Gray's Elegy

3 Meet the Humans

"Mother, I can explain," he said quickly. Shiori looked at him, her surprise growing.

"It's not like you have to explain having a friend over Shuichi."

He was bumped aside suddenly by the girl on the floor, who turned to the human woman with pleading eyes and clasped hands. "Very sorry! Not him, not him, my fault! He help. Bad men," she tugged at her shirt, Shiori's shirt, and searched for words to make her meaning clearer. "Attacked."

"Why, is that my old shirt she's wearing?"

"Yes Mother, she was mugged," he said, repressing the sigh of relief threatening to escape. He hadn't been exactly sure how he was going to explain to his mother why there was a strange girl in his room, one who was obviously not his classmate.

"Mugged? How terrible! And you helped her Shuichi? My brave boy," she smiled fondly while the girl nodded enthusiastically. "But what happened to her clothes?"

"They were shredded, not fit to wear. I had to throw them out. I hope you don't mind, but I thought it would be alright if I let her borrow one of your old shirts."

"Oh of course! The poor dear, she must stay for dinner! Where is she from?" She took a step closer and added in an undertone, "Her Japanese is not very good is it?"

"I'm afraid not. I'm having trouble communicating with her," he had an idea to buy himself more time. "She speaks German, and my English is rather good, the two languages share some similarities so we've been able to communicate, but I haven't been able to determine where she's staying yet. I encountered her on my walk home from school."

"Oh, she can't tell you? Well we cannot let her wander alone and hope she finds her way. Tomorrow before school you can take her back to where you found her and see if she can find her way from there. She does look very young though, I'm surprised she's not in school."

"It is possible she goes to the international school."

"Yes of course, dear. Well I'm going to start on dinner, please explain, if you can, that she's invited to stay."

"I will Mother." With a last fond smile the woman left the room, leaving the door only a crack open. They both waited silently for her footsteps to retreat down the stairs. Once she was out of hearing Kurama quietly closed the door and let out a breath while running a hand through his hair. Sadly I think part of her ready acceptance was the fact that Hana is the first girl I have brought into this house.

"Was she a human? Is everything all right?"

"Yes, you did very well. I'm surprised how fast you picked up those words." She looked more reserved instantly, shifting so that she wasn't directly facing him and avoiding his gaze. "My mother would like you to stay for dinner. I'm afraid you'll have to put up with cooked vegetables, but you might find you like them," he said, dropping her linguistic ability for the moment. "She also said you could stay for the night, but after that we'll have to find someplace for you to go."

Hana looked at him carefully, her dark eyes unreadable. He shifted slightly under her gaze but returned the stare, otherwise not allowing it to ruffle him. "How do humans eat?" she asked at last.

"I guess I need to explain about chopsticks. Here take these pencils, and hold them so," he demonstrated using a pencil and pen that had been lying on his desk. She regarded him dubiously as she took the objects and tried to balance them in her hands. Twenty minutes later she was still having trouble holding them correctly as she tried to pick up bits of paper he crumpled and dropped onto his desk. He taught her a few polite greetings and tried to explain about the placement of dishes on the table as she worked as mastering the mysterious chopsticks.

"Shuichi! And Shuichi!" The boy and girl started at the cry and looked towards the door. Shiori's normally quiet voice was able to carry surprisingly far in the house. "Dinner is ready!"

"Come on," Kurama offered the girl his hand and she let him pull her to her feet. "Are you ready?"

"Yes, I want very much to see these humans you live with who cannot tell that you are a demon."

"Hana, you're making me nervous."

"Don't worry, I will not stick my eating spears into the fire hole," she smiled brightly as she followed him down the stairs and into their dinning room. Hatanaka and the younger Shuichi were already seated and Shiori was placing the last plate on the table as they entered the room. Hana stopped in the doorway and preformed a little bow, which surprisingly was not too far off. The gesture seemed to charm Kurama's mother who smiled brightly and waved them to their seats.

"So your mother tells me you interrupted a mugging today," his step-father said with a smile as he adjusted his glasses. "That was rather risky, wasn't it Shuichi?"

"Not really," Kurama replied as he lowered himself into his seat. "They ran when they saw me coming. Hana-chan, this is my step-father," he said to the girl.

She smiled politely and said "Hello," rolling the word a bit strangely. She smiled at the younger Shuichi as well and the boy stared back at her in surprise.

"You didn't tell me you had someone over," his tone was slightly accusing as he glanced at the fox demon.

"Well he probably didn't want you pestering him with questions," the man of the house laughed in an amiable tone as he reached over to pat his son. "And how was your day my boy?"

"Boring, nothing interesting happened to me."

"Well that's probably for the best," Shiori said with a smile. "Too much excitement can be bad for you." They had all started eating, chopsticks clicking and pleasant dinner conversation buzzing around. Shiori had drawn her son in with questions about his day at school, his homework and clubs, preventing him from keeping his attention fixed on the demon sitting next to him.

"Chi-chan, Chi-chan," he looked down as he felt a tug on his sleeve. 'Is she really calling me Chi-chan?' he thought irritably. 'Of all the nicknames…' "I'm having some trouble," she said, holding up her hand in which the chopsticks were awkwardly positioned.

"You're holding them wrong again," he said with a small smile, reaching over and fixing the girl's grip. "Try again."

"Almost," she huffed as the rice slipped from her grip. "Yes, look!" She held up a carrot triumphantly before sticking it in her mouth. He smiled at her, feeling some pride in the little thing's quick wits. "The food is not terribly ill affected by burning, the liquid covering it makes up for it. I might actually enjoy it, but I keep having to pick around bits of flesh."

"That doesn't sound like English," Hatanka said, his chopsticks paused half-way to his mouth.

"That's because it's German dear," Shiori chided gently.

"Oh, okay then," he replied, reaching for another dish. "Quite impressive how they've worked out a way of talking."

"Why Chi-chan?" Kurama asked quietly as soon as the others were all occupied in conversation. The girl looked up at him, her chopsticks hanging from her mouth as she reached for a cup. Her large doe eyes watering slightly.

"The boy has the same name and you said I was not to use your true name in front of them. Is it offensive?"

"No, it's fine," he replied, still not liking the name one bit. Thankfully the meal did not become an ordeal. Hana kept quiet most of the time, her wide eyes staring around intently and despite her slightly vacant expression Kurama suspected she was taking in every detail. The others did not have him put many questions to her since they believed the pair had an incomplete understanding of one another. 'Which,' Kurama reflected as he translated some little comment of his mother's, 'is true in its own way. Though we both speak the language fluently we put it to different uses and I have to sift for her meaning.'

After dinner Hana followed him into the kitchen, carrying her plate and looking like a lost puppy. She got underfoot as they tried to clean up, but no matter what he said she would not just get out of the way. His mother put up with her with cheerful good will, remarking "what a sweet girl, doing her best to help." Kurama hardly thought she was trying to help as he nearly walked into her for the fifth time. She handed him the extra rice with a broad smile and neatly stepped out of the way just as Shiori bustled by. He couldn't help glaring slightly. "I help!" she exclaimed.

As soon as they had finished clearing the table and cleaning up Kurama grabbed his houseguest's arm and pulled her back upstairs, perhaps with a bit more force than was necessary. Once they were back in his room she began laughing, rising from a quiet chuckle to a rolling giggle. "I'm beginning to think I made a mistake in trying to help you."

"Oh no! I was just playing!" She fought until she could get her laughter under control. "I'm very grateful. I would have been lost otherwise." But she was still laughing at him.

"Let me see your ear," he demanded, advancing on her. The laughter died immediately and she backed away. He took another step and she darted towards the door, almost slipping under his hands as he reached out for her. Almost, but not quite, and she grunted as he took a firm hold of her and turned her around so that he could see the affected ear. "That tag needs to come out or it will get infected," he said, still too aggravated by her playful behavior to feel compassion for the fear in her eyes.

"Leave a wound to heal, do not make it worse."

"This is not the wild Hana." He dragged her over to the desk and turned on the brighter lamp there, pointing it to give him better light. It was looking even worse than it had been that afternoon and he pushed her into the desk chair. She had no notion of fighting him, but she was still looking for a means of escape as he rummaged through his desk drawers pulling out a roll of bandages and a pair of pliers. He also pulled over one of the plants on his desk and examined its leaves closely.

"Fox, what do you intend to do?"

"I intend to cut through the metal right beneath the tag in the front and draw out the bolt from behind. It will hurt but you must sit still Hana." Leaving her no time to reply he plucked on of the leaves from the plant and transformed it into a small blade while taking hold of the tag in his other hand. She closed her eyes and her hands tightened on her pants until her knuckles were white. She sat biting her lip her face screwed up until she heard a soft chuckle and felt something soft pressing against her ear. "That wasn't so terrible was it?" he asked, the amusement plain in his voice.

"Fox, I think I hate you," she said, opening her eyes to see his innocent smile as he continued to clean the blood and grime from her ear. The metal tag was lying on the desk and she glared at it with as much venom as she could gather in her small frame. He put down the now bloody swabs he'd been using and took up the bandages. And before his mother could knock on the door to ask what they were doing up there he had her ear bandaged and all the evidence swept into the trashcan.

"Oh, you're reading her a story, how sweet," Shiori said upon looking in. Her son and the girl were sitting on the floor, their backs against his bed with a large book held open between them, the boy's calm voice slowly speaking that strange little language the girl knew. "I just wanted to tell you the spare futon is in the hall closet and you can just set it up in here. I don't suppose Hana-chan would find the TV very interesting," Shiori mused, hovering in the doorway while the pair watched her. She trusted her son, and yet, she couldn't help being a worrying mother, she would rather have had them where she could watch them.

"I think I've determined where she's staying Mother. It's near Yusuke," Kurama said to avoid the coming invitation that was not a request to come downstairs. His mother's face brightened and she looked relieved.

"Oh wonderful, the poor girl must have been so upset to be lost. I'm glad you worked things out, just remember not to stay up too late dear."

"Of course Mom." She smiled again before leaving, leaving the door cracked. Kurama sighed, but didn't feel like getting up to go and close it.

"I am not in heat, why does she keep doing that?"

"Humans are different," he said. "They don't go into heat, or you could say they are perpetually in mild heat." The girl giggled and blushed slightly.

"Poor girls, that must make if very hard for them to think."

"Indeed," he replied, thinking of what awaited him the next day at school. She prodded him in the side and he went back to reading her his Chemistry book.

"I don't understand these ions and electrons. Why do they change clans?"

"Well it has to do with attraction."

The demoness slept on the floor, she refused the bed, was appalled by the very idea of sleeping on it. She prodded the futon suspiciously, took the large t-shirt that was offered as a nightshirt and curled up in the corner with a blanket and pillow, her back to the wall.

The alarm went off at seven and the demoness shot to her feet ready for flight. The fox demon however, turned over lazily and with a swat ended the buzzing. He sat up suddenly as he realized there was a very alert, very tense demon standing in the middle of his room. As his eyes fell on Hana he relaxed and shook his head, the poor thing was completely on edge.

"What was that?" she asked sharply, still tense and ready to flee.

"The alarm clock, it ensures I get up on time and besides lost sleep is harmless." She let out a breath and glared at him. Apparently not a morning person. He forced himself to his feet and walked into the hallway. Like always the two adults were already gone to work and Shuichi was still fighting a loosing battle against his own alarm clock in his room. He let out a pleased sigh and turned back to the girl who was fidgeting unhappily. "I think there is time for a morning bath," he said pleasantly. "You need one."

"I need to relieve myself," she muttered. "What do humans do?"

He blinked, he hadn't even thought of that, hadn't even noticed that she hadn't gone. 'Not like that is the first thing you think when you pick up a wounded demon in the park. "And when was the last time you went to the bathroom?"' He took her hand and led her to the toilet. She stared at him as he pushed her in, then at it, then back at him.

"What do I do?" She was fidgeting even more now as she stared at him.

"You," he paused to rub his forehead. "You sit on it, the toilet. Then you push the lever to flush it, it will make a loud noise but that's normal. Then you wash your hands." He turned the knob on the sink quickly to show her how it worked. She nodded dubiously and eyed the toilet with distrust as he backed out of the room and pulled the door closed. He walked down the hall to the bathroom as the younger Shuichi finally woke up enough to turn of his alarm. He drew the bath, checked the time, still plenty left, then went to find the demoness.

She was sitting on the floor of his room, her knees tucked under her chin as she rubbed her legs. "I do not like the toilet," she stated. He smiled and helped her to her feet.

"Now Hana, I want you to take a bath, make sure to take off the bandages before you get in. I will make some breakfast and find you something else to wear. When you are done wrap yourself in a towel," he held one out to show her exactly what he meant. "Do you think you can handle that?"

"Yes. I am dirty," she ran a hand through her matted hair. "It is because they threw me around so much and dragged me through the dust. But these humans clean themselves very frequently, do they not? I am not sure that I will like it."

"Yes they do bathe frequently." He herded her into the bathroom and handed her the towel. "Remember, the soap is for washing, don't eat it and don't drink the bath water." She closed the door in his face, with a slightly indignant look even though the day before she had been the one referring to the bathtub as a watering hole.

He got dressed and gathered his school books before heading downstairs. In the kitchen he found three bento boxes and a note from his mother explaining that she had made one for Hana since they couldn't be sure the child was being fed enough. He prepared breakfast making sure not to use any animal products and found it a slightly entertaining challenge. Just as he was setting out the plates and wondering if he should check on the girl there came a knock at the front door. He took his time answering it and the knocking became louder and more impatient, giving him a good idea of who it was before he opened the door.

"Ah, Yusuke and Kuwabara, how nice of you to drop by," he said with a slight gleam in his eye. He knew they were there for some reason; they rarely stopped by at 7:30 in the morning on a school day for fun.

"Hiei told us about the demon," Yusuke said.

"Yeah, and we want to see her," Kuwabara said quickly. "I mean, uh, help you out man."

"But mostly gawk," Yusuke laughed. "A demon that didn't know what humans are? You've got to be kidding me! And Hiei said it was a girl, but he wouldn't tell us if she was cute or not."

"Strange as it might seem I was actually planning on visiting you after school today Yusuke, to discuss the aforementioned demon." He stepped back, indicating that they could come in when he felt a prickle at the back of his neck and glanced back. She was standing there, in the doorway to the room, perfectly still, perhaps not even breathing. A stillness so perfect that you could look right past her, never noticing her in the periphery of your vision. She was watching the humans carefully, no emotion betrayed by her large dark eyes, and they had yet to notice her. "It's alright Hana. These are my friends and they won't hurt you."

Both boys looked at him like he was crazy, but then she moved forward and they were both suddenly aware of her. Kurama was also suddenly aware that she was there in just a towel. "Am I holding it up properly?" she asked as she turned her attention back to him. "Do you want to wrap me back up in those horrible bandages so that I suffocate and cannot move? I hate them very much. Do I have to wear clothes still? If I change back into my natural form I would not need them."

"Yes I'm afraid you have to wear clothes again and I will have to bandage the larger cuts that have not healed yet. Please go back upstairs while I talk to my friends." He caught her displeased and suspicious expression and added, "I'm afraid you are distracting them. Remember what I said about humans?" At this she burst out laughing, her eyes lighting upon Yusuke and Kuwabara with pure amusement.

"Poor creatures," she said as she left the room.

"Kurama, if you find any more girls lost in the park, share, why don't yeh?" Yusuke laughed. "Not that I'd go for something that young. If you find something with more curves," he illustrated curves with his hands in the air.

"Urameshi, stop being a pervert, Keiko would kill you!" Kuwabara said.

"You two can make yourselves at home, I have to rewrap some of her bandages. But please don't break anything," he said quickly as he saw the roughhousing coming on.

"We promise we'll be good!" Yusuke said as his red-haired friend left the room.