I couldn't believe all of the events of my life that had led me to my current situation. My childhood had been a complete disaster, filled with abuse and torment until that fateful day I met my big brother. Of course we weren't actually related by blood, but when Hiei found me cold and bleeding by that half frozen river in a dangerous part of Makai, and he couldn't possibly leave me there.

Flashback:

'What am I gonna do now?' sob, shiver 'I killed him! He was the one that gave me food, and I killed him! … But,' sniffle 'he was gonna rape me.. I heard him talking about it last night… something about me finally being old enough to break in and make some money. I don't want to do that! Mommy said I should wait! Mommy said I should be in love! I miss you so much mommy…'

I cried silently, trying to wash the blood from my hands and face and other parts that had been cut from the skirmish with the older demon. Most of the blood was coming from my abused anus where I HAD been raped. The disgusting brute had decided to save my 'actual' virginity for sale to the highest bidder. But at the time I didn't know it was still considered rape, so I was happy I had preserved my hymen (that I didn't even really know about) and some form of my dignity.

'I may die, but at least mommy will be proud of me when I go to heaven to be with her.' I smiled weakly at this thought and gently dragged my lower half off the bank and rested my sore bleeding bottom into the frosty river water. It hurt so badly. I just wanted some relief from the pain before I died, and if I got hypothermia I would die quickly and without the pangs of starvation.

I looked down at my still bloody hands. Blood and flesh were still embedded underneath my nails from the struggle. My hands had slashes gouged into them from where I had gripped the broken glass and plunged it repeatedly into the evil demon's face and neck.

I was startled that I was glad the man was gone. The thought that he would never again look at me with those disgusting eyes, or touch me with his filthy hands made me smile.

I lost consciousness in the river and Hiei found me nearly frozen to death. Hiei himself was just a child then, and needed the same companionship as I. He carried my chilled naked body to the cave he called home and wrapped me up by the fire. The two of us had been together ever since. The only time we were away from one another was when he went to find his real sister Yukina. I knew how important it was for him, so I wished him the best of luck and we went our separate ways, albeit temporarily.

I sometimes think back to the man that had held me captive all those years. I don't remember when I had come to live with the fowl demon, or what his name even was. I didn't know my father, and only had a small fragmented picture of my mother. The only reason I knew my own name was because it was tattooed on the inside of my wrist. I didn't know where I had gotten all of my tattoos.

I had two giant black wings tattooed on my back that became real wings when I fed them my demon energy. I couldn't use them to fly away from my captor because he kept my inside with chains around my chest and torso keeping my wings immobile, beating me nearly half to death if he saw them protruding from my bony back. Many times he had brutally sawed them off, not caring that they would grow back. I think he enjoyed to see the gore and hear my screams of agony. I tried many times not to give him the satisfaction. Once I vomited, and he was so furious he tried to shove it back in my mouth. I never vomited again in front of him.

I awoke with these memories swirling around in my head. Someone was sitting over me, rubbing my face with a cool cloth, and saying hushed words to me. I blinked a few times before a beautiful face with jutting black and white hair around it came into focus.

"So you're alive are you? That's troublesome. Perhaps you'll be a handful, will you?"

I looked at the kind face that had uttered such strangely harsh words to me. I couldn't help but smile at him. I reached up to the hand that had recently been stroking my face with the now discarded cloth, and brought it back to my cheek as a sign of affection. I wanted to thank him for his compassion, but my words wouldn't work.

He blushed and looked away, although not retracting his hand.

"Hn! You'll have to learn to cook and earn your keep. I don't need any extra baggage."

End of flashback

I couldn't help but smile at the memory. It had been more than one hundred years since I have seen Hiei, but every now and again I feel this nostalgic tug on my heart, and I know he's out there somewhere. I don't regret the fact that we had to part. At first I was frightened, but I was almost an adult demon and I could take care of myself.

He would probably laugh if I he saw me right now…

"Amaya!" I immediately snapped my head up from the table in the corner if the library where I was sitting. Darn it Hana, I thought you wouldn't be able to find me!

Said girl ran up to my table and dramatically collapsed into my lap, panting like she was dying. I couldn't help but giggle at her childish antics.

"Amaya!" cue dramatic wheezing, and panting. "Do you enjoy seeing me in agony? Why didn't you meet up with me at lunch? I was worried one of your little stalkers had ATTACKED YOU!" She grabbed my cheeks in between her fingers and spread my face. "You're lucky we're best friends or I'd be really mad right now!"

I laughed. Her face was scrunched in pretend fury, and it seemed like her teeth were fangs. "Oh? Because you're not mad right now?"

My friend Hana just looked at me surprised. Then she let go of my bruising face and smiled sheepishly. "Oops..heh" She patted my abused cheeks and removed herself from my lap to sit across from me.

Hana was your average, every day high school girl. She was very beautiful, but she didn't focus much on her beauty and instead decided to focus on academics. She was even repulsed by the idea of make-up, and intentionally wore her hair in boring hairstyles like pigtails.

Her hair was brown as well as her eyes and she was a little shorter than me, although I was the tallest girl in our class so she was by no means short. She had a smile that could brighten even my darkest day, and she was the only thing in my world I really wanted to protect.

We met her this year when we both started as first years. I had gone to the sister junior high, but she had moved here from a different city. She saw me sitting alone at this very table in the library and came up to me out of the blue and challenged me. She said that she would no longer allow me to have the highest grade point average of the female population at Meioh.

Since that day, we became friends. I had never really had a friend since I started attending school because I was afraid it would affect my work. I was supposed to be policing the students and surrounding neighborhoods for demonic activity. If I were to be discovered, my cover blown, I would have to leave.

Fortunately, Hana is almost like a rash. I smiled at the thought.

"Amaya!" I blinked at the hand waving in front of my face. "Are you even listening? Gah, you're so spacey sometimes!" Hana pouted at me and continued. "I asked why you've been hanging around Minamino-san lately? Are y'all going out? You would tell me if you got a boyfriend, right?" Her eyes grew large and developed tears. She sniffled and her hands were clasped in front of her imploringly.

"Hana," sigh, "I am not seeing anyone. Minamino Shuichi has been coming around to ask about school related extra curricular activities that he would like me to join. I of course have declined." I brought my water bottle with my straw to my mouth and took a sip.

Hana's melodrama decreased. "So you promise that you aren't cheating on me? You're still my number-one bitch?" Hana smiled sweetly. She was such a strange girl.

"Naturally." I replied coolly, giving her a wink. She swooned down into her chair and began to playfully fan herself out of her mock coma. I chuckled.

I looked back down at the book I had been reading when I heard Hana get up to go to her next class. She said goodbye and murmured something about how lucky I was to have tested out of my afternoon classes so I could just chill wherever I wanted. She always scolded me for spending too much time in the library.

I felt her kiss the top of my head and say, "Later." And then I heard her skipping off. She always skipped.

I continued to read my book, until I heard someone slip between the bookshelves that kept my little table secret from the rest of the library. (Because the librarian loves me, and knows I like my privacy, even to go as far as handing me a spare key so I could come on the weekends and evenings ) I pretended not to notice, until a familiar smell hit my nose.

"Yes, Minamino-sempai?" I said curtly, trying to hide my frustration of being interrupted from my book again.

I heard him take a seat across from me. "Please Amaya, we've discussed this. We're are in the same class, so I am not your sempai. And I would appreciate it if you would call me Shuichi. We are friends, are we not?"

I locked eyes with him over the rim of my glasses. "Are we, sempai? You don't know me, and I don't know you."

He smiled again and ran a hand through his hair. "Not for lack of trying. Why are you so cold, Amaya?" He faked a frown, and tilted his head sideways.

I sighed, looking back into my book. "I am not cold Minamino-san, I just have no interest in making friends; especially not of the male variety. Besides, Why do you even try to befriend me? What is your motive? I have not seen you making friends with any of our classmates."

He pulled my book from my hands before I could stop him, and set it gently on the table in front of him. I tried to hold back my glare in favor of a blank stare.

"I have plenty of friends. It is you that are lacking. I simply wish to remedy that. And what is your objection to males? Are you perhaps inclined towards the same sex?"

I couldn't catch my jaw before it fell wide open. He is quite blunt. And definitely rude.

"For your information, Minamino-SEMPAI," I spat. "I don't view sex or gender as an obstacle when it comes to issues of the heart. But to answer your question, no. I do not lean towards the same sex. I am a heterosexual, NOT that it is any of YOUR business."

I reached for my book, but he snatched it away and grinned.

"I am very happy to hear that Amaya-san, and I didn't mean to offend you. I was simply speaking out of jealousy." He continued to smile devilishly at me, and it made me wonder what his fan girl would pay to have him smile at them like that.

"I simply was curious because the only other person I see you with at school is Chizuko-san (Hana) and the two of you seem quite close."

I guess I walked in to that one. I should have known someone would question my sexuality eventually being as I'm the only girl at Meioh that isn't boy-crazy. Even Hana had her fair share of guys she liked to hang out with when she wasn't hanging all over me. I knew her feelings towards me were platonic, but that girl had no sense of personal space. I think it's because she was raised by her aunt and lived with many cousins throughout her life. Lots of sharing.

My glare towards him was probably apparent now. "Is there a reason you are here?" I said flatly.

He chuckled at my obvious irritation. "Come now, Amaya-chan. You must know by now why I come to visit you so often. I want you to hang out with me. Outside of this library preferably."

I crossed my arms and looked away from him. Human boys were irritating. Their hormones made them feel like they were much more desirable than they are, and Kami knows Shuichi didn't need any help. He had fan-girls out the wazoo stroking his ego.

I couldn't even imagine why he was here in the first place. He could have his pick. Why couldn't he just leave me in peace? I was so happy when Koenma-sama gave me this job after my loyal years as an assassin. He said I deserved to know what it was like to be a teenager, and have a normal, relaxing life. I'm sure Botan had a lot to do with it, but I wasn't going to complain. I loved it.

But then there was Minamino. Ever since he found my secret table he couldn't leave me alone. All these questions and curiosities. Does he have to know everything about everyone?

I sighed. "How long are you going to keep up these interrogations? Until I go out with you? Is that what you want?" I look at him, and his grin widens.

"My, my Amaya-san. That was rather forward. Do you think every gentleman that talks to you is after a date?"

I scoff at his foolish joke. "I wouldn't know. I haven't talked to many gentlemen."

Shuichi just chuckles and puts his hands up in a sign of surrender. "Alright Amaya. I'll admit I deserved that one. And to answer your question, yes I would very much like to go on a date, although I have never thought of my friendly conversations with you to be remotely close to interrogation."

I scowled. He just wasn't going to give up, was he? "If I go out with you, or hang out with you or whatever you choose to call it, will you promise to leave me alone?"

His smile faltered a bit at my callousness. "Amaya," he sighed. "I truly just want to learn more about you and become friends. I don't know why you keep acting so cold towards me. I promise I'm completely harmless." He rested his elbows on the table and folded his hands underneath his chin.

I frowned at his expression. He looked at me pleadingly like I had somehow insulted him. He was trying to make me feel guilty and fold under pressure. It was working. Darn my bleeding heart! Why must I feel so sympathetic towards humans? Hiei would surely be disgusted.

I put both my hands together on the table and looked down. I couldn't believe I was going to give in so easily.

I looked him in the face, and I could tell he was waiting. His body was stiff, and his eyes were focused on mine. "Where do you want to go?" I asked. His face broke into an obnoxious grin.

"Excellent."