This is an updated Chapter. The only difference in it from the original
chapter is that I changed the dagger to a knife. A good friend, who knows
more about this than I do, said that a dagger is 8-12 inches long. Lorin
has something shorter, so I changed it.
THERE IS NO OTHER DIFFERENCE TO THE CHAPTER.
Disclaimer: I do not own anything in the Yu Yu Hakusho universe.
* * * * * * *
Lorin walked with Shuichi along the stream that flowed through the park. It was a beautiful spring day. And it was Friday, which meant they had a whole weekend ahead.
"So, what was your sister giggling about, today? She kept hopping from one foot to the other and looked as if she was ready to explode." Shuichi asked, laughing softly at the picture of Stephanie this afternoon, when they had stopped by to drop off Lorin's books. Lorin grinned.
"That's Stephanie trying to keep a secret. This one's probably for my birthday. It's in a few weeks and since I don't know about whatever she's hiding, that's my guess. So, she'll act like that for then next few weeks, whenever I'm around. And she really isn't trying to make me ask her what it is, she's just so excited that she can't sit still." They turned down a path away from the stream, that was lined with blooming trees.
"I understand," Shuichi said with a smile in his voice. "And I'll bet this one is harder than others, since she obviously Adores you." Lorin nodded. They walked in silence for a few minutes, enjoying each others company. A shiver when up Lorin's spine. She looked up to see a strange figure standing at the bend in the path.
"I'm here for your head, Kurama! And I'm going to take your woman, too!" it snarled in a gravelly voice. Lorin frowned. Who was Kurama? Suddenly the ground in front of Lorin exploded and she was thrown against a tree. When she came to a moment later, Shuichi and the figure were circling each other, and talking in low voices.
Lorin blinked, trying to understand the picture in front of her. The figure was a monster, that's the only label Lorin could come up with. It was grey, and had one eye in the middle of it's head. It's teeth were pointed and it had claws for fingers. Some kind of energy ball appeared in the monster's hand. He threw it at Shuichi, who moved too fast for Lorin to see and dodged the ball. Shuichi reached behind his head, and a rose was in his hand. He held it out.
"Rose Whip." he called, and his voice echoed strangely. Lorin watched in shock as the rose glowed red and transformed itself into a long green vine, covered in sharp thorns. Shuichi leapt high in the air and as he was about to swing his whip, he vanished. Lorin and the monster looked around in confusion. Then the monster convulsed and collapsed in a bloody mess. Then Shuichi was back in front of the monster. It reached a hand out to Shuichi.
"Mercy," it begged. Shuichi gave a cold, short chuckle.
"No mercy," he replied, his voice ice cold. The creature convulsed again and died. That was too much for Lorin. Somehow she knew that Shuichi had done that. She leaned over and threw up. She felt a gentle hand on her back.
"It's alright. It's over now. You're safe." It was Shuichi. Lorin shuddered. She didn't understand what had just happened, but she knew that Shuichi wasn't what he said he was. And that hard, almost cruel side of him. That scared her deeply. Lorin took a deep breath. She slowly got to her feet, not daring to look at Shuichi. She started walking.
"Lorin , wait. We need to talk." His voice came from behind her and she heard his footsteps following her. She picked up her pace and soon was running, running for her life. She fled the park and ran most of the way home before she stopped. She had to stop to catch her breath. She looked behind her, but saw no sign of him. She sighed. What was she to do?
A store across the street was advertising a sale on blades. There was an idea. Lorin slowly walked across the street and into the store. She spend several long minutes choosing her knife. One of them at the end, Lorin felt almost drawn to. It was black, both handle and blade. Lorin stared at it for a few minutes, thinking. Finally, she gave in and bought it.
When she came out of the store, she glanced up to see a figure on the rooftops. She squinted to see who it was. Lorin's heart skipped a beat as she recognized Shuichi. He was watching her. He made no move to come closer, he just watched her, a sad look on his face. Lorin looked down and pulled the short blade from the sheath. She knew that he saw it and understood what she wanted to say. 'I have this to protect myself from you.'
Lorin put the knife away and hung it on her belt. Then she turned and continued walking home. He followed her, jumping from rooftop to rooftop, but never came near her. Lorin made it safely home. Shuichi knelt on the roof below Lorin's bedroom window and heard her come in and start sobbing into her pillow. Shuichi closed his eyes and a single tear fell.
* * * *
That Monday at school was the worst day of Lorin's life. She took her knife to school with her, even though it was against the rules. She sat next to Shuichi in class, but they didn't say a word to each other. Whenever she caught him looking over at her, she saw the same sadness and concern in his eyes that she saw before. At lunch he sat somewhere else and her friends asked if they had had a fight. Well, there was a fight Lorin told them.
Two weeks passed this way. Lorin was still frightened, but was also miserable. She missed Shuichi a lot. But she couldn't think of any reason he might give that would make the death of that monster acceptable.
* * * *
Lorin stared at her computer screen blankly. She had started a paper, but hadn't been able to write anything for over an hour. She had no ideas left. This was a moment when she really missed Shuichi. He would've had some ideas for her. Or they would have just talked until some idea had come to her. Lorin put her head in her hands and started crying. A little later she heard the doorbell ring, and her little sister's joyful shout.
"Sushi!!!" she exclaimed. Lorin jerked her head up. Shuichi was here?!?!? Lorin grabbed her knife from the desk next to her and ran to the top of the stairs. She wouldn't let him hurt her family. Lorin paused at the top of the stairs as she heard her mother talking to Shuichi.
"I don't know if Lorin wants to see you. She hasn't wanted to see any friends lately." There Lorin thought. That would make him leave. Shuichi's calm voice answered her mother.
"I know." he said. "She and I had a fight. She won't talk to me and I just came over to try to work things out." Lorin heard her mother sigh.
"Lorin!" she called. "Lorin, come here please." Fear started to grow in Lorin's stomach. She slowly made her way downstairs. She stuck the blade in her pocket, so her mother wouldn't see it. She stood in front of her mother, watching Shuichi carefully. Her mother crossed her arms over her chest.
"Lorin, Shuichi, here, tells me that you two had a fight and you've been ignoring him. Is that true?" she asked. Lorin took a deep breath.
"Well, I guess you could say that. There was a fight."
"Lorin, how many times must I tell you that you cannot simply ignore a problem. You two need to work this out. Go upstairs to your room and talk this out, Understand?" Lorin nodded and headed to her room, Shuichi's footsteps following her.
As the door closed, Shuichi said, "I'm sorry. I didn't think she would scold you." Lorin moved to the far side of her room. She reached into her pocket for her knife. She turned to Shuichi, blade out.
"I don't know what you are, but I won't let you hurt me or my family." She said hotly. Shuichi sat down in her computer chair and sighed. He held his hands on his thighs, palms up.
"I'm not here to hurt you or your family and I never was."
"Do you think I'm blind?" she asked, swinging the blade around wildly. Shuichi winced. "I know what I saw in the park, don't deny it." she shot at him. He shook his head.
"I wasn't going to. I've been wanting to explain it, but you won't talk to me. Look, there's nothing in my hands, I'm not going to move from this spot. Why don't you put the knife down. Or at least put it back in it's sheath. Please." he begged. Lorin stared at him for a minute. Then she slid the sheath on the blade, but still gripped it. Shuichi could see that she was tense, she would whip the blade out if he moved the wrong way.
"Alright," she said. "Give me your explanation. Though I cannot think of anything that can excuse you from killing....killing whatever it was." Shuichi nodded and launched into his explanation of Spirit World, The Makai Lands, demons, Spirit Energy, Spirit Detectives, and his own story.
"So, no one knows about Kurama, not even my mother. It would break her heart, I think. That's why I didn't tell you, I haven't told anyone. That demon attacked me first, but I probably would have left him alive, if he hadn't threatened you. I don't show mercy to those who try to get at me by hurting those I care about." He looked her straight in the eyes.
When she didn't say anything or even move, he slowly got up and started across the room. She was staring at nothing and didn't react as he sat down on the bed next to her. He slowly, took the knife from her hand and set it on the nightstand. He put his arms around her.
"It's ok." he whispered. That broke Lorin's stony silence. She grabbed him and started sobbing into his shoulder. The terror of the fight, the horror of the blood and killing, and her fear of him all came rushing out of her in great sobs. He just held her, rocking gently and rubbing her back with one hand. Finally she was quiet.
"Shuichi?" she asked.
"Hmmm?" he responded.
"Help me with my Science paper?" she asked. He laughed.
"Sure, but there is one more thing we need to talk about." Lorin groaned and looked up at him. She wiped her eyes and blushed as she realized she must look like a mess. Shuichi captured her hands as they moved to try to wipe her tears from his shirt. She looked at him.
"We need to talk about your safety." he said. Lorin frowned.
"What do you mean?" she asked.
"Well, as long as you and I spend a lot of time together, you're in danger. Other demons won't hesitate to use or hurt you to get to me. Now we have two options. One, you and I can stop hanging out after school. Or, "he continued when Lorin vehemently shook her head. "Two, I can teach you how to use your own Spirit Energy." Lorin blinked.
"I have Spirit Energy?" she asked. he nodded.
"Yes, you have a immense amount of Spirit Potential. If you trained right, you could be very powerful. You don't have to give me an answer right now, but soon. Sleep on it."
"Shuichi, or should I call you Kurama?" she asked confused. He laughed.
"Either, both. Just call me Shuichi in school and at home. If you want to call me Kurama when we're alone, I don't mind." she nodded and continued.
"What about your mother? Isn't she in danger, too?" she asked, worried.
"No, she's fine. Any demon coming after me wouldn't think that I would care about my mother. But it would be pretty easy to see that I spend great deal of time with you." Lorin smiled at that comment.
"Well, then there really is no choice. If I want to still be friends with you, and I do, then I need to be able to protect myself... and my family if needed. I'll train with you." Kurama smiled. He leaned over and gently kissed her. She started, then relaxed. When they broke apart, he smiled.
"Now about that science paper..." he said.
* * * *
Lorin ran a brush through her hair and looked herself over in the mirror. She looked pretty good. Tonight was her official First Date with Kurama. Ever since that night when he had explained everything, they had gotten ever closer. Kurama had started training her to use her Spirit Energy. It was hard work, but it was a lot of fun. Anytime she was with Kurama was fun. He had kissed her a few more times since then, but he always made them special. She never knew when one was coming. So they had decided to actually date. Boy, Jyanne had been spouting fireworks out her ears when she heard. Lorin and her friends had laughed for a week at least with that picture.
Tonight, Lorin had chosen to do something she hadn't done since moving here. She wore a dress. Unlike most schools here, all students at her school wore pants, not just the boys. Kurama had never seen her in a dress. It was dark blue and wasn't too fancy. They hadn't decided where to go yet, so this was a dress she could wear to a restaurant or dancing or bowling or whatever. She wore her hair down, the sides swept back in combs. She usually wore it in a ponytail to keep it out of her face. She wore a gold bracelet with blue gems. Around her neck she wore a clear crystal pendent with a red rose etched into it. Kurama had given it to her as a mark of protection against lesser demons.
Lorin heard the doorbell ring and Steph's usual excited "Sushi!!" Lorin could picture Steph throwing herself at Kurama's legs. She could see him kneel down to catch Steph in a hug. Shuichi was now as Adored as her Beloved Big Sister. Shuichi would ask Steph about her day and Steph would be only too happy to oblige him. There was a knock on her door. It was Dana.
"Hey," she said as she came in, "You look great. He's gonna be shocked." Dana smiled at her little sister. Lorin sighed nervously.
"I hope so." she said. Dana laughed.
"No doubt, Little Sister. You will knock him off his feet and make every other guy you see tonight jealous." She gave her sister a hug.
"Thanks, Dana." The two sisters walked down the stairs. Lorin gave a small laugh as she saw the exact picture she imagined. Shuichi was patiently listening to her sister tell him all about her day at kindergarten and finger painting. Shuichi looked up as Lorin laughed. Lorin missed his reaction as Steph launched herself at Lorin. After hugging her, Lorin looked up at Shuichi. He was smiling and his eyes expressed admiration and wonder. He flicked his wrist and presented her with a perfectly formed, fully open red rose. Lorin accepted in gratefully. Her parents shooed them out of the house.
"So, where would you like to go?" Kurama asked her, as he threaded the rose behind her ear.
"How about a movie?" Lorin asked back. "There's new one from the States, Down With Love. My friends from America say its really good." Kurama smiled and held out his arm. Lorin slipped her arm in Kurama's and the headed toward the theater.
They were a few blocks away when a voice called out, "Kurama!" They both froze. They turned to see who had called. It was a teenage boy. He had a girl with him. They walked closer.
"Hello, Yusuke." Kurama said. "Lorin, this is Yusuke Urameshi." Lorin raised her eyebrows to Kurama and he nodded.
"Hello, Yusuke." Lorin said. "Nice to meet you."
"Hey," Yusuke said, staring at her. The girl next to him smacked him on the arm when he said nothing else.
"Ow!! What?" Yusuke yelped.
"Aren't you going to introduce me?" she asked. Yusuke rubbed his arm, where the girl had hit him.
"Ok. Ok. Keyko, this is Kurama and, uh, Lorin. This is Keyko." Kurama nodded to Keyko.
"Nice to meet you, Keyko." Lorin said.
"Same here," she responded. "So, where are you guys headed?"
"Movies," Lorin answered, "You?"
"Us too, want to walk together?" Keyko offered. Lorin nodded.
"Sure." The girls walked off, talking and expecting the guys to follow. Lorin did glance back at Kurama to make sure he was alright with this. He smiled and nodded, then continued speaking to Yusuke. They parted ways at the theater, after Yusuke proclaimed that he would never ever go see Down with Love. Keyko and Lorin exchanged amused glances as Lorin and Kurama went to find their seats.
* * * *
After the movie, which they both agreed was good, they went for a walk in the park. It was a full moon and the park was quiet. They walked in silence, which still amazed Lorin. She had always worried that she wouldn't know what to say to a guy, but she and Kurama spent many hours just enjoying being in each other's company. Lorin swallowed a little nervous, then reached down and intertwined her fingers with Kurama's.
He looked at her in surprise, then one of his beautiful smiles lit his face. They walked like that for a while, then Kurama pulled her to a stop beside the stream. He turned to face her. He caught her chin with his fingers and gently kissed her. She kissed him back. He reached his other hand around her waist and pulled her closer. He deepened the kiss. She melted against him. They broke apart. He chuckled.
"You are so beautiful! " he whispered, breathless. Lorin smiled, put her arms around his neck, and kissed him. It was as long as the first. They broke apart again, laughing in sheer joy. They just stood there for long minutes, holding each other, enjoying the sensation of the touch of the other. Finally, they headed for home. When they reached her door, Kurama pulled her close to him again and kissed her. She put her arms around his neck. They kissed several more times, then, Steph's voice floated down from her bedroom window.
"Lorin? Sushi? What'cha doing down there?" They both laughed, the mood broken.
"Aren't you supposed to be sleeping?" Lorin called out to her sister. Kurama still had his arms around her waist and she leaned into him, content, as she waited for her sister to answer. Kurama kissed her temple.
"Are you guys kissing?" Steph returned. Lorin felt, rather than heard Kurama's chuckle.
"Good night, Steph." she called.
"Night," Steph responded obediently. Kurama brushed her lips with his.
"Good night," he whispered. He stepped back. Lorin sighed and took a step toward the front door.
"Good night, Shuichi Kurama," she answered. She could tell he was immensely pleased with her answer. She opened the door as Kurama walked down the front walk. She sighed as she closed the door. Her parents and Dana looked up as she came in and gave her knowing smiles. Lorin took down the rose as she headed for her room and bed.
* * * *
THERE IS NO OTHER DIFFERENCE TO THE CHAPTER.
Disclaimer: I do not own anything in the Yu Yu Hakusho universe.
* * * * * * *
Lorin walked with Shuichi along the stream that flowed through the park. It was a beautiful spring day. And it was Friday, which meant they had a whole weekend ahead.
"So, what was your sister giggling about, today? She kept hopping from one foot to the other and looked as if she was ready to explode." Shuichi asked, laughing softly at the picture of Stephanie this afternoon, when they had stopped by to drop off Lorin's books. Lorin grinned.
"That's Stephanie trying to keep a secret. This one's probably for my birthday. It's in a few weeks and since I don't know about whatever she's hiding, that's my guess. So, she'll act like that for then next few weeks, whenever I'm around. And she really isn't trying to make me ask her what it is, she's just so excited that she can't sit still." They turned down a path away from the stream, that was lined with blooming trees.
"I understand," Shuichi said with a smile in his voice. "And I'll bet this one is harder than others, since she obviously Adores you." Lorin nodded. They walked in silence for a few minutes, enjoying each others company. A shiver when up Lorin's spine. She looked up to see a strange figure standing at the bend in the path.
"I'm here for your head, Kurama! And I'm going to take your woman, too!" it snarled in a gravelly voice. Lorin frowned. Who was Kurama? Suddenly the ground in front of Lorin exploded and she was thrown against a tree. When she came to a moment later, Shuichi and the figure were circling each other, and talking in low voices.
Lorin blinked, trying to understand the picture in front of her. The figure was a monster, that's the only label Lorin could come up with. It was grey, and had one eye in the middle of it's head. It's teeth were pointed and it had claws for fingers. Some kind of energy ball appeared in the monster's hand. He threw it at Shuichi, who moved too fast for Lorin to see and dodged the ball. Shuichi reached behind his head, and a rose was in his hand. He held it out.
"Rose Whip." he called, and his voice echoed strangely. Lorin watched in shock as the rose glowed red and transformed itself into a long green vine, covered in sharp thorns. Shuichi leapt high in the air and as he was about to swing his whip, he vanished. Lorin and the monster looked around in confusion. Then the monster convulsed and collapsed in a bloody mess. Then Shuichi was back in front of the monster. It reached a hand out to Shuichi.
"Mercy," it begged. Shuichi gave a cold, short chuckle.
"No mercy," he replied, his voice ice cold. The creature convulsed again and died. That was too much for Lorin. Somehow she knew that Shuichi had done that. She leaned over and threw up. She felt a gentle hand on her back.
"It's alright. It's over now. You're safe." It was Shuichi. Lorin shuddered. She didn't understand what had just happened, but she knew that Shuichi wasn't what he said he was. And that hard, almost cruel side of him. That scared her deeply. Lorin took a deep breath. She slowly got to her feet, not daring to look at Shuichi. She started walking.
"Lorin , wait. We need to talk." His voice came from behind her and she heard his footsteps following her. She picked up her pace and soon was running, running for her life. She fled the park and ran most of the way home before she stopped. She had to stop to catch her breath. She looked behind her, but saw no sign of him. She sighed. What was she to do?
A store across the street was advertising a sale on blades. There was an idea. Lorin slowly walked across the street and into the store. She spend several long minutes choosing her knife. One of them at the end, Lorin felt almost drawn to. It was black, both handle and blade. Lorin stared at it for a few minutes, thinking. Finally, she gave in and bought it.
When she came out of the store, she glanced up to see a figure on the rooftops. She squinted to see who it was. Lorin's heart skipped a beat as she recognized Shuichi. He was watching her. He made no move to come closer, he just watched her, a sad look on his face. Lorin looked down and pulled the short blade from the sheath. She knew that he saw it and understood what she wanted to say. 'I have this to protect myself from you.'
Lorin put the knife away and hung it on her belt. Then she turned and continued walking home. He followed her, jumping from rooftop to rooftop, but never came near her. Lorin made it safely home. Shuichi knelt on the roof below Lorin's bedroom window and heard her come in and start sobbing into her pillow. Shuichi closed his eyes and a single tear fell.
* * * *
That Monday at school was the worst day of Lorin's life. She took her knife to school with her, even though it was against the rules. She sat next to Shuichi in class, but they didn't say a word to each other. Whenever she caught him looking over at her, she saw the same sadness and concern in his eyes that she saw before. At lunch he sat somewhere else and her friends asked if they had had a fight. Well, there was a fight Lorin told them.
Two weeks passed this way. Lorin was still frightened, but was also miserable. She missed Shuichi a lot. But she couldn't think of any reason he might give that would make the death of that monster acceptable.
* * * *
Lorin stared at her computer screen blankly. She had started a paper, but hadn't been able to write anything for over an hour. She had no ideas left. This was a moment when she really missed Shuichi. He would've had some ideas for her. Or they would have just talked until some idea had come to her. Lorin put her head in her hands and started crying. A little later she heard the doorbell ring, and her little sister's joyful shout.
"Sushi!!!" she exclaimed. Lorin jerked her head up. Shuichi was here?!?!? Lorin grabbed her knife from the desk next to her and ran to the top of the stairs. She wouldn't let him hurt her family. Lorin paused at the top of the stairs as she heard her mother talking to Shuichi.
"I don't know if Lorin wants to see you. She hasn't wanted to see any friends lately." There Lorin thought. That would make him leave. Shuichi's calm voice answered her mother.
"I know." he said. "She and I had a fight. She won't talk to me and I just came over to try to work things out." Lorin heard her mother sigh.
"Lorin!" she called. "Lorin, come here please." Fear started to grow in Lorin's stomach. She slowly made her way downstairs. She stuck the blade in her pocket, so her mother wouldn't see it. She stood in front of her mother, watching Shuichi carefully. Her mother crossed her arms over her chest.
"Lorin, Shuichi, here, tells me that you two had a fight and you've been ignoring him. Is that true?" she asked. Lorin took a deep breath.
"Well, I guess you could say that. There was a fight."
"Lorin, how many times must I tell you that you cannot simply ignore a problem. You two need to work this out. Go upstairs to your room and talk this out, Understand?" Lorin nodded and headed to her room, Shuichi's footsteps following her.
As the door closed, Shuichi said, "I'm sorry. I didn't think she would scold you." Lorin moved to the far side of her room. She reached into her pocket for her knife. She turned to Shuichi, blade out.
"I don't know what you are, but I won't let you hurt me or my family." She said hotly. Shuichi sat down in her computer chair and sighed. He held his hands on his thighs, palms up.
"I'm not here to hurt you or your family and I never was."
"Do you think I'm blind?" she asked, swinging the blade around wildly. Shuichi winced. "I know what I saw in the park, don't deny it." she shot at him. He shook his head.
"I wasn't going to. I've been wanting to explain it, but you won't talk to me. Look, there's nothing in my hands, I'm not going to move from this spot. Why don't you put the knife down. Or at least put it back in it's sheath. Please." he begged. Lorin stared at him for a minute. Then she slid the sheath on the blade, but still gripped it. Shuichi could see that she was tense, she would whip the blade out if he moved the wrong way.
"Alright," she said. "Give me your explanation. Though I cannot think of anything that can excuse you from killing....killing whatever it was." Shuichi nodded and launched into his explanation of Spirit World, The Makai Lands, demons, Spirit Energy, Spirit Detectives, and his own story.
"So, no one knows about Kurama, not even my mother. It would break her heart, I think. That's why I didn't tell you, I haven't told anyone. That demon attacked me first, but I probably would have left him alive, if he hadn't threatened you. I don't show mercy to those who try to get at me by hurting those I care about." He looked her straight in the eyes.
When she didn't say anything or even move, he slowly got up and started across the room. She was staring at nothing and didn't react as he sat down on the bed next to her. He slowly, took the knife from her hand and set it on the nightstand. He put his arms around her.
"It's ok." he whispered. That broke Lorin's stony silence. She grabbed him and started sobbing into his shoulder. The terror of the fight, the horror of the blood and killing, and her fear of him all came rushing out of her in great sobs. He just held her, rocking gently and rubbing her back with one hand. Finally she was quiet.
"Shuichi?" she asked.
"Hmmm?" he responded.
"Help me with my Science paper?" she asked. He laughed.
"Sure, but there is one more thing we need to talk about." Lorin groaned and looked up at him. She wiped her eyes and blushed as she realized she must look like a mess. Shuichi captured her hands as they moved to try to wipe her tears from his shirt. She looked at him.
"We need to talk about your safety." he said. Lorin frowned.
"What do you mean?" she asked.
"Well, as long as you and I spend a lot of time together, you're in danger. Other demons won't hesitate to use or hurt you to get to me. Now we have two options. One, you and I can stop hanging out after school. Or, "he continued when Lorin vehemently shook her head. "Two, I can teach you how to use your own Spirit Energy." Lorin blinked.
"I have Spirit Energy?" she asked. he nodded.
"Yes, you have a immense amount of Spirit Potential. If you trained right, you could be very powerful. You don't have to give me an answer right now, but soon. Sleep on it."
"Shuichi, or should I call you Kurama?" she asked confused. He laughed.
"Either, both. Just call me Shuichi in school and at home. If you want to call me Kurama when we're alone, I don't mind." she nodded and continued.
"What about your mother? Isn't she in danger, too?" she asked, worried.
"No, she's fine. Any demon coming after me wouldn't think that I would care about my mother. But it would be pretty easy to see that I spend great deal of time with you." Lorin smiled at that comment.
"Well, then there really is no choice. If I want to still be friends with you, and I do, then I need to be able to protect myself... and my family if needed. I'll train with you." Kurama smiled. He leaned over and gently kissed her. She started, then relaxed. When they broke apart, he smiled.
"Now about that science paper..." he said.
* * * *
Lorin ran a brush through her hair and looked herself over in the mirror. She looked pretty good. Tonight was her official First Date with Kurama. Ever since that night when he had explained everything, they had gotten ever closer. Kurama had started training her to use her Spirit Energy. It was hard work, but it was a lot of fun. Anytime she was with Kurama was fun. He had kissed her a few more times since then, but he always made them special. She never knew when one was coming. So they had decided to actually date. Boy, Jyanne had been spouting fireworks out her ears when she heard. Lorin and her friends had laughed for a week at least with that picture.
Tonight, Lorin had chosen to do something she hadn't done since moving here. She wore a dress. Unlike most schools here, all students at her school wore pants, not just the boys. Kurama had never seen her in a dress. It was dark blue and wasn't too fancy. They hadn't decided where to go yet, so this was a dress she could wear to a restaurant or dancing or bowling or whatever. She wore her hair down, the sides swept back in combs. She usually wore it in a ponytail to keep it out of her face. She wore a gold bracelet with blue gems. Around her neck she wore a clear crystal pendent with a red rose etched into it. Kurama had given it to her as a mark of protection against lesser demons.
Lorin heard the doorbell ring and Steph's usual excited "Sushi!!" Lorin could picture Steph throwing herself at Kurama's legs. She could see him kneel down to catch Steph in a hug. Shuichi was now as Adored as her Beloved Big Sister. Shuichi would ask Steph about her day and Steph would be only too happy to oblige him. There was a knock on her door. It was Dana.
"Hey," she said as she came in, "You look great. He's gonna be shocked." Dana smiled at her little sister. Lorin sighed nervously.
"I hope so." she said. Dana laughed.
"No doubt, Little Sister. You will knock him off his feet and make every other guy you see tonight jealous." She gave her sister a hug.
"Thanks, Dana." The two sisters walked down the stairs. Lorin gave a small laugh as she saw the exact picture she imagined. Shuichi was patiently listening to her sister tell him all about her day at kindergarten and finger painting. Shuichi looked up as Lorin laughed. Lorin missed his reaction as Steph launched herself at Lorin. After hugging her, Lorin looked up at Shuichi. He was smiling and his eyes expressed admiration and wonder. He flicked his wrist and presented her with a perfectly formed, fully open red rose. Lorin accepted in gratefully. Her parents shooed them out of the house.
"So, where would you like to go?" Kurama asked her, as he threaded the rose behind her ear.
"How about a movie?" Lorin asked back. "There's new one from the States, Down With Love. My friends from America say its really good." Kurama smiled and held out his arm. Lorin slipped her arm in Kurama's and the headed toward the theater.
They were a few blocks away when a voice called out, "Kurama!" They both froze. They turned to see who had called. It was a teenage boy. He had a girl with him. They walked closer.
"Hello, Yusuke." Kurama said. "Lorin, this is Yusuke Urameshi." Lorin raised her eyebrows to Kurama and he nodded.
"Hello, Yusuke." Lorin said. "Nice to meet you."
"Hey," Yusuke said, staring at her. The girl next to him smacked him on the arm when he said nothing else.
"Ow!! What?" Yusuke yelped.
"Aren't you going to introduce me?" she asked. Yusuke rubbed his arm, where the girl had hit him.
"Ok. Ok. Keyko, this is Kurama and, uh, Lorin. This is Keyko." Kurama nodded to Keyko.
"Nice to meet you, Keyko." Lorin said.
"Same here," she responded. "So, where are you guys headed?"
"Movies," Lorin answered, "You?"
"Us too, want to walk together?" Keyko offered. Lorin nodded.
"Sure." The girls walked off, talking and expecting the guys to follow. Lorin did glance back at Kurama to make sure he was alright with this. He smiled and nodded, then continued speaking to Yusuke. They parted ways at the theater, after Yusuke proclaimed that he would never ever go see Down with Love. Keyko and Lorin exchanged amused glances as Lorin and Kurama went to find their seats.
* * * *
After the movie, which they both agreed was good, they went for a walk in the park. It was a full moon and the park was quiet. They walked in silence, which still amazed Lorin. She had always worried that she wouldn't know what to say to a guy, but she and Kurama spent many hours just enjoying being in each other's company. Lorin swallowed a little nervous, then reached down and intertwined her fingers with Kurama's.
He looked at her in surprise, then one of his beautiful smiles lit his face. They walked like that for a while, then Kurama pulled her to a stop beside the stream. He turned to face her. He caught her chin with his fingers and gently kissed her. She kissed him back. He reached his other hand around her waist and pulled her closer. He deepened the kiss. She melted against him. They broke apart. He chuckled.
"You are so beautiful! " he whispered, breathless. Lorin smiled, put her arms around his neck, and kissed him. It was as long as the first. They broke apart again, laughing in sheer joy. They just stood there for long minutes, holding each other, enjoying the sensation of the touch of the other. Finally, they headed for home. When they reached her door, Kurama pulled her close to him again and kissed her. She put her arms around his neck. They kissed several more times, then, Steph's voice floated down from her bedroom window.
"Lorin? Sushi? What'cha doing down there?" They both laughed, the mood broken.
"Aren't you supposed to be sleeping?" Lorin called out to her sister. Kurama still had his arms around her waist and she leaned into him, content, as she waited for her sister to answer. Kurama kissed her temple.
"Are you guys kissing?" Steph returned. Lorin felt, rather than heard Kurama's chuckle.
"Good night, Steph." she called.
"Night," Steph responded obediently. Kurama brushed her lips with his.
"Good night," he whispered. He stepped back. Lorin sighed and took a step toward the front door.
"Good night, Shuichi Kurama," she answered. She could tell he was immensely pleased with her answer. She opened the door as Kurama walked down the front walk. She sighed as she closed the door. Her parents and Dana looked up as she came in and gave her knowing smiles. Lorin took down the rose as she headed for her room and bed.
* * * *