Author's Note: Thank you to everyone who's reading this story, and a special thank you to my Guest reviewer! I know that Yusuke and Koto are a weird pairing, but I really do think that they work together. Koto can handle Yusuke's love of fighting, and Yusuke doesn't judge Koto for being a little bloodthirsty. (I also really like writing fluff for them.) So thank you for the review, and I hope you continue to enjoy the story!
Post Date: 29 July 2016
Word Count: 6160
Chapter Eight
Best King Ever
"There you go, all better!" Koto smiled down at the little leopard, and his grin was all fang. Just one. On the left.
"Thank you, Healer Orikasa," his mother said with a deep bow. The little guy had tried to climb a tree and broken his arm, but Koto was able to set him to rights. The area would still be a little tender for a day or two, but he would be fine as long as he took it easy.
"You're welcome," Koto said with a bow of her own. As a lady, she only had to bow at the waist to the Lords of Demon World. To another noble, she only had to bow her head. She wasn't a lady right now though; she was a healer.
"It's barely been a week, and you've already improved so much. You're a natural, Koto," Hoshimi said and placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Does that mean I'll get to change this in for a black one soon?" she asked and pulled at the white badge on her arm. As a trainee, another healer had to be with her at all times to supervise. Hoshimi was the healer that she spent the most time with, but Hoshimi was very busy as the Head Healer so she sometimes got supervised by someone else. All of the healers had been very kind and welcoming though, so she didn't really mind the trainee status.
"Let's give it a few more weeks, hmm?" Hoshimi squeezed her shoulder before walking away, and Koto bit down on her smile as she walked behind her. Koto still worked on her meditation when there was no one that needed to be treated, and Hoshimi wasn't wrong about there not being a lot of healers left. Koto made the eighth healer; if anything huge happened, they'd never be able to keep up.
"Fine, but only because you asked so nicely." Hoshimi was whatever her patient needed, so she could bounce between professional and familiar. When it was just the two of them, the dog demon was very laidback. It was comforting, and Koto felt like she'd made another friend even though it'd only been a week.
After a few hours of focusing on her energy, Hoshimi let her go to lunch. The other female said she had other business to attend to and that Koto could take all the time she wanted. As long as she returned before the day was over. The dog demon must have been in contact with her sister, because she ran into Kele as soon as she reached the palace. Kele was on her lunch break too, and she'd forgotten to bring her own lunch to the school. So she was returning to the palace for something quick to eat. The two of them made sandwiches that they could easily eat while walking, and it was nice to walk with her older sister. She decided to walk her back to the school, and she'd double back to the healing center after Kele was working again.
"I'm glad to hear that it's going so well," Kele said once Koto finished telling her about her morning.
"It really is. I love doing it." Seeing that little boy smile at her earlier after she made his pain go away? That was something special.
"Then I'm happy for you." Her sister looked happy too, which was such a good look on her.
"What about you, Kele? Are you happy?"
"Of course I am. The school is—"
"I don't mean just the school. Are you happy? I know it probably hasn't been easy since Ginku's death, and I know you'll pretend to be happy for all of us. So, are you really okay?" Kele stopped walking, and Koto felt a little guilty for asking a question that probably seemed like it came out of nowhere. Koto had been thinking about it a little though. It couldn't be easy, losing a mate. Father was only able to hold on for a few years after her mother's death, and she'd heard other stories of demons dying right after their mates. Kele and Ginku weren't mated for very long, but she still worried about her sister.
"It may sound cruel, but I did not love Ginku. He was kind and a good mate, and I did care for him. I just didn't love him. Maybe, in time, I would have. Losing him was painful; I had just grown accustomed to always feeling another person's energy wrapped in mine and then it was gone. I think that was the hardest thing. That empty feeling? I have Kisuke though, and the girls, and you. I am happy, Koto, truly."
"You'll fall in love one day, Kele. I just know it." Her sister was so gentle but strong; one day, someone would come along and love her the way that she deserved. No more arranged matings, like she had with Ginku.
"So will you." With one last smile, Kele turned and walked into the school. Koto made her mind up a long time ago about her future mate. When she did decide to tie herself to another demon forever, it would be out of love. Love and nothing less.
.xXx.
"The nobles will be here tomorrow," Yusuke sighed. He was sitting on the edge of the bed, and Azuma took form across from him. The tall shadow warrior crossed his arms and leaned back against the wall, and it was kinda nice to see him. Azuma was quieter than his sister, but he made random comments during the meetings. They normally made Yusuke laugh at inopportune times, but Azuma kept him on his toes and focused. He'd been here for a week, and he was really starting to miss the palace.
"The nobles are nothing to worry about. They might make a small fuss, but they'll go along with whatever the lords decide," Azuma said with a nod in his direction. He was the youngest of all the lords, but demons didn't care much about age. He was respected because of his power, which was okay with him. He worked hard to get this strong. Even had to die a couple of times.
"I know. I just wish I didn't have to listen to it." Just the thought of a room full of nobles, politely yelling, was enough to set his teeth on edge. If he could go back to the palace, just for a night, he'd feel better. Rejuvenated.
"It won't be easy, on me, but I can take us back. We'll be there within a minute. I won't have the strength to return us until the morning though." Azuma had a look on his face like he wanted to smile, and Yusuke thought it over. If they could get back before the next meeting started, why not? He just wanted to sleep in his own bed for a night, and there was nothing wrong with that.
"You'd really do that?" He didn't want to be selfish and hurt Azuma.
"Of course. It'll be nice to see Kita again. We normally don't spend time apart." So this was for Azuma too. There was no reason why they both couldn't get what they wanted, just for a night.
"Alright. Let's go then." He'd already changed for the night, so he looked a little ridiculous in his loose gray shorts next to Azuma's perfectly tailored suit. Whatever. All he was gonna do was go to sleep, so all he needed was his shorts. Did Azuma and Kita sleep in their suits?
"I'm not going to dignify that with a response." Azuma gripped his shoulder, and Yusuke stopped breathing as the world went black at the edges. Then everything just went black and he couldn't have taken a breath even if he wanted to. It felt like a mountain was sitting on his chest, just for a few seconds, and then he could breathe again. The pressure on his shoulder was gone and so was Azuma.
"Urameshi?" The quiet voice made his eyes pop back open, and he squinted in the dark room. Did Azuma accidentally drop him off in Koto's room? No, this was definitely his room.
"Koto?" The lamp next to the bed flicked on, and the first thing he noticed was how Koto's hair was sticking up all over the place. She was wearing one of his old school uniform shirts, and the green sleeves hung down past her hands. Her hands, which were resting on top of the tossed back sheets. The bright pink sheets.
"Your bed is bigger and softer than mine, and I warned you about the sheets." She must have noticed him staring, and he moved his eyes back up to her face. She'd definitely been sleeping, because there was a small crease on her cheek from the pillow.
"How are you not burning up in that thing?" he asked and pulled on the end of the sleeve. He was standing next to the bed now, on his side of the bed, and Koto tipped her head back to look up at him.
"I get cold when I sleep," she shrugged.
"Well, scoot over. I'm only here for the night, and I'm freakin' exhausted. Don't know why fate thought making me a leader was a good thing." Koto scooted over while he was talking, and he dropped down into the empty space. He sighed as he laid down, and he reached out to turn the lamp back off. Huh, the sheets were definitely new, but they kinda smelled like him. Probably because Koto had been wearing his clothes to sleep in, which meant that she'd been sleeping in his bed a lot. Possibly every night since he left.
"Just for the night?" she asked once he fell still.
"This week was just for us lords. We start meeting with the nobles tomorrow, which will probably take another week. I've had a headache since I left." Koto made a quiet cooing noise at him, and he almost told her right where to shove it when he felt fingers in his hair. The touch instantly had him relaxing against the bed, and he felt the bed shift as Koto got closer. Her feet touched against his shins, and he nearly flinched back from the cold feel of them. The only reason he stayed was because he felt bad for her poor toes; she needed some warmth, and he had plenty to spare.
"You poor thing. Feelin' any better?" Now that she'd brought it up, his head did feel a lot better. It wasn't just from her fingers playing with his hair, even though that did feel amazing.
"What'd you do?" Her arms came fully around him, so that she was nearly holding him to her, as her fingers swept down the back of his neck. Whatever tension he'd been carrying slowly disappeared, and he sighed at the loose feeling.
"I've decided to become a healer. I've been training this past week, and Hoshimi says I'm a natural." Hoshimi…that was Hokushin's mate. He'd only met the dog demon a few times, but he liked her. She was funny and nice, and she was really good at running the healing center.
"You'll have to tell me all about it." His voice sounded slurred even to his ears, and he heard Koto's quiet laugh.
"Later. Get some sleep, Urameshi." Her feet were slowly warming up, because they were trapped between his calves, and he could feel his every muscle turning into putty as Koto played with his hair.
"Night." He thought he heard her say something else, but he was asleep before the words could register.
.xXx.
"Koto, don't forget that you're—Oh! I'm sorry!" Koto was still trying to wake up when the door slammed closed, and she blinked against the dull light in the room. The first sun hadn't even risen fully yet, but that had definitely been Kele's voice. Telling her not to forget something before running away. Why would she…oh.
"Too much noise. Make it stop," Yusuke groaned and pressed his face against the top of her chest. His hair tickled the side of her neck, and she looked down at him with wide eyes. He was completely bare from the waist up, which was unusual. He always wore a shirt when they slept in the same bed, but he probably wasn't expecting her last night. He'd also looked so tired.
"Come on, Urameshi, wake up. It's morning, and you have some nobles to ignore," she said and reached for his hair. That was the wrong thing to do, because he just sighed and slumped against her even more. It was a little different, being the one to hold him. She was lying on her back, and Yusuke was curled up against her side with his head on her chest. Her feet were still trapped between his legs, but she wasn't gonna complain because her feet were actually warm for once.
"What are you not forgetting?" The words were muffled against her shirt, against his shirt, and she scratched her short nails against his scalp.
"Kele has a teacher's meeting this morning, so I have to get the little ones up and off to school." Her arms were wrapped around Yusuke's shoulders, and he had one arm thrown across her midsection.
"When do you have to do that?" He still sounded like he was half-asleep, and she was almost sorry that she woke him up.
"In about a half hour or so. When do you have to leave?" He slowly lifted himself up at that, and she kept her eyes locked on his. She was no stranger to seeing Yusuke shirtless, but they weren't in an arena where he was fighting for his life. This was a little bit different.
"A lot sooner than I want to." He smiled at her, but the look didn't reach his eyes at all. She watched as he rolled off the bed and stretched out the kinks in his body, even though she told herself to look away. He wasn't wearing a shirt, so she could see the way the muscles in his back pulled and stretched as he moved.
"Maybe it won't take a whole week and then you'll be back home." She did her best to sound optimistic, and Yusuke smiled at her over his shoulder before moving over to his closet. He pulled out some clothes and then moved into the bathroom, and Koto scrubbed a hand through her hair before crawling out of bed. First things first.
"You know you don't have to do that, right? It's just gonna get messed up again tonight." Koto finished tucking the sheet in and tried to gentle her glare as she looked at Urameshi. He was wearing mostly dark blue, his pants and sleeveless shirt were the same dark color, but there was a yellow sash around his waist. It was slightly more formal than his usual clothes but not by much.
"I'll make the bed if I want to, and you can't stop me," she said and stuck her tongue out at him. She turned back to the bed to put the blanket in its place, and she yelped as hands grabbed her waist and twisted her around. Her back bounced off the mattress before falling still, and she held her breath as Yusuke pressed his fingers against her ribs. Not another tickling match. She hated being tickled.
"One day. Go one day without making the bed. If something horrible happens, you can make it every morning." His fingers lightly danced across her ribs, and she squirmed as she did her best not to laugh. Just when she thought that the light teasing touches were going to break her, he moved down and grabbed her ankle.
"Not the feet! One day! But that's all!" He grinned up at her, and she pushed her free foot against his shoulder. He moved back, but he pulled her along with him since he was still gripping her ankle. He let her go so that she could stand up, and she raised her index finger and pointed it right between his eyes. "Cheater!"
"I think the word you're looking for is persuasive." Damn him! She'd actually missed that stupid goofy looking smile of his, and it'd only been a week. A week. He was going to be gone for another week.
"Really? Because I think the word I'm looking for is annoying." They were standing too close together. She could feel the bed against her bottom, because it was really high off the ground, and she could feel the heat that was always pouring off of Yusuke.
"I guess that means you don't want that all-day spa pass." She felt her jaw slacken so that her mouth fell open, and Yusuke had this special little glint in his eyes. "And after I went through the trouble of getting Yomi to arrange everything. I guess I'll just tell him I don't need the passes after all. He'll be so—"
"Urameshi!" There was hardly any space between them, so it was only too easy to jump up and hug him. Her arms locked around his neck as all the laughter she'd been holding back came spilling out, and she felt Yusuke's hands on her thighs to help hold her up. Right, because her legs were wrapped around his waist. She was too happy to feel embarrassed.
"Best king ever?" He sounded like he was choking, probably because she was holding on too tight, and she leaned back a little. His eyes were wide and shining, and she swept her hand over his hair. He had gel in it, so she couldn't really run her fingers through it, but she wanted him to know that she was happy.
"You said passes," she pointed out.
"I thought Juri might want to go with you," he shrugged. His whole upper body shifted with the movement, so she did too. Her fingers laced behind his neck, and she couldn't stop smiling. He got her a pass, and he got one for Juri too. There was that thoughtfulness of his.
"You gotta stop surprising me, Urameshi. It gives me heartburn," she said, smiling all the while. Her chest did feel warm and tight, but it was a good feeling. A really good feeling.
"Can't you just say thank you like a normal person?"
"You don't like me normal." She said it as a tease, because she liked their banter, but her words struck a chord. In both of them, going by Yusuke's surprised look. Neither of them were normal, they were both a little different, but it worked for them.
"No, I don't." He raised one hand to pass it over her hair, and she probably looked like a mess. She'd seen her hair first thing in the morning, and it wasn't pretty. Yusuke wasn't looking at her like she had a wild animal on her head though; his look was…gentle. It made her throat feel dry and her fingers shake, and she slowly loosened her legs. Yusuke let her other leg go so that she could stand on the ground again, but she kept her hands braced against his shoulders.
"Tell Yomi I said thank-you." Her words broke whatever train of thought he was having, and he smiled at her as he brushed out a wild tangle with his fingers.
"I'll think about it." His eyes moved over to the open balcony doors, and Koto noticed that more light was starting to fill the room. "I really should get back."
"Then I guess I'll see you when you come home." They let go of each other at the same time, and Yusuke took several steps backwards.
"It's the Gardenia Spa. Just give them my name." She nodded at his words and raised her arms up to wrap them around her middle.
"Goodbye, Yusuke." His eyes widened a little when she used his first name, because she rarely used it.
"See you soon, Koto." A shadow fell over his shoulder, and he was gone after her next blink. The room felt a little colder without him in it, but Koto shook it off. She needed to get ready for the day, and she needed to go wake up the girls. Kisuke was with his mother, but the rest were her responsibility this morning. Yes, she had responsibilities. Just like Yusuke did.
.xXx.
"Then I guess I'll see you when you come home."
"We should go now, Yusuke," Azuma whispered. Koto's hands fell away from his shoulders just as he removed his hands from her hair, and he took a few steps back. If he stayed that close, he'd blow off the meeting just so that he could brush out all the tangles with his fingers.
"It's the Gardenia Spa. Just give them my name." Her hair bounced around her face as she nodded, and she raised her arms up to wrap them around her stomach. Like she was hugging herself. She almost looked like a little kid, especially in his too big clothes. His shirt hung down on her like a loose dress, and the pants she was wearing went past her feet.
"Goodbye, Yusuke." He hadn't heard her say his name in a while, but he liked it when she used his first name. She looked so small, standing in his room in his clothes. He didn't want to leave her.
"See you soon, Koto." He felt a hand gripping his shoulder, and they were gone in the blink of an eye. When Yusuke could breathe again, he was back in Enki's palace.
"Your energy disappeared last night. I hope you managed to get some rest for today," Yomi said after Yusuke sat down next to him. He should have sat next to Hiei, but that also would have put him next to Koku. She tended to hit the people next to her when she started ranting, and the woman ranted like most people blinked.
"I just went home for a little while. Wanted to sleep in my own bed," Yusuke answered. He wasn't really sure when his palace in Tourin became home, but that was what it was. Home.
"I wish I'd had the same luxury," Yomi said quietly. Gandara wasn't that far away, but it wouldn't do Yomi any good to go back there. Even if he ran at full speed, he'd have to turn around as soon as he made it to his palace to make it back in time.
"I don't know, I think it made me even more homesick." He only got to be there for a few hours, and now he missed it more than he did before he went back.
"I think I can understand the logic behind that." Yomi's ancient and kind of a genius, so he could probably understand the logic behind most things.
"Time to begin!" Enki yelled. Yusuke sighed and sat up a little straighter in his chair, and he listened as Yuta started rattling off names. Time to begin the start of his next headache.
.xXx.
Seeing Yusuke almost felt like a dream as she carried her two youngest sisters down the stairs. She almost couldn't believe that she'd actually seen him, but his scent was even stronger than usual this morning. It didn't matter that she was in her own clothes; his scent kind of eclipsed her own, just a little bit. That was how she knew that it was all real, even as Kara and Kimi talked rapidly into her ears. Kuru was lagging behind them, still half asleep, and it made Koto grin. She used to wear that exact same look when she was forced to wake up and go to school. Kuru liked school, liked learning and spending time with her new friends, so they differed there. Koto hated school, but that was because she wanted to learn how to do something more than mend her mate's clothes. Why couldn't he mend them himself?
Her train of thought was cut off as she walked into a brick wall, and she cried out as she felt Kara and Kimi falling off her shoulders. Where'd the wall come from? She waited to hear her little sisters' screams, but she heard giggling instead. Giggling? Her eyes slowly opened, despite the little bit of pain bouncing off her skull, and she saw skin and scar tissue. A lot of skin and scar tissue. She tipped her head back, way back, and a pair of wide red eyes looked down at her. It was the general that she met earlier in the week, Ava. Kara was on his left hip, and Kimi was hanging from his right arm. The giant demon looked slightly alarmed, like he didn't know what to do with the two giggling children.
"Oh! Sorry for running into you, general. And, uh, sorry for throwing my little sisters at you?" The two little girls laughed a little louder, and she felt Kuru's arm brush hers as the teenager stopped next to her.
"He's the general of Tourin's army? I thought Tourin's army was just monks." Koto turned to glare at her, but Kuru didn't look effected in the least. It was that thick hide of hers. Koto would be proud, but it was working against her right now.
"The main part of the army is, yes, but Hokushin thought it would be better to bring in different demons. Said something about diversity. And, please, just call me Ava."
"Hi, Ava! My name's Kara!"
"And I'm Kimi!"
"Kuru." With that last introduction, Kuru moved around all of them and walked into the dining room. Right, she needed to get the girls fed and off to school.
"Are you going to eat breakfast with us, Ava?"
"Yeah, Ava, are you?" The big bear demon looked between the two little girls, and Koto shook her head. He was clearly on his way out of the dining room, because he probably just ate. Wait…why was he here? She thought the army had their own private quarters somewhere separate from the palace?
"The army does, but Hokushin insisted that I stay in the palace. Because of my new rank." Oops, she must have asked that out loud. He smiled at her and then looked down at the two little ones. "I have already eaten my breakfast, but I will wait for you both tomorrow."
"Okay!"
"Don't forget!" Kara and Kimi wiggled down to drop to the floor, and Koto leaned to the side to watch them run into the dining room. Energetic little things.
"Ignore them. They just get really excited around new people," she said with a shrug. Ava didn't look annoyed, but he might be good at hiding his emotions.
"They're cute. Sisters?" She nearly thanked him for not thinking that the little ones were hers, which had happened once or twice. Especially with Kimi, since they had the same hair.
"Yep, all three of them. My older sister is at the school, teaching, but I'm sure you'll get to meet her soon."
"I'm sure that I will. Take care, Koto." He bowed his head to her, even though he really didn't have to, and she stayed still as he moved around her. If she had tried to move at the same time as him, she probably would have given herself another headache by running into him. A pair of footsteps were headed her way, and she looked over her shoulder.
"Mornin', Juri!" The table was going to be pretty empty today. Kele, Kuwabara, and Yukina were all at the school. Along with Kisuke and Tadashi. The others should be along soon though, and they were the rowdiest of them all anyway.
"Good morning, Koto!" The fish demon was looking better and better with each passing day, and Koto knew that it was because of all the time she spent in the gardens. Various demons stopped by to talk to her, but it was only one or two at a time so that Juri never felt overwhelmed. She wasn't sure if it was by fate or on purpose, but she was happy either way.
"I've got something I need to talk to you about…" Yusuke got two all-day passes to a spa in Gandara, and she really hoped that Juri would come with her.
When breakfast was over, Chu offered to escort the girls to the school. Chu wasn't the most reliable sometimes, but Rinku and Sasuga were with him. Those two were pretty good at keeping him on track. Jin and Touya left at pretty much the same time, and Koto leaned back in her chair to look at Juri. Her friend had seemed pretty excited for her when Koto first started talking about the spa, but the bright look in her eyes had dimmed a little when Koto mentioned a second pass for her. Maybe she didn't think this through? She was sure that her and Juri had talked about the spas in Gandara, but that was before.
"I'm sorry, Koto. I just, I don't think I'd be comfortable, you know? I don't really…I don't like people touching me." The words were whispered, and Koto felt like her heart was breaking. She'd noticed that Juri wasn't as touchy as she used to be, but she hadn't dwelled on it.
"Juri, I hate to ask, but did something happen before I found you? Did one of them, did they?" She couldn't even say the words!
"No, none of them…did that, but it was close. If you hadn't arrived when you did, that very moment, my answer would be different. I can still feel their hands on me though as they fought over who got to have me first. Being in the gardens helps, and I do feel safe here. I know that no one here will hurt me. I don't think I'd handle leaving very well, or having someone touch me while my guard is down. I'm sorry, Koto." She wanted to hug her friend, to assure that she had absolutely nothing to apologize for, but she held back out of respect.
"Nothing to be sorry for. You're my best friend, so you got first dibs," she said and made her lips stretch in a smile. It worked, because Juri shakily smiled back at her.
"You're my best friend too, Koto. Maybe you should take Hoshimi? We're in a state of peace, and I bet she could use the little vacation. It sounds like she works herself too hard." Juri wasn't wrong about that. Hoshimi really did push herself, so maybe she'd be up for a spa trip.
"Brilliant idea as always!" Juri's smile was more genuine this time, and Koto walked with her friend out into the gardens. They parted with a promise to meet up for dinner, and Koto moved off to the healing center. Maybe Hoshimi would go with her, because she didn't want to go alone. If it came down to it, she'd even take Chu with her. The entertainment value alone would be worth whatever mayhem he caused.
.xXx.
"Oh, hey, Kita." The shadow's presence finally registered, and Yusuke sat up straighter in his chair. She was standing on the other side of the table, smiling just a little, and Hokushin stirred next to him. "Is something wrong?"
"Nope, nothing's wrong. Just thought I'd report in." He really didn't like the look on the shadow's face. There was too much mischief there. This was the only break they were going to get today, a break that was just long enough for them to eat, and he was hoping to enjoy the silence.
"Then report." It was just him and Hokushin here, and he could trust Hokushin with anything.
"The gardens are flourishing, the school is filled to capacity, the orphanage is doing very well, and the healing center is operating smoothly. Oh, and I need your approval for one small thing." There was something in her eyes that he couldn't put his finger on.
"What is it?" He only had about five minutes of this break left, and he didn't want to spend them slowly dragging information out of Kita.
"Koto and Hoshimi would like to take a carriage to Gandara." After hearing his mate's name, Hokushin leaned forward in his chair and moved to catch Kita's eyes.
"Why are they going to Gandara?" Hokushin asked slowly.
"Yusuke got Koto two all-day passes to Gandara's best spa. Juri declined the offer, so Koto asked Hoshimi. She was very grateful." Juri declined the offer? Huh, maybe she wasn't into the whole spa thing. (Which Yusuke completely understood.)
"That was very kind of Lady Orikasa." Kita's smile gentled some when she bowed her head in Hokushin's direction, but it had that same manic edge to it when her bright eyes moved back over to him.
"Yeah, it's fine with me. Can you ask General Hisakawa to watch over the palace?" Kita's smile dimmed as her eyebrows drew together, and Yusuke rolled his eyes. "I want you to go with Koto and Hoshimi. Make sure that no one messes with them."
"Oh, gotcha. I'll keep an eye on them. Anything else?" Yusuke looked over at Hokushin, and his second shook his head.
"Nope." Kita faded away into nothingness and then she was just gone. Yusuke turned towards Hokushin, to assure him that his mate would be totally safe in Kita's care, but Yuta called for them to return to the meeting room. Time to head back to the nobles. It was only day one, and his head was already pounding.
.xXx.
"Koto!" She paused in front of the steps leading into the palace, and Hoshimi slid to a stop in front of her a moment later.
"Everything okay?" It'd been a few hours since she left work, but she was just now returning to the palace. She didn't go anywhere special, just walked around and let her thoughts drift, but she knew it was time to head home when it started getting dark. Her family would worry if she wasn't there for dinner, and she hated making them worry.
"Yes, everything's fine, I just wanted to talk about our trip. Is the day after tomorrow okay? I'll need tomorrow to tidy up a few things, and I was thinking we could be gone for three days? You know, make it a real vacation." Hoshimi's smile was bright and excited, and Koto was really glad that she asked the dog demon now. All of the other nurses agreed with Koto when she said that Hoshimi needed to take a break, and together they were all able to convince Hoshimi that the healing center would survive without her for a few days.
"Sounds great to me! We'll make it to Gandara in a few hours using the carriage, so we'll be able to enjoy the all-day spa on day one. What do we do with the other two days?" Hoshimi's cheeks flushed a light pink, and Koto felt her curiosity rising. What did the dog demon have in mind?
"I was thinking, maybe, that we could go to Enki's palace? I know that they're all very busy, we'll probably be bored most of the time, but we could have dinner with the boys. Hokushin stayed gone for two years, and I only got to see him in passing. Then he was only back for two weeks, and he was unconscious for the first week! I just…I really miss him." Hoshimi spoke so quickly that Koto had to strain to hear her, and she felt her heart breaking just the smallest bit for her boss. It did sound really unfair.
"Going to Enki's palace sounds like a wonderful idea. I'm sure we can find ways to entertain ourselves during the meetings. Oh! We should surprise them!" Koto clapped a little at the end, and Hoshimi's dark gray eyes seemed to light up at the idea.
"You're a genius, Koto!" Two strong hands pushed against her cheeks, and Hoshimi placed a noisy kiss against her forehead before running off. "See you tomorrow!"
"See you!" She waited until she couldn't see Hoshimi's form before turning inside, and she was still smiling as she walked towards the loud dining room. Hmm, sounded like Chu was challenging Kuwabara to an arm wrestling match. That was a bad idea. Koto propped up against the doorway of the dining room and smiled as everyone started cheering. Kuwabara was on one side of the table, Chu was on the other, and their hands were locked over the center of the table.
"Get him, Chu!" Rinku yelled.
"You got this, Kuwabara!" Sasuga cheered. Sure enough, a few moments later, Kuwabara was able to overpower Chu. Kuwabara's side of the table erupted into loud cheers while Chu's side ganged up on him, and Koto felt her shoulders shaking as she held in her own laughter. Kuwabara might have started as a human, he was technically still human, but he was strong.
"Koto!" Her youngest sisters ran to her and started telling her about their day, and she placed a hand on their backs to steer them back to the table as they talked up at her. She was going to miss this, a little, while she was on vacation.
Ending Note: Yusuke came back! It was only for a night, but I really love writing Koto and Yusuke together. The next chapter should be…interesting, so stay tuned!
