Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction / InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Feelings for a Fox ❯ Chapter 3

Yay, another chapter out! This time I owe thanks for reviews to Youkai_Hime, EvilBunny, ScottishFae, Amethyst, Artemis The Goddess, Egyptian_lover, the little fox, star kitty, Izedragn, bloodbunny, ladyofthedragons1, Katzztar, The Black Kat, and Katt. Thankies, all for the wonderful reviews! *Swoons and gets hit by an oncoming bus* …Ouch.

Kagomi's POV

~~~Chapter 3~~~

There isn't much time. I have to close the hole quickly. I clear my mind, descending into my powers and collect as much as I can. This is not a quick process like with the healing energy I gathered. This is strands of my own life force, intertwined with the power that is the shield.

I hear the voices of Keiko and Yusuke arguing through the cracked bathroom door in the background. Vaguely I am aware of him saying that they had to leave. It doesn't matter to me though, all that is extraneous. I close my mind to the distraction of their voices.

Only the barrier matters now.

Carefully I reach out, siphoning off power from unused reservoirs, energy that I may have used in other ways like going for a run, getting into a fight, the strength that is stored away for everyday living. Merging the extra energy with my ki, I pour it into the edges of the sundered barrier, pushing the ragged edges together until the rip is repaired. In the place of the gaping opening is now the seamless barrier.

I blinked, trying to readjust as I surfaced from delving into my powers. How long have I been busy? Keiko is calling to me through the stall door. I can't help feeling a flash of guilt as I hear the panic in her voice.

"I'm fine. I'm sorry for worrying you." I unlock the stall and her worried face comes into view. She gasps. Oh no, here it comes.

"You are NOT fine! You're bleeding all over the place! What happened?!" she pushed the door open wider and stared in at me in a sort of horrified fascination. You know the same way people stare at a wreck on the side of the road that they drive by. It's a really uncomfortable feeling really and I have to prevent myself from squirming under her eyes. Then she starts clucking over me trying to examine my wound and reassure herself that I am in fact not dying. I am not five years old damn it! When I try to brush her hands away she gives me 'the look'.

I didn't do it mommy, honest!

I tried to stand up and would have fallen to the side had the stall not been there to catch me. Keiko rushed forward and helped me gain my balance before helping me take a few tottering steps out of the narrow confines. Then she left me leaning up against the sink.

"I told you, I'm fine. All I need is to go home and sleep."

"Right, and I believe you completely," she says dryly. "Here, put this on. I told Yusuke since he wasn't going to stay at school to leave you his jacket so you won't have to wear that bloody thing. You can give it back to him later." I regarded the bright green jacket she was holding out to me.

"Great. I'm going to go home looking like upside down flower."

"Better than going home looking like a stripper."

"Heh, I suppose you have a point," I concede to the brunette before shrugging into the offered clothing. Hm, A little large but it actually fit fairly well considering. She's staring at me expectantly now, my book bag clutched in her hands. I suppose she wants an explanation. Sigh.

"Look don't worry. This happens from time to time. It's not a big deal. But I really do," I wobble as the room tilts crazily for a second, "need to rest."

"Oh here!" she rushes to my side and braces me again so I don't fall over. "Ok, I won't pester you right now, but I want to know what is going on later," she grumbles as we walk out of the bathroom. I tell her which direction I live and she starts guiding me in the right way.

Vaguely I wonder if I'll even have enough energy to get home.

That is the problem with the power I have. It's all focused on maintaining the barrier. The downside is damage to the barrier is also reflected in my body. This makes it especially difficult when the damage to the barrier is so great. Between the energy required to keep me from passing out from blood loss before I can fix the barrier and the energy that is used to actually fix it whenever it is broken through I don't have any energy left afterward.

I only have access to about half of my overall spirit energy. The rest was focused into creating the barrier and the power of the Shikon no Tama is then used to amplify it between the worlds. You see all I have the use of is my basic powers, such as purifying, seeing things I wouldn't normally, and the like. This is also true of my life force. Half of my life force runs along the length of the barrier so that I am instantly aware of any weaknesses or breeches that occur. Of course should my life be in danger I can draw on the energy that I have focused into the barrier. A necessity at times as I am the only one maintaining the barrier, and a temporary weakness is preferable to the barrier failing entirely. After all, if I die then the entire operation goes kaput, ya know?

Don't look at me like that. I wasn't the one who wrote the spell that way.

And so the point is… the point… the point of all this is… it takes a shit load of power to maintain the barrier! Yeah… So when the barrier is damaged that much and I have to draw on my power reserves my usual response is to just collapse as soon as possible when I'm finished.

"Kagome?! Kagome, get up! I can't carry you to your house! Come on, get up!"

Kami, I hate feeling this weak.

And just where the hell were the people who are supposed to be guarding the barrier, huh? That was the deal. I build it, they guard it. S'true. Koenma is going to hear 'bout this! I'm going to spank him, the big baby… He's so cute as a baby! S'harder to generate a new avatar for demigods than you'd think. After his last 'xploded he had to get a new body, hasn't grown up yet. Cute! n' Fuzzy… fuzzy gray. The world is, not the baby.

"Oh dear! What happened to her?!"

"I don't know. She started bleeding at school, and she wanted to go home but she collapsed. I'm sorry for intruding, but her house is too far for me to drag her."

"Bleeding?! Maybe we should call the hospital."

What? No, no doctors! Where am I? It's cold.

"Kagome, I can't get you any farther. I brought you to Kurama's house okay? I'm gonna call your mother, so you just stay right there on the couch."

Are you talking t'me? Ahh, blanket, nice 'n warm blanket. Now get me another one! Wait, who the hell is Kurama? Aaaaah, fuck it… sleep… yes sleep… and then food… but mostly sl…e…e…p…

I am surprisingly… uncomfortable. Opening my eyes I take in my surroundings and I realize why. I am sleeping on someone's couch. It is an unfamiliar someone with an unfamiliar couch.

Great.

What happened? The barrier, the blood, the walking, the voices. What did the voices say? I can't quite remember. Again…

Great.

I shift my head trying to get a better look around. Hm… there's someone in that chair over there. Apparently I made some noise that I wasn't aware of because the eyes suddenly snapped open to look at me. Dah! Again with the flickering. Okay so that answers that question.

"Are you alright?" his soothing voice asks me. I can't help it, it relaxes me. Just for the record I resent the fact that I don't even really know him and he has this affect on me. Anyways, back to the original point… was there a point? Oh yeah! Where am I and why am I here? Wait, he asked me a question.

"I'm fine." My turn. "Where am I and why?"

"You're at my house. Keiko was trying to help you home but you collapsed halfway there. This is the nearest place she knew. She managed to get you here and call your mom."

"Oh." Heh, I remember that now. Which reminds me, " Who's Kurama?"

I see his teeth flash in a smile in the dark. And both of his forms are visible to me in the half light filtering through the window, somehow each seeming completely solid and firmly in place. "I am. Except at school I am called by my proper name, Shuuichi"

"Oh." Well that's nice then, but I'm hungry. And I told him so. Now he's laughing at me. What? Is this like the national youkai laughing at my expense day or something? That's another thing I need to look into. Why there's a youkai hanging out in the school trees. This day had been weird. Well not really weird in a comparative sense, after all I've had weirder. But it's just not how my typical days have been going in recent months.

I get up, shoving the blankets away from me to follow him into the kitchen. You know, this is very uncomfortable. I mean I just formally meet this guy for the first time today and now I'm camping on his couch. Admittedly I wasn't conscious to really make that decision, but still. And then I woke up to find him watching over me instead of being in bed like he should have been. And now he's feeding me. He's a really nice guy. Damn, I'm a sucker for a nice guy. Oh no! Bad Kagome! Wicked bad naughty! You deserve a spanking! But only if he gives it to you! What?! Wait! Where'd that thought come from? Oh this can't be good.

Oh now he's staring at me. Oh heh, he's asking me a question.

"What'd you say?" I snap to attention and ask him.

"I was asking you what you'd like?" the red head repeated patiently.

"Oh, sorry. I guess I'm still a bit out of it. Uh, anything's good. Oden's great. Whatever. Just make whatever." Ok, I was dangerously close to babbling there. Great job Kagome. Just shut up. Don't talk, don't think, and everything will be fine. He gives a thoughtful nod and starts digging through a cabinet.

Shuuichi, Kurama, whoever the hell he is, places a teapot on the stove before finding a pan and adding it to the other front burner. All of this is done without a word. He opens a can of something and dumps it in the pan, then puts a lid on whatever he's making, (maybe I should have been paying attention) before turning around and joining me at the table. The gorgeous male calmly folds his hands on top of the table and stares at me. He is silent. I start feeling fidgety. He's still not saying a word. I feel my eyes darting around the room, trying to ignore the unwavering stare I'm getting from the other side of the table. He's still not asking any of the questions I'm expecting.

Damn, he's good at this!

My eyes jerk to his and I can't keep the annoyed scowl off my face. "Would you cut that out already?!" I snap at him. He raises an eyebrow in question. At this point I am feeling like a shrew because I remember that he apparently has been taking care of me, and he hasn't done anything that I could technically snap at him about.

And he's doing it on purpose, the smug bastard.

"Alright," I sigh in defeat, "How's this? You can ask me any question and I'll answer it honestly, but I get to ask you any question in return and you have to answer it honestly. That way we both get the information we want."

"A game… I quite enjoy games. Very well. Are there any other rules?"

Good question. How about…

"Either one of us can call it quits when we want, but the game stops right then so the other person doesn't have to answer if the person who quit didn't answer their question."

"That seems fair. Would you like to go first?"

Heh, no.

"No. Your tea is ready."

He went to retrieve the tea and whatever was in the pan. "Alright then…" Shuuichi placed a bowl of soup and a cup of tea in front of me, "What happened today at school?" It's really good soup.

"Hm, lemme see. We had a test in math, went over the book we were supposed to have read for English, finished reviewing a chapter in history. Then there was lunch, and I'm a bit dodgy on what happened after that. My turn!" I finished brightly. His lips twitched but I couldn't tell if it was from annoyance or amusement, or both.

"Why do you flicker back and forth like that?"

"Flicker back and- what?"

"Exactly what I said. You flicker back and forth. Why do you do that?"

"What are you talking about?" Oh now he looks all cute and confused. I hate it when guys do that.

"Never mind. If you don't want to talk about that why you're red and then silver and then red and then both, I understand." I give a hurt sniff, and return to my soup. He seems a bit dazed. I wonder why.

"Silver? How can…? You can see-" I hop up from my chair and place my dishes in the sink.

"Well that was lovely soup, and a fun if surprisingly short game. Thanks for taking care of me when I was out of it, but I really ought to get home. Shippou is probably worried about me and he hates when I'm out alone after dark. So I'll see you later okay?" As I'm speaking I head to the front door, managing to trip on a side table in the process.

You'd think an ability to see in the dark would come with immortality, but noooooo.

When I get to the door I turn back to look at him silhouetted in the kitchen doorway, the golden light dancing along the edge of his body. I can barely make out his gleaming gold eyes staring at me from underneath his flaming red hair.

"Night Kurama," I call out softly before closing the door behind me.

So that's the reason for the shirt underneath the jacket. The jacket only has absolutely no insulation.

I shiver at the unexpectedly cold air as I make my way down the street toward the shrine.

Suddenly I feel very old. Very old and alone.

…Well alone except for the trace of youkai following after me.

Aaaah, fuck it!