A/N 1: So, this is the start of my little story break. There's going to be three of these chapters, and this one is Chapter 47, where Asaki had been kidnapped by Mimic, from Kurama's point of view.


It had been an incredibly tiring, disappointing past few days, but his talk with Koenma probably took the cake. It didn't make sense for the child-prince to keep important information from the people he was entrusting to save the world. Then again, many of the things Koenma did weren't necessarily filled with wisdom. He was clearly trying his best, but even the best of intentions can fall flat.

Rain was on the way, it seemed. Kurama could smell it in the air as he walked toward Yusuke's apartment. He was hoping he could divulge the information he'd wrangled out of Spirit World's prince and have assistance in executing his perfectly devised plan for getting the rest of the details, along with making sure Asaki was okay. She'd seemed particularly upset the day before, and Kurama couldn't help but burn with curiosity over what could have sent her so clearly over the edge.

Why did it feel like every time they were getting closer, she pulled herself away?

"Shuichi!"

The sound of Asaki's voice startled him, and he turned to see her running toward him, a smile on her face. Well, wasn't that relieving? Perhaps she'd worked her way through whatever had been bothering her. She seemed to be getting better at picking herself back up on her own lately, something Kurama was watching with pride. Every step she took forward was one that served to help make her more comfortable in her skin.

"Hello, Asaki," Kurama said, smiling as she approached. Something seemed...different about her. It took him all of a second to notice that she was wearing the necklace he'd given her out in the open. It had never bothered him that she'd chosen to hide it at first. He figured she'd told herself something stupid like what if Kurama's soulmate saw her wearing it and got the wrong idea? Little did she know, as far as he could tell, she was his soulmate. At least, she would be if he believed in those things. Honestly, it was starting to get harder to remain skeptical, the more time he spent with her and the more drawn to her he became.

Why now, however, was she choosing to display it, he wondered. Something else felt off too. It was in the way she carried herself. Asaki probably didn't notice this, but she always seemed to walk around with her shoulders hunched the slightest bit, like she was afraid of drawing attention to herself. The only time she didn't was when she was bluffing, and hard. In those moments, she became this force of nature, stupendously confident and fearsome. At least, she looked that way to anyone who didn't know better.

Today, she had a spring to her step as she made her way toward him, no trace of the years of abuse she'd suffered in her posture or her expression. When she stopped before him, she was practically bouncing on her heels. It would have been cute if he wasn't concerned with her behavior. What was going on with her?

"How are you?" he asked, smiling pleasantly.

"Better now that you're here," she said, making him raise an eyebrow. Something was definitely wrong. Lines that were usually reserved for when one of the both of them were within an inch of their life, not standing out in broad daylight on the sidewalk. Was she in some kind of trouble?

"That's good to hear," he said, watching her carefully. She smelled different. Normally, the smell of fire and smoke always clung to her skin, even just a little. It had never bothered him because he knew it was just part of being a fire demon, but today he couldn't detect any of it. That wasn't normal. Instead, she smelled like flowers, with a hint of something muskier…. Like the smell of a storage shed? Her hormones smelled different as well, adrenaline pumping through her. What did that mean?

"Shuichi." She took his hand in hers, sliding her fingers between his. He stared at her, his heart suddenly beating faster. She did not frequently initiate physical contact between the two of them either. Once again, that always seemed like a life or death action, unfortunately. He was always wary of touching her for fear she might shrink away from him. He knew she'd been through so much, and the last thing he wanted was to put any amount of pressure on her. Somehow, he was certain if he did, she would run away.

"Yes?" His breath was a little short as she stared up at him with those beautiful blue eyes. Even as he waited for whatever it was she was going to ask him, an uncomfortable feeling settled into his stomach. Something else was definitely wrong. Her skin was cold. Not once since the day he'd met her had she touched him without that innate warmth buzzing under her skin, like her fire was her very pulse, and she could no more turn it off than stop her own heart. This...wasn't Asaki.

"I love you."

His blood suddenly ran cold at her words. The one thing he wanted to hear more than anything else, and she'd said it. Or, more specifically, this person using her voice, her face, her body. It hurt like a kick in the stomach to hear it from her but to know it wasn't really what he'd always wanted. Someone was using her to get to him, which left him with two questions: why and where was the real Asaki?

He took a deep breath, trying to remember how to breathe. He didn't know that Asaki was in trouble. This could be just a new psychic who saw him and Asaki together, knew she wouldn't be around, and decided to approach him like this. Or, it could be a situation like with Yana, and Asaki could be trapped somewhere, in trouble and needing help. As fear and anger began to freeze him through, he let a smile slip onto his face.

"Sorry," he said to the fake Asaki, using their joined hands and swinging her around until she collided with the wall of the building a few steps to his right. He slammed his palm against the wall beside her head. She squeaked, confusion in her eyes. Asaki's eyes. "I don't feel the same way."

The confusion gave way to hurt, and Kurama's chest tightened at the sight. Never. If this had actually been Asaki confessing to him, those words would never have left his mouth. He was certain he would have pulled her into his arms and kissed her until she couldn't breathe. Instead, he had to turn down this impostor wearing her face, showing her pain. That only served to further fuel his fury.

"W-what do you mean?" she asked, a tremble in her voice. "I...I thought you loved me too! I don't understand."

"Whatever my feelings for Asaki are, that's none of your business." He narrowed his eyes at her, his voice deadly low as he asked, "Now, where is she?"

The fake Asaki's hurt turned to surprise as she met his piercing gaze. Kurama watched as the first trickles of fear seeped into her face. Asaki's face. "W-what are you talking about? It's me, Asaki."

"You've picked the wrong person to play games with," Kurama replied, his hand shaking as his energy started to flow from him, vines creeping up from the grass to cover the impostor's feet, snaking their way up her legs. She screamed, trying to break free, but the vines were too strong. Kurama covered her mouth with his hand, forcing her to stop screaming as he said, "You're just a human, so if you just tell me where she is, I'll go easy on you. If not, I will make you regret your very existence. Do I make myself clear?"

Tears magnified her eyes as she nodded, trembling in terror. When he let go of her mouth, she let out a sob, collapsing to her knees as the vines slid away. "H-how did you know?" she asked him, her voice watery.

"If Asaki had feelings for me," Kurama said, "she would never tell me."

"She's so s-stupid," the fake whimpered, getting to her feet. She was unsteady, but even so, she refused to give up Asaki's body.

"Insult her again," Kurama told her, his voice still dangerously low, "and you'll be leading me to her from the afterlife."

She started crying again, fat tears that ran down that beloved face. If he wasn't so angry, so worried, he would have had to fight with the urge to brush them away. As it was, he was growing impatient.

"Take me to her," Kurama said, and she shrank away from him.

"You're so mean," she whispered, trembling as she turned to lead the way.

He didn't reply, letting her feeble insult hang in the air as he followed her down familiar streets, trying not to lose his cool any more than he already had. Killing a human would have gotten him in serious trouble, regardless of the reason, but...Asaki.

Suddenly, the smell of blood reached his nose, and his heart faltered. So much blood. Grabbing the impostor by the wrist, he yanked her along with me, ignoring her startled cry. He was half-dragging her by the time he stepped into a familiar warehouse in the middle of the city, his eyes falling on Asaki. The real one, this time.

She was laying on the ground, her body covered in blood, cuts, and bruises, spirit cuffs around her wrists. She looked up at Kurama as he came to a halt, and he released the fake, rooting her in place with a single look before making his way over to Asaki. Asaki. She forced herself to her feet, and Kurama didn't miss the sharp intake of air, the look of pain that flitted across her face, as much as she tried to hide it.

He stopped in front of her, helping to hold her upright as she said, "H-hey."

Kurama let out a sigh of relief, pressing his forehead against hers, trying to ignore how much they were both trembling. She was here, she was alive, but she looked like she'd been through hell, and he hadn't been here to protect her. He'd seen the blood she'd trailed behind her on her way to where she now stood. Asaki would never be the type of person who would wait around until she was rescued, and he knew that, but that didn't stop him from wishing she would have, just this once.

"Why?" The impostor spoke out from behind him, and he felt Asaki stiffen at the sound, his fury renewed, mixing with his fear in heady ways. It was blurring his judgment, and he didn't know if he would be able to stand here much longer, not doing anything. "Why her?! What's the difference?! I'm wearing her face!"

"But you're not me," Asaki said, stepping away from Kurama. He saw how weak she was, and yet she still found the strength to stand on her own two feet. This woman really was incredible. "If you really knew Kurama, and if you really knew me, you'd know it has nothing to do with my face. We're friends because of everything we've been through together."

That was the Asaki he knew. Not the one who grabbed his hand in the street, who confessed her love to him like she was certain he would respond in kind. While he hoped one day they might reach that point together, he was more than willing to wait. He'd been waiting more than a thousand years for someone like her to walk into his life. What was a bit longer?

"But, I love you!" the fake Asaki cried, tears in her eyes as she looked at Kurama.

"I'm sorry," Kurama replied, "but I don't return the sentiment." His voice was flat, emotionless as he said it, and he watched it sink in once more. This time, however, he didn't feel remorseful for telling it to Asaki's face. He knew he would never have to say it again, and that was enough to push him forward.

She took a step back, and Kurama watched her turn to leave. He had every intention of letting her; he knew if she stayed much longer, he was probably going to do something he very much regretted. What happened next, however, caught him completely off guard.

Asaki, the real one, sprung from where she stood, tackling her double to the ground and punching her hard in the face. Kurama stood there, awestruck, wondering where in the three worlds that kind of strength had come from. It was when he saw her remove the necklace from around the fake's neck that his breath caught in his throat. As hurt as she was, as exhausted as she must be, she went to that trouble for a gift he'd given her. It took every ounce of self-control he had not to pull her into his arms and never let her go.

Instead, he watched the impostor Asaki ask for death and the real one refuse to give it to her. Even as hurt as she was, she didn't hesitate to defend her friends as she got to her feet, something Kurama might have found amusing if his emotions weren't already in so many different places.

The fake Asaki changed back into what Kurama could only hope was her actual body, even as he committed it to memory just in case she decided to come back to cause more trouble. She started to sob, and Asaki sighed, looking over at Kurama who had made his way toward her. He stared at her, a million thoughts racing through his mind, but he didn't say anything.

She started to limp to the front of the warehouse, leaving the sobbing human behind, but as she stepped outside, her legs gave out. Kurama caught her, holding her gently against him. "I was waiting for that. I'm impressed you lasted this long," he said, his voice soft.

"How bad do I look" she asked him as he lifted her into his arms, cradling her body as tenderly as he could.

"Like you were hit by a truck and then it backed over you," he replied, his voice flat. Being blunt was the only was he could think to disguise his true feelings. Asaki would not want to know what had been on his mind at that exact moment.

"I figured." She closed her eyes, saying, "I'm sorry."

"If you're trying to apologize for being kidnapped, please don't. There was nothing you could do."

"But I've wasted so much of your time," she mumbled. "I'm sure you had better things to do than to come save me."

Kurama tensed at her words, trying not hold back the agitation that started to creep up. "I think you could take a lesson from Yusuke," Kurama said, his voice terse. "He never complains when we take time to save him."

"Yeah, but Yusuke's a moron."

"Moron, yes. Stupid, no. We're a team, Asaki. You're no less rescuable than anyone else." More so, at times. As Kurama held her, he started to think that maybe he understood her father a little bit better. The man had locked Asaki up for long periods of her life, keeping her in sight and under his thumb at all times. Kurama thought, in that particular moment, that he wouldn't have minded hiding her away himself, somewhere no one else could get to her. No one could hurt her.

She would hate it, and she would hate him for thinking that way, but he was protective by nature of the things he loved. Very much so. Even as he held her in his arms, thinking of how much danger she was in with her weakened state, he wondered how he could keep her from fighting. She was always looking for trouble, always in far over her head. This time, there had to be a way he could stop that before it started. Their enemy now was the strongest they'd faced yet. If he could find a way to keep her from fighting, he would, in a heartbeat. Anything to keep Asaki safe.


A/N 2: This was an idea I had toyed with way back when I'd first planned this chapter, but I was worried that I wouldn't be able to do Kurama's anger and his insecurities justice. Jury's still out, but I tried my best. I hope you guys enjoy! I want to thank Francesca for asking for this because I'm not sure I would have given it a try without that. Big thanks to everyone for reading and a special thank you to blue-rae-1008, Sidako, and a guest reviewer for the reviews! I hope you guys enjoy!