A/N: Hello once again, Denizens of the FanFiction Realm!
I've decided that sometimes the chapters are going to dualistic names: one for each scene occurring in said chapter.
Symbols Guide:
* : Written by CM; She writes for Akari and Hiei
3 : Written by Star (supposed to be the 'heart' symbol, but FF doesn't like the 'less-than' sign, so it's a 3 instead); She writes for Toriko and Kurama
~!**!~ : A universal transition between scenes or characters, sometimes used to indicate a passage of time, but most often used to transition between major scenes that are happening. As the story progresses, this will evolve into mainly separating the (usually two) scenes happening between authors/characters.
As a general rule, anything in italics is thoughts.
Unless it's used in a sentence like this, which merely indicates emphasis.
"Quotations are usually reserved specifically for telepathic dialogue being transmitted from one being to another, but sometimes this can also mean a character isn't being careful about what they're thinking and anyone with telepathy in the nearby vicinity can listen in without taking any effort."
The only exception to that last rule is for the Shiba Inu dog, Nabu. All of his "spoken" dialogue will be in italics and quotations, but is communicated through body language or dog-like noises, so unless a character is able to translate those they are unlikely to pick up on what he is saying any more than the average person might understand his general moods like aggression (bared teeth, ears back) or excitement (wagging tail).
Previously on Yu Yu Hakusho!
Toriko attempts to further access her energy under Kurama's tutelage, but breaks down and can't do it.
Her words stir memories within Kurama from the slumbering Youko himself, revealing that the kitsune met her some time in the past.
~!**!~
Akari begins to acclimate to Meiou High and later has a run-in with Otento, who appears to believe she was supposed to receive an "invitation,"
though to what he is unclear. Hiei is privy to their conversation, believing privately that Akari could be in league with Otento.
The next day...
The sounds in the classroom were noises she'd gotten accustomed to: papers shuffling about, graphite moving across the surface of said papers, the teacher droning on and on, students whispering in the back, and last but definitely not least, sounds of complete and utter irritation from multiple people, Akari included. She rubbed at her forehead as the teacher continued on, showing the biggest problem on the chalkboard and moving rather quickly. As he went on about adding both sides and taking reciprocals, then distributing to the parentheses, Akari made another small sound under her breath and simply marked off the symbols on the page, replacing them with symbols she knew and recognized. That was easy enough now that she'd gotten the basic ones down, but she wasn't able to keep up with the teacher's thinking and speaking, wasn't able to comprehend what was going on as he continued on and on. By the time he set his chalk down and turned to the class, her head was in her hand and her pencil was laying on her desk, her breathing heavy as she tried her best to control her anger at not being able to keep up. Stupid school, stupid human language. Stupid symbols and stupid-
She cut her thoughts off entirely and sat up once more with a huge intake of air, slowly releasing it through her lips and meeting the gaze of the teacher, who raised a brow at her, but continued on talking anyways. Why do I have to sit in the front? "Now, you have two days to get this packet done and hand it in. Normally it would be an overnight homework assignment, but the sports club has events tonight, and school policy requires an extra day. Do not wait until the last minute to work on it, because I guarantee you will not finish it, and even if you do, you'd fail because you rushed. Do not be that student." Again, his eyes flashed to her, but he paced the room, eyes roving over each student. "You have twenty minutes to work on this in class."
As soon as he was done talking, students began moving their desks around to join into groups, feigning work to simply indulge themselves in the latest gossip from around the campus. Meanwhile, Akari picked up her pencil and again looked down at her papers, going over the problem they'd just finished together and trying to put it into demon terms in her mind.
The effort merely left her wishing to bash her head on the desk. Repeatedly.
~!**!~
Hiei moved through the treeline again, looking for the fifth time for a comfortable spot to sit. Each spot had something wrong with it, whether it be weak branches or the sunlight directly in his eyes, he just couldn't find a place to be comfortable. So he continued to move through tree after tree after tree, all the while checking the windows of the school building to ensure no one saw him moving about, not that he was too worried about it.
For the past week and a half, he had done this very same thing. He'd visited the school to keep watch, searching for not only the blonde male he had witnessed passing by Toriko's home and visiting with Akari, but keep his eyes on said demoness and Toriko, making sure nothing happened under the radar. After all, there wasn't much Kurama would be able to do from within the school walls, so he was simple back up, though he hadn't enlightened the fox demon of his presence and his reasons behind it.
Finally, he found a spot that was just right and dropped to his backside so that his back rested on the trunk. His eyes continued to survey each classroom until he laid eyes on the very room where the people he was watching were, and as usual, they were all as they were supposed to be.
He'd been surprised that nothing had happened over the past week. He'd been expecting an attack of some sort. And yet here he sit, still waiting on such a thing, but not seeing any signs of one pending. *
Toriko rushed out of the building as quickly as she could manage being caught up in the crowd of students attempting to do the same thing. She had not forgotten breaking down in front of Kurama last week and had no desire to go through the trauma again. Perhaps if he happened to catch her, she could convince him that she would practice on Maneshi instead. Or something. Anything to not have to go through that again.
Jostled into the courtyard, Toriko took little notice of a few girls around her grouping together and talking, some of them hurrying over to a corner near the gate and bunching up together around a taller male in the midst of them, concentrating instead on getting out of sight before Kurama decided to pounce or corner her.
"Toriko!"
She ignored the voice, head down, pretending as if she hadn't heard.
"Excuse me, ladies. I am otherwise engaged at the moment, but I would love to continue conversing with you all at a later date." Otento walked out from the middle of the group that had formed around him and joined Toriko as she walked out of the gate. He wore the pink male uniform of Meiou High, but his hair and eyes made him stick out almost as much as Kurama.
"May I walk you home?" He asked, though it was rhetorical as he intended to go whether she wanted him to or not.
Toriko was not sure what to make of him, though she knew for a fact that he could not have been a student to her knowledge. She said nothing to him, hoping her silence would bore him and send him away.3
Akari, like normal, took her time in leaving the school building, this time even less happy about the work she'd been given and even less likely to work on it than any others. So with her bag over her shoulder and her breathing forced to be calm, she thought of other things. Maybe I'll pay a visit to the park again today, earlier though. A nap would be lovely, she thought as she glanced back at her bag. She didn't want to carry it with her, but she didn't have a choice. Maybe Nabu will watch over it for me. On second thought, that's a no go, the forgetful thing would let it fall and the wind would carry away everything except the papers I hate most. Her thoughts made her headache return all over again as she pushed the main doors open and stepped onto the school grounds.
She continued walking, her eyes forward. Had she been looking around like most days, she wouldn't have noticed something that was out of the normality. Her eyes narrowed at the mess of blonde hair that popped from a crowd and joined a bustling Toriko, and it wasn't hard for her to guess the male. She knew not of his name, but she knew that stature; she'd memorized it a week and a half ago. Her mind reeled and she watched curiously as the male accompanied Toriko until they were out of her sight. Akari merely stood there, staring in the direction that they had walked.
~!**!~
Hiei sat up as soon as the bell tolled and he began searching the crowd of students that seemed to pour from the building. His ruby gaze roved over each individual until he found Toriko, the first to emerge out of the three he'd been watching over. He followed her trail, at first not noticing the group of human females that were grouped around a male in uniform. But the moment he broke away from the barrage of flirtatious humans, Hiei's eyes narrowed at their backs.
Third time, he thought to himself, his eyes darkening as he turned his head to search for another person. And, as he suspected, she stood watching the two walk away. Hiei's thoughts solidified into action as he turned and began leaping trees, deciding to follow Toriko rather than see what happened with Akari next. After all, Kurama was still on the grounds, but Toriko was alone with someone who was very much a demon, a suspect and a threat in Hiei's mind. And he was not about to let the male make an attack on Toriko without interference, whether she was an official part of the group or not.
After all, demons were not to become known to the human populace. *
Otento went on and on about absolutely nothing as far as Toriko could tell, and no matter how quickly she walked, his long stride allowed him to easily keep a pace with her.
When she arrived at her doorstep, she said nothing, unlocking the door and stepping inside, closing and locking it behind her, leaving Otento on her doorstep staring, his mouth slightly open.
He checked himself, rolling his shoulders and closing his mouth, glaring a bit at the door as if it really were a big hindrance to whatever progress he thought he was making in getting closer to 'Toriko.'
"I'll see you tomorrow, then!" He called, acting as if the entire situation had been planned and walking back down to the sidewalk. His expression darkened and he glanced over his shoulder at the house even as he disappeared down the street.
Toriko leaned her back heavily on the door, thanking her luck that he had not attempted to shove his way in, as she felt sure she would not have been able to stop him.
She placed her things on the couch to her right and her eyes strayed to the kitchen, but food was not her current project.
Free of the fear of Kurama insisting on working with her again, Toriko wandered the house calling for her cat, finding him once again in her bedroom, though this time he lay on the floor in the sunbeam shining through her open window.
She almost didn't want to bother him, looking so peaceful in his sleep, one paw twitching, so instead of immediately gathering him into her arms, she lay down beside him and wondered if she could wake him up with her powers, attempting to find where her energy lay and trying to tap into it, meeting with minimal success.
The sunbeam warmed her body, though, and made it hard to concentrate, and so she gave in to the feeling of slumber and let her eyes close.3
~!**!~
Akari watched the area disband for a moment before turning and continuing on her way, not surprised when a bounding Nabu hopped up to her side, yipping and wagging his tail excitedly. "You'll never guess what I did today!" he yipped excitedly, bouncing around and around her as she moved down the sidewalk, constantly adjusting her pace to keep from trampling him.
"Bury another bone that a stranger gave you?"
"No! Better!"
"And what could possibly be better than hiding a treat?" she asked, her eyes moving down to him curiously though her mind was elsewhere. "I highly doubt you can top that," she mused dryly.
"I followed a strange person, and he lead me here! Oh, that's not what I wanted to tell you! I-"
"A strange person?"
"- got into a store today and grabbed something for-"
"Nabu, elaborate."
"-your anger. You've been getting really mad lately, and it scares me, so I found something to help you with that weird work you've been doing! A book of symbols! It even has your funny writing in it!"
Akari raised a brow at him and sighed as she continued her way home. "You found a book?" She paused as she went over his words again, and her mind reeled. "You stole a book, Nabu? Are you stupid? Why would you do that? You're aiming to get me killed."
"Well, this man with a net was chasing me and I just ran in there, saw it on the floor, and ran out. It's full of symbols that I've seen you use before!"
"I can't believe you."
"What, you do worse, hurting others emotionally. and I bet with your hands too…"
"Shut up, Nabu, or you'll be one of those people."
"I knew it."
~!**!~
Hiei followed the pair until they were at her house and he was standing across the road from them. For a moment, he felt anger, thinking that the male would enter the house. However, when he witnessed the door being shut in the blonde's face, the fire demon felt an immense amount of satisfaction and, surprisingly, relief. He stood there for a few moments before crossing the street at a leisurely pace, unable to keep from mingling with the humans for a bit before he disappeared from any of their views.
He walked around the house once to ensure no one else was around, though he felt confident that there hadn't been from the beginning, before turning and looking up at the open bedroom window. He contemplated for a moment before turning away and hopping into a nearby tree, careful enough to stay out of view in case she was able to see through the window at that moment. When he turned and looked through the window, he found himself surprised by the peaceful expression he was met with. Toriko lay on her bed, either close to or already in the midst of slumber, laying beside a small cat that twitched an ear and paw, obviously sleeping as well.
Hiei stared for a minute, watching the way the sun glistened against her hair, momentarily mesmerized. However, he snapped out of it before too long and got comfortable higher up than normal, to ensure he wouldn't be seen. He settled in to keep watch for either Akari or the man, his determination to ensure neither of them showed up great enough to keep him out of the state of thinking about a small nap as well.*
When Toriko woke up on the floor, the sunbeam had moved, as had the cat with it, closer to the windowsill. She rolled over onto her stomach and watched Maneshi's tail twitch as if in a dream, bending her knees and kicking her legs absently in the air over her head as she considered his sleek fur.
Her mind returned to her energy and she wondered if she could pull the cat out of his sleep. She sat up, facing the window, and removed her glasses, holding onto them with one hand as she stared at the cat, trying to remember what Kurama said the last time they were together.
Find where the energy rested. Tap into it.
Her eyes started to tingle and she opened her mouth to speak, "Wake up, my darling."
She felt her entire body beginning to buzz and she slipped further into it, the tone of her voice changing, coaxing, "Sleep no more. Awake and come to me." Her words were filled with unspoken dreams, deep desires made complete, calling the sleeper out from his slumber.3
Hiei had fallen asleep, not very much to his surprise, but this time, he hadn't dreamt. He was in a peacefully light slumber that allowed him to be just a bit aware of his surroundings, but at the same time earn some rest. So, when he felt himself being pulled into waking, he thought it might be because someone near the streets were stirring him in his sleep by perhaps lingering too long. His eyes slid open as if he'd been awake but merely resting his eyes. He looked around a bit more until a voice caught his ears.
His entire body stiffened at the feel of energy inside the house, but his mind told him he knew the source. As he turned to look inside the window from above, he found himself watching curiously, a brow raised as his ears picked up on her gentle words, her soft voice that had coaxed him from sleep. As she spoke, his entire being told him to obey, to move forward, but his curiosity held him in place.
Once he figured out that she was trying to tap into her energy like she had with Kurama- and was succeeding in doing so but not getting anything done- he scoffed and dropped to the windowsill, land perfectly on the ledge and crossing his arms at the girl, his expression a bit dark and commanding. "Just what do you think you are doing?" he inquired, his tone only aggressive enough to convey he was not going to accept a roundabout answer. *
Toriko started back when Hiei dropped into view, any semblance of concentration gone, and she dropped her energy, staring wide-eyed at him with her mouth open a little.
"I-I, uh," She found she couldn't manage any other words but to stare at him, his sudden appearance taking her completely by surprise.
The cat in the sunbeam woke up almost immediately once his light and warmth was blocked and he stretched and cast a dark glare at Hiei before getting up and leaving the room with his tail high, not one for strangers.
Toriko found herself watching the cat get up, ruefully considering how it didn't take much to pull it from sleep.
"I-I was trying to wake him up." She finally managed to say truthfully, finding her voice when she wasn't looking directly at Hiei and continuing to watch the cat as it sauntered out of the room.
When the cat was gone, she turned to her hands sitting in her lap and fiddled with the pleats on the long skirt of her uniform, uncomfortable under Hiei's penetrating gaze. 3
Hiei didn't care about the feline leaving, since to him it was a mere distraction. His brow raised high on his forehead as Toriko stammered, waiting as patiently as he could for an answer. He noted that she wouldn't look him in the eye, or even at him at all, keeping her gaze on the cat as it moved across the room and disappeared out the door. With her answer, his brow raised even higher, though it hadn't seemed possible. "With your energy?" He clarified, eyes slowly narrowing only a fraction. Even as the feline disappeared from sight, she wouldn't look at him, though his eyes never moved from her face, as if she'd give away something in her expressions. "And why would you do that? The mere creature has no reason to berated with demonic energy. After all, too high of a dose for such a weak thing could kill it, and I assume you're fond of the thing." *
"Um, yes?" There was no point in lying to him. Humans weren't normally aware enough to feel energy of any sort, but Toriko assumed Hiei had or he would not be standing on her windowsill.
"For the practice?" She was reluctant to reveal her ineptitude, though she figured if he felt her attempt he also felt her failure at it. She finally slipped her glasses over her eyes, unsure why she hadn't immediately put them on in the first place, but still refused to look up at him.
"It hasn't ever bothered him before. He mostly just ignores me." She mumbled the last part to herself. "A-and I've never killed anything. Ever."
At that she looked defiantly up into his face. She may not have remembered much of her past, but that was a truth she knew for a fact. She looked back down at her lap, her voice quiet, "What do you care, anyway?" 3
Hiei stared hard at Toriko as she answered, her voice wavering only a touch. At her words of practice, his expression shifted and he gave a small look of irritation. Especially when she began to defend herself. "It matters not if you've killed before," he said over her, meeting her gaze behind her thick lenses. "If you do not have control, it can happen at any moment, no matter the amount of energy you use." His tone became steely and he removed his hands from his pockets, dropping into the room. As she asked her most recent question, her voice wavering and unsure, his eyes darkened. "Do you think Koenma wants an unstable demon in his team, or even roaming the streets? Being unable to control your power is like a serial killer being unable to control his knife-holding hand. It defeats the purpose of staying hidden, staying low until the next strike. And anything can happen. You're unpredictable; a liability." His eyes shifted to the door as he thought of the feline. "And if you can't persuade a simpleminded creature such as a cat into doing as you want, then you are inept of doing much of any good. Your unpredictability will solidify into your power running rampant, until it searches for a way to release itself after being unused because you are afraid to exercise your own strength on someone who is clearly able to handle himself." Now, without actually meaning to, he spoke of their session- her's and Kurama's- last week. "You cannot control a power you are afraid of, especially if you keep holding back. And I will not allow someone who has no control over their abilities to roam and cause unnecessary trouble." *
As Hiei continued speaking, Toriko's jaw began to clench tighter and tighter, her nostrils flaring a bit until he finished, "You speak out of turn, boy. I have lived in this plane longer than you have."
Here she stood up, almost trembling in anger at his words, to look him directly in the eye, taking a step closer until their noses were only a few inches apart, "And was probably wandering Demon World before you were even born. If I was as much of a liability as you presume then I would have been caught fifteen years ago when I first set foot on human soil."
Her scalp began to tingle and she clenched her fists together at her sides, taking a shaky breath before suddenly releasing the tension that built up in her system, stepping away from him and casting her eyes back down to the floor as the tingle dissipated along with her anger.
"I-I am out of practice. I know. But I only became interested at Kurama's behest. I'd just as soon not be what I am." She seemed at a loss for words, at a loss for any course of action, her eyes solemn and sad. 3
Hiei was a bit taken aback by the sudden closeness of Toriko, though he didn't show it. Not in the least. He simply stood his ground and met her glare head on, listening to the change not only in her words, but in her voice and even in her aura. Something sparked in the very recesses of his mind, telling him something that he hadn't considered yet. Especially when she suddenly backed down, acting completely on the contrary of what she'd just been saying, her voice going from strong and confident, angry, to soft and nervous, as if she thought he'd strike her for getting so close. His eyes widened a fraction, but his expression stayed neutral for the most part. He stepped up to her after a moment, again closing the gap between them and forcing her to meet his gaze. "What do you fear?" he suddenly asked, his tone mutual, a contradiction to his earlier demanding tone. "What makes you hold back? Because I can assure you, Kurama is capable of fending you off if you do something stupid." *
Now his closeness seemed overpowering without her anger driving her and Toriko flinched, but his questions were valid. What exactly was it she feared? She feared many things. Her past, her memories...herself. And these all made her hold back in most aspects of life. But...as for the redhead...
"I...I do not wish...t-to lose my friendship with Kurama." She finally managed to stammer.
It was rather simple, really.
Kurama had pursued her for companionship a couple of years ago on his picking up on her not being human, and they were fast friends. He was the first being in a long time that enjoyed her company simply for who she was in all her awkward, stammering glory. She felt a sort of kinship with him, a familiarity she could not explain that went beyond the short time they had known each other, and it was a precious commodity to someone who had found themselves utterly alone for over a decade in a realm that was not their home.
"H-have you ever been alone, Hiei?" Her voice was quieter this time, but grew in strength as she continued. "Utterly and completely alone? Forced into a realm you know nothing about because you never considered it beyond the briefest of thoughts, forced away from all the familiar things you ever knew? Leaving behind any face you'd ever recognized?"
She took a breath and continued, "Even humans will form communes or gangs, associating with those like them, rarely traveling for long by themselves, but what about when there are none of your own kind around? ...the isolation year after year will almost drive one mad."
She let out a gentle scoff, "I am a pitiful excuse for a...a..."
She had a hard time even saying the word, admitting what she truly was, "I shouldn't care what Kurama thinks of me or what happens if I actually use my abilities on him...and yet, I can't bring myself to...do it." 3
Hiei couldn't fight the scoff that left his lips at her words. The sound was much louder than he had intended, though he didn't regret the sound. He took a closer look at Toriko, his crimson eyes frowning at her more than his lips were. For a moment, he didn't know what to say. But when he scoffed a second time, he let the words flow from his mouth. "If you lose friends, then were they ever really friends?" He wasn't wise like Kurama- at least not to that degree- and he certainly didn't know very much about friendships, but his ideas about them seemed to be things he observed over the many years he'd been alive. He wasn't one for friendships, but he figured that if he knew anything, he knew this: if you truly cared for someone, you wouldn't simply walk away from them. It was something he experienced with Yukina, though he'd never admit it.
At her next question, about him being alone, he merely stared at her. His expression didn't change at all. Flashes of memories clouded his vision for a few seconds, but no longer than necessary. Normally, he would have barked a remark at such a question, but as memories suddenly continued to berate his mind's eye, he felt that he didn't have the energy to do so. So, he merely stepped away from her. His lips formed into a sneer and his eyes shifted around the room before looking at her again. "If you really want the answer to that question, you should ask your friend.." he enunciated, referring of course to Kurama. After all, Kurama knew just about all there was to know about them all. He turned and pulled himself onto the windowsill, getting comfortable on the edge so that the sun filtered onto the edge of the planes of his face, warming his left cheek just a bit. "Fearing your own energy is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard," he grumbled, not looking at Toriko. *
Once his back was turned, Toriko's eyes narrowed again, her anger stirring somewhere within her.
"You obviously don't understand, nor do I expect you to. Neither am I in a place where I can explain anything to anyone, friend or not, because the simple knowledge will influence them into-" She shook her head, stopped her sentence as she realized how wordy she was about to get.
"You know what? Forget it. Kurama can't know. You can't know. Neither of you will ever get it." She turned away in a huff, "Because as soon as you do get it- Nevermind. It doesn't matter." Not caring one whit what he did next, she followed the cat out of the room, but headed downstairs, hungry. 3
Hiei, for the most part, ignored the sudden tantrum from Toriko, though it hadn't been much of one. He'd expected her to get angry, perhaps even yell at him, so when she merely cut her own words off and left, he decided to let her go. Normally he would have smart remarks or perhaps he would desire to push her further than her limits, but for the moment, he held no interest in doing so. Her problems were her problems, and he didn't understand why he himself was so bothered by it. He propped an arm on his knee and turned to watch the streets below. He angled his head so that the sunlight didn't shine directly into his eyes, as it seemed it was intent on doing, but he became bored much too quickly. His eyes turned to inspect the door that slowly shut with the evening's breeze, giving a soft click. His ears however tuned into the movement downstairs, listening to Toriko move about.
Part of him did want to argue with her, to prove to her by means of force that holding back was a waste of time and would do no good, like he would with anyone else. But another part of him, the stronger part of him it seemed, held him in his spot, pushing away memories that she had triggered with her inquiries. He briefly recalled his days in demon world, the surrounding around him melting into a scene he had recalled a thousand times- being tossed over a ledge and into icy waters. His mind tried forcing him to remember more, but he immediately shut them out and closed his eyes, resting his head back against the frame of the windowsill. He thought he had dealt with them already.
Movement in the grass below caught his attention and, instinctively, he shifted his gaze below, searching for a threat, only to find a small rabbit hopping from bush to bush, searching for berries or whatever they ate- hell, Hiei didn't know nor care. He scoffed at himself, mentally scolding himself for becoming so ridiculous. He moved to stand, considering leaving, even looking to the closest branch that he would easily get to before moving to another napping area.*
Toriko stomped down the stairs. How was she supposed to explain that if she used her powers on Kurama he would never look at her the same again? Everyone always said the same thing, 'It'll be fine, Shikiyoku.' 'Don't worry about me, Shikiyoku.' 'Just this once, Shikiyoku.''You won't know until we try, Shikiyoku.'
...Toriko froze to a halt at the bottom of the stairs, one hand still on the banister and one foot on the floor, one just about to leave the last stair. What had she just thought?
Shili...shali...shiki...
Toriko frowned and shook her head, tossing unbidden memories into the darkest corner of her mind that she could manage and promptly moving her mind onto more pleasant thoughts. Like ice cream. Yes. The whole bucket, in fact. Maybe that would drown her misery.
She walked over to the freezer and grabbed a bucket of chocolate this time, opening the silverware drawer for a spoon and dropping to the tile floor against the refrigerator, sitting cross-legged with the bucket in her lap and ripping the lid off, letting it clatter to the ground next to her, leaning over the bucket and diving her spoon into the cold dessert before putting it up to her mouth and taking the bite, resting back against the fridge as she tried to forget anything she had been attempting to remember.3
Hiei stared at the door behind him, a brow raised as he recalled words of frustration. Suddenly, he scoffed at himself and dropped from the window, feet meeting the soft carpet of the bedroom once more. He stuffed his hands into his pockets and moved until he stood in front of the door, still contemplating. After a few moments, he made a noise under his breath and pulled the door open, turning and walking down the stairs at a leisurely pace. He passed the feline on his way down, the cat glaring at him before running back up the stairs, not that he minded.
When his feet hit the floor below the last step he paused and listened to his surroundings, at first not recognizing the sound he heard. He refrained from raising a brow and turned to follow the noise, and boy was he surprised to see the girl on the floor, scraping a spoon against her teeth as she shoved what he assumed to be sweet snow into her mouth. He felt his expression shift and his eyebrows twitch at random, his mind completely baffled by the odd sight. He'd seen some amusing things before, but the scene of Toriko curled up, hunched over an open container and stuffing food into her mouth definitely left him stunned. His eyes were wider than usual, his cheek twitching just a bit, fighting the motion his lips seemed to want to make without his permission.
He finally regained his composure and stood up straight again, his expression calm and muscles no longer twitching involuntarily. "Is this how you cope?" He voiced, trying to figure out just what exactly he was seeing. Never before had he seen something like this, and he just was not sure how to feel about it. *
Toriko's lips twitched, but she chunked the spoon at his face.
"You should try it." She reached over into the drawer next to her and grabbed a second spoon, returning to her bucket, but scooted over to make room if he decided to join her. 3
Hiei instinctively caught the spoon in the journey it made through the air, just before it collided with his face. He stared at the object for a moment before turning his crimson eyes back to Toriko, unsure of what was going on still. Again, he felt an eyebrow twitch in confusion before it settled back into place and he merely gave a small sigh, something he didn't normally sound. "How ridiculous," he grumbled as he stepped forward, spoon in hand as he crouched in front of her, balancing on the balls of his feet as he watched her continue on eating as if he weren't there at all. After a moment of inspection, he gave in and shifted to sit beside her, having gotten a scoop of it before moving away and tasting the new flavor she had presented.
The taste was sweet, like the one she had given him a week ago, but much more so, at least to him. The taste was different, but delicious all the same. Before long, he had another spoonful in his mouth, simply giving in to the sweet snow and its temptation as a whole. *
Toriko balanced the bucket on one knee between them as they took turns scooping the treat out from inside.
When they had demolished half of the contents, Toriko stopped, licking her spoon and handing Hiei the bucket before standing and putting her spoon down in the sink.
"I have homework. Feel free to finish it if you like it." She wandered back upstairs and sat down on the carpet to start her school work.3
Hiei considered the bucket now in his possession , his crimson orbs roving over the creamy treat that was melting in his mouth at that very moment. He sifted the contents around on his tongue, momentarily taking a moment to process how much they'd eaten. As soon as the spoonful in his mouth had melted and he had swallowed it, he stuck another spoonful in his mouth and looked up to watch Toriko walk away, completely unaware of the peculiar expression on his face that, normally, he wouldn't show. He felt conflicted: eat the rest now, or put it away and possibly have more another day? He stuck the empty spoon between his lips again in thought before turning his eyes to the freezer, slowly making up his mind. After a single spoonful more, he shoved the lid onto the top, fiddling with it for a moment before it finally fit snugly, and he simply tossed it into the freezer with the other contents. With the spoon still in his mouth, having actually forgotten it, he headed upstairs as well, curious about the work of the humans.
He had seen the school, but never any of what they did inside the walls, though he admittedly was extremely curious. So he walked forward until he was reading over her shoulder, only realizing the spoon was still between his lips when the handle jabbed against the base of her neck and caused it to collide with the roof of his mouth. The pain of it caused him to groan and yank it from his mouth, almost chunking it across the room, but refraining and simply taking to staring at it with realization. How could I have forgotten to put this away? *
Toriko hadn't even heard Hiei enter the room, much less come up behind her, but she did feel the sharp stabbing pain just underneath her hairline and she slapped her hand on the spot, shifting around to look behind her just in time to see Hiei's obvious expression of pain, his lips curling away from the metal as he spat the utensil into a hand and held his jaw open in discomfort to glare at it.
Toriko shot up and spun around to face him, her own pain forgotten, "Are you hurt?"
That question was dumb, but she followed it up as she continued to move towards him, "Did you break a tooth?"
She grabbed the lower part of his jaw in one hand and forced him to look at her, using the other hand to slip her glasses up onto the top of her head and yanking his mouth open farther as she did so, getting as close to his face as she could and squinting down his open maw to check.3
Hiei hadn't really had much time to react before Toriko was in his face, a hand on his jaw and practically forcing his mouth open. His eyes widened in surprise before a moment, leaving him stunned still in his spot as she inspected him, the other hand moving her glasses from her face. For a moment, he merely stared at her, then he waved his hand as if to wave her away, attempting to pull away, but her grip tightened and he froze, confused. He lightly sniffed at the air, though not enough to be noticeable by the nearby party. What is that? he thought, eyes roving over the room and even the person in front of him. He sniffed again before his mind made the connection, producing an image in his head of a small, red fruit. His eyes narrowed a fraction as he watched her carefully, trying to speak with his mouth open, but only managing to make incoherent noise that even he didn't recognize. When he gave up on speaking, his eyes traveled to her hair and he sniffed lightly again. This time, he was confident her hair smelled of strawberries, and he found himself curious. Slowly, he moved a hand with the intent of ruffling through her hair, finding himself wondering if the reason she always kept it so tightly wrapped in a bun was due to hiding strawberries, or rather, the seeds to grow them.
Suddenly, he felt rationality cut into his musings, telling him that it was a ridiculous notion. How could seeds possibly awaken a feline from slumber? So, he let his hand drop to his side and simply relaxed, deciding he'd wait just as patient as he could until her inspection was done. *
She let go of him after a moment more, seeing no permanent damage to any of his teeth, but thought the expression in his eyes seemed strange, "Are you okay?" She asked again.3
Hiei snapped his eyes back to Toriko, not realizing he'd been inspecting her hair. He raised a brow and scoffed, his lips tilting into an amused sneer. He met her gaze evenly to let her see the amusement clearly. "You aren't my mother, yet you act like a worried human."
Toriko blinked in surprise at his tone.
"Doesn't everyone need someone to worry about? And someone to worry about them?"
She snatched the spoon out of his hand in a more derisive manner, to hide her tender words and mock her own ridiculous questions, "I mean, honestly I'm more concerned about my spoon."
She coddled it with both hands as she turned to go out the door, cooing as sarcastically as she could manage, "Big ole meany fire demons with their pointy teeth leaving scuff marks all over you, huh? Poor, poor, defenseless shard of metal."
As she turned to go down the stairs she stuck her tongue out at him, primly putting her nose in the air as she walked out of his sight, continuing down the stairs to put the spoon in the sink with its mate. 3
Hiei felt muscles in his face twitch just a bit at her initial words, confused about how he felt about them. His stomach had done something odd and made him feel strange, but as she continued talking. His eyebrows drew together and his expression shifted to one of mock irritation. As she continued to ramble about the damaged spoon, he found himself tracing her every move with his eyes, fighting a sound of exasperation, though he didn't exactly feel exasperated. Perhaps tired, was the right word. "You are possibly the most irritating being I've met," he paused, eyes roving to the ceiling, "excluding Kuwabara." As she walked away and out of his sight, Hiei stuffed his hands into the pockets of his cloak, following after her leisurely, merely out of curiosity to see what she'd do next.
After all, speaking to a spoon had never occurred to his mind to be something she would do, and it definitely left him curious about her next actions. *
"Kuwabara?" Toriko said the name thoughtfully before she recalled the other, larger redhead of the group. "Hmph."
She unceremoniously dumped the spoon into the sink, but before being able to do anything else, nearly jumped out of her skin when someone rang the doorbell. No one ever rang her doorbell. Suddenly very conscious that her glasses were on top of her head, Toriko bit her lip and pulled them down back over her eyes, slowly started to move towards the door, swallowing nervously as she stepped from the tile back to the carpet.
She unlocked and opened the door to find Kurama smiling down at her.
"H-hi!" She stammered unceremoniously.
"Good evening, Toriko!" He tilted his head a little, still smiling pleasantly. "I meant to catch you after school today and ask if you wanted to have dinner? I thought I would cook this time, and afterwards perhaps have a tutoring session?"
Toriko opened and closed her mouth a couple of times, conflicted and suddenly very uncomfortable. She had very specifically escaped school grounds as quickly as possible earlier because she'd thought Kurama would approach her on this matter. Now that he stood at her doorstep, it seemed impolite to turn him away, but she couldn't bear the thought of going through the same ordeal as last week. Crying in front of another was something she reserved as a once in a lifetime event and now was too soon to consider doing it again.3
Hiei slowly stepped down the stairs, not replying whr Toriko repeated the human's name. As soon as he set foot on the last step, he heard a sound echo through the home that he recognized easily as a doorbell, and he paused briefly, inspecting the energy he had somehow missed. As soon as he recognized Kurama's energy, he relaxed, but stayed where he stood, hidden from view, for a moment. He suddenly recalled something he hadn't yet had the chance to speak to the fox demon about yet, and instinctively he stepped off the last stair and into view of the doorway, his expression blank as he caught the green gaze of his friend. After a small moment to take in his friend's pleasant air of cheer, he opened his mouth to speak, not missing the sudden air around Toriko either. "We already ate," he said casually, removing his hands from his pockets, "and I have things to do." He moved forward, nodding his farewell at Toriko, not even waiting for a reaction before his eyes turned to convey his silent message to Kurama that said "We need to talk". *
"Oh!" Kurama seemed genuinely surprised at Hiei's presence in the house, but quickly recovered, hearing Hiei's request and picking back up with, "Well, if that's the case, another time then, Toriko."
He went on, hoping to smooth things over in case Toriko felt awkward, "I'm glad Hiei was here, I've been needing to speak with him." He nodded his goodbye to Toriko and turned to follow Hiei down the steps to the sidewalk, knowing Hiei would begin speaking whenever he wished.
Hiei lead the way down the sidewalk calmly, slowly, almost leisurely as his mind roved over the few things he'd discovered in the past few days. At the first topic that popped into his mind, he felt the irritation the swelled up, even felt it making his eyes darken, even if just a tad. He waited until he was sure they were out of sight of Toriko's home before speaking up, just loud enough that the sounds of the busy city would keep humans from listening in, but Kurama could still keep up with the conversation. "Have you noticed a visitor lately?" he inquired bluntly, his red eyes shifting to his friend, not waiting for a reaction. "There's a demon wandering around, completely able to hide his energy." He paused, waiting to tell Kurama the rest of what he wanted to say until he saw his reaction, heard what he had to say about the matter. Surely if Kurama knew about it, he would also know that the demon was interested in a single member of the group, for now anyways. *
Kurama looked thoughtfully into the night air, "Hm. I believe I know who you're talking about, yes. White-blonde hair? Tall? He somehow got a hold of a Meiou High uniform and was on the grounds today after school let out. I didn't think anyone else had noticed him yet, though." He looked down at the fire demon quizzically, unsure how Hiei knew about him unless Hiei had taken to following Kurama about at school again. 3
Hiei nodded at Kurama once to show he acknowledged that Kurama knew who he was referring to, and he waited an extra moment for him to continue on, say something about seeing him multiple times like the fire demon had. But when he glanced at the redhead from the corner of his eyes and caught his waiting expression, Hiei frowned and turned his eyes forward. "He's been around Toriko. Repeatedly. Passing by her home at least twice now, following her the equal amount of times." He stopped talking to allow it to sink into his friend's mind, glancing at Kurama to watch his reaction. *
Kurama's expression darkened, "I was afraid her run-in with him as he walked her home from school today was not the first time they crossed paths. And I don't think Toriko is to blame. She's never mentioned anyone like him to me before, and I would hope if someone was truly bothering her she would speak up and let someone know."3
Hiei's eyes continued to darken further as he watched Kurama from the corner of his eye. "I don't think she's completely noticed his recurring presence yet. At least, not as a threat to make her nervous enough to speak up." He paused and turned his eyes forward again. "Which brings me to the next issue. You aren't pushing her hard enough." He didn't clarify at first, since he figured Kurama knew exactly what he was talking about. "She's been using her pet as a target, and failing might I add. She's controlled by her own fear." *
Kurama kept his expression as neutral as possible, "Actually I'm the one who suggested Maneshi in the first place. I think she's afraid of her energy messing with my mind somehow, and as her abilities do not manifest in a physically-harmful manner, I saw nothing wrong with it if it helped her along." 3
Red orbs shifted to and from Kurama shortly again as the kitsune responded calmly. The fire demon didn't react visibly to the words that reached his ears, but internally he felt conflicted. Part of him wanted to push the issue, but he also knew that he knew next to nothing about the girl who Kurama was watching over, and it wasn't his place to step in. He battled internally with his thoughts for a moment before resigning himself to simply glancing at Kurama once more, this time searching his expression. "As long as you are aware of her instability." he finished, letting that be the conversation ender.*
Shikiyoku - lust; sexual appetite
Thanks for reading! Bless your face. If you sneezed during this chapter, bless you. Peace off! -Star
