The Hate That Wasn't In His Eyes

by Sodapops

If Gen Shishio had willed it, Karasumori would had given him the power to survive. But for that to happen Gen first needed a reason to want to stay. What could that reason be? Eventual GenYoshi

2. Hard Words to Forget

A/N: This chapter centers more around Yoshimori than the last one did since it is important to get both characters perspectives out. He's fun-er to write than I had previously imagined ^^

Disclaimer: I do not own Kekkaishi or anything related to it.

"speech"

'thoughts'

---

Something has been taken from deep inside of me

The secret I've kept locked away, no one can ever see

Wounds so deep they never show, they never go away

Like moving pictures in my head for years and years they've played

…

Sometimes I remember the darkness of my past

Bringing back these memories I wish I didn't have

Sometimes I think of letting go and never looking back

And never moving forward so there'd never be a path

…

'Easier to Run' by Linkin Park

---

Chapter 2: Hard Words to Forget

Today, like any other day, Yoshimori could be found laying flat on the rooftop. However, unlike what typically occurred in this type of situation, Yoshimori wasn't napping. As it was, he was in too much of a foul mood to sleep. So instead he busied himself with the second best option he had.

Sulking.

You see, Yoshimori had discussed the threat of KoKubourou with his grandfather that morning and the old man had said that they might have to rely on Masamori and the Shadow Organization for this one. But when Yoshimori had questioned why they should ask outsiders for help without first going to the Yukimura's, he got scolded.

"The feud has been going on for over 400 years" Yoshimori mimicked what his grandfather had said in a mocking tone. "'That hole isn't going to be filled' he says. Hmp, stupid grandpa" he mumbled.

All this fighting over which family had the true legitimate successor was pointless to him. Personally Yoshimori could care less about who the real successor was. All he cared about was protecting Tokine. At least they had a good relationship…

x-x-(Mini-flashback)-x-x

Daytime!Tokine: Don't talk to me during the day and stop following me around!

Nighttime!Tokine: Stop goofing off Yoshimori. Shut up and do your job!

x-x-(End of Mini-flashback)-x-x

…Okay, so they didn't have the best relationship but at least they got along way better than their grandparents ever did. And besides, once he seals Karasumori away there won't be any need for this pointless battle anymore. And then Tokine will have to recognize his brilliance.

x-x-(Scene 1 from Yoshimori's Overactive Imagination)-x-x

Future!Tokine: Oh Yoshimori, you did it! Now I see you with brand new eyes. Compared to your greatness, Masamori is only two inches tall! Everyone thinks the same! (And just then a massive crowd of faceless people started to chant 'Masa who? Masa who?'

x-x-(Back to Reality)-x-x

"Heheh" chuckled Yoshimori with a wide grin on his face. He couldn't wait for that day to come. He was sure the scenario would play out exactly as he had imagined it. Yoshimori let out a content sigh before turning his face toward the ladder and coming face to face with Gen who was staring at him. "Gah! How long have you been there?"

Yoshimori clutched the fabric of his uniform located in front of his chest as he recovered from a near heart attack. 'Damn it, he must have seen me smiling to myself. It's impossible for a guy to be able to read minds, right?' he panicked inwardly. 'Quick, I have to salvage my image'

"Y-You know, it's okay for you to stay here but don't talk to me! I'm in the middle of thinking about something super important alright?" he spurted, flailing a scolding finger at the other boy the whole time.

Gen just shrugged it off and laid his back on the floor giving the Kekkaishi no further importance. Yoshimori raised his chin up in satisfaction for his accomplishment before also letting his back fall to the floor.

3, 2, 1

"So," started the Sumimura not long after settling down. "What did they serve for lunch today?"

Resisting the urge to face-palm at the blatant contradiction known as Yoshimori, Gen opted for vocalizing the other's faults. "Didn't you just finish telling me not to speak because you had a lot on your mind?"

"Eh? Um, yeah but… Well excuse me for wanting to have a civil conversation!" countered Yoshimori indignantly before rolling himself to face away from the taller male.

'Hmp. Just perfect! Just when I thought I had enough problems dealing with the bad blood between the Yukimura and the Sumimura clan, now I have to worry about Gen too' he grumbled to himself. But then his face lit up when a sudden thought occurred to him. 'But hey, our families don't have a 400 year old feuding history! There's no reason why I shouldn't be able to work this out'

'That's it!' exclaimed Yoshimori inwardly as he abruptly sat up. He stumped his fist on the palm of his other hand at the guaranteed brilliance of his idea. 'I'll see this as a test. If I can work out my relationship with Gen then I'll be one step closer to fixing mine with Tokine's. I'm so smart!'

So turning his head toward the ayakashi-hybrid once more, Yoshimori repeated his earlier question with a little too much eagerness. Gen turned his head and raised an eyebrow at the other boy's sudden mood change before facing the sky again and sighing.

"There wasn't any coffee-milk if that's what you're asking" he stated in a rather bored tone.

"What? How did you guess I was going to ask about that? Oh God, he can read minds!"

"…I can't read minds"

"Oh yeah? Then how did you know I thought you could read minds if you didn't read it! Huh?" protested a distressed Yoshimori, his kekkai already showing signs of instability.

Getting irritated, Gen propped himself up on his forearms and retorted to the other's accusation. "Because you said it aloud you idiot"

Yoshimori scowled at the belittling tone in the other's voice and was about to shoot back with an insult of his own before he remembered his original plan about befriending Gen. Yoshimori then closed his mouth and forced himself to stay cool. Letting out an aggravated sigh, he let his body plop itself back on the floor.

'It's okay Yoshimori, you're better than this' he thought, giving himself a pep-talk. 'So what if I happened to stumble with a pebble on the road? It's nothing I can't handle. Yep, everything is A-okay!'

Nodding to himself, Yoshimori turned his face toward Gen again and tried another approach. "So, ever tried coffee-milk before?"

That question prompted a stare down between both boys.

At first Gen didn't plan on answering; but Yoshimori looked so eager to receive his response that Gen felt sorry for him and gave in. "…No" he replied honestly. A decision he instantly regretted when he saw how the other boy gaped at him.

Gen was already groaning by the time Yoshimori's outcry of unparalleled disbelief could be heard.

"What do you mean you have never tasted the revitalizing wonders of coffee-milk?" he asked appalled by what he was hearing. Then he gasped when a devastating thought hit to him. "Don't tell me Tokine already got you siding with her!"

"Tch, it's not that" Gen explained unable to see what the big issue was. "It's just that it was never around so I never got interested"

"Never around?" Yoshimori mouthed slowly. The Kekkaishi couldn't believe what he just listened to. In fact he was so astounded by it that he couldn't help overreacting. "From what kind of sick and twisted place do you come from that they never bought you coffee-milk? Did your parents not love you or what?"

~0~0~0~

Tokine was in the middle of solving a long equation on the board when she felt a paralyzing dark aura wash over her.

'What was that right now? It came from the middle school's area. Was that Gen?'

She didn't have much time to ponder on it as a cough from beside her interrupted her thoughts. "Is everything alright Miss Yukimura?" asked the teacher almost making her drop the chalk in her hand.

At this, Mao Shinohara, also known as Tokine's rival, did not miss a beat chiming her outlook on it. "Oh my, don't tell me that the great Tokine got stuck when solving such a simple math problem. Ohohoho!"

"Huh, oh no, I'm fine" replied Tokine quickly bowing her head in apology. "Just got a little distracted" she explained as she resolved the rest of the equation in record speed. This made everyone in the classroom awe while Mao chewed on her pen in agitation.

~0~0~0~

Back on the rooftop Gen was trying to will his claws away with a glare while Yoshimori was busy using his shikigami to restore the cracked flooring, courtesy of Gen. While at it, Yoshimori was giving the ayakashi-hybrid a disapproving shake of the head.

"Sheesh, talk about not being able to take a joke well" grumbled the shorter boy.

Gen paid no mind to the other's complaining and concentrated on suppressing his powers. Once he was back to normal, Gen rested the back of his head on his now human hands and resumed to ignoring Yoshimori. The tanner male was perfectly willing to pretend that he hadn't lost it a minute ago.

Yoshimori on the other hand wasn't as willing to let the issue go.

"So are you gonna tell me what I said to make you react that way or am I gonna have to play the guessing game?" he asked. When Gen continued to give him the cold shoulder, Yoshimori shifted to whining. "Oh come on Shishio, how are we going to better our relationship if you keep refusing to talk to me?"

"Maybe I don't want to better our relationship" Gen countered unconcernedly.

"Ha! I made you speak to me!" exclaimed the Kekkaishi in victory.

"…"

"Hey, don't go silent on me now!" complained Yoshimori when he got no response. "Come on this is important. How am I gonna be able to fix the relationship between the Sumimura's and the Yukimura's if I can't even get through to you"

That proved to be the wrong thing to say as Gen bared his teeth in an angry snarl. "So what, I'm your experiment now? Is that what you are saying?"

Yoshimori gulped as his gaze came in contact with Gen's furious eyes but then he scowled and glared back. They continued on like that until eventually both looked away at the same time.

"Look, just drop it okay" said Gen as he closed his eyes. Yoshimori begrudgingly relented and laid his head down on his pillow again, also closing his eyes in the process.

After the silence lasted for about 5 minutes, Gen had convinced himself that the Sumimura had fallen asleep. But then, of course, Yoshimori had to prove him wrong.

"Um Shishio?" started the Kekkaishi speaking more softly than what he recently had been doing. "I want your opinion on something so be honest alright?" he said opening his eyes to stare at the clouds. "Do you think a relationship can be fixed no matter how broken it is?"

Gen opened his eyes at this, unknowingly joining Yoshimori in staring at the clouds. The ayakashi-hybrid licked his lips to remove the dryness as he contemplated his answer. "I really wish, something like that could be accomplished"

'Huh?' Yoshimori turned his head and fixed his gaze on Gen. There was something strange about the way he answered and Yoshimori wanted to know what. But before he had a chance to ask, he was thwarted by a school broadcast.

"Testing, testing, 1, 2, 3. To everyone in Karasumori, good afternoon. It's the Kokubourou here…"

Both boys jolted up into a sitting position as the rest of the message continued to be relayed. Sharing one quick glance with each other they wasted no time in getting up and sprinting inside the building.

"Where's the P.A. studio?" Gen demanded as they rushed through the halls.

"Up to the right!" Yoshimori shouted before looking out the window. "Wait they are outside!"

By the time the two of them got to the yard the five ayakashis in human skin where already passing through the school gates. Yoshimori stopped Gen from going after them just as Tokine arrived to meet up.

After discussing the impending danger they all agreed to regroup outside Karasumori thirty minutes earlier than the appointed time. Yet Yoshimori was quick to oppose the idea of asking the grandparents for help. He based his argument on the fact that their elders, primarily his granddad, wouldn't be able to cooperate with each other and right now what they needed was team unity.

That said, Yoshimori turned his full attention to their newest member. "Shishio, what about you? Can we count on you being able to work with us?" he asked directly. It took a second for Gen to break eye contact and then he began to walk away. "Hey!" shouted Yoshimori indignantly.

"I'm committed to my mission" was all Gen had to say on the matter. But this time it was Tokine who tried to put a stop to him.

"Wait up Gen!" she implored effectively halting his steps. "Can you at least promise us you won't recklessly try to fight them by yourself?"

If Gen paid any mind to what was asked of him he didn't show it as he didn't hesitate to continue his trek back home.

"Damn, that bastard" Yoshimori grumbled, stomping his foot as he did so.

Tokine just sighed but kept her eyes on Gen's retreating back. "He's… too honest to make a promise he might not be able to keep" she analyzed, making Yoshimori glance up at her. "Right now, that was probably the best he could offer us"

~0~0~0~

That night, when they all got together and entered the school, things didn't progress as they had hoped for. As the enemies where spouting their demands and the Kekkaishis were pointedly refusing them, Gen kept his eyes on the one who called himself Kaguro.

Gen could already tell that was the strongest among the ayakashi, and he had a pretty good guess that its forte was its speed. Gen was sure in his own abilities to react fast enough to any attack but…

'They are too close' Gen stressed in his mind as he spared a glance to his allies. Taking two steps backwards he urged the Kekkaishis to do the same. But before he could get his point across he saw Kaguro taking out a blade while staring intently at Yoshimori. 'Shit, this is bad'

What happened next could only be explained as an overwhelming difference in power. Gen was struck down immediately after he had rushed at Kaguro and then everything faded to black. Meanwhile Kaguro smiled seeming pleased with the outcome. He only needed one hostage to assure the negotiations ran smoothly and although he originally had his eye on the smaller Kekkaishi, he figured that the one he struck down would do as well.

When Gen's consciousness came back to him he immediately started coughing up blood. 'Damn it, that asshole. He made a complete fool out of me' he thought, punching the ground as his anger increasingly amplified by the second. "He'll pay for this!" he growled already losing control of his emotions.

'He better not think that I'm going to take this lying down!' Gen raged inwardly. His hands and his feet where already transformed and his jaw was enlarging, but he was too furious to keep himself at that level. "I'll pay him back a hundredfold! RARRRGGGHH!"

Yet he didn't get a chance to do just that as Hiba Kyouichi chose that precise moment to make his presence known as he stabbed Gen's upper back with four different sedatives. A few choice words were exchanged before Gen blacked out again.

The next time Gen came to he felt disorientated so he didn't move nor opened his eyes. He wanted to fall asleep again yet when he heard Yoshimori's distinctive voice; Gen senses suddenly became more alert.

"Hey! What's with your attitude? Isn't he one of your friends?" Gen heard Yoshimori yelled a question that was only met with laughter.

"Pff, a friend?" replied Hiba quickly losing the amused tone in his voice. "He's a monster. Can a person who can barely keep control of himself do a job?" Hiba shook his head as if responding to his own question. "This guy can't be in a team; much less a family. He can only go wild. Isn't it obvious?" he voiced what he thought was a rhetorical question. "His real family threw him away. He's barely a part of the Night Troops too"

At this Gen opened his eyes. All he saw was the ground so he quickly figured he was being carried over Hiba's shoulder. Hiba however remained unaware of this and continued his speech, his voice reacquiring its previous amusement. It almost felt like he was telling a ghost story after all. His next words completely froze Gen of all movements.

"Did you know? He, he almost murdered his elder sister. When his three elder brothers weren't around he attacked his sister and almost killed her. He's alive today because his parents were too scared to take revenge. He's… oh?" he stopped when he felt the weight on his shoulder shift.

Gen detached himself from Hiba's grip and stood on the ground with his own two feet. Even so, he kept his head bowed down because he didn't want to face anyone in the eye. Not wanting to remain the center of attention he lugged his way away from the others.

Hiba spared him a side glance and told Gen to gather his belongings. Yoshimori however shouted for Gen to come back.

"I'm going back home" muttered Gen as an end-all making it clear that he didn't want to be followed.

"Keh" Hiba smiled not being able to keep the snide comment to himself. "You have no home to go back to" he corrected.

Tokine stared at Hiba with wide eyes while Yoshimori lowered his head enough for his hair to cover his eyes. The only thing in his demeanor that hinted Yoshimori's reaction to Hiba's cold response was the trembling fists located at either side of him.

~0~0~0~

Once Gen arrived at his apartment he automatically collapsed face down on his futon. Soon afterward he rolled over so that he was facing the ceiling.

He tried clearing his mind of tonight's events but that just made him stumble on the memory of the Chief telling him that he believed Gen would do a fine job protecting Karasumori. A responsibility the ayakashi-hybrid would probably be dismissed off by this time tomorrow.

Taking a sharp inhale of breath, Gen's brought his right arm over his face to cover his eyes from the world. He did not want it to see him breaking down.

…

The very next day Gen was back to laying on the school's rooftop like nothing had ever happened and it pissed Yoshimori off once the boy found him.

"Hey. Why are you here, sleeping?"

"Were you looking for me?" countered Gen with another question.

"S-Shut up!"

"…"

They laid next to each other in a somewhat comfortable silence until, as Gen already came to expect, Yoshimori broke it.

"Are you… going back to the Shadow Organization?"

"I don't know, they haven't sent word yet"

"Hey Shishio" began Yoshimori. There was something that'd been bugging him since last night. "What is that about you breaking 'the ban'?" he asked but then sighed afterward. 'Like he'd answer. As the question is about him it's obvious he'll say something along the lines of 'It's not related to you, blah blah blah'"

"There are two main types of ayakashi hybridation, the parasitic type and the unified type" Gen started to the surprise of Yoshimori. "Parasitic types can change a part, but unified types can change their entire body"

Gen swallowed before getting to the next part of the explanation; his voice now carrying a graver tone. "I'm a unified type, meaning I can transform but… a full transformation is banned. That's because the person becomes a monster too" he said stopping only to breathe. "Yes there are memories, but they're useless. You can't control your powers and you don't understand why but just like that everything you see you-" Gen abruptly cut himself off and stood up.

The Sumimura sat up at this. "Hey! Where are you going?"

"What Hiba-san said was true" Gen stated, facing away from the other as he stood on the ledge of the roof. "I… almost killed my sister" he confessed. "That's the relationship I'll never be able to fix no matter how much I wish too"

"Shishio!" called Yoshimori but it was too late. Gen had already jumped away. "Damn" he cursed.

Yoshimori ran a hand through his hair in frustration before bringing his knees up and crossing his arms over them. 'Why did Gen talk so much today?' he wondered sullenly. 'Not only that but he didn't even looked at me the whole time' he thought as he rested his head on his arms in defeat. 'Guess it really is over'

And yet, Yoshimori couldn't let it go. He kept thinking back to that moment when Gen had rushed in to fight Kaguro. There was no denying that the action probably saved Yoshimori's life; and so, it was only logical that the Sumimura felt like he was indebted to the taller male.

'Damn it, I just can't let it end like this!'

Finding his resolve, Yoshimori jolted to his feet and ran in search of the ayakashi-hybrid. But no matter where he looked Gen was nowhere to be found. That only meant that Gen had fled the school's premises; and because of that, there was only one route of action Yoshimori could take.

~0~0~0~

The last class of the day was free period. Hiromu Tabaka was busy sitting on his desk and organizing the latest data he received about a highschooler named Julia, a.k.a. the Leopardess of Karasumori, when Yoshimori came literally bursting through the door and making outrageous demands.

"Where does Gen Shishio live?" demanded Yoshimori while slamming both hands on Hiromu's desk.

"Excuse me?" responded the other boy with a raised eyebrow. "What makes you think that I have that information?"

"Don't feed me that bull!" Yoshimori argued making a scene. "I saw the glint in your eye when we heard that he lives alone. There's no way you didn't research it to find out if it was true!"

Before Yoshimori could start raising his voice more, a hand landed on his shoulder to calm him down. Looking up Yoshimori saw that the hand belonged to his other classmate, Tomonori Ichigaya.

Calamity avoided, Tomonori turned to Hiromu and pointed out how he saw when the other followed Gen one day after school. Already feeling busted, Hiromu decided to come clean; but with conditions of course. He was a man of business after all.

"Alright, I'll tell you what you want to know. But first you gotta tell me what I asked you to find out about Tokine Yukimura" he said negotiating the terms of the trade.

"W-What? When did I agree to look into anything for you, especially about Tokine?" asked Yoshimori getting flustered.

"Oh you surely remember. I told you I was going to ask you whether or not she was dating Kimiya Hachioji, the proclaimed Prince of Central High? I still have fellow students asking me for confirmation on the rumor"

"That's none of your business, but if you must know then the answer is NO, she is not dating anyone!" he bellowed before grumbling the next part. "So there, now tell me what I want to know"

"Aw, that's too bad" sighed Hiromu in disappointment. "There's nothing I can do with that information. Plus that means I'm back to square one. Once again I find myself with no compromising data on that girl. Isn't there something else you can give me?"

"I'm not revealing anything!" Yoshimori stated putting his foot down.

"Well that sucks. You have to acknowledge that the information you gave me isn't worth the information I have" Hiromu mumbled to himself before raising his index finger as he was hit with what he considered a great idea. "I know, how about this? I'll swap with you Shishio's address if you tell me the reason why you are suddenly so interested in it" he offered.

"Huh? Why would you want to know something like that?"

"Because!" Hiromu exclaimed, opening his notebook on the page he had reserved for Yoshimori. "Last thing I recorded here was that you wanted to kill him. Assisting murder is a crime so I think I deserve to know what you intend to do with the address before I give it to you"

Tomonori Ichigaya nodded at this as he fixed his glasses. "Hmm, you have to admit he made a valid point there" he stated.

"So? Are you going to answer?" pressured Hiromu. "What's your relationship with the transfer student? What is he to you?"

"M-My relationship with Shishio? I, eh, um, uh-" started stammering the Sumimura before the last bell rang signaling the end of a school day. Yoshimori then scowled at his classmates and spun himself around before stumping his way out. "You know what, forget it! I don't want to deal with incarcerated people like you"

"Incarcerated?" Hiromu asked once Yoshimori exited the classroom.

"I think he meant to say 'inconsiderate'" proposed Tomonori.

Hiromu shook his head at this. "Nah, I was thinking more along the lines of 'incredible' or something like that" he argued while closing his databook. "But you know; now I feel kinda bad for not telling him what he wanted"

"Well maybe you'll still have a chance to do so" reflected Tomonori as he took notice of something in the desk beside him.

Not three seconds later Yoshimori dragged his feet back into the room while muttering stuff about forgetting his backpack. It wasn't until he was making his way outside again after retrieving said backpack that he heard Hiromu's voice call out to him.

~0~0~0~

'Aha! There's the fast food restaurant. That means I just have to walk two more blocks and turn left before I get to Shishio's place'

Yoshimori was following the directions Hiromu had written for him in a loose piece of paper and, after confusing some of the reference points with other establishments more than once, he was finally taking the correct path toward his destination.

'Heheh, trying to brush me off like that. I can't wait to see the look on Shishio's face when he figures out that there is no escaping me'

x-x-(Scene 2 from Yoshimori's Overactive Imagination)-x-x

Future!Gen: Yosh, I should had known I wouldn't be able to push you away. Please step into my apartment.

x-x-(Back to Reality)-x-x

'Hmm' Yoshimori frowned at the scenario he just came up with. It didn't seem to quite fit. 'Maybe that was just the optimistic approach. Okay, let's try the worst case scenario'

x-x-(Scene 3 from Yoshimori's Overactive Imagination)-x-x

Future!Gen: You, how dare you disturb my slumber? Now I shall eat your soul!

x-x-(Back to Reality)-x-x

"Yikes that could totally happen!" muttered Yoshimori pressing a hand on his chest to calm his accelerated heart. 'Talk about scary, maybe this isn't such a good idea after all'

Just then, as the Sumimura turned the final corner, he looked up and saw Gen landing on a balcony. Coincidentally Gen also spotted Yoshimori and wasted no time bursting indoors.

"Oh no you don't!" shouted the Kekkaishi as he sprinted on the flight of stairs to reach Gen's doorstep. After reaching it he took a moment to compose himself before ringing the doorbell.

He was met with nothing but silence.

'Huh, that's odd' he thought as he rang the bell again before knocking on the door. And yet again he was met with the same result. This in return only served to make Yoshimori get grumpier.

"Come on Shishio! I know you're in there" whined Yoshimori as he continued to bang on the door. "There's no use pretending!"

"I don't need a newspaper subscription" came Gen's gruff reply.

"What the" sputtered Yoshimori getting caught off guard. "What does that have to do with anything? Are you gonna invite me in or not?" he inquired. When he got no reply Yoshimori decide to go with plan B. "Fine, then I'll just scream at you from outside!" he declared stubbornly.

"Do whatever!" retorted Gen making the Kekkaishi's eye twitch.

"Grr, what's the matter with you? Can't you see that I'm trying to help here?"

"Sure you are! And I bet you also expect me to believe that your stupid plan of fixing your family's relationship with the Yukimura's has nothing to do with this" Gen shot back.

"I- uh-" spouted Yoshimori unintelligently. To be honest he had completely forgotten about that plan. "This has nothing to do with that!" he argued.

Only silence came after that, making Yoshimori's shoulders drop. The Kekkaishi leaned his back against the door and let himself slip to the ground. Unbeknownst to him, he was now assuming a similar position to Gen on the other side of the door.

"You know, the least you could do is confront me face to face" complained Yoshimori from his position on the ground.

"Well maybe I don't want to see your face" countered Gen for the sake of argument. There was no real bite in it though.

"Too bad" retorted Yoshimori while scratching the side of his head. "Cuz I kinda wanted to see yours, so there"

Gen snorted at that but otherwise said nothing. The sad truth being that for some odd reason he also wanted to see the other's face. He couldn't phantom why he felt that way and it rattled on his nerves. After all he knew that he would only be met with disappointment if he did.

They stayed quiet for a long time after that. Neither of them knowing if there was anything left to be said yet not wanting to leave in case there was. Yoshimori exhaled as he studied the Houin in the palm of his right hand.

"Do you, do you really hate your powers that much?" asked Yoshimori absentmindedly as he was lost in thought.

"…Yes" responded Gen after some hesitation, his voice awakening Yoshimori from his trance like state. "I, it's a curse okay? Because of it I feel like I can never stay in one place" he confessed while thinking of how the Night Troops had him going from mission to mission always changing locations. "I have to keep moving because I'm not wanted anywhere"

"Heh, it's funny you put it like that" mumbled Yoshimori, no real humor in his voice. "You see, sometimes I feel like the cursed one" he admitted.

Gen wanted to ask why the other boy felt like that, the vagueness of the answer intriguing the ayakashi-hybrid, but said nothing. In the end it seemed like he didn't have to as Yoshimori began to elaborate without any prompt.

"Because the Houin mark appeared on me, it is my born duty to watch over Karasumori. That means that I have to rest and train during the day so that I can do my job at night. It also means that I can never leave my post no matter the circumstances. I guess what I'm trying to say is that because I'm the legitimate successor I am chained to a stupid peace of soil.

I never got to go to any school trip because it interfered with my duty. I'm also not allowed to leave the town under normal circumstances. Heck, I don't even know my way around town that well. I got lost twice in my own hometown as I tried looking for your apartment, can you believe that?" joked Yoshimori halfheartedly as he rummaged for something in his backpack before standing up. "I kinda feel jealous you know. At least you get to see the rest of the world"

Yoshimori looked back at Gen's door after making his admission but, as he already expected, no reply came. The Kekkaishi nodded toward the door just the same and made his departure. It was painfully obvious that he wasn't going to get anything else from Gen but Yoshimori didn't let himself feel discouraged yet. After all, he still had one more card left up his sleeve. 'Masamori'

It was a minute after the Kekkaishi had already gone that Gen opened the door to his apartment. He rested his forehead against the doorframe and gritted his teeth; but it wasn't out of anger, it was out of another emotion he wasn't quite ready to accept.

"I can't believe, he actually came… looking for me"

Gen felt numb as he didn't know how he was supposed to feel in such circumstances. He opened his eyes to glance at the spot he assumed the shorter boy had spent his time in only to find that it wasn't empty.

There on the floor, and much to Gen's chagrin, laid an unopened carton of coffee-milk fresh out of the market. The ayakashi-hybrid shook his head at the other's naivety and closed his apartment door from the inside, coffee-milk in hand.

~0~0~0~

As night came Yoshimori could be found standing still on top of the school's building. He was going through everything his older brother revealed to him about Gen and was conflicted on which course of action he should take. It was not easy trying to solve a problem when he didn't even know if Gen wanted to stay or not.

'Ugh, I feel like such an ass after all the things I said to him. I'm surprise he hasn't killed me yet... no, on to more important things like getting Gen to stay in order to repay my debt to him. But damn it! If only Gen put up more of a fight or even said something along the lines of not wanting to abandon his mission then I'm sure it would turn up alright!'

Before he could continue his inner rant he heard Tokine call out his name; soon followed by a comment from Hakubi about how it was rare to see Yoshimori at his post so early.

"Have you seen Gen?" asked Tokine once she landed in front of Yoshimori. "He's not around"

"Tsk, who cares" grumbled the Sumimura to which Madarao couldn't help but to intervene.

"Aww tell the truth! We came early so you could wait for him"

"Shut up!" Yoshimori defended.

"Oohuhuhu, you're blushing!" teased Madarao as he drifted away. It was obvious he was enjoying himself a little too much.

Tokine shook her head at the childish behavior before deciding to take the lead. "Anyways let's look for him. He's probably here somewhere"

Meanwhile Gen was perched on a tree wondering why he hadn't received any word of his dismissal yet. He briefly contemplated the thought that maybe Hiba had let it slide but quickly shot it down. Hiba hated him so there was no way that Gen wasn't reported. 'It seems that soon I really won't have anywhere to go'

Fortunately Gen was interrupted from dwelling into further depressing thoughts when Karasumori's two Kekkaishis called out to him. Unfortunately he fled as he didn't want to hear what they had to say to him.

And so a chase began.

Even with them on pursuit, Gen's troubled mind continued to run a mile per second. 'Because they're too well mannered they probably just wanted to say some sappy goodbye… No, they might even want to criticize me one last time. Whichever it is, they haven't seen my full transformation yet. They don't know of the monster I really am. Under these circumstances if I don't meet with them until I get sent back to the Shadow Organization it will end without them… hating me more'

But Yoshimori wasn't letting him run away. Masamori's words about not letting go of Gen's hand echoed vehemently on Yoshimori's mind. And soon, what started as a chase ended up as a battle between both boys. And it continued until Yoshimori let loose those fated words that made the other boy falter. "I want you to stay here, Gen. I need you!"

What happened next was the stuff that storybook endings were made of. Tokine also voice similar words as Yoshimori and then Hiba appeared to inform them that Gen got to stay but on probation. It was all so unreal to Gen that he had a hard time swallowing it. But from the one arm hug he was given by Yoshimori and the congratulations Tokine and the demon dogs were directing his way, it seemed that it was indeed real.

But it was still too incomprehensible to believe. "Get off" commanded Gen as he tried to push the other boy away but to no use as the Sumimura kept attaching himself to Gen. "Stop clinging to me"

Tokine laughed. "Well now that that's all settled you can start cleaning up this mess Yoshimori while Hakubi and I take care of the ayakashi"

"What?" Yoshimori stammered but Tokine sprinted off before he could protest. As Yoshimori was busy fuming about the unfairness of it all, Gen was trying to retain his grip on reality. He didn't want to let himself get carried away and foolishly go along with the flow if come tomorrow nothing was really going to change. He had to rid himself of false hope now or he wouldn't be able to handle it the next time something like this happened.

He was still a monster after all.

"Next time…" Gen began, struggling with his words. This got the attention of both Yoshimori and Madarao who were still in the vicinity. "Don't say things like you… need me if you don't really mean it" he said while staring unfocusedly at his right claw. "It's not nice, to play with me that way"

Madarao and Yoshimori shared a look with each other before the Kekkaishi started to approach Gen. Madarao, however, stayed behind in order to watch the exchange between the young ones with a contemplative look on his face. The dog could tell that there was something developing here and he wanted to know what.

Gen was surprised when someone grabbed his clawed hand. He turned his head and caught Yoshimori staring intently at him. And for the first time Gen had trouble looking away.

"Shishio" started Yoshimori with both hands firmly holding Gen's claw. "I don't exactly know what's going through that head of yours but I meant what I said. I believe in you and both Tokine and I want you here. Bottom line is that I need you. So what do you say? Friends?"

"I, uh-"

"Great!" Yoshimori cheered, not giving Gen a chance to voice an objection as the Kekkaishi began to trot away. "So as my new friend it's your duty to help me clean!" stated Yoshimori with the finality of a winner as he began summoning his shikigami.

Gen could only gaze at the other's retreating back before lowering his eyes to the ground and then to his now human hand. His emotional walls were shaking and he wondered if the world got some sick satisfaction from torturing him like that. In his turmoil he was completely unaware of how a certain 500 year old demon dog kept on observing him.

In the end Gen could only stare at the night sky with a dismayed look on his face. 'Why did he have to go ahead and say something like that?' he asked himself as he reflected on Yoshimori's spoken words. Words that engraved faith in a heart that didn't want it. 'Now I, probably won't be able to forget it'

~0~0~0~

A/N: Okay now, I think that this chapter was a little more representative of what I'm trying to do here. Anyways the stage has now been set for feelings to start developing. I hope that you are enjoying the story thus far. Until later!