A/N- Thanks, Kay (your name keeps getting shorter... XD), Catorrina and ZAP IS ZAK!
Disclaimer- Nope. Still not mine.
"Good luck! Try not to die! Jin, you look stupid in that cloak!" Gin called to us, waving. Rosco was shouting something else, but it's probably not proper for a rated T fanfiction. Just like Dravis's language.
Larka, grinning, turned to us. "Now we can get back on the road, make fun of Jin, destroy demons, and make fun of Jin some more! It sounds like a good plan to me!" Larka was practically skipping. I knew the true reason for her joy: being away from Gin and Rosco was a lovely gift that all of us were glad to receive.
Yuuki had managed to start talking to me without looking like her head would explode from the intense amounts of blood that were rushing into her face, which was kind of nice. Now that I knew how she felt about me, though, she acted quite a bit gentler around me, and often stayed a safe distance from me. It was to be expected, I suppose, that things would be a little bit different, so I was all right with it for now.
Dravis, meanwhile, still couldn't get over the wound I had given him. I saw the scar tissue that had formed (he can heal himself super-fast or something along those lines, otherwise we'd be waiting for him to heal up back at Gin's house) and couldn't help but wince. Kind of harsh. And gross.
I had said sorry a couple hundred times, but he still didn't forgive me. He, apparently, didn't know how to forgive me since he and I were destined to be enemies or something along those lines. But, I think that is, he was also in a good mood today. After all, we were leaving some crazy people behind and there was no way I was ever going to flirt with his girlfriend ever again.
Larka. I was confused about her. She had told me she didn't want to know, but now... now she seemed way more than excited that I knew. She even referred to me as "big brother" once. In a kinda weirdly cute way. I was so confused on so many levels. Was she happy that I was her brother? Was she mad?
I shook my head and sighed. I was starting to get a headache. I felt a gentle hand touch my arm and I glanced over to see large golden eyes meet my own. My heart, almost immediately, started racing and my face heated up.
"Are you okay?" Yuuki asked, sounding concerned.
I nodded, opening my mouth and closing it again. Another thing to be confused about: my feelings for Yuuki. I had loved her in the past, and now I might have a crush on her. Ever since that kiss a couple of days ago, I kept getting flustered and stupidly happy around her.
"Your face is pretty red. Do you have fever?" Yuuki asked. "Do you feel sick or something?"
"Ah, no, that's-" I began.
Larka, unfortunately, chose to interject at that point, saying, "He is very sick, Doctor Yuuki! He's got love-sickness! Totally in love with a golden-eyed girl who can't see it!"
Yuuki's face burned, but not nearly as much as mine. In love?! Okay, I might be willing to accept have a crush on her, but in love?! Really?! There was no way that I could have those feelings for her... I hadn't even been crushing on her for three days and now Larka was saying I was in love with her?! No way!
"I'm gonna start calling you 'imotou-tan' if you don't shut up now!" I snapped. "How would you like to be referred in such a cutesy way, hm?!" (Imotou-tan being a cutesy way of saying "little sister"...)
"I am your little sister, so it wouldn't be too bad, but if you start saying that in front of other people..." Larka said in annoyance, pulling up a fist. "I'm the only one who gets to tease."
I rolled my eyes. How was there any possible way that we were related? She was rude and sarcastic and always spoke her mind and... well, maybe there are some similarities. But I do my best not to be rude, unlike her. I am somewhat sarcastic, though. I guess.
I glanced over to Dravis, wondering how he was acting to all of this. His eyes were facing forward and he had a bored look on his face. He was also eating an apple as we walked. He was the only one of us who didn't carry any stuff. I guess he didn't need any of it. Or maybe he just didn't have anything.
I pushed my hair, for the billionth time that day, out of my eyes. Tonight I would cut it down. It had been a good three or four months since I had cut it now. True, I had only been here for two or three months, but I hadn't gotten my hair cut for a while in the future, too. Or whatever. Jeez, time travel confused the crap out of me.
"So... so, you were blushing?" Yuuki asked in a tiny voice as we walked.
My face decided to burn even more at that point. "W- well, y- y- ya know, I ju- just happened..."
"It's a yes or no question," she said, sounding slightly annoyed.
"Yes," I answered before speed-walking to catch up to Larka. I grabbed Larka's arm and muttered in her wolfy ear, "Okay, so, like, this is going to be a terribly awkward trip because Yuuki happened to kiss me that one time. I need you to help me out a bit, please."
"Since you said, please," Larka said, sighing. I smiled weakly and was about to reply when she continued, "However, you have to start getting serious about training. There's no way you'll be able to beat Lee the way you are now, so you need training. That is the trade-off, take it or leave it."
"Fine..." I sighed out.
Larka grinned at me before saying, "You know, this'll be pretty much hell, right?"
"I know..." I sighed out again.
"Glad you know. Now shut up because we're on our way to go save the world. I guess."
Our little group... Jin, the guy who had been a perverted god in the past and was currently a stupid hormonal teenager trying to figure out how many family members he had and who he was in love with; Larka, the goddess of the moon reborn or something along those lines who was the half-sister of Jin and was also extremely violent and stuff like that; Yuuki, the large-chested more mom-ish type who easily got upset if things didn't go her way and happened to be in love with the Jin of the past, Kouin; Dravis, the grumpy emo boy who seemed to be obsessed with food and that Jin was an idiot that had spawned from hell or something along those lines.
Either way, I was pretty sure that this wouldn't turn out very well. In such a group, who knew what kind of stuff we could get ourselves into?
Miuri was fairly certain that she couldn't breath. Ai seemed to be extremely happy to see her and was saying things so fast that Miuri couldn't understand a word of it. She was also fairly certain that the younger girl was crying with joy because Miuri was a girl and she hadn't seen a girl since she had come to the past more than a week ago.
Which, to be honest, worried Miuri. She would ask Ai about it later.
"Yeah, lucky I found them I guess..." Kyoufu said, scratching behind his ear with a bored look on his hot face.
Not hot. Just face.
"Y- yeah," Miuri managed.
"Oh, I'm so sorry, I'm cutting off the air that needs to go to your lungs!" Ai cried, letting go.
"Yes... yes you were..." Miuri gasped out upon being released. "Thank you for allowing me to breathe."
"Yeah, Ai mentioned you when she was talking about what things had been like before she came to the past," Ethan said. "She always said that you were super-cool and strong and stuff like that... I guess. She said she wanted to look for you, too, so this is nice. I guess."
Miuri decided that Ethan said 'I guess' too much at that point. Unlike Kyoufu. Not that she was thinking about him again or anything.
"I'm glad that you found them, Thing," Hitorigami said, smiling lightly. "This is a good thing."
"Stop calling me Thing!" Kyoufu snapped. "Or I'll kick your as-"
"Shut up!" Miuri snapped warningly.
Kyoufu took on a pouty face, glaring at Miuri in an immature way. Still, it was absolutely adorable. And by adorable, Miuri meant not adorable. Of course she meant that. What else could she mean? Sexy? No. She so wasn't thinking about that either. No way.
"Your face turned really red," Ai said, sounding a little worried. "Are you sick? Do you have a fever? Or are you just blushing because that demon-guy is kinda hot?"
"Sh- shut up also!" Miuri managed out. "He's not sexy!"
"She didn't say sexy," Hitorigami observed calmly. "She said hot."
"All of you shut up!" Miuri shouted. She then turned to Kyoufu, pointing her forefinger at him, growling, "Especially you! You utter a single sentence and I will kill you, have you be brought back to life, and then kill you again just because it's enjoyable to kill you multiple times!"
Kyoufu smirked, but did not say anything. Everyone could tell what he was thinking, though, which was Well, Miuri, if you think I'm so sexy why don't you come over here and get some of this sexiness?
Which forced Miuri to turn even redder, turn away, grab Ai's arm, and promptly dragged the eleven-year-old (or maybe she was twelve by now... Ai's birthday was in early October and Miuri had no idea what time it currently was) outside, hoping to be able to breath outside in the cool air. Ai whined a bit about her arm hurting, but shut up earlier than Miuri was used to, which was nice. Ai must have grown up a little bit.
Miuri sat down on the steps that led up into the newly constructed temple where they were staying for this moment. Ai sat down next to her, a slightly confused look on her face.
"Did Ethan do anything to you?" Miuri asked.
"Other than save my life? No, not really," Ai answered.
"Nothing... sexual?"
"You sound like my dad!" Ai complained. "Ethan's a good guy. He didn't do anything to me."
"I'm just making sure," Miuri answered quickly. "You're a little girl who has been alone with a teenage boy for a while, now. I want to make sure that you're being safe and all."
"I've had the sex talk, I know what's right and what's wrong," Ai answered, waving it off. "Besides, I'm more worried about you and Mr. Freaking Sexy Demon Boy."
"D- don't call him that!" Miuri managed, her face deepening at least three shades darker.
"It's true, though, isn't it? You're the one who we need to be more worried about loosing her virginity. He looks at you like he wants to eat you or something, Miuri. I think that we ought to share a room or something so he doesn't come in during the night," Ai said seriously. "And with his looks, there is no way you would be able to say no if he asked you."
"I know..." Miuri mumbled, hoping her face wasn't too red, even though she knew it was. "He didn't used to look like that..."
Ai patted her arm. "All will be well. Especially after we find Jin and figure out how to save the world."
"Yeah," Miuri answered, sighing. "All we have to do is find Jin. Hopefully that won't be too hard. And hopefully he won't have done anything too stupid."
Ai laughed at that. "Please! Nothing too stupid? We are talking about my big brother, right? Of course he's done something stupid by now! But that's okay. We'll hit him around a little bit later on, right?"
"I guess," Miuri sighed out.
"Excuse me, I need to... be somewhere else," Ai said as she looked over her shoulder. "Doing something else. Like talking with Hitorigami. Or something."
"What?" Miuri asked in confusion as Ai stood up and brushed herself off. The girl skipped inside and, as Miuri turned to watch her go, she saw Kyoufu standing in the doorway, giving her that slight grin that he had that made her heart beat faster. She looked away, hoping that he would go away. Instead, of course, he sat down next to her, leaning over so he could see her red face.
"You're kinda cute," he said, grinning again slightly.
"Shuddup," Miuri mumbled, pulling her knees up to her chin and burying her face in both her knees and her arms.
"I don't mind if you call me sexy," Kyoufu said, obviously enjoying himself. "In fact, do it whenever you like."
"Be quiet..." Miuri said into her knees.
"Of course, the price is that I get to do the same," he continued. "I mean, although it's great for you to compliment me whenever you want to, but don't I get to call you cute or pretty or wonderful or sweet or funny or adorable or amazing or anything like that? Not fair..."
Miuri slightly lifted her head, looking at him. His slight smile (which was different from his usual, cocky grin) indicated that he meant every word of what he had just said. Which just made Miuri turn slightly redder. However, she just couldn't bring herself to look away from his face.
He hesitantly lifted his hand and began gently rubbing her back. His hand was warm. Miuri was pretty sure that she wasn't thinking if she was allowing this to happen, but she was okay with that.
"Beautiful, too," Kyoufu breathed. "You're a really great girl, Miuri... someone I don't deserve at all... a demon who swears way too much and can't even use his full power falling in love with such an amazing girl that is surely an angel descended from heaven... wow... hard to even think about..."
Miuri was pretty sure that her face wouldn't turn redder. He was being so utterly romantic, calling her an angel... and what was this about being in love with her? Miuri wasn't really able to think because his hand felt really nice, going in circles and his red eyes were really amazing. Sparkling and smothering and heated and fiery and... she wasn't sure how to explain it.
Now he was leaning in, getting close to her face. Miuri lifted her head just enough so that her face was completely revealed to him. His other hand, not the one on her back, gently touched her cheek. His warm breath was occasionally touching her face as well. She was certain her's wasn't because the teenager knew that she wasn't breathing at all.
Unlike last time, their lips actually met this time. Miuri hadn't quite experienced her first kiss yet, so this was totally new for her. It felt like Kyoufu was experienced because he knew just what to do. Tilting his head slightly, his warm lips moved slightly, making it feel more comfortable.
Although Miuri had no idea what the heck she was doing, she was pretty sure that she was doing this kissing stuff okay. It was slow and soft, which meant that she wouldn't have to be worried about messing up if tried to be passionate or something. He seemed to feel her uncertainty, so he was gently and guiding.
It was shorter than she had expected it to be. Which meant, of course, that it lasted about twenty seconds instead of two minutes like she had expected. As he allowed his lips to leave her's, he stared into her eyes. Miuri felt rather dizzy as he did so. They had kissed. As in, kissed. Wow.
"Hi," she said weakly.
Kyoufu gave a slight laugh and whispered back, "Hiya."
"You're a jerk, you Stealer-of-First-Kisses," Miuri whispered back, putting her forehead against his.
"I'm really awful, I know," he answered. "But you were so beautiful that I couldn't help it."
Miuri, without thinking, gave him a very quick kiss on the lips, giggling. Kyoufu grinned happily at this, and pressed his lips against her cheek.
"You stupid romantic," Miuri whispered. "I really, really like you."
"I know," he breathed. "And I'm gonna make you love me if it's the last thing I do."
Kyoufu leaned in to kiss her again and Miuri gladly met her lips to his, wrapping her arms around his neck. She decided she was kind of happy with this sexy guy.
"I don't get it!" Ethan complained. "Why can't we go outside, Ai?" His fingers were absently holding and releasing a sword that Hitorigami had given him. Lately, the teenager hadn't been able to rest unless he had a sword in his hand. Maybe it had something to do with being a god, now. Or maybe it was just because he was weird.
"Miuri and Kyoufu have some important stuff to talk about," Ai stated.
"Like what?" Ethan asked.
"Boys are so blind," Ai answered, rolling her eyes as she pushed her hair out of her eyes.
Ethan slightly pouted at this. What was that supposed to mean? Stupid... tiny... little... thingy. Chick. Whatever. This was all confusing, and he didn't need another thing to add to his plate of confusing things. Which, by the way, was starting to get full. No more room on his plate. Everything would start to touch. Eew. Ethan didn't like his food to touch.
"What they are talking about doesn't really concern you," Hitorigami said, its eyes on the butterfly that was on its finger. "But I can tell you that Miuri isn't feeling alone anymore. Not at all."
"Whatever that's supposed to mean!" Ethan complained. "You may not really be a girl, Hitorigami, but you sure act like a woman the way you confuse me!"
Hitorigami frowned slightly but said nothing.
"Are you being sexist? Because I swear I'll hit you so hard you'll cry if you are," Ai said warningly, holding up a hand.
"We have more important things to discuss, you two," Hitorigami said. "Although, yes, being sexist is bad."
"Discussing what?" Ethan asked.
"Like your destinies. What lies ahead. And, most importantly, Jin Sakurada, also known as Kouin. His true destiny. His power. And what may happen to him at the end of this story," Hitorigami said softly, watching the butterfly as it turned around on its finger.
"What do you mean?" Ai asked, suddenly feeling a bit more concerned now that Jin was involved. Obviously. She wouldn't stop talking about him.
"In the end of the prophecy, which is a really long poem, it says a few things," Hitorigami continued. "Few would die in battle, but those who would included the Moon Goddess, who happens to be Kouin's half-sister. At the end, when all evil is vanquished... Kouin will disappear. He will never come back to the past again. He will be lost."
"Do you mean..." Ai began before taking a deep breath, her brown eyes wide.
"He will not die. However, he will disappear. You two, as well, will disappear. I... I don't know where you go, but you disappear... I thought that you ought to know that much," Hitorigami whispered. "Hopefully, you won't, but... it's... it's not very likely. You will disappear."
A/N- DUN DUN DUUUUUNNN. Hitorigami is such a downer. Jeezums, don't invite her/him/it to my party... anyway, this chapter was fun to write. Jin being embarrassed because of Yuuki, Larka making fun of him, romanticness between Kyoufu and Miuri... what's not fun?? Anyway, thanks for reading! If you have the time, I'd appreciate it if you would review! :)