Raised
Chapter Eleven
The place that he resided in was fundamentally different from where Yomi had been. There was very little familiar about the building, nothing that Piper could quite compare it to. It rose two stories into the air and seemed to be made with some uniformed pale yellow rock of some sort. Along with that was metal which had been worked into stairs leading up to the second row of doors. Metal also guarded people from presumably falling off the second floor as well. The doors themselves looked to be made out of some sort of light wood. All in all the closest thing she could compare it to would be some sort of Italian, Spanish, or English poor's living conditions. Piper would have never taken the Youko Kurama she knew to remain in such conditions if there wasn't motivation behind it.
Yet there was a lack of sewage smell about the place. In fact, the air didn't smell of urine at all. There was other scents in it that she wasn't used to. Some of them coyly sweet, others had a bad egg smell that she couldn't identify. But that scent had been all over the city he walked you through, not just that area. The medium had to assume it was just the state of the air in the area he lived. It might not have been human excrements but it wasn't pleasant either.
The stairs were a bit tricker. Piper's body was still weak from trying to live in Demon World. And despite Kurama's silent reassurance that he was doing fine carrying the majority of her weight, she still tried to take them on her own. And for the most part she succeeded. It was just that it had been a lot slower than she would have ever wanted. Piper kept reminding herself that she was not weak. It was just that she was weakened.
She used the railing for balance once she and Kurama got to the top of the stairs. He unlocked the door and waited for her to move in before she did the same. The first thing Piper noticed was that the rest of the apartment, other than a two or so feet around her, was raised up. To either of her side was what looked to be thin, short cabinets. Most likely for storage. Atop of them sat exactly what she expected from Kurama - a bunch of different herbs. Piper saw that as Kurama locked the door back up he was already slipping his shoes off so she did the same. He had some sort of white fabric on his feet that she assumed function the same as stockings or tabi.
Stepping up onto the raised area the young woman took in the rest of the area. Directly in front of her was a small round table with two wooden chairs. Continuing to her front was a sort of door with what looked to be cracked crystal of some sort for a window, though it lacked that certain glimmer that cracked crystal had so she knew it had to be another material she just weren't used to seeing. To her left was what she had begin to understand as a kitchen, though it was much more foreign to her than the one Yomi had. To the right was an area with a sofa and then an area which had been separated from the main room. Unlike the door in front of the table this one did not have a window and it seemed to be much bigger, capable of opening the entire room up to the main area.
All in all it did not look like a poor person's house. But maybe the level of squalor had changed since she had been asleep. Piper honestly had no way of knowing.
"Is it still so overwhelming?" Kurama's question came with a soothing tone.
"Not as much as the world outside," she answered truthfully.
Despite the fact that this was still really foreign, it was nowhere near the level of seeing everything all at once. It was smaller and had much more of him imbued into the space even with the sparse decorating. At the very least it was a bit quieter and the walls around her gave her a sense of security. It might have been a false security and Piper knew that, but she would take what she could get.
"Good. Allow me to help you to bed," was his offer, though with the sound of steel in his tone the word 'offer' was a loose interpretation.
She nodded. The walk to the bedroom wasn't long and like Yomi he only had one of them in his abode. Unlike Yomi, Youko Kurama lived alone. That was somehow more comforting because at least he didn't have a child running around. Out of everything she had seen since waking up the fact that there was a Yomi Junior by the name of Shura in the worlds had been the strangest.
The room he lead her into was probably supposed to be modest. After he turned on the overhead light she could see all the furniture the room had was a working desk made out of wood, what looked to be a comfortable chair in front of it, a bed which was raised off of the floor like those found around the English isles, and a set of drawers she presumed to be a dresser. On the back wall was a large window, spanning across the width of the dresser and practically touching each wall. All along the dresser to make most of the sunlight that poured in were pots of plants. Some which she knew didn't grow in the Human World. And on the desk were a few stacks of books, none of which Piper recognized. Which, of course, wasn't that surprising. She had been out of the literary world for the last five hundred years after all.
As she started remove the excess layers of clothing to prepare to sleep, Piper felt a familiar tingle in the back of her mind. And even if she hadn't seen his eyes she would have known what that meant. But she didn't say anything until Piper started to remove the fabric belt which tied her pants securely against her body. Even now it held the dampness from her adventures in the pond. Thankfully the top layers had been nearly dry by the time that she'd gotten to human world or she probably would have gotten more stares than she already had.
He leaned back against the desk, arms folded over his chest. Piper knew the look in his eyes and the expression on his face even though both had changed so drastically since she saw him last. There was plenty of interest and it tingled in her mind, warming her chilled skin like coals coming back to life. There was a resignation in that look as well as interest. Piper and he both knew that she was in no state to stroke the fire.
"You could always turn your eyes," she offered nonchalantly.
"Why would I do that?" Kurama challenged.
The medium rolled her eyes at his answer. And she knew the moment when Kurama saw the bruise on her hip because that tingle in the back of her head pretty much went away instantly. It was way more effective than a bucket of cold water. What she could feel was the anger that rose in his well guarded emotions. The only thing that showed was the way he continued to stare because it was pointedly at her face. Demanding; the idea that he wasn't the guy who liked to be in charge was completely scattered to the wind.
"It happened in Demon World," she admitted to the bruise, not bothering to hide it.
"From a fight?" The redhead asked as he continued to stay in his spot.
Piper shook the pants off of her legs, retying the white belt around her top and climbed into bed as she answered him. "More like a negotiation."
There was no use lying to him. Despite the fact that they were around the same age, he was the better one at detecting lies. That might have been because he had animal senses, ones Piper wasn't sure if he still possessed, or it might have been because he was a great liar himself. It could also have been from the bond. Whatever it was she knew better than to even try. But she could always dance around the truth until she simply couldn't any more.
This one he seemed to get in one. The seemingly young woman pulled the covers up to her waist, hiding the bruising on her hips from sight but not from mind. They were an interesting reminder to the promise that Yomi had made; Kurama didn't need to know that. He already had guessed enough to make the anger she felt coming from him tighten into an iron ball harder than any sword she'd come across. Harder than the spikes on his favorite weapon. If he hadn't tried to pull it back she knew that it would have an insanely green tinge. Kurama wasn't exactly the kind of person who liked to share. Even if he had been the one who seemed to have decided to walk away. After all he decided to continue his life as a human. And he had been the one to chose his life for nearly as long as he'd been alive. When he chose he stayed with his choice and saw it through. He was stubborn; so when he decided to live his life as a human Piper was sure he planned for it to be forever. He had decided to do that which separated his and her path for the simple fact that he had planned it without her in it. After all, if she'd been suited for a human life she would have continued to live hers that way when back when her birth family had been alive.
"You realize I thought you were dead."
"I could see how you'd assume that," his tone was neutral.
Oh, he was very angry. So much so that she could feel the quivering of that tight ball of anger struggling to maintain it's shape. Piper turned over even though his eyes were still focused on her. She heard him move away from the desk and felt the bed shift as he laid down beside her. Piper closed her eyes and tried not to enjoy it as much as she did. It was the simple things like feeling him lay next to her, feeling the connection literally sooth her soul, which were going to be the hardest to let go. Especially considering the fact that he had been the one to choose the divide, not her. The millenia old medium hadn't chosen this; he had. Now both of them were going to have to live with the consequences.
"You didn't do anything with him," Kurama stated in an assured tone.
Piper turned around to face him, her expression as guilt filled as it was probing. He brushed some of her wayward hair out of her face, kissing the tip of her nose before pulling back. Damn he was making this whole separation idea that she was trying to put up in her head extremely hard to construct. She had a feeling he knew exactly what she had figured out. He knew that Piper figured out he had made a choice. This choice was to live as a human and pretty much everything that it entailed. He had chosen a life with human expectations, struggles and joys. The biggest thing would have been the lifespan and the sedentary style of living that came with it. And she knew, right now, he was trying to make her choose it too.
For the longest time her choices had paralleled his, the ones he had prior to her incarceration at least. This time she wasn't sure if you could live with the one he was asking her to make. Of course he was asking without words. It was in the small gestures like the conversation and in the way he was touching her. He seemed so assured that she would choose him that the guilt she felt for what was to come almost made her want to. But could she really live like the human she was supposed to be?
Piper weren't sure. He deserved more than a 'maybe' and for that matter; so did she.
"And how would you know that?" The brunette asked him, staring into the green of his eyes.
Seriously, they were interesting simply because they were different. There was a softer soul tucked back behind them that made her question how he was the same man. If he was the same man. She knew little of soul transference so maybe it was in her lack of information that held the answer. Soon she would have to find out all that she didn't know about his situation. It was never wise to not know those around her and he was a major person in her acquaintance; a behemoth. Not to mention the idea of soul transference might hold the key to bringing back Kuronue. Piper resisted the urge to reach up to the pendant nestled between her breasts. Kurama would have already known it was there but he didn't need to know the significance.
After all, he had made his choice. Just like she had started to make hers.
"I know you," he said with a smile that was so familiar it hurt. "And I know Yomi. If you had given him more than a promise, he would have never let you return home with me."
Piper tapped him on the nose with her finger, letting her arm rest between their bodies so that he could not simply close the space if it crossed his mind. "Maybe he trusts me more than you think. I gave him my word I would return when I was healed."
"Then I have until you are healed to make you a less than honorable woman."
She smiled at him and held back her laugh. "You can try. And you will fail. I owe it to him to return."
Remember that ball of anger? Well, it started to leak again. Piper could feel it seep out from Kurama like a fog rolling into port. It was thick and almost blinding. Nothing was on his face but just like she couldn't lie to him, he had a hard time completely lying to her. Kurama was very much not okay with the idea of her going back to Demon World...to Yomi. He made no move to pull her to him in a show of domination like he might have centuries ago but that in no way lessened the fury she felt building in him.
"You owe him nothing."
"Funny, that's what he said about you."
Kurama pulled back. His features were very well controlled just like they always were. He slipped off the bed and finally turned off the light. Darkness took the room back over though within moments she could see once more from daylight leaking into the window. It was enough to see how his hands started to pop, as though all of his stress were going straight to them. He reached for the door to open it up, his head bowed ever so slightly. And even though he tried to disguise it there was the feeling of absolute rage born from jealousy coursing through his body. Piper knew exactly what that meant.
"You will stop your scheming to kill him right now, Youko Kurama," her demand was a lot stronger than her actually voice.
He turned back to the medium sharply. Just like that he was the man she remembered, the body that she knew better than her own. His silver hair gleamed in the early morning sun that streamed through his window. The gold of his eyes no longer as soft and gentle as the green she was studying moments ago.
"Or what?" he asked in a whisper.
"Or I will sever the bond and leave us both empty."
He stood there for only a moment. Then his body was a complete blur. Piper knew exactly what was going to happen even if she didn't have time to react. She balled her hands up as he held her wrists by her head with both of his hands. His hair fell over his shoulder in messy strands as his matching tunic draped open.
He bared his teeth at you, "You wouldn't dare."
Piper was in no fear for her life. Not even when he moved to scrape his fangs across her cheek in a show of control.
"Wouldn't you?"
Kurama pulled back. She felt his legs tighten around her thighs as he placed more of his weight on them instead of on his arms. His eyes quickly searched her face. Piper held her resolve even as she felt a low growl rumble his body. The ears folded backwards on the top of his head. It was a sight that only an extremely few ever witnessed simply because of the fact that he kept his expression so controlled. Very few. She just happened to see it more often than anyone else. And that was probably because out of the entire existance of all worlds she was the only person he had never contemplated killing. Not even at his worst.
"You've made your choice, Kurama," she said in a quiet voice.
Despite her resolve, Piper really didn't have the strength to argue at him to your full potential. Otherwise she would have struggled in his hold. Or knee him where it hurt.
"And you made yours a long time ago," he reminded her in a deep voice, the tone dark and almost threatening.
"I made it for you but I did not make you live with it," Piper told him as she let out a deep breath.
She gently moved one hand, wiggling her fingers to indicate that she wanted to use it. Kurama's eyes didn't even travel over as he released her hand. Piper brushed her hand up to his cheek and cupped it around where a human's ear should have been. The skin was smooth; she brushed her finger along his cheekbone.
"You've made your choice," was her reiteration.
"No," he denied the sentiments behind that statement.
"Yes. You made your choice. I've only been back with you for a short time but I already figured that out. You made your choice for a human life."
He pushed his head into her hand, cupping his own own hand around hers. His ears were still pinned backwards but not as harshly. Piper could feel his tail brushing up against her legs even from under the covers.
"It's not a choice I am ready to make. And we both deserve more than an uncertain maybe," she told him honestly. "You need to accept that."
Piper felt his hand tighten around hers and suddenly it was all back to square one. His ears flattened back once more as her hand slammed back to the bed. He pressed his body weight down onto his arms and legs evenly, making a more effective cage.
"Never," he spoke with such a deep voice that it sounded more like a growl than anything.
"Stubborn ass."
"You are mine."
"You were mine," Piper spat back out at him. "But you died. And you chose to remain a human. The fact that you can get your body back so easily and yet you stayed here while I was trapped in Spirit World living through nightmares tells me that you chose to live your old life behind. So stop being a stubborn beast and live up to your choice."
It was dizzying watching him switch back. It wasn't gradual so much as a flicker. Once, twice, and then the redhead version of him stuck. He looked exhausted. His breath came out in deep pants and a light sheen covered his skin. Piper didn't know why; there was a lot she didn't know. Why he looked like he just had a thorough struggle was another one of those things she didn't know.
"I chose to leave my life as Youko Kurama. I did not choose to leave you."
"And I was a part of the old life with Youko Kurama. That is still my life. Do not force me into a choice I didn't make."
That seemed to push something through that thick skull of his. He let go of her wrists and sat back. Piper stared up at him as he moved to un-straddle her legs. He sat back, folded of his own knees, and stared at her.
"Like I said earlier - I have until you are well to make you change your mind. And you will."
"You should not be too sure about that. You know how stubborn I can be. And I do not want to see you set yourself up for disappointment."
Kurama moved off of the bed. Piper could still feel his anger underneath the surface. It was still threatening to change him back into his other form, not that she knew that. But it was mixed with a few other emotions that swirled to disguise one another.
"I don't have any doubt that you will choose this life. You will choose me. You have always chosen me."
Oh that stubborn ass.
