Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ Winter's end ❯ Truth ( Chapter 17 )

Whee! And the writing mania continues! Welcome to my world, please don't get lost! (I have to say Anime Expo was great!!!) And I'm going to be dumb... because I'll soon lose my wisdom teeth! (Only to put them on a string and show off... xD)

 

Sorry for the long delay! I lost my wisdom so-- I guess it took me a while to remember who I was... Haha, just teasin'. Thank you all for your patience! (Though I know you really don't have a say in my writing speed ;>.>)

 

Disclaimer: As always, I own what is mine (the plot and OCs © Animefreak11) and nothing else.

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Chapter 17: Truth

 

“Ray, are you alright? You locked yourself in the bathroom an hour ago! Are you sick?” inquired Ray's concerned mother.

 

The teenager sitting on the cold tile wiped her lips and took a breath to stabilize her voice before answering. “Yeah... I think I ate something bad...” she replied.

 

“Well, alright then... but try to come down in a bit for a light dinner. I'll prepare plain rice for you.”

 

“Thanks mom...” called Ray as her mother walked down the stairs. Ray then heard the front door closing as her dad, or rather step dad came back early from work. Rinsing her mouth, the gray haired girl took a decision. She had to be sure...

 

As she was about to put on her shoes, her mother called her in the living room. “Ray, come here for a minute.” Intrigued, she did as told and noticed the torn look on her parents' faces.

 

Blinking slowly, feeling that something was amiss, she glanced from parent to parent. “What is it? ... Why do you look so—?”

 

“We're moving, Ray.” interrupted her step dad, looking extremely exhausted. “The job situation is getting worse, and I found a nice home in Okinawa for all three of us.”

 

Ray's mouth was open, gaping, like a fish. “Bu-- but...when?” She couldn't believe this. They were moving!? Somehow, she heard the moving date was next Saturday, and that they had already started packing and had planned to have the movers come on Saturday to move everything into a truck.

 

This could not be happening. Not now of all times, when she finally had found some happiness! Without listening to her parents any longer, Ray rushed up the stairs, grabbed her purse and hurried down the stairs past her parents. She was deaf to their pleas for her to come back, and simply rushed to a nearby store. There was just one thing she needed to check before—before making her decision!

 

She paid for the item, a small box that had the possibility of altering her future quite drastically, while trying to ignore the seemingly shocked face of the clerk. But when it was time to head home, Ray slowed her walk down as much as possible. So much was on her mind! Random nauseas, her growing love for a sweet and affectionate Shuichi, her parents' decision to move...

 

Ray felt her mind swirl as she walked the path to her home, heavy hearted. Once at home, in the comfort of the cloistered bathroom, Ray took out the thermometer looking stick and then unfolded the instructions.

 

~~*Friday*~~

Feeling a bit more than dread in the pit of her stomach, Ray walked towards a café, where she'd instructed Shuichi to come and meet her. She didn't know if she'd sounded quite normal and just wanting a date, or if he'd been able to pierce through the surface of her calm voice when she said she had something important to discuss. Either way, she'd find out soon enough, and so would he.

 

Should she mention the move first? Or—the unexpected turn of events?

 

~*Flashback*~

Clamping her hand on her mouth, Ray held in a gasp. No way—she could not be p... She couldn't be pr... Damn it, she couldn't even think of the word!! How could she—? A very, highly censurable image popped into her mind and made her face flush. Right... that time... B-but! ... Seems there was no denying it... She was now expecting Shuichi's child. And her own. Well—their child.

 

Ray felt her heart flutter and her stomach disappear. Then the crushing reality knocked her off her happy cloud. Pregnant, while still in school! And worse yet, not married! She was sure her parents would be enraged, talking about their reputation and what the neighbors would say and yadi yada... Maybe she should wait until after the move to tell them... But she had to tell Shuichi-- she had to see his reaction! Then maybe, in some illogical world, she could convince her parents to let her stay here, with the baby's lovable father!

~*End of flashback*~

 

Great... now Ray's stomach was full of dread and anxiety and anticipation and some prelude to desperation... Humans sucked. Why did they feel so many emotions? At this moment, she was sure it would be better to be an animal. Like a—lioness! Then she'd only feel her duty as protective mother, hunter and feeder of the troop! But humans—oh man, they might get the brains, but the emotions... What a burden sometimes.

 

And there he was, sitting like a picture perfect top model at the outside table, elbow on the table while twirling his spoon into a steaming cup. His green eyes looked up and bore into her own. Definitely model worthy, maybe she should start taking pictures of him and sending them to magazines, and then he'd be famous in no time!

 

At the sound of her name, Ray was propelled back to earth again. She had a habit of doing that this week, getting lost in her mind... After making sure she was seated, Shuichi smiled a dazzling, beautiful smile and tilted his head to the side. “What did you want to talk about?” So serene and peaceful, like he had all the time in the world to talk to her...

 

“Oh, um... two things, actually...” replied the gray haired girl, smiling hesitantly. Shuichi nodded and waited. “... I've always meant to apologize to you, Shuichi.” she started and raised her hand when she saw him open his mouth to protest. “Let me finish. I—I never hated you personally, but I'll just say you appeared as a problem in a... difficult time in my life.” she managed to utter out.

 

Kurama slightly frowned, “What do you mean, difficult? I've known you for a long time, almost for as long as I can remember.” Well, almost didn't cut it given his real demon age, but she didn't know that, nor should she.

 

Ray shook her head in contradiction. “Remember I told you the story of when I almost died in a blizzard as a child?” Kurama nodded slowly, recalling the specifics. She sighed but continued, “Well... my dad saved me, but—he lost a leg because of stupid ol' me...” she sighed.

 

Shuichi's eyes widened, “Ray—I didn't know, I'm sor—”

 

“Don't be.” she cut him off, “It's in the past...” she shook her head, as if to clear her memories of those painful moments.

 

“I don't understand... I saw your father, he had both legs.”

 

Ray shook her head again, “The man you've seen growing up isn't my biological father. He's my step-father...” Kurama's mouth opened in an understanding 'oh.' His unofficial girlfriend smiled, almost sadly, “For as far as I can remember after the incident... I've always blamed myself for my parents' forceful and—unpleasant separation. I, actually, still was full of self loathing and resentment and, as an immature child, I had to find some way to relieve my anger.”

 

Shuichi smiled, as if knowing what was to come. “That's where I come in.”

 

Smiling teasingly, Ray nodded before continuing. “Yes, that is where you come in... How could I not hate you? You had the perfect life, all the attention... and your hair was so bright it was like a neon sign calling to me to abuse you!” she laughed quietly while Shuichi chuckled, as if acknowledging his error, which truly was a mistake that wasn't his.

 

The gray haired girl sighed longly then and stared at her hands on her laps, fingers playing with fingers. “I hated you... because you reminded me of myself, before the incident... I was selfish enough to think that no one should live through the happiness that could've been mine had I not almost died stupidly...” Her name being called by a voice laced with such care and love caused her to lift her head slowly.

 

Shuichi's smiled sparkled so brilliantly she almost squinted. “As you've said... It's in the past. What matters now, is the future, is it not?” Ray bit her bottom lip, feeling a sharp pang of truth in her heart. He was right, of course he was... But she had to expose the possible futures before tomorrow! She had no time left at all! He seemed to catch on to her hidden desperate look and his face changed to a concerned frown. “What aren't you telling me?”

 

Oh why did he have to radiate such brilliance and love? Ray's heart throbbed painfully, as if she was debating lying to him and running away from her parents, causing yet another wound in her mother's heart. Her dear mother—did she deserve that? After all the unnecessary pain and heartache she inflicted on her caregiver... No, she couldn't afford to add another searing wound on her fragile mother's caring heart.

 

Ray sighed longly and licked her dry lips before looking up in an emerald gaze. She changed her non-smiling face to a grinning one. “You know.. I'm always right... And you still look like a girl.” she pointed at his face with her index finger. That caught Kurama off guard. He was expecting something more serious... But then again, it was Ray he was talking about.

 

He couldn't help but chuckle softly as he stood up after leaving money on the table. “Why don't we go take a walk?” He took her hand in his and pulled her to his side. The gray haired student slightly blushed but laced her fingers with his and pulled his arm against her stomach.

 

“How do you always know when I'm nervous?” she mumbled as they walked past clothing boutiques, grocery stores that had sales and a lot of busy shoppers.

 

Shuichi smiled mysteriously. “Intuition?”

 

Ray almost laughed as they turned the street corner. The park wasn't too far off now, just two blocks down. “You mean, a woman's intuition? Seeeee? I knew you were a girl!” She winked at him with a goofy grin on her face.

 

“... Then that makes you a lesbian.” he retorted, smiling as brightly as she was. This was why it was great to be such good friends - now - with his neighbor and childhood nemesis now girlfriend. Woah, that was confusing... She could just hop from one conversation to the next, and he would still be entertained! That among other things... A snorting laughter made him wheel his head to the side and down. Seems Ray was trying to choke back her laugh.

 

“You just confessed!” she exclaimed victoriously, jabbing a finger in his face with a triumphant face.

 

Oh... Nope, not what he planned would be her answer. Did she ever not take him by surprise anymore? “Well... in that case, let me rectify that.” he grinned mischievously and dipped forward before she could react. At the same time, his arms snaked around her waist and pinned her to him while his tongue thrust into her slightly ajar mouth.

 

One minute and forty three seconds later, Kurama pulled away, smirking triumphantly. Ray stood there, blinking confusedly as she caught back the breath that had been stolen from her. “... That--” she licked her lips again, but this time to find the aftertaste of Shuichi's lips on her own, “was pretty manly.”

 

Shuichi winked at her conspiratorially, and Ray only smiled back mischievously. Once they entered the park, they wandered towards the empty swings. She still had a lot to tell him... Now she just felt better about treating him all his life like an inferior human being, but now... Now was the hard part. She had to tell him of their child's existence while working in the imminent move.

 

It was hard to believe that tomorrow, she would disappear from his life, taking along with her the most important token of his unspoken love: their unborn child.

 

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Is this the end of a beautifully blossoming relationship? Well, you'll find out soon enough, won't you? =P

Thanks to Ray-chan for giving me inspiration (unbeknownst to her) to help me finish this! I'm ashamed I'm not further into the story, though I have to say we're getting closer to a possible ending!

 

If you readers and possible reviewers are still alive and kickin', please let me know what you thought! And if you find a typo or mistake I overlooked, point it out! It always makes me feel so dumb when I go back to read a chapter and find this atrociously spelled word... >.> Thank you!! ^.^

 

inuyuyu_15: Bwahaha, and now everyone knows why she's “sick”! >.> Little details eh? =P I love random bursts of inspiration! XD I think I almost have two paragraphs for the next chapter!

 

Kotori-chan: Thank you!! I'm glad my reviewers aren't dead either! ... At least on this site. Haha. I know I'm the slowest updater ;-; So thanks for sticking with me! I just need to get into a groove of writing more often >.> Thanks for reviewing then! And I already started working on the next chapter. ^^;

 

missy: Hehe ^^; Sorry about that... I finally managed to end another chapter! Thanks for sticking with this ^^; I know I'm one of the slowest updater and all... >.> *cough* Thanks for reviewing!! ^^

 

Bleeding_love: Welcome to the insanity? =P I'm glad you love it!! Your pen name is-- quite suggesting, though I think I'd be freaked if blood spots were to randomly appear on my screen o.o so-- please don't do anything rash! I'll update, I swear!!!! Haha ;) Thanks for reviewing!