A/N: Time skips this chapter, mostly to get things moving along and certain other reasons that will remain undisclosed. You got a fast update last week, but probably not this time. I hope the last chapter was okay – it was strange writing Kasumi when she was at such a weak point mentally. Once again, thank you to everyone who has taken the time out of their day to review, it means a lot to me! I recently joined AO3 as well and have posted Ticking Timebomb there, just a little psa for you all, haha. Here's chapter 14, happy reading!
Also, I bring up computers this chapter, but don't think of them as the kind we have today. Remember, this is the 90s and they're ancient, giant clunkers.
An anon reviewer (love when they all ask me questions but I can't answer them) pointed out that Kasumi seemed to be able to see too well in the last chapter…except she really couldn't. I made sure to write that in several times. In the very first chapter of the story she explains she can see things when they are close enough. She's near sighted, you see. Can only see shapes from a certain distance, but if she moves close enough it's only a bit blurred. Not everyone who wears glasses or contacts is blind and then OH can magically see again when they put their glasses on, that's not how it works. And I should know, considering I wear glasses as well! So there you have it.
Disclaimer: Don't own it, never will, and I'm not making any money by writing this.
Warnings: Violence, blood/gore, tons of curse words, adult themes, etc.
. . .
I tapped a pen repeatedly against a pad of paper I had resting on my desk, one elbow against the wood so I could use a hand to prop up my chin. I stared uninterestedly at the police report on the flickering screen of my computer…I'd only written a single paragraph and it needed to be handed in onto my captain's desk by the end of the day. Which, may I add, happened to be in an hour – or at least that's when my shift ended. I couldn't talk for the other shmucks sitting around the office.
Ren had come back to work last week and he didn't remember anything about the night of the police operation. I'd only gone to visit him while he was in the hospital once and he had made sure to torture me about it since. Currently, he sat across from me (our desks were pressed together and facing each other) and if I lifted my head just enough I could see him over the top of my monitor. I was carefully avoiding doing this, because every time I looked at him he puckered his lips and made lovey dovey noises – it was disgusting. He found some sick pleasure in mocking me for caring about him.
My eye twitched when he kicked at my ankles beneath our desks to get my attention. All it earned him was a much harder kick in return. His knee shot up and smashed into the underside of his desk and he released a pitiful groan from behind my computer. I chuckled – served him right.
"You done with the report yet?" he had swung his chair out so he could lean over and look at my side of our shared space.
"No, you should have done it," I shot him a pointed look but he only grinned at me.
"Nope, it's your turn, so you better hurry up," and then he rolled his chair back over and left me to my own devices.
Gee, thanks so much for your help you prick.
I started to furiously type but my thoughts kept straying to that irritating itch in the back of my mind. It might as well have been there permanently at this point. I received only short amounts of relief from it and honestly, he was lucky I hadn't tracked him down killed him yet.
Fucking Hiei…It had been two weeks since the incident at Genkai's where I had blacked out and woken up more screwed in the head than I had been before. Even though I had repeatedly protested it hadn't stopped the group of fighters from watching my every move. Whether this was because they were waiting for me to black out and turn psychotic again, or because they felt the need to protect me I couldn't tell you. As I apparently had the worst luck in the world, Hiei had been chosen as the person who would keep an eye on me (literally in his case) while I wasn't at home or in school. However, he had taken it upon himself to creep on me during the classes I didn't have with Kazuma, so I couldn't even get away from him when I was there.
I never saw him, I had no idea how far that third eye of his could go and he never spoke to me while he was in the back of my head. I doubted it was just him trying to be respectful, because his presence there was enough to distract me from my daily life. I was also irritated because with him almost always present these days I had not spoken to that….thing Chronos since the day at Genkai's. It was like it knew Hiei was there and it probably did, considering it was inside my head just hiding somewhere. How creepy was that? Just about as creepy as Hiei lurking in there, now that I thought about it.
I'd spent the past two hours trying to provoke the fire demon into conversation, but he had not once answered me. Not even one of his usual stoic, "Hn," noises he liked to make. It kept me in a constant state of awareness, like I was trying not to embarrass myself in front of him, yet I didn't even know if he could see what I was doing or not. That was one of the reasons I hadn't been able to complete my police report for the latest case Ren and I had worked on together.
We'd busted a guy robbing a convenience store. I couldn't deny that it had been a little exciting; I had gotten to watch Ren tackle the guy to the ground when he had tried to run. Of course, afterwards he'd ended up regretting it considering he was still injured. His wound had mostly healed within the two weeks since he'd received it but if he kept jumping on suspects he would be feeling the pain for a long time yet. I would never understand a man's need to show off, especially in front of a girl.
"Hey," Ren was sticking his head around his computer again, "Want to go out for dinner tonight?"
His look was hopeful, that halfcocked grin stretched across his lips that I found stupidly attractive and before I'd realized what had slipped out of my mouth I'd said, "Yes."
His eyes widened in surprise, apparently he hadn't thought I would answer that way. I was tempted to take it back and tell him I had changed my mind but that hopeful look of his had turned into one of pure elation. For someone who could make himself look as hardened as stone to look at me that way…I wouldn't be able to say no even if he had asked me to do something far less pleasant.
"Where do you want to go?" Ren asked.
"Surprise me," I replied.
He smiled, his eyes lighting up and then nodded, "Okay, hurry up and get your work done then."
Suppressing any interruptions or distractions, I managed to finish the report within half an hour (I was always very detailed in my documentation, something my superiors appreciated) and had handed it to my captain hot off the printer. He thanked me and sent me on my way. I headed back to my desk to find Ren standing there waiting for me, his classy black pea coat pulled over his police uniform and my jacket held over one arm. He handed this to me, so I could pull it on and then pick up my brown leather messenger bag (I liked leather, could you tell? I was very saddened over my favorite jacket being ruined). I swung it over my shoulder, double checked my desk and all my pockets to make sure I had everything, and then Ren and I walked side by side out of the building. I heard more than one jeering taunt from the other officers as they saw us leave together and studiously ignored them as best I could. Yelling at them, threatening them, or being downright rude hadn't stopped it, so I was onto phase two: ignore it all until it went away. Everyone here thought we were dating now and I hadn't heard the end of it in the past fourteen days. I was happy to leave at the end of every single one of my shifts and normally I enjoyed coming to work.
Being almost mid-October it was too cold for Ren to ride his motorcycle, so he walked everywhere when he wasn't using the cruiser to get around. For a while we strolled down the sidewalk in amicable silence, just enjoying the crisp fall air and the sounds of life around us. Occasionally I would reach up to adjust my new glasses, which Keiko had helped pick out. They were much more stylish than my last pair, plastic frames that didn't bother the bridge of my nose, and thinner lenses so I didn't look like I was wearing bifocals. I'd also replaced my contacts and now had several pairs of those to go around. Honestly, I should just start wearing them all the time now, the glasses were going to end up being an inconvenience soon enough.
"So…how are classes going?" he asked, still staring straight ahead.
I'd started college last Monday and attended classes three days a week. I didn't like it as much as I should have. Keiko and Kazuma both had tried to cheer me up and get me motivated to do better in class, but I Just wasn't feeling it. I had too much on my plate and school was one of the last things I wanted to worry about. If the Tokyo PD didn't want me to attend so badly I would have just dropped out or deferred for a year. The classes themselves were okay, but it was all stuff I had already learned at the police academy. I hoped they would become more interesting as time progressed and I got closer to graduating.
I decided not tell Ren any of this and just said, "They're good."
He frowned, "Doesn't sound like it."
I rolled my eyes, "They're fine, seriously."
"Okay, if you say so," and then he changed the subject, for which I was grateful. "Oh yeah, I wanted to give you this."
He reached into the inner pockets of his coat and produced none other than my trusty pistol. I was so happy to see my gun that I broke out into an infectious grin that had Ren smiling right back at me. He forked it over and I held it lovingly for a moment before shoving it into the back of my pants and under my jacket so it wouldn't be seen.
"I don't know why I had it…" Ren started, "But it was one of the things they gave me when I left the hospital."
I tried to think up a lie quickly, my mind racing until I ended up blurting, "I let you borrow it!"
He gave me a funny look and raised an eyebrow, "Why would I need to borrow it? I own more than one gun, Kasumi."
Shit! "Uh…because I needed you to fix it, you're handy like that, right?"
He frowned contemplatively, "I don't remember you asking me to fix it, but whatever happened when I got in that accident messed with my head. Sorry if I forgot to repair it for you."
Ren was under the impression he had gotten into a car accident. That he had gone out drinking with some buddies and on the way home they had crashed into a light pole. He had been the only one injured. Personally, if I was Koenma I would have made up a story about a wild animal attack considering the wound in his side was from claws, but that's just my opinion and not many gave a shit about it.
I pulled my gun back out so I could fiddle with it a moment, pretending to check it over, and then looked back up at him. "You fixed it alright, good as new! Thanks!"
He smiled at me and shook his head. We didn't talk much after that, he shoved his hands into the pockets of his coat and I spent my time on the way to the restaurant watching the puffs of air leave my mouth. It was cold enough out that I could see my breath and that had always kind of fascinated me. I liked the simple things in life, what could I say.
I was in the process of once again trying to goad Hiei into conversation (I was starting to wonder if he could even hear me) by thinking any annoying thought I could, when a car horn blared loudly behind us. I practically jumped out my skin, causing Ren to laugh at me and we turned as one to see who was being so rude. A cruiser pulled up next to the sidewalk, parking in a no parking zone may I add, and the driver that stepped out had me sucking in a sharp breath from between my teeth.
Detective Miyasaki Makoto stood in the open door of the cruiser, a heated glare on her face. She didn't wear a police uniform like the rest of us, being a detective she was given the right to wear street clothes as long as she kept her badge on her. She looked as severe as they come, dressed all in black, dark form fitting pants, a tight black tank with a black leather jacket thrown over it. Even though I couldn't see them, I was positive she would be wearing her custom combat boots with the hidden knives and no doubt her buck knife would also be present at her side. I could see her shoulder holster with the single pistol she normally carried and her long jet black hair had been pulled back into a tight ponytail. I didn't know why she had stopped us but I was tempted to run in the other direction. I might respect Detective Makoto…but that didn't mean I liked her.
"Yo, Makoto -san, what's up?" Ren called to her, making his way over to the cruiser.
I stayed put on the sidewalk, not because I was afraid of her, but because I wanted nothing to do with her and Ren together. An emotion akin to jealousy sprang forth beneath my breast at the sight and it had my face turning cold, my lips turned down into a sneer.
"Hey Ren, I'll just meet up with you later," I said to him, shoving my hands into the pockets of my jacket.
He turned with a look of alarm, "No, just give me a minute!"
"I think its best that she left, Ren," interjected Makoto.
She was still glaring straight at me and being that I was not easily intimidated I glared right back. Some might call that disrespectful, but Makoto only raised an eyebrow and eyed me up and down. Ren began to argue with her, heated whispers I couldn't hear nor did I care about. With Makoto's attention off me I took one last glance at them and then began the trek towards my apartment.
Ren didn't come after me and I was left to assume he had left with Makoto…not that I really cared. He could do whatever the hell he wanted. It wasn't like we were actually dating.
My cell phone buzzed loudly in my pocket and I pulled it out to see Ren's number glowing on the screen. I hit a button that sent the call to my voicemail and kept right on walking. If he wanted to go off with another woman he had no business bugging me afterwards. I'm sure if I had answered I would have just received a lame excuse anyway and it's not like I had really wanted to go out to dinner with him, I was just being nice when I said yes, so he could go have fun with Detective Makoto if he damn well pleased. It was no skin off my nose, that was for sure…or at least, that's what I kept telling myself as I made my way to my apartment building.
As I reached my front steps, unlocked the door, and walked up the three flights of stairs to my apartment door I felt Hiei recede from my mind…probably just as thankful as I was to do so and relief washed over me. I sighed, for I would finally be able to relax. Keiko wouldn't be home from class for another hour or so (she had a late one tonight) and I planned to utilize that time to take a shower and cook her a nice dinner.
I entered into the foyer, kicked off my shoes and put on my house slippers. I dumped my cell phone, change, and police badge into my poppy bowl sitting on the little table beside the doorway. From there I hung my jacket up on the little pegs we had put into the wall. I took my gun out of the back of my pants and was about to set that down as well when a soft noise alerted me to another's presence.
Someone was in my home…with all the lights off and in my personal experience that didn't normally bode well. I had my gun in a practiced and instinctual grip within my hands instantly. I moved silently through my apartment to the living room where I saw the window to the fire escape open. As I drew closer I rolled my eyes and lowered my gun, for sitting outside with his legs hanging off the edge of the metal platform and his arms resting against the railing was Urameshi Yusuke. He had a cigarette hanging from between his lips and smoke trailed up towards the night sky from its tip. He had a faraway look in his eyes but that didn't stop him from noticing me.
"Hey Kasumi, welcome home," he said without turning around as I came to stand at the window.
"Tadaima," I said belatedly.
I should have known one of the boys would be here, considering Hiei had decided to leave me alone. I climbed out the window and sat down next to Yusuke. He continued to smoke while staring up at the smog filled sky. I wanted to ask him what was wrong, because he looked so lost for some reason, but I didn't know how to broach the subject. We weren't that close after all.
So instead I asked, "Can I bum one?"
He raised an eyebrow and looked at me out of the corner of his eye, "Sure, just promise you won't tell Keiko you caught me smoking."
"Your secret's safe with me."
He had the pack rolled up in his t-shirt sleeve like some punk that had just stepped out of the 80s. He pulled it out and tossed it towards me, I took a cancer stick and he handed me a booklet of matches. I lit it, took a long drag, and then sat much the same as Yusuke was. I folded my arms against the railing and rested my chin on them and watched as the city bustled down below.
"I didn't know you smoked," he said.
"I don't anymore," I replied.
I used to smoke a few years ago; I picked up the disgusting habit shortly after Hitomi went missing. Actually, I picked up a lot of disgusting habits during that time, such as sex with strangers and drinking amongst other things. It was Keiko that had gotten me to quit and it didn't surprise me that she gave Yusuke a hard time about it now.
"Rough day?" asked Yusuke, knocking me out of my musings.
"Not really," I said, but it didn't sound that convincing.
I took another drag and flicked the ash that had built up on the tip over the railing. I watched as it floated towards the ground and then disappeared in the wind.
"Wanna talk about it?" he asked, ignoring what I had told him previously.
"Not really," I repeated with a shrug.
For a while we smoked in silence, by the time I had finished my first cigarette Yusuke had lit up a second one. I refused his offer for another but stayed out on the fire escape with him as he smoked his fill. I drank up all there was to see about Urameshi Yusuke while he did this. I could see the goose bumps that were raised up on his arms from the chill in the air, though he never moved to get a coat. He was dressed in a white t-shirt and high waisted blue jeans, his black hair slicked back in its usual style. Keiko was a lucky woman to have caught such an attractive man. I could definitely give her props for snatching him up.
I had discovered in the past couple of weeks that I had a few new abilities; I guess you could call them. I could now sense and see auras though telling power levels apart was a bit difficult, however, as I looked Yusuke over it wasn't hard to tell how strong he truly was. His aura was a bright electric blue, the same as his Reiki, and it mixed chaotically with a red that I didn't understand. Could someone have two auras? Besides that one oddity, the aura itself could be felt without even seeing it. It made goose bumps rise up all over my skin and the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. It sent shivers down my spine and made me tingle from head to toe. This boy was special, in more ways than one, and I hoped someday I would get to witness his power first hand.
"Any visits from our little friend?" he asked suddenly.
"Who, Hiei?"
He let forth a burst of laughter, "No, but I guess that could be used for him too."
I didn't feel like talking about this, "You mean Chronos?"
He frowned contemplatively, "Yeah…but I can tell it's a sore spot for you."
It was. Koenma hadn't been happy with me, with the fact I had spoken to it without telling anyone. Keiko and Kazuma had known long before me of course, they all had known except for me. They had finally told me what they'd been hiding all this time. That I was the vessel for a god that had been thrown from their throne in the heavens and was now being punished for their misdeeds by being trapped within a human…it was just my bad luck that it happened to be me. The god was called Chronos, the creator of time, and my body couldn't handle having it inside me. Master Genkai informed me that as long as I didn't call upon Chronos' powers I should be fine…however the god had refused to be sealed back up inside me (the reason I had gone for that visit to Genkai so many years ago) and without Chronos' cooperation it wasn't possible to complete the ritual that was required for the seal.
I wasn't too disappointed by that, if I was to be honest. Something had changed inside me with the appearance of Chronos, something besides becoming aware of the god. I kind of liked it as much as it scared me. The only benefit that had come from my tiring and confusing conversation with Koenma and Genkai had been the knowledge that I wasn't crazy. Though I had been warned that Chronos could very well bring me down that path anyway, if I wasn't careful – I had promptly informed them I was too stubborn to fall for anything Chronos threw at me.
They had their doubts, but I sure as hell didn't. I knew what Chronos was now…even if I didn't necessarily understand what that meant for me. I could differentiate between myself and the god, it wasn't hard. I was too strong minded to fall into the oblivion of insanity and my weakness at Genkai's was disgusting to me now. I was mortified by my reactions, mortified that they had all seen me in such a state, but there was no taking it back now.
I brought myself back to the present, before Yusuke thought I was ignoring him, "No, it hasn't spoken to me since that day."
He nodded knowingly, "I didn't think it would, considering Hiei is watching for it."
I scoffed, "Is that why he has constantly been in my head?"
Yusuke cast a sidelong glance my way and grinned apologetically, "Yeah, amongst other reasons."
He stubbed his cigarette out and turned around so he could look at me fully. Those chocolate brown eyes told me he felt bad for me – his sympathy only angered me.
"Don't give me that look, I don't want your pity," I said and it came out much harsher than I had intended.
"Sorry," he said and then turned back around to stare up at the sky again.
I took in a large breath of the fall air and swung my legs over the side of the fire escape. The smell of cigarette smoke and pollution lingered unpleasantly in my nose, but I didn't care. That was one of the things about living in the city, it always stunk.
"Have you always lived in Tokyo?" I asked Yusuke just to keep the conversation going.
"Nah, I lived in a town on the outskirts when I was a kid – Sarayashiki," he said.
"That's right…Kazu told me that once, that's where you guys went to junior high."
"Yeah, seems so long ago now," and that faraway look reappeared in his eyes.
"Do you miss it?"
He snorted, "Not really, it's just a town. I like living in the city anyway."
I didn't know what to say after that, so I just stood up and went to crawl back through the window. A hand on my arm stopped me, the touch light but still enough to make me pause. I turned to look at Yusuke and he let his arm drop, he wasn't looking at me, but I could tell he had something important to say.
"Bear with us, Kas…I promise we'll help as much as we can," he said quietly.
The use of my nickname had me surprised, as only Keiko and Kazuma liked to call me that. My eyes widened momentarily and then narrowed, "I don't want any of you to help me."
I didn't say it to be mean, I didn't say it because I didn't like them – I said it because I didn't want any more people dragged into my messed up life.
He ran a hand through his hair, messing up the carefully styled locks, "I didn't mean with Chronos."
"I know…" I replied and then climbed back through the window.
Yusuke had been speaking of my sister. They all wanted to help me find her for one reason or another. Either because she carried the key to Purgatory or because they felt bad for me or any number of reasons they could come up with. I had refused them all, making Keiko and Kazuma angry with me, but that mattered little. This was something I truly wanted to do on my own, something I had spent three years dedicating my life to, I couldn't just hand it over to someone else and hope for the best. It was bad enough they were watching me, disrupting my daily life just because some bigwig in the Reikai had told them to.
I had always wanted to be special like Hitomi…but neverlike this. It made me feel like a sideshow freak at a circus. Like some horrible experiment that went wrong. After I had left Genkai's I went through the entire why me whiny bullshit but all I could do afterwards was sneer at myself and think, 'be careful what you wish for' because that saying rang so fucking true for me it was ridiculous.
As I entered my living room I heard my cell phone buzzing by the door. Just to make sure it wasn't work or something else equally important I went to check it, but had a feeling I already knew who it was going to be. As I picked the device up so I could look at its tiny screen it was to see Ren's number flashing brightly in the darkness, just as I had assumed. I was sorely tempted to send it straight to voicemail again, but against my better judgment I flipped the phone open and put it to my ear.
I forewent the standard polite greeting and instead said, "What do you want?"
"Aren't you just a fucking ball of sunshine today," was his reply.
I rolled my eyes though he couldn't see it (I swear they will get stuck in the back of my head someday), "Yeah, I'm just peachy Ren."
"Listen, I called to apologize for earlier. I didn't want to stand you up."
"I didn't even want to go to dinner with you, so it doesn't matter. Thanks for calling," I went to hang up, surprised at myself for the amount of jealousy I could hear in my voice, but I couldn't seem to stop the words from coming.
"Wait! Kasumi, don't hang up!" he shouted and I brought the phone back to my ear – I couldn't tell you why.
"What?" I snapped.
"Go out with me tomorrow night? I'll pick you up from class."
His offer only had me pursing my lips and grinding my teeth in frustration, "No thanks."
"Oh come on, Kasumi, please?"
What was up with this picture? This didn't sound like the Ren I used to associate with almost every day. The classmate turned co-worker turned partner who constantly teased me, or played pranks on me. It also wasn't the cop I knew, who could be so cold and stoic when he wanted, who could handle a situation with a cool calm most people only dreamed of. I might have disliked Ren a great deal, but I had always respected him on some level. Right now, that respect was dropping by the second.
"Why do you sound so desperate?" I asked.
I heard him suck in a sharp breath and then the line went dead for a while. When he finally spoke it sounded pained…like it was difficult for him to talk about.
"I made a decision a few months ago…" he started, "To be a little more confident in myself."
I shook my head, this didn't make sense either. Ren had always had confidence out the wazoo, I'd always envied it.
"You're plenty confident," I said.
"Not…" he sighed, "Not at work Kasumi, in my personal life."
What did he mean by that…his personal life? He wasn't talking about his love life, was he? This had my heart racing and my breath speeding up in a sudden panic. A light sweat broke out over my skin and I had to bite back a strangled sounding gasp from rising in my throat.
"Kasumi, I have always admired you, since the first day at the academy…"
Oh no…oh no. Please don't continue this; I don't know what I will do. I can't have someone in love with me, I just can't. This was seriously, truly, horribly bad.
"And I would really like to be able to call you mine," and there it was – my death sentence.
I don't think I've ever shut my phone so fast in my life. I was quick to hit the button that turned it off too and it went straight back into my poppy bowl. I stood there just staring at it for a long moment with my hands pressed to my face but my fingers spread apart so I could see between them. I might have a panic attack, it certainly felt like I was about to freak out.
"Wow that was harsh, Kas."
It came from behind me and I stiffened in shock, because I hadn't known Yusuke had been listening in the entire time. What a goddamn jerk.
"That was none of your business," I snapped. How had he even heard Ren? Did he have supersonic hearing along with his other freaky abilities?
"You could have just let him down easy, damn," he continued, "You're a stone cold bitch."
The rage that welled up inside me had me grinding my teeth and clenching my fists at my sides. It took every ounce of my willpower to keep myself from turning around and sucker punching him straight in the nose. I took two deep breaths, loosened my fingers and then turned to confront Yusuke with the frostiest look I could muster and by his suddenly fearful wide eyes and twitching lips it must have been a damn good one.
"So what if I am," I said, "I don't have time for that type of bullshit."
"Bullshit? You think love is bullshit and you hang out with people like Kuwabara?"
He moved to stand directly in front of me and I was forced to look up at him slightly, because he was a few inches taller than me. He wasn't trying to be intimidating, the look on his face attested to pure curiosity and confusion, however, that did not save him from his previous comment nor did it make up for him eavesdropping on a very private conversation.
"Just because I can appreciate it doesn't mean I want it for myself," I explained.
"Why?"
"What do you mean, 'why'?" I asked.
"You seem kind of cynical…is it because of that Hideki guy?" he was partially right and it must have shown on my face because his look turned smug a second later.
"He isn't the only reason and once again, this is none of your business," I brushed past him, making sure to slam my shoulder into his as I went, and then stormed off to the kitchen.
Yusuke followed, much to my chagrin, and when he slipped through the swinging door right after me I rounded on him.
"Get out," I said through my teeth.
"Nope, I'm waiting for Keiko."
"Go wait somewhere else."
He hummed for a moment, like he was contemplating it and then shook his head, "Nah, I'd rather stay here. Thanks though."
And then he took a seat on one end of the counter and just watched me. Trying not to explode I decided my best course of action would be to ignore him, so I went about the kitchen and began to prepare supper for when Keiko came home.
I actually liked to cook though I didn't do it as often as I should. I set the rice cooker up to begin the process of making a Donburi (rice with another type of food on top) and then pulled out a few pork cutlets so I could slice those up and begin the process of frying them. Everything I cooked was always homemade, I didn't bother with those quick and easy meals people liked to make these days. I preferred real food; though you might occasionally catch me eating fast food I generally avoided it.
"Want some help?"
At some point Yusuke had snuck up behind me again and it caused me to jump. I moment later I yelped when the sharp knife I was using came down to slice my index finger open.
"Shit!" I swore and then grabbed for the towel I had hanging off the handle to the oven so I could wrap it around the bleeding digit.
I raced off to the bathroom with Yusuke hot on my heels (was he going to follow me everywhere tonight?) and set the faucet to the sink on full blast. I removed the towel and stuck my bloody hand underneath the stream. As I washed out the wound I inspected it closely and decided that it would need stitches, it was quite deep. What a goddamn rookie mistake.
I turned to Yusuke, "Grab the first aid kit off the top shelf of the closest."
He did as he was told, rummaging around until he discovered it and then handed it to me. My first aid kit wasn't the standard kind. It was in a much larger container, though it was still clearly marked as being for medical use, because I kept more than just bandages inside it. I also had all the supplies needed for stitches of any kind, severe wound care items, first aid creams, smelling salts, ipecac, amongst many other useful things beyond bandages, gauze and tapes. There was also an array of painkillers and antibiotics, some that probably weren't legal for me to have without a prescription and others that were mild enough to treat headaches. I was prepared for it all.
"Holy shit, you have a mini hospital in there!" Yusuke remarked as he stared inside the box at all its contents.
I chuckled, "Not even close, but it's still useful."
"How'd you get all this stuff?" he asked as he began to pick through the container, holding a pair of forceps in his hand and then replacing it so he could pick up several other medical tools.
I was pulling out the items I would need to perform my own stitches as had been shown to me years ago by my grandfather – a curved needle, the synthetic suture kit, and antibiotic ointment.
"Just collected it over the years," I replied as I prepped my finger with iodine.
"Whoa, hold on a second Kasumi, you're not gunna do that yourself are you!?" he sounded alarmed, horrified even and it brought a smirk to my lips.
"Yep," and then I took the needle and carefully made the first stitch. The pain was enough to cause my jaw to tighten, but I had endured much worse.
It only took three tiny stitches and Yusuke made gagging noises through it all, though he never looked away. I tied off the end and took up a pair of tiny scissors to snip off the excess material. Finished, I cleaned up the wound a bit and put the ointment over it before covering it with a piece of gauze. The last step was to tape it up and there it was, good as new.
I held the finger up for Yusuke to stare at in impressed awe and he grinned at me, "What do you think you are, a doctor?"
I laughed, "I wish, I'd make a lot more money."
We both chuckled at that but then an awkward silence fell over the room and I began to shuffle my feet.
"Well, I guess I'll go finish dinner," I said and went to leave.
"Wait, doesn't that hurt?" he asked, pointing at my finger.
I shook my head and gave him a lopsided grin, "Nothing I can't handle."
And then I walked out, leaving Yusuke behind. He didn't follow me again after that.
. . .
Later that night, after the craziness of supper had ended (Keiko had brought Kazuma along and with Yusuke here it had been rather loud), I was lying in my bed staring up at my ceiling. I'd dressed myself in an old pair of Karate gi pants and a grey sports bra so I was ready for when I eventually fell asleep. I hadn't bothered with the lights, but I had opened my window to let a cold breeze sweep through the room. I regretted it after a time when a gust of wind brought the scent of burnt firewood, pine trees, and something distinctly male to my nostrils. I knew of only one person who had such a unique smell about them – Hiei. The man could move like a ghost, I hadn't even heard him enter.
"Haven't seen you in two weeks, why are you here now?" I folded my arms beneath my head and continued to stare up at the ceiling.
I heard the sound of his boots being tossed to the floor and the window being shut and I suppressed a groan. I didn't want to look at him, but I wasn't going to be able to avoid it now.
Hiei had taken a seat in the arm chair that sat in the corner of my bedroom, his boots thrown haphazardly beneath the windowsill and cloak hung over the back of the chair. He had placed his katana beside it, resting within easy reaching distance and had one leg drawn up to his chest so he could place an arm around it. As my eyes drew their way up his body, I found those bright cherry colored eyes boring straight into me.
I smiled at him sarcastically, "Hello to you too."
He was dressed similarly to how he usually was: a blue tank top that looked like it had the sleeves ripped off it at some point, loose black pants bound at the bottom with white bandages, and at least three white belts through the loops on his pants. His outfit was completed with his standard headband and the long length of bandages covering his right arm, but as I looked him over my eyes zeroed in on two chains he had around his neck I'd never noticed before. Whatever was on the end of them was hidden from view by his shirt. Interesting, I didn't think he would be the type to wear jewelry.
"Has it spoken to you in my absence?" he didn't beat around the bush, did he.
"No, especially considering you're constantly inside my head," I answered, a bit of bite to my words so he would know how unhappy I was about my current situation.
"Go to sleep, Kasumi," he commanded.
I sat up so I could glare at him, "No, who are you, my dad?"
He sneered, "Hardly. I wish to observe you as you sleep."
Now that was just creepy and I made sure to point that out to him, "What are you, a stalker?"
The look he shot me told me he was already completely done with my shit and I had a hard time suppressing a grin. Few things amused me more than goading this man into an argument.
"Go to sleep or I will force you to," he said his tone threatening and full of wicked promise.
When I refused to lie back down and folded my arms over my chest just so I could stare at him defiantly, he reached up to his headband, intent on keeping his word.
"Goddamn Hiei, I can't just fall asleep at the drop of a hat!"
"Then let me do it for you," he said through his teeth.
"No thanks, just leave me be," and then I flopped back over onto my bed, my hair floating up around me to lie in disarray against the pillows.
"Hn," he grunted indignantly from across the room and I rolled my eyes.
"Why do you want to watch me sleep anyway?" I asked. "Yusuke is right in the other room; you don't need to be here."
"I want to observe what occurs at night, when I'm not inside your head," he answered and I was surprised he had even bothered. Normally he just let me figure it out on my own.
It was also interesting that he wanted to try and bait Chronos into coming out for a visit. Did he wish to speak to it…or was there something else he was after?
I stopped talking then and so did he, I wished with all my might I could forget he was even there considering he was so quiet but the feeling of his presence wouldn't allow it. I closed my eyes and imaged his aura…it was so beautiful compared to the others'. Tonight had been the first chance I'd had to truly see it and as the room heated up just from him being inside it, I couldn't help but crack my eyes open to look again.
Hiei's aura was so much different than Yusuke's and Kazuma's; it was so many wonderful colors at once – red, orange, blue, green, purple…black. It all swirled together in a chaotic array of dark and light, just as varied as all the colors fire could be counting on its level of heat. His aura was just as devastatingly impressive as he was and just like Yusuke, the feeling of his power set my spine to convulsing. Goose bumps rose up over my skin again and I closed my eyes so I could soak it all in.
"Sleep Kasumi…"
The sound of my name leaving his lips was like a lullaby to my ears and I allowed it to lull me into a state of half-wakefulness. Goddamn, no man had ever made my name sound so sexy before. For what must have been the hundredth time I wished he had a kinder personality…but then again, if he did, he wouldn't be Hiei would he?
As horrible as he'd been to me…it didn't dull his attractiveness in the slightest. I cringed away from that line of thinking, because dating a demon hadn't worked out for me before, so why would that change now? Not to mention…I could only imagine the torture Hiei would inflict on me should I ever make a move on him. I'd have a better chance with Kurama, though the thought made me chuckle now because Kurama was too much of a pretty boy for me. I'd spend more time being jealous of how he looked when compared to me then I would spend building a relationship with him.
I drifted after a while, the bedroom so warm it was making me sleepy. I rolled over so my back was to Hiei and allowed my eyes to close. It didn't take long for me to fall into a deep sleep.
When I opened my eyes next it was only to find another, much larger set of eyes staring straight back at me. Eyes so black they seemed fathomless with tiny specks of white that swirled around mesmerizingly, I was lost inside them, so large they were all I could see. There was no face, no hair, and no body – just those gigantic eyes. I felt like I was floating away into a galaxy just by looking at them.
I figured out soon after that I must have fallen asleep and was inside another dream; however, even as I realized this it didn't make me wake up or change the current scenario I was stuck in. I didn't know what to make of this; I was frightened, confused, and amazed all at once. The giant eyes blinked once and then the booming, mind rattling voice of Chronos filled my senses.
"I have very little time child," it began, "Listen to me closely."
"Why are you just eyes?!" I yelled.
It continued as if it hadn't heard me, "Use your amulet to find your sister! You must find her before your ex-lover does."
I cringed at Hideki being called such a thing, the very thought was disgusting to me now. I also had no idea what amulet Chronos was talking about. I recalled Hideki asking for the same thing and had assumed it was the necklace my father had left me, but it wasn't anything special. It was even broken in half for Kami's sake.
"What is so special about my necklace?"
"You must figure out how to use it, it will lead you to her if she is still within the Ningenkai."
The eyes shifted sharply to the left and the movement had me spinning around to see what had drawn their attention. Standing behind me, with his arms crossed over his chest and a sneer so cruel on his face, was…of course, Hiei. He must have only waited a short time after I had fallen asleep to use his Jagan on me.
The blackness surrounding Chronos' eyes began to flash with color, images speeding by faster than the speed of light. I heard the god release a low humorless chuckle and watched as Hiei's eyes flicked quickly back and forth as he tried to catch the visions. The colors spun round and round until they bled together and then abruptly stopped. Hiei released a low growl while all I could do was gape at what I saw. There were at least a hundred of them, all projections of me in various stages of my life, although that isn't what had shocked me in the first place. It was seeing older versions of me, versions of me from the future. Some of them featured my friends…others my family…but the worst ones, well, they all had Hiei in them.
I watched fascinated at one in particular where I am standing in my grandfather's dojo with Hiei at my side. Together, we went through a tai-chi routine I had never shown to anyone before, our movements synced in perfect unison – slow and steady. I noticed Hiei had his eyes trained on the same vision; however his look was far from pleased. He cocked his head to the side and watched as the image stopped and then began to replay from the beginning. His eyes narrowed dangerously as he continued to watch with his lips turned down into a frown. My heart began to race – what did this mean exactly? Why was Chronos showing him these things? Was this part of my future or something my head had come up with on its own?
The image shifted, the colors blending together in slow motion to be replaced with one of me and Yusuke. I was showing him how to properly perform a technique my grandfather had spent a whole year trying to teach me and when I had finally gotten it I had never felt prouder of myself. I watched in jealous frustration as it took only a couple of tries for Yusuke to get it right and then turn to the image of older me with a shit eating grin plastered on his face.
I sucked in a breath and snarled, "What the hell is this Chronos?!"
Another low chuckle was emitted, making the ground (if you could call the blackness that) beneath my feet shake. I lost my footing and was forced to place a hand on the ground to keep from falling over.
"This is because of you Kasumi; his presence here affects things in a negative way."
I turned to Hiei who was still lost to all the visions surrounding us and I was beginning to feel a little desperate. If these were truly from my future the last thing I wanted was for him to see them and personally, I didn't want to see any of it either.
"Do not fear…these are just a few of the paths your life may take. Time is fluid, nothing is set in stone. It is judged and based off of the choices people make in their daily lives…things will change."
A barrage of wind smashed into my body after Chronos had spoken and it blew the images into oblivion, they flew away in a burst of color and light. We were left standing in darkness once again, those eyes filling up the void and I gulped audibly.
"Fire demon…I advise that you refrain from picking through Kasumi's thoughts…for your wellbeing as well as her own."
Hiei scoffed at it, obviously not planning on heeding Chronos' advice. The eyes shut momentarily and I spied long lashes that had no cheeks to rest upon. A sigh rumbled through the emptiness that put me to my knees. This was getting old pretty damn fast.
"Have it your way then, you fool," and then the suppressing, all powerful presence of Chronos receded, the eyes closing and not opening again so the only thing surrounding us was a never ending darkness.
Hiei and I were now alone inside my head. I stood up, planted my feet, and then turned around to face him. He didn't look very happy and it gave me reason to pause.
I opened my mouth to comment on what he'd seen, to perhaps try and explain it away though I had no idea why I wanted to do that, but a dull banging caught my attention. I looked around to try and find the source of the noise and saw Hiei do much the same.
"What is that?" I asked and he shrugged.
The sound grew louder and Hiei pursed his lips in distaste, "Get rid of him."
"Huh?" Who was he talking about?
Hiei walked towards me and I stiffened as he placed the palm of one hand to my forehead. His fingers thread through the hairs at my scalp and his blood colored eyes bored straight into my soul. I couldn't look away, even if I had wanted to. His Jagan flared to life in a bright flash of purple light.
"Wake up," he said.
I shot up in my bed, so disoriented I couldn't remember if I was still inside a dream or if I was actually awake. The pounding noise I had heard before was still present only louder. I shook my head to clear the fuzz of sleep and jumped when I heard Hiei shift to his feet from the arm chair. His eyes were shining in the darkness, the deep blood colored red turned to dark mud in the night, and he looked pointedly towards the door. That was when I realized what I was hearing was an extremely obnoxious knocking.
I rose from my bed and went to investigate the noise, as I walked out of my bedroom Hiei followed me and I discovered Keiko and Yusuke standing in their doorway with twin looks of sleepy confusion. I blushed a bit at seeing Yusuke in his boxers; obviously he was not as modest as Keiko who had bothered to pull on a robe before leaving her room.
"Who the hell is here so late?" Yusuke asked me, shooting me a look of disbelief.
So late…what time was it even? I looked out the big bay windows to see the moon high in the sky and shedding an eerie light onto the landing. I must have been asleep longer than I thought. The knocking continued and as a group we went to answer the door. I had left my pistol on the tiny table beside it and before I opened the door I grabbed it and held it behind my back out of view. We didn't have one of those peek holes that some apartments had, so I would be forced to open the door a crack to see who it was.
The knocking stopped and I heard someone swear behind it…the voice was familiar and all it took for me to finally recognize it was for someone to yell behind the wood, "Goddamnit, Kasumi answer the fucking door!"
I promptly set my gun back down and I flung our front door open, very aware of the presence of the three people standing behind me because what was about to go down probably would not only be unpleasant but embarrassing for me on more than one account.
Surprised at the door being so suddenly flung open, Ren stood there with his mouth hanging open and one hand poised to begin another round of his irritating pounding. He had a bloody nose and I could see a black ring already forming around his right eye. His knuckles were bloodied and the smell of alcohol was so poignant it almost made my eyes water. He had gotten into a fight, that much was certain and he was also very stinking drunk.
"What the hell are you doing here?" I demanded.
His face turned cold, as hardened as marble and just as beautiful. He stepped over the threshold of my home, not bothering to remove his leather boots and I took a step back. Something about this was extremely off. It had warning bells ringing inside my head telling me that I should stop this before it even started.
"It's late, I suggest you leave," I said to him, for he hadn't answered me and didn't look like he was planning to.
"Yeah buddy, I don't know who the hell you are, but it's fucking rude to show up at someone's place like this," Yusuke said, his tone irritated.
Ren's eyes flicked to him and then to Hiei briefly only to return to me with a heated glare, "Who are they?"
There was so much rage in his tone, so much jealousy that it had my mouth falling open in shock.
"None of your business," I said.
He didn't like that very much. Before I knew what was happening Ren had me shoved up against the wall, Keiko screamed and Yusuke went to grab him to pull him off me, but I turned to him with a look that stopped him in his tracks.
"You know why he's here Yusuke, so stay out of it," I snapped at him.
Much to my relief he backed off and went to stand by Keiko, more than likely to keep her safe. That only left Hiei, who was so pissed I could feel the heat waves rolling off him. His eyes never left Ren, his lips pressed into a thin line of displeasure and a glare on his face that could have melted the polar ice caps. That look had my heart going double time, because if I didn't stop this soon Hiei would attack Ren and that was the last thing I needed.
"Ren, you need to calm down and talk to me," I tried to placate him, keeping my voice low and smooth.
A bubble of laughter burst from his lips, the kind of laughter that could make people think of you as insane and it was then I knew it would not be so easy to fix this. I'd made a mistake hanging up on him earlier.
"Now you want to talk?" He laughed again, his hands on my shoulders tightening until it was painful.
"Yes, I do –"I began, however he stopped me short by placing a hand over my mouth.
"Well, I don't anymore," he said and when he removed his hand it was only to replace it with his mouth.
He slammed his lips down onto mine, our teeth clacking together painfully and I struggled in his hold, trying to turn my face away from him. He would have none of that; he kept my chin in a vice like grip as he forced himself on me. He bit my lip, drawing blood and I shivered as his hot tongue lapped up the bead of liquid afterwards.
The kiss didn't last long and I would have been grateful for that if Hiei hadn't been the one to put a stop to it. He ripped Ren off me and hit him with a right hook straight in the jaw. It sent the other man crashing to the floor, where he skidded across it a few feet until his back hit my couch. The only thing I could be thankful for in this situation was the fact Hiei had had the presence of mind to hold himself back.
The rage he was feeling had his aura flickering around him in a jumble of confused colors as he stalked towards Ren to lift him up off the floor slightly by the lapels of his coat.
"Forcing yourself on a woman is no way to earn her attentions," he snarled in Ren's face.
Ren didn't take well to people trying to intimidate him and without the knowledge of Hiei that I had, he had no idea who he was messing with when he said, "And who the fuck are you? You goddamn punk."
Hiei reared his arm back to hit Ren again and that was when I finally had enough. Something rose inside me, something that came straight from my soul, something beautiful and wonderful and powerful. My anger fueled it and I saw bright pink electricity spark up my arms from my hands, I stared at in wonder but didn't have time to worry about what it could possibly be.
"Enough!" I screamed and it sent a shockwave through the apartment that rattled the windows.
Ren was staring up at me wide eyed from his position on the floor, where Hiei was holding him up and preparing to smash his fist into his face. Hiei himself had turned to look at me with a similar expression and Yusuke and Keiko both were gaping at me with their mouths hanging open. I have no idea what I just did, but it had served its purpose, I'd gotten their attention at last.
Even though I had put a stop to Ren's imminent beating, I knew tonight would not end well. I just hoped it wouldn't end up with me getting my partner killed…
Kami hear my prayers…don't put the weight of his life on my shoulders. One more burden and I will collapse into a pile of broken bones and empty flesh.
I buried my hands into my hair, my mind racing, a panic settling deep within my heart.
Kami, please hear my prayers…
. . .
A/N: Whoops, cliffhanger! I hope I redeemed myself for last chapter, which wasn't well liked, and I'm sorry but it was necessary for Kasumi to get to a low point and build herself back up. What has Ren gotten himself into? I mean, come on, only Hiei can throw Kasumi around like that, haha! Not much plotty stuff in this one, but in the next one there will be plenty. Thank you for reading, please let me now your thoughts on the chapter, the reviews are always much appreciated! Until next time, bye bye!