Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ My Daughter, My World ❯ For Want of a Half Demon ( Chapter 5 )

If there was one thing Aeka learned during her time of being able to hear thanks to Suzuka's gadget was that Jin snored like a bulldozer and so she made it a habit to turn off her hearing aid at least at night. Unable to do so before she passed out, Jin's snoring woke her the coming morning as well as the added bright light from the rising sun. Wincing at both, she opened her eyes trying to rouse the rest of her body but to get a nasty feeling rushing all over her. Oh man…I feel like complete shit… Aeka groaned in thought holding onto her head. Managing to get up she tried to make haste to the bathroom since she could feel the wine she had consumed threatening to come up and fast. Running to the bathroom with her hands around her stomach and mouth, Aeka managed to get to the bathroom in time to vomit the red wine she had consumed the night before.

 

Jin began to stir once he heard Aeka's nausea eventually opening his baby blue eyes to the morning's light. Trying to sit upright, Jin couldn't help but blink several times as well as threaten to fall back onto the bed. “Well, goodness me—guess I over did it this time, eh?” The wind master couldn't help but laugh a bit to himself before Aeka's miserable time in the bathroom caught his attention once more. Hefting himself up, Jin stumbled into the restroom with a bit of a hangover himself but coming from a Shinobi that was used to anything and anyone trying to pummel his head into the ground, this was nothing though keeping the liquids down was a losing battle in itself.

 

Leaning on the doorway a second watching Aeka, he eventually made his way over to the toilet to pull back Aeka's long pale lavender hair for her. “You did quite the number on yourself now, didn't ya, sweetie?”

 

Finally finishing her first session with her face buried in the toilet, Aeka eventually managed to look her husband miserably in the eyes. Me? You were the one pouring wine down my throat!

 

“Hey, hey,” Jin snapped in a playful yet informative tone, “I didn't see you telling me to stop!”

 

Seeing that she was going to be spending a lot of time around the bathroom area, Jin left for a moment once he got his pants on at least to go find Touya and wake him for some help. Knocking on Touya's door with his knuckles, Jin was relieved to see his partner standing there with a weary, messy look about him—obviously he had just woken. “What do you want, Jin?” Touya asked almost grumpily.

 

“I was wondering if you could help me out with Aeka since she has the worse hangover yet,” Jin begged trying to stay upright.

 

Sighing through his nostrils, Touya said and did nothing but push his way past Jin so he could go see Aeka. “By the by, you might want to go snatch Akina. I think Suzuka has had enough for one night,” Touya suggested before disappearing into the bedroom to find Aeka.

 

“What, she have a bad dream?” Jin pried.

 

“Yes,” Touya answered with a yawn, “and she's been crying all night. I had a hard time sleeping because of that. I am sure she would want you—.” Before Touya could bother finishing what he had to say, Jin had already left and barged into Suzuka's bedroom making the ice master shrug before continuing on his way to pull Aeka's head from the toilet. Seeing that she was not ready for someone else to be there to help her up, he shushed her softly trying to settle her jerking movements and attempts to escape. “Shhh, it's just me. Let's get you back to bed and I can work on that cure for you.”

 

Aeka let Touya lift her up underneath her arms so he could place her back onto the bed where she mumbled and moaned in misery. Making sure she was at least covered up a little bit, Touya headed to the kitchen to get the items he would need to make the hangover cure for Aeka as he did every time she got that bad. It wasn't exactly a fun drink to take in but it was more or less more punishment for her reckless decision making. Making his way to the kitchen, he overheard part of the commotion going on in Suzuka's bedroom.

 

Jin had made it to Suzuka's bedroom to find the demon exhausted and fixing to pass out even when explaining what all happened during the night. Massaging his forehead while lying out on his bed, the blond haired demon shook his head from side to side. “I am telling you, I woke up at five or something in the morning to find her crying her eyes out about something. I don't know what it was because she kept crying all night and wouldn't stop.”

 

Jin could tell Akina was still uptight and startled by something. Her little frame was shaking slightly in his arms as he held her there with her cheek resting on his right shoulder and her arms about her father's neck. The silent tears that were rolling down her cheek were mating with his shoulder making Jin's heart break since his daughter was really hurting. Resting his cheek upon her cherry colored head, he sighed heavily before addressing her, “Akina, what's wrong, princess?” Seeing that she was still in a tizzy about being in that room, Jin relocated so Suzuka could get some sleep.

 

Shutting Suzuka's door behind him, Jin continued to try and consol his daughter with Touya there at the end of the hallway where it opened up into the eating room and kitchen area. Rocking his daughter within his arms and cupping the back of her head, he let his only child know he was there for her. “Shhh, Akina, I am right here. Just tell me what is wrong and why you're so upset. Was the dream that bad?”

 

Akina rubbed her red eyes with her nightshirt sleeve, exchanging glances from Touya to her father with a heartbreaking expression. “No,” Akina eventually answered looking up at her father for a moment. “It wasn't a dream, I heard creepy guys outside the window.”

 

“Creepy guys?” Jin reiterated confused. “Akina, did you hear them in the room or outside the house?” Jin knew that some lower class demons had a bad habit of sneaking around the perimeter especially late at night when all the lights went out in the house. Some of them wanted to get in to have Aeka or Akina since both had the smell of human about them. Very rarely could some of these beasts get topside to find human flesh so when it came down to them it was a big treat indeed.

 

“I saw them in the room,” Akina answered threatening to cry again at having to remember it.

 

“In the room?” Jin sounded startled as well as confused at this point wondering how in the hell demons could sneak in and Suzuka not have sensed it. “Akina, are you sure they were in the bedroom?”

 

Touya listened in on the conversation while continuing to stir the cure he was creating for Aeka. His expression couldn't help but hold serious concern for Akina at what she claimed she had witnessed. Seeing that Jin was confused as to how demons could get in and then out without any problems, Touya cleared his throat to make himself known to the other two. “Jin—you know they are out there,” Touya replied vaguely. “I'd be careful if I were you for they know about Akina.”

 

Hearing Touya say that and hearing of the experience his daughter endured vexed Jin greatly as he watched the ice master disappear into his own bedroom. Looking down at his still upset daughter, Jin hefted her up a bit since she was slipping and headed into his own bedroom after Touya. “From now on you're staying in here with your ma and me.”

 

Touya was already on the bed helping Aeka down the elixir he made for her though she couldn't help but gag after the first sip. Pushing it away with a cough and a threat to throw back up, the ice master grabbed the trashcan he snagged from the bathroom so she could throw up in that. The drink Touya made for her was to help her or anyone else who drinks it to throw up the alcohol and sate the stomach if enough was taken. The taste and smell itself was enough to do the trick and the combined outcome was enough to make someone pass out. God that shit is so nasty! Aeka signed weakly once she managed to vomit up more of the wine she downed.

 

“Well, you know what this is what happens when you get completely plastered,” Touya lectured making her drink a bit more prompting her to revisit the trashcan he held before her.

 

Akina watched her mother as she fidgeted with her nightshirt wondering what was going on. “Daddy, why is mommy so sick?”

 

“Oh, don't worry about your ma, Akina,” Jin assured before going over to his part of the bed to lie down for a bit with Akina on his chest. “She will be just fine in due time.”

 

Aeka turned to look at Jin with an angry eye but was unable to for long thanks to Touya pushing her attention back towards the hangover cure he had and that was not completely taken in yet by her. “Finish that,” Touya ordered placing the cup upon the nightstand close to her since he couldn't trust her to hold it with the headache she had. “I have to go to the market today. I expect for that to be completely gone when I get back. Jin, help her.”

 

Aeka and Jin watched as Touya excited the room seeming quite miffed about something. It couldn't have been that Aeka and Jin got drunk, was it? They had gotten drunk on several accounts and Touya didn't care though he did find it annoying that he had to shove his cure down their throats. Moistening her throat with a simple swallow, Aeka looked over at Jin who shifted his attention from the closed door to his wife with the same expression of bewilderment at Touya's actions. What happened to him? Did you guys get into a fight or something?

 

Jin shook his head from side to side, “No. I think he is just uptight about the demons that scared Akina last night.”

 

Demons?! Aeka was quick to sign. Demons in the house?!

 

Jin couldn't help but chuckle at the comment since he needed a bit of humor at the moment, “Well, honey, I am a demon as are the others so of course there are demons in the house.”

 

Oh, no, don't do that, Jin—don't be a smartass for I am not in the mood for that right now, Aeka demanded with her hands and eyes. What demons are you talking about? Which ones did Akina see?

 

“I don't know which class but I bet you anything they are demons that work for rich snobs in human world,” Jin guessed letting Akina listen to his heartbeat as he breathed.

 

Rich snobs in human world? What would they want with us? Aeka asked before lying down so the room would stop spinning.

 

“Well, there are some people in human world that are collectors of demon species especially if they can get them a hefty sum of money,” Jin explained running his fingers through his daughter's hair as she raised and fell with her father's chest expanding and contracting. “So these snobs hire demons to get these demons and I think that's why Touya's been on edge and having staring contests with the forests around the house.”

 

But, Jin…Aeka began with confusion, what would they want with Akina?

 

“Half demons are pretty rare,” Jin answered rolling his fingers over Akina's pointed ear. “Back in the day when Demon World and Human World were not separated they occurred a lot more frequently than they do now. I am sure these people who want a half demon hired demons that were affected by the Shinobi's past actions and have a reason to want to piss me and Touya off.”

 

Aeka looked at her napping daughter who obviously wore herself out from all the crying she did. Though Akina was unplanned for her, she still loved her daughter and wanted her to be safe. Watching as Jin relocated his daughter to the bedcovers and in between her parents, Aeka looked back at Jin with worry in her expression. But, what does that mean for us? If nobody can sense the demons entering the house, can they not get to Akina while we sleep?

 

“It's not that we cannot sense them, we can sense them just fine especially if they are our power level or higher. But when they are low on the strength chain, it's harder to sense them especially when we're out cold for the night,” Jin clarified, kissing Akina's cheek. “That is why I am keeping Akina in here till the storm passes more or less. If she is sleeping in between us, she cannot get lifted without my knowing it.”

 

I sure hope so, Aeka thought to herself before reaching back for the cure Touya made for her. Guess I better down the rest of this so Touya will leave me alone as will this stupid hangover.

 

 

Touya came back home later still feeling on edge thanks to those lower class demons still there watching in the woods. It made him want to put up his Ice Barrier to protect the house but he knew that wouldn't last and drain him considerably. Walking inside he saw Akina was right there at the dinner table swinging her legs back and forth a bit where she sat in the chair. Wondering where Jin was knowing that Aeka was probably still feeling a bit woozy, he felt compelled to ask, “Akina, where is your father?”

 

“Asleep, I think,” Akina answered before hopping off of the chair she was on. “He said later he would take me to the market with mommy once they both feel better since he does not like me being around the house because of the bad guys.”

 

“Did your mother finish that drink in there that I gave her?” The ice master asked before picking up Akina in his arms with a grunt since she was getting a bit heavy.

 

“Yes, she did,” Akina answered before reaching for the demon's aquatic colored bangs to pull gently on. “She kept getting sick until she went to sleep.”

 

Touya let Akina take a gentle grab onto his bangs until he felt she was getting too rough with them, forcing him to pull her hands from them. “Your mother will be okay, Akina. Don't worry about her.” Heading to his bedroom, Touya dug into his pants pocket to pull out an ordinary golden circular chain that looked like it was for wearing on the wrist. Placing the young half demon on the bedcovers, he snapped the bracelet around her wrist so she could look at it for a moment.

 

“What's this?” Akina asked looking at it from all angles before pawing gently at the one hanging part of the chain that looked like it was supposed to have something on there.

 

“It's a bracelet, princess,” Touya replied before rolling his icy cold hand along the area where her arm was. Rolling his fingers down to the hanging chain, Touya concentrated on the chain a moment letting his ice powers meld around it so it could form the shape of a bird about to take flight. “There—it can go with your phoenix pendent.”

 

Akina looked at the bird hanging from the chain, causing her to smile and touch the ice figure. “That's really pretty but won't it break?”

 

“No, it won't break so long as I am alive,” Touya assured running his hand over her head lovingly.

 

The door to Jin's bedroom soon opened causing them to look at the door shut before them. “Akina?” Touya could hear Jin call sounding a bit worried for his little girl.

 

“She's in here with me,” the ice Shinobi shouted, picking back up Akina so he could transfer her over to her father. Opening the door from his bedroom, he smiled at him for a moment before handing her over to his partner. “I caught her at the dinner table and thought I would relocate her if that is okay.”

 

Taking his daughter with a relieved sigh, he nodded at Touya before kissing Akina on her forehead. “We're going to go out together so we can get away from those—things. Do you want to come along with us?”

 

“No, I just came back from the busy market strip,” Touya chuckled before looking at Jin seriously. “Just be careful out there…”

 

“You know me,” Jin grinned trying to ease the tension in the atmosphere before heading back to his bedroom so he could get everyone cleaned up.

 

Touya couldn't help but frown inwardly at Jin's remark while conveying a worried expression on the outside. That's why I am worried.

 

Coming back into his bedroom, he smiled at Aeka to see she was at least sitting upright and not getting wobbly headed or throwing up. Her hair and everything else was a mess though thanks to that hangover stage but he knew he could shoo her off to get dressed if need be. “Aeka, why don't you go get ready so we can leave? I'll take care of Akina while you do.”

 

Aeka nodded best she could before tossing the bedcovers off of her legs so she could move. Alright, was all Aeka could sign before making her way into the bathroom so she could bathe.

 

Jin looked to Akina before blowing a kiss on her cheek to make her giggle. “Come on, let's get your hair all fixed up before going out. It's a mess.” Reaching for the brush Aeka used from time to time, Jin plopped his daughter down gently onto the mattress to start combing it out for her. Spying the bracelet she now bore, he couldn't help but cock his brow at it. “What's this, Rosy?”

 

“Touya made it for me,” Akina giggled showing off the bracelet a little more this time for her father. “It's a birdie—see?”

 

“How interesting,” Jin thought rolling his fingers over the ice figure. “Did you thank him?”

 

Akina brought her right hand up to her mouth to suck on her fingers a moment before shaking her cherry colored hair back and forth as a `no'.

 

“You will have to thank him when we get back then,” Jin urged since he didn't want her to grow up without manners. Going back to brushing her wild hair that she obviously got from her father, he eventually got her neck length hair to look just fine before attempting to tie it back even if the bit up front escaped the hair tie. “There you go, princess. You look precious. And don't you worry none, I will take care of you and make sure nothing bad happens to you.”

 

 

 

Aeka eventually got ready and took off to the market area with Jin so they could show Akina around. Knowing those low leveled demons were still out there the two parents kept a close eye on their daughter to make sure she would be okay. The market was crowded as usual but Aeka kept Akina in her arms so the curious child wouldn't wonder off. Walking through the many demons of different levels and species, she followed behind Jin with his hand within her own. She herself never really saw the market many times at least not for fun. Whenever she needed to get something for dinner, she would make a list and give it to someone other than Chuu since the last time she trusted the demon with a grocery list and money he blew it all on boozes.

 

The trio would stop every now and then at a stand that either Aeka or Akina would find interesting and want to look at. Aeka kept stopping at every jewelry stand she found to take a look at all the pieces she admired and were made by demonic hands. Handing Akina over to Jin, she took a peek at the fifth jewelry stand she found to take a look at some of the earrings that were on display since she felt she could afford some more. The low level female demon that was running the stand lifted her head up off of her propped elbow to see the three there before her. Taking in who they were visually and by her senses, she realized that the one with pale braided lavender hair was a human. Not questioning why a human was there in Makai, she straightened up just in case she was to ask her questions.

 

Aeka exchanged a smile with the female demon that looked like a regular human herself with a dark complexion and curly blond hair but it was the long nails and slit golden eyes that gave her away. Shifting her sea green eyes down at the jewelry before her, she smiled at what there was. This looks pretty, Aeka thought taking a pair of dangling earrings that were crafted in gold but held a circular orb at the end that blazed with fire inside.

 

Seeing the human picking up a certain pair, the female demon smiled a bit, “Those earrings were said to be crafted from a fire demon. The inside of the circular glass part has demonic fire that was captured by the fire demon herself.”

 

Aeka looked at the woman as she explained before looking back at the earrings she held admiring the swirling fire. I love it, Aeka signed continuing to eye them from all angles.

 

The demon looked at her hand movements with confusion before Jin clarified for Aeka, “She said she loves them. She's deaf and can only hear right now thanks to a hearing aid device a friend made.” Digging into his pocket to pull out the money he had at the moment, he handed over what was necessary so Aeka could take them. “Thank you.”

 

Aeka took the earrings Jin bought for her and worked on putting them on while he held Akina. “Those look pretty, mommy,” her daughter remarked before reaching to try and touch one.

 

Jin caught Akina's prying hand so she wouldn't yank one off. “Be careful, Akina—you could hurt your ma if you tug on those. I didn't know you had your ears pierced, Aeka.”

 

I never bothered putting anything in them but I did on occasion and made sure the holes would stay open and not close, Aeka explained before taking her daughter into her arms once more. You like them, baby? I am glad. Kissing her daughter on the cheek, she grabbed onto her nose gently to wiggle it with a soft laugh.

 

Jin took the two of them just outside of the market strip to play around with Akina a little bit since she was getting antsy. Aeka lied out on the green grass while watching Jin and Akina swing around with one another hand in hand. “Faster, daddy!” Akina urged keeping a firm grip on her father's wrists as he swung her around.

 

“Faster?” Jin asked with a laugh before picking up his speed so Akina's feet would lift off of the ground once his speed increased. “How is that?”

 

Akina could only laugh as he continued to spin her around there in the clearing they found surrounded by the demonic forest and able to hear the talking of the merchants and customers in the market not too far off. Through all the spinning, Jin eventually got a bit dizzy and had to stop by falling on his rump with Akina on top of his chest. Crawling up to her father's rising and falling chest, she looked him into the eyes, “Again!”

 

“Again?” Jin asked with a laugh before looking at Aeka who was upside down from where he was now resting on his back. “Aeka, a little help here.”

 

Aeka couldn't help but chuckle to herself before getting up to squat down besides Jin and Akina. Akina you've been swinging around for thirty minutes now, Aeka signed with a soft laugh before shifting her attention down at her husband. You should take a break—but then again, you could just tickle him to death.

 

Before Jin could tell them not to, Aeka and Akina both attacked him in his known ticklish areas making the wind master try to escape by rolling over but it did little good as his wife and daughter continued to get him good and in a laughing fit. “AH!” Jin cried out over them though his laughing was making it difficult, “You're both evil!”

 

Eventually the two stopped tickling Jin to death allowing him to catch his breath before Aeka embraced his torso giggling in his pointed ear while Akina took his neck to nuzzle into his cheek. Finding his breath once more, Jin grinned at the two plotting his revenge on them both but stopped once a twig snapped and that same lower class demonic energy attacked his senses. “Get off me and get behind me,” Jin ordered quietly and seriously for once.

 

Aeka and Akina were confused but could tell he was angry about something in the woods so they did as he asked. Akina quickly hurried over to her mother's leg causing Aeka to bend down to pick up her only little girl. Aeka wanted to ask what was going on but reframed from doing so once she felt like she was being watched but Akina was a different story. “Daddy, what is wrong?”

 

Jin could sense where the demons where and could tell he was in trouble at the moment. “Aeka, come here,” he whispered trying to get her into his arms so he could quickly take off with them. They have surrounded us…are they that desperate to get Akina?

 

Aeka started coming closer to her husband with her daughter held securely in her arms, but before she could make it, Jin flinched in pain from something that was shot from behind and hit him good in the back. Seeing and hearing Jin's sudden wincing expression, she saw the problem on his back—a dart of some kind embedded within the demon's skin. Oh, God! Aeka panicked within her mind ripping the dart out of Jin's back.

 

“Aeka, what was it?” Jin questioned silently still, remaining calm unless one of the demons showed themselves and got a step closer to his family.

 

Aeka showed Jin the dart looking object that she pulled from his back with worry consuming her expression.

 

Taking it from his wife, he couldn't help but throw it down and pick up his family quickly so he could take flight and try to get back home. “Aeka, I want you to promise me something—I want you to promise me you'll get home as fast as you can with or without me.”

 

Aeka looked at Jin confused and with fear not wishing to believe something would happen to the demon she was in love with.

 

“They hit me with a tranquilizer and for some reason that hit was WAY off from hitting Akina,” Jin explained before lowering himself back down to the ground since he couldn't afford to be in the air for too long. “Though the tranquilizer cannot exactly knock me out in ten seconds flat like any normal being or creature, it will get to me in due time. They are getting bold and want me out and I want you to run as fast as you can to the house if I ever pass out.”

 

Aeka knew even if he flew the whole way there it would be at least a day's way from where they stood from the house. Either way, Jin knew he would pass out in the woods thanks to the injection he was given forcibly like a wild animal and with the demons that got him knowing he was injected, they would circle in on him like wolves stalking a wounded animal. But the thought of leaving him alone brought tears to her eyes as she shook her head to show she wasn't going to leave him alone if the drug kicked in. No, Aeka mouthed.

 

“Aeka, I am not going to argue with you,” Jin growled this time but stopped short of his threat thanks to another creature getting him once more with another tranquilizer from the trees. Pulling it angrily from his back and attacking the demon in the trees with his wind powers, he grabbed onto Aeka's arm and hurried her out of the way and ran at his demonic speed to safety if he could find it. Dammit—I cannot believe they are attacking us now! These bastards must follow us everywhere!

 

Holding onto her upset daughter who was whimpering and whining in her arms, Aeka kept a hold of her husband's neck praying they would make it back home in time not wanting Jin or Akina to be taken from her. Hearing the trees' leaves rustle, Aeka could just make out the demons prancing from branch to branch in order to keep up with the slowing down wind master they had captured in their grasp.

 

Not able to fight off the two shots he was given of a sleeping drug, Jin's running slowed to a complete halt and he ended up collapsing on his hands and knees. “No…dammit…,” he swore since he knew he was only fifteen minutes away by now. “Aeka…you're gonna have to…go…NOW!”

 

Aeka watched her husband feeling her heart sink at what he had to say to her. Akina didn't want to leave her father behind and started crying out to him several times causing Aeka and Jin's hearts to break. Kneeling down, she tried to put Jin's arm over her shoulder so she could help him back home. Come on, Jin, Aeka thought, I can get you back home, I promise—.

 

“Stop it,” Jin growled angrily once more threatening to roll over and pass out. “I want you to go home and get the others…go now, Aeka, I won't tell you again!” Not able to tell her again, the wind Shinobi passed out face first on the ground thanks to the darts finally overcoming him.

 

“Daddy!” Akina cried seeing her father finally give out before her. “Daddy, wake up!”

 

Jin…? Aeka wondered before kneeling down to see he was indeed out cold.

 

Before she could touch him, the lower class demons revealed themselves from where they were hiding from the dangerous wind Shinobi since he had taken out some of them on his way to get home when he could. Looking at the hideous demons that managed to drug down Jin, Aeka cupped the back of her daughter's head in fear of these creatures since her only hope of surviving was out cold on the ground.

 

A double headed monster completely brown skin kicked the body of the wind master as if he were trash. “It looks like the shit finally worked. You would have thought one would be enough with what the boss made to take him out.”

 

“Don't kick him, the boss wants him too,” another ordered.

 

One of the demons looked to the frightened mother and the equally petrified child, reaching out to them both with a fanged grin and withered looking hand. “Give me, the child.”

 

Aeka shook her head as she backed up to show she wasn't going to let them have her daughter as well.

 

“Don't do something you'll end up regretting,” the demon threatened coming closer to her slowly.

 

Aeka couldn't help but do so as she turned her back on the demons quickly no matter how much it hurt her inside to leave Jin behind like that and hurried off towards the house no matter how grim things looked for her. Akina continued screaming out to her father not wanting to leave him either but it had to be done. Aeka could hear the hurried steps of the lower class demons and the swearing threats he sent her way but she tried not to listen as she prayed to Koenma that she would make it out okay. But Aeka got blindsided by one of the demons and it caused her to fall to the left and smash her head against one of the trees making her go out like a light thanks to the force used.