Just another quirky little idea I had from doodling in my A&P class the other day. I like my character and the idea of this story so far. Tell me what you think.

Do You Know Him?

Prologue



Mana Itou was a shy pretty girl who worked in her mother's flower shop. She went to university in Tokyo and was an average student specializing in education because that is what her family wanted her to study. She really wanted to take over her mother's flower shop but being as submissive and shy as she was she never argued and knew her family only wanted the best for her.

Mana was a late bloomer. Never terribly ugly but she didn't blossom into a young woman till close to her late teens. She had a normal life and was happy. She had several friends' mostly older women whom she worked with but friends none the less. Her best friend was actually ten years older then she and she frequently watched her little boy. Mana was a normal, shy, respectful, Japanese girl.

Well she was normal until the day Suuichi Minamino walked into her life. Her mother knew his mother from their own college days and they had seen each other before but never paid mind to one another until one day Suuichi, helping his mother with errands also went with her stop by and say hello to Mana's mother, Kaori.

Kaori intercepted them happily and greeted Shiori kindly. Kaori had been working off to the side humming softly to herself and concentrating on the arrangement before her. It was a lovely arrangement ordered by a husband for his wife's delivery of their first baby. So far she had added Baby's Breath for the birth of the innocence in the world, bamboo for longevity and a long life, white Camellias for adorable because obviously the baby was a adorable like all babies were, and Forget-me-nots for the lasting memory of their first child. Still there was something missing that would make the arrangement complete but she could not quite place her finger on it.

"I would put in the Lily of the valley to complete it." A soft voice said to her.

Mana's light brown eyes rose to meet the voice and she realized it was Suuichi-kun, Shiori-san's son. She blushed lightly realizing in her nineteen years of seeing him they had never actually spoken a full sentence.

"For completing my life?" she whispered taking the flower and adding to blossoms to the bamboo stalks.

He smiled nodding and she smiled back. "Ah! Suuichi-kun I see you've met Mana again it's been a few years." Kaori said patting her daughter on the shoulder as she and Shiori made their way over to the two young adults.

Suuichi's eyes widened ever so slightly for a moment in realization to who she was. "I hardly recognized you Mana-san."

"She has turned into a very pretty young lad Kaori." Shiori commented

Mana blushed bowing "Arigatou Shiori-san." She tucked a stray piece of mahogany hair behind her ear smiling in appreciation to the comment.

Suuichi smiled at her still and the two women left them alone and that day was all when it started really. Shiori and Kaori noticed the shared affection already developing and set the two up on a date. It was high time Suuichi started dating as well as Mana and it would be a good start in order to find a future wife and husband.

Mana liked Suuichi instantly but who wouldn't? He was charming and attractive beyond degree but it was more then that. He had a soft gently quality to him. He was intelligent and she admired that always in her suitors. She hadn't had many but the ones she did have were very smart and Suuichi was just the same if not smarter then the rest. They constantly talked about philosophy and above all her love and interest plant life. To her surprise Suuichi was quite the accomplished plant enthusiast and had a minor in it from the university having graduated a year prior to Mana to work with his step father in his business.

Suuichi found in Mana a petite, caring, sweet young girl and he always wondered why he hadn't noticed her sooner. He had to thank his mother for finding her because he hadn't gotten attached to anyone since Maya in junior high because of his second lifestyle but that was behind him now and he sought to forget who he once was and concentrate on who he was now. His mother wanted grandchildren and he wanted a mate but he was not sure where to start. Even though he knew females were attracted to him automatically he wanted someone to see more of him then just that.

Mana was of course shy but she talked to him like a person and didn't fawn over him although he knew she appreciated his good looks and charm but that didn't bother him. It didn't take long before he adored the girl. She was in every way perfect to him and he continued dating her getting to know her more and more each time they were together. It happened one night that she gave him that smile that he knew he was in love with her. It had been six months now.

It was the night he first kissed her that he knew. He was walking her home from a movie and it was cold. She had forgotten her scarf and the cold whether had reddened her cheeks and nose and she was sneezing already. He stopped her under the crosswalk sign on the street corner of her housing district no longer able to stand it and swiftly took off his white scarf looping it around her neck.

"Suuichi-kun no you'll get a cold. " She sniffled slightly

"Mana-chan you're catching a cold you need it more then I do." He said tying it off gently and as he moved his hands away they brushed her chin.

She blinked owlishly at him as he couldn't help but allow himself to cup her cheeks in his gloved palms to warm them. She smiled at him and his stomach lurched.

"Mana I really want to kiss you right now." He said his breath coming out in a wisp that teased her lips

"What are you waiting for Suuichi." She teased.

He smiled and his lips gently touched her guiding, teasing, tasting and it was actually she who pushed it further until her body was pressed to his and they shared body heat through their thick winter clothing.

Mana had never been kissed like that. Her other boyfriends had either been clumsy or just cold she had enjoyed his kiss immensely and wanted him to kiss her more. She blushed beneath her cold battered cheeks her bruised lips parted as she breathed when he pulled back.

"You know something Mana I want to kiss you again." He whispered with a grin in her ear

Mana giggled her forehead on his chest. "You can if you want too, but you have to do one thing first." She whispered

"Yes?" he asked curiously

"Ask me to be your girlfriend not just anyone I'm dating can kiss me like that unless their my boyfriend." She teased

Suuichi chuckled embracing her whispering the question in her ear and she squealed in delight hugging him back. Let's just say Mana was home later then usual that night because of a lot more kissing.

Mana never who he truly was, Youko Kurama and he never planned on telling her. His lifestyle as a Reikai Tantei was over, his probation over after six years, and he kept in touch with Yuusuke and the others but only on a social basis. He was a human now and swore never to turn into Youko ever again. He was happy with his family and Mana and wanted to build a future. Six months later he asked her to marry him on her on twentieth birthday after asking her family's permission first. She wholeheartedly accepted and they began planning their lives. She would move in with him a week before the wedding. In a semester she would have her teaching degree and she would apply at a local school part time while he continued to work with his step father.

He wanted children too something he never thought he'd have until he met Mana. They planned on two and hoped of course for one of each but Kurama was happy with any combination she would give him. Another thing he looked forwards to was making love to her. Mana was sweet and shy but he knew underneath all that he could teach her and coax her into a wonderful lover. In the past it was just sex now it was love and it was what he wanted more then anything.

Unfortunately his past would always follow him and things were not going to go as planned. It wasn't until one day that Hiei showed up out of the blue on his 5th story balcony and Mana was in the kitchen cooking him lunch on her visit. He was finishing some reports from work when the black clad demon appeared out of thin air and scared her half to death before he could intercept him and the dish in her hands crashed to the ground as she gawked at the new arrival standing on their balcony railing perfectly balance.

"Su-suuichi!" she whispered stunned

Kurama bolted into the kitchen and new he was too late.