Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ Never Before, Never Again ❯ 2 ( Chapter 2 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Ayane: Let's work on this then! Maybe I'll get more of a following...
(Kurama sighs)
Ayane: Own OC(s) but not YYH.

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Never Before, Never Again

Chapter Two

Yawning, Ayane climbed out of bed the next morning before the sun rose. Stripping off her nightgown and changing into a red tank and black jean shorts, she readied herself for a day of training. She left her hair down and geared herself properly: katana sheathed at her hip, a pouch of kunai around one thigh and a pouch of shuriken around the other. Slipping on her flats, she opened her window and jumped down the tree outside, one limb at a time. When she finally hit the ground she started running. Three laps around the large hotel, she felt, should be enough pre-training exercise. As she reached the end of the final lap she sprinted towards the clearing that Kurama and she had talked in last night. She sat in the center of it, folding her legs and placing her hands in her lap in order to start her meditation. She took deep breaths, cleansing her entire being before she began taking her fury out on the nearby trees.

“Hai!” she exclaimed, jumping up a few moments later. She unsheathed her katana even quicker than she had before and sliced at a tree. Her eyes widened when she clanged against a metal object and immediately jumped back. “O-oh, it’s you!” she squeaked, eyes focusing on the crimson-eyed man. “I’m sorry, did I wake you when I left?” She was nibbling on her lower lip, not looking at him. “I’m usually good at keeping quiet. I didn’t mean to wake anyone. I’m really sorry…”

“Come at me, Girl,” Hiei muttered. “Sparring with a tree isn’t productive.”

“Oh, no. Really, it’s all right!” she sputtered.

“Hn. Don’t be a moron. I’m trying to help you.”

'Imagine he’s someone you really hate…' her mind told her and she instantly pictured the one guy on her team she could not stand: Shou. He was a tall, obnoxious, and rude blond youkai who had hit on her more than once in the short time she had known him. He often toyed with the females he was with, usually more than one at a time. He was a pig. Her eyes flashed angrily and she flickered to a spot behind him, swinging her katana swiftly; all she hit was afterimage. Her eyes refocused quickly enough to avoid a strike from his katana, blocking it with hers and doing her best to hold him off. Pushing some spirit energy into her katana, she managed to push him back just enough so that she could find a new position a few feet away. She slid her free hand into her kunai pouch and withdrew a few, flinging them all towards him with one flick of her wrist, forcing him further away. Then something stopped her…

The scent of blood.

She looked at his stoic expression, blood dripping from his cheek. Her eyes widened and she rushed towards him, dropping her katana. “I’m so sorry, Hiei-dono!” she exclaimed as she reached for his cheek. “Please don’t move,” she requested after he jerked away slightly. After touching his cheek again, she sent some spirit energy into her fingertips, gently healing his cut. Her heart pounded fiercely in her chest; she had hurt him! There was no chance in all the seven hells now…

“Hn. Idiot girl, are you going to heal all of your opponents?” he scoffed.

“I wasn’t supposed to hurt you.” Her lower lip trembled. “You were trying to help me and I injured you.” She could not look him in the face. “I’m so sorry…”

He studied the top of her head then grabbed her wrist and pulled her hand from his face. “I’m fine, Girl. Return to your place.”

She obeyed, hopping back to where she was when she had smelled the blood and picked her katana up. Taking a deep breath, she raced towards him again.

The physical fighting continued for a couple hours, each one studying how the other works. He proved to not care how rough they were as they both ended up receiving bruises and cuts. As the sun finally starting rising, he held his hand up, motioning for them to stop. Smiling, she approached him, sheathing her katana, and bowed. “That was fun, Hiei-dono!”

“Hn.” He stood in front of her, watching her as she slowly straightened herself and began healing the injuries that had been inflicted on him. “You’re interesting, Girl… Who have you trained under?”

She kept her eyes focused on his wounds. “No one. I’ve trained myself.”

“How long?”

“About 2 years now.”

“Hn…” He was intrigued. She matched his speed but calculated each move faster than he did, expecting a lot of the attacks he went to throw at her. He watched her as she intently healed his wounds although they were nothing more than shallow cuts and light bruises that would heal in a day’s time. This “-dono” thing confused him as well. He watched her purposely avoid his gaze as she went to heal the few cuts on his cheek and his eyes narrowed suspiciously. “What are you hiding, Girl?” he asked quietly, almost dangerously.

In her surprise, her eyes flicked to meet his. “What do you mean, Hiei-dono?”

Her eyes were too wide, too innocent, as she looked at him. He pulled away from her and disappeared quickly, ensuring she would not try to follow him. No one should ever look at him that way. When he reached the edge of the island, he glared at his reflection in the ocean. She was hiding something and Kurama knew what it was. One way or the other he would make sure he found out what it was.

~*~*~Ayane~*~*~

After collecting herself from that curious encounter, she collected her kunai and shuriken and began her return to the hotel.
She climbed back up the tree outside her window and slipped inside, intent on showering…although her clothes smelled like the little fire youkai she had just sparred with… She giggled and stripped down, throwing her clothing into the pop-up hamper she had brought along, then made her way into her personal bathroom, turning the shower on as hot as it would go, full-force.
Whistling to herself, the dark-haired girl hopped into the hot shower and cleaned herself after healing her own wounds. She was okay with the sting from the water but soap going into her cuts was a big no-no. After rinsing out and wringing her hair, she turned the water off and wrapped a towel around her body. She walked out of the bathroom and took a laptop out of her bag that was used solely for carrying her music with her. She started it up and put her music player on shuffle, singing along as she dressed in a dark green summer dress and combed out her long hair. Not trusting hair dryers, she let her hair air dry. She smiled as “Wonderwall” began playing.

“Today is gonna be the day that they’re gonna throw it back to you. By now, you shoulda somehow realized whatchya gotta do. I don’t believe that anybody feels the way I do about you now… Backbeat, the word is on the street that the fire in your heart is out. I know you’ve heard it all before, but you never really had a doubt. I don’t believe that anybody feels the way I do about you now…

“And all the roads we have to walk are winding, and all the lights that lead us there are blinding… There are many things that I would like to say to you, but I don’t know how… Because, maybe, you’re gonna be the one that saves me. And, after all, you’re my wonderwall…

She smiled faintly, falling back on her bed. “Today was gonna be the day, but they’ll never throw it back to you. By now you should’ve somehow realized what you’re not do to. I don’t believe that anybody feels the way I do about you now… And all the roads that lead ya there were winding, and all the lights that light the way were blinding. There are many things that I would like to say to you, but I don’t know how…

“I said maybe, you’re gonna be the one that saves me. And, after all, you’re my wonder-wall. I said maybe, you’re gonna be the one that saves me. And, after all, you’re my wonderwall. Said maybe… you’re gonna be the one that saves me, gonna be the one that saves me, gonna be the one that saves me…” The song faded and a new one began but she merely looked at the tips of her fingers, smiling goofily. She had sparred with him, she had healed his wounds… She felt wonderful at this point in time.

And then there was a knock at her window.

Glancing over, her face was aflame when she realized it had been open and Hiei had been sitting on the branch outside for what looked like a while. She stood and raced to her laptop, snapping it shut, cutting the music off. “What are you doing out there?! This is my room!”

“Hn. You left the window open. I heard you.”

'Dammit…' “So what do you want?” she asked, head raised defiantly. “And how long have you been there?” Her tone was more sheepish this time. From his arrogant smirk she could tell her initial guess was correct; he had been there for at least three songs. She cursed herself for not closing the window. He chuckled at her flushed face then disappeared. Stomping over to the window, she slammed it shut, nearly shattering the glass, then made her way downstairs to the mini-restaurant area Yusuke had made sure to include. Food was already set out in an all-you-can-eat buffet style and two out of the four guys were at a table, cramming food down their throats. She filled her own plate and went to sit with them, smiling warmly. “Good morning, you two,” she greeted.

Yusuke had the decency to swallow his food before greeting her back whereas she just barely avoided the food spraying from Kuwabara’s mouth as he said “good morning.” Much to her amusement, Yusuke smacked his head for being rude.

After their greetings they returned to eating, going back for more servings as their plates emptied. Ayane was long past the assumption the two were in an eating contest. “Boys,” she laughed, shaking her head.

“Good morning, Lady Ayane,” Kurama’s warm voice greeted as he took a seat next to her. “Training go well this morning?” he asked lightly, acknowledging the other two were much too engrossed in their food to pay any attention.

“That was your fault?” she whispered, almost choking on her juice.

He shook his head. “Hiei has been trying to figure out what’s going on. His head was a mess when he got back. He’s going through you being a spy for the enemy and converting me to your side.” He chuckled at this idea. “He was also surprised at how strong you actually were, you know. Especially after only two years of training. He’s not quite sure he believes that.”

“But it’s true…” She frowned, twirling her straw. She paused. “He thinks I’m strong?” she asked shyly.

“Mhm.” Kurama smiled. “Admitting that, even in his head, means he respects you as a fighter: an equal. Good starting grounds.”

“You’re cruel, Kurama-kun,” she scolded, though she was grinning widely and blushing. Yusuke belched loudly at that moment, causing an awkward silence in which the boys looked at Ayane. She looked innocently at them, shook her head, and said, “8.5.” Yusuke and Kuwabara cheered at her response and Kurama chuckled. Ayane wondered to herself if it was too late for her to switch teams. She liked these guys; she found that she did not want to fight them. It was hard for her to think about hurting any of them. They all continued eating breakfast, talking amongst themselves about whatever came to mind. Ayane even got up the courage to ask the two demons if they had found mates yet.
Kurama laughed lightly. “I haven’t been looking, honestly. I’ve been busy taking care of my family in the Ningenkai,” he answered. “Yusuke, though…”

“She’s not my mate!” Yusuke snapped, his face red. Ayane giggled at his expression, happy for him. “Anyway, what about you, Ayane-san? Have you got anyone special?” He and Kuwabara got close to her face, causing her to blanch, back up, and stutter slightly. They kept getting closer and she kept leaning further back until her chair legs slipped out from underneath her and she started falling. She squeezed her eyes shut, waiting for the impact as the boys called her name.

“Hn. Idiot, get up,” a rough voice grunted above her face.

She peeked through her eyelids, snapping them open wide when she met her savior’s eyes. “Gah! Hiei-dono!” she squeaked, scrambling to her feet. She bowed lowly. “Thank you, thank you, thank you!” His aura disappeared and she snuck a look before standing. She took a relieved breath and fixed her chair then sat back down. It took her a moment to realize that the two across the table were gaping at her and the one sitting next to her was stifling laughter directed towards her. “What?!” she cried out, her face turning even more red than she knew it already was.

“You like him?!” Kuwabara nearly made them all deaf.

“N-no!”

“Oh, yeah, real convincing,” Yusuke said sarcastically.

“Oh, you morons don’t know anything! Stop laughing, Pretty Boy!” Her face was beet-red and she was changing her mind quickly about wanting to beat them up. She stood and left the overly-decorated cafeteria, irritated at them. She stormed out of the hotel and walked through the woods, muttering about the rude boys she left behind. “Bastards won’t leave me alone. Not like I don’t get enough of that kinda crap from my guys. Jerks. Oughtta beat ‘em with a large stick then shove it up their asses sideways.” She paused at the chuckle above her head and looked up. “Oh. You now, too?” She frowned.

Hiei hopped down beside her. “I share your thoughts most days,” he stated.

“Oh. Okay then.” She smiled smally and they walked together in a slightly comfortable silence – completely comfortable if not for the voice in her head insisting she should jump him where he stands. Twitching, she squashed the little voice. “Hiei-dono, would you mind giving me any pointers after sparring with me today?”

He glanced at her from the corner of his eye. “If you don’t focus on your mind block as much as you were you could be a much better fighter.”

She flushed and shook her head. “Nice try,” she responded dryly. “You don’t get it, do you? I won’t tell you and you won’t find out. It’s better if you don’t know.”

“For me or you?” he scoffed.

“For both of us.” Her answer surprised him and she could just barely tell. She smiled to herself. 'That way you don’t know what I know and it doesn’t hurt you enough to push me away. Don’t you see, Hiei-dono? I’m doing this for both of us…even if there never is an “us…”' The silence between them returned heavily. She had nothing else to ask or say and, seeing as how he spoke little to begin with, she doubted any form of conversation would commence. “You don’t have to follow me,” she stated. “I have no one to ‘report’ to or anything. I don’t like half of the people on my team.” He made no response or move to leave; he just kept walking beside her. For a moment she was happy with this fact then noticed him trying to pry again. She sighed and put a thick mental wall down between them.

He growled at her, wondering what could be so bad. What in the seven hells could she be keeping secret that would be better if he did not know? Curiosity usually never got the best of him but the humans he had been around for years had gotten the better of him. Despite the newly created wall between them, he continued to poke and prod, looking for the tiniest of cracks.
Ayane glanced at him, frowning. “Hiei-dono…this is the one thing I pride myself on. I’ve worked hard to be able to hide everything from everyone – including Jaganshi. You couldn’t get through even if you went full power. I’m sorry, Hiei-dono…” She paused and sighed at his angry grumbling. “If you really must know something…here you go.” She opened a small doorway on her wall which he quickly barged into. A soft cry left her lips; no one had gone into her mind to rummage around since she was a child and her parents were looking through her lies.

Hiei was unimpressed by the small memory she let him into. He remembered vividly the last Dark Tournament and was not amused by her spectator point-of-view. He was about to pull out and tell her how mundane it was when he realized he was only watching his team’s battles and, more vividly, his own battles. As it began to click, the picture faded to black and she stood in front of him, her eyes downcast. He was more than a little bit surprised but continued with his stoic expression.

>You need to get out now. You’re piecing ridiculous assumptions together.<

>Girl,< he scoffed, >you know nothing about me.<

Her eyes met his, hints of sadness and anger flecking the hazel. >And that’s where you’re wrong. I know so much about you… You’re the one who knows nothing about me.< Being safe here, inside her own mind, she felt she could say anything she wanted.

>You think your story doesn’t get told in rundown Makai bars amongst the shady youkai? Kurama and you – the big “traitors.” Heh. Buncha morons. Changed their minds when you guys showed them you weren’t afraid of anything. You guys were amazing.<
He studied her closely as memories of the tournament flew past them. Her eyes appeared distant and unfocused and her arms hung limp by her sides. It was at this moment he realized her mind was vulnerable yet he could not bring himself to pry any further. He slowly let himself out and stood, staring at her blank expression in the sunlight. “Don’t do that again,” he said, barely above a whisper.

“Sorry,” she said off-handedly, walking off again and not expecting him to follow. Her suspicion was proved incorrect; he was soon in step with her again. She looked at him from the corner of her eye and said, “Go away.” Seemingly intent on pissing her off even more, he kept speed with her and did not leave. She clenched her jaw tight before taking a swing at him, only hitting air. “Real mature…” she muttered, glaring above her into the trees. Rolling her eyes, she turned around and ran for the hotel. Halfway there, she found herself slammed against a tree.

“Don’t let me in like that again,” he growled in her ear.

“O-okay…” she stuttered, trembling. He released her and disappeared, leaving her at the tree, shaking. She fell to her knees, wrapping her arms tightly around herself. This was going to be a long tournament…

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Ayane: Yay!
Kurama: Review, please. (sweatdrops)