Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ My Kitsune ❯ Homecoming ( Chapter 11 )

[ P - Pre-Teen ]

Whew, that was close. I don't think Hiei can handle
that kind of invasion of his barriers yet. I can't
believe Kuwabara even said that! I elbowed him and
gave him a repressing glare. He looked down at Hiei
annoyed, then back at me.

It's that Yukina issue again. He thinks Hiei is
competition, and here I thought he's Mr. Sensitive.

We're late, as soon as we were in Kuwabara's Red
economy car I was on the phone calling my travel
agent. I asked her to confirm our tickets for us and
that got us about an hour extra to get there. So we
can arrive at 9 and we'll be alright.

Otosan was at work already when I got home, Suiichi's
at school, only my mother was left to bade me safe
journey. She took a leave just to see me before I left
on my trip. She wanted to see me off at the airport
but I told her it was alright. I gave her my present (
a silk Ferragamo scarf ), and told her not to open it
until I was at least out the door.

Kuwabara and Hiei carried the luggage out to the car
and I have one final duty. I took my mother into my
arms and held her close, I let her know without words
how important she is to me, she responded in kind
resting her head on my shoulder.

My mother likes the scent of lilacs, and like the old
folks she uses her favorite scent sparingly. My
mother's scent fills me with ennui. Her small warm
body pressed against me reminds me of days I can't
take back, of happy memories I could have had, in her
small arms I know safety and a fierce need to keep her
safe and happy. I lost track of time holding her to
me, her scarred hand I rubbed against my cheek.

So I'm a mother's boy, sue me. This woman taught me
a very important lesson that changed my life forever.
She taught me how to be human, she taught me how to
love.

"Shuiichi." she whispered her voice choked.

I never let my mother touch me nor hold me when I was
young. I never listen to her, ignored her and did my
thing. Never let her take care of me, or care for me.
I thought her beneath me, a mere vessel for my new
body. How I regretted that. She loved me
unconditionally, consequently teaching me to love her
in return.

In truth, my mother is the first person I truly
loved.

"Love her as in childhood
Though feeble old and grey,
For you'll never miss a mother's love
Till she's buried beneath the clay." (1)

"Mother, take care of yourself. I have to go now." I
kissed her forehead and let her go. She gave me her
pained smile.

"Once again you leave me and I let you go knowing I
might never see you again." she nodded and her
acceptance of my wishes is there in her smile, letting
her little one go when she barely had time to enjoy
his prescence "Find your happiness my son, and when
you get lost or you get weary, remmeber that I love
you."

My sight blurred. I blinked tears out of my eyes and
nodded not trusting my voice. I went to the door
without looking back, I stopped there to put my shoes
back on "Mother?" I asked.

"Yes my son?" she asked from just a few feet away
from me. I heard the tears in her voice held bravely
back for my sake. I opened the door and said.

"I will always love you." without looking back, I
closed the door softly behind me.

I went into the passenger side of the car without
saying anything. I looked out the window and they
respected my silence.

Hiei sat quietly in the back his arms crossed over
his chest, I don't know if he's asleep or meditating
his eyes are closed. He 's been pretty quiet all
morning, staring at everybody like he's memorizing
them for posterity. He's very discreet about it, I
would not have noticed if I hadn't been stealing
glances in his direction.

The ride was over too soon though, Kuwabara was true
to his bragging, he knew Tokyo like the back of his
hand and he got us to the airport an hour before our
flight avoiding major traffic and main thoroughfares.

I've always wanted to ask Hiei what his comment was
about Kuwabara's affections towards his sister. He
seems to be cool about it, taking it in strides. We
are still keeping our silence about the matter though,
no point in antagonizing Hiei when he explicitly
ordered us to keep our mouth shut about his being
Yukina's twin. The one she's been looking for and
still looking for, poor Yukina, and poor Kuwabara the
other person not privy to this information. I wonder
what he'll think of us when he finds out we all knew
and we never told him? What will he do when he
realizes the one he's been pining for is Hiei's
sister?

Hiei. I stole a glance at the rearview mirror and
watched his still features, his eyes closed. I
remembered DMX and soon enough I was smiling.

We said goodbye to Kuwabara after promises of getting
him a New York giants football jersey, and to text,
e-mail or call them on every country we step on. I
kinda doubt I'll be able to do the latter, what will I
say? 'Hey we're in Hong Kong, crowded, foodstalls
everywhere, traffic, feels just like home except
everything is in Chinese.' Or I could do a Hiei "Ch,
Hong Kong."

We were at the ticket line and I had to suppress a
burst of laughter, he looked up at me and I smiled at
him, letting him know I am happy and I am content. He
snorted and looked around at the crowd.

He didn't have time to freshen up. We wore the same
clothes we had on yesterday. Hiei smells okay because
no one smoked in front of Keiko and he was out on 2
and a half bottles of beer.

I managed to wash my face and change my shirt, I feel
a need for a shower, but there's no way I could have
manage that in what little time we have. I'll just
have to shower at the hotel in Hong Kong.

We have one suitcase between us and I was pulling it,
his katana has already been secured inside and the
papers including our passports and permits and tickets
are in a little plastic envelope in my breast pocket.

He's peeling off his leather gloves exposing tanned
small silky hands, that looks so delicate it's
impossible to think they can be so deadly and the
bandages on his right hand... maybe he should wear his
gloves, we don't have a medical certificate for that.

Well we were in the waiting room without a hitch,
they did not see the bandage, his coat sleeves covered
his arm all the way to his curled fingers. 30 minuites
before the flight we were informed of a delay. The
plane were waiting for came from Hawaii and there were
security delays there.

I took the liberty of buying a world map and showing
the world to Hiei to pass the time. I also bought some
Reese's cups to share while I pointed out our
destination and my plans and my reasons for going
there.

"Japan is so small," he remarked "What is the
language the world commonly speaks?"

"That would be English." I said

"Teach me that."

"I'm fluent but I can't say I'm flawless, I'll do my
best." he simply nodded.

That's the point when he started asking the
equivalent translation of items surrounding us. He's
so into this, and I am more than delighted to help him
out. An hour went by and we didn't even notice.

Finally our plane arrived. The boarding call came,
and by 11:50 we were in the first class seats of the
plane. I let him have the window seat, we can't see
the wing from here even though it's a small plane it
provided an excellent view of the tarmac and the other
planes.

Then I remembered why I was apprehensive about him
being on a commercial aircraft.

"Hiei, I want you to remain calm when we take off
okay?"

"Why?" he asked

"It's a bit scary at first, the plane has to
accelerate to a certain speed before the it can
take-off from the ground, don't worry about it though,
human's fly all the time, it will be alright."

"That ningen is saying something about a sea
landing."

Yes the stewardess up front was demonstrating the use
of the life vest and the voice over was in Japanese,
English, and Cantonese. "Safety is a major issue
amongs humans, we have to be careful because humans
are so fragile," I said giving him a reassuring smile.
"That's standard procedure on all airplanes, because
accidents do happen, it's very rare though."

"How many times have you flown?"

"Twice, back and forth to Hokkaido, just for fun." I
can't seem to keep the silly smile from my face. I
buckled him down and showed him how to take it off and
soon the plane was moving. I buckled myself in and
watched him watching the window.

When the plane started accelerating on the runway I
felt him getting tense. I took his hand in mine, he
squeezed but never looked at me, I felt the push in
the pit of my stomach and that moment of panic as the
plane left the ground. His hand on mine was cold and
sweaty and holding on so tight I bet 20 men would not
have torn us apart.

He started relaxing when the buildings and cars
started getting smaller and smaller and nothing was
happening. He was transfixed by the sight outside his
window, the clouds coming up the matchbox buildings.
It would have been an impressive sight if we took a
night flight. Tokyo would have sprawled like a giant
sparkling amoeba on a dark sea littered here and there
with stray lights.

He seems to be suitably impressed though, I have to
remember to get a night flight in the near future.

"It's beautiful ne?" I whispered in his ear, he
seemed to be in a trance and my voice broke it he let
the death grip go and looked at me his eyes were wide
with wonder and he responded with a small smile of his
own and nodded.

"A, subarashi desu."

So he found it wonderful? Cool! He could not be torn
from the sight outside his window, he watched the gray
sprawl of the city get replaced by the greens, browns,
and whites of the countrysides.

They served lunch almost immediately, they gave us
choices for our lunch and I asked Hiei what he
wanted.

"Whatever your having." he said without taking his
eyes off the window. I smiled and asked for the fish.
I ordered some Reisling with our meal and sat back to
watch his fascinated expression reflected on the
little oval window.

When the cities disssapeared it was replaced by ocean
and there was nothing now but that vast expanse of
blue touched here and there by the white of a wave
crest. I saw him peel back his Jagan ward to take a
peek at the blue darkness below. The youki realesed
with that partial lifting of the ward was enough to
send his hair off his forhead and give me goosebumps.

"What do you see?" I asked softly eating the roasted
fillet of salmon that had a lemon flavored sauce on
one side. It was passable, and the wine was just the
right temperature to compliment it.

"Ocean, large fishes, endless ocean," he said before
replacing his ward he looked at me, then "Thank you."

"For what?" I asked, frowning a little at the
buttered rice.

"For taking me along. The city back there allowed me
to see so well into so many places and people. And the
countryside turning brown as it prepares for the
winter sleep is something I never notice from the
ground . I know the ocean is big too, I just never
imagined how... big it really is."

Was that poetry spouting from the lips of my Hiei? It
almost sounded like it, he'd been awed by this
expirience silently I vowed to make sure he got more
such expiriences. He ate quietly looking at the ocean,
he smiled at me, a full smile, not a smirk not the
secret one but a full pleased smile when he tasted the
wine. I told him it's white German wine from the Rhine
river valley.

I pointed out the country to him on the map. He
sipped his wine slowly while I sounded out for him the
letters of the english alphabet. I sounded them out
slowly for him while I read, Hiei is a fast learner, I
bet he'll be reading on his own in a few days.

Well the flight was over too soon for his liking. He
saw the shores of Hong Kong approaching just as the
Capt. announced our ETA. He was frowning when he
finished his bottled water. He liked the wine and I'm
proud of the fact that he's acting responsibly
concerning his alcohol intake. He didn't order a beer
or another glass of wine, he asked for water instead.
I smiled "Don't worry Hiei, I'll book us a flight to
the US as soon as possible that's an 18 hour flight
from here to New York, you'll get tired of flying
then."

"Ch." he snorted, but there was a hint of a smile and
anticipation in his eyes. He's exited.

"I want to celebrate Christmas in the US, Christmas
is a western tradition, I want to feel how it's like
when they celebrate it on their own land." and soon
the annunciator chimed and asked us to put our
seatbelts on. Hiei put his belt on without my help.

Not much happened afterward, we breezed through
customs I sent a text message to Kuwabara telling him
we arrived safe, Hiei was looking at everything with
an open look I could tell he was listening to
languages too. Hong Kong international airport is huge
the motorized walkways were a relief. And when we got
to the outside I was surprised because a man in a
black Chauffer's outfit was holding a card with my
name on it. It was a complimentary limo service from
the hotel we are staying in. I grinned openly now and
the man explained to me that when I changed my
accomodations to a luxury twin suite I get an
automatic limo service for the duration of my stay.

I wanted to throw my hands up and shout 'YES!!!!' I
am weary from the flight and the few hours of sleep,
achy and nursing a slight headache but I feel like I
won the lottery or something. This much happiness
can't be real, and I was suddently afraid, what will I
do if I loose this? I looked at Hiei who was smiling
up at me sharing my happiness. What will I do if I
loose him? He saw the change in my mood and his true
smile that rare smile faltered. I instinctively pulled
him into my arms and let the driver take our luggages.
_________________________________________
1. Frank McCourt - Angela's Ashes.

Next Part is the start of "Knowing" ^^

Ummm could someone tell me if Inari is a god or
goddess please? I might have made a mistake somewhere.
Thanks.