Disclaimer: We do not own Yu Yu Hakusho, but we do own Faith, Ayamae, and Hiroyuki.
I (Aya) would like to say thanks to all those out there that like our story! Anyway, let the story begin!
Chapter Nine: Feelings?
I ended up in a clearing surrounded by trees. In the middle was a lake with a medium-sized waterfall and a big, flat rock that jutted out from the earth and horizontally over the water, three and a half feet of air between it and the surface of the water. I went over to it and sat down, my legs hanging over the edge.
"Are you ok?" Kurama's voice came from behind me.
"I'll be fine."
"I've heard that one before." He sat down beside me, "You miss him, don't you? Your eyes are always filled with sadness, no matter how happy you look."
I looked away. I didn't want him to see how much his words had affected me.
Kurama's POV-
"Faith?"
She hesitated and then turned her head back to me. Tears were falling from her eyes and down her face. I drew her into a hug, my hand smoothing out her long, black hair as she cried. Her head lay against my chest and her arms were folded over her stomach. I picked her up and set her on my lap.
Faith's POV-
He talked to me soothingly, "Shhh, it's going to be ok," he whispered into my ear. "Let it all out."
Fifteen minutes later, I had stopped crying but my eyes were red and I sniffled every once in a while. We walked back to the temple, which took a couple hours, and I saw everyone including Genkai and Ayamae in the living room, Aya sitting in Hiei's usual spot. She turned her head towards me.
"Faith, what's wrong?" she asked getting up and walking towards me, Hiei using his god-like speed and appearing where Aya had been sitting.
"Not now, Aya," I muttered and went to my room.
No one's POV-
"What's up with her?" Yusuke asked, staring at the direction Faith just went.
"She's finally dealing with her brother's death," Kurama sighed.
Aya looked like she had just been hit by a very large truck. "What happened?" she asked quietly.
"Telling us about her past stirred up some bad memories."
Aya was slowly getting mad. She turned and punched the wall leaving a huge hole, "How could I have been so stupid! I should have explained it with her! In a way her brother's death was harder for her than mine."
"How's that?" Hiei asked.
"She shared a mental connection with her brother. They knew each other inside and out. They would have been twins if they weren't eight and a half years apart."
Aya sagged to the floor.
"Don't blame yourself. Let Faith rest and we'll see how she is tomorrow," Kurama said wisely.
10:00 that night-
Kurama went off to bed. Slowly, everyone followed until only Aya and Hiei were left in the room. Aya now sat with her back to the wall, her knees brought up to her chest and her arms resting on them with her head against the wall, tilted toward the ceiling. She felt Hiei's gaze on her and opened her eyes. He stood beside her, looking down at her troubled expression. Amazingly, he put his hand on her shoulder in reassurance and then went off to his room. Aya smiled and thought back to the encounter between them while Faith and Kurama were gone.
Flashback-
Ayamae read the last words of her book and put it down. "I need to get the sequel," she muttered to herself, propping her arms to get up. She suddenly felt razor sharp spikes dig into her left thigh. She looked down hastily, only to find Kuma stretching. "Come on, little one," she said softly, lifting him gently and placing him in his bed.
She walked toward the hall, but turned back at the door. "So sweet and innocent," she sighed and continued to walk to the living room.
Hiei was still sitting in the window seat, much to Ayamae's displeasure.
"Move," she told him.
"Why should I?"
"I want the window seat. I would like to look outside once in a while, you know."
"I've had this seat known as mine since I was first forced to be in the company of these bakas. What makes you think I'm going to simply get up the instant some female comes near me?"
"I don't expect that from you. I expect you to move when I tell you to."
"Well, that will never happen."
"Do you really think so?"
"Yes, actually."
"What will you do if I make you move?"
"I'd be amused if you succeeded."
"Than prepare to be amused," Aya said, climbing over Hiei toward the window. When she went to sit down, she found his leg beneath her. "Move your leg!"
"No."
"Don't make me hurt you."
"I'd like to see you try."
"I have my ways..." she said slowly, climbing over him to straddle his legs.
"What are you doing?"
"Getting my way," she answered, her voice low as she ran her hand down his cheek and lightly ran her fingertips across his chest.
Ayamae's POV-
This probably isn't too good for my 'no feelings' disposition, but so long as I get my way. I just hope no one comes in here, unless it's Faith, was the first thought to enter my mind, after putting up a mental block, of course. However, like all well made plans go, there was the overlooked detail that seems small, but is truly cataclysmic.
I'd felt my eyes grow dark and my lids become half-closed. I'd known this wasn't good. I looked into Hiei's crimson eyes and knew what caused his eyes to widen the way they did. I breathed in deeply through my nose and smelt the most dreaded scent any demon could smell: in my case, musk mixed with a slight hint of vanilla.
'God, no!' I thought, losing control of myself. My actions, which had started out as a playful act to get my way, were quickly transforming themselves into an all out seduction. My body had taken over. Everything I did was basically out of my control. The primal side of me had decided that now was as good a time as any to make itself known.
I was in heat.
This was not what I wanted, but I was powerless to stop it. I was a prisoner in my own body. I saw my hands caressing Hiei's muscular body in ways that were nowhere near my original plan. My hands moved toward his shirt and began to slowly pull it loose from his pants.
Inside I was blushing and wishing anyone would come in the room right now... anyone! I found myself unable to send telepathic messages to anyone. In addition, I was appalled that Hiei allowed this to continue! He knew the state I was in and how helpless I truly was! Why did he not stop this! I was so angry! I wanted to lie down, close my eyes, and die right then. As much as I knew I cared about Faith, I didn't want to see this continue!
Suddenly, as I unbuckled the top buckle of Hiei's belt, I saw Kuma out of the corner of my eye. He lowered his head and chest to the ground and hunched his back. A menacing hiss came from his innocent-looking body. I blinked harshly and found myself in control again. I quickly got off Hiei and ran into my bedroom as fast as my legs could carry me.
I closed my bedroom door as I ran in and buried my face in my pillows. I was breathing hard, and held my head in my hands once I was settled enough to sit on the bed facing the wall. I was trembling! I was actually trembling! This was a first for me, but... so was losing control of myself while in heat. I could tell, even in my shaken state, that there was something special about Hiei, as much as I despised admitting it to myself. I sat there for a while and thought of the reasons that could cause my behavior to have been the way it was. I finally figured out why... and found the answer unpleasant.
"... I can't love. I especially can't love him!" I muttered to myself. I mean, I'm the queen of ice hearts! ... Aren't I?
End Flashback-
Aya stood up and went to bed with the memory still floating around in her mind.
Next Morning; Faith's POV-
I stepped out of the training room to see Kurama standing there. "Hey," I acknowledged.
"Good morning. How did you sleep?"
I started walking down the hall, ignoring his question.
"I know you went to bed at 11 last night, but what I want to know is how long you actually slept. I know you were up and training at least around four this morning."
"1:30 actually. I only slept for about half an hour."
I looked at him. Worry was written all over his face. "Don't worry. I'm dealing with it as best I can and that should be enough."
The look on his face didn't change, "Hopefully."
Later that afternoon in Faith's room-
Ayamae walked in and saw me and my sketchpad sprawled out on my bed. "What are you drawing?"
"A picture of Hiei."
"Let me see," Ayamae said, letting her voice turn serious.
I looked at her and grinned evilly. "You like him," Faith said playfully.
A deep red blush appeared on her face, almost as fast as Hiei taking his seat back when Aya got up the other day. "No."
"Aya's in love. Aya's in love," I taunted.
"Shut up and let me see it."
I held it up for her to view. "Hiei looks cute as a bunny."
"He's a lot cuter in real life."
"Ha! You just admitted it! You DO like him."
"So, you like Kurama."
"Yeah, your point?"
Aya seemed disappointed that I wasn't shy about the subject.
"Give me the picture of Hiei."
"What picture," Hiei's voice came from behind the door.
We both looked in that direction and sure enough, there he was. I held up the picture again and I could tell he was angry.
"Give me the picture," he commanded, walking toward me.
"No," I smiled.
"Give it to him, Faith."
I grinned evilly and then ran out of the room, sketchpad still in hand. Ending up in the living room, I saw Kurama come in so I ran and hid behind him.
"Why are you hiding behind me?"
Part of his question was answered when Hiei appeared in the room followed by Aya.
"What did you do?" Kurama asked, changing his question.
"She drew a picture of Hiei."
"Let me see."
I partially came out from behind him and showed it to him.
"You look good as a bunny," Kurama teased. "And you," he said looking at me, "have excellent drawing skills."
I blushed and I could tell he noticed because something in his eyes flickered. The something I had seen in his eye when we first met. I pushed it aside and tore the page out of the pad, handing it to Hiei. "I was going to post on the refrigerator just to let ya know." Everyone seemed surprised that I gave it up that easily but didn't question me about it.
Hiei left, as did Aya, but Kurama had asked me to stay a moment.
"Why did you give up that picture so easily?"
I laughed, "Because I have another." I flipped to the previous page and there it was.
He laughed also. I suddenly remembered yesterday at the lake, walked up to him and hugged him.
"What's this for?"
"All you did for me yesterday. It helped a lot even though it doesn't really look it."
"Any time."
Late that Night (10-ish)-
I stood in the lake I had previously discovered in my short black shorts and a black, bikini, swimming top. The water went up to mid-stomach where I was. My hands lay palms up on top of the water and my head was tilted back toward the sky with my eyes closed.
No one's POV-
A ball of light formed a foot above her, ending up five inches in diameter. She opened her eyes and turned around to see Kurama sitting on the rock just as the day before. The light grew brighter, but then quickly went back to its original luminous glow. She couldn't help but smile as she waded over to the rock and stood right in front of him, looking up at his face.
"Care to join me?" Kurama asked. "Or do I have to come and get you."
"I will take the second option."
"I was joking about that."
All of the sudden it was pitch black, at least to him.
"Faith? Faith, where are you?"
He moved to stand up but then felt like he was falling, only for a second or two though. All of a sudden, it was as bright as before and just as dark as before too. He now stood in the lake a couple feet away from the rock with Faith standing in front of him.
"You did that, didn't you?"
"You bet." She smiled proudly.
Her smile slowly faded and she found herself staring into his piercing, green eyes. She couldn't look away and neither could he for he was doing the exact same as her. He moved a piece of hair out of her face, but his hand remained on her cheek. He slowly leaned forward and kissed her lightly, yet it made both of them tremble slightly. He pulled back only a centimeter before he wrapped his other arm around her waist and pulled her to him, kissing her with so much passion that her ball of light flared brighter than ever. She regained control and dimmed it from its original brightness, creating a soft glow over both of them. She returned his passion and it suddenly became aware to her that the something she had seen in his eyes before was love. She knew love at first sight was rare and never thought it would happen to her, which made this an even more loving moment.
