Greed
By: irish d' salmon luver
Author's Ramble: Another Yura centric fanfiction. I just love her so much! This time is mainly one-sided RyuujiXYura with a hint of RikuoXYura, so if you can't stand incest issue, well, don't bother to read. Don't say I don't warn you…
Disclaimer: Nurarihyon no Mago belongs to Shiibashi Hiroshi, no matter how much I try to bribe him to give it to me.
XXX
He knew about the curse ever since he was just a little boy. His grandfather, Hidemoto 27th, told him all about the cursed bloodline of Keikain family, thanks to Hagoromo Kitsune. All the male children from the main house would die in young age, and Ryuuji was of no exception. He doomed to die early; maybe when he was 20, or 30, or 40, he didn't know. The moment he was told of his grief fate, he couldn't help but thought of his dreams, his ambitions. He always studied so hard in order to become a great onmyouji, one that was great enough to be the candidate of the next Keikain head. He even got some friendly rivalry with Akifusa to see who would be a better one to be the suitable candidate. But to be told that he might die before he could reach his dream, it was totally heartbreaking for such a young boy.
At that breaking point he thought of forgetting about being a head successor, or being onmyouji at all. He thought of letting go about this matter for once and all, and just trying to live as normal human. What was the point of learning onmyouji and risking his life to protect the city and the people if he was going to die anyway?
XXX
"Onii-chan?"
That was the moment when Ryuuji was taken aback from his distraught and found her little hand grasping his kimono sleeve and a pair of droopy eyes looking at him worriedly. Those innocent dark brown eyes were like questioning him what was on his mind right now. Yura was just a small, little girl with childish mind who still didn't know very well the concept of "death". She still didn't understand that he would leave her someday.
"Is something wrong, nii-chan? You look so troubled, I'm getting worried…"
Ryuuji stared at his younger sister and frowned. To think that the moronic little sister of his was worried of him, who always teased her to the very extent to be called "sadistic older brother", he sure was never expecting it. Was he so pathetic, that even a mere kid took pity on him?
He sighed and tried to get rid of those gloomy thoughts. He then put his hand on the little girl and ruffled her neatly combed hair, making the girl squirmed and waved her tiny fists around.
"You don't need to worry, stupid. Why are you here anyway? Shouldn't you learn the onmyou technique right now?"
"I-I'm not stupid! And I come here because I couldn't find you at the training ground! You supposed to teach me how to make barrier, stupid onii-chan!"
"Just ask Masatsugu, he's better at that kind of thing than me."
"I-I don't wanna! I'm not that close with him, I'm afraid of making mistake!"
"So you mean that it's okay for you to make mistake when you're with me, huh?"
"Errr… kinda…?"
"Really, you're such a moronic little sister…" he ruffled her hair with more pressure before released her. Sometime he wanted to scream at those people who wondered why he could be so cruel with his own sister, but those people sure didn't know how handful his sister was. They only knew her as innocent, frail little girl, but Ryuuji knew she was more brutal that any kid he ever knew. Not to mention her ridiculously strong spiritual power which enabled her to summon many shikigami at a time made her to be one strong and frightening force when she was pissed. It was lucky that Yura was still inexperienced and weak at other onmyou techniques. That was why that moronic little sister of his always clung and became dependable to him.
Ryuuji sighed again and put his palm over his forehead. He couldn't imagine how she could manage of herself when his time came to an end and he would leave her all alone.
"Alright, alright… I'm going to teach you now. Let's get going, Yura," he said as he turned his body and began to walk away from her. The younger girl looked at her brother's back for a while before ran to catch up with him. Ryuuji glanced at the petite body trailing behind him and smirked.
He had decided. He would give that moronic sister of his one hellish training till his time ran out, so that she could at least defend herself even though he wasn't around her anymore.
XXX
Ryuuji patted her head as he asked menacingly, "Yura, who is THAT?"
He could feel her body trembled while she tried to answer him with straight and even voice, albeit they both knew that she was full of doubt of herself.
"He's just… a friend from school."
"There's no way that you're serious, right?"
He put more pressure on her head, as if tried to make his point clear.
"There's no way you didn't notice that he is… a youkai, right?"
Ryuuji summoned his shikigami and attacked Nura Rikuo, who was still in his day form. He couldn't forgive the youkai who dared to deceive his little sister with his human-like form, making her doubtful about how youkai was absolute devil. He attacked the defenseless boy again, to make sure that the filthy youkai was done for. Just when he thought that the younger boy was finished by him, Yura came to his rescue. Ryuuji couldn't believe his eyes and his ears as Yura stood between him and the youkai and said that Rikuo wasn't an enemy. He couldn't believe how Yura choose to believe the words of that youkai instead of him, her own brother, and decided to fight against him and tried to defeat him just to defend a filthy, deceiving youkai like Nura Rikuo.
"Tsk, seems like I didn't teach you enough, Yura…" he whispered.
As Yura summoned her shikigami and use the shikigami fusion technique, Ryuuji also took out his shikigami "Garou" and attacked her. He played his tricks on her and she foolishly fell on it and gave him the chance to beat her with the bamboo water container.
"That was awful! Aren't you her brother? Why would you go that far!" Rikuo shouted at the older onmyouji. Ryuuji glared back at him.
"Don't try to play hero, youkai."
Yura tried to stand up and convinced her "friend" that she was alright. Apparently Ryuuji's last attack wasn't enough to knock her out. He finally revealed the true name of his shikigami and used his next move which made all the body fluids inside her body rage violently. He watched as her petite body shook uncontrollably and fell to the ground.
"You're just way too clueless, that's why you can be fooled by a guy like him. That's why I use Gengen on you, Yura. This too is a "love". Right now, I can still forgive you. If you don't want to die like that, snap out of it and come back with me!"
Just when he was picking up his hopeless sister from the ground, something slashed his hand and took the young girl from his hand. The youkai boy finally revealed his true self.
"I don't care whether you're an onmyouji or Keikain-san's brother, I can't forgive the bastard who messes with my friend."
Ryuuji smirked as Rikuo glared at him with absolute hatred in his red eyes.
"So that's your true form, youkai… I will obliterate you. The only person allowed to trick Yura is me, her brother!"
XXX
The next time Ryuuji met Rikuo, he helped that youkai to exterminate the remnant of the Kyoto youkai Nijunanamen Senju Mukade, who supposed to lose against Awashima, and planted a seal on it. Yura came up later with Hidemoto's carriage shikigami, only to get caught up in bickering with her "classmate" Yuki Onna and made the floating shikigami disappear in the midst of their heated argument, thus sending her and the ice youkai to fall down freely from the sky. It was a good thing Ryuuji went to catch her at that moment because that stupid youkai brat went after his female comrade, who in fact didn't really need to be saved.
That was why it really irked him that she took notice of Rikuo first, not thanking her brother who risked his life to catch her.
"WHHHYYYYY!" shouted Yura as Ryuuji threw her body to the nearest torii.
"You're heavy," grumbled the young onmyouji as he walked away from his sister. He didn't like the tugging feeling inside his chest when he heard her addressed the youkai brat.
'Che, maybe I become too overprotective to her,' thought Ryuuji.
XXX
Years passed. At this time it was natural for both Nura and Keikain households to aid each other and cooperating together. Ryuuji noticed how the bond between his little sister and the youkai brat got deeper than ever, at the point they would call each other "nakama". Yura still acted tsun-tsun towards Rikuo, both day and night form, but she opened herself more and Ryuuji found her smiled more often in front of the young Nura head.
She smiled to Rikuo more often than to her own older brother.
Ryuuji grunted at the bitter thought and walked faster to Yura's room. He got a job and he wanted to bring Yura together. Her brutal strength would be quite a force for this mission; after all if he was to bring Mamiru he would get tired of always dictating what should be done to his adopted younger brother. At least Yura could manage to act on her own without him telling her what to do.
"Oi Yura, come with me, I got a job," said Ryuuji as he briskly opened the sliding door of Yura's room, only to find his sister was in the middle of changing her clothes, clad only in her white cotton panties and frilly white bra.
'How many times again I found myself in this situation?' pondered the young man as he managed to dodge all the projectile attacks from Yura.
"Geez, I can't believe you're such an impolite and perverted brother, Ryuuji!" shouted the flustered Yura as she tried to cover her front with her clothes.
"What the heck… it's not like you have something to hide, stupid sister. And you should add "onii-chan" after you address me, Yura," grumbled Ryuuji. He scratched his head and looked at the younger girl. Well, after all those years, she apparently had something to hide. Her grown body was still petite and slender, but there was noticeable curve on her waist and hip. Her white, pale skin was peeking from beneath the clothes covering her front body. Even with the cover Ryuuji still could visualizing her not-so-small-anymore pair of breasts and her flat stomach. He kept staring at her until Yura frowned and shot him a dirty look.
"What was your business again, nii-chan?"
"Huh…? Ah, I got a job for us, and we'll be gone for three days, so you should packing up now. We're leaving tonight."
"…"
"…"
"…Do you still have business with me, onii-chan?"
"Not really."
"Then why aren't you leaving yet? I'm trying to change my clothes here."
"Is it a problem for me being here while you're changing?"
"OF COURSE! HOW CAN I GET CHANGE WHEN A MAN IS STARING AT ME!"
"But I'm not just a mere man. I'm your brother. Are you feeling all shy in front of your brother now, Yura?"
"THE FACT THAT YOU'RE MY BROTHER JUST MAKES IT WORSE!"
"…so you mean that if it's another guy, it would be okay then?"
"Wha—Ryuuji-onii-chan, you're not making any sense, you know? Now please get out or—"
"Or what, Yura? Are you going to summon your shikigami to beat the hell out of me? Or are you going to call your youkai friend to defend you from me?" Ryuuji said with gloom expression as he walked towards the younger girl. Yura grasped her clothes tighter on her chest as he walked closer to her. The young man reached out to grab her tiny arm and pulled her closer to him.
"You've been depending on that youkai brat too much, Yura."
"Ryuuji-nii-chan… it hurts… let go—"
"Why can't you depend on me more? I'm your brother, Yura! Why do you trust that youkai more than you trust me, your own brother!"
"Because you always told me lies, onii-chan! Rikuo-kun never told me lies! Of course I believe him more!"
Ryuuji felt a shock inside him and he loosened his grips on her arm.
"Rikuo… kun?"
Yura blushed as she realized that she slipped her tongue.
"Ah, I mean… Nura-kun… yeah, Nura—"
Ryuuji let go of her arm and took a step back.
"Since when did you guys become so close for first name basis?"
"Err, not… too long… Well, his youkai form always calls me by my first name, and not until recently his human form called me by first name too… And then he said that it's okay for me to call him with first name…"
Ryuuji felt the same tugging sensation inside his chest and his face darkened. He always felt like this about his little sister and the certain youkai. At first he thought it was just a feeling of insecurity and over-protectiveness, to have her sister got close to youkai instead of exterminating them. Or maybe it was disappointment, to have his own sister forgot the basic rule of their family: youkai was black, onmyouji was white; thus it was their responsibility to obliterate ayakashi, yet his moronic little sister made friend of those "black" side. But as he saw how the relationship between Yura and Rikuo grew for the last years, he knew that his feeling was more than that.
It was jealousy.
Ryuuji reached out again for her arm and Yura immediately shut her eyes in anticipation. She opened them again in confusion as she felt that instead of him grabbed her roughly like before, he caressed her arm gently. Her confusion only grew bigger as she saw the solemn look on his face.
"I'm sorry… for being so rough with you earlier… and for my harsh words…"
Yura couldn't help but blush to see this soft side of the sadistic older brother of her. He was always so arrogant, unpleasant, and rough; this side of him was too alien for her. And now she thought about it, it was the first time she ever saw him made such expression like this.
"Hey, Yura."
"Y-yes?"
"Will you hug me?"
Yura could feel her blushing more.
"W—what?"
"Well, it seems that we siblings never hug each other, not even when we were little. I thought it was because of that we lack the siblings love now."
"What the heck? You just made that up!"
"My point is we are already grown ups, so we ought to mature a bit and show some love. Don't you get tired of always bickering with me?"
"Well, now that you put it like that… it kinda makes sense…"
"So, will you just hug me now? It's one step towards peaceful sibling relationship," urged Ryuuji as he opened his arms wide, waited for her to come and gave him hug. Yura looked at his arms and his face, still hesitated to just give him a hug.
"Come on Yura, what are you waiting for? I'm not going to wait forever, you know."
"A-at least let me put on some clothes first!"
"Heck Yura, I don't really care. I'm not going to feel you up or anything. It's not like I'm going to get turn on with the body of my own sister, and it'll be gross if I do, right?"
Yura gulped and held her clothes tightly on her chest before she took a step forward. She noticed that Ryuuji's eyes darkened as she cautiously took another small step. When she was exactly in front of him, she dropped her hands from her chest and felt the fabric of her clothes slipped through her fingers. She looked up to see that Ryuuji had his solemn expression back to his face as he stared down on her, and she could feel the blush threatened to get back to her own face.
It wasn't that Ryuuji had lustful eyes on her; no, it would be way too sinful. Instead she could see something more like longing; like he was waiting for this for a long time. Their relationship was never a peaceful one. It was full of arguments, bickering, scolding, beating up, and so on. Secretly, she also wanted the time to come for them to finally have some peace.
Ryuuji closed the distance between them and slowly brought his arms around the small figure of his sister. Yura placed her palms against his chest and she could feel him stiffen from the contact. She also shivered when his hands made contact with her bare skin. She could feel his rough and calloused skin on his palms, but nevertheless she felt warmth from him. She also could feel his heartbeat against his broad chest. It was strange, but it actually made her felt a bit of relieve. It was proof that her brother is also a human like her, not some kind of demonic reincarnation she always imagined him to be.
"Onii-chan…"
The moment broke as Ryuuji suddenly let go of her and pushed her away. The solemn expression was replaced with his usual frowns. He ruffled her hair like usual while his other hand was on his hip.
"Now that it's settled, you should quickly packing up for our travel. Don't you dare slacking off, Yura!"
With that, Ryuuji walked out from her room, leaving the baffled Yura with messy hair and giant comical sweat drop on her face.
"What the heck …is going on with him?"
XXX
Ryuuji walked fast to his room.
It was dangerous. He was near his limits. Had they hugged longer than that, he knew he wouldn't be able to hold himself. To feel her almost naked body against him, to feel her soft, pale skin on his touch, to feel her warmth spreading on his body… Her soft voice calling for him woke him from his wicked delusion of making his own sister his.
He was so sick of himself. To think that he would degrade himself as begging for a hug from his sister and even deluding of having is own way with her, he really was one sick man. He wasn't suited to be a big brother; no, he wasn't suited to be human at all. He couldn't let himself fell into lust, especially with his own sister. What would their family do when they knew about his twisted and sick desire?
What would Yura think of him when she knew? Would she see him with eyes full of loath and hatred, or even repulsiveness?
XXX
The job was easier than Ryuuji expected to be. All was done in one day, but he decided to stay at the city for another day. He told Yura that they should rest more before they went back to Kyoto and that it would be a waste to cancel the inn reservation. "Take this one night rest as your reward for finishing the job," he told his little sister, who just looked back at him skeptically before nodded and agreed with him. "The food is good, after all," she said to him.
They spent the rest of the day at their room and then they ate dinner together. As they ate in silence, Ryuuji couldn't help but noted the awkward atmosphere around him and Yura. She usually gulped down her food like she never ate in ages, but now she barely ate half of her portion. He caught her dozing off after she received a phone call before the dinner, and she did it now. Yura was dozing off, with her chopsticks in her mouth and her eyes stared at her bowl. The sight was quite worrying for Ryuuji, so he decided to ask her of it.
"Yura, is something bothering you?"
The girl snapped out of her dazing state, almost dropped her bowl in surprise.
"Aa—no, it's nothing…" she nervously gulped down her food and almost chocked herself to death if Ryuuji didn't come to her rescue and gave her a drink.
"I begin to consider myself lucky to not have you dazing off like this when we were doing our job, Yura. Seriously, what is in your mind, moronic little sister? Does the phone call before have something to do with this?"
"I'm not a moron! And… yes, it's about the phone call…"
Yura suddenly tensed and blushed. Ryuuji frowned at the sight of his flustered little sister.
"Was it from that youkai brat? That phone call?"
Her face became redder was more than just enough answer to him.
"What did he say? Did that brat say something that upset you? Because if it's true, I'm so going to kick his youkai ass right now."
"He-he's not a brat, onii-chan! And I'm not upset! In fact, I-I'm happy!"
Ryuuji tensed. Somehow he had a dark feeling that he wasn't going to like what she would say next.
"Rikuo-kun –I mean Nura-kun— asked me about how our job went and when I would be back to Kyoto…"
"…and?"
"He… he also asked me if I wanted to go with him this weekend… and I said yes…" Yura muttered the last sentences as she bowed her head down to hide her embarrassment.
The tugging feeling inside his chest was back again. Ryuuji frowned and balled his hands into fists, trying to suppress the sudden anger that submerged inside his head. He gritted his teeth in apparent annoyance, but soon disguised it as teasing smirk.
"So… my little sister had been asked for a… date?"
Yura covered her face with her hands as she squealed shyly. The sight of his bashful sister made Ryuuji let down his frown and smiled gently, even for just a moment. He suddenly stood up, making his sister jerked up in surprise, and walked back to his seat and resuming his dinner. Yura just watched her brother questioningly as Ryuuji made a gesture to her food with his chopstick.
"Finish your dinner, then go to sleep. We'll leave early in the morning so that you can start preparing for your date," he commanded her. Yura's face brightened and she smiled widely. She ran to her brother's side to give him a deathly hug, which almost broke his ribs. Ryuuji was sure of it.
"Thank you, onii-chan!"
Ryuuji's eyes softened to see how happy his sister was. He put his arms around Yura's body and hugged her back. He felt a pang in his chest, and it wasn't because of her death grip around his torso. It was obvious that Yura liked that youkai brat. But this time, he would cast aside his jealousy and gave the girl a chance to be with the person she liked. It was a sacrifice worth enough to see her smiled happily like this; happy and grateful enough to make her hug him of her own accord.
XXX
Later that night, after Yura fell asleep, Ryuuji sat at the balcony of his room and watched the clear night sky with the white full moon shone brightly. He thought about the damned curse of his, and what would happen after his death; what would it be for Yura after his death. Ever since he decided to devote his life to teach his moronic little sister of onmyou technique, he didn't really think about anything else except her safety. He was her protector, and he thought he would always be. But now Yura had another person to protect her and to care for her, and that person treated her better than Ryuuji. Rikuo cherished her, and despite his never-ending teasing, he never tried to hurt her. It really peeved Ryuuji, but that youkai brat was a better man to take care of Yura than him.
"It seems that I don't need to worry about her after all, that moronic little sister of mine…" he sighed.
He went inside and walked into Yura's room. He opened the sliding door and peered inside the room. The girl was sleeping soundly, and he could hear the soft sound of her breathing. Without making any sound, Ryuuji walked towards her futon and sat beside her. The room was dark, but there was a trace of moonlight peeked from the slightly opened window. With little effort, he could see her pale skin and jet black hair. Her chest rose and fell with every breath she took, and she looked so peaceful and serene in her sleep; so different from her usual brute and clumsy attitude.
The young man took a handful of her hair, noted how silky her hair was. He then touched her pale cheeks, feeling the warmth of her skin. He brushed the bangs off of her face and planted a kiss on her forehead and felt the warmth on her smooth skin on his lips. He brushed his lips along the bridge of her small nose and then put his forehead against her, their nose touching. Ryuuji closed his eyes and sighed quietly; he savored every feel and warmth of his sister before he cupped her small face with his rough hands and kissed her on her lips.
All those gestures were performed quietly and smoothly, just like the quiet flow of water. Not even once Yura opened her eyes or even stirred on her sleep; her breath was even and still. Ryuuji kept kissing her for another second before finally he pulled back from the warmth of her lips and let go of her face.
"Goodbye, Yura. Now you don't need to worry if I ever die. That youkai brat —I mean Rikuo— would take care of you in my place."
He stroked her hair; his gaze wavered at the sight of her peaceful, almost oblivious face.
"Yura… my most important person… As long as you're happy, I'm happy for you; even though I'm not the right person to make you happy."
He patted her head for the last time before he got up and walked to the door. He took another glance of her sleeping form before he slid the door open and closed it before him.
In the darkness, he missed to see a single tear fell down from Yura's closed eye.
XXX
Owari.
XXX
A/R: The ending is different from what I had in mind, but I think this one's quite good. It supposed to be a darker story, with more angst and tragedy, but it would take more than one chapter and I want to make this story as one-shot. And I want to lighten the mood a bit because my other two stories, Okaeri, Tadaima and Mamiru- -Mamoru were already full of tragedy and sadness. I hope this story isn't as depressing as the other two ^^;
And I'm not sorry for making Ryuuji acts cheesy XD
YURA MAX!