I'm sorry to everyone who has been anxiously awaiting the next chapter of this story. I've been very busy as of late, and I haven't had the time to upload it. I'm finally putting it up, as well as a second chapter to quell any animosity that arose over my busyness. Forgive me. ;


Remembrance- Chapter 5

Kurama and Kei's sister walked down a residential street near downtown. The neighborhood looked very nice with its well-kept lawns and gardens and shiny, new cars sitting in the driveways. Nearly at the other end where they turned in, they stopped at a white, medium-sized house with blue trim. The driveway sat empty, but several oil blotches told that there was a car in bad need of a tune-up that usually sat there.

They both of them entered the house as quietly as they could, closing the door as softly after had gotten inside. They removed their shoes and Kei's sister went over to the stairs.

"Sis? It's me! You up?"

"Aymee? Yeah, I'm up. H-Hang on. I'll be down in a sec, okay?"

"Okay…" she said glancing over at Kurama, who was trying to get a layout of the home. "Um…we have a guest."

"Well, ask them if they want anything. I'm still trying to change this…water in the…flower vase."

Aymee glanced over at Kurama, who looked back and shook his head. He then motioned that she should go upstairs and help her. Aymee decided to take his advice.

Kurama sat down on the couch in the living room and looked around. Surprisingly, it looked immaculate. Everything was in its proper place and the home itself looked very lovely. It would look perfect to any regular person that may come in. But Kurama wasn't a regular person.

Almost immediately when he sat down, he could smell the very faint scent of alcohol come from the couch. To anyone else, they probably wouldn't notice anything, but for Kurama's heightened sense of smell, it was noticeable enough. He also noticed three small scratch marks on the coffee table, which had been covered up with nail polish almost exactly the same shade. Kurama narrowed his eyes as he thought of how it was done, but he gave Kei credit for being able to cover it up so well. There were also more little things he noticed, but he didn't have time to think about hem in any great detail, as he heard Kei's voice from upstairs.

"You did what?! Why?"

"He asked me to, Kei! What was I supposed to do?"

"Say 'no!'"

"I couldn't! You didn't see the look on his face! He really wanted to see you. He really loves you, Kei!"

Silence. A few moments later, Kurama heard the sound of two pairs of footsteps coming down the stairs, and he rose to meet them. Kurama was struck to see Kei when she came into view.

She had bruises all over her arms and Kurama had no doubt that she had many more under her clothes. There were bandages over many parts of her shoulder, which he was able to see thanks to her sleeveless shirt, probably from cuts from broken glass. She had three cuts on her face and Kurama managed to make out a small crack on the top of the right lens of her glasses. Somehow, though, she still managed to look halfway happy to see Kurama, even in this state.

"Kurama…"

"Kei, I'm sorry I asked your sister to bring me here, but after what she told me, I just couldn't sit by and do nothing"

Kei cast a serious glance at her sister, causing her to sink down a bit beside her.

"Don't take it out on her. I was the one who asked and she didn't want to lie. I was just worried about you, that's all."

Kei looked at Kurama, back down at her sister, and sighed.

"I'm sorry, Aymee. Don't worry about it. Let's just go into the living room."

Aymee, Kei and Kurama all walked together into the living room, Aymee and Kurama helping Kei get along, since she sprained her ankle slightly the previous night.

Once they set her down on the couch and Kurama took a seat close to her, Aymee went back to the front door and started to leave.

"I'm going back to the bookstore. That way, you two can have some privacy."

Aymee left before Kei could protest, leaving them both completely alone in the house. They both sat in silence for what seemed like an age, until finally, Kurama broke the silence with the most obvious question.

"Was this the secret you were keeping from me? That your father abuses you?"

"…Yes."

"You should have told me outright."

"I didn't want to burden you with something like this. Plus, I didn't want to drive you away with the thought that I have an abusive father."

"How would that drive me away? If anything, I'd be there for you more."

"That's just it. If you were to come here while he was here…God, I can only guess what would happen."

"I can hold my own."

"I don't doubt it. You don't look it, but from what I felt yesterday, you seem athletic. But that's not the point. The point is I don't want to see you hurt. And if you were to both be here at the same time, that's exactly what you'd end up, in one way or another. I could never forgive myself if that happened to you because of me."

Kurama took Kei's hand lightly into his own as to not aggravate anything, but she still winced slightly. Kurama felt bad for having done it, but he had to in order to get his point across the way he wanted.

"Listen to me, Kei. I will always be here for you, no matter what may happen. I love you more than I've loved just about anyone else in my life, and I would do anything to see you happy."

Kei pulled her hand away suddenly making herself wince and Kurama draw back slightly.

"How can you say that, Kurama? You've only known me for two days. How can you truly say that you love me and mean it?"

"I don't know. I honestly don't. But I know in my heart and mind that I love you, Kei. You're all I can think about, when we're together and when we're apart. I'd give anything to make you truly happy, anything at all. You have to believe me, Kei."

Kei sighed and looked at Kurama hard.

"Look at me. Look me straight in the eye and tell me that. That's the only way I can tell someone's not lying."

Kurama moved closer and fixed his eyes on hers.

"I love you, Kei."

As he continued looking deeply into her eyes, for the second time, he saw them well up with tears. Kei then started to sob and Kurama took her against his chest.

"It's all right, Kei. As long as I'm around, he won't hurt you anymore."

Kei sobbed harder in response and put her arms around Kurama, holding on as tightly as she could without causing herself too much pain. They sat that way for the rest of the day, until Aymee came back with that night's dinner. Kei said Kurama could stay if he wanted, so he did.

They seemed like a little family that night, sitting around the living room watching TV and eating pizza. Kurama was just happy that Kei was happy. But in the back of his mind, he knew that her father would be back eventually, and then where would they be? Plus, there was still his own little secret. How would Kei react to it? Kurama didn't have time to think on that part much as Aymee caught him full on with a pillow.

"Hey, I'm talking to you!"

"Huh?" Kurama said dazed as he pulled the large pillow off his head.

"I said it's getting late. Don't you have to go home?"

"Oh!" Kurama said looking at his watch. "I guess you're right. I'm sorry if I kept you two up later than normal."

"Are you kidding? We stay up until 3 am sometimes!"

"On weekends." Kei corrected. "Otherwise, we try to keep it to 12:30. We're pretty well under that, though. It's only ten."

"Still, I'll have to be going, or my mother will be worried."

"Understandable. Here." she said using the couch as leverage to get up. "I'll, uh, limp you to the door."

Kurama couldn't help but laugh at Kei's comment, which made her smile.

"Didn't I tell you that you'd be smiling a lot when you're around me?" Kei said she leaned on him slightly, leading him toward the front door.

"You did," he replied chuckling. "Listen to me, Kei," he said as they reached the door. He reached into his pocket, pulled out a slip of paper and a small pencil, and began writing something. "This is my phone number. I want you to call me everyday, all right? I want to know if anything goes sour here. Promise me."

"I promise."

"Give it Aymee too, just in case you can't make it to the phone."

"I will."

"God, Kei. I don't know what else to say. It just doesn't seem like—"

Kei put a single finger up to Kurama's lips, silencing him. She took it away and kissed him lightly, smiling afterwards.

"I know everything you want to tell me. I have a feeling about it. I'll be safe, and I'll call you if anything comes up. I'll call you even if nothing's wrong, okay? Just be careful yourself. Don't worry yourself into a rut just because of me. I should be back up to speed in a few days, so I'll call you to let you know if I'm up for meeting at the bookstore then. Until then, just…hang out."

"I will. Good night, Kei."

"Good night, Kurama."

They kissed again and Kurama left out the door, Kei looking after him as long as she could before shutting the door. Kurama looked back behind him at the house, thought a moment, and continued on his way.

"She'll take it well. I'm sure of it now. I just have to find the right time."