~DISCLAIMER: You all know that Yu Yu Hakusho are created and owned by Yoshihiro Togashi. My characters are entirely fictional and belong to me.~

Chapter 26: Bonds of the Family

The reeking stench of alcohol made Keomi's head spin as she drunk in the intoxicating fumes. A pool of sweat and tears gathered underneath her face as it was pressed into the floor of her kitchen apartment. At least her own sweat and tears smelt better than what she was being forced to breathe as her brother sat beside her with a half full bottle of alcohol in his hand while his other hand firmly gripped the back of her head and hair.

"Have you thought about what you did?" Ouija growled as his hand pressed down into Keomi's head.

Her nose smashed further into the hard floor and she sucked in a breath through her mouth as her nose leaked snot and it mixed with her other body liquids. When she didn't answer Ouija lifted her head up and pulled back.

"Well? I asked if you thought about what you did."

"Yes you did, I went and delivered gifts to my friends. That was all, since the buses were closed they let me spend the night." Keomi explained as she tried not to strain against Ouija's grip. Her head was tilted back so he could look into her face as she was arched backwards.

"And what friends would these be? Have I met them?" His eyes flashed dangerously as Keomi's eyes flew to the bottle in his hand and she saw it tighten in agitation.

"No you haven't met them, they go to my school though." Keomi offered.

Ouija twisted her hair to the side making her head twist with the force of his twist. Keomi followed her hair as Ouija raised the bottle to his lips and took another swig. The liquid swished around the bottle as he set it next to his thigh. "School friends? They're your age then?"

Keomi grimaced in pain as it felt like her scalp was about to be ripped off. "One is older than me and in the same grade but the brother is in a younger grade." Ouija didn't catch onto Keomi's half lie about Shuichi. How could she protect him if her brother knew about him?

Ouija's grip lessened and Keomi felt the slack and she welcomed it. He took another swig. Keomi didn't move, she remained in her twisted position until her brother would release her completely. Keomi's eyes wandered around the kitchen and at the shopping bags full of food that her brother had brought home with him. She saw her way out.

"Oni-san, are you hungry? I can cook you something…if you want." Keomi suggested as she steadied herself as she could feel herself falling to the side.

Ouija didn't answer as he took another few gulps of liquor. He released her head and tilted his head far back to finish off the bottle. He burped grotesquely and wiped at his mouth with the back of his hand until a hiccup escaped.

Keomi waited patiently for his answer as she straightened and knelt by his side as she watched him. She wiped at her face to dry it of the liquids her face had been smothered in. She was sitting there contemplating what she would make for her brother when suddenly the bottle smashed into the side of her face, connecting with her jaw and cheek. Keomi flew to the side but managed to stop herself before the other side of her head smashed into the drawer behind her. Her hand went to her cheek and she held her flesh as it started to ache and pain shoot around her face. Already she could feel the swelling beginning to build.

"Weren't you listening to me?" Ouija shouted at her as he loomed over her, his fists in balls.

"I'm sorry…what?" Keomi stuttered as her teeth felt like they had been rattled and she clamped her jaw shut. It hurt so much to try and say anything.

"You were the one who offered to cook but when I tell you what you aren't listening!" He basically screamed at her and kicked her. His foot connected with her sternum and her head snapped back, efficiently banging against the cupboard drawer. Ouija cursed and reached down to lift his little sister up by the collar of her shirt. Her feet dangled far from the floor as he lifted her high over his head. "Were you listening to me? I pay rent, your school fees, and groceries but is that not enough! You decide to go spend Christmas eve with your friends from school!" He threw slammed her back into the cupboards behind her and the air went flying out of Keomi's lungs as she gasped for air and her hands scrabbled at his own. "Do I not do enough for you! Do I?"

Keomi could feel the wetness in her eyes start to moisten even more and tears began to roll down her cheeks. She tried to gasp out her answer but no noise came out of her throat.

Ouija scoffed at her and released her, letting her drop to the floor at his feet before he turned away and left her lying there as he went to get another bottle of liquor. "What, you can't even say anything? Is your throat that dry? Here have something to drink." Ouija knelt by Keomi's side and pulled her head towards him as he ripped the top of the alcohol off with his teeth and spit it somewhere across the room. "Come on open up." There was an evil grin on his face as he tipped the bottle and shoved it into Keomi's clenched mouth. Alcohol burst into her mouth but she didn't swallow as she held her breath. Ouija reached up and plugged her nose as Keomi's cheeks began to bulge. "Drink up sis!" When Keomi still held her breath and refused swallowing the alcohol Ouija swiftly delivered a few well placed punches to Keomi's stomach and lungs causing her to begin coughing hysterically. Ouija held the bottle in place as she tried to spit out the alcohol so she could breathe again but with the alcohol in her mouth she could not do so properly. In one last effort to save herself from drowning in alcohol Keomi knocked the bottle out of her brother's hands and out of her mouth. Keomi dropped to her hands and knees as the alcohol spewed out of her mouth along with the contents of her stomach. Keomi gasped for air and looked up just in time to see a fist connect with her face. Keomi flew backwards and lay there in a heap as Ouija yelled at her.

"I'm sorry brother….I'm …sor-!" Her plea was cut short as the bottle of alcohol Ouija had tried to pour down her throat smashed into the side of her head and shattered. Throbbing slivers of pain flooded across her face and head as the glass sliced away layers of her flesh. Blood ran down her face as she lay there and Ouija gave her a few more kicks to her torso before cussing loudly and turned away from her. He grabbed another bottle of liquor and gulped it down while marching out of the kitchen. Keomi could hear him in the bedroom as he opened and slammed drawers, threw books, and cussed loudly at nothing in particular. Keomi shivered to herself as she closed her eyes and focused her spirit energy as she felt the blood pump down the side of her face. The puddle of blood was growing larger by the second as trillions upon decillions of blood cells spilled across her cheek. As blood ran red down her face Keomi focused her energy and closed the cuts quickly and left them sealed shut to heal by themselves as she had lately began to store her energy in case of a big fight that drug on for hours. She didn't want to pass out like she did last time when she was fighting the demons at Kuroko Sanada's place. Next time that happened she won't be so lucky. But was luck ever on her side? Because right now, she had made her brother mad, so it definitely didn't seem that way. She wasn't any closer to getting her brothers approval and love, it only seemed that he was content to blame everything on her and hate her. Luck would never be on Keomi's side, she only had herself to rely upon.

~So I was way bored and decided to upload a chapter on Wednesday. I love to please my readers and reviews so here is a special surprise in the middle of the week. Enjoy this chapter even though I had a hard time writing it. It made me want to cry, so in the next few chapters I'll have to make something extra sweet. Comments are always welcome. ~