Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction / InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Par Tout Autre Nom ❯ Waking up the Past ( Chapter 5 )

Disclaimers: Inuyasha and Yu Yu Hakusho belong respectively to Rumiko Takahashi and Yoshihiro Togashi.

A/N: Aw, you guys are really too sweet to me with all the encouragement and reviews, heck, I've even been getting emails. You seeing this, Kazusa? Creepy stuff! LOL! At any rate, I really do love hearing that I'm entertaining people, and I'll try to respond to the mail I get in a quasi-timely fashion. *rubs head* Real life can blow sometimes, ne? But enough of my unnecessary rambling... It may be a little rough, but enjoy your next chapter. ^__~

~*~*~*~

By Any Other Name

~Waking Up the Past ~

Souta knew he probably had a dumbfounded look on his face as he stared at his sister's tense, even pleading expression after that bombshell she'd just dropped on him. He couldn't help but look up to the young monk pretending he wasn't listening while he washed the dishes from their recent dinner. Still, he could see Shinju's eyes slanted on him discreetly as he set plates in the wooden rack to dry, obviously waiting just as anxiously as Kagome for his acceptance or rejection.

However, he was still too shocked to do more than murmur distractedly when he finally found his voice, "I… guess that remark about his eyes makes sense now."

Shinju blinked, turning around more completely to look from Souta to Kagome, his lips tugging up in a slight smile before he dried his hands and moved to stand supportively behind her, "Perhaps it is better that you didn't understand at first."

"Souta?" Kagome leaned forward, her eyes searching his carefully for his real feelings, hands fisting against her thighs. "I'm sorry, I-"

"So I'm an uncle?" he interrupted, not really hearing her halting apology, and shaking his head slightly as the story finally started sinking in. Souta sat up a little straighter than before, looking at Kagome with his lips twitching in a smile he thought for sure would crack something if he let it out, "I'm an uncle." She was scared and hiding the truth just because she was afraid we'd think less of her?

"Technically twice-" Shinju started, choking off when Kagome elbowed him in the stomach.

"What happened?" Souta reached out and grabbed her hands to try and comfort that fear he could feel coming off her. "Nee-san… you can tell me everything, I promise I'll understand!" This is what she wouldn't talk about… what she wouldn't tell Okaa-san.

Kagome took a deep breath, squeezing his hands and glancing up at Shinju for comfort before she closed her eyes and answered, "We weren't sure how much longer it was going to take… Naraku just kept- just kept changing, making more of himself, and figuring out ways to hide from us. Miroku-sama started to get scared that he wouldn't make it."

"Because of the curse in his hand," Souta frowned, digging back into what he remembered of her stories to try and fill in the lapses of silence where she was obviously gathering her courage to give him the answers he'd wanted for so long.

She nodded to show he'd guessed correctly, dropping her gaze down to the steaming tea resting on the low table between them as the suppressed memories flowed freely behind her eyes, "Sango talked him into getting married, all of a sudden. None of us were expecting it, but we knew why she offered." Her voice lowered, remembering month after month with the frustrated taijiya, soothing her whenever she tried to blame herself for their lack of success, "They were trying so hard."

The light suddenly clicked in Souta's head, eyes widening as he reasoned out, "They couldn't have children. So… you… you were a surrogate."

Kagome could feel the tears pricking behind her eyes as she let out a heavy sigh, squeezing his fingers tighter, "It was so difficult for them to come to me. I can only imagine-" she stopped herself when Shinju rested his hand on her shoulder, bringing her back out of unhappier thoughts and helping her get herself back under control. "I couldn't have said no, Souta, not to something that meant so very much to them."

"They didn't have clinic and doctors, so our family records show that Kagome was taken as a second wife," Shinju rested his hip on the back of the sofa, drawing Souta's eyes up to his face to give her a sort of privacy for a moment. "My ancestor was Kazenatsu, the first born son of that marriage."

Souta stared at his sister with amazement, unable to fully fathom the things she had done and suffered away from everything she had known, and now this. She cared about them so much, she had children for them… knowing that she would have to leave them in the past and never see them again when she returned. But she still did it. And now, this is the descendant of her son.

"Inuyasha even understood why I did it," Kagome's lips curved up slightly, closing her eyes to let her mind play over how entertained they'd all been by the way he would hover, seeing to her care with all the attention and concern as Sango. My paranoid nursemaids… they all thought I was going to get hurt the moment they looked away from me. "He was the one who spoke to Miroku and Sango about asking me to have another," she looked up at Shinju to tell him more directly, in case he was unaware of that part of his history.

"Another-?" Souta's brows disappeared under his bangs, mind stuttering to a halt to hear that the hanyou he'd idolized and hoped to have as an older brother someday had been the one to say she should be with another man. The thought was baffling to him, to say the least, "Why?"

"Sengoku Jidai was a harsh time to live, Souta," she shrugged as she reminded him. "Inuyasha said he thought that Sango would fall apart if her only child ever died. It would be easier for all of them if they had another child to focus on in that eventuality." He was talking about all of them though, and we knew it. Those children were all they would have left of me if the jewel sent me back, and having another baby would mean I had to stay longer.

"What about the jewel? Your fight with Naraku?" Souta lifted a hand to his head, raking his fingers nervously through his hair and admittedly feeling a bit dizzy at this overload.

"We kept traveling until it was too hard for me to hide that I was pregnant," Kagome reached back reflexively to touch her stomach. "Miroku was terrified that Naraku would target me and the baby if he found out, but we started our search again as soon as it was safe to leave Kazenatsu with Kaede-babaa." Miroku still didn't want to leave his son after he'd waited so long to have him. He'd spent most of life doing nothing but hunting Naraku and trying to make an heir. I don't think I've ever seen anyone so…happy.

"But… how did you have time?" Souta pressed on, inwardly elated that she was speaking so openly, even if he could tell this was still the edited version of events. It's a start. Once she sees that she can trust me with this part of the past, she'll tell me the rest of it.

Kagome smiled faintly at that, remembering how time had seemed to crawl and fly all at once in those days while she answered, "It was hard on all of us. But I was pregnant again with Kyuuei when we finally did track down Naraku. When we defeated him; I just hadn't told anyone yet. I knew we were close, and they would have stopped or kept me away if they knew it had taken such a short time, but I had to be there for them in that battle."

Shinju's eyes had taken on an avid sparkle of interest at hearing her tell the story he'd been told time and time again, coming around to sit beside her on the couch and leaning in closer like an eager little boy. It was just so… out of place for a monk with his strength that Souta couldn't help but stare, covering his mouth with a hand at the sudden thought of how the two of them must look to Kagome right now. Hanging on her every word with big eager eyes, Then again… he's family, so why wouldn't he act the same as we do from time to time? This is my- well, I don't know how many "greats" there are, but he's my nephew somehow. Even if he is my age, he watched Kagome smile and brush Shinju's hair off his forehead with a wistful expression, wondering just how much of a resemblance there really was between the Miroku she remembered and his new instructor.

"That's why you stayed away?" Souta finally broke the silence surrounding them, putting all these new pieces together in his head. "Why you never came to tell us what happened?"

A glint of pain crept into her eyes, dulling the blue as she slowly rose to her feet and prowled restlessly to the picture window of Shinju's living room, "We didn't know if the well would let me come back after we killed Naraku and put the jewel back together."

Souta glanced over at the monk to see if he understood what she was talking about, not really too surprised to see him nod slightly in answer to the unspoken question before they both stared at the tense line of her back again, "Before you had Kyuuei?"

Kagome stared unseeing at her own reflection in the glass, absently lifting a hand to press against it and feel the surface warm at her touch, "We rebuilt the taijiya stronghold, and lived there once it was over. They were… my family, Souta. We'd all done so much together, things no one else could possibly understand. And I was afraid if I came through the well that I wouldn't be able to come back; I couldn't risk it until everything was ready." We were ready in case the wish went wrong, at least we could say that it wasn't completely unexpected. And Inuyasha had already messed up with wishing once…

"Is that why you were in the well?" he bit his lip, suddenly feeling more anxious himself. She didn't want to come back?

She leaned her forehead on the glass, "When Inuyasha made his wish-" his last wish, "the jewel brought me back. It was telling me I was supposed to be in this time." Kagome pushed herself away from the window, turning to look back at the boys staring at her with open inquiry, "My family and my life are here, Souta… in my own time."

He couldn't stop a slight smile at the determination in her expression, unable to say how he was understanding her emotions, just that for some reason, he could tell what his sister needed to hear to keep her talking, "But your heart is in Sengoku Jidai."

Kagome jumped a bit in surprise at that observation, focusing completely on her little brother before she let out a loud breath and shook her head, "I remember you being less serious and intuitive."

Souta grinned widely at that and flashed her a victory symbol with his right hand, "If you can change and get all pretty and deep, then I can have my moments of serious intuition. I am a monk now, after all."

Shinju's chest puffed up proudly, nodding his agreement to that statement while Kagome pressed the back of her hand to her mouth and started to laugh, "My uncle is correct, Kaa-san, our family is well known for such things."

"I'm not sure letting the two of you live within thirty feet of each other will be good for my sanity," she couldn't help but tease, leaning her back against the window and giving a full body sigh. It was cleansing, in a way… telling Souta what happened so long ago and hearing him ask questions and take interest rather than reject her for being a wife and having children for her dearest friends. Let alone finding out that his new instructor was so closely related to their family, He… really did grow up while I was gone.

Shinju folded his arms and responded to that with the air of importance that apparently passed down the lines, "It would not be as effective to advanced training if your brother were to be able to go home and ignore the training and meditations at the temple. You are aware how important immersion is into our energies, Kaa-san, and you had to have expected to find housing."

"Now you're doing it on purpose," Kagome leaned her head back and looked up at the ceiling, letting her soul warm and spread cleansing energy out through the house. "Neither of you are too big to have your heads knocked together for being a smartass, remember that."

Souta had closed his eyes when he felt the warm sweep pass through him, awed at the level of control and power she used so very casually, "Wow…"

He jumped slightly when he felt her hand ruffle his hair affectionately, not expecting the movement, "I need to walk or something after all this or I'll never calm down tonight, Souta. I'm… jittery."

"Company?" he started to rise, only to have Shinju reach over and push him right back down.

"Meditations," Shinju scolded in a more commanding voice than they'd previously heard come from him, or really thought he could pull off. "You want to train to be a monk? You'll start now."

"But Kagome-" Souta started to protest.

"Can handle herself," he glanced over at her, making a shooing motion with his hand and waiting until she'd disappeared back into the front of the house for her jacket until he spoke to Souta again. "She was very afraid you would be disapproving when she is still struggling with her own loss, Souta. We'll have plenty of time with her after she re-centers herself."

He frowned at that, making a sound of frustration as he turned to stare in the direction she'd gone, "She needs family."

"Balanced with solitude so she can grieve in her own way," Shinju nodded, but reiterated his intentions to keep him from following Kagome on her walk. "All the family records indicate she was in the past for quite some time. She was used to quiet and wild times, not people everywhere and buildings… You can see the pain in her eyes when there are crowds."

"She's getting better," Souta muttered out grudgingly. "She doesn't jump as much anymore."

He nodded, tucking his feet up under him, "Kagome is going to stay in this time from now on. She knows it, even if some part of her wishes she could go back and visit the ones she left behind. But consider this, Souta… she always knew she would be returning, she only delayed because she knew it would be the last she saw of my ancestor and her friends."

Souta's head snapped around to Shinju's stoic face, eyes wide and startled, "How did you-?"

"The records of my family are immaculate," Shinju replied proudly. "After the jewel sent her away, she didn't return, and it was passed down through our family to find her again in the future. It's obvious how deeply your sister cares about you, and she trusts you, or she never would have told you about me or the past."

There was a long moment of silence, punctuated only by the quiet shuffling of Kagome moving about to get ready for her walk. Shinju appeared to be completely unaffected, hands clasped loosely in his lap and head bowed forward in a relaxed, meditative pose despite Souta's unwavering stare. He had to admit it was more than a little disconcerting to see how easily he ignored the vibes hanging thick in the main room of his house, but at the same time, he was still a little overwhelmed at Shinju's ability to turn his emotions on and off like that.

"Why do you call her `Kaa-san?'" Souta leaned back against the soft cushions, bracing his arm up on the back as he finally felt comfortable enough to break the quiet.

"I don't remember my mother," Shinju answered in a subdued voice. "But I grew up on stories of the miko who made my life possible. I used to dream… ah, nevermind. I was a child, and my parents had died in an accident right after I was born. I don't remember them. But when I saw Kagome-sama in my temple, I couldn't help but ask. I'm the first generation in present times to connect with this side of our family, and I… it seemed so natural. She told me that she didn't mind it."

They lapsed back into their own quiet thoughts, both looking up and standing automatically when Kagome reentered the room and embraced them both before she turned just as quickly to exit, "Behave and do your meditations. I'll be back before it gets too late."

"Are you sure you don't need us?" Souta tried one last time, taking a step forward and reaching out towards her retreating back.

Kagome paused with one hand on the wall leading to the foyer, her fingers clenching before she let her head fall forward until her chin nearly rested on her chest. She had to swallow hard to get herself under control before she looked back at them and smiled, "I need you to speak with each other without me here to distract you."

Souta blinked when she was gone in a flash of long hair and the muffled slam of the front door, slowly sitting back down and vaguely aware of Shinju doing the same beside him, "What… did she mean? Speak to each other?"

Shinju suddenly started to chuckle after he realized they were lapsing back into their own silence again. He leaned back and propped his chin up on his hand, deciding on the best way to break the ice with his uncle, "Pizza and beer?"

"Your treat."

~*~*~*~

Yuusuke was starting to worry about Kurama.

In the month since those two had shown up unannounced on his doorstep and voiced their intentions to stay on for a "vacation," he'd seen the kitsune do little more than date and fight. That might not have been such a cause for concern if he hadn't seemed to be actually looking forward to hearing of jobs from Koenma that would require certain levels of violence. Considering Kurama was usually the one who would play his hand with calm precision, the way he was throwing himself into battle was more like Hiei in a temper: eager to race in and tear apart the offending demons with a kind of glee that was disturbing to witness. Especially after the behavior they'd all come to expect from their non-human partners, it was just downright weird for it to change so inexplicably.

Yet, every time he tried to take Kurama aside and actually try to speak with him about the change in temperament, Hiei was right there to block the attempt and tell him to mind his own business in as few words as possible. It had to have something to do with his sudden interest in dating every girl he could stand to lay eyes on, but they were both being completely close-lipped about the entire matter, going so far as to even stop speaking mid-sentence when anyone else came within earshot.

He vaguely wondered if they thought he was a complete idiot, sighing at the affirmative answer from his own internal voice, Kurama probably ain't thinking that, but Hiei sure as fuck is.

Yuusuke was half-tempted to simply tell Kurama not to bother making any romantic attempts, considering his own nearly disastrous experiences with Keiko, and she had known all about his "occupation" with Rekai.

Working for Koenma and that realm was practically a death sentence for any personal life, unless you could manage to find a girlfriend who liked -or at least understood- long stretches of alone time. Then again, anyone who smiled all the way through unexplained absences and abrupt departures would probably have ulterior motives for the relationship in the first place.

So…

Yuusuke sighed, lounging back in the wrought iron chair that Keiko thought added charm to this latest café she just had to try, but was quickly putting him on the road to one hell of a leg cramp. He wasn't seeing a bright side to that situation for his ridiculously pretty friend on the long term outlook, but at least his looks could get him a casual sex partner now and then to take the edge off. Not that he'd ever repeat that where Keiko could hear it come out of his mouth, but it had to be better than nothing.

"Would it kill you to at least pretend to be enjoying yourself, Yuusuke?" Keiko punctuated that remark by swatting her fiancé with a menu before looking around the sunlit street to see if the others were close to arriving. "It isn't often we get to have time to ourselves, so why can't you just admit Kurabara would never let anything happen to the boys and relax?"

"I know he wouldn't," Yuusuke winced and rubbed his cheek as he readjusted in the uncomfortable chair and followed her search, adding his own deeper senses to reach out in a wider radius.

Her annoyance changed to understanding in a heartbeat, and she reached out to clasp his hand before he tapped a hole in the table, "Kurama? Look, Yuusuke, he's probably just lonely. Even if he is supposed to be some great thief, he's still been living a human life for a while now. Maybe it's getting him down."

Yuusuke made a face at the remarks, threading his fingers through hers and settling back into the least annoying position to watch the humans and peaceful demons bustling about their weekend lives, "It's still creepy that you can do that, and don't give me that `woman's intuition' crap, cause I ain't buying it." After that, however, his expression softened and he admitted, "But for his sake, I hope not. Can you imagine how hard it would be to find a girl to put up with… well, everything?"

"Can't imagine," Keiko rolled her eyes and promptly kicked him under the table. "Hello? Aren't I proof that it's possible to make it work out? I don't have any powers or anything, and I can still be understanding!"

"We've known each other since we were kids though, Keiko, it just ain't the same," he scowled at her and rubbed his abused shin awkwardly with his free hand when she refused to let go of the other. "You put up with me before, and you were already all attached when it started to get weird."

"That's putting it lightly," she muttered under her breath, but giggled at the sour look that earned her.

"Anyhow," he drawled out to make sure she was finished before continuing, "Kurama would have to start from scratch. He never really kept any childhood friends, and he doesn't have much in common with his family except for the loyalty he has for his mother. Most girls would drop him after the first couple of disappearing acts he pulled when Botan does the poofing in thing and hauls us up to Koenma."

Keiko felt herself frown slightly, "You really are worried about him."

"Well, shit, Keiko, think about it," he gestured expansively with one hand, still keeping his voice low to avoid drawing any unwelcome attention to the less than normal discussion. "On top of that, he's got to find someone who won't mind that he'll always be the pretty one in the couple and always will be thanks to Youko-" he broke off, face going blank before he sighed and shook his head. "I forgot all about that. Another thing that'll make it hard for him is Youko."

"What about Youko?" Keiko's brow furrowed in confusion, trying to unobtrusively prod him into revealing more about the kitsune spirit she had yet to truly see for herself. It might be a serious topic about a man she considered to be a close friend, but she still couldn't help the curiosity.

"If he doesn't like her, he'll make Kurama's life hell until they get rid of her and move on," he explained, mentally crossing his fingers in case he was calling Youko all wrong. "From what little Kurama will talk about him, and what I saw, he can be a real bastard about things not going his way."

"Oh," she looked down at their joined hands, feeling sorry for their troubled friend for the first time… really ever. He was adored for those looks wherever he was, smart, stable; there really wasn't anything about him that she could say was bad, but she had the impression he was more polite in his human persona, "I never really thought it would be so hard for him."

Whatever Yuusuke would have said in response to that was forgotten when a light flashed not two feet from his face, momentarily blinding them both and sending the volatile man into a fit of blistering curses. He was just starting to stand, intending to quickly and quietly murder whomever was responsible when a Polaroid was slapped down on he table, and a disturbingly perky male voice chimed in, "Freebie! Sorry `bout that, but I just couldn't resist a cute shot like that, you know?"

Yuusuke paused enough to rub at his eyes, Keiko's hand on his arm holding him back before he could go after the younger man currently whistling and spinning an expensive looking camera on his forefinger by the strap as he walked away, "The fuck-?!"

"Hang on, Yuusuke, don't hurt him," she chided quietly, glancing from the retreating back down to the developing photograph. She might not appreciate the surprise, but at the same time, she was willing to forestall judgment until she saw the product. She had to squeeze his arm again once more before the image finally faded into view, making her eyes widen and her lips curl in an unconscious smile, "Don't hurt him."

He scowled at that and blinked again, rubbing at his eyes and bending down to see the photo, "Why not? It's just a snapshot, and we don't even know that little punk!"

Keiko made an impatient sound and smacked him on the shoulder hard, "Because it's beautiful! I never get decent pictures of you, let alone you and me together," she scolded him, tracing a finger down the squared edge. Whoever that "punk" was, he'd managed to angle them both into the shot during a moment where Yuusuke's eyes had been soft, attention on their clasped hands while she smiled at him. "I never thought I'd manage to get a picture of you like this," she elaborated when he continued to look annoyed.

Yuusuke finally sighed and stopped trying to pull away from her, sitting down and glumly admitting to himself that the photograph definitely looked professional, "I'll be damned- hey, wait! Sonofabitch, that's the same kid on skates from that day! Takashima or something that guy called him!"

"The investigator?" Keiko's brows lifted in surprise, turning to look at him once more before he turned a corner and disappeared from their sight. "Are you sure?"

"He's not exactly the type to blend in, Keiko," Yuusuke grumbled out, wavering between irritation at her lack of confidence in his observation, and disbelief at her lack of recognition. It had been a more memorable afternoon thanks to that kid, after all, "Besides, I recognize the weird vibe he gives off, I was just busy with the whole being blind thing."

She shrugged, still admiring her picture, "I just thought he wanted to look like a model. Or maybe a rock star," she tapped a finger to her chin as she mulled that over.

"Rock star?!" Yuusuke was on his feet the second that dreamy note entered her voice, pointing angrily in the direction Takashima had gone, "That little cocky punk?!"

She giggled again and tried to wave it off, getting him to sit back down as the arguing sounds blended into the background noise to the cause of their heated debate where he stood in a shielded alley. His phone was giving off that muffled trill as he waited for the other end to pick up, regarding his camera with no small amount of pride.

"And?" the voice on the other end inquired with a note of impatience.

"I told you to leave it to me," Takashima rolled his eyes, leaning back against the bricks and watching people walk past on the street. "Although, I'm sure you won't be surprised to hear that you were right… again. She's perfectly normal human, but he's got the glow of a first-level brat, one of the Rekai employees. You can examine that little aura to your heart's content once I get this developed."

"Your lack of manners is still obnoxious."

"Isn't it though? Maybe this'll teach you to separate a kid from his only family," he chuckled richly and raked a hand through his hair to make sure his style hadn't gone flat. "I just might settle down if you give me back my sister."

"Stop being dramatic about events I had no control over," the tone of voice never changed, but he'd been with his boss long enough to know he was teetering on the dangerous edge of seriously irritating him. "I've kept you alive until now, and she'll be the first to agree that such a feat would have been impossible for a lesser youkai."

"Probably true," Takashima readily agreed just to walk that edge a little more.

"You still aren't finished, Takashima, or are you going to tell me you can't get imaging on those two demons?" he taunted with just the right note of disdain to get his best investigator bristling.

"You'll have them by the end of the week," he assured him, all wounded pride and stiff determination. "I'm no amateur, dammit, you know that!"

"I'll hold you to your deadline," he gave no indication that he intended to acknowledge the latter statement. "You know how I hate loose ends, and those two looked like the sort to cause trouble."

"You realize you're sounding like the pot at the moment," Takashima pointed out, smirking at the answering growl as he stepped back out into the foot traffic, narrowly missing bumping into a girl and two teenagers as he mentally started to plot out how to accomplish his task. He murmured half-hearted apologies, eyes on the sky as he wandered off down the street, "You think he's mentioned you?"

"I highly doubt it," he snorted at the thought. "That thug I let you hire is proof of that, unless he is just abnormally oblivious to the fact that he's working for Rekai and me."

"I guess we'll just wait and see," Takashima sighed with mock gravity. "End of the week."

"If you're late, I'll make you wait another month to see your sister, Takashima," the voice warned sharply. "And you know my threats are never idle."

"You're a cruel bastard, Big Dog."

"I have never been anything less," he retorted with lofty nonchalance.

~*~*~*~

Kagome frowned and apologized to the girl she'd accidentally shoved into when the young man fully absorbed in his phone had materialized from beside her and forced her to side step or be run down. The couple behind her had not been so light on their feet, momentarily causing an awkward scene before apologies were made and he continued away without another word.

That youkai again… is this an area they control then? Like a pack or something? she stepped out of the way to give herself time to more leisurely observe him, one hand coming to rest on her hip in an unconscious habit. He's at ease here, not guarding, so it has to be friendly territory.

She had just turned to start walking again when she almost became the cause for an identical scene, barely missing stepping right into a girl hanging onto the arm of a rather harassed looking man with the most unique head of hair she'd ever seen. Kagome had opened her mouth to apologize when her attention was caught and held by a flash of youki, encouraging her to draw away from the pair before whichever one of them was giving off the feeling could get a decent look at her, Yeah, that'd be great, Kagome… one walk alone and you get accosted by a future youkai. If Sesshoumaru is alive, he'd skin you for doing something that stupid.

The new move, however, backed her into a solid, overly warm object that immediately turned to face her with a shocked look in his vivid, claret eyes. Kagome took an unconscious step back, her mind already shifting back into defensive mode while she struggled to separate the youki into individual pulses, Shit! There were two youkai! She reigned in the heat that longed to pour out of her soul, call to the forces it felt so close; instead forcing herself to bow politely and avert her face as she murmured, "I'm sorry… I didn't mean to run into you. Excuse me."

Hiei's brow furrowed, distracted from his fun at Kurama's expense as he started to reach out, only to find the girl had strangely seemed to vanish amongst the humans pressing in around them, That was… strange.

What was strange? Kurama's response to the broad thought was ragged, hovering at the edge of patience as he wracked his brain for the fastest way to end this "date."

That human, he scowled into the people, getting more irritated by his failure to pinpoint the one. I didn't feel her. It was like she didn't give off any aura at all.

A ghost? he latched onto that, already trying to disengage the stubborn girl's hand. She was a little too enthusiastic about the grabbing thing to sit well with either Youko or himself.

No, Hiei shook his head. She was solid, and she gave off body heat. I've never felt something empty like that.

`Magic,' Youko purred in satisfaction, bored to death with human dating and more than ready to focus on something new. `I could think of a few-`

Not now, Kurama cut him off, sensing a long list of possibilities from his other side. We're meeting with Yuusuke and Keiko for dinner, remember?

`Fuck that. This would be more fun.'

I've already lost her, Kurama, it'd be pointless right now, Hiei sounded none to pleased with that, his eyes still darting from person to person in his attempt to locate that empty aura and getting more frustrated when he failed to do so. Too many damn humans.

`Well shit.'

We have more than enough to do without adding in a new puzzle, Youko, Kurama finally managed to get his arm back, crisply telling the young woman that he was going to have to cut their evening short. That youkai and the baby thing… We're stretched thin enough.

`Bullshit,' Youko snorted in disgust. `There are never too many puzzles. You're just getting too wrapped up in the annoying one.'

I am not in the mood right now, Kurama forced himself to smile politely in the face of her vocal displeasure, assuring her he would call again despite Youko's remarks that he'd already made a mental note to forget. Whatever the hell it was, Hiei, forget it, and let's get away from this one before she makes a scene. We can come back later when the humans are gone.

"Hn," Hiei was already using a slight "push" on the girl to keep her from following, but he was still letting himself get too wrapped up in that unique experience of being accidentally bumped. Tonight, fox. I don't like knowing there might be a thing out there we can't feel.

You were probably just too focused on making me miserable, he brushed it off, gripping the shorter youkai by the arm and hauling him off towards the restaurant. It wouldn't be the first time.

Or the last.

Go fuck yourself, Hiei.