Moments in Time

By: wolf demoness

Chapter Two: Get On With It Already!

Kurama's POV:

Of course I knew Shuichi was interested in me. The first night I brought him home, drunk and staggering, from the bar he thanked me with a deep, sloppy kiss. Originally I figured that in his inebriated state he'd mistaken me for someone else. As time went by though I began to notice him glancing in my direction with that look in his eyes. As a youko I'm no stranger to desire and admiration.

In my former life I was considered a great beauty even among a race that was in general considered extremely desirable. Demons would come from far away with gifts and marriage contracts. Begging my hand. I, however, was not interested in anything long-term. I had had my fare share of lovers and am not inexperienced in that venue. A few decades ago I would have taken him as a lover that night, but after twenty-three years of living as a human I didn't want to rush into anything. Also, he was really drunk and it just wouldn't have been fair. The last thing that I needed was a lover affair to expose me as a demon or to hurt one of the people I care most about in this world.

When I noticed his appreciative glances I decided to wait. To bide my time and build up a friendship with him before trying to become anything more. I knew it was going to be hard, I'm a youko for Inari's sake! Having a ready, willing, and able lover in my house and not taking advantage of that's just against my nature. That's probably why I spent so much time in the morning walking around in boxers or pajama bottoms. I decided that he was going to make the first move, and he was. Even if the frustration killed the both of us getting there.

The night we went to the new club downtown that Yusuke had been raving about, I was very impatient. Eleven weeks and not so mush as a baby step in the right direction. "Maybe I'm loosing my touch," I thought as I sat at the bar and sipped a coke. "Not that I'm complaining, but I wish he would at least make a move." Shuichi's in the corner chatting up some girl with a really bad dye job. He always goes for the redheads. He's really transparent you know. Oh, she blew him off. Too bad. "There's a redhead over here you can have!" I think. Inari he's so oblivious. I wonder what he'd do if I showed up in his bed one night, sans clothing. Huh, oh look he's got another one. If this performance were all I had to go by I would think he was the straightest person alive, but I know better. They're heading out to the dance floor now.

"Um, hi. Do you, like, want to dance?"

A bleach blond in a tight black dress interrupts my pity party. Usually I say no to dance invitations, but tonight. I glance over at Shuichi. "Yeah, sure. I'd love to." I take her hand and led her to the floor. Kitsune are animal spirits and control the living elements of the Earth, plants. However being "natural" creatures we are closely linked to the cycle of life, death, birth, renewal, etc. Sex is a big part of that cycle and so by nature we are very sensual beings. The energy that a kitsune controls can be wielded as much toward floral manipulation as it can toward pleasure. Some of that energy always leaks out around us; it takes a very strong kitsune to mask this energy for any amount of time. That is how Kuwabara can sense me and that is why women and men look when I walk by. Dancing is inherently sensual by nature, or at least in the Makai it is. When a kitsune dances the energy that he leaks into the atmosphere intensifies. In other words if I walk onto the floor I know all eyes will be on me. Usually I don't want that kind of attention, but tonight I think I'll put on a little show.

The blond starts dancing. She's clumsy, to be kind, but that doesn't matter. She's not the important one here. She rubs up against me and sways in time to the song. One surreptitious glance over my shoulder tells me that Shuichi's little friend is angry with him. Apparently he hasn't heard a word she's said. "Are you listening?" she asks. No response. Oh, look, she's leaving. He hasn't noticed. Hee hee hee. Yes!

******

After the dance Charlotte, the blond, follows me around like a lost puppy. As best I can tell she's still dazed from being so close to me while dancing. This is embarrassing. Why won't she leave?

"Oh, I love this song! Do you want to give it another go?" She is touching my leg! This is way unacceptable. She smells like she drown herself in some fruit scented body spray she got from the clearance rack at a discount superstore and I can't even begin to describe how many layers of foundation she has on. Plus, that last dance made her sweat and now the make-up is starting to run and clump.

"Ah, no thank you." I glance around. Shuichi's coming this way. Thank you, Inari! "On, my friend's coming. It's been a lovely evening, but I think it's time I was going. Thank you so much for the dance Charlotte. It was truly a pleasure." I touch her cheek. Ick! The plaster is on my hand now. Eeew. Okay smile Kurama, Shuichi is watching.

"Oh well, maybe I'll see you around cutie." she said. Then she sauntered off into the crowd.

"So, who's your friend?" Shuichi asked.

"Huh? Oh, hi. Her name's Charlotte. So, what happened to the blonde you were with?" I turned and smirked to myself as Shuichi tried to act nonchalant about the whole thing,

"Oh, she said she had to go somewhere, or something."

"Right. Let's go home." I said. "This isn't really my scene."

He looked surprised. "I thought you were having fun with what's-her-name." I looked at him. "I mean you never danced before and I thought, that maybe you liked her, or something." He leaned against the bar, tilted his head back and refused to make eye contact.

"Not my type," I said.

"Not your type," he said incredulously.

"Nope." I threw some money on the bar to pay for my drink. I made sure to graze his hand when I drew mine back. "Lets go." He can't miss that signal, I thought.

"Sure," he said.

When we got home I put on some silk pajama bottoms, leaving the top on the dresser and sort of sauntered out to get a glass of water. Shuichi was in the kitchen fixing himself a snack when I came in. I noticed that when I bent down to get a glass from one of the low cabinets, he was watching the whole time and his breath hitched. I could hear his pulse speed up; my hearing is very sensitive. That night I left my bed room door open. I waited about an hour. At two AM I heard footsteps coming down the hall then, a door shut. I got up to make sure I had heard right. And there it was, plain as day. He went to bed. The fool actually went to bed! Without me! If I'd been in youko form I would have been growling. Never, in either of my lives have I ever had to seduce anyone. They all threw themselves at my feet and begged to be let into my bed. Not that I expected that from Shuichi, but a goodnight kiss would have been nice, or maybe more than a kiss. Moping I went back to bed.

******

The next week dragged by like they always did leaving one confused human and one sex deprived youko. On Saturday night I suggested that we go to a movie. Inari knows that the club didn't work. Maybe Shuichi would show a little backbone when the lights were off.

At the theater we got popcorn, sat down and watched the trailers. Who was the fool that decided that every movie must be preceded by twenty minutes of trailers? Now I sound like Hiei. I must be in a bad mood. Oh well, the movie's starting. It's actually pretty good. The leading lady is cheating on her husband with the pool boy, but what she doesn't know is that the husband's going out with the maid. Anyway there's a whole comic situation in there where the pool boy and the maid team up to rob the couple blind. As a former professional I can tell you that that's not the best way to go about a heist, but they have some funny one-liners.

About an hour in, while the maid, Yvonne, is distracting the husband, Lance, while the pool boy, Ron, breaks into Lance's briefcase to steal his account access numbers, I notice that Shuichi's foot is hooked around my ankle. "Yes! He is touching my leg! Yes! Yes! Yes! I knew this would w…DAMN IT!" I think when look in his direction. He's so wrapped up in the movie he doesn't realize where his foot is. I think he saw my head move. He's shifting his foot away. "Oh, no you don't!" I think. I hook my foot around his ankle and trap his leg by pressing it against the side of the chair. "You started this, now you're going to finish it." I think to myself. I absolutely refuse to look at him as he stares at me. When the movie ends I drive back. He doesn't say anything. I don't speak either.

When we get home he falls onto the couch in a daze. I walk to my room, drop off my wallet and keys. Turning off the light I walk back into the living room. He won't look at me. Sigh. Well I'm not playing this game any longer. I wanted him to make the first move and he did. Now it's my turn. I sit down next to him. Close. Thighs touching. He swallows hard, but he's not moving. I just let him sit there. I've been patient for months I can wait a little longer. After awhile I try to remember all the verses to this song my dam sang to me as a kit, to distract myself. I'm stumped on the third line of the sixth verse when I feel fingers on my cheek. He turns my head and presses a soft kiss to my lips. I lean into his touch. Mmmmh, he tastes like soda and popcorn.

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I'd like to take a moment to thank my wonderful reviewers. You have no idea how excited I was to receive your comments!

Minamoto Miyuki: Thank you so much for your excellent suggestions. I really appreciate your input and am working hard to iron out those details.

Rei Akita: Your wish is my command.