AN: I always enjoyed a Kagome/Hiei pairing… Oddly enough, I'm continuing this story. Read and review please!
Disclaimer: None of these character belongs to me, so I appreciate it if I don't get a lawsuit in the mail o.o
7 – Aniki
. . . Porcelain face, smeared with tears . . .
Just as Kagome was about a mile away from her grandmother's temple, Hiei magically appeared next to her. Normally, she'd be surprised, but her mood was a bit morbid at the moment.
"Hiei...Welcome back."
The fire youkai, whom was usually greeted with an enthusiastic smile, was a bit put out from her tone. "Obaasan?" He asked...almost afraid to say anything.
Her mood darkened some more. "Hai..." She drawled out, her shoulders slacking as her steps became sloppier. Apparently, whatever happened in Genkai's temple did not go so well. Well, Hiei never doubt for a second that Genkai is a little crazy for a human.
When he felt Kagome stop, her turned to look at her. She was looking down at her feet, almost like a sulking child. When she looked up, there was a half smile on her face as if she thought about something.
"You want to get some frappuccino?" She asked, almost too excitedly.
Hiei, unsure how that was brought up, only nodded his head.
"So...Yea. Genkai, a powerful wizard or warlock, is my obaasan. I mean, she means well, but I seriously don't want to go through her training! I have a feeling it'll be hell"
Kagome turned to Hiei with an exasperated look. "Do you know what I mean?" She asked.
"Iie," he replied simply as he took a sip of the frappuccino.
Kagome almost fell off her chair. They were currently sitting on the high chairs that Starbucks offered, both staring out the window at the pedestrians. Kagome stared at him for awhile, a soft smile on her lips. Of course he didn't understand.
"I do not have a grandmother to sympathize with you," he said, almost as an afterthought.
Kagome tilted her head in confusion and a little concern. She didn't want to offend him, in any circumstances.
"Hontou ni?" She asked carefully. This was the first time she's ever heard of him talking about his family.
Hiei smirked ruefully. "You humans depend so much on a bond that weakens your mind, poison it even," he claimed calmly, "I do not need such bonds to survive." There was almost haughtiness in his tone. "Family . . . nothing but a weakness."
Kagome stared at him as he turned to look at her, a smirk adorning his flawless face. They stared at each other for awhile. Hiei smirked triumphantly, prideful that his point was crossed. Kagome, on the other hand, had her lip twitched slightly.
A couple of seconds later, Kagome's head dropped down and she started to laugh softly.
Hiei looked at her, the morbid humor all gone on his face, dropping to a glare. "What are you laughing at onna?" He asked, almost irritably.
"Hehe...You," she said as she shook her head and turned back to the window, innocently sipping on her vanilla bean frap.
"Onna..."
She shrugged. "I know when to tread carefully when it comes to conversing with a great and powerful fire youkai."
"And what is that supposed to mean?"
She turned to him and smiled softly before turning back to the window. Especially when you've created so many bonds around you.
Hiei's mind reeled slightly as he did a double take at what he heard. Her mind. That was definitely her voice. "What did you just say?"
Kagome turned to him in surprise.
"Nothing?"
He tried to read her mind once more, but nothing. It was only the soft feel of her aura that penetrated his mind. "I didn't say anything else...did I?" She asked quizzically.
Hiei scoffed and turned back to the window. "Iie...You didn't," he replied, a bit disappointed.
"Especially when you've created so many bonds around you."
He kept what she said in his mind, contemplating what she meant.
"Sai!"
Kagome's aura pulsated throughout the spacious meadow, the training ground that her grandmother provided her, filled with an overflowing powerful, positive energy. Kagome was dressed in a simple white gi, her hair in a simple low ponytail. She was barefooted against the soft grass. Her aura vibrated in her surrounding, separating the grass beneath her feet, but not completely burning it.
As her aura eased down, Genkai with her hands behind her back frowned.
"Sai!"
Kagome's aura flared once more. Genkai knew that Kagome had a lot of potential. She was just privileged to be able to teach her. And about time to.
"Sai!" Genkai exclaimed.
Kagome's aura flared once more as her eyes were closed in concentration. She had her hands intertwined together through her knuckles, her form of concentrating.
Genkai turned her head to the footsteps behind her, only to catch her first apprentice tiptoeing away, wanting to escape his own training. "Yusuke! Five thousand spirit pushups you slacker!"
The spirit detective's shoulder drooped before he dropped down on the ground and started doing pushups using as little spirit powers as he can.
Genkai smirked and turned back to Kagome. Her aura dimmed to outline her form, a sway of the wind told her that she didn't release her hold on her powers, but weaken it. Genkai glared at her second apprentice. Granddaughter or not, she was still under Genkai's reign.
"Kagome! Sai!"
Kagome jumped slightly before closing her eyes in concentration and filled her surroundings with her powerful aura. Genkai was training the limit of Kagome's powers, to measure the endurance of her energy. To Genkai's pleasure, Kagome was doing very well. She's lasted in that meadow for at least two hours now, and never once, released her aura.
After the battle with Yuushin, the escaped A-class youkai, Genkai wasn't surprised. Even subconsciously, her granddaughter wanted to become stronger. Still...Genkai did not doubt for a second that Kagome was not a lazy ass like her first apprentice. The girl, after her memories mysteriously vanished, continues to live on like a normal civilian, trying to be ignorant of her mysterious past. Even Genkai does not understand why she continued to strive to be normal. Kagome was anything but. . .
"Tea is ready Genkai-sama."
Genkai stopped her musing and turned to the small porch where Yukina sat on her knees with a tray of delicious tea in front of her. With her sense of smell, Genkai can tell it was jasmine.
"Alright you slackers! Break time!"
Yusuke dropped heavily on the grass as Kagome completely released her energy. She fell on her knees as she panted, wiping the sweat off her forehead with her sleeves.
Genkai smirked as she walked towards the porch. Secretly, she enjoyed torturing her pupils.
"Ahhh..." Kagome sighed happily. "This tastes so good Yukina."
The koorime smiled softly. "I'm glad you like it Kagome-san."
She grinned at the soft spoken youkai. One of the reasons she would love to visit the temple, other than talk to her obaasan, was to visit Yukina. The girl made the best tea and a good listener.
"So, how have you been Yukina?" She asked casually.
"I've been fairing well..." Yukina trailed off.
Kagome plopped her head down on the board with her hands behind her head. Yusuke was asleep right next to her, snoring.
"...Thanks you Genkai-sama of course."
She knew her obaasan was kind; even to take in a female youkai. She just wasn't so sure why...
The miko sat back up and stared at Yukina in curiosity. She never once asked the koorime about her past. For a youkai to travel far enough to Ningenkai there must be an objective.
"What made you decided to come to Ningenkai?" Kagome asked.
And just as those questions left her lips, did Kagome wish she hadn't opened her mouth.
"...niki."
"Eh?"
Yukina turned to her, a somber expression on her beautiful face. Her deep maroon eyes stared into Kagome's blue ones. "My aniki," Yukina said, "I...My aniki...I heard that he left Meikai to take care of business in Ningenkai."
Kagome watched as Yukina turned back to her cup of tea, hiding her expression. "I never knew who my brother was...I was never told that I had one until my thirteenth birthday. In the koorime village, on our thirteenth birthday, it meant we were adults. When my mother told me, I ran away to look for him. I don't even know what he looks like. I just know he was working his way to be stronger. I just know he was just trying to survive a dark world, alone."
Yukina turned to her, a tear drop falling from her cheek as it materialized into a pearl. The koorime's lips were trembling. Pearl and pearl continue to roll down the porch. Kagome, sympathetic a little heartbroken to see such an expression on the beautiful koorime's face grabbed the girl in a fierce embrace. Kagome smoothed the girl's hair out as Yukina gasped in surprise, her eyes widening.
"Daijoubu..." Kagome muttered into the girl's ear.
Yukina's eyes widened as Kagome held her tightly, as if keeping her from breaking. Another sob racked through Yukina's body as she shook.
Yukina lowered her head onto Kagome's shoulder, covering her face from anyone's view as she tightly grabbed the hem of Kagome's haori.
"I-It hurts me to...to know that he's alone in the world..." Yukina said. Kagome understood. The soft youkai she held was empathetic on her own, even with her youkai blood.
"Daijoubu Yukina...just cry," Kagome whispered softly.
And so she did.
As Hiei jumped down from the tree and landed next to the miko, the first thing he said was...
"Yukina..."
Kagome, bag strapped to her bag blinked at Hiei to her side. "Uhhh...hai..." She said a little unsure. He knew Yukina?
"...She was crying?"
She raised an eyebrow. What was with him?
"Hai..." She said, still baffled about the question.
A moment passed by before Kagome finally registered what just passed between them.
Kagome shook her head out of her dazed mind. "Wait? You know Yukina?" She asked.
Hiei glanced at her from the side his eyes. There was a spark in his eyes, a softness that he rarely shows.
Eh?
"Hn."
Japanese Terms:
Sai = Again
Preview:
"Uso! You're in love with Yukina!" Kagome exclaimed as she pointed at Hiei. Her eyes widened a fraction of a size.
For the first time since she met Hiei, this was the first time his eyes widened significantly. He stared at her incredulously.