HAHAHAHA CHAPTER 11! Never thought I'd make it this far! Thanks for all the support you guys! I'll post a thank you list in chapter 12! If I make it that far… GAH KNOCK ON WOOD!!!!! Who likes watching enzyte commercials?…
Chapter 11
Hitomi turned her head to the other side, taking in the comfort of her pillow.
'My head…' she thought slowly, her mind muddy. As Hitomi stared fuzzily at the ceiling, gradually she focused on a word that floated into her consciousness.
'Demons…'
In a sudden, terrified panic Hitomi shot up in her bed a heavy sweat breaking out all over her body.
Demons. Hitomi clutched her head trying to pry out the word that was echoing dangerously in her brain. It thundered through her cranium as she frantically grabbed at her nightstand, knocking things all over as she searched for her glasses. Distantly she heard something break as she jammed them on her face. The next thing she knew, Hitomi was on her knees, clutching the carpet, her knuckles white.
More and more detailed memories of the night before slammed into her over and over. What was once a foggy out line was quickly becoming a sharp and very real memory. Each part became scarier than the last. Hitomi began to feel sick as they crushed her. The room spun beneath her fingers.
She was suddenly in that dark and disgusting alleyway. Hiei was pressed up against her she could feel his breath, see his eyes so clearly; she couldn't help but feel that sudden stirring need to reach out and touch him. That was until she looked briefly over his shoulder and she saw, again, that… thing coming at him. Its hungry yellow eyes trained on the back of the man that was trying to shield her from sight.
No. Not a man. Hiei was a thing; a demon. He was a monster not a man. But he couldn't be! He had saved her from… Hitomi didn't even want to imagine. The thing that was after them was far more monstrous than Hiei could ever be.
But how could she know that? Demons were only things in stories; things to scare children; things that did not exist. She wondered fruitlessly whether or not she had been dreaming even though she knew the answer was no. Demons existed; they proved themselves just fine last night. Of course she wouldn't know about demons. She was just a stupid girl who couldn't speak; useless to anyone.
'NO!' she internally yelled stopping her thought and destroying it. She jammed her eyes shut. 'No! I will not think that way anymore. I'm through that. I have to be…"
Suddenly, Hitomi felt her stomach leap into her throat. She scrambled to her feet and then the door, her thoughts chasing her down the hall with gnashing teeth and even slamming the door on them could not keep them out.
Hitomi collapsed over the sink. Her hair pooled out around her as she took small comfort in the feel of the cool tile pressed against her forehead. It was reassuring to know the tile was real.
Hitomi thought of Hiei, her thoughts having hardly strayed from his memory. He had protected her from that other demon and he did not need to. He could have let it take her and carry her off or maybe even do harm to her his self. Hiei didn't. He saved her and was even kind and gentle, something he had never shown her before. But he's a demon! Something in the back of her mind could only scream that and it was hardly a quiet voice.
Demons are fabled monsters said to eat humans and wreak havoc. Hardly company you would want to keep.
'But does a demon play Tekken?' She mused bitterly, a pale smile appearing briefly before it was set upon and strangled by her demonic thoughts.
But Hiei was so kind; far from the ugly, bloody creature she had imagined.
A soft knock cracked on the door causing her to jump with fright.
"Hitomi?" Kurama called softly through the wood.
Hitomi suddenly seized up.
Suiichi was one too. She had almost forgotten. No, she wished she had forgotten. She had only delayed thinking about it.
Her cousin. A person she loved and trusted over anyone else. He was one of them. The idea made her shake. She gave no acknowledgment to his presence. Hitomi was too afraid.
"Hitomi, please come out. Hiei came to me last night and I need to speak with you," Hitomi just stared at the door.
'Demon…' her mind whispered menacingly.
'But he's Suiichi! He can't really be one of those… monstrosities,' she tried to reason shakily.
'How can you be sure?' That dark, smooth voice replied. Every being had one. In the worst of moments they were always there; a special friend; your personal connoisseur of doubt and negative reason. It is so easy to trust them as they take your hand as they drown you in the inky depths of despair.
'I trust him,' Hitomi shook as she tried to defend herself from the reasonable lies.
'You trusted Hiei did you not? And what about all the strange things Suiichi does. You listed the to Hiei did you not?'
"I'm coming in Hitomi," Kurama called to her. The lock clicked and the door swung open.
'His uncanny ability to unlock doors from the outside with out keyholes on the outside?' Her doubt whispered one last time before fading away leaving her alone to deal with her fear.
"Good morning!" Kurama smiled at her from the doorway. Hitomi back away causing his smile to falter. "Hitomi I'm not going to hurt you. There are things I need to explain," He turned to head back down to the first story. "But first, you need to eat something. I just finished making oatmeal and I made a little extra just incase you woke up in time," He left, which, after a bit, Hitomi followed.
'Do… demons wear blue plaid pajama pants and a white tank top? Do they eat oatmeal?' She walked quietly down the stairs, making as little noise as possible as to not disturb… what? Her last piece of sanity maybe? Who knew.
"Did you have fun last night?" Kurama asked as Hitomi entered the kitchen. She only nodded and stared into the bowl he served her.
"Did you have fun last night?" Hitomi looked down guiltily, "You're not in trouble, not this time at least. Though you know you are too young," Kurama opened making sure his tone held no edge to it. Hitomi flinched anyway.
'I could careless about trouble right now,' She wrinkled her nose.
"You don't want your oatmeal?" Kurama asked. He was met with Hitomi's looked squared right in his eyes.
Why you not tell me before?
Kurama considered her carefully. Her eyes were not quite fear but a heavy mixture of hurt and confusion. He could tell she had felt kept out of the loop, maybe even betrayed. He knew how she trusted him and she was left feeling lied to when she finally learned the truth.
"How much do you know?"
She let go of a flurry of hand movements. Everything! What everyone is! Humans and creature and spirit world and-
"Hitomi, I can't understand," Kurama said, ending her silent rant. Hitomi had to stop and take a deep breath before starting over in a more controlled manner.
What everyone is. Three normal.
By normal, Kurama could only assume she meant human. He was watching and evaluating her very carefully looking for hidden feelings or thoughts she may have been giving away in her body language or explanations.
Hiei fire…thing, She finally decided on, not knowing the signs for demon or not really wanting to put an actual term to her fears. Thing sparked Kurama's interest immediately.
You f-o-x thing. Blue hair death.
"Blue hair death?… Oh, Botan!" Kurama let out a surprised chuckle.
No funny! No laugh! She signed furiously at him.
"I apologize! I just found that very clever," He gave one last laugh, "Please continue,"
Hitomi scowled and tried to fumble a bit with her fingers before finally throwing her hands up in defeat. Stood up from the table to grab a pad and pen from near the phone used by her aunt for messages.
'What I know,' she wrote quickly 'Yusuke is a spirit detective and so is Kuwabara, what ever that means. Hiei is a… something with a k, I can't quite-'
"Hiei told you he was a Koorime?" Hitomi raised her eyebrows in exasperation at Kurama's surprise.
'So?'
"I'm sorry, I just didn't think he would tell you that much detail," He gave his cousin a bemused smile, "It appears he's beginning to trust you,"
Hitomi's eyes widened and it was unmistakable to Kurama's sensitive fox like ears that her heart rate picked up. Hitomi shook her head after a few seconds.
'So! It has nothing to do with our conversation! I want to know why you didn't tell me,'
"Hitomi. Humans are not supposed to know that we exist. If they did then it would cause havoc and trouble for all of Spirit World," Hitomi still did not look convinced. "Hitomi my own mother didn't even know until recently,"
He could tell that she wasn't satisfied. Her prostrate figure and stern eyes were demanding.
"I could not tell you. Please do not feel bad! You're perfectly safe and I would never have kept it from you if it was not necessary,"
Hitomi had to think hard before answering. She had no reason to be mad at him, maybe not even afraid. He was only following rules and her had never hurt her once. On the contrary, Suiichi was the one who helped her most. She looked him seriously in the eye. His steady green gaze came back at her with the same intensity it always had. There really was no difference she could see in him besides the fact he wasn't human. It still made her shudder to even think about it. But she didn't want that to ruin a great relationship. She loved her cousin so much and she owed him more than she could ever pay back.
She shrugged. 'All right. What's done is done.'
Kurama raised his eyebrows.
"That's it?" He asked.
'I can't do anything about it and its fact that I have to accept. Or else I may never grow up if I can't handle the hard things,'
'You've grown up so much already,' Kurama thought, smiling softly at her. Hitomi gave him an odd look.
Why you look like that? She signed at him.
"Nothing," Hitomi shoveled more hot oatmeal in her mouth before snatching up the pencil.
'Yeah right. So fire jerk has three eyes, so what do you got? Are you special like him or just plain freaky?'
"Ummm… well… I am a master at fighting and-" Hitomi's hand was moving furiously interrupting his narration.
'You? Mister sensitive?' She was laughing hysterically. He narrowed his eyes in her direction. Her laughing intensity dropped a little. 'I'm sorry, I just can't see that!'
"Well, let me show you how I unlocked your doors when you refused to… stubborn," Kurama reached into his hair and pulled out a slightly sprouted seed and showed it to her. Hitomi looked a little disturbed.
'What? Do you have some freaky botanical garden in that mane of yours and OH WOW '
As Hitomi had ranted, Kurama had been applying his energy to make the sprouted seed continue to grow, molding and shaping it to become a large and exotic flower. Hitomi's handwriting in a split second had become disheveled and crawled across the rest of her neat, tidy words, in her haste to get a closer look. Well it was really an all out squiggle but he got the idea.
The flower had many hues to it. The petals were a soft, velvet fine, tipped orange with specks of red and blue, the rest of the petal a soft pink. They fanned outwards, almost like those of a daisy but shaped like a lilies outline.
'So this is how you always got me pretty flowers for my birthday! And so many of them with out going broke! I always knew you were cheap!' Kurama snorted.
"Right. Anyways, all I had to do was put a seed into the lock and it would sprout with a little help and push the tumblers away. Then I'd just reverse the process,"
Hitomi didn't reply, still fawning over the flower and giving him the impression she hadn't heard him.
"This flower will last, I promise," He told her softly. She smiled hugely before picking up the pencil one last time.
'K! Thank you for everything but I have to go. I have unfinished business,' Hitomi hopped up and carried her bowl to the sink.
"Oh? What for?" Hitomi paused before she signed apology at him. "You're going to see Hiei?" She nodded slowly, a little concern surfacing on her face while she set down her bowl in the sink.
I owe I guess.
"Okay, just make sure you shower. You somewhat resemble a raccoon,"
Hitomi graced him with a frosty look and hmphed! at him. But upon walking out she paused to look at him. Kurama smiled sweetly holding up his pinky finger.
"Still mad at me?"
Hitomi shrugged and gave him a silly grin before returning to wrap her own pinky around his. Then she turned and walked out. Kurama breathed a sigh of relief. 'Could have been worse,' he thought before going to wash his own oatmeal bowl.
Hitomi received quite a shock once she reached her bathroom mirror. Suiichi had been right; she did look like a raccoon! While she had slept fitfully her eye make up had been smudged and smeared all around her eyes giving her a resemblance to the mischievous masked animal.
The clock by the mirror read eleven am. Hitomi received quite a shock.
'Why that dirty Suiichi! He planned this! And him making it seem like it was total coincidence! What a liar!' She paused, fingers hovering above the faucet handle to turn the shower on. 'What that gets to me I have no idea. Maybe I'm just getting over the shock…'
Hitomi worked to banish the thought from her mind. The water, she found, was warm and inviting. It embraced her, fogging her mind, providing security in simple ritual like tasks such as washing her hair and shaving her legs. The mirror was steamed, distorting her face beyond recognition until she wiped it clear. She sighed with satisfaction with her pink cheeks and shining nose, all scrubbed clean.
Emerging from the bathroom in a puff of steam, Hitomi made her way to her room, a towel wrapped delicately around her hair and body. In her room she found herself faced with what she was about to do.
'This is a really bad idea…' was all she could think, as she dressed from cold weather in a tight black turtleneck and wide black jeans with zippers and black lace and ribbons crisscrossing everywhere. She put on a loose, brimmed knitted hat tucking her hair up underneath it except for the few strands that escaped to frame under the rainbow like yarn. She grabbed a heavy, brown leather jacket and proceeded to stare at her persona in the mirror. She must be insane.
That's all she could say to herself. Repeating it over and over again as she made her way back down the stairs looking for her shoes. She wasn't going to go, no way. It was a bad idea to begin with, she convinced herself as she shut the front door behind her and made her way carefully down the walk. She refused to go to his house but it seemed her sense of right made her go anyway. She scowled to herself her nerves ringing shrilly, the wind scratching her face in time.
Hitomi knew the importance of apologizing. If she didn't, well, that would put an almighty crimp in their pursuance of a future relationship… Hitomi laughed inwardly at herself, kicking a clump of snow at the corner of her street. What relationship? Hitomi scoffed.
No on would ever hold any romantic… interest in her, except maybe lust but that's different entirely. Besides she didn't want anything to do with that kind of acquaintance it was just trouble. But she could still hope… maybe.
Her silent reverie was cut short as she came in contact with the base of the steps that climbed up towards Hiei's apartment. She choked a little with fear at remembering his fierce eyes the other night, warmth spreading through her anyway when she remembered.
"Na… na,na…" she choked out of her damaged vocal chords in a sort of mumbling ward against dangerous thoughts that she couldn't dwell on.
Hitomi sighed and made her way up the forbidding, cold steps.
"Come in," Barked a voice from the inside as she raised her fist, dissolving the need to knock.
'Demon senses I suppose,' she thought to herself, a slight edge of fear settling in her. Hitomi opened the door peering inside but refraining from entering.
Hiei was sitting with his back angled away from her. She couldn't see his face very well. His hair was glistening and slightly damp, a towel hanging around his neck to catch the drips. A coffee cup steamed in one hand, bandaged from the fingers to halfway up his bicep. Hitomi eyes settled on this arm, wide and wondering. She had seen this the night before.
"Come in human, you're letting the cold air in," Hiei told her disdainfully. Hitomi startled, hesitated. "In or out, just shut the door!" She jumped inside and slammed the door.
'Uh…morning… you listening?'
He nodded once, jerkily as she bent to undo her shoes and release her self from her coat.
"Just hang the coat by the door… want some coffee?"
She paused looking at him, 'Uh… sure. That would be wonderful. Black... please' Hiei stood to pour her a glass, common host courtesy prompting him to do so as she approached him slowly and quietly.
"What do you need?" Hiei demanded, sliding the glass across the corner and leaning intimidating towards her on his arms.
Hitomi found herself especially at a loss for words, his face close to hers, scrutinizing.
She quickly to a gulp of the coffee he had presented her, choking slightly for it was a bit on the hot side. Hiei just continued to stare at her, waiting for a response. She was at a loss for words… more than usual.
"If you're not going to say anything then leave. I'm not wasting my time,"
The problem was Hitomi's thoughts were racing faster and faster around her head she just couldn't hang on to one long enough. It was making Hiei's head spin as well.
'…I'm sorry,' was all she could tell him, examining the contents of her cup for cracks.
"Why would you be sorry?" Hiei asked shortly, his eyes hard. He hated unnecessary words.
'…I don't know,' she sighed inwardly, 'I just am!" Indecisiveness another thing he hated. And yet he liked her.
"Hn. That's really not an answer," Hiei sat next to her on the other stool. Hitomi shifted and gulped, feeling him close to her brought many unwanted and wistful memories flooding back into her senses. She scowled and Hiei sensed a quick and amusing change in her.
'…Blast. Okay it's like this. I feel as though I may have been… rude in a way by... umm… I suppose,' She sighed again, this time out loud and heavily. 'Panicking like I did…'
'You were panicking?' Hiei thought to himself wildly, 'I was moments from kissing you… and then some on that roof top and you were panicking?!'
"It could have been worse," Hiei shrugged and returned to the coffee. Hitomi stared at him, unbelieving.
'That's it?' She asked, completely bewildered.
"What's 'it'?" He returned coolly, dragging, his small coffee table in font of his television.
'That's all you have to say, after all that happened, all that went on? I found out your secret something I learned just today could be disastrous if too many… humans learned of it! I learned things that I was never supposed to hear of! You have a freaking eye in the middle of your forehead where one certainly doesn't belong. Supernatural powers, the Grim Reaper wearing pink for goodness sake! All be it, its pretty freakin' cool… But you could have been killed! Worse yet, I could have been killed!' Hitomi realized that she was ranting and it was comforting to know that in some ways she could still do so. 'Frankly it was rather irre-'
"I wouldn't have been killed, nor yourself," Hiei interrupted disdainfully, disliking her assumption that they had been even slightly at risk.
"But… I just… just," His image silhouetted against the moon, the red of his eyes shining and glowing butted into her thoughts… Hitomi slumped over his table. She was ashamed of herself.
'Unh… Never mind,' Hiei had never heard her speak in such a manner; usually her speech was proper and contained. Maybe it was the lack of spoken communication that made her such, for the words made by her fingers had to be accurate.
Hitomi shook her head, Hiei swallowing hard.
Her emotions were pummeling him. Even without his heightened senses he could tell her feelings and so could anyone else. He didn't like them; they made his stomach flutter uncomfortably. Not a becoming feeling for such a high classed demon. It wouldn't happen; it couldn't happen. All this was going to stop, he was going to kick her out of his home right now and tell her to never return; she was being fickle. As if the likes of him would ever even think about being with a human such as herself? She had no particularly useful skills, she was clumsy, beautiful, inefficient in ways, tough but ready to smile. Ugh, never in a million years. It would hurt her yes but she would be safe and he would get over the loss.
Under close scrutiny of her features, it was rather evident that she had more questions.
"What else do you need to ask? If that's all then you can leave,"
Hitomi winced at the cold dismissal and stared at him.
Her mind then flooded with snapshots of every move he had made to embrace her. To Hitomi, it seemed to be on Repeat One. His face, serious as stone, as he reached for her arms. The feeling of his iron grip around her wrist as his expression turned pained before all she could see was the sky over his shoulder, heavy clouds having moved in quickly above them. But only briefly as the firm safe feeling of his arms around her vanished as soon as she had dared to relax into him from fatigue and the rough tenderness of his action. Then she was alone, half warmed, standing beneath the moon, the clouds
hardly concealing its grin.
'So… what exactly was that… that thing last night?' She quickly swallowed the last of her coffee, using the cup to hide her eyes.
"A vulture demon, rather lowly," Hiei said simply, a frown creasing his forehead. "They are usually used by other demons for servants or cheap security,"
Hitomi listened, wide-eyed.
'How many different types are there,'
Hiei nodded beckoning her to following him "Not all take on human shape, only those of the stronger classes," He tossed the towel on the armrest of the couch.
'Such as yourself?' Hitomi queried, lifting one of her eyebrows over the edge of her glasses.
Hiei smirked slightly, nodding as her opened the cabinet beneath his T.V.
'Why was it after you?' Hitomi accepted the Play Station controller with a slight frown. Constantly losing wasn't her favorite thing to do but if it led to her questions being answered then she'll take it.
Hiei paused, not knowing what to say for Mukuro had instructed him to not disclose what he had been sent back to the human world for. He, in truth was sent to look for the "key" what ever that meant. Mukuro hardly ever let him in on her thoughts and she trusted him more than anyone else. All he knew was that those disgusting Hawk demon tribes were searching for some human and he was sent to keep his eyes open (all three of them) to see if he could learn anything. Hiei had told no one and Kurama knew enough to keep his mouth about what he had deduced.
Hitomi, sensing his reluctance to answer, tried changing the subject. 'I mean, where do you all come from?' she waved her arms in the air, her face contorted into an expression of the up most hilarity. Hiei tried to suppress a smile, reducing it to a smirk as he proceeded to pick his character.
"A place called the Makai, another realm entirely…" He proceeded to answer all her questions, slowly telling her of everything; Yusuke, Kuwabara, Botan, and even her own cousin. Her face was that of a child caught up in a toy store. Her eyes were shinning with awe, amusing Hiei greatly. Their conversation continued as ease between them set in.
They soon abandoned their games and sat together on opposite sides of the low couch. Hitomi and Hiei spoke softly, undisturbed in time. They sipped coffee at times and every once in a while they fell silent, lost in only their thoughts, pondering on the words that had been said.
Since she had lost her voice, Hitomi had lost the ability to have a normal "conversation" it was refreshing. Even though the conversation was filled with mind reading and the appearance of talking with oneself, Hitomi was truly heard by someone other than herself. It was as if Hiei could sense not just her words but also the emotions behind them. The scene would have been comical to someone else but there was no one else there and therefore it was good.
It was just them.
The day wore on, the shadows moving, lengthening, cast from what little sunlight slipped in to join them.
Hitomi had finally run out of questions. She had expired them all, except for one. But she couldn't ask it.
'I… think I should go home now…'
Hiei could sense her question as well. While it was not on the edge of her mind, he could feel it hovering at the second plane of her consciousness. He watched her intently and Hitomi could feel the goading undercurrents in his eyes. Hiei found himself curious as a human, a rather sickening thought.
Hitomi stood haltingly then gathered her resolve to go, actually slightly shocked at the lateness of the afternoon. They had talked literally for hours. Hiei couldn't suppress the disappointment that settled on him. Instead he focused on her attire; it was quite becoming. It made him want to smirk.
'Hiei,' She thought suddenly, her features hardening. Who suddenly stood before him was not a normal Hitomi. He could see it in her gaze that had become sharp and calculating, her posture crisp. She had a little cousin in her. Her thought was point blank and direct. 'Why did you hug me?' She quailed slightly but managed to continue, 'I-I mean… that's the only part that I can't figure out. It just doesn't seem to fit,'
Hiei was clearly taken aback. That was the question he most feared. He paused to regain his composure before answering.
Unflinchingly he said, "Nothing," Time stopped abruptly for Hitomi, her skin becoming unnaturally cold. Hiei sucked in a deep breath, "Don't insult me," He raid his voice adding every ounce of malice he could to his words, "It meant nothing,"
Hitomi looked as if she had been slapped smartly across the face, and indeed, she had been verbally. Slowly her expression faded into one of cool acceptance.
'Just… Just checking,' Hitomi said softly, ducking her head to put her hat back on. Hiei could feel her disappointment, but she was hiding it well. She finally looked back at him adjusting her glasses. He was glad and a little afraid to see that her eyes were devoid of tears. He began to open his mouth to say something, anything to just take what he said. What, he didn't know.
A tinny, silly ring suddenly came from Hiei's pocket shattering the mounting tension. He angrily recovered a small black phone from his pocket. For once he was glad he had the stupid thing for it distracted him. Guilt he had trouble dealing with.
"What do you want Kurama?" Hiei promptly barked into the receiver. He paused and Hitomi could hear the faint buzzing of her cousin's voice.
"Of course I knew it was you! Who else would dare call me on this number?" He paused, "Yeah well those fools at that club are too frightened to call me," Hitomi put her hat on cramming it down upon her head but stopped when she heard her name come up.
"Hitomi, yes she's here still," his words stung her. Kurama's volume rose slightly
"She came on her own. I certainly didn't make her stay for six and a half hours," He snorted into the phone again another zinger to the heart. Her anger was rising. But soon that was over powered by a feeling of forgetting something important…
"Who's there?" Hiei demanded turning in time to see Hitomi turn a bird poop white sprout upon her face. Hiei hung up with out a word and tried to touch her mind to find out what was happening. He was met with a powerful string of curse words making him take a physical step back wards.
"I TOTALLY FORGOT!" was the only truly coherent sentence in her thoughts.
Hitomi ripped open the door and sped out the room, leaving Hiei by himself in a silent apartment.
He sighed and shut the door. It was done and yet he still felt physically sick to the stomach. Hiei resisted the overpowering urge to follow her. He didn't having learned to never trust impulse. He needed a nap.
Hitomi's wet feet pounded wetly against the slick pavement, her breath coming in short puffs of steam, fogging her glasses, her eyes stinging.
She scolded herself. She didn't need to cry. It was all her fault for she let the fantastic idea seduce her. Hadn't she learned?
And she was going on a date. Of all the tormenting ironies it had to be this. She dashed away her tears angrily. She'll get through this night and then her torture will be over. She'd put on her strange parody of a happy face and suffer through what ever Suzume had in mind. Then life would go on. She continued to barrel her way down the street.
She slowed suddenly. But the way Hiei had spoke was just so cold. Don't insult me, was what he had said. So her feelings were a burden to him? They were insulting?
Her anger flashed white hot behind her eyes and sped up again redoubling her effort. Fine if that was what he thought of her then curse him with an unsightly acid burn on his handsome face. She should have seen it coming and… and he shouldn't have led her on like that and… it was all his fault! Although she wouldn't believe that for long but it would work for the moment.
Hitomi welcomed relief as her thoughts were diverted. The front door of her aunts little house was surfacing. She skidded into the turn on the street corner having trouble maintaining her balance. She soon had leap this obstacle crossing the street and jumped the three steps to the door, steadying herself before throwing the door open.
Hitomi was met with the bewildered gaze of four people gathered in the tiny home's entryway.
"Welcome home Hitomi!" Kurama said.
Beneath her askew glasses, mussed hair and lopsided hat, ruddy cheeks and gasping frame, Hitomi's mind was turning. If a date was supposed to be between two people, as she assumed that traditional date was, then why was there more people before her than there should theoretically standing before her?
PHEW! It's a long one, neh? Sorry it was way late guys my bad my bad don't let me be so lazy! I'd understand if you don't want to review for you might be mad at me for many reasons! Here is some candy to make your day! ((throws candy)) OOPS! Sorry about that! just put some ice on it, it should be fine!
