To all my readers: I'm dearly sorry that this update is long overdue. The fact of the matter is, I've had this long written out, but I lost track of the disk it was on. ; But obviously enough, I found it, so here is the next chapter. Again, my most adamant apologies. ;
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Remembrance- Chapter 7
Kei rose from her seat to get a better look of the new Kurama that stood in front of her, still not grasping the fact that they could be the same person. She walked around him slowly, giving him a slight berth as not to alienate him too much. She took note of all the fine details on him; his tone and fluid build, his height, and most notably his ears and tails. She also noticed his eyes, the two golden orbs that had invited to come closer to begin with. He had followed her trek with them ever since she'd gotten up and he smiled at her when she came around front again.
"Is this what you were expecting?" he said in his deeper, more sensual voice.
"I honestly didn't know what to expect. But…I can't say that I'm unpleasantly surprised by what I see."
"Neither can I." he replied, his smile widening. "I've been watching you from behind my human form, and I must say, you're an incredible woman."
"What?"
"You heard me. How you managed to be the way you are in spite of what you've been through is unlike most of what I've seen as long as I've been alive, and trust me, that's a pretty long time. I'm truly amazed by you."
"Well, I, um, I'm flattered, really." Kei said sheepishly. In the back of her mind, she thought about how this new Kurama spoke as if the one she knew was a completely different person. It sort of made her nervous, and yet, she found that she couldn't help but trust him as much as she did his other form.
"You really are a lovely creature. The Human World is lucky to have such a beauty in it."
Kei blushed deeply, trying to turn away from Yoko so he wouldn't see, but he wouldn't let her. He came down closer to her level and looked deeply into her eyes.
"I love you."
At those words, Kei felt her heart melt like it did the night she and Kurama first kissed. Kei felt herself getting light-headed for some unknown reason, her knees buckling. Yoko quickly caught and brought her close to him, preventing her from falling. He looked down at her worriedly, afraid of her becoming unconscious at any given moment.
"I…I don't know what…"
Yoko silenced her with a finger, shifting her so that he was able to hold her easier.
"Hush now. Everything will be just fine. Leave it to me."
Kei felt herself begin to drift in and out of consciousness, though why was still unknown. All she knew was that she felt herself being carried somewhere away from the living room.
"What is this…?" Kei thought to herself. "Why do I feel this way? Could it be from his words? Is this another power of his?"
Kei turned her head slightly to look at Yoko's slightly worried face. He seemed determined to make sure she'd be okay.
"No… He wouldn't do something like this…" she thought as she finally succumbed to the full effect of the faint.
Kei groggily began to rise to find herself lying on something soft that smelled deeply of roses and other flowers. It felt sort of like a bed. It was a bed. Kurama's bed. And Yoko stood over her, looking down on her like a silent angel.
"Kurama, what are you…?"
"You passed out. I was worried about you, so I brought you here. You've been out for at least a half-hour."
"Have I? I'm sorry if I worried you…"
"You did. But I'm glad that you're okay."
Yoko took Kei's hand and kissed it lightly, nuzzling his cheek against it and taking in its soft warmth. He then began looking at Kei, who was still slightly under the effects of the faint, and began thinking about things that he could do so easily to her right then and there. But he knew he wouldn't. He loved Kei too much to do anything like he did back when he was still wild and vulnerable to his animalistic urges. She meant too much to him.
"Kurama, what are you thinking about right now?" Kei asked him puzzlingly. The intense gaze he'd been giving her was causing her to worry a bit herself.
"Honestly? Things I shouldn't."
Kei blushed slightly and pulled her hand away, not once taking her eyes off of him.
"I know you could probably overpower me easily if you wanted to. Couldn't you?"
"…Yes."
"Will you?"
"Never."
"Look me in the eye."
Yoko did as he was bidden, looking Kei straight in the eye. Kei almost lost herself again in his golden orbs, but managed to keep her wits about her.
"I would never hurt you as long as I live, Kei. You mean the world to me."
Kei was satisfied with his response, proven with a quick kiss on the lips. Yoko returned the favor with a longer, much more sensual kiss, dipping only slightly into his reservoir of techniques to send Kei reeling in her mind. It took a lot for her not to pass out again.
"You've got to warn me when you're about to do that." Kei said regaining her senses a bit. "That kiss of yours is dangerous."
Yoko chuckled, smiling slightly.
"Deal. You just watch where you aim those beautiful eyes of yours. They're enough to render someone defenseless themselves."
Kei blushed at Yoko's comment, resisting every urge to giggle like a little schoolgirl. Yoko pulled himself closer to Kei, wrapping his arms around her gently. He kissed her cheek, and rested his head on her shoulder, taking in the smell of her hair. Kei leaned back into his embrace, taking in his smell of roses and other plants. They both relaxed and sighed, totally in tune with one another and happy. It was then Yoko knew that this was something he wanted to enjoy for more than just a week.
"Kei…"
"Mmm?"
"Marry me."
"What?"
"I want you to marry me. I want you to be with me forever."
Kei turned around at this, not at all knowing what to say or do. It wasn't every day she was proposed to by a centuries-old demon, especially one that so happened to be her human boyfriend transformed. As Kei continued to look up at him, Yoko knew he'd still have to do some talking.
"I can tell by the look on your face that you think this is sudden. But I just want to be with you and give you what you deserve. Think. If we were together, you'd never have to come back here. And we could bring you sister along with us, so you would have to worry about her safety. But mainly, we'd be together and no one would be able to take us apart."
Kei's look had become slightly serious as Yoko had continued talking, some contrast to what he was used to seeing. Kei took notice of his sudden anxiety and her expression gentled.
"Kurama… Don't get me wrong. I love you just as much as you love me. You have no idea what you've helped me get through. It's just…"
"What?"
"This form…This isn't the Kurama I know. I mean, sure you're supposed to be the same person and everything, but it's just different. I don't know how to better explain it, really…"
Yoko closed his eyes and sighed, knowing exactly what she meant. He should have known hat he'd get this sort of reaction from her. She had spent all this time and energy learning to love his human form. Apparently, to her, saying yes to him would be a sort of betrayal, though they were the same person. In a way, he could understand where she was coming from, but in another, he knew that he would never completely understand humans.
"It's all right. I know. I apologize."
"Don't. You don't have to… Just do me one favor…"
"What?"
"Change back and try again."
"…As you wish."
Yoko stood, his back once again facing Kei and he began emitting the same white light as before. A short span of time later, the Kurama Kei knew stood in front of her, still facing away from her. Kurama didn't know how to go about the whole thing, still being in his demon form's mindset. He was so lost in thought about it, he barely even noticed when Kei came up behind him.
"Kurama…"
"I don't know how…"
"How what?"
"To go about this. I mean, you've seen first-hand who and what I really am. Can you accept that? Can you live with knowing that you're going to spend the rest of your life with a demon just below the surface of someone you love?"
"If I couldn't, I would have been gone a long time ago, Kurama. Give me more credit than that."
Kurama turned and looked incredulously at Kei, both shocked and amused by her words. It was amazing to him that he could find someone that would so readily accept him for what he was. He didn't even know how his mother would react when he told her, and she had raised him. Yet, here was this girl, this normal human girl with an iron will, willing to look past everything that would make any other human quiver in fear and see to the heart of him. It seemed too good to be true. But Kurama knew that it was true. And, in his mind, he thanked whatever force brought them together.
He took her hand gently, and looked her in the eye, not once letting anything draw his gaze away from her beautiful face, set aglow by the soft moonlight filtering through the window.
"Kei, will you marry me?"
"Yes."
A heavy weight seemed to lift off both their shoulders at that moment and they kissed one another deeply, both silently ecstatic at the fact that soon nothing would tear them apart. After parting, Kurama chuckled slightly, causing Kei to tilt her head to the side.
"Don't tell me this was all some prank."
"No, no. I'm laughing because this seems so movie-like. This whole set up and everything."
"I guess you're right." Kei said beginning to laugh herself.
"One thing I regret is not having a ring to give you."
"Who needs a ring? I have what's really important right here," she said smiling at him gently and hugging him tightly.
"…Indeed."
"But one thing that's getting at me…"
"What is it?"
"I haven't even met your mother yet. And let's not forget about the rest of your family."
"Oh, don't worry about that. That can be taken care of next week. I've been telling her some things about you. I'm sure she'll love you."
"Yeah, you've said that before."
"Well, I'm just sure of it."
"We'll see."
Kei them yawned as politely as she could, hoping her new fiancé wouldn't take it the wrong way. Kurama glanced behind him at a digital readout clock and saw that it was close to one in the morning.
"I guess we should both be pretty tired by now."
"Yeah, I guess. We should turn in for the night."
"Indeed."
Kurama quickly swept Kei off her feet, much to her surprise.
"What are you…?!"
"Just practicing." Kurama said laughing. He quickly set her back down on the bed and climbed in beside her. "You feel comfortable with this?"
"Of course."
"Well, then. Good night, my love."
"Good night."
With that, they both settled completely into the bed and one another, almost instantly asleep and dreaming of how their lives would be so very soon…
