Tomoko-chan: I'm glad that everyone is taking my turn on Yukina so well. It
breaks my heart to know that I will have to do it again. I'm sorry! It's
all part of the story! It will make sense very soon!
*****
The warm liquid poured onto the ice and lapped up against the crystal glass. Jin grasped it firmly, raised it to his lips, and drank heavily. When the hard liquor was drained, he started the process again. Nani came up behind him, her face sagging with sleepiness and worry.
"Jin, you need to get out of this place. You've been cooped up here for three days. You're going to get sick like this. Jin?" She shook his shoulder, and for the first time since they met, Jin ignored her and brushed her hand away. Nani stood infuriated, and made her way to the kitchen. She poured hot coffee into her porcelain mug.
"Yusuke called. He wants us to come over. For Yukina. Do you have a suit?"
"No. I'll borrow one from Yusuke."
"We need to hurry, or we'll be late."
"I don't care."
"That does it!" Nani slammed the cup onto the linoleum counter. Jin looked up, astonished. Nani's face was red with anger.
"I can't believe you, Jin! Show grief, if not respect, for her death! I didn't know her as well as you, but I will not let her life slip by unnoticed! What has gotten into you? You're not the same. I don't know who you've changed into, but I don't like him!"
Jin couldn't move or say anything. Nani had never even raised her voice to anyone, and here she was screaming at him. But, Jin thought in shame, she is doing it in Yukina's honor. She had not known Yukina for as long as Jin had, but she probably did know her better. Jin only thought of Yukina as the shy little girl who followed them around and only uttered a few kind words once in a blue moon. Jin sniffled, his ruddy face even redder, and put his face in his hands.
"I'm so sorry, Nani. I didn't mean too."
"I know you didn't." Nani's tone was calm. She came up behind him again and hugged his shoulders. "I love you."
"Jin sniffled. "I love you, too."
"Let's clean you up. I'll help." Nani helped lift up his upper frame. Inside Jin's mind, Yukina's mangled body flashed over and over again. And for some strange reason, he saw Touya.
*****
A single white rose was placed in her hands as they covered her in earth.
"I can't do it. I won't."
"You don't have to, Kuwabara. We can do it alone."
"No, not just that. I can't say goodbye." Kuwabara fell to his knees, tears forming in his eyes. "Why? She was so perfect. Why would someone do that?"
"It's okay, Kuwabara." Yusuke patted his friends back, solemnly. Jin continued to shovel, piling dirt onto Yukina's corpse. He figured he should keep working so that he wouldn't stop and cry. Nani was weeping with Botan and Keiko, mumbling prayers and charms to save Yukina's pure soul. Kurama was watching helplessly, staring as the earth covered Yukina's face. Hiei was in a tree, looking away into the distance. He had not spoken a word since it had happened.
"There. Finished." Jin wiped his brow, staring at the freshly covered grave. He gazed down in respect and mumbled,
"Become one with the earth, and let your blood flow with its blood. Beat the same heart, share the same soul. Become the rain, the sky, the celestial bodies, and the ground, and you shall become one with the mighty one."
"She doesn't need your stupid prayers or demon dogma." Hiei uttered cruelly. "She's dead. The only thing she's going to be doing is rotting."
"Don't be so mean, Hiei." Kurama scolded.
Hiei jumped from the tree, let a stunned silence pass, then promptly punched the tree. "I'm going for a walk." As he trotted away, the tree split in two, and collapsed to the ground.
"Why didn't you tell the police or a doctor, Urameshi?" Jin asked after another long silence.
"They would've figured out she wasn't human, then we would've been in deep trouble. Besides, it's better that only we knew any ways."
"I suppose." Jin looked to the ground, his eyes avoiding the pile of dirt which was now Yukina.
*****
Jin and Nani slammed their car doors in unison, sitting there quietly for a while. They seemed fascinated at the car's floor carpets, because their eyes never left them once. Jin coughed bluntly, and if he had his demon ears at the moment, they would be dropping in sorrow. Nani's grip tightened on the steering wheel, as if she wanted to choke something in frustration, but resorted to the wheel. They both spoke.
"Jin-"
"Nani-"
"Oh, um, you go first." Nani blushed.
"Alright. Ah," Jin took one of her tense hands and patted it softly. He looked straight into her marine eyes. "I'm sorry. I've been ignoring you and just thinking of myself. You probably feel terrible, and I apologize."
Nani smiled softly, ear eyes misting with tears. "I was going to say the exact same thing." She withdrew her hand and wrapped her arms around his neck in a strong embrace. At least, it was strong for someone her size. Jin wanted to squeeze her as tight as he could, but was afraid he would crush her, so he just placed his arms on her waist, pulled her closer, and kissed her. She stopped him for a second.
"Do you want to?"
"Go back home?"
"And?"
He grinned laying his head on her shoulder so his words where right next to her ear. "I do."
*****
"Here," Nani giggled and handed Jin the keys. "Take these and open the door. I just need to park the car. I'll be right in." Jin jingled the keys like a cat bell.
"Right-o."
Nani made a U-turn while Jin bounced up the steps in excitement. This would set the record for five times in three days! Unlocking the door and hopping in, he made his way to the master bathroom to look for his 'protection'. He held up the Trojan in triumph, and was walking to the bedroom to wait for her when-
"Oh my God. Oh dear, sweet, God!" Jin covered his mouth in disgust. He felt his stomach clench, his mind whirl, and his heat break. Clawing for support, he slid down the white-washed wall, tears forming in his eyes. Feeling the warm puddle of flood on the floor, he screamed in horror and scooted into the bathroom. "No! No, no, no, no, NO!" Jin screeched like a child. "Not again! It's not fair! No!" He pulled his knees to his chin and rocked himself in a fetal position. He heard Nani open the front door, but knew it was too late to stop her.
"Jin? Where are you?" She chirped, unaware. "Jin?" Nani poked her head into the bedroom, and he knew it was over. "Jin- oh my God." Nani gasped and took a step back into the blood, finally noticing it. "Oh God!" She locked her hands around her mouth, stifling a scream and a wrench as she ran back outside to vomit.
There, upon the wall above the bed he and Nani shared, was Touya, gutted and hooked like a fish. Next to his destructed body was yet another warning written in the same, sloppy writing.
WE'LL GIVE YOU THREE DAYS TO SAY YOUR GOOD-BYES, THEN YOU WILL BE JUST LIKE THIS COWARD. DEAD.
The thing that bothered Jin the most was that Touya's blood was still warm.
***** Tomoko-chan: Oooh! Who was it then? I'll give you a hint; EVEN I DON'T KNOW! I'll do some research, okay? Okay. Please review, but no flames! I'm sorry that I had to kill Touya, but it's part of the plot! Sorry!
*****
The warm liquid poured onto the ice and lapped up against the crystal glass. Jin grasped it firmly, raised it to his lips, and drank heavily. When the hard liquor was drained, he started the process again. Nani came up behind him, her face sagging with sleepiness and worry.
"Jin, you need to get out of this place. You've been cooped up here for three days. You're going to get sick like this. Jin?" She shook his shoulder, and for the first time since they met, Jin ignored her and brushed her hand away. Nani stood infuriated, and made her way to the kitchen. She poured hot coffee into her porcelain mug.
"Yusuke called. He wants us to come over. For Yukina. Do you have a suit?"
"No. I'll borrow one from Yusuke."
"We need to hurry, or we'll be late."
"I don't care."
"That does it!" Nani slammed the cup onto the linoleum counter. Jin looked up, astonished. Nani's face was red with anger.
"I can't believe you, Jin! Show grief, if not respect, for her death! I didn't know her as well as you, but I will not let her life slip by unnoticed! What has gotten into you? You're not the same. I don't know who you've changed into, but I don't like him!"
Jin couldn't move or say anything. Nani had never even raised her voice to anyone, and here she was screaming at him. But, Jin thought in shame, she is doing it in Yukina's honor. She had not known Yukina for as long as Jin had, but she probably did know her better. Jin only thought of Yukina as the shy little girl who followed them around and only uttered a few kind words once in a blue moon. Jin sniffled, his ruddy face even redder, and put his face in his hands.
"I'm so sorry, Nani. I didn't mean too."
"I know you didn't." Nani's tone was calm. She came up behind him again and hugged his shoulders. "I love you."
"Jin sniffled. "I love you, too."
"Let's clean you up. I'll help." Nani helped lift up his upper frame. Inside Jin's mind, Yukina's mangled body flashed over and over again. And for some strange reason, he saw Touya.
*****
A single white rose was placed in her hands as they covered her in earth.
"I can't do it. I won't."
"You don't have to, Kuwabara. We can do it alone."
"No, not just that. I can't say goodbye." Kuwabara fell to his knees, tears forming in his eyes. "Why? She was so perfect. Why would someone do that?"
"It's okay, Kuwabara." Yusuke patted his friends back, solemnly. Jin continued to shovel, piling dirt onto Yukina's corpse. He figured he should keep working so that he wouldn't stop and cry. Nani was weeping with Botan and Keiko, mumbling prayers and charms to save Yukina's pure soul. Kurama was watching helplessly, staring as the earth covered Yukina's face. Hiei was in a tree, looking away into the distance. He had not spoken a word since it had happened.
"There. Finished." Jin wiped his brow, staring at the freshly covered grave. He gazed down in respect and mumbled,
"Become one with the earth, and let your blood flow with its blood. Beat the same heart, share the same soul. Become the rain, the sky, the celestial bodies, and the ground, and you shall become one with the mighty one."
"She doesn't need your stupid prayers or demon dogma." Hiei uttered cruelly. "She's dead. The only thing she's going to be doing is rotting."
"Don't be so mean, Hiei." Kurama scolded.
Hiei jumped from the tree, let a stunned silence pass, then promptly punched the tree. "I'm going for a walk." As he trotted away, the tree split in two, and collapsed to the ground.
"Why didn't you tell the police or a doctor, Urameshi?" Jin asked after another long silence.
"They would've figured out she wasn't human, then we would've been in deep trouble. Besides, it's better that only we knew any ways."
"I suppose." Jin looked to the ground, his eyes avoiding the pile of dirt which was now Yukina.
*****
Jin and Nani slammed their car doors in unison, sitting there quietly for a while. They seemed fascinated at the car's floor carpets, because their eyes never left them once. Jin coughed bluntly, and if he had his demon ears at the moment, they would be dropping in sorrow. Nani's grip tightened on the steering wheel, as if she wanted to choke something in frustration, but resorted to the wheel. They both spoke.
"Jin-"
"Nani-"
"Oh, um, you go first." Nani blushed.
"Alright. Ah," Jin took one of her tense hands and patted it softly. He looked straight into her marine eyes. "I'm sorry. I've been ignoring you and just thinking of myself. You probably feel terrible, and I apologize."
Nani smiled softly, ear eyes misting with tears. "I was going to say the exact same thing." She withdrew her hand and wrapped her arms around his neck in a strong embrace. At least, it was strong for someone her size. Jin wanted to squeeze her as tight as he could, but was afraid he would crush her, so he just placed his arms on her waist, pulled her closer, and kissed her. She stopped him for a second.
"Do you want to?"
"Go back home?"
"And?"
He grinned laying his head on her shoulder so his words where right next to her ear. "I do."
*****
"Here," Nani giggled and handed Jin the keys. "Take these and open the door. I just need to park the car. I'll be right in." Jin jingled the keys like a cat bell.
"Right-o."
Nani made a U-turn while Jin bounced up the steps in excitement. This would set the record for five times in three days! Unlocking the door and hopping in, he made his way to the master bathroom to look for his 'protection'. He held up the Trojan in triumph, and was walking to the bedroom to wait for her when-
"Oh my God. Oh dear, sweet, God!" Jin covered his mouth in disgust. He felt his stomach clench, his mind whirl, and his heat break. Clawing for support, he slid down the white-washed wall, tears forming in his eyes. Feeling the warm puddle of flood on the floor, he screamed in horror and scooted into the bathroom. "No! No, no, no, no, NO!" Jin screeched like a child. "Not again! It's not fair! No!" He pulled his knees to his chin and rocked himself in a fetal position. He heard Nani open the front door, but knew it was too late to stop her.
"Jin? Where are you?" She chirped, unaware. "Jin?" Nani poked her head into the bedroom, and he knew it was over. "Jin- oh my God." Nani gasped and took a step back into the blood, finally noticing it. "Oh God!" She locked her hands around her mouth, stifling a scream and a wrench as she ran back outside to vomit.
There, upon the wall above the bed he and Nani shared, was Touya, gutted and hooked like a fish. Next to his destructed body was yet another warning written in the same, sloppy writing.
WE'LL GIVE YOU THREE DAYS TO SAY YOUR GOOD-BYES, THEN YOU WILL BE JUST LIKE THIS COWARD. DEAD.
The thing that bothered Jin the most was that Touya's blood was still warm.
***** Tomoko-chan: Oooh! Who was it then? I'll give you a hint; EVEN I DON'T KNOW! I'll do some research, okay? Okay. Please review, but no flames! I'm sorry that I had to kill Touya, but it's part of the plot! Sorry!