Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ Feigned Innocence ❯ Chapter Five ( Chapter 5 )

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho.

~Kurama's POV~

"Can't you all just leave me alone for once?!" I demanded, without turning around.

I was aware of a stunned silence behind me, the precious sound of a gawking fan club. And then several sobs, and the strangely satisfying sound of their retreat. I was finally alone.

I walked home in peace, my troubled mind attempting to enjoy the rare solitude. I wasn't sure why I'd blown up at those girls the way I had. They always followed me, I was used to it by now. I just didn't have the patience to deal with them that afternoon.

Shrugging to myself, I pushed away a nagging feeling of guilt. I'd had a rough night, and was understandably tense.

I noticed a shadow in a tree as I passed, and I stopped walking to get a better look. I immediately felt Hiei's familiar youki the instant that I started looking for it, and I glared up into the tree.

"Where have you been?!" I demanded, staring at the shadowed figure. I stepped back slightly as I felt a brief rush of wind, and then Hiei was standing before me.

"Around," Hiei said casually, starting off down the sidewalk, obviously expecting me to follow. I glared after him, completely thrown off by his nonchalant attitude.

"Around? I haven't seen you once for a week!" I said as I hurried to catch up to the little demon.

"I wasn't aware that I was required to visit you."

I didn't know how I should respond to that. He had a point, he didn't have to visit me. He just always had. I had grown used to it. And with everything that had happened this week… well, I'd needed him.

What? What was I thinking? I didn't need anyone!

"Well, you could have at least told me where you were," I grumbled.

Without turning back to look at me, Hiei said in a low, amused voice, "Were you worried about me, fox?"

I stopped walking and gaped at his back. Dear Inari, had Hiei just teased me? I waited anxiously for the earth to crack open, or for fire to rain down from the heavens, because surely the day that Hiei teased someone was the day that the world came to an end.

Hiei stopped walking and turned around, looking annoyed. "What?"

Hm… the world didn't seem to be ending. I started walking again, still stunned into silence, and Hiei waited patiently until I was back at his side before he started walking again.

"I've never seen you act that way with those idiotic human girls before."

And wonders never cease. First, he teases me, then he attempts to make small talk. I seriously considered praying to Inari to spare me from whatever natural disaster was about to occur.

"What's your point?"

Hiei shook his head, then said. "I wasn't trying to make a point. It was merely an observation. You seem… distracted, lately."

"That tends to happen when one is being stalked night and day."

"He still hasn't left you alone?"

I knew I shouldn't say anything, but the words were out of my mouth before I could stop them. "He was in my room last night."

Crimson eyes jerked up sharply to focus on me, and I looked away. "What did he do?"

His voice was calm, but with something else behind it, and again I knew that I should just stop, that I shouldn't tell him any more, but I couldn't lie to him. We both knew that now.

"He… he touched me."

His voice was deadly as he said, "How?"

I cleared my throat, not wanting to relive the night before. I could feel my face heating up, and was astonished to realize that I was blushing. I never blushed. But I felt that same familiar shame at recalling this event as I did with the Karasu one, even though nothing had really happened.

"Well, first he was touching my cheek, but I wasn't fully awake then. When I realized who he was, I tried to get up, but he held me down by my shoulders, and then he got on top of me…"

My voice was trailing off, I didn't want to say any more, but those darkening red eyes were still on me, and I felt compelled to continue, my voice stronger this time. I would not break down in front of Hiei.

"He talked a little bit, and then he kissed me," I said, my voice devoid of all emotion in an excellent impression of Hiei.

I could see Hiei's fists ball up at his sides, but he made no other reaction, except to say, his voice low, "I'll kill him for you."

My eyes widened, and I said, "No, Hiei. You know what happens if we kill a human. We're still on probation. We'll be thrown into a Rekai prison."

"Who said anything about `we'? I don't need your help to kill one human."

I glared at him coldly, and said, "First of all, I can take care of myself. I knocked the little pervert halfway across the room last night. Second, I will deal with this. I don't want you thrown into prison because of me. Besides, Nekura's just a human. It wouldn't be right to kill him… no matter how much I may want to."

Hiei was fuming when we finally reached my house, and he disappeared without so much as a goodbye.

When I got up to my room, there was another envelope waiting for me on my pillow.

I picked it up, expecting another drawing, and instead found a note.

Meet me tonight in the park.

It wasn't signed, but it was obvious that it was from Nekura. I read the simple sentence one more time, contemplating my options. If I didn't go, he would most likely show up at my house again, and I didn't want him anywhere near my mother. But he must have something planned if he was requesting that I meet him.

I folded the note and replaced it in the envelope, my decision made.

Later that night, I slipped on a jacket and crept quietly out my window, climbing down Hiei's tree outside. Luckily, the little fire demon was nowhere to be found. He was probably still off somewhere sulking because I wouldn't let him kill Nekura.

I hopped gracefully down from the branches of the tree, landing in a crouched position and glancing around to make sure that there was no one nearby. Luckily, it was late at night, so the neighborhood was deserted.

I walked quickly to the park, feeling anxious. I intended to tell Nekura tonight that this was over. He could either leave me alone, or I would make him. I almost hoped that he picked the latter of the two.

When I arrived at the park, I found Nekura sitting calmly on a bench, his lithe form barely visible by the glow of a nearby streetlight. He looked up as I approached, and smiled that same demented smile. I didn't return it.

"You came," he said, not sounding the least bit surprised. He stood and walked closer to me. I held my ground, absently wondering why his face wasn't bruised from where I had hit him the night before.

He opened his mouth to say something, but I cut him off. "You are going to leave me alone," I said, my voice firm. "After tonight, you're never going to speak to me again. You're going to stop following me, and you're going to stay away from me. If you don't… I will make you."

"Is that a threat?" he asked, his smile broadening.

"Yes, it is."

He stepped closer, and, determined not to back down, I stood still. He reached up and brushed a few strands of crimson hair out of my eyes. "So beautiful…" he whispered.

"Don't touch me," I snarled through clenched teeth.

His eyes hardened, and he said, "Do you let Hiei touch you?"

"What?"

"If he were gone, then would you let me touch you?"

"You're insane," I said, determined not to back down.

He nodded. "Maybe so, but I can get rid of all of them. When it's just me and you, will you let me touch you then? When those two idiotic friends of yours are dead?"

"Shut up…" I said, my voice dangerously low.

"When your mother is dead?"

"I'm warning you…"

"When Hiei is dead?"

I hit him. Again. He went flying through the air and landed hard on the ground, several feet away. But mere seconds had passed before he was back on his feet, laughing. Blood was running down his face, but he didn't seem to notice.

"I'll kill him. I'll kill them all. For us. I'll be sure to make it slow…"

I lunged forward and tackled him. I forgot about my rose whip. I forgot about all of my plants. I just wanted to hit him until he shut up.

~Hiei's POV~

I was in a tree outside of Genkai's temple when I felt it. An extreme flare in Kurama's youki. That could mean two things. He was either really angry, or he was fighting. Maybe both.

I immediately headed toward the pulsing, angry feeling of Kurama's youki. I shouldn't have been able to feel it from this far away. Something was wrong.

It wasn't long before I found myself nearing what the humans called the park. The scent of blood filled the air, and I sped up. I couldn't tell whose blood it was. My heart was speeding up, and there was a terrible feeling rising up inside of me. I was worried about Kurama. I was afraid…

No. I was being stupid. I didn't care. I didn't.

Please be okay, you stupid fox.

When I arrived at the park, it was too dark to see much, but I was able to make out one lone figure standing by a park bench, barely illuminated by a street light.

I breathed a sigh of relief as I recognized red hair, and I came to a stop a few feet from him. He was staring down at something on his hands, his eyes slightly glazed over.

"…Kurama?"

I finally saw what it was that was on his hands. Blood.

He looked up, his eyes focusing slowly on me. "I had forgotten," he said slowly.

I took a step closer, but he stepped back quickly. "Stay away from me!"

Stoppping, I held up my hands to show him that I meant no harm. "What had you forgotten, Kurama?" I asked, trying to keep my voice even. Something was very wrong.

"I had forgotten what it was like to kill an innocent."

And I finally saw the body crumpled on the ground, blood pooling around it. I knew whose body that must be.

"He wasn't innocent," I said, my voice filled with disgust.

Kurama didn't seem to hear me. "I think… a part of me missed it."

I ignored the not so subtle implications of that statement, and said, "It's not your fault."

He looked up from his hands, and his eyes were haunted. "I killed him, and I liked it. Of course it's my fault."

I was shaking my head, unable to believe what was happening.

"Someone will be here soon to pick up the soul," Kurama said in a voice that was so calm it made me shiver. He wasn't in his right mind. "It might even be Botan. She'll see what I did, and report it to Koenma."

I understood what he was saying. When Koenma found out, he would be thrown in prison.

"No," I said, still shaking my head. "No, we can fix this. I… can get rid of the body. No one has to know, Kurama. I can take the body and dump it in Makai. Nobody's going to notice one more dead body in Makai."

"Don't keep talking about him like that. His name was Nekura. Call him Nekura."

He wasn't making any sense, so I bent down next to the body and started to pick it up.

"No!" Kurama said, and he lunged forward and grabbed my arm, pulling me back. "Don't touch him. The blood is on me, not you! Don't get it on you!"

"What the hell are you talking about?!" I demanded. Kurama had always been the calm one. This couldn't be happening.

Kurama sat down hard on the ground, apparently satisfied that I was going to leave Nekura's body alone.

"I beat him to death," he said quietly. "He wouldn't stop… so I hit him until he did. I'm stronger than humans are, you know."

I just stared at him.

"I hit him until he stopped talking, until he stopped laughing, until he stopped breathing. And I liked it. I haven't killed an innocent since I became human."

"He was not innocent, damn it! Kurama, stop doing this to yourself!"

Kurama had his knees pulled up to his body, his arms draped across them. He lowered his head onto his arms and started crying. I reluctantly sat down beside him and put a hand on his shoulder, and when he looked up, his bright emerald eyes were a little clearer. He stared at me for a long time, and then he leaned forward, and pressed his lips softly against mine.

It wasn't much, just a quick and simple kiss, but in that split second, I felt too many things to name.

And then it was over, and he was standing, looking up emotionlessly at the sky.

"Botan's coming."