1. Touch Me And Then Turn Away
Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho or any of its characters. I also do not own any game characters or lyrics that I may also put in here. Thank you.
Chapter Thirty-Eight: Touch Me And Then Turn Away
Birds were chirping merrily in a soft tune, as they sat upon the branches high in the
treetops. It was spring, the season for renewal and all the animals were prancing about
happily – before they went zipping away at the sound of my approaching footsteps and harsh breathing. _Sorry Thumper_, I thought wryly at the sight of a rabbit bounding away from me.
Ducking under a low hanging branch, I sprinted along the old worn trail. My shoes were a steady pounding in my head, seeming to work in time with my drumming heart. The grass was
swishing along my ankles and splashed dew drops upon my legs as I sped past to disrupt the
peace of nature. There was a fallen log up ahead, but I didn't slow down. Gritting my teeth,
I threw myself forward into a quick flip. I pressed a hand along the rough bark to push
myself upright to complete my hasty handspring. With a little gasp, I landed shakily upon my feet in an awkward crouch.
"Owww," I moaned while rubbing my right hamstring. I think I pulled something, but as long as it wasn't a butt cheek, everything will be fine.
Stretching my leg out, I glared at the log with all the fury one glares at that one person that deliberately pushes objects into their path. A huff of annoyance left my lips and I
tapped the toe of my left shoe upon the ground to shake off the slight ache along my leg. I probably shouldn't attempt that move, as I was hardly accomplished at it in the first place.
Flips never bode well for me, but Jet had been working with me on them for the past few
months. I doubt I was going to flip away from danger, but it was kind of cool to be able to perform a quick handspring, even if my movements were a little jerky.
With Hiei and Yusuke away for the majority of the day (as they had been for the past few
days), I worked in some running time during their absence. I was slowly working in a routine and developing a creative way to study. My research manuals were small enough that they
resembled the size of crossword booklets. I bought a few such books the other day with sturdy covers instead of crinkly magazine fronts. Tearing off the covers, I creatively stuck my
paper manuals inside and stapled them in firmly among a few puzzles. Now, I could sit around and pretend to be doing the crosswords while discreetly researching. I had even done the same with my herb notes. It was a nifty idea, so nifty that I almost clapped at my own cleverness.
Since that _night_ a few days ago, Hiei had kept a respectable distance from me. He wasn't
avoiding me, but it was as if he was giving me the needed time to recover. I'll admit that I was completely pain free by the next night, but he didn't need to know that.
Hiei was away most of the time anyways, because apparently there were new priestesses heading into Demon World to relieve the priestesses that had already been there for the past month.
Yusuke and Hiei, being rather involved with the layout of the lands, were constantly away to keep up to date and help arrange the routes for the teams. I wondered if they would be this
involved once I was sent out, and if so, then I might not even make it past the border.
Hiei being away all the time left me slightly bummed. He was supposed to be off for the
month, but we hardly had time to do anything. I was trying my best to stay home in case he was available, only to be saddened when he left. All we had time for was sleeping together, which he had done since that night.
Every night, he came to my bedroom and slid under the covers. I was somewhat surprised since he had refrained from sleeping in bed with me upon coming back to Human World. Hiei never
said a word or held me, but that might have to do with his silent regard for giving me space. But that darkened look in his eyes was still there and had never let up.
The few kisses between us were hesitant, more on my part, which silently angered him. I
couldn't explain why my lips remained tensed against his and he had yet to ask why. I wasn't kissing him back anymore. I was completely frozen while he kissed me before he left or at
night when he hovered over me in bed. When I couldn't respond, he rolled away and stayed on his side until morning.
Heading back to the house, I shook my head. I needed to snap out of this daze. I was
meditating during my runs, but that didn't seem to lead to any answers toward my reactions with him. When the house came into view, I left behind my odd problems and focused on my
errands.
Today, I was accompanying Keiko to her doctor's appointment. Yusuke and Hiei were in Spirit World and were expected to be gone for most of the day. Apparently, there were new
communicators being made to allow more freedom among everyone. It sounded like there were
making a type of laptop or a similar type of gadget. I kind of wished they would hurry with the communicators and give Yusuke and Hiei some time off. They were both looking ragged
around the eyes and were hardly in the mood to do anything besides sleep and eat.
Finished with my shower, I pulled open my underwear drawer. I had some time to kill while Keiko was getting ready for her appointment. I needed to organize my room.
"_Oh my god, Valon_," I hissed after a few minutes.
Hanging upon my index finger was that – _that dental floss_! The thong was bright pink, see- through, and had a red bow on the front area, as if to represent a present. My gaze slid past the underwear and landed on its twin. I had two thongs sitting among my panties. The only
reason I had seen them was because it was nearing my scheduled laundry day and less fabrics were within the wooden drawer.
My face was aflame with embarrassment. Hiei had seen these scraps lying in my drawer that
morning, which would explain the odd grunt he made while rifling through my panties. This was Valon's work. She must have thrown these garments into my dresser drawer when I wasn't
looking and knowing Valon, she had only done so to make my life even more chaotic. Shaking my head, I grabbed up the other thong and glared at it. The teal material had little buttons all along the front where – I blushed again. _The hell if I'm wearing that_, I fumed. The next
time I see Valon, I'm going to floss her teeth with these thongs! "Karen!"
Hearing Keiko's voice, I shoved the thongs to the very bottom of the pile. "Y-e-a-h," I hollered over my shoulder.
"We should probably leave now! You know what traffic is like!"
I shut the drawer, grabbed my shoes, and hurried downstairs. "Yes, you're right! Sorry, I was just straightening up my room."
"About time," teased Keiko. "You're like Yusuke with your messy drawers." "How did you know I was cleaning my drawers out?"
Laughing, Keiko's eyes lit up in amusement. "It's the only messy part in your room."
I thought of my closet floor – _not anymore._
Dressed in jean shorts and one of my older shirts with my favorite sumo wrestler's name on the front, I was completely relaxed for the day. I hovered on the porch and tied my shoes while Keiko tittered about the living room. Once she collected up her light sweater and
purse, she joined me outside.
During the short drive to the doctor's office, I stared outside the window. In the distance, I saw Mt. Fuji towering up toward the clear sky. Like the day I first saw the mountain, there was a crown of snow at the peak. I was reminded of my arrival to Hakone and the beauty of my new home.
"Karen?" Keiko's voice was soft with hint of a question to get my attention. Turning to her, I lifted a brow in response. "Hiei mentioned to Yusuke that you two were moving out."
At her statement, I nodded my head. Hiei actually hadn't elaborated on moving, as he had
merely mentioned it in passing during one of our arguments. Even so, I said, "Yes." Thinking of the baby, I added kindly, "you'll need the extra room. I think you should use my room. It gets a great amount of sunshine."
Keiko pressed her foot on the break and waited at the stoplight. "Karen, I know you're
eighteen and old enough to make your own decisions." She glanced at me with a slight frown, "but I do think you're a little too young to be moving in with Hiei."
I had lived with Hiei alone before, but her question had my mind spinning. Before, we had been living undercover and it wasn't until the last few months that things started heating
up. This time, living together would be more personal and was bound to be greatly different. I was almost breathless at this new level of intimacy. Hiei wanted to live with me.
But before I could dwell too much on things and work myself into a frenzy, I slapped away the flutter of wild thoughts.
Keiko and Yusuke were going to need more room for the baby. My room was the most logical choice. It did receive plenty of sunshine and was large enough for all the necessary baby
stuff like a crib and changing table. I think the main reason for Keiko's worries were her
parental instincts peeking through because she was now rounding quite nicely. She was always rubbing her protruding stomach whenever no one was looking and smiling to herself, as if she was keeping a charming secret.
"I'm surprised they talked," I commented on the two men to lead her away from her worries.
The frown melted from her face and she giggled quietly. The light changed and the car moved with the traffic at a steady pace. "Well, it was over sake during one of the meetings." I
noticed her scowl as the word 'sake' rolled off her tongue in a clipped tone. "Can you
imagine them drinking up there when they're supposed to be attending important conferences? I'm beginning to wonder if Yusuke purposely leaves to these so called 'meetings' just so he can have time away from me now that he's staying here until the baby is born."
And very quickly, Keiko was growing agitated at just the mere mention of Yusuke's name.
Hearing the shrilly anger in her voice, I hurried to soothe her by saying, "it was probably
just a complimentary drink. They can't be happy being holed up all the time in Spirit World."
"I know," she huffed lightly. Flicking a loose strand of hair from her forehead, she
continued more calmly. "Anyways, Hiei has a house on hold somewhere outside of Tokyo. You know how that goes," she waved her hand, "all that paperwork. I surprised he found one so quickly, but Yusuke said he began the process for the house three months ago."
While Keiko was talking, my mind flickered to her earlier conversation. I heard her words
softly in my head and had to stifle back a small gasp. "Keiko, did you say Yusuke's staying here until the baby is born?"
"Yes he is," she replied stiffly. I wondered if I offended her in some way, but it was just
her irritation at Yusuke. "Hokushin is overseeing things in Demon World, but Yusuke still has to keep tabs on everything. I think it's my fault." At the next stoplight, she suddenly burst into tears. My eyes widened. "I keep having these dreams that he's not going to come back if
he leaves! I know how important it is for him to go off and be a hero – he's done it his
whole life!" Keiko miserably wrapped her arms around her stomach. "But I can't keep waiting on him anymore! Look at me," she wiped at her face with a broken sob. "Why am I crying?"
The light changed colors, but she was still crying into her hands. I peered into the rear view mirror and noticed the line of cars behind us. Reaching over the console, I rubbed at her shoulder. "Keiko, here, let me drive."
If she doubted my driving abilities, she didn't show it. Sobbing, she opened her door and I mimicked her amidst honking horns. Calmly, I buckled my seatbelt and checked the mirror. The only time I had driven was when I was sixteen and taking my driver's test. The whole class
had the option to go after attending driver's education and I remembered saving my money for the necessary fees. I didn't have a car, but having something with my picture on it was my
own reward. I figured having identification would be useful, but that plastic card was back at the orphanage.
While Keiko cried, I concentrated on keeping the car steady. I was a little shaky, as my
driving skills were rusty, but the car was easy to navigate and rolled along the paved roads without incident. The GPS was leading the way to the office and all I had to do was follow
the yellow line. Several minutes later, I turned down a side street and a car honked behind
me. At the noise, I ducked my head in shame because I forgot to turn on my blinker. _Oops_! I ignored the woman shaking her fist at me as she drove by and focused on parking the car near the small building. With a grateful sigh, I parked the car.
"I didn't know you could drive," she patted at her eyes with a tissue.
There were actually a lot of things she didn't know about me and no one ever really asked
about my former life, as if it were taboo. Kenji knew a few things, like my poker abilities, which was why I always teased Kenji about having a horrible poker face. I learned poker from Billy whom was one of the older kids at the orphanage. He had been a year older and number
one bad boy at school known as Billy the Kid. At the orphanage, he was just Billy to me. He was kind enough to show me a few hands of poker, but I wasn't all that good at it. I
struggled most of the time to remember the rules and my confused expression was thought to be a ruse. It wasn't.
No one ever asked if I could drive. They just assumed. I also didn't have a middle name, once worked the weekends at a pizza joint, and stole fifty bucks from old Mrs. Weatherly. The last thought made me guilty, but I returned her money with interest. At the time, I had needed it to help this older girl when she left the orphanage. I gave her most of my money the night
before she ran away. She had enough of living there and I couldn't let her go empty-handed. I doubt Hiei knew any of my former life, as during the time in Shirakawa-go, my mind had been
on other things to occupy his jagan.
"I had a driver's license, but I doubt it's useful here." Shutting the car off, I handed her the keys. "Do you feel better or do you need my loveable hug?"
Keiko wiped at her eyes before nodding, which I figured was an answer to both of my
questions. Being smaller than she was now, I leaned over and made the awkward attempt to wrap my arms around her shoulders. The console dug into my lower stomach, but was hardly a
hindrance to disrupt my attempt to comfort Keiko. She sniffled against my shoulder and I rubbed at her back.
"I know Yusuke and I have been annoying this past week. I bet you two are tired of it." I was going to wave off her words, but she was squeezing me against her with the strength of Mr.
Yukimura. "I want you to know that our door is always open for you. Just because you're
living with Hiei doesn't mean you have to stay there while he's gone. I know how lonely it
gets when your loved one is in another world. I wouldn't wish such loneliness on anyone, even if you're only going to be less than an hour away." Keiko leaned back and kissed my forehead. "You're a Urameshi and I expect you to come over for dinner four or five times a week and
join me on soap opera marathons." Then, she grinned, "and someone has to amuse Yusuke during sumo wrestling. For the life of me, I cannot get what's amusing about two men smashing into one another."
Laughing, I pointed at my shirt. "It's the way the muscles jiggle." I peered down at my shirt fondly. "And I think I'm in love with Kanta. He's handsome."
Keiko threw back her head and laughed loudly at my admission. It was true. Kanta had a
handsome face and was a celebrity amongst the giants. I couldn't help but love my favorite wrestler.
When she was through laughing, Keiko collected her purse and opened the door. Before we
exited the car, she told me quietly. "Today I find out the baby's gender." Keiko's eyes were swimming with an odd emotion, like pure happiness. "I want you to keep the gender a secret
from us."
Startled at the news, I blinked rapidly. "R-really," I spluttered in astonishment. "Are you sure?"
"Yes, I think it'll be exciting not knowing if the baby is a boy or a girl." Keiko's lips curled into a gentle smile and she rubbed her rounded tummy. "I think I know already."
I waited for her to say something more, but she simply gave her stomach a soft pat. Winking at me, she eased from her seat and I locked the doors.
"Drawing up maps of Demon World will be useless," drawled Hiei, as he flashed cold eyes
toward Captain Otake. "And considering that you're planning on giving these 'maps' to demons, also, will only lead to blank stares. A majority of demons can't even read or connect the
dots, you fool, and this is going to be a waste of time."
"We can teach demons how to read maps." Leader of the SDF guards, Otake, frowned beneath his bushy mustache. "Maps are essential for every world. Demon World is lacking such material and now that we are working with demons, it's high time we put your landmarks onto paper, or in
this case, computers. We can't always rely on demon scents and the priestesses' natural abilities to lead the way toward temples – it takes too long!"
Koenma was silently regarding the two men with calm eyes.
Spirit World did have an outline of Demon World, as in to show the general size of the known territories, but Otake wanted a more detailed map with proper land markers. The problem was
that Spirit World was not as familiar with Demon World as the demons that lived there and the demons they were in league with were reluctant to provide the necessary information for their charts. The reason being was that demons didn't rely on maps or any sense of direction, but
scents and their own creative landmarks.
Hiei was right in saying that demons were uneducated because a majority demons spent their
lives wandering the lands with only the need to become stronger. Spirit World had yet to find a demon that could effectively point out the exact locations of their world or have the
tolerance to lend any aid to the government. As it was, the handful of demons they were
working with was suspicious of them and there was a strained relationship between them all.
Mukuro and Yomi were acting through their advisors, but putting little effort in providing anything else – they had their own problems. Yusuke was even finding it tough to give
assistance when his lands were getting hit hard by demon raids into the human villages on his territory. Mukuro coldly reminded Spirit World that she provided enough help with her patrol to guard the borders and that any extra services would be handled through Hiei if he so
chooses to help. And although he once ate human souls, Yomi was now trying to push through a ban on the consumption of humans as they were dwindling in his lands, which was why Yusuke's lands were getting the sudden attention. Yomi wanted nothing more to add to his plate and was instead allowing Kurama to make a majority of his decisions with Spirit World provided it
added no extra hassle.
Throughout the years, Yusuke had taken to try and provide a bit of a haven for the human race that was left in Demon World. His lands were even thriving with the seeds Kurama had provided to nurture the once barren lands. Yusuke's apple trees were becoming quite a commodity
(sadly, there was a riot for the destruction of several miles of trees) and the human
villages on his land were growing. Yusuke had actually pushed through a ban on taking human lives for his territory and the demons living on his lands were developing a taste for the new wildlife surging forth because of the growing grass and trees.
The increase in demon raids on the human village was also a great worry with the priestess teams they were sending in and adding up to their growing problems. Koenma was relieved he didn't have to attend to his duties of placing the dead in their proper place, as he was
haggard with his new duties of overseeing this elaborate case.
One would think Demon World would have an elaborate map for their territories as they had greater technology than Human World – second only to Spirit World. But Demons didn't need
maps. Maps were for a set government. Since Enki decided to reenact the territories back to its former rulers for an easier attempt at reigning in a so-called 'government', it only did so much. Enki was a peaceful demon, but he'd rather stray from the hassle of ruling if he
could help it. He continued to win the Demon World Tournament as a means to keep harsher demons from ruling. Enki's ruling was respected by most demons in regards to his superior powers. His strength helped create a partial trust when the barrier was taken down and
guarded now by those who had lost the tournament – it lessened the tension between the worlds.
But now Spirit World was requesting to replace the barrier for an extra safety precaution
against Cain and doing so may form a revolt. They needed Enki and all three rulers, as their combined strength would downplay any violence from the demons.
"And why would I waste time providing any extra services? I have my contract. This _aid_ holds no interest for me," continued Hiei with closed eyes in his usual careless manner.
Captain Otake bristled and his moustache appeared to twitch with his unsettling frown. The
captain exchanged glances with Koenma in an invite for him to help. Really, Hiei was entitled to resist this service, as he was dutifully serving his contract with Spirit World and
Mukuro. This was simply a side request and the only reason Otake was pushing for Hiei's help was because of Hiei's jagan.
Spirit World had developed a device that worked well with reading minds, but the technology team was sure it would work perfectly with Hiei's jagan. The techs hoped to be able to
distract Hiei's knowledge of the vast lands of Demon World and transfer the information in their database. Possible effects were drainage on Hiei's jagan, but the techs assured Otake that the energy would return well enough after a few hours. This device would deliver much more information on Demon World than what Kurama and Yusuke could give, as it would draw
directly from Hiei's eye. After all, he had been to a great many places.
"Our teams are being sent out further into Demon World and with no layout of the lands, this causes some trouble. Kuwabara and his team were lost for six days before they were able to
patch through with the help of Lord Mukuro's men and alert us of the delay. Other teams are
bound to come to the same trouble. Our communication devices are spotty the further teams get sent out." Captain Otake indicated to the map of Demon World and pointed at the blank spots. "We're trying to spread out the teams – some closer to safer areas with known temples and
others into farther lands to create an unpredictable pattern. All we really have to rely on, for the areas further out, are the priestesses' natural abilities to seek out the temples in Demon World."
Hiei's eyes lowered to ground midway of the captain's words, appearing to be mulling over
them carefully. Koenma waited with the necessary documents to be signed, but didn't have to
wait long as Hiei strode forward and scrawled a hasty signature upon the papers. With a bored look, Hiei left the room without a word.
Koenma had a feeling about Hiei's acceptance into lending more aid and it had to do with his sister. The prince also suspected that Hiei was keeping an eye on Kuwabara, not as a sudden kindness for the man, but because he was Hiei's sister's mate. With Kuwabara's team roaming
Mukuro's lands, there was always a round of demon guards near his team's route. When Kuwabara had been lost, Mukuro's men had found him. Koenma wondered if Hiei had used his jagan to
locate Kuwabara and send the proper guys to lead them in the right direction. Hiei wasn't linked to Kuwabara, but they had known each other for a long time.
But with Hiei, one never really knew what went through his head.
"I wouldn't keep Hiei waiting," announced Koenma when he straightened up his paperwork. "He's been here for a few hours and you're going to need to oversee that the helmet does no harm to
his vitals."
When Otake left with a bow, Koenma stared out the window.
Hiei's head was throbbing intensely when he returned to Hakone and had not let up since those Spirit World techs placed their device upon his head. He knew there would be possible effects of that machine, but he had not expected the results to be severe. Beneath the throbbing, his mentality felt hazy, as if there was a veil covering up his focus and control. His body was
weary, as if he hadn't slept in a week. What the hell did he sign up for?
The only reason he agreed to providing those techs with Demon World locations was because of his sister's idiot mate. Normally, Hiei wouldn't care what happened to him, but now that his life was tied to his sister's, he had another responsibility thrust upon him. Why the hell
Kuwabara felt the need to help when he should be at his sister's side was beyond him. The idiot was annoying with his save-the-day routine and becoming that pathetic hero that Hiei despised and yet, Hiei was doing the exact same thing with his stretch of tasks.
Hiei should stay out of sister's life, as she had done this to herself, but he found himself keeping track of Kuwabara's movements throughout his visits in Demon World. He couldn't do
much if the man was in another territory, but Hiei speculated that Koenma was purposely
placing Kuwabara on Mukuro's lands, as if the prince knew he would want to keep an eye on the idiot human. Hiei scowled. He was entirely too soft now if even that prince knew of his
intentions.
Now he had this migraine, which was something he didn't need with all the headaches he had to suffer with throughout the meetings. He rarely had headaches, but his tasks (not that he
would admit it) were making him weary.
The meetings were tedious and covering the constant drabbles, but he was obligated to attend them for Mukuro's benefit. He could really care less of any news that Spirit World deemed
important. Hiei detested Spirit World's government, but was finding himself more involved
than he wanted to be and all for one person (Kuwabara wasn't a person. He was an idiot). He was tied down to a busy schedule that allowed a small amount of time with his mate and about the only thing he could do was sleep in her bed for a few hours.
That was the other thing. Hiei had wanted to give her time from their first coupling, but his patience was wearing thin. He really had gone on too long without a woman and his needs were outweighing his self-control for wanting to ease his mate into a sexual life. Hiei simply
didn't have the time to guide her, not with their current living predicaments. There would be time for slower intimacy when the paperwork went through for the house he had once again
bought for his mate. He also hated having little to no privacy with his mate and he couldn't stand living with this other couple.
But he had already hurt her enough and he had vowed to keep from scaring her further, which was evident by her hesitant kisses. If he was going to be soft, then he was limiting it to
one person. With another woman, he wouldn't have cared if he had been rough – his demon pride would have relished in such a brutal claim of innocence. Like always, she was an exception.
He was going to have to _try_ and wait, but sometimes he couldn't even think past his own
hand when she was around him. All he wanted to do was take her again like that first night, but such roughness was better saved for later when she was more used to him.
He didn't want to think that he was weak and suffering an astounding amount of stress. Hiei wasn't going to be like Urameshi and bickering with his woman every time he came back from Spirit World. He could handle his workload. He just wasn't use to this type of work of
attending meetings and getting his jagan drained – he was used to fighting and causing a multitude of deaths. Being Mukuro's advisor for Spirit World was dull, aggravating, and wretched.
Until recently, Hiei and his mate rarely argued like that couple. His mate didn't even
complain as much as normal women did, but if she ever did, he'd simply have to deal with it. He already knew he couldn't look at another woman when he only saw his mate. If he could, he
would have sought his pleasure elsewhere instead of having to wait such an agonizingly long time. It was almost as if he was cursed to just that one woman.
Three days since that night, and he hadn't heard a word from his mate, but he was coming in later than usual and leaving before she was fully awake. He didn't know why it bothered him that they weren't talking. In the beginning, he went weeks without so much as a word to her
and he rarely talked anyways. She was the talker… but he hadn't heard her blabbering for many months now, not since the three-month absence and his busy week.
Rubbing a hand over his face, Hiei glanced over at the woman sleeping next to him. She was
faced away from him and buried beneath the covers, as if to keep him from seeing her slender curves. His hand itched to tear off the blanket, but with a low, savage growl, he turned away
– he still had some control left. Even so, he gave a tiny shake of his head to clear his thoughts and the action only caused his head to pound more.
"_Karen…"_
Hearing my name, I opened my eyes blearily to the darkened room. I wiped the sleep from my eyes and twisted beneath the covers to check the time. It was four in the morning. Half
asleep, I settled onto my back and tried to sleep when I heard Hiei groaning next to me.
Furrowing my brows, I rolled over to face the tall demon sprawled onto his back. He was clutching the sheets on either side of him and appeared to be struggling in his sleep. I
watched his face contort in something akin to pain, but oddly enough, it was almost like… blissful agony. I would have thought he was having a nightmare, if it wasn't for the
expression on his face.
When Hiei had arrived home at eleven, he did appear more tired than usual. There were shadows beneath his eyes and for the first time, his eyes were bloodshot, which made his irises
appear darker. He kept pinching the bridge of his nose while eating and I knew not to bother him. I had been trying to keep as quiet as possible throughout his busy schedule because he looked exhausted every night. However, tonight, he almost appeared dead on his feet. I was
worried about him, which was why I felt the need to shake him from this odd dream. What if it was a nightmare? Even if Hiei was one of the strongest demons I knew, he could still have
nightmares.
"Hiei?" I placed a hand against his shoulder and shook lightly, "Hiei?"
After a couple of more whispers, his eyes flew open. At my angle next to him, I was able to see bitter disappointment flicker across his face. He seemed slightly lost as his hands
shakily reached up to smooth over his face. "Hiei," I asked hesitantly.
He turned his head and stared at me in confusion. Slowly, his eyes dipped down and I glanced down with him in bewilderment. A blush settled across my cheeks when I realized that he was staring at my chest which was clad in a tank top. It wouldn't be half as embarrassing if I
had been wearing a bra, but as I wasn't and the room temperature was a tad nippy – well, he was noticing the evidence.
Swallowing, I pulled up at the blanket until he halted my movements with his hand. He rolled onto his side and stared down at my chest with an expression of pure torture. With my eyes
adjusted to the darkness and this close to him, I saw his eyes darken with desire and an odd cloudiness. His large hand clenched tightly at the covers below my breasts and I inhaled
unsteadily.
"Karen," his voice was heated and low, nearly drunk sounding as it fanned across my face.
I think his mind was still asleep and lost in the abyss of a dream, as he was speaking with
the hint of a plea – almost as if he were begging. Unaccustomed to such a tone, I didn't know how to answer him. I gazed up at him and his eyes were narrowed slightly. He wasn't angry. He seemed to be in a type of pain and was staring down at me, as if to ask me for some type of
relief. It wasn't until I saw the glimmer of an apology flash across his eyes that I realized
what he wanted and my heart began beating. I didn't think this time would be gentle either, which was evident by the silent apology in his eyes.
I didn't know what all he was doing only that he was working to keep me from the temples.
Lately, the exhaustion of his work was written on his face, which was why I didn't protest as he whipped the blanket off of us. I was reminded of the time I had my headaches and how he
had always distracted me from the pain with soft kisses and his warmth. He was my personal aspirin. He wanted relief…
His teeth nipped harshly at my neck, as he fumbled with his pants. A startled moan left my
lips and I hurried to stifle the noise with clenched teeth. This time wasn't for the removal of any clothes either, but he was shirtless and his body heat seeped through my thin tank
top. I was trembling against him when his fingers hooked around the band of my shorts.
Brief flashes of the first time caused my eyes to widen in fear. I felt my body tremble with heat, but hurried to press my thighs together. Holding back the whimper, I searched his face for a sign of something to appease this anxiety – a beacon of courage to combat my nerves.
But he wasn't looking at me again. "Lift up," he demanded gruffly.
It was as if my body was attuned to his voice and heeded his request. I lifted my hips and he tugged swiftly at the articles covering my lower half. The fabrics landed somewhere in the
distance and he was kneeing my thighs apart.
"Hiei," I whispered in desperation for him to look at me. "Hiei, look at –"
"_You're wet,"_ he growled roughly in my ear and I shuddered at his probing touch.
Once again, there were the feelings of humiliation creeping in beneath my jumble of emotions. Again, he was too eager and wasted no time in settling between my legs. My body stiffened at the familiar pressure and I clenched my eyes tightly. His entrance this time was slower,
controlled, but there was still that flicker of discomfort, a stretch of pain, and a loud whimper worked its way from my mouth.
"Shh, Karen, you have to be quiet," he breathed against my earlobe.
For some reason, this seemed more painful than the first night. He was gentler as he braced himself on his forearms and eased into me, but my body was tense. I couldn't relax.
"Hiei," I asked questionably of the pain.
"You're thinking too much, Karen. You have to relax." Demanding lips worked their way down to my neck and his voice was a low rasp. "You can take me, can't you?"
It was like the first time where his hands and body were moving faster than my flustered mind could comprehend. I wished he would look at me – that was all I kept thinking throughout his thrusts.
This time my head didn't spin, not even briefly.
"No, I've been looking at this for a while," I assured Jet through my cell. Picking up my crossword book, I stared down at my herbal notes. "I think the notes on the side are a
jumbled equation. I was using a magnifying glass," I picked up the magnifier by its handle, "and I can kind of see through all of the scratches Saruh made – but the problem is finding the right one. I _think_ I know which one it is she used for that binding paste."
Jet's voice rumbled in my ear, "I sense another problem."
Rolling my eyes, I leaned back in my desk chair and stared out my window. "Well, how are you with math because I'm horrible at it and this kind of looks… like calculus or something. I
mean it's really long looking."
"Maybe it's a trick," Jet was eager to accuse and I thought I heard him slam his big fist against a desk, as if he had an idea. "She knew we were after her notes!"
"Jet, I doubt she thought you were going to seduce her for her notes."
Jet sighed on his end. "Maybe, maybe not, but don't think I'm going to figure this one out. I'm staring at my copied notes and have no idea what to do. By the way, who interrupted our phone call the last time?"
"Hiei."
Jet was taller and had a larger frame than Hiei, but he gave an unusual grunt that would have sounded like a squeak coming from someone else. "Did he hear anything," he asked lowly.
"I'm not sure, but he definitely heard the tone of your voice when you called my name. He's suspicious, but he hasn't asked about anything lately."
This was a good thing in my opinion, but talking about Hiei made me think about this morning and the slight ache between my legs. It wasn't all that painful, but more of an
acknowledgement of his size. I had yet to see him because of his eagerness and my hesitance. I'm not sure I wanted too. I just wasn't enjoying sex.
Until this morning, he hadn't said a word to me since our first time. I thought moving into this next stage of our relationship would bring us closer, but I was more hesitant with him and he was more impatient. He hadn't even looked at me last night, as if I wasn't worthy of his gaze. The first time had happened the same way. And when he left this morning, he seemed frustrated, as if he expected more from me.
I felt…
"Karen, I sent those books. They should arrive in a few days." At Jet's voice, I hurried to ward off my thoughts.
"Kurama, man," howled Yusuke excitedly as he peered up at the screen in Koenma's office. "It's been a long time."
Red ponytail whipped harshly to the side, Kurama flashed a charming smile from his side of the screen. He appeared weather worn, as he had been in Demon World for over three months leading various teams and handling Yomi's affairs. Outside, Yusuke could see the dark,
crooked trees swaying to the right with what looked like a gush of brutal wind. The skies were blackened behind the redhead, but he didn't seem perplexed at the incoming storm.
"As you can see, I'm in the midst of an impending storm," yelled Kurama over the roaring wind, appearing to imitate a storm chaser. "This will pass easily enough and we've found decent shelter."
After allowing the two men to catch up, Koenma asked sincerely. "Your report came through, but I'd like an update on Priestess Mayalu's current condition."
Kurama nodded. "She's stable. As I wrote in the report, the temple had a tremendous amount of corrupted energy and Mayalu panicked at it. She was able to reign in her fear, extract it,
and proceed with withdrawing the energy. However, the sudden bandit attack that snuck up on us left us with heavy casualties. Mayalu was stabbed with an unusual dagger laced with an
unidentifiable poison. Have you been able to test it yet with the sample I've sent?" "It's in the processing room as we speak," assured Koenma.
Having stayed behind his meeting to be able to see his friend, Yusuke perked up in his chair. "What happened to the woman?"
"The dagger caused a great deal of bleeding," answered Kurama swiftly. "We couldn't stop it. One of the guards tried to cauterize the wound, as it was rather large, so he could proceed
with healing, but it seemed to have worsened. The wound would not close, but luckily, we ran into Priestess Saruh's team. She's knowledgeable with plants that I am unfamiliar with and
was able to stop the bleeding. She also had a curative that's slowly healing the wound. I think my plants would have done more damage as mine are lace with demon energy. Priestess
Mayalu is suffering with a fever and is greatly weakened, but with both of our teams, we are nearing the portal spot without further hindrances."
"Damn," Yusuke scratched at his head, but there was a gleam in his eyes at the excitement of it. "Sounds like you've had your hands full."
"Yes." Kurama wiped a hand through his stiff hair. "I'd like nothing more than to sleep in a bed, bathe properly, and eat something besides Goroji meat."
Not bothering to ask about the meat (it didn't sound appetizing), Yusuke winked, "and the
woman. You forget to add that – 'sleep in a bed with a woman', or several women. We all know you're keeping them lined up, so stop trying to be sly man."
Rolling his eyes, Kurama calmly ducked from a flying branch without looking. "How's your family, Yusuke? Is Keiko doing okay?"
The excitement at seeing his friend faded a bit and Yusuke leaned in his chair. "Everyone's good. Karen's back and she looks a great deal better than before – you remember how she was looking," he gave Kurama a look, "like a puppy that got abused repeatedly and was made to
keep wagging its tail, yeah, but she's looking good. Hiei's here and adding some cheer to our lives." At this, Kurama gave an amused chuckle, as he was enjoying the conversation greatly. "Keiko is getting out there," Yusuke rounded his hands in front of his stomach with
exaggeration. "She's got me running to the store every time I come home and we're all trying to eat healthy because of the baby. She's looking good though and keeping that right hand
busy against my cheek. Yeah, it's pretty hectic, but you can see for yourself when you get back home." He gave Kurama a cocky grin. "Alright? We'll have a couple of bottles of sake –
maybe we'll drag Hiei with us and go hit up a bar. Hiei's actually a good drinking buddy. He keeps up with me, but I need some talking. All we do is try to out drink each other and this one time, I even managed to wriggle out an arm wrestling match… he won though, bastard."
"Kuwabara is due home in a week." Kurama's face was lit with that continuous grin, as if he hadn't enjoyed much of a conversation in a long time. He appeared genuinely happy to be
seeing an old friend and was actually agreeing to Yusuke's proposal. "I say we wait until he's home."
This time, Yusuke slapped his knee and threw back his head in wild laughter. "Damn, now we really have to hit up some bars."
Koenma was shaking his head at the conversation. He hadn't really needed to talk to Kurama, but had done so for Yusuke's sake when the detective kept asking about his old teammates.
Yusuke had a pinched look around his eyes, as if he was overwhelmed, but the reunion with his friend had chased away some of that stress.
"Koenma," Kurama suddenly said, startling the prince slightly. "I ran into Takeo and Jin, but they still haven't found our other demon friends."
Lifting an eyebrow, Koenma inquired, "really? It's been a few months since they left – wait, what about Chu?"
Yusuke grinned with a knowing look in his eyes, "what did you expect, Koenma? Takeo and Jin are two strong ass demons with the attitude of hyper boys. They've probably been challenging each other every chance they get and dawdling too much in any nearby villages. As for Chu, I bet that big guy gets distracted at every pub he comes across."
"He's actually quite right," replied Kurama. "We came across Takeo and Jin both passed out in the middle of a field. It seems they had an intense sparring session, but don't worry,"
Kurama held up a hand at Koenma's frown, "I've talked to them. They're heading to the north, in the glacial region, as that is where Jin thinks Touya is – but he hasn't seen the demon
for many years when they all separated after the Demon World Tournament. Takeo also mentioned that Chu is a day behind them. We've been hearing rumors that a pub in a village, two days
distance from here, was destroyed after a large demon challenged another in a knife-
deathmatch. Ring any bells, Yusuke?"
Shrugging his shoulders at Koenma, Yusuke drawled out, "that's Chu, all right."
Koenma hung his head and the two men laughed. "I should have sent my SWAT members for this mission."
Once the ginger tea was cool enough, I poured the brew into the popsicle trays. Keiko hadn't experienced much morning sickness in the beginning of her pregnancy (or so she said), but
lately she was feeling a bit nauseated. After doing some research earlier, I discovered that ginger tea mixed with a little honey and frozen into juice pops were great for combating
morning sickness and was rather healthy. The tea tasted nice and when they were ready, I was going to try one too.
Wanting to surprise Keiko, I waited until she left with Yusuke (both with veins ticking at their temples again) to her parent's house before brewing the tea. I would have gone with them, but I was exhausted from my day of trying to figure out the conversions for my herbs
(and I didn't want to suffer having to listen to them argue). All I had been able to do was create a mess of paper balls, broken pencils, and wrinkle my notes in aggravation. Math, any kind of math, was a brutal subject. I found no glory in trying to decipher the numbers and
symbols.
With my snacks finished, I set the pops into the freezer and cleaned up my mess. It was as I was heading into the living room that the front door was opening. My eyes lit up and I
hovered at the foot of the stairs, hoping it was Hiei. Hurriedly, I checked my attire and winced. I doubt a tie-dyed t-shirt and cut-off sweats were appealing. I fingered my wet, messy bun. Well, at least I showered. _You get what you get_, I thought with a shrug.
The shadows beneath Hiei's eyes were more pronounced when he entered the house. I chewed my lip worriedly at the stiffness of his shoulders. I didn't miss the way he pressed his palm against his temple, but when he glanced my way, I replaced my worry with a small smile. His darkened eyes met mine in a silent greeting.
"Are you hungry," I asked hurriedly and headed to the kitchen, "I already put the things away, but it won't take long –"
"No," he voiced tensely.
Hearing his tone, I paused and turned back to him. "Oh…"
Hiei appeared to be reprimanding himself at his short answer, but reached a hand toward my cheek. I was watching that cloudiness again in his eyes and tonight it was more visible.
Despite the anger and annoyance of his aura, he very gently wrapped his arms around me and picked me up. My legs wrapped around his waist and my hands locked behind his neck, as he carried me up the stairs. I was swooning at the soft kisses against my neck and trying to remember when he had last been this gentle with his kisses.
It was when we entered my bedroom and he lowered me down onto the bed that my body reflexively tensed. And whatever patience, the gentle kisses, vanished –
"Karen, can you just try," he voiced coldly while braced over me. I gazed into his narrowed eyes. "What do you mean –"
"Everytime I touch you, you tense up."
This close to him, I could smell the alcohol on his breath. It burned my nose. I had missed the smell, as I had been too caught up in my happiness at seeing him. He wasn't drunk. I
didn't think he could be drunk, as he never drank excessively. As a demon, he was able to drink more than the average man, which was something I noticed whenever he drank the sake
Daisuke would bring over. However, the alcohol coupled with that haziness in his eyes didn't bode well for him.
"It's not my fault!" I yelled up at him in a wounded voice. "I can't help it!"
Something in my words made his eyes widened briefly, but that cloudiness returned to harden his eyes. I winced when he leaned down and said icily, "it's just sex, Karen. Were you
expecting it to be pretty?" He scoffed harshly when my eyes widened. "Romanticizing something like this," roughly he grabbed my hand and pressed it against his groin, "is pathetic." I
forced away my blush at his rigid length and tried to pull away, but he held my hand tightly against him. "It's hot and sweaty, so whatever childish ideals you have about it in that head of yours can end now."
"What is your problem," I asked at the look in his eyes. He glanced away in annoyance. "You act like I complained, but I didn't, did I? Not once!" When he didn't answer, I hardened my eyes and wriggled from underneath him. "Just because I didn't finish with you –"
Giving an enraged growl, he pulled me back beneath him and pinned my wrists to the bed with
one of his hands. He jerked at my sweats with one of his hands and the act startled me. I was frozen with brief fear when he pulled them completely off along with my panties. My shirt was jerked up along with my bra and the articles nearly blocked my vision with how bunched up
they were. Snapping out of my fear, I furiously pressed my legs together to keep him from nudging them apart.
"_Open your legs_," he hissed venomously.
I was reminded of his instincts back at the temple and back then, I would have automatically heeded the demand. But stubbornly, I chased away my fears. He wasn't going to hurt me. I knew it, which was why I wasn't afraid to disobey him.
"Quit acting like a little girl," releasing my hands, he pried apart my thighs easily, "and learn to open your goddamn legs."
"Get off me." I uttered quietly with a humiliating blush and a tight throat, because his words made my heart clench, as if he squeezed the organ with his hand. "You've been
drinking."
Whatever was bothering him wasn't enough to control him completely. He pushed off of me and zipped up his pants. Without another word, he stormed away. The front door slammed and
minutes later, a car sped away. I glared up at the ceiling. He didn't come home that night.
There comes a time in every guy's life when he was faced with the dilemma of providing a
shoulder for a woman's tears and sacrificing his shirt to snot. Kenji had already done that with Keiko when the pretty woman had howled loudly that she was fat right in the middle of a supermarket. Having accompanied her to help with her groceries, as she was alone, Kenji was
blushing at all the attention. He pulled through bravely and managed to get her home with his drenched t-shirt.
Kenji was surprised when Karen showed up on his doorstep. She hadn't visited him in a while and lately she was spending time at home these days. Kenji thought Karen was looking
extremely pretty dressed in heels and a dress, but there was a dim light in her normally
bright, cheery eyes. Instinctively, Kenji knew his friend was hurting and he led her inside with a comforting smile.
She didn't say anything, but remained sitting silently at his kitchen table. Kenji casually
ordered a pizza from the American restaurant he had found months ago and sat with his friend.
The pizza arrived. He tipped the boy handsomely. He fixed both of them plates. She took one bite, chewed, and began crying.
Kenji held his friend tightly, becoming once again, that guy to brave the tears of a fallen female.
A/N: Stay with me and come back next week. Thanks to **akasoeki** for beta reading. I have deviant art page. Check it out. Link in profile.