Ok. From now on, I'm going to write forever in third person omniscient.
It's too difficult to switch between characters in first person. :P
A ray of light penetrated the thin curtains and rested itself on Kurama's peaceful face. He twitched in the unusual warmth and slowly opened his eyes. "Good morning," He yawned, stretching his arms.
"Why aren't we feeling better today!" The smiling nurse fixed his IV. "Your mother should be especially happy this visit!"
Kurama pushed his body into an upright position. Damn, he thought. I have to deal with another hour of Shiori and the anxiety I cause her. Maybe I'll just pretend to sleep this time. He stared blankly into the plate of bland mush placed on his lap.
"Eat up! You'll need your strength if you want to go home." The nurse brought a tray of sterile needles, all painkillers, Kurama assumed.
"No!" Kurama pushed her away as she tried to inject him. "I don't want any drugs today!" He wanted to feel alive, not sleepy and dreamy all the time.
"Honey, it stops the pain. You won't hurt anymore!"
"No!" Kurama cried. "I don't feel much pain anymore." He lied, although the pain was excruciating and bore through his very soul, he needed it. He didn't want to hide or run from pain, he wanted to deal with it by himself. "I will get stronger faster this way."
"Doctor's orders honey, I have to give them to you." The nurse sighed. "But perhaps you wish to stay conscious when your mother visits. Tell you this, I'll wait until after you have your chat with your mother, and then I'm going to have to give you the shots. Now don't beg me for them now." She winked and left him alone.
So lonely, Kurama sighed as he stared out the wide window, watching the happy humans carry on their lives. "I'm bedridden, I'm alone, and I'm weak." He squeezed his eyes shut. "What is there left to live for? There's no one in this world for me anymore. Sure, I have Shiori and my half- brother, but who are they to me? I love them, but I don't feel anything for them. I'll protect them, because it is my duty. I'll forever love them, because I owe everything to them. I have nothing else." He tried to lean closer to the window, but his human body could not cooperate. "Hiei. Why did you leave me here?" He hugged his shivering body, feeling angry. But at what?
"Shuuichi."
Kurama turned his head towards the clock, so it's about time Shiori came, he thought. But wait, that's not her voice. He cautiously shifted towards the doorway, where a strange girl stood, flowers in her hand, smiling at him. A ray of the glimmering afternoon sun hit her short brown hair, giving her a sort of halo. Her grey-gold eyes sparkled as she walked to his bedside.
"Where's Shiori?" Was all Kurama could say.
"She couldn't come today, didn't the nurse tell you?" The girl smiled again, not a sympathetic smile, not even a kind one, it was just slightly creepy. "I'm Hoseki Yanagi."
Kurama stared at her hand that she stuck out. Tentatively, he slid his hand into hers and gave what he hoped to be a firm handshake.
"I know you probably don't know me." She sat down on the stool where Shiori usually sat. Kurama stared at her uneasily, warily, his senses alert, but dulled by his injuries. "Ms. Minamino invites me over sometimes, and I help her. I heard that her son, you, was in this hospital, and I really wanted to see you. So when she was too busy today, I happily offered to come in her place."
"How come she was busy today? She has came for nearly three weeks now." Kurama asked doubtfully.
"Oh Shuuichi, I can call you that right? Your mother is a very busy woman, she can't look after you all your life, and you have to deal with it." She grinned nearly evilly, her voice sickly sweet.
Huffing and puffing in irritation, Kurama could not take that ninny's talk anymore. Gathering his strength and poise, he griped her neck, "Don't talk to me like that. You know nothing."
"You don't truly love your mother, after all she's done for you." Yanagi laughed bitterly. "You're pathetic, Shuuichi."
"W-what?" Kurama shouted in astonishment. "Who are you?"
"Hoseki Yanagi."
"What are you doing here?"
"Don't worry darling Shuuichi, your mother is coming to pick me up, so you can ask her yourself, if it doesn't trouble her too much." She patted his hand speciously and laughed.
He gritted his teeth throughout the remainder of the hour, ignoring Yanagi's comments. Something told him that this girl was trouble, something unusual stood out about her. Besides, he told himself, how could anyone understand my true feelings? I've always kept them inside my calm exterior.
"Shuuichi! Yanagi!" Shiori's voice broke the silence. "How was it? Are you feeling better?"
"Oh Ms. Minamino!" Yanagi jumped up, a broad smile plastered on her face. "We had a wonderful time!"
Kurama grunted, extremely irritated.
"Shuuichi, when you get let out for a day or two, you must go visit Yanagi, she is the sweetest girl. You seem so solitary here, always expressionless. I need to see you smile sometimes." Shiori put her arm affectionately around Yanagi and Kurama.
"Oh you must!" Yanagi blushed. "I'll wait outside for you, Ms. Minamino, so you can have some time with your son. See you Shuuichi." Behind Shiori's back, Yanagi winked and stuck out her tongue.
"I don't like her." Kurama spat out bluntly.
"Darling, I know you love someone that you once told me about, but don't you think it's time you let your heart decide and choose?" She set her hand tenderly on his chest. "It probably aches inside, doesn't it?"
Kurama nodded.
"We can mend it! Go out with some of your friends, someone your own age, have some fun!"
"I have no friends." He muttered resentfully.
"Surely you care about someone!" Shiori cried desperately.
"No." Kurama shook his head. "My heart has forgotten how to love."
So the days passed, and he didn't see Yanagi for quite a long time. His strength grew, as well as his energy and senses. Still, the thorns that embedded themselves deep in his heart had not healed. Nor would they ever heal, he thought. The number of thorns only multiplied as his loneliness and self-hatred intensified.
"Shuuichi, long time no see."
Kurama, standing up for the first time, stopped gazing out the window to see whom it was. "You again."
"Yes, it is I, Hoseki Yanagi." She smiled as usual, more kindly this time. Stepping closer to him, she didn't seem all that bad.
"What are you doing here?"
"Visiting you." She pulled him down onto a chair. "Don't be so defensive. I came of my own accord. I'm sorry our first meeting went so poorly."
"Hn." Kurama grumbled, surprising himself with how much like Hiei he sounded.
"Tell me what's wrong." She reached for his hand, but he snatched it away. "Please, I care about you. I've spoken to your mother many times since the day I saw you, and well, you're not usually like this."
"How would you know?"
"Please, tell me what's wrong." She touched his hand lightly and Kurama accepted it.
He took a deep breath. This was the first bit of human compassion ever given to him during his long hospital stay. Sure Shiori cared, but she was his mother. But this girl, Yanagi, she didn't know him, know the weakness that lurked underneath, yet she still cared. "My heart will never heal." He started.
She stared at him intently, waiting for more.
"I lost all I ever had." Pause* "And I doubt I'll ever get it back."
Er. I kind of want to know what you guys' opinions on Yanagi are so far. She's not supposed to be the good guy, just as a side note.
Have Fun!!! Next episode: Enough Love?
A ray of light penetrated the thin curtains and rested itself on Kurama's peaceful face. He twitched in the unusual warmth and slowly opened his eyes. "Good morning," He yawned, stretching his arms.
"Why aren't we feeling better today!" The smiling nurse fixed his IV. "Your mother should be especially happy this visit!"
Kurama pushed his body into an upright position. Damn, he thought. I have to deal with another hour of Shiori and the anxiety I cause her. Maybe I'll just pretend to sleep this time. He stared blankly into the plate of bland mush placed on his lap.
"Eat up! You'll need your strength if you want to go home." The nurse brought a tray of sterile needles, all painkillers, Kurama assumed.
"No!" Kurama pushed her away as she tried to inject him. "I don't want any drugs today!" He wanted to feel alive, not sleepy and dreamy all the time.
"Honey, it stops the pain. You won't hurt anymore!"
"No!" Kurama cried. "I don't feel much pain anymore." He lied, although the pain was excruciating and bore through his very soul, he needed it. He didn't want to hide or run from pain, he wanted to deal with it by himself. "I will get stronger faster this way."
"Doctor's orders honey, I have to give them to you." The nurse sighed. "But perhaps you wish to stay conscious when your mother visits. Tell you this, I'll wait until after you have your chat with your mother, and then I'm going to have to give you the shots. Now don't beg me for them now." She winked and left him alone.
So lonely, Kurama sighed as he stared out the wide window, watching the happy humans carry on their lives. "I'm bedridden, I'm alone, and I'm weak." He squeezed his eyes shut. "What is there left to live for? There's no one in this world for me anymore. Sure, I have Shiori and my half- brother, but who are they to me? I love them, but I don't feel anything for them. I'll protect them, because it is my duty. I'll forever love them, because I owe everything to them. I have nothing else." He tried to lean closer to the window, but his human body could not cooperate. "Hiei. Why did you leave me here?" He hugged his shivering body, feeling angry. But at what?
"Shuuichi."
Kurama turned his head towards the clock, so it's about time Shiori came, he thought. But wait, that's not her voice. He cautiously shifted towards the doorway, where a strange girl stood, flowers in her hand, smiling at him. A ray of the glimmering afternoon sun hit her short brown hair, giving her a sort of halo. Her grey-gold eyes sparkled as she walked to his bedside.
"Where's Shiori?" Was all Kurama could say.
"She couldn't come today, didn't the nurse tell you?" The girl smiled again, not a sympathetic smile, not even a kind one, it was just slightly creepy. "I'm Hoseki Yanagi."
Kurama stared at her hand that she stuck out. Tentatively, he slid his hand into hers and gave what he hoped to be a firm handshake.
"I know you probably don't know me." She sat down on the stool where Shiori usually sat. Kurama stared at her uneasily, warily, his senses alert, but dulled by his injuries. "Ms. Minamino invites me over sometimes, and I help her. I heard that her son, you, was in this hospital, and I really wanted to see you. So when she was too busy today, I happily offered to come in her place."
"How come she was busy today? She has came for nearly three weeks now." Kurama asked doubtfully.
"Oh Shuuichi, I can call you that right? Your mother is a very busy woman, she can't look after you all your life, and you have to deal with it." She grinned nearly evilly, her voice sickly sweet.
Huffing and puffing in irritation, Kurama could not take that ninny's talk anymore. Gathering his strength and poise, he griped her neck, "Don't talk to me like that. You know nothing."
"You don't truly love your mother, after all she's done for you." Yanagi laughed bitterly. "You're pathetic, Shuuichi."
"W-what?" Kurama shouted in astonishment. "Who are you?"
"Hoseki Yanagi."
"What are you doing here?"
"Don't worry darling Shuuichi, your mother is coming to pick me up, so you can ask her yourself, if it doesn't trouble her too much." She patted his hand speciously and laughed.
He gritted his teeth throughout the remainder of the hour, ignoring Yanagi's comments. Something told him that this girl was trouble, something unusual stood out about her. Besides, he told himself, how could anyone understand my true feelings? I've always kept them inside my calm exterior.
"Shuuichi! Yanagi!" Shiori's voice broke the silence. "How was it? Are you feeling better?"
"Oh Ms. Minamino!" Yanagi jumped up, a broad smile plastered on her face. "We had a wonderful time!"
Kurama grunted, extremely irritated.
"Shuuichi, when you get let out for a day or two, you must go visit Yanagi, she is the sweetest girl. You seem so solitary here, always expressionless. I need to see you smile sometimes." Shiori put her arm affectionately around Yanagi and Kurama.
"Oh you must!" Yanagi blushed. "I'll wait outside for you, Ms. Minamino, so you can have some time with your son. See you Shuuichi." Behind Shiori's back, Yanagi winked and stuck out her tongue.
"I don't like her." Kurama spat out bluntly.
"Darling, I know you love someone that you once told me about, but don't you think it's time you let your heart decide and choose?" She set her hand tenderly on his chest. "It probably aches inside, doesn't it?"
Kurama nodded.
"We can mend it! Go out with some of your friends, someone your own age, have some fun!"
"I have no friends." He muttered resentfully.
"Surely you care about someone!" Shiori cried desperately.
"No." Kurama shook his head. "My heart has forgotten how to love."
So the days passed, and he didn't see Yanagi for quite a long time. His strength grew, as well as his energy and senses. Still, the thorns that embedded themselves deep in his heart had not healed. Nor would they ever heal, he thought. The number of thorns only multiplied as his loneliness and self-hatred intensified.
"Shuuichi, long time no see."
Kurama, standing up for the first time, stopped gazing out the window to see whom it was. "You again."
"Yes, it is I, Hoseki Yanagi." She smiled as usual, more kindly this time. Stepping closer to him, she didn't seem all that bad.
"What are you doing here?"
"Visiting you." She pulled him down onto a chair. "Don't be so defensive. I came of my own accord. I'm sorry our first meeting went so poorly."
"Hn." Kurama grumbled, surprising himself with how much like Hiei he sounded.
"Tell me what's wrong." She reached for his hand, but he snatched it away. "Please, I care about you. I've spoken to your mother many times since the day I saw you, and well, you're not usually like this."
"How would you know?"
"Please, tell me what's wrong." She touched his hand lightly and Kurama accepted it.
He took a deep breath. This was the first bit of human compassion ever given to him during his long hospital stay. Sure Shiori cared, but she was his mother. But this girl, Yanagi, she didn't know him, know the weakness that lurked underneath, yet she still cared. "My heart will never heal." He started.
She stared at him intently, waiting for more.
"I lost all I ever had." Pause* "And I doubt I'll ever get it back."
Er. I kind of want to know what you guys' opinions on Yanagi are so far. She's not supposed to be the good guy, just as a side note.
Have Fun!!! Next episode: Enough Love?