crumpled bag looked pretty sad, squashed as it was. He wondered idly what she had made for him, and hoped the hours wouldn’t drag before he could find out at lunch-time. He always seemed to be hungry. Shizuru often complained that his bottomless pit of a stomach was going to drive her to the poorhouse, though she didn’t stint on the groceries and seemed to like making him big dinners. She often bribed him with food to get him to do his homework. Though he knew it was for his own good, the added bonus of her midnight snacks sure helped keep his brain interested in all that boring extra studying she was making him do.
But he had a lot of work to do if he wanted to get into a good college. He’d missed a lot of school during the Dark Tournament, not to mention the last few weeks spent fighting Sensui’s gang of psychotics. Now that Yusuke was stuck in demon world for who knew how long with Kurama and Hiei---and Koenma was still not talking to his daddy, the god Yama---Kuwabara had plenty of time on his hands. Shizuru was determined he make something more of his life than she had of hers, and had forced a reluctant promise from him that he would try his best---after much yelling, two solid black eyes and a thorough ass-kicking.
Shizuru had always believed in tough love. Kuwabara just wished she wasn’t always so ready to tuck into him for the least little infraction. Not that she didn’t always have his own best interests at heart. She had given up her own scholarship to a good school in order to take care of him after their parents died. She had only been eighteen, and she had had to work two jobs to keep a roof over their heads and food on the table. The fact that she had sacrificed everything to take care of him both humbled and embarrassed him. He wasn’t the smartest guy in the world, but he was determined to make her proud.
And if Kuwabara had nothing else, he had stubbornness and determination to see him through. He never had a problem with hard work, and while it was not going to be easy, he had made a cross-my-heart promise to Shizuru, and Kuwabara never broke a promise.
Besides, there was more than just him to consider now. There was his one true love, the beautiful koorime, Yukina. What kind of life could he provide for her if he kept acting like a dumb delinquent, skipping school and beating up the local toughs? Yukina deserved better of him than to be some high school dropout with no real future. And no matter how damn hard it was going to be, he also knew that anything was possible with the power of love.
And his love for Yukina was that truest kind of love---she was his red-pinky-string soul mate, his ruby-eyed princess, his blue-haired lady fair. Sweet and kind, with the sweetest smile and the kindest eyes…the gentlest nature and the gentlest touch when treating his wounds…he could spend the whole morning just thinking of the concerned look in her beautiful red eyes as she looked up at him…concern for him, Kazuma Kuwabara, and only him…oh, Yukina…
With a start, Kuwabara realized that he had arrived at the large school where Shizuru had enrolled him in a special Saturday class that would help him catch up on his missed schoolwork and help him study for the upcoming exams. He was lucky Shizuru had managed to get him in, even if it wasn’t at his own Sarayashiki Junior High School, but another one.
Eying the neat navy uniforms around him, Kuwabara felt like he stuck out like a sore thumb, though his bright-blue uniform wasn’t exactly regulation at Sarayashiki, either. He had to give this school credit, though---the girls’ uniforms, skimpy as they were, left a lot less to the imagination than his school’s. Ducking his head, Kuwabara felt his cheeks reddening as he caught himself eying more than one pair of bare legs. *Think good thoughts…think good thoughts…why do they have to be so short, anyway? Damn school. I wonder what Yukina would look like in one of those green fuku…*
Eyes bulging, his cheeks got hotter by several degrees and several shades as his treacherous brain supplied him with an image of his one true love thus attired. Embarrassed, Kuwabara ducked himself through the nearest door, hoping against hope that this hallway was both empty and close to his classroom.
Well, he was lucky on one count, at least. It was close to the classroom he was looking for, but there were quite a few students milling around before the bell rang. *Why are there so many of them? Nobody in their right mind would be at school on a Saturday if they could help it!*
But it seemed this school had more than one class on Saturdays, so his luck was against him as he trudged his way past the students who eyed him so nervously. He was used to that---besides being rather tall and built for his age, with a bright crop of orange hair that he wore in a carefully curled and gelled pompadour, his uniform was decidedly different from the ones worn here. Well, he would just glare off anyone who dared to think they might try and punk him, and try and avoid stepping on anyone else as he stalked down the hall. There were an awful lot of girls here, all dressed in those short green skirts and white tops that barely covered their midriffs. What kind of wacko pervert had designed these uniforms?! Keiko would have had a fit if she had had to dress like that. Her skirt was even three inches below their school’s regulation of just past the knee, and he sure as hell was suddenly aware there might be good reasons for that particular rule…
He managed to make it to the classroom, and before the bell rang, too. That was a novelty, but something he had to start getting used to if he truly wanted to better himself. He surveyed the crowded class with a cool appraisal he was far from feeling, as all the uniformly dark heads turned to stare at him in curiosity. Glaring belligerently, Kuwabara stalked past the full rows to the one empty chair near the back. Many of the students avoided his gaze, surreptitiously edging their desks away or even outright flinching if he stared at them too long.
People often reacted to him like that, even if he wasn’t as defensive and embarrassed as he was right now. It still kind of bothered him, even when he wasn’t going out of his way to intimidate anyone. But he had always been a big boy, especially around his smaller classmates of full Japanese descent. He had his Anglo father to thank for his height, as did Shizuru, and he never felt so tall and bumbling as he did right now going down that too-narrow aisle.
He paused beside the last empty seat in the crowded room, and eyed the small space between the connected table and chair with resignation. Most school desks were far too small for his big frame. Wedging himself into it was not going to be pretty. He wished the teacher would hurry up and get here. The furtive whispers that had risen in his wake would then die off and he wouldn’t feel so damn self-conscious. He could feel the flush creeping up his collar---which suddenly felt too tight---and heating up the back of his head and steaming out his ears, which had to be redder than his hair right now.
Maybe this hadn’t been such a good idea after all. Stupid Shizuru. Why couldn’t she find him an accelerated class at his own high school, where he wouldn’t stand out like such a sore thumb? Their neighborhood was more interracial than this one, and he didn’t stand out as much there. Dang, this was embarrassing!
His black eyes flicked over the kids surrounding him, and he blinked in surprise when the girl who sat at the desk on his left gave him an encouraging smile. Unlike the other students, she showed no nervousness as she said, “Hi. Are you new here?”
He nodded, slightly suspicious of her open, friendly smile. She was pretty, with long, wavy, blue-black hair and wide, thickly-lashed brown eyes. She had that ivory type of skin that looked both translucent and all glowy somehow, and she would have been beautiful, actually, if he didn’t think that only his Yukina could ever carry that title. She wore the school’s uniform, complete with red kerchief. Her shapely legs, clad in white knee socks and brown loafers, peeped out from under her desk. He felt discomfited, eyeing her legs like that, and tried to hide it by dropping his briefcase and crumpled lunch on his desk. Something about the girl was driving his spiritual sense bonkers, and he shrugged uneasily as he somehow wedged himself into the desk by sucking in his flat gut as much as he could and hoping to God he wouldn’t get stuck.
“It’s hard being new. What’s your name?” the girl asked, pulling out a Hello Kitty notebook and a rather battered set of textbooks. They looked like they had been dragged through the dirt and dropped down a well, complete with wavy pages and mud stains.
“Kuwabara,” he said, sheepishly returning her smile. She was making him feel at ease just by the warmth of it. Maybe this class wasn’t go to be so bad. She sure seemed nice. “It’s nice to meet you, uh…”
“Kagome Higurashi,” she hastily supplied, brown eyes turning to the teacher who had just walked in. Kuwabara groaned, realizing he would now have to get back up out of his seat and hoping he could manage to do it without pulling the damn desk with him…
ooOOooOOooOOoo
To say Yusuke was happy to see Jin was a bit of an understatement. He’d been wondering what had happened to the demons he had met---and fought---and defeated---during the Dark Tournament, and Jin was more than happy to enlighten him. In fact, the kaze youkai was so enthusiastic about it, running over his own words in his haste to tell Yusuke everything, that Hiei took off in disgust for a little bit of peace and quiet, where he wouldn’t have to listen to air-headed morons blather on aimlessly---or so he put it to Kurama, who only smiled in quiet understanding as the short apparition took off.Kurama set himself down to listen as Jin and Yusuke exchanged news after they had exchanged a few fists in joyous greeting. Jin was rather impressed with Yusuke’s new combined youkai and spiritual strength. “Ye’ve gotten even more powerful, you bugger, since last’s I’ve seen ya, and here I’d thought I might be catching up to you, curse it!”
Yusuke only laughed. “Well, one day you might, Jin! But it wasn’t easy. I died, you know---”
“No!” Jin whistled. “Now if that ain’t just like you. Never do anything by halves, do ya, Urameshi? I told you, you were one crazy bastard, didn’t I just? So what’d you do---let a bomb go boom in your face?”
Yusuke howled over the reminder of his memorable fight with the Wind Master, when Jin had pulled his blow at the last minute because Yusuke was willing to play chicken with his Sprit Gun and the wind demon’s Tornado Fist. He gaily recounted his adventures since the two had parted, catching the Shinobi up on events since the Dark Tournament.
Jin grew more somber as Yusuke described the ex-detective Sensui’s dark plot to build a tunnel for demons to cross over into human world, and nodded. “Aye, I remember the right tear over that one---all the crazy demons there be, thinking they could go off for easy pickings in the living world once they got through the barrier. We Guardians had a time of it then, let me be telling you. We’re still trying to contain the upset---where Touya’s right now, I suspect. I was sent to go check out this little tussle ye’d had---though it do be sounding like rather a big blow, and sorry am I to have missed out on all the fun you had of it!”
Kurama could only shake his head, thinking of how they had barely survived that battle, but Yusuke changed the subject by asking after their friends. Jin grew a little melancholy, saying as how each of them had gone off to do their own thing pretty much. They were all a little restless and unhappy, missing the tournament and all the training and excitement of it. “It’s just not the same, Urameshi, without that fire to win. You know, though, that I’m determined one day to get strong enough meself to thoroughly kick your ass. Guarding’s not the same anymore. It’s just toss this demon or that, with nothing much exciting happening. How I do miss that.”
“Ah, Jin, you’ll find it again. You’ll see.” Yusuke punched the demon’s wide shoulder and the long, pointed ears, which had been lowered dejectedly, rose up and twitched.
“Well, now, you’re one for encouraging up a lad all right!” Jin beamed. “And with you back around, there’s guaranteed to be something exciting happening, no?”
“I’ll take that as thanks,” Yusuke said dryly, a warm gleam in his brown eyes. He’d missed the simple companionship and understanding he’d had with his best friend, Kuwabara, and Jin was almost as good as having the big oaf around.
“That’s not the only thing to get one excited, no?” Jin asked, elbowing Yusuke in the ribs as he did a double-head poke in the taiji-ya’s direction. She sat some distance from them, seemingly lost in her own thoughts as she slowly sharpened one of her many knives. Even as they watched, she tested the keen edge of the blade before sheathing it into place alongside the others in the leather belts she usually wore cross-girded along her upper torso. Putting the whet stone aside, she slipped the belt through her fingers, pulling it taut and checking for any stretching of the worn leather.
She suddenly looked up, feeling their eyes on her, and Yusuke’s teeth flashed in a grin at her suspicious gaze. A light blush stained her cheeks as her eyes lingered on Kurama for a moment, before flicking to the other two.
Bouncing to his feet, Jin languidly strolled over to the slayer. Leaning an elbow against the rocky wall of the cave beside them so that he could prop his head on his fist, he grinned down at her with eyes too blue and interested for Kurama’s growing annoyance.
“So, Lily, you like to play with knives?”
A thin brow rose, and she suddenly went from relaxed and easy to dangerous and threatening without so much as moving a muscle as her eyes narrowed. It was rather enjoyable to watch how she managed to do that; sweeter in Kurama’s opinion was the fact that it was because of Jin that she did.
“Why?” she demanded, and Kurama felt a smug smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.
Ignoring the snap in her voice, Jin only inquired lazily, “Ever use the force of the wind behind ’em? To help toss them about, mind.”
Anei blinked; clearly the possibility had never crossed her mind. Pulling a knife free from her belt, she thoughtfully examined it, then silently got to her feet. Walking past them to the edge of the steep hill, where she wouldn’t get in anyone’s way, she studied the forest just beyond for a moment before suddenly whirling and letting the blade fly with a practiced flick of her wrist. Whistling through the air, it landed with a solid thunk right in the middle of a dead, lightning-struck tree that stood on the perimeter with enough force that it rattled the few dead leaves stuck to its upper branches free.
“Ah, now that there’s a fair throw,” Jin complimented as he came up beside her with a wicked grin. Chucking her under her chin, which had her drawing back with a sharp intake of breath, he added, “Almost as fair as my sweet Lily’s glare, which has the very stars glittering in its dark dep---”
“Enough,” she growled, back stiff and spine as straight as the cold steel at her side.
“Oh.” Jin’s comment had her eyes narrowing. Gone was the gamine grin and playful mischief as his expression turned serious, blue eyes suddenly compassionate as he gently said, “You’ve been hurt by love then, in the past. I’m that sorry for it, Lily.”
“Don’t.” Her harsh whisper was poignant, her eyes shadowed with a pain she quickly hid by turning her head sharply away.
“We’ve all had that pain, lass, from time to time,” he said, his fingers reaching out to gently tuck a stray strand back behind her ear. Kurama froze, his knuckles whitening imperceptibly on his knees as Yusuke’s eyes rounded, waiting for her reaction.
ooOOooOOooOOoo
Sango shifted away from the youkai, her left hand going up to knock his aside, but Jin only took it in his so that she half-turned, her free hand curling on the hilt of her sword as she drew in a sharp, angry breath. But he stopped her, blue eyes darkening as he said softly, “It’s never easy, ’tis it?”“No.” She looked up at him, her dark eyes searching his for a long moment before some silent understanding seemed to pass between the two of them. The stiff line of her shoulders relaxed minutely. Jin offered her a lop-sided smile, finally letting her hand go so he could prop his fists on his hips and abruptly change the subject.
“Well, now, how about you give me one of those wee pot-stickers you’re so fond of using, and may be it I can show you a better way of throwing, no?”
She snorted, and his eyes twinkled. Shaking her head, she passed him one of her knives, hilt first, and he weighed the finely balanced blade in his calloused palm. “Now, that be a rare fine blade,” he said, before suddenly turning and tossing it after hers, the corded muscles standing out along his arm as he let it fly.
With a rush, the wind rose up behind the blade, sending it spinning as it slammed into the center of the dead tree, a few feet above hers. A loud crack splintered up the tree’s length, separating the upper half of the trunk until both sides abruptly fell away with a crash that shook the ground beneath their feet as they landed. Several birds took flight from the surrounding forest, screeching in protest at the sudden disturbance.
“Wow.” Yusuke walked over, rather impressed as he stared over the edge of the hill at the two halves that now lay neatly on either side of the dead tree, the knife dead-center at the crack’s juncture.
“Can I do that?” Sango asked, rather impressed herself by the strength of the wind demon’s arm.
“Of course!” Jin said, smile smug. “Let me but show you…”
Quirking a brow in amusement, Yusuke retreated to stand beside Kurama’s rocky seat. Crossing his arms, he settled in to watch the show as Jin took the slayer in hand---literally. He had to give the wily demon credit---the taiji-ya didn’t even flinch when his hands curled over hers, showing her by demonstration how he channeled his energy directly into the throw, releasing it just before that final snap of the wrist. He took her through the motion a few times, somehow curling his large frame around hers so that their bodies aligned. The slayer didn’t even seem to notice, so deep was her concentration as she nodded at whatever he was saying as a slight line formed between her delicate brows and her eyes grew thoughtful.
Yusuke couldn’t resist nudging Kurama, grinning wickedly as he said sotto-voice, “He’s good.”
Kurama only gave him an enigmatic stare out of eyes too dark a green. Yusuke winked, but both of them turned back as Jin suddenly shouted, releasing the slayer, “Now, lass! Let ’er fly!”
Her arm snapped forward, and the knife went hurtling over the edge. There was a crack as loud as a gun shot, but it wasn’t that that had them drawing back, but Hiei’s abrupt appearance in front of the slayer, glower fierce and red eyes hot.
“Watch where you’re aiming, hanyou!”
Startled, Sango shied back into Jin’s all-too-ready embrace, and the demon’s glare flicked down to where the youkai’s hands curved lightly over the slayer’s hips and then back up. His eyes narrowed dangerously as his hand clamped down on the hilt of his sword.
Hastily scrambling up to his feet, Kurama said sharply, “Hiei---”
“Hn.” The fire demon sneered before abruptly vanishing to reappear just past the ashes of their fire, where he dropped a brace of dead birds before jumping up to his chosen perch above so that he could ignore them all to stare up at the darkening purple clouds. It would probably rain later, for they appeared swollen and restless.
“Holy shit!” Yusuke suddenly exclaimed, snapping their attention back as he stared in disbelief at the tree that now stood with a clear crack split straight down its center, Sango’s knife dead center at the bottom.
“Wooieee!” Letting go of Sango, Jin flew up a good ten feet as his ears wiggled and his eyes danced. “Now, that there’s a good throw, Lily, it being your first and all!”
“Impressive, Anei,” Kurama complimented as he came up to them, green eyes warm. Sango flushed, unused to the praise, and Yusuke grinned. Hiei only closed his eyes on an impatient sigh as the ex-detective gave the slayer a mock-punch to the shoulder that left her staggering.
“Oops! Sorry, Anei---I’m not used to my own strength!” He grinned unrepentantly at her and she shook her head, smiling back as she ruefully rubbed her aching shoulder. She stiffened when he threw a friendly arm over her, but he ignored her to grin up at Jin, who was now lightly bouncing overhead, arms crossed behind his head as the wind riffled through his bright crop of shaggy red hair.
“C’mon, Jin, you gonna stay up there all day?” Yusuke teased as the Shinobi gave him a toothy grin, rolling over into a lazy sitting position still some five feet above the ground.
“Perhaps!” was his smart reply, and Sango grew redder as Yusuke deliberately bumped his hip into hers, waving at the smart-ass wind demon with a hearty laugh at her expense.
One red eye opened, and Hiei glared down at them from his negligent perch on the rocks above as Kurama said sardonically, “Well, perhaps it’s time we consider starting dinner. It looks like it might storm tonight. You should probably come down, Jin. I wouldn’t want you to get struck by lightning.”
Jin started, eyes rolling up to the lowering clouds as he made a face. Flipping over, the Wind Master hastily landed as thunder growled above them but still quite some distance off. “Oh, aye, that would ouch, Kurama, that it would!”
“Hmph.” Hiei closed his eyes once more, but a smug smile tugged at the corner of his mouth, one mirrored by the kitsune as he turned away.
ooOOooOOooOOoo
Dinner was a disaster.At first, Yusuke had been a little amused as Kurama carefully separated himself from the rest of them by sitting on the far edge of the cave’s dark entrance so he could stare at them broodingly as he and Jin entertained Sango with exaggerated stories of their various fights during the Dark Tournament. Seated between them, she was constantly having to turn her gaze back and forth between the two as they both tried to one-up the other with bad lies and worse jokes, snagging her attention by pulling on her elbow or nudging her arm or shoulder.
At least the damn taiji-ya had quit stiffening up like she had a poker up her ass, or worse---shying away like some bugged-eyed virgin nun surrounded by sweaty porn stars. That touch-me-not wall she usually built around herself couldn’t hold up to their constant tug-of-war for her distracted attention, and Yusuke had to secretly grin at Jin’s adept handling of the slayer when she first flinched away from his touch. The incorrigible apparition had only given her a wide-eyed, hurt look that had made her frown, and then innocently brushed her bent knee when reaching for a second helping of dead bird. Her frown had grown deeper, that thin line appearing between her troubled brows, but Jin had only waved his food around, spouting off about something or other that had made Yusuke, of course, retort with some smart-ass comment that left the wind apparition all but howling and hanging off of a startled Sango’s shoulder as he wiped the tears from his eyes and laughed even harder as Yusuke joined in the merriment.
Oh, that had been priceless---especially the resigned look in the taiji-ya’s eyes as she finally gave in to the inevitable as Yusuke draped himself along her other shoulder, his free fist hitting his thigh in time to his rising chuckles as Jin chortled beside her. Meeting the wind demon’s blue eyes across from him, they had both shared a knowing grin as Sango forced a smile and suffered their presence with a wan look of resignation.
Kurama had watched the whole scene without once cracking a smile, though normally he would at least share their jokes in his own quiet way. But he seemed unusually withdrawn and distant, growing even more so as they kept the game up through dinner, and it had really gotten on Yusuke’s nerves. Those two demons could at least quit acting like moody teenagers, and admit they were jealous of Jin’s attentions toward the slayer. Sheesh! One would think neither Kurama or Hiei had ever felt that way before…
Yusuke blinked as the thought occurred to him. Sneaking a look at the fox, who wasn’t even looking at them anymore, but staring up at the dark, cloud-troubled sky, he wondered if he had thought wrong, for Kurama was suddenly standing and walking away without looking back. A moment later, a black blur followed with the quiet scrape of a boot on stone as the fire demon leapt down from his perch.
“Where be it that they be going?” Jin asked, a brow quirking up as his laughter died and he stared after the departing demons in question.
“Ah, who cares?” Yusuke folded his arms and scowled after his retreating friends. Stupid demons.
“Are they all right?” Sango asked, concerned.
Jin shot her a look, one eye closing as he peered at her with the other, a single finger coming to tap at his chin thoughtfully. Blue eyes cutting back to the place where Kurama had disappeared, the kaze warrior said thoughtfully, “Ah. So that be the way of it, eh?”
Sango shot him a puzzled look but Yusuke only shrugged, though his chocolate-brown eyes crinkled up at the corners in a smile. Ha! Leave it to Jin to figure it out. People always said he and the Wind Master were two of a kind, and the Lord knew any idiot could put two and two together with the way those two emo-boys were acting.
Except one significant idiot was still oblivious, for she gave Yusuke a questioning look that he could only answer with a bogus shrug. Meeting Jin’s blue eyes over the top of her black head, Jin mouthed an “Oh!” of understanding, and smirked.
“Oh!” was right, as in “Oh, crap!” for the skies finally opened up with no warning but a faint rumble of thunder, drenching the three of them in icy buckets of pouring rain that had them all diving for the cave at once as the fire hissed its dying breath in a smoky stink of wet ash.
Jin beat them, of course, swooping in under the stony overhang like a deranged Superman as Yusuke and Sango scooted in on their feet, all but tripping over each other in their haste to get out of the pounding rain.
“Shit, that rain’s cold!” Yusuke stuck his fists in his armpits and shivered. Scowling down at his drenched jeans, he tried shaking the wet tangles out of his eyes as Sango cursed softly, her boots squelching as she tried searching for her dry cape in the inky blackness of the inner cave.
“Oh, give me but a moment---” Jin’s cheerful lilt came out of the dark, and Yusuke felt a sudden drawing in of the power around him.
“Jin, wait---”
Too late. Releasing his jyaki, the Shinobi smiled as the wind blasted back out of the cave with a mighty swoosh of expelled air, taking all kinds of dust and debris with it. Yusuke yelped as something round and hard (probably a skull left over from one of the bear’s dinners) knocked him in the thigh, and then dove as something else whizzed just over his head. Dirt scoured his crossed arms as he braced himself against the force of the gale, and he sputtered as silence suddenly descended inside the cave as the wind finally died.
“Whoops.”
*Whoops?!*
He was going to kill that stupid Irishman. “Jin, you idiot---”
“Ah, Urameshi, don’t be getting your panties in a twist now. You’re dry, aren’t ya?”
There was a muffled sound of indignation from the slayer, who had finally won free of her cloak, which had wrapped itself around her like a flagpole in the wake of Jin’s impromptu blow-dryer. Yusuke wondered if her hair was standing on end like his now was, but couldn’t see anything in the darkness.
“Was that really necessary?” Her voice grit out from the dark as she dropped her cloak at her feet and automatically felt for her weapons.
“It worked, though, didn’t it just?” Jin demanded, somewhat chagrined that his impetuous idea was getting such a bad reception.
“One of my knives is missing,” Sango said, chagrined as well.
“Uh…I think that was what went whizzing by my head,” Yusuke told the slayer, ignoring the wind demon, whose eyes were glowing faintly in reaction to the darkness. Too bad he and Sango didn’t have such a convenient pair of blue headlights.
“Damn,” Sango muttered, dragging her knife belts to her with a clink of metal. They, at least, were too heavy to have blown away. “That was one of my favorites.”
“Oh, I’m that sorry, I am, Lily. I didna mean for one of your wee sticks to go skittering off---”
“It could’ve killed me, Jin!” Yuuske decided getting out of the main entrance was a good idea as lightning flickered, momentarily searing the inside of the cave in a brilliant wash of light that left spots in front of his eyes after it left. Grumbling, the ex-detective put his hands out in front of him, trying to make sure he didn’t bump into anything. Thunder growled, far too loud and close, as his fumbling fingers touched something soft. Surprised, his fingertips skimmed over the round shape, trying to map out just what it was.
“Hentai!” Sango squealed as Yusuke suddenly groped her ass. She had been bent over, trying to gather up her cloak when she had suddenly felt his hand rubbing all over her bottom. Reflex took over, and the sound of her open-handed slap on his cheek echoed throughout the cave as a stunned Yusuke blinked and Jin---who could see everything perfectly well in the dark---fell over laughing, holding his hurting stomach as he gasped and wheezed to catch his breath.
“Urameshi---oh, by Eire---hee, hee----you should but see your face, lad!”
“I can’t see anything, damn it!” Yusuke growled, touching his hot cheek with a wince. Damn, but that taiji-ya’s smack was almost as strong as Keiko’s. Surreptitiously checking for any broken bones, he grimaced. “What’d you do that for, huh? I didn’t mean to grope you---”
Contrite, Sango bit her lip as her cheeks flamed. Thankfully, it was too dark for the Mazoku to notice. “I’m sorry, Yusuke.”
“Ah, no fears, lass. Urameshi’s survived worse than that with that hard head of his. Why, Keiko, now she can send him sailing off with one swing. That’s a right fine treat to see, Lily.” Jin’s fangs flashed in a smile as lightning lit the cave’s interior again.
“Shut up, you damn blowhard.” Yusuke scowled, not feeling all that charitable with his face still on fire. He could swear that her handprint was now tattooed across his flesh. Damn, but that girl could slap. He was lucky she hadn’t used any of that type of strength on him yesterday, when he had sparred with her. Still, the slap might almost have been worth it, for she did have a nicely-shaped ass, one that was very grope-able. It might even be worth seeing if he could get away with it again. But then the thought of Keiko’s reaction, if she were ever to find out, made him blanch and discard that idea real quick.
While he sat there lost in space, Sango had pulled some scrap of cloth from her cloak and stuck it outside the cave mouth long enough for it to get wet. Bringing the cool cloth over to him, she silently offered it, expression troubled. Lightly crossing his arms behind his head, Jin summoned a bit of air to cushion his seat as he watched with a knowing little smile as the taiji-ya made what amends she could. Taking the wet cloth that smelled suspiciously of metal polish, Yusuke thanked her and pressed it to his hot cheek.
“I’m sorry,” she said again, truly repentant.
“S’okay.” Yusuke managed a weak leer. “So long as you don’t hit me the next time I decide to grope your butt.”
“Good luck with that.” Jin smirked as Sango steamed.
“Oh, for my Hiraikotsu,” she grumbled as she stomped back to her abandoned cloak.
“Your what?” Yusuke asked, water dribbling down his cheek from the soaked cloth that was actually helping to cool off his smarting skin.
“Nothing.” Dropping to the ground, she pulled the voluminous folds of her cloak over her as she rolled her eyes.
ooOOooOOooOOoo
Lightning cut the sky, flooding the angry purple clouds with a wan yellow light as its twin flickered further away. Tipping his umbrella plant back a bit, Kurama shielded his eyes from the few splatters of icy rain that fell past its intertwining leaves as he waited for the growl of moody thunder to answer the fitful light. His head turned slightly to the left as he heard a tree rustle just before the grouchy rumble echoed across the sky.Hiei had disdained the use of his umbrella plant, content to stalk the trees above Kurama’s idle wandering through the rain. Well, the hot-blooded fire demon could certainly dry himself off quickly enough, and would expend little of his demon energy to do so. Kurama did not have that luxury. He already felt a little chilled, as the temperature had dropped quite a few degrees after the sky had opened up. Even through the tightly woven leaves of his umbrella plant, rain still managed to slither down his skin, and his zubon were soaked half-way up his calves.
Hiei, impervious as he was to cold or heat, being of both natures, was probably not feeling that, either.
“Heh.” It was foolish of him to have left so abruptly. But he had felt the need to get away from everyone, to be by himself with just his thoughts. He needed to sort out his feelings regarding the slayer, and watching Jin and Yusuke flirt so outrageously with her was not helping to dispel the strange sense of jealous irritation he had.
Such petty emotions were beneath him. He was not the emotional type. He was logical, intelligent, cognizant and in control. He was not some moody teenager swayed by undue passion. True, he was passionate, and perhaps too idealistic, but he could also be ruthlessly self-analytical---
“You think too much.”
Kurama stepped back, surprised by the fire apparition’s abrupt appearance in front of him. Hiei looked rather soggy, though his spiky hair was hardly squashed by the incessant downpour.
“Perhaps,” Kurama admitted, and then frowned at his use of the word and the image it conjured up of Jin and Anei’s meeting that afternoon.
“I don’t know why that particular word is suddenly so popular, Kurama, but it’s growing tedious.” Hiei, who had not been there for that meeting, turned his red eyes away to the distant shadows under the trees.
“You’re soaked.” Kurama changed the subject.
“The rain does not bother me,” came the sharp retort. “But you trying to change the subject does.”
Amused, Kurama only waited for the shorter demon to continue.
“Hn.” Hiei’s mouth twitched as his red eyes flicked back toward the fox. “You like her. Why is that so hard for you to accept?”
“And what about you?” Kurama challenged, trying to deflect the demon’s veracious question.
Hiei gave him a deadpan look. “I’m not the one who kissed her.”
Kurama stiffened, his knuckles whitening on the hard grip he had of his umbrella’s root. “You followed us?”
“There was no need.” Hiei turned away. “Sometimes your emotions bleed through my barrier, fox, no matter how well you try to contain them.”
*But so far?* Kurama was more than a little perturbed by that fact. It suggested a closeness between the two of them that he was not particularly comfortable with, for there were secrets that he didn’t want the fire demon, especially, to be privy to.
“You forget, Kurama, that distance is negligible to the Jagan.” Hiei spoke aloud, as if sensing how Kurama was suddenly uncomfortable with the thought of how their minds could speak so easily with one another’s. Kurama appreciated that small courtesy.
He was startled from his preoccupation once more by the fire demon’s abrupt movement as Hiei leapt back up to his abandoned tree, pausing only long enough to say enigmatically, “Don’t worry, Kurama. I will not interfere---much.”
And then he was gone, leaving Kurama to ponder alone the empty void he had left, and what it might mean, as the cold rain continued to patter steadily around him.