My Bloody Valentine
By: Skittlez and OtakuSailorV
Chapter Three
Renkotsu's eyes fluttered open and he looked at the clock, it wasn't even dawn.
Groaning, he pressed both his hands into his eyes to try and quell the slight burning that came with the cold air on his eyeballs.
Yuka was curled up sleeping soundly beside him as he tried to fall back asleep.
With a smirk, he suddenly remembered that she had followed him half-way across the country.
She rolled over a little curling into his side and snoring lightly.
His body stiffened as she curled into him, but he relaxed after a moment of getting used to it. Smirking again, he laughed slightly at his own foolish reaction.
He hoped she didn't wake up. He wished he could get back to sleep himself.
Sighing, he closed his eyes and tried to lull himself to sleep.
He eventually did fall back asleep.
He had no dreams, and had had none for quite sometime. Sleep was simply one blank, black moment after the next.
Suddenly someone was shaking him. "Hey, wake up!"
He grunted, making an angry noise of indignation. "What?" He grumbled, rolling over.
"Its like noon!" Yuka retorted.
He sighed, growling in his throat as he sat up. "What's so important that I have to get up for?"
"Its noon, as in, let's leave!"
"Leave for where?" He demanded, though he knew what she was talking about even before the words left his lips.
"Out of this city, I don't like it."
Renkotsu smirked, rubbing his head with his hand. "You never did like big cities like this, did you?" He noted more than asked.
She shook her head. "Nope."
He gave her a small smile. "Fine, fine. Let's go then." He grunted, getting up off the bed.
She stood up too, stretched. "I've been wearing the same clothes for almost a week, haven't had a proper shower or meal. I feel great."
He sniffed. "Hah, well, you didn't have to tell me. I can see that for myself."
She glared at him. "That was uncalled for."
He chuckled, hiding a larger laugh as she tried to box one of his ears. "Hey, hey, just a little joke." He snickered as her face turned red with indignation.
They checked out and got in Yuka's car. He decided he should drive.
Yuka watched as the world of neon lights passed before her and then disappeared behind them. Sighing, she pulled her head from the window and leaned back in her chair, closing her eyes slightly.
Renkotsu fiddled with the radio. "Bah, what CD's do you have?" He asked her.
Yuka pulled her CD case from amongst a pool of junk on the floor and flipped it into his lap. "All in there."
He flipped through it at the next stoplight and finally picked up Breaking Benjamin and put it in.
Yuka smiled at his selection. It was one of the newest editions to her collection and she had grown fond of the songs on it. It heartened her to see that he wanted to listen to it as well.
He drummed his fingers against the wheel and hummed along to the song. "So. . ."
Yuka let out a small sigh. "Yeah?" She asked, leaning back in her chair again.
"Why did you follow me out here?"
She blinked at the question, not wanting to answer but knowing he would pester her until she told him. She shrugged, looking out the window. "I dunno, suddenly felt like I had to is all. . ."
"Had to?"
She realized she had worded her statement wrong and quickly tried to correct her error. "Well, I wanted to. . ."
"Why though?"
Yuka shifted in her seat again, uneasy. "Just 'cause."
"Okay." He replied. He wasn't going to push it.
She softly let out a breath that she wasn't aware she had been holding. Grateful that he wasn't going to ask her anymore on the subject at the moment, she let herself relax again.
He pulled out his cell phone suddenly and dialed. "Damn answering machine." He grumbled. "Jakotsu, its me, I'm coming over and I'll be around in a few days. Ok? Well, bye. Don't call back."
Yuka giggled slightly at his tone and commands. She hoped briefly that the younger brother would call back, if only to rile him up. She couldn't help but laugh at the thought of him yelling into his phone about something so trivial.
He put his phone down and continued driving. "I wonder if they'll catch Naraku."
She shrugged. "Sooner or later, someone gets him."
"Who knows."
She giggled again. "I wonder if Inuyasha will ever fight him like he always says he will?"
"Inuyasha's all talk."
She giggled again. "Agreed. Though he could definitely follow through ith the threat if he could ever get his hands on Naraku."
"IF being the key-word. If anyone takes Naraku out. It'd be Kikyou and her friends. Which would be hilarious to watch."
Yuka laughed loudly as she tried to picture it. "Yeah, yeah. I'd pay to see him get beat by that bitch."
He smirked. "Kikyou could beat anyone in town to the dirt. She got into a fight with Inuyasha once. I remember that."
"Oh yeah, I was sick when that happened. Seen pictures though. Didn't she promise to put an arrow in him the next time?"
"Nah, she doesn't care either way. A bit tied up with life from what I hear."
"Mmm." Yuka nodded knowingly.
He stared at the road. "Yeah..."
Yuka's eyes turned back to the window in thought.
Renkotsu's phone rang, breaking the silence. He looked at the number and furrowed his brows. "Shit."
Yuka's head turned slowly, peering at the phone for a moment before she leaned over, trying to see who was calling. "Who is it?" She asked curiously.
He shook his head and answered it. "What?" He snapped into the phone.
Naraku's voice rang clearly in his ear. "Where are you?" He asked menacingly, his voice belying that he was angry.
"Just outta Vegas." He grunted back. They had left Vegas an hour ago, he was leading Naraku on.
"Well get the hell back here!" He growled into the phone.
"Why?" He asked coolly.
"Because they're bustin' me for what you did." He replied just as cooly, not about to lose his temper on the phone with Renkotsu.
"What I did? What did I do?"
"You know damn well what, Renkotsu." His red eyes narrowed on the other line. "You had better get back her and clear it up for me. I'm not gonna take this shit."
He laughed. "Hell no. You'll have to hunt me down and kill me before I ever go back to the hellhole." He grunted, hanging up.
Yuka had stiffened slightly when she had heard Naraku's threatening tone and briefly wondered if it was wise to let him know where they had come from, though she knew Renkotsu would never purposefully try to drag the guy out. They had never gotten along and Renkotsu hated wasting his time on the red eyed 'freak'. Smiling at his last comment, she wondered what Naraku was doing right now, knowing that Renkotsu had hung-up.
Renkotsu muttered to himself briefly before sighing. "Stupid bastard."
Yuka laughed a little, though she could think of nothing to say that would fit the moment.
His phone rang again and needless to say, he didn't answer it.
Yuka noted that Renkotsu's mailbox had a message in it now, and she smirked slightly, wondering what Naraku had said.
He checked the message and when it had finished playing he threw the phone into the backseat.
Yuka watched as the phone rang again, and wondered if Naraku was thinking up of some way that he could threaten Renkotsu into coming back. She scoffed inwardly, rolling her eyes. Naraku would never be able to find something that would affect Renkotsu enough to drag him back. They were already close to the only thing he might have given in for - his brother, and she still was skeptical as to how much he cared for his sibling.
He finally got annoyed with the constant ringing. "Yuka, answer my phone." He commanded bluntly.
"Yes, master." Yuka replied sarcastically and twisted around to grab the cell phone. Sighing, she pressed the 'talk' button and put it up to her ear. "Hello?" She drawled in an uninterested tone.
"Renkotsu. Now."
"What's the magic word?" She teased.
"Now wench." Naraku growled.
Yuka seethed, she hated it when people called her that. "No." She said firmly, just to spite him.
"Okay." Naraku replied, his tone sweetening. "Then I'll just tell you. He better get back to town within 3 days. Or he can consider himself dead."
"Okie doke!" Yuka said in a spunky tone, though she was sticking her tongue out at the phone in anger.
Renkotsu looked at her. "What did he say?"
Yuka pressed the button again and threw the phone back into the backseat again. "He says: 'Get back to town in three days or consider yourself dead.'" She quoted.
"Hah. Hell be good on his word too." Renkotsu muttered, laughing.
Yuka shrugged. She had never doubted that Naraku followed up with his threats better than Inuyasha did, but she had yet to see one that didn't go wrong in some way. The guy thought himself a mastermind, and he truly was clever, but still - he could not plan for everything.
"He doesn't know where I'm going. Who I'm going to see. Anything and he thinks he can hunt me down. Bullshit."
Yuka snickered slightly. "Eh, he has his ways, but still - I don't see how he can think he has any chance of doing anything." She shrugged again, not totally caring.
"Oh well. Either way I'd rather be dead than in prison."
Yuka squirmed in her seat. She didn't like either prospect at all. She hoped slightly that he was just joking around, but she could never be sure with him sometimes.
He yawned. "Almost there."
She looked up and out of the window, spying signs that signified that they were almost in the city. She sighed as she tried to visualize all the traffic she had heard about. She hated traffic jams, she always seemed to get car sick thanks to them. "Mmm..." She mumbled thoughtfully, rubbing her temples as she prepared for the onslaught.
The lights were bright. Dawn was coming, she was tired.
Yuka yawned, curling into a ball and closing her eyes tight against the sun that was sharp in her bleary vision.
Renkotsu was nearly asleep at the wheel, he leaned over and poked Yuka. "Wanna go get some food?"
Yuka mumbled something, curling into a tighter ball upon his intrustion on her sleeping form. "Mm-hm...."
He pulled into a small diner and walked out, he opened her door and poked her again. "Get out."
She gave a protesting groan, but soon stretched herself out, yawning again before stepping out. Sleepily, she rubbed at one eye with a balled-up fist, mumbling to herself. "Where are we?" She asked, though she vacantly had some idea.
"It's a diner."
"Oh...." Yuka tottered, but righted herself immediately, blinking at the ground.
They walked inside and sat at the bar. The black haired boy that walked over to take their order blinked slightly. He was tall, maybe 3 inches off Renkotsu, with black haired pinned in a loop and dark red lipstick. He could've easily been mistaken for a female. "Well I'll be damned." He muttered. "Good mornin' Renkotsu."
Renkotsu studied him for a brief moment before furrowing his brow. "Oh, God, Jakotsu." He replied, eyeing his brother. Yuka watched with interest, hoping that they didn't start fighting right in front of everybody, though there was barely anybody to speak of in the diner at this early.
"What do ya want?" He asked him bluntly, eyeing his elder brother.
"Whatever is good in the morning." Renkotsu replied just as bluntly.
"And for you?" He looked to Yuka.
Yuka shrugged. "Same. Thank you." She replied.
He nodded. "Renkotsu, I like your girlfriend." He informed his brother walking towards the back with the orders.
Yuka blinked, stunned at what she had been referred to as and even more so that Jakotsu liked her.
Renkotsu raised an eyebrow. "Whatever."
Yuka shrugged again, sighing as she laid her head down on her arms, slumped over the counter slightly.
After a few minutes Jakotsu returned with a plate of pancakes, with bacon, eggs and two cups of black coffee.
Yuka immediately sat up, thanking him as she took her food. Renkotsu didn't bother with thanks however, and simply took the food from his younger brother with little interest or meaning in his movements.
Jakotsu sat down in front of them. "My shift ends in 20 minutes. You can follow me from there to Bankotsu and mine's apartment."
Renkotsu simply nodded, and Yuka, having no idea what to say, smiled a little in embarrassment.
Jakotsu yawned. "I hope neither of you are afraid of snakes either."
Yuka shook her head. "Mm-mm." She confirmed. Renkotsu snorted, showing his distaste for such a comment.
"What? I hope you don't have anything against me and Bankotsu using the kitchen table for something dirty either."
Renkotsu narrowed his eyes. "Alright, I didn't need to hear that, Jakotsu."
"What? Haven't you ever done it on a table?"
Yuka blushed furiously. "That is no question to ask." Renkotsu growled out at him, narrowing his eyes dangerously.
"Oh...so you and your girlfriend haven't gotten that far. That's cute."
Yuka was still blushing, trying to act as if she didn't care. "Tch. You have no idea what you're talking about."
"You ran halfway across the country to tell me I don't know about what I'm best at." He snorted.
"Possibly, but hardly what I'd call motivation." Renkotsu replied, calming down.
"Then you'll explain full motive when we get home." Jakotsu snapped.
"Maybe I will." Renkotsu shrugged.
"You better." Jakotsu muttered.
Yuka sipped on her drink, the flush fading from her cheeks, as she watched the conversation with interest. Would Renkotsu really tell Jakotsu about. . . ? Pushing that thought from her mind, Yuka turned her eyes toward the rest of the small diner, investigating it thoroughly.
It was empty, the walls were white, it was quite quaint actually. They finally finished their breakfasts and Jakotsu stood up to leave, they followed.
Yuka stayed quiet, not comfortable talking at the moment, and all-together too tired and disoriented to want to talk.
"I usually walk back and forth so I guess we'll take your car?" Jakotsu spoke up.
"Sure." Renkotsu said carelessly. Yuka went to the backseat to allow Renkotsu and Jakotsu to have the front seats.
Renkotsu drove, following Jakotsu's directions. They got to the apartment building and climbed stairs up to the apartment.
Yuka looked it all over. It was nice, and the stairs were not at all grimy or nasty. She decided that Jakotsu had good tastes in his home and workplace. Following after the two older men silently, she observed the outside of the apartment room as Jakotsu put his key in the lock and turned it.
The apartment was relatively clean. "You can use the second bedroom if ya want." He told them, walking inside and locking the door back.
Yuka went to investigate and found that there was only one bed in the room. She blushed slightly, nervous, though she didn't mind really. She knew Renkotsu would leave her alone if she told him to, but despite that, she was flustered. "Uhm, there's only one bed." She said as Renkotsu came and stood beside her.
Jakotsu shrugged. "We didn't expect refugees."
Renkotsu shrugged. "Nah, it's good." He assured his brother.
Yuka blushed darker.
Jakotsu snickered when Renkotsu wasn't looking. "Thank you." Yuka said politely, in a small tone.
"So Renkotsu, talk to me. What's up? You sounded a tad...frantic on the phone with me."
Renkotsu looked sidelong at Yuka for a moment. "Yuka, you get situated, I'm gonna go talk with Jakotsu." He said before leading his brother into another room and closing the door.
Yuka found herself fast asleep in the extra room on the bed. But she woke up and left the room, she peeked into the room where Renkotsu and Jakotsu sat talking in serious, quiet voices.
Sitting by the door, she listened silently for a while, until she became a tad upset and went to investigate the rest of the apartment.
They finished when Jakotsu said 'I understand' and Renkotsu left the room, Yuka was sitting on the couch looking pensive.
They walked in and saw Yuka, sending her nods of greeting.
'What if Naraku finds Renkotsu? What'll happen to him? Will...I be all alone again?' She asked herself silently, she really wished her brain would just shut up about it.
Grumbling with herself inwardly, she fretted over it for a little while after that, still worried for Renkotsu. 'I don't want to be alone. . .'
A younger black haired boy came out of a room looking like he had just woken up. "Hey Jakotsu...wasgoinon?"
Jakotsu gestured toward Yuka and Renkotsu. "Bankotsu, this is my older brother Renkotsu and his girlfriend, Yuka." He introduced them. "They're going to be staying here awhile."
Renkotsu narrowed his eyes at the use of the word 'girlfriend' but Jakotsu wasn't done. "This, you two, is my boyfriend Bankotsu."
Yuka waved and smiled. "Hello." She greeted brightly. Renkotsu nodded his greeting.
Bankotsu muttered something under his breath before going into the kitchen.
Yuka shifted in her seat, hoping, unlike Renkotsu, that they weren't intruding on Jakotsu's home.
Jakotsu shrugged. "He's not a morning person. He'll be a little less grouchy by lunch."
Yuka smiled. "Neither am I."
"Yeah..." Jakotsu started. "What now then?"
Yuka shrugged and Renkotsu didn't seem to be paying attention.
Renkotsu's cell phone rang suddenly, and he hesitated to answer.
Yuka's eyes rose to the spot where the noise was coming from and looked at Renkotsu with worry and curiosity. 'Could it be Naraku. . . ?' She dared to think.
He let his voicemail get it, he listened to the message and his eyes narrowed dangerously. "Shit."
Yuka's heart was already hammering in her chest, and she hoped that she wasn't pale with worry by now. "What is it?" She asked cautiously, keeping her voice steady.
He closed his eyes. "He knows where I am. He's coming to get me." He told her, smirking.
Yuka found herself reflecting his look, but only mildly, for she was still worried. "I see."
"Don't worry, Yuka, he's just after me anyway." Renkotsu told her.
Yuka shook her head. "Oh, I wasn't worried." She assured him in a sarcastic tone. 'Liar.' Echoed in her mind.
He rolled his eyes at her and sat down. "Bah...this is bullshit."
Yuka sighed, rubbing the bases of her palms into her eyes. "How far away is he?" She asked in an exasperated tone.
"Didn't say."
"Care to quote his message then?"
"All he said was 'I know where you are and I'm coming to get you' ok?"
Yuka fell silent, Renkotsu sounded peeved and she knew if she said anymore he would work himself up into a frenzy. ". . ."
"I'm going to sleep, Bankotsu leaves for work at about 10:00 AM, so he should be leaving soon. Sleep or whatever if you wanna." Jakotsu told them, yawning.
Yuka nodded. "Thank you." She said again for about the fiftieth time as he walked out of the room. Bankotsu was nowhere to be seen, having gotten his breakfast and retired to some secret compartment.
Renkotsu went into the room they would be sharing and retired to the bed, falling asleep almost instantly.
Yuka curled up on the couch, worry filling her eyes as she thought non-stop of what would befall them. 'I don't wanna lose anyone else. . .what would I do. . . ?' She felt tears start to fill her eyes but blinked them back. Closing her eyes completely, Yuka hoped that she would be allowed a peaceful sleep, if nothing else.
A peaceful sleep, didn't come, about halfway through what she had hoped to be a nice nap she woke up screaming from the aftermath of a nightmare.
Renkotsu rushed into the room, awakened sharply from his own shallow slumber by her screams of terror. Not sure what else to do, he attempted to calm the frightened girl. Pulling Yuka toward him, he held her firmly, asking in a soft tone repeatedly what was the matter.
She just clung to him for a second before calming down. "Just a nightmare..." she mumbled to herself.
Renkotsu noticed that she was still trembling from her fright, and let her cling to him as she calmed. "What happened?" He questioned.
"It was just a nightmare." She muttered, like she didn't want to talk about it.
"I know it was." He said, his tone starting to sound harsher, but he checked himself. "I know it was, Yuka."
"Don't leave me okay?" She mumbled.
Renkotsu felt his hold on her increase involuntarily. "Why would you think I would ever leave you?" He asked, the closest thing to reassurance he could give.
"Naraku might..." she trailed off.
"That bastard is an idiot." Renkotsu said gruffly.
She smiled despite herself. "You never know."
Renkotsu smirked, looking at her accusingly. "Are you saying that Naraku has some brains in that mess of a head of his?"
"Apparently."
Renkotsu shook his head, still smirking. "Oh, dear, then I must be doomed." He said despairingly.
"Shut up it's not funny!" Yuka swatted him lightly. "Because if you die..."
Renkotsu caught her hand. "You'll kill me?" He suggested, still smirking.
"No...."
Renkotsu caught the sadness in her tone and eyes. "Yuka," He started, suddenly serious. "I'm not going to die, alright?"
She sighed. "Okay...okay...now...I'm tired."
"Well you can't get a good sleep on this couch." Renkotsu sighed. "You take the bed."
"You need more sleep than I do...I'll stay on the couch."
Renkotsu frowned. "It doesn't matter if i do or not, you take it." He insisted.
"But..." she persisted, words failing her.
"No 'but's'." Renkotsu said, and, seeing that she wouldn't go on her own, he picked her up and carried her to the bedroom.
"Hey! Put me down!" She protested.
"As you wish." He said, tossing her onto the bed and walking back out of the room.
She was about to yell, but she fell asleep almost instantly, clearly fatigued.
Renkotsu peeked in on her two minutes later and smirked to see her curled up, sleeping peacefully. Pulling back the covers, he tucked her under them before going to lie down on the couch.
She was sucking her thumb peacefully, after a while, finally able to get some fine sleep.
End Chapter