Another SUPER long chapter. I still feel like shit with this 100 degree fever. :P This is the 'I love you, you love me' chapter. If you don't like the pairings… deal with em!

PLEASE REVIEW!!!

Chapter 36

"Remind me why I have to do this," Kat said as she brushed Kenshin's hair. 'Not like I really mind… His hair is so beautiful! Why can't my hair be this silky!?'

"I can't reach," he replied nonchalantly.

"I didn't think you were hit in the ribs," Kat said as she pretended to be annoyed. 'I don't remember Vash shooting him anywhere in the stomach. Perhaps I just missed it? Vash shoots so fast even I can hardly keep up with how many times he shoots.'   

"Vash hit me in the shoulder with a bullet and I can't move my arm enough to brush my hair," Kenshin said. 'Well at lease I hope she believes that.'

Kat muttered something as she continued to comb his beautiful hair. "You know," Kat said as the comb caught on a knot, "I always liked you better with your hair down."

"Really?" he asked sounding perplexed. 'But if I left my hair down I think it would get hacked off with all the sword fighting I used to do.'

Kat laughed, "Well it's true!" She untangled the last knot from his hair and tied it into his usual ponytail. 'So silky! He's so… cute!'

"Thanks," Kenshin said while pulling her into a hug.

"Welcome," Kat said while she kissed his forehead.

"There's something I need to tell you," he said.

Kat didn't like the sound of that, "What is it?" 'Please don't let it be something bad! Please don't let it be something bad!'

Kenshin opened his mouth to speak but was cut off just as he was about to spill.

I'LL GET YOU FOR THAT! Saku roared as she charged into the room. Kuroneko ducked under the chair Kenshin was in and hissed. The cat's eyes were dilated and his fur was puffed up to make the cat look two times larger. Saku growled and barked at the cat.

"Saku, what did you do to Kuro?" Kat asked as she picked up the frightened cat. 'And here I thought only dogs hated cats…'

What did I do?! I did nothing! That cat came in and scratched me on the nose!

"Kuro wouldn't do that," Kat said brushing off the accusation.

Saku growled with fury and stormed out of the room. Kuro hissed at Saku's retreating form and wriggled out of Kat's arms. Kat watched the odd black cat wander off. "What were you going to say Kenshin?"

"…Never mind." 'Maybe this wasn't the best time to tell her anyways…'

^_^

 "If you'd just hold still…" Kurama said while trying to apply antiseptic to a cut on Vix's arm.

"If you'd just use something that doesn't sting…" she said while dodging the antiseptic drenched cotton.

"Beggars can't be choosers," Kurama said while grabbing her arm.

"Who said I was begging for this?!" Vix said as she tried to break free.

Kurama yanked on her arm and pulled her over. He quickly dabbed her arm with the antiseptic then slapped a bandage on.

"Do you have to be so rough?" Vix hissed at him.

Kurama laughed, "I'm only trying to help."

Vix saw one of his ears twitch and Kurama saw her staring at it, "So how did you get cut?"

"I was helping Inuyasha fix the window he crashed through when I got cut on a shard of glass," she said. 'Not one of the smarter things I've done. Inuyasha warned me that I would probably get cut and he was right.'

Kurama's ears twitched as he laughed, "Well, that was smart of you now wasn't it?"

Vix grabbed one of his ears and yanked on it. Her breath tickled his ear as she whispered into it, "Feeling a bit mean today aren't we?"

His golden eyes laughed at her, "No meaner than usual."

"Really?" Vix asked as she blew air into his ear. The ear twitched as much as it could in her grasp. His silver hair grazed her arm and Vix coiled some around her finger, "So you're fox demon?"

He nodded, "Yes, why do you ask?"

"Just wondering," she said as she stood up and kissed him.

Kurama sat there in shock before she pulled away and waltzed out of the room.

"Strange girl isn't she?" Dev asked as he popped his head into the room. Kurama nodded dumbfounded. "Anyways, Inuyasha says he needs your help on the window," Dev said over his shoulder as he continued on down the hall.

Kurama shrugged off the shock and took a deep breath attempting to calm his racing heart.

"You gonna help me fox boy or am I gonna have to do this by myself?!" Inuyasha yelled.

"Coming!" Kurama yelled back a bit annoyed. 'What is it about Vix that makes her so special? And why is it that every time I see her I can't help but want to hold her close?'

^_^

The strangely appealing thought of crawling back under the sheets and pillows teased his mind for a few moments as he fell back on the bed, sighing once more. He spent the next few minutes noting how soft the pillow felt against his aching head.

"Feeling better?" Kat asked as she poked her head in.

"Not really…" he mumbled against the pillow.

"Need anything?" she asked. He muttered something and Kat stepped closer to try to hear what he was saying. She sat on the end of his bed and he turned to look up at her. His aquamarine eyes stared at her and blinked. "Headache?" she guessed. Vash nodded and groaned. Kat noticed that his sheets had an odd curve to them, "Vash? Are you sure you're ok?"

He frowned confused, "I never said I was." She ripped off the sheets and gasped. Vash sat up and blinked in confusion, "What's wrong?"

Kat blinked and pointed behind him, "Wings."

His frown deepened, "Wha-?"

Kat leaned over and gently yanked on one. She drew her hand in front of his face to show him a feather, "Wings." Vash quickly stood up and looked into his mirror. "How?" Kat asked.

He flexed the muscles in his back and his wings spread open, "I don't know."

Kat came up and stood behind him looking into the mirror, "Does this mean you can fly?" She toyed with one of his wings, spreading it out and checking his flight feathers, "You're strange you know that?"

She let him pull his wing out of her grasp, "You say that like it's a bad thing." He leaned down and placed his nose against hers in an Eskimo kiss.

Kat hugged him and her fingers toyed with the shorter feathers by his skin. It was cold out and Kat relished in the warmth he provided. Kat let go and stood back to marvel at the sight of him with wings, "Think they're permanent?"

Vash flexed his wing muscles again, "They always disappear but I've only ever gotten them when communicating with my sisters."

"Now all you need is a halo," Kat joked.

He smiled, "You don't think I'm angel worthy?"

"Depends on if you can fly," she teased.

Vash walked over to the sliding glass door and slid it open. Kat followed him out onto the balcony and watched as he spread his wings. He leapt onto the balcony wall, "Wish me luck."

"You're gonna need it…" she said as he jumped, "…especially because you're missing two main flight feathers." She leaned over the balcony just in time to see him crash into the dirt, "Good luck."

^_^

Tanya's coffee mug slipped out of her hand and shattered against the tiled floor as she saw Vash hit the ground outside the kitchen window.

Vix was sitting next to her, "His wings would have to be three times the length of his height in order for them to support his weight."

"Really?" Tanya asked as she blinked a few times, "That's interesting."

^_^

 Kat jumped off the balcony and landed next to Vash, "I know you're gonna hate me for asking this but are you ok?"

He lay there twitching, "What's it look like?" His wings had lost a few more feathers in his attempt to jump and Kat wondered if he had broken anything.

Kurama and Inuyasha were peeking out from the second story window. "Suicide attempt?" Inuyasha asked Kurama.

"Perhaps he was testing the theory of 'What goes up must come down'?" they snickered to each other.

They turned around to see Jasmine yelling at Knives to lie back down.

The plant hobbled over to the window and peeked out, "Why did I have to get stuck with a brother who misuses his powers and shows them off to spiders?" Knives glared in fury at Vash who was still face down in the dirt, "I'll show him how it's done!"

Jasmine took a step back as massive black wings grew from Knives' back. He flexed them to make sure he could operate them.

Jasmine let out a startled gasp as Knives beat his wings and shot out the window. Without hesitation she leapt from the window after him. Kurama watched as Vash let out a loud groan of protest when Jasmine landed on him, "What is it with people today? You'd think they'd be happier living normal lives."

^_^

"Jasmine, I think you might have broken Vash's back," Kat said hinting to her to get off him.

Jasmine rolled off and looked for Knives. He beat his wings hard as he hovered over them showing off at how good he was.

Vash felt the air as it stirred and sat up, "Knives?"

His brother glared at him and snapped his fingers. Vash hissed in pain as his wings doubled in length and grew a few more feathers. Kat watched half surprised, half curious.

She helped Vash up, "Show your brother what you can do."

Vash flexed his long gleaming colorless wings and they obeyed by flapping. He beat them harder and was rewarded by lifting off a few feet.

"Hurry up," Knives said impatiently.

Vash flapped harder and blew past Knives. He sped into a barrel roll before coming out of it and swooping higher. The wind currents from Vash's stunts knocked Knives slightly and he attempted to keep control.

Knives hissed, "You're better then I thought brother."

Vash ignored the comment as he hovered a few moments waiting to see what his brother would do. Knives glared a moment before crumpling and falling. Vash attempted to catch his brother but it was impossible to grab a hold of him. Jasmine ran beneath the two brothers and braced herself for the impact that never came. At the last moment, when Knives saw who he was going to land on, he pulled out of his fall.

Jasmine opened her eyes and blinked wondering if she had died. Her hair whipped about her face and she looked up into the face of a very pissed man.

She grinned sheepishly, "Didn't want to see you get hurt."

Knives continued to glare before his energy gave out again. Jasmine opened her arms and caught him. His weight brought both of them down and they landed in the dirt. Vash sped by and landed next to Kat.

She looked up at him confused, "What the hell was up with that?!" He shrugged and grinned stupidly. "Dork," Kat muttered as she went over to help her friend.

"Ouch," Jasmine muttered as she shook her head. Knives lay in her lap with his eyes shut tightly. She noticed how warm his skin felt against hers, "You have a fever." She placed her cool hand against his burning forehead to make sure she was right. Knives opened an eye with much effort. He attempted to speak but Jasmine stopped him, "I'll make sure you'll be ok. You rest now."

Vash flew the short distance to his brother and picked him up. Kat ran after Vash as he fluttered to the porch and swung open the sliding glass door. Jasmine followed them to Knives room and snuck in after Vash had put Knives back in.

Jasmine opened the door and sat on Knives bed, "That wasn't very smart." Knives opened an eye to glare at her. "Don't look at me like that. You know I'm right…and besides…you really could have gotten hurt. What if Vash decided he wanted to shoot you?"

Knives snorted, "He wouldn't kill me. It's the last thing Rem said to him and he cherishes it more than anything."

"Still…" Jasmine said as she began to cry softly, "You're really hurt! I couldn't stand to see you get hurt again! Don't do that again!" She hugged Knives and he squirmed in protest. It only caused Jasmine to cry harder and he sat there confused. Her tears began to soak his shirt and before he could think or act his arms moved to hug her. It was awkward and Jasmine could tell it was new for him but that was all she needed.

She sighed and rested her head on his shoulder, "I should let you rest."

He snorted. 'She's the strangest human I've ever met…but for some reason…I find myself somewhat attached to her.'  

Jasmine stood up to go when she heard him speak, "…You can stay if you want."

She gazed into his eyes and smiled he scooted over on the bed to make room for her.

^_^

(A/N: There are two windows in Vash's room, a bay window and a sliding glass door thing)

"That was really stupid Vash!" Kat scolded. He sat there looking out the window not bothering to say anything. "I'm talking to you!" Kat said as she slapped on some iodine.

He hissed as his wound bubbled a bit, "Ouch."

"What was that all about anyways? And how did you get your wings to disappear?" Kat asked as she tended to the wound the wings left on his back. "I hope this doesn't scar," she said more to herself than to him. He remained quiet. Kat bandaged his back then blew on the back of his neck. He twitched and goose bumps appeared on his skin. "You're not listening are you?" Kat asked. She rested her head on his back, "Say something! You know you really scared me today! What about you're brother? Will he be ok?"

"He's fine," Vash snapped.

Kat paused in her questions, "How can you tell?"

Vash ignored her again. Kat grabbed onto a lock of his hair and yanked. They glared at each other a few seconds before Vash pinned her against the wall of the bay window. Kat let out a startled gasp as he pressed his lips against hers.

He pulled away and Kat took the opportunity to voice her feelings again, "I love you."

He smiled back not having to say anything. Kat flipped the light switch above her head.

^_^

Kurama and Vix sat in the hall staring at everything but each other. His ear twitched and Vix caught it out of the corner of her eye. She turned around and latched onto it. Kurama glared at her a moment before laughing as she blew air into it. Vix let go after a few moments laughing hard.

She stopped abruptly when she saw Kurama staring at her oddly, "What?"

He blinked a few times and blushed, "Nothing. It's just that…you look… beautiful."

Vix blushed and toyed with his hair, "So do you."

He pulled her into a warm embrace and rested his head against hers, ears twitching and picking up the sounds of the other rooms. They flattened themselves against his head.

Vix laughed as she turned around, "You look as if you've just been scolded."

He blinked at her and grinned despite the sounds in the other rooms. She leaned forward and landed a kiss on his cheek. They blushed, Kurama turning the darkest, before she kissed him again.

^_^

Inuyasha sighed as he gave up on the window he was trying to fix.

"Something wrong?" Tanya asked as she kissed her husband-to-be on the cheek.

Inuyasha flinched and flattened his ears, "Sometimes I wish I didn't have such good hearing…"

"Why is that?" Tanya asked.

"Never mind," Inuyasha said.

Tanya kissed him boldly, "You can tell me." Inuyasha kissed back, "I really don't think you want to know."

"Why not?"

Inuyasha ignored her question and silenced any more by kissing his wife-to-be.

^_^

"So Mayonaka went back to boarding school?" Dev asked the wolves.

Saku just flattened her ears. While Kageunsei nodded trying to block out all sounds.

"What's up with you two guys?" Dev asked.

Kageunsei growled I'm going outside. Saku stood up to follow her father.

Dev watched them go and stood up to follow, "Everyone's acting strange today." 'Wonder what's going on.'

Trust me, you don't want to know. Saku muttered.

(A/N: I'm just going to let you guys guess as to what the ones with demon hearing can hear… Yeah… PLEASE REVIEW!!!)