I can't believe this right now. I have a presentation tomorrow, finals starting in a week, yet I managed to crank out a 6,000 word chapter this weekend. Granted, the presentation's supposed to take no more than 5 minutes, but I can't believe I found the time to write this. I can't even figure out how I got the content to all make sense. If it doesn't make sense, let me know., and I'll try to fix it. I dunno if this chapter is flowing right, or if it's just choppy cause I wrote it in pieces. Anyway, this may be my last update for a couple weeks. I'll have time after next Tuesday if I get inspired to crank it out, but then there's more finals upcoming that I should definitely study for. I made sure I put in a bit of fluff to keep you guys satisfied.
Please leave a review if you like or dislike this chapter. Glad you guys are still sticking with this after so long. No promises about when the next update is coming, but do know I'm still with you guys. And for those of you who are observing, Happy Holy Week, Happy Passover, and have a Happy Easter!
Chapter 14
Kurama reached the top of Genkai's steps and paused, Kaori looking over at his face. He had a small bead of sweat running down his forehead, and needed a few deep breaths, but was otherwise unaffected. He looked to Kaori and smiled. "One can't rely solely on one's energy if they hope to survive," he said.
"Oh, so those muscles are for just in case?" Kaori said, poking him in the stomach. She was slightly surprised when he didn't flinch.
"Among other things," he said with a grin. Kurama wiped his forehead and turned towards the house. The pair walked up to the door and Kurama slid it open, to see Yukina, Genkai, Ayame and Masuyo sitting in the middle of the room. Hiei leaned against the wall behind Yukina, and Shigure sat opposite them, behind Masuyo and Ayame, against the opposing wall. Genkai was facing the new arrivals and looked up with narrowed eyes.
"If Hiei hadn't told us both of you were coming, I would have been surprised to see you, Kurama," she said.
"Hn. And we thought you were stealthy enough before," Hiei mused. Kurama gave a small smile, moving to stand by his friend's side while Kaori sat across from Genkai, smiling at Yukina. Just as Kurama leaned against the wall, Kuwabara came in through the door on the other side of Hiei, Botan at his side.
"Koenma's not coming, not for a while anyway," he said, sitting next to Yukina as Botan sat between her and Genkai. He looked up and nodded to Kaori. "Hey. When's Kurama getting here?"
"Shortly," Kurama said, making Kuwabara jump and turn around and Botan smile sheepishly.
"Oh man! I didn't even sense you!" Kuwabara gasped, blinking.
"Yes, we've been over this," Shigure growled, annoyed. "His energy is completely gone, and no one can sense him. That just means you need to keep an eye on him so he doesn't get lost."
"His energy isn't gone," Kaori said, looking over at the annoyed human, then to his sister. "It's been sealed, just like Kurogane's."
"But your memory is intact?" Masuyo asked. Kurama hesitated, then nodded slowly.
"I'm different than Kurogane, since I have a human form and a demon form," he said, walking over to the table and sitting to Kaori's left, next to Kuwabara. Yukina poured him a cup of tea and he took it with a grateful smile. "The demon part of me is sealed away with my energy, and I cannot get to him either."
"Good riddance," Shigure said, making Kaori, Masuyo, and Kurama turn to look at him. "If you were possessed by a demon, at least now you're free to be a normal human. After your training, it should be no sweat to build up your spirit energy-"
"I don't have spirit energy," Kurama said, voice cold as his eyes. "I was not possessed by a demon; my soul is that of a demon. Being separated from a part of myself is not liberating in the least, nor do I wish to simply move on without my other half." Kaori put her hand over his now trembling fist, flashing him a small smile and calming him slightly before his gaze moved back to his tea cup. Shigure just continued to glare, annoyed.
"So we need to find a way to undo Masahiro's chant," Botan said, trying to keep the conversation moving.
"Or try to speed up the recovery process," Kaori said, keeping an eye on Shigure. "It took Kurogane a couple weeks, but his energy and memory returned without him fighting it out."
"Though a good fight would release some of your frustration," Genkai mused, sipping from her tea. Kurama nodded once in the affirmative, sipping from his own cup. "Tiring out your body will relax your mind, as well as show you where your limitations are."
"Very well," Kurama said. Shigure kept silent, looking off and out of the window. It didn't bother him that they weren't continuing on with the mission. In fact, he was sure they planned this, so Yusuke and the lightning demons could team up with those other demons and just take over. He'd just tell Koenma about how much work his 'detective team' was doing later.
After tea and more small talk, the group moved outside. Yukina, Botan, Masuyo and Genkai sat on the porch, while Kaori, Ayame and the men headed out a ways to the clearing. "I'll go against you first," Kuwabara volunteered. "I'll go easy on you, just to warm you up."
"It is appreciated," Kurama said, turning to face him. He closed his eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath to calm himself. Kuwabara waited a moment, and then ran at him. Kurama opened his eyes just in time to see Kuwabara's punch, and barely managed to dodge, throwing a hand up to deflect the blow. Kuwabara swung again, and this time Kurama stepped away much more gracefully. He continued to dodge Kuwabara's punches, eyes focused and alert. Only once did he almost stumble, noticing a rock just before it was too late.
"Not bad," Ayame commented with a smile. "He doesn't look to have slowed down much."
"He's not as smooth," Kaori added.
"He must concentrate more instead of feeling his enemy," Hiei said, eyes narrowed. Kurama ducked another punch and kicked Kuwabara in the side. The human seemed startled as he fell back a few feet, clutching at his ribs. Kurama then ran at him, punches mostly blocked or countered, though a few got past the defense and landed on their target.
Kuwabara fell to the ground panting, looking up to Kurama who stood with both fists up. His breathing seemed under control, making Kuwabara smile. Kurama returned the gesture, holding his hand out to help Kuwabara to his feet. "Thank you for that," Kurama said with a smile.
"No problem," Kuwbara said.
"Yes, I guess he's used to the detective beating him," Hiei mused. "This must be gentler on him."
"Shut up, Hiei!" Kuwabara shouted, turning his attention to the shorter man. "I don't see you jumping in to fight me!"
"That would be cruel," Hiei countered, crossing his arms. "You were just beaten by a demon with no weapons and no energy. I'm doing you a favor by letting you survive."
"Didn't do me any favors," Ayame mumbled. "You've been launching random attacks on a spiritually retarded human girl in the name of 'training' ever since these lightning guys showed up."
"You've been fighting a girl?" Kuwabara yelled.
Meanwhile, Kaori walked out onto the field to where Kurama still stood.
"How do you feel?" she asked. Kurama thought a moment before answering.
"Slightly disoriented," he said. "My fighting strategies have always been centered on my ability to feel my surroundings. With that taken away, and my preferred weapons unavailable, I feel I must find new tactics while being blind in one eye, so to speak." Kaori nodded her head in agreement, raising her fists. Kurama raised a hand to stop her, but she pushed it down.
"I'm not actually going to fight you," she said. "I want you to think through these new tactics." Relatively slowly, she thrust a fist forward, and Kurama caught her wrist between both of his fists. "Good." Kaori pulled back a step and threw a kick. Kurama jumped back, wary as she continued to advance.
"This is when I'd pull out my whip and push you farther away," he said, continuing to backpedal.
"So you just need another way to take me by surprise or get me to back up," she said, continuing the advance. She could see Kurama's mind working, before he caught her foot and twisted, pushing it back and up. Kaori had to flip to land on her feet, and then jumped back again as a kick came from Kurama. He sent a few more her way before pausing with a small smile.
"Thank you," he said with a small bow.
"Why, because I reminded you that you have long legs?" Kaori asked with a bow of her own. Kurama chuckled at this.
"As a matter of fact, yes," he said, walking over to her and pulling her into an embrace. She put her arms around his waist too, holding him tight before pulling back and turning towards and advancing Shigure.
"Were you the stronger one out of the two of you?" he asked, looking towards Kuwabara and Hiei who were still bickering before turning back to Kurama.
"I doubt my energy comes close to Kaori's," he replied calmly.
"Is that why he singled you out?" Shigure asked, a small smirk on his face.
"I was not singled out," Kurama replied calmly.
"In fact, he saved me and Yusuke," Kaori said, pulling him closer. "It was Masahiro's last ditch effort to get us to stop beating him and Yoko sacrificed himself for us."
"Yoko?" Shigure asked with a raised eyebrow.
"My demon side," Kurama stated. "I doubt you would want to meet him. He did not appreciate the conditions under which we met."
"Well, at least you're safe now," Shigure mused. "With your lack of energy, I doubt I could actually hurt you."
"I'm overwhelmed with relief," Kurama replied, releasing Kaori from his hold and squarely facing Shigure. "A fight with you would be interesting, though I believe we've already had that experience."
"And we definitely won," Kaori filled in, poking Kurama in the side. Shigure growled and threw a punch at Kurama, who deflected it and threw his own. Kaori sighed at the testosterone battle playing out before her. "And I guess that point's null and void then, huh?"
Shigure ducked Kurama's blow and swung a leg out. Kurama jumped over it, landing in a push-up and righting himself in a second, right after kicking at Shigure himself. The latter jumped backwards, pulling his fists up and charging at Kurama. His eyes narrowed as he threw punch after punch, frustration growing as Kurama managed to just dodge every one. With a growl he charged up his energy, getting Kurama in the chin and throwing him backwards into the grass.
"Whoa whoa whoa!" Kuwabara shouted as Kurama stood back up. "You can't use your energy on a demon!"
"As of right now, he isn't one," Shigure said with a smirk. "Don't worry, he'll be perfectly fine."
"Yes, Kuwabara," Kurama agreed, spitting out a bit of blood from his now split lip. "I'll be perfectly fine." Shigure ran at him again, and this time Kurama blocked most of his blows instead of trying to outmaneuver all of them. Kaori watched in amazement how Shigure's glowing fists did not have any severe impact on Kurama's body, only being a bit stronger than the punches without energy. In fact, Kaori realized, Kurama could not even tell when Shigure was lacing his hits with energy and when he wasn't.
Kurama got a kick square in Shigure's chest, sending him back and few feet and putting him on the defensive. Kurama charged at him with a flurry of punches and kicks. Shigure did all he could to block half the shots and had to avoid or just take the rest. "Not bad," he said, jumping away. Kurama however didn't let up and continued to follow. Shigure made a wall of his energy in front of him, expecting Kurama to hesitate.
However, he continued through as if he didn't even know it was there, punching Shigure in the jaw and sending him back into a tree. Kurama was panting, fists up, eyes watching Shigure as he slid to the ground. Kaori walked up, eyeing him. She noticed a few slight shudders and held up her hand as Shigure stood.
"That's enough exercise for one day," she said. She put a hand on Kurama's fist and he lowered them, opting to put his hands on his knees as he worked on catching his breath.
"I'm not done yet," Shigure growled, getting to his feet.
"He is," Kaori repeated firmly, standing in front of Kurama. "If you want to keep fighting, then fight me, but you're letting Kurama rest." She felt a hand on her shoulder and turned to Kurama, whose head was still bent, still panting for breath.
"I'm fine," he breathed, "just winded."
"Sure you are," Kaori said, putting a hand to his forehead. Masuyo and Genkai came walking over to the group. "Masuyo, how was Kurogane when you found him?"
"Unconscious," she said, eyeing Kurama. "He was really warm though, did a lot of sweating before he woke up."
"Like his body was fighting off the seal as if it were an infection," Genkai mused. "Why?"
"He's burning up," Kaori said, lifting Kurama's head to look at his face. His panting was slower, but it was still labored, and his eyes were shut with concentration.
"He should not be that tired, even without his energy," Hiei said.
"He was exhausted this morning and recovered fairly quickly," Kaori said, looking over to the setting sun. "I guess it has been a long day for you."
"This is a different exhaustion," Kurama said, opening his eyes. Kaori blinked at him, moving his hair out of his face for a better view. Sure enough, little gold specs dotted his irises around his dilated pupils. "I should get some rest."
"Definitely," Kaori said, wrapping an arm around his waist and helping him walk back to Genkai's home with his arm over her shoulder. "Master Genkai?"
"You may stay as long as necessary," she said.
"I'll make sure to inform Lord Koenma about Kurama's condition," Botan said, taking Kurama's other arm. "It's safest if we all stay here anyway, I suppose."
"Safe?" Shigure asked incredulously. "How are we any safer here than we were at my sister's? What do they want from us?"
"Me," Kaori said, walking Kurama up the stairs. Kuwabara opened the door for the trio as they disappeared into the house and followed quickly behind.
"So shouldn't we be farther away from her?" Shigure growled out.
"If you're so worried, why don't you put one of your barriers around the building?" Genkai asked, walking up the stairs as well, followed by Ayame, Yukina and Masuyo. "My wards should keep out most, and any strong intruders would be stopped by your demon killing energy."
"Fine," Shigure said, heading around to the front of the house. He paused, turning to see Hiei following behind him. "What do you want?"
"You need to watch your temper," he replied calmly. "I saw you becoming undone in your fight against Kurama. Holding a grudge against him or any of us for what we are will solve nothing."
"And I guess I'm supposed to trust you?"
"Everyone else does." With that, Hiei disappeared back into the house, leaving Shigure to glower at where he had been standing. He saw Yukina and Kuwabara in the kitchen, Botan in the main room talking on her compact, and Genkai sitting aside her sipping tea. He moved into the back, following Kaori's energy and Kurama's scent into one of the spare rooms.
She was sitting on her knees on the bed, her back against the headboard. Kurama was laying back, eyes closed, and head propped up on Kaori's lap, while she stroked his hair. His breaths were deep and even, though sweat still collected on his brow.
"He fell asleep almost instantly," Kaori said, gaining Hieis attention. "He never falls asleep this fast."
"He's exhausted," Hiei said, not sure why he even spoke up to consol her.
"His body's fighting to get his energy back," Kaori said, wiping off his forehead before going back to stroking his hair. "Kurogane didn't remember how his energy felt, or that he even had demon energy, and it took him a while to get it back gradually. Kurama is fully aware of the barrier, plus Yoko is trying to get free."
"So he will recover faster," Hiei said calmly.
"He's already started." Two pairs of eyes looked to Genkai, standing in the doorway. Koenma stood behind her to her right. "I saw the gold in his eyes too, Kaori," she continued. "You were not hallucinating."
"His technique is quite similar to Shigure's energy," Koenma said with a curt nod. "Kurogane was weak at the time of his binding, and it took until his energy recovered before it could be released. Yoko was much stronger when he was bound, so he has more energy to invest in breaking out. That and the fact that he is indeed, consciously breaking out."
"Can you look for Yoko?" Kaori asked, pulling Kurama up farther. His head rested now against her chest, arms down loosely at his side while hers wrapped around his torso, locking just over his stomach. Hiei walked to the bedside and closed his eyes, Jagan glowing under his headband. Kaori waited patiently, while Koenma seemed on edge.
"Well?" he asked. Genkai looked at him with an eyebrow raised. "Look, while Yusuke is my official detective, this is a relatively delicate situation. The sooner Kurama gets better, the sooner we can solve this case with the least amount of harm done."
"And of course you care about his health too," Kaori said, looking away from Hiei to lock eyes with the prince. Koenma nodded, pulling his gaze away from hers, disliking the goose bumps he was getting from her stare. "And there's no way that you're trying to rush his recovery to save yourself some unnecessary embarrassment from this whole case."
"What do you mean?" Koenma asked, shocked and slightly annoyed that Kaori would bring it up. He was even more shocked that she didn't flinch, and had the same calculating eyes as the kitsune on her lap.
"You knew who Kurogane was, and that there was more going on behind the scenes," Kaori continued. "I wouldn't be surprised if you had more information on the alliance that's after me, worried that they'll say something to convince me to help overthrow you. Correct?" Her eyes bore into him as his grew slightly. "Yeah, I'm guessing you know all about them, but you don't trust me still. Well don't worry, Kurama, Hiei and I have no desire to switch sides."
"Kurama and Hiei?" Koenma asked slowly. Hiei scoffed, keeping his eyes closed.
"Masahiro thinks the two of us would be good assets to his group," he said. "We turned him down, of course. It's so much better to have a leader we can trust." Koenma narrowed his eyes at the back of the fire demon, debating whether or not he had more to say to him.
Any reply was killed when Kurama had a spasm in Kaori's arms. Kaori jumped, holding him tightly as his breathing quickened. "Hiei?"
"I heard him for a moment," he said, opening his eyes. "Did you feel that?"
"The brief flicker of energy," Genkai said with a nod. "His energy is overcoming Masahiro's." She turned to Koenma. "Do not disturb him from his slumber. It may not all come back tonight, but any rest is helping. The next time he wakes up on his own, tire him out again with another fight. That seems to be what loosened him up." That last part was directed to the two demons. With that she turned and walked out of the room.
"Keep me updated," Koenma said before he left as well, heading back to his office. Hiei looked to Kaori, whose grip did not loosen, even as Kurama relaxed back into a calm sleep.
"Do you want me to keep everyone away?" he asked. Kaori shook her head.
"I can do it," she said, energy flaring. Hiei nodded, flitting out of the room as her energy filled it and sealed it off, ears and tails coming out as her energy was unmasked. She reached a hand up to continue stroking Kurama's hair as he slept, closing her own eyes. "Can't wait to have all of you back, my love," she whispered in his ear.
14 14 14 14 14 14 14 14 14 (^_^) 14 14 14 14 14 14 14 14 14
Unfortunately, Kurama didn't get his energy back that night, nor did he wake up the next morning or the entire day. Night rolled in, and Yukina began to worry about Kaori keeping her energy up as well. It didn't hurt anyone who went to check on them, it only repelled them from the doorway. Yusuke called Kuwabara to check in twice, hoping Kurama could at least tell him what to do next. With no guidance, he just played cool, having Hitashi help him gather info on the demons in the alliance.
Two more nights passed before Yukina convinced Hiei and Ayame to try and get Kaori to eat something for a little while. It was decided that Shigure would not try to enter, who claimed to be able, for fear of either him or Kaori getting hurt by the other's energy. Hiei got to the door and reached to slide it open, growling when a cackle of energy pushed his hand back. Ayame jumped, not knowing what to do.
You need to eat, he said to Kaori, shifting his weight to his other foot, looking at the food Ayame held. Yukina made extras so you won't need to be disturbed again for a while.
I'm not hungry, was the short reply.
But you're getting tired. I could probably force my way in if I wanted. Kaori didn't reply, but he could hear her sigh inside. You relax while you eat, and I'll watch over him for you.
He could tell she was debating inside the room, and finally her energy receded. Hiei nodded to Ayame, who tentatively slid the door open, peering in. It seemed Kaori hadn't moved from her spot on the bed, holding Kurama against her. Her ears were dropping however, and her limp tails dangled off the side of the bed. She looked up and smiled at the new arrivals. "Hey."
"Hey yourself," Ayame said, walking over and putting one plate of food next to Kaori and sitting on the side of the bed with the other. "We're eating dinner together!"
"Yay," Kaori smiled. "I hadn't realized how long it's been since I've eaten anything."
"That's 'cause you've been sitting in here all isolated for three whole days," Ayame said, picking up a pair of chopsticks and pointing at Kaori. "You and I both know that Kurama does not want anything to happen to you while he's out."
"And Hiei and I both know that I can't just leave him alone to get attacked overnight," Kaori said. Ayame raised an eyebrow and looked at Hiei, who just sat by the window and looked out boredly.
"Hey, you told me that the blood on your sword was from a deer," Ayame said, pointing her chopsticks at his back.
"Hn," was the reply.
"Why didn't you tell us demons were coming by?" she whined.
"Because Genkai's wards kept away the weakest, and Hiei took out any before they got to Shigure's energy," Kaori said. "I bet no one else even knows that they sent a few scouts over."
"And it's going to stay that way," Hiei said. Ayame sighed defeated as Kaori reached over and got some food without moving her other hand from around Kurama.
"How's he doing?" Ayame asked, looking the red head over. He was no longer sweating profusely, but sleep still claimed him.
"He twitched a few times, but he hasn't woken up yet," Kaori said, resting her head on top of his. "I did feel a bit of his energy yesterday and again last night, and each time he spasmed once before it went away again."
"Is he fighting his body?" Ayame asked, sitting down her plate.
"Basically," Hiei said, finally looking over. "Being in his human form always limits the amount of energy he has. He will most likely have to transform to completely break the binding."
"Could I give him some of my energy?" Kaori asked, looking over to Hiei. "He could channel it into his human body and get enough energy without having to fight to completely change." He thought for a moment before nodding.
"If we can get some of his energy to seep out, give him some of your own," he said, rising and walking to the bedside. "That will be his strongest push, and the only way to get your energy past the seal." He took off his headband and closed his eyes, opening the Jagan to search Kurama's mind again.
"So cool," Ayame mumbled. Hiei opened his mouth to insult her but was cut off.
HIEI!
He stumbled back a step, looking at Kurama's calm body.
HIEI! LET ME OUT!
Yoko?
HIEI! The frantic screaming was unmistakable.
I can hear you, fox. How-
LET ME OUT! LET ME OUT! Kurama twitched once more before his body remained still.
Listen, he tried again.
LET ME OUT! HIEI! LET ME OUT! YOU HAVE TO LET ME OUT! HIEI LET ME OUT! HIEI!
"Well?" Kaori asked hopeful.
"Well, at least Yoko's still alive," Hiei said, trying to block the demon's shouting. "He keeps yelling to let him out. I don't know if he can actually hear me or has just been calling and hoping I'm listening."
"So what do we do?" Ayame asked, standing up by Hiei's side.
"Go get me a cup of water," he said. Ayame went to the bathroom and filled up a small cup, coming back with a slightly confused look on her face. Hiei took the cup and splashed it on Kurama's face. Almost instantly the body twitched, face contorting as a spasm rocked his body. A small amount of energy seeped out, Kaori's cue to close her eyes and try to feed her energy into him.
HIEI! HIEI! HIE-KAORI! PLEASE KAORI! LET ME OUT KAORI! KAORI! LET ME OUT!
"Well, at least he's not shouting my name anymore," Hiei said. Kurama's energy continued to fight through and Kaori concentrated more on giving him slow, steady doses of her energy. Suddenly, Kurama sat up, eyes shooting open and gold eyes frantically searching.
"Let me out!" he shouted in a distinctly human voice, wincing as another spasm shook his body. Kaori pulled him back against her as he panted, looking around frantically. Ayame jumped away from him, catching his attention for a moment as he tried to decide between fleeing and fighting. A cornered fox was never a good thing, and being trapped in one's own body took the cake. "Kaori?"
"I'm right here," Kaori whispered in his ear, running her fingers through his hair. "We're back in the Ningenkai." His energy continued to fluctuate between nothing and about half his strength in his human body. The fox seemed to notice this right away.
"This isn't my body," he said, adrenaline pumping. "This isn't my body!"
"You were turned into Shuichi after you were sealed," Hiei said. Realizing that he was so close made Yoko jump and nearly fall off the bed. Kaori gripped him tightly, nuzzling against his neck in an effort to calm him down while simultaneously pulling him back from the edge.
It seemed to be working, as Yoko's panting slowed and his heartbeat returned to normal. He closed his eyes, trying to relax against Kaori. "The detective!" he said, eyes snapping open again.
"He's fine too," Kaori said softly. "You saved us, both of us. He went back to the lightening kingdom and I brought you back here, Shuichi I mean, until we could get your energy back."
"Shuichi," Yoko said, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. "Was he alright?"
"Yep," Kaori said, looking over to Hiei. It was obvious that she was the only one keeping him calm, and extra people would keep him tense. Hiei nodded and nudged Ayame. She got the hint and quietly went out the door to the room, Hiei shutting it behind them. "Can you feel him?" Kaori continued.
Yoko paused, then nodded, peace finally passing over his face. "What happened to him?"
"He had no energy, so we had to get him out of the Makai. We were worried we lost you forever."
"I was worried I'd lose me forever," Yoko cut in with a shiver. "It was like being bound to a wall, except you can't move your body anymore, can't blink, can't look around, can't even see anything. I could feel my energy bound, getting forced smaller and smaller and smaller. It hurt like physical pain I've yet to experience. And so small! No room, nowhere to go, nothing to do but try to get out."
"I'm sorry," Kaori said. "You're back now though."
"Not fully," he sighed, another shudder passing by. "I'm so tired, I don't know how much longer I can do this. I don't want to go back there, to get trapped again."
"Take some of my energy," Kaori offered, sliding out from behind him. Yoko barely controlled his fall onto the pillow. He looked up and smiled at Kaori who tilted her head to the side with curiosity.
"It's interesting, seeing you with my own eyes in a different body," he said. "I'm not used to being so weak around you."
"You have to work on that pride, Yoko," Kaori chuckled, stroking his forehead.
"Hard to do when it's justified, my dear," Yoko purred, closing his eyes. Kaori laughed, leaning down and giving him a kiss. Just as she did before, she poured her energy into his body, allowing him to take as much as he needed. Only now could she sense the faint traces of Masahiro's energy within his body, and those traces were quickly being erased. She pulled back, watching Kurama take a few more deep breaths. His energy was stable. Weak, sure, but stable nonetheless. Purple irises waited patiently until they were met by deep emerald orbs.
"Hey," Kurama said softly.
"Hey yourself," Kaori said. Kurama closed his eyes and sighed. "Well?"
"He's back." At this Kaori grinned, noticing the slight curve up on Kurama's lips.
"And I guess that means your sanity has returned as well," she asked. Kurama nodded again, pulling Kaori into a hug.
"Thank you again for the energy," he said, giving her a squeeze. "That is the second time you've done that for me."
"You know I do everything in my power to make sure you're ok," she said, giving him a quick kiss.
"We have to stop getting into these types of predicaments." Kurama pulled Kaori into a longer deeper kiss. She sighed contentedly, even as he rolled over on top of her and wrapped an arm under her back.
"Yeah, you really do." Both jumped and pulled apart, Kurama surprisingly falling off the bed onto the floor. Hiei gave a chuckle from the doorway as he looked at their faces, one blushing and one glaring. "I'm starting to wonder if you put yourself in danger just for the attention you receive afterwards."
"Naturally," Kurama said, standing to his feet. "There's no way to get affection like putting yourself in harm's way. You've seen right through my plan Hiei. How undeniably clever of you."
"That was really your plan?" Ayame asked, leaning in from around the doorframe. Kurama and Kaori sweatdropped while Hiei rolled his eyes, shoved her out of the room and shut the door once more. The two remaining occupants listened to the two bicker as they walked away, leaving them alone.
"Great plan, Kurama," Kaori smiled, pulling his attention from the door. "I would expect such a plan from Yoko, but from you? How interesting."
The smirk that passed Kurama's face clearly belonged to the other occupant of his body. He leaned in to Kaori's ear, breath tickling her neck. "What makes you think it wouldn't be my plan, my dear?" the low smooth voice purred. Kaori closed her eyes as a shiver went down her spine. A few kisses along her neck and the drag of a fang let her know without a doubt who was now sitting on the bed beside her.
Instead of allowing him to continue showing his affection, she pulled back, looking into his gold eyes and moving silver tresses from his face. "I'm glad to see that you are well too," she said. "I really was worried about you."
"As I was for you," Yoko said, placing a hand on her cheek. "The last I saw, you were still fighting Masahiro, and I was too occupied to help you. Forgive me."
"Forgive you?" Kaori gasped. "If it wasn't for you, all three of us would've been bound, and probably would've died right there in the forest. The only thing I need to forgive you for is not being smart enough to protect yourself along with us."
"I was too close, and I did not have enough energy to erect two barriers with enough energy to repel that attack," Yoko countered. "I had to choose between you two and myself. It was a very easy decision."
"No it wasn't!" Kaori said. "You were traumatized from those four days of isolation! And I"m sure you would have figured out how to save us faster than we saved you!"
"Yes, but at least I saved you," he replied, rubbing his thumb over her cheek. "Any discomfort, no matter how great and how long, is worth it when the prize is great enough. I would have stayed there for three times as long if it was the only way to ensure that you were safe, no matter what it did to me."
Kaori couldn't help the tear that slid out of her eye, rubbing it away and shielding her face from Yoko. "Just run me into a tree again why don't ya," she mumbled, making him laugh and pull her down onto her side with him.
"I promised I would express my sentiments in a much safer and more private place," he purred, pulling her against him. "I could spend all night explaining why I loved you if that is what you so desired." Kaori giggled, kissing his nose. A thought crossed her mind and she paused for a moment, slightly concerned.
"Does it involve shacking?" Yoko laughed again, pulling Kaori even closer with a dark glint in his eye.
"Not yet, my dear. I don't think you're ready for what would lay in store for you."
Kaori narrowed her eyes at him, though a blush still stained her cheeks. "You really need to work on that pride of yours." Yoko flashed her a grin.
"It is completely justified, my dear. Maybe you'll have a dream about it tonight though, and I'll get some ideas about what you'd like."
"SHUT UP!"