A/N: Hello! We are now on chapter 4! ^^ Whoot! Thanks so much for the reviews! I'm trying to make this story a page turner, so please tell me how to improve. I love advice, as long as it's constructive. If you're going to be mean...well, I don't know what to say about that. Forewarning: this chapter is a bit long.
'Thoughts of Kurama and Aaron (I'll try to differentiate as best as I can)
'Hiei's thoughts'
Enjoy!
In your thirst for knowledge, be sure not
to drown in all the information.
- Anthony J. D'Angelo
A Trip Inside of My Head
A fox demon and a demented voice in my head, all in one day...there's only so much a girl take.
Kurama led me behind an abandoned building a few blocks from Michelangelo's, never looking back to see if I was following him.
I thought it was kind of funny...although Kurama's English was perfect, he still had a slight accent that labeled him as being Japanese, where Hiei didn't have an accent at all.
Speaking of, Hiei was surprisingly quiet as I walked behind Kurama – just an ember in the back of my mind... That was weird.
Something was up, I could feel it. Even though he was walking in front of me, I felt like Kurama was watching me, kind of like a lion watches a gazelle...
Like he was wondering what I tasted like.
As we rounded the corner of the old shirt factory, I saw what we had come here for. A beautiful motorcycle sat propped in the middle of the weed-infested lot, it's black paint shining in the sun. I was no bike expert, but it looked rather expensive.
I hadn't realized that I had stopped until Kurama turned to around beside the bike, smiling, "Don't worry, Aaron, it won't bite you."
I swallowed, taking a few tentative steps forward. Why was I so afraid? Kurama had showed me nothing but kindness, but for some reason I was terrified. Hiei had said that Kurama was waiting for me, so that must have meant that he was trustworthy, right...?
'So, you're not stupid after all.'
I shivered. "Will you stop that?" I hissed softly, not taking my eyes off of Kurama. He was still smiling, but somehow his expression had changed... it was freaking me out.
'If you value your life, don't trust him.'
"But why?" I felt stupid, talking out loud to a voice that only I could hear, and I was getting more aggravated by the second.
'He is a kitsune. They are crafty; never trust one completely.'
"...Will he hurt me?" I whispered, my hand flying to my throat. I was ready to run, but if this guy was as fast as Hiei was...
'No. Not now, anyway. But don't trust him. He's a demon, never forget that.'
Kurama chuckled, snapping me back into reality. When had he come to stand beside me?! "You ought to listen to him – Hiei very rarely gives warnings to people; you should feel honored."
I swallowed hard, stepping back "You...can hear him, too?"
He blinked, as if that was a stupid question "Of course." He turned, sliding a red bike helmet over his head, pulling the shade up to look at me. "Come on, I will drive you home."
"Huh?" I peeked around him at the mean green black machine "On that?"
"Yes, on that." His green eyes were sparkling with laughter "Unless you do not approve?"
I could feel my legs beginning to tremble "I've...never been on a bike before."
"Really." He made it a statement, his smile widening as he turned to his motorcycle. "Then this ought to be a treat for you, then. Oh," He turned to look back at me, an inhuman look on his face "and to answer your question, no – I am not as quick as Hiei, but I am fast enough for it to count. You'd never escape."
Good to know. Monster logic from one of the monsters.
Kurama's body was very warm against mine as we rode through highway traffic; how he had gotten all of his hair into that helmet was beyond me.
I knew that he was laughing at me. My head was buried into his back, my arms wrapped in a death grip around his waist. I had squeezed my eyes shut shortly after our ride had began and had given him directions to my house. I could feel the wind tearing at my sides and hair from where it spilled out of my helmet, but I didn't care, I didn't dare look. In other words, I was being a coward.
Kurama's skin scent was so strong that I could smell it through the helmet – a strong earthly blend of dirt and roses. It was...soothing.
I had never ridden this close to a boy before. I didn't know that they could be this warm, this comforting, this...soft.
The memory of Hiei's lips filled my head. They were so soft and full, yet they could laugh at you or scorn you in a second...
I couldn't get him out of my mind. This was the first time in my life that I had been infatuated by a boy, and we had only met once...
Fangs.
Fangs and red eyes, blood-red eyes filled with hatred, the hatred of a demon...
They were both demons.
'Don't fall asleep.'
I jerked, almost falling off. "You...you can do it, too?!"
I felt Kurama smile 'It's not hard. Give it a try – just think what you want to say, but direct your thoughts at me, like we're having a conversation.'
'…' I concentrated, closing my eyes 'Like this..?' I felt stupid, like I was talking, no, thinking, to myself.
'Yes, good job.' I heard laughter bubbling in his voice 'I'm impressed. Most humans never learn how to do that; but then again, you are a special case.'
'S-special...?' Okay, I didn't feel like a complete idiot.
'Yes; I will explain later.'
The rest of the ride was quiet; I guess he knew that I had a lot to think about.
I could speak...telepathically, like in comic books? I really could? Only one way to test it. 'Hiei?'
No response.
Okay. 'Hiei, are you there?'
Nothing.
Third time's a charm. I took a big inner breath and thought as loud as I could 'HIEI!!!!'
'WHAT?!' He snapped, his presence filling me like smoke in a chimney.
I could see him if I closed my eyes. It was faint, a smoky apparition at best, but he was there – as arrogant and spiky-haired as I remembered him. 'I...I can SEE you!'
He scowled at me 'If you called me just to point out the obvious, I'm leaving.' He turned and began walking away.
'No, wait!' He stopped his retreat, turning back to face me. 'I...' What could I say? 'Why did you tell me not to trust Kurama? He's your friend, right?'
'…' He shrugged 'Just some helpful advice – Don't ever trust anyone completely; people will disappoint you every time.'
'I thought you didn't like me...?' I was stalling. I knew that, but I felt like Dr. Strange from the Marvel comics doing this...! It was so cool!
He scowled 'What's your point?'
'Why are you helping me if you hate me? Why are you talking to me if you don't like me?'
His smoky apparition cocked an eyebrow 'Last time I checked, you were the one who begged me for help.'
I ducked my head – that much was true.
'As for why...'I actually FELT the hatred in his voice 'you are to blame for that. If not for the mark on my shoulder, I would have killed you long before now. I cannot stand the thought of being connected to something as vile as a human...'
What...? 'Wait, I'm confused...What do you mean by "bonded"? What exactly did I do?'
He laughed, and it wasn't happy sounding at all. 'If you don't know the answer to even that, then you really are an idiot.' He sighed.
I felt my anger rising. Who was he to judge me? I thought I had done very well in not trying to purify him for not being human. So what if I didn't understand? His voodoo demon magic is what caused all of this! 'Listen, you-'
'The fox will explain it in terms that even you can understand...I don't have the patience to explain something elementary to a stupid human.' He turned to go, and I knew that he was leaving for real, now.
'Yeah? Well maybe I don't like you either!' I knew it was childish, but I didn't care 'Spiky-haired smokescreen!' I poked my tongue out at him, knowing that he couldn't see it. Slowly, he faded from my mind's eye, and I was left by myself.
I was so confused... I didn't understand him, not one bit. If Hiei hated me so much, then why had he bothered to help me? Why had he given me the advice about Kurama? Why was he hanging out inside of my consciousness? My head hurt, only this time it wasn't because of Hiei's presence (which is what I took the fiery feel for). I felt the beginnings of a migraine coming on, and I didn't like it, not one bit.
"We're here."
I snapped back into reality. Sometime during my conversation with Hiei, Kurama had turned off of the highway and followed the twisting forest roads to my house... How long had we been talking?!
I stepped down from the motorcycle as Kurama took off his helmet, shaking out his red mane. My house was an average-sized-two-story house, with cream-colored paint and dark green window shutters. It stood in the middle of a yard that was big enough to be called a field; a maple tree about the size of my house stood about twenty feet away from it, my family's version of a two-car garage.
Asher's blue Ford Torino, the kind with the police package, sat under the tree. Just to clear this up, my brother is not a cop. Don't get me wrong, I have no problem with the police, but Asher has no interest in becoming a cop. He never has. Asher...
Then it hit me – my brother was home.
"Crap." I said with feeling, putting a hand on my hip. "My brother's home."
Kurama cocked an eyebrow "Is that a bad thing?"
"Yes..." I groaned, massaging my temples. "I was hoping he'd be awake and gone by now." I sighed at his quizzical look "My brother works the night shift at the car garage in town. The owner thought it would be good to have a twenty-four service policy because accidents don't operate on business hours, you know? It makes sense, but he's usually gone by now... He gets in around midnight and leaves around eight in the morning. He comes home to eat, sleep, and the occasional talk, and...that's about it.
"Asher is my twin brother." I explained, trying to multitask by thinking at the same time. How in the world would I get Kurama in with Asher home...?! "He usually isn't home at this time of day."
"Neither are you." He pointed out.
He had a point. "Look, can you stay out here for a bit? I'm sorry, but I've got to see what kind of mood my brother's in. He acts like he's my big brother, and thinks he has to protect me and stuff, so I really don't want him to jump you, okay?"
Kurama smiled, leaning against the tree trunk. "I wait with bated breath."
I rolled my eyes, trotting to the front door. Take a big breath, Aaron, you can do this... He's just your brother, Asher won't kill you over a boy... Why didn't I believe that?
The only thing Asher and I have in common are our faces.
My brother was at least a foot taller than me, with longish brown hair that was just light enough to be counted as blonde and piercing blue eyes that could laugh one minute and be as cold as winter's ice the next. He was darker toned than I was – the Indian in our family really came out in him, while I had inherited the trickle of Irish flowing in our line. Asher was a very kind person, but he wasn't stupid, and didn't take very well to blonde jokes.
He was now standing in front of the open refrigerator, drinking milk straight out of the carton. Ew. His wardrobe consisted of a pair of gray sweatpants, with the pull-string hanging loose and his blue boxers peeking out of the top. That's all. No shirt, no shoes, zip.
"What are you doing home?" I demanded, leaning on the bar in the kitchen.
He stopped, peering at me through his tossled bangs. "I live here...?" He put the carton back in the fridge and sighed, closing the door. "...Don't you have school?" He managed to say, his voice thick with sleep.
"I skipped."
"...Whatever." He yawned, scratching his tangled hair. "I'm going to bed."
"You haven't been yet?"
"I had to work Roy's shift." Asher yawned again, shuffling past me. "I just got in about ten minutes ago..."
Ouch. He'd be asleep for most of the day. What was I supposed to do about Kurama? "Hey, Asher?"
He stopped in the hall, looking back "Huh?"
"What do you think of red heads?"
He yawned one final time, rubbing the back of his neck "...They're gingers – they have no soul."
Asher's verdict before he went night-night. Seeing as how Kurama was a demon, I found this kind of funny.
~*~*~
How in the world was I going to sneak him in?
I pondered hard as I walked slowly up the steps to the second floor, where my room was. The second floor was pretty much my part of the house – it consisted of my room, which was more like half of a loft, and a bathroom just for me. That was all. My bedroom was separated from the stair landing by a door, which is more than I can say for most lofts.
I bit my lip, turning the knob in my door. Asher was a light sleeper, even in his current state, so sneaking Kurama in through the front or the back was an automatic no-no. Maybe I could make a makeshift ladder out of sheets or something. I'd only seen it done in movies, but maybe it would-
My breath caught in my throat as I opened the door. Kurama was sitting on my bed smiling at me, with my puppy Lazee laying across his lap. Oh my gosh...!
"H...how did you get up here?" I finally managed to say, closing the door carefully behind me.
My room consisted of my bed, which rested in the far right corner of the room below my window, my ever-growing tide of stuffed animals that took up the left half of it, and my dresser and antique vanity, which were both at the foot of my bed. Kurama was sitting beside my open window – it hasn't been open when I left this morning.
"H...How did you...?"
He smiled, not ceasing in petting Lazee. My brenal pit bull puppy was eating up the attention that she was getting, giving me a squinted apologetic look. Traitor.
I went on when he didn't say anything. "The tree's way over there, so you couldn't have gotten in that way, and there's no way that you could have climbed up the side of the house..." The little hamster that powered my brain was running around in circles, confused, his running wheel forgotten.
"Would you believe it if I told you that I jumped?"
I blinked, trying to register this. "You jumped." He nodded, his smile widening as Lazee grunted her approval at a spot that he was petting. "Way up here." He nodded again, laughter in his eyes. "There's no way..."
"I'm a demon, remember?"
How could I forget? "How are we going to do this? Asher is downstairs, so we can't be making much noise, and..."
"No noise is necessary." Kurama said, scooting Lazee gently from his lap as he stood, offering me his seat. I hesitated, but finally took it. There was no reason for me to feel uncomfortable in my own room, right? Even though I didn't like people towering over me the way that he was, I could deal with it.
"Okay, let's get this show on the road." I grumbled, a bit uncomfortable at the way that he was staring at me. "How do we do this? Is this going to be a long lecture, or...?"
"Oh no," He smiled, and it wasn't exactly pleasant. It was sort of...devious "I have a more...direct way of handling matters such as this. For you see," He stepped towards me and I scooted back to where I was fully on my bed. Okay, he was starting to creep me out just a wee bit... "humans forget so much through simple lectures because their brains eventually lose interest, but on the other hand..." He continued moving forward, and I kept moving back until I was pressed against the wall with his body almost touching mine. "If you encrypt the information directly into their minds...they can never forget it."
"Um, Kurama?" I said uneasily, trying to find a way to wiggle around him. "Can you back up? You're starting to creep me out a little bit."
His eyes had a strange glossy sheen as he touched my hair, as if not all of him was home. The moment he touched me, a deafening roar filled my ears, and searing fire fried my brain. I bit back the scream that bubbled in my throat, squeezing my eyes shut. Pain, pain, go away. Pain, pain, go away...
"You truly are beautiful." My eyes snapped open. Kurama was sitting back, no longer touching me. Even though his eyes still had that weird look in them, the feeling behind it wasn't the same. Where before he looked as if he had wanted to devour me, now he looked...curious, as if he had just found something interesting. "All things considered, Hiei cannot help but feel extremely protective over you, even if he does hate the position that he's in... He's fortunate that his mate is beautiful, though, many aren't so lucky."
My thought process stopped completely. "His...WHAT?"
He cocked his head, like a dog would "His mate." I was pulling a blank. Kurama blinked "You mean to say that he hasn't told you?"
'What is he talking about?' I demanded, trying my best to glare at Hiei in my minds eye.
'…' He remained silent. I LOVED how he was quiet when it was convenient for him.
"What do you mean...his mate?"
"Well..." He sighed, as if he was explaining something tedious. "Sort of the human equivalency to a soul mate – a person made just for you, although it can happen to more than one person that you are involved with. Certain guidelines must be met."
I gaped at him.
He sighed again. "I apologize, but if I am to do this, it will be in my way."
It was like a great rose-scented wind swept through my brain. I breathed in and choked, intoxicated by the smell. I felt Hiei fight against it, his fire rising against that wind; but then I felt a pair of soft hands cover my eyes, and everything went dark for a second.
When I could see again – well, I say "see", but it was like watching a movie in my mind, only I'm a part of it – Hiei was gone. Poof. As in I couldn't feel his presence period.
I could see Kurama clearly in my mind's eye, as if he was standing in front of me. 'What...happened?'
He smiled 'Hiei does not need to be present for this lecture. You seemed to be bothered by his presence inside of your mind, so I made him leave.'
'…' I crossed my arms, nibbling my lip 'You made him leave?'
He nodded 'It was not an easy task, if that's what you are wondering.'
'And we're in my mind right now.'
'That is correct.'
'And I don't suppose that I can wake up whenever I want?'
He laughed, his eyes twinkling 'I'm afraid not. You're at my tender mercies until this is all said and done. I owe that much to Hiei.'
'...Why do I think that you're doing this for you just as much as you're doing it for him?'
Kurama smiled 'That just might be the case.'
I sighed, massaging my temples. His accent, as cute as it was, was beginning to grate on my nerves. 'Look, can we just get this over with?'
He smirked, as if amused. I thought that was a natural state for him. 'You don't like my voice.'
'Hiei's is more tolerable than yours is. I'm sorry, I know that sounds rude, but accents just annoy me if I'm around them long enough. Although your English is perfect – it's better than MINE – Hiei doesn't have one.'
'That is because Hiei does not have a set home country: he grew up anywhere and everywhere.' It seemed that both of us were fans of sighing. 'Now, where to begin...?'
'For being my teacher, you're not very good at teaching.'
He shook his mane of red hair, a half-annoyed look on his face. 'This is just difficult to explain; demons are taught the rules of mating from birth, so it is trifling to try to teach them to a human, to someone who does not know our laws...'
I frowned. Well, excuse me for being human...! I could see why Hiei and Kurama were friends. 'How about we do it this way: What's the deal with the marks that Hiei and I share?'
He smiled; apparently this way was much easier. 'As I said before, marks are shared when something of significance happens – that's why they can be shared by more than two set people. There are three types of marks: the first, which is the easiest to receive, the second, which is harder to get rid of than the first, and finally the third, which is literally almost impossible to destroy. You and Hiei share the first mark.'
Okay, that was easy enough to understand. 'How did this happen? I mean, I didn't even know him before yesterday...!'
'The first mark - the foundation for the rest, if you will – can be shared between two complete strangers, as in your case, as long as the criteria for it is met.'
'What criteria? I didn't DO anything!'
His eyes narrowed, as if he was thinking hard on this. 'I know the basic story of your situation from Hiei, but when he came to me, he was so angry that the details were skewed... Did the two of you do anything of importance?'
'No, not that I'm-' Then it hit me.
The kiss.
'We kissed, but that was it.'
He cocked an eyebrow, 'You kissed.' I nodded, ducking my head.
Kurama threw his head back and laughed. 'No wonder Hiei came to me in such a panic! He must be furious...!'
'What?' I demanded. I don't like being laughed at, especially by people I don't even know. 'What's so funny?!'
He calmed instantly. The transformation from laughing to completely serious was sort of scary. 'Hiei has never kissed anyone before, at least...before you, he hadn't.'
I swallowed 'You...you mean that this...'
'Yes, you were his first kiss. The reason that the two of you share the first mark is because you kissed him. Hiei can come into your mind freely because you are now bonded together, just as you can communicate with him in much the same way. The two of you are bonded...and it's all because of you.'
Because of me...? I had done this? I had bonded myself to a demon unknowingly?!
Oh...my...God...
I fainted on the spot, distant laughter serenading me as my world went black.
A/N: Hello! I am so sorry for the long wait, but I have been so busy with school! You would be surprised at how much work college is! I also apologize for all of the dialogue, but it was necessary. What did you all think of Asher? He's going to appear again, so I hope he's likeable! :)
Tell me what you think! (I pray that Aaron doesn't come across as a Mary Sue...because she's not.)
roseeyes out!
