Disclaimer: Don't own YYH.

Thanks to Deadly-darkclaw for the review. I'm glad you like it so far! And faster then the speed of light I have the next chapter! Originally the first two chapters were going to be combined, but I decided not to. Thanks again!

Enjoy and please review!

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"Icy! Where ya be hidin'?" a voice called.

I sighed and snapped my book shut. I could never get a moment's peace with this guy around. "In my room, Jin."

The door to my quarters burst open in a gust of wind, and in flew the Wind Master. "Hiya, Icy! I be lookin fer ya everywhere!" he exclaimed, hovering inches from my face.

That name again. I hated being called by the name he had bestowed upon me. Icy. It sounded so...ridiculous.

"I told you not to call me that," I said, well...icily.

"Oh, so ya wan' me ta say 'Touya," he said in disappointment, now upside-down. "Bu' tha' sounds so formal, Icy!"

I grimaced. "Whatever, Jin. What do you want?"

In less then a millisecond his usual grin was plastered on his face. "I was jus' wonderin' if you'd be up ta goin' ta the 'uman worl' fer a while. Urmeshi invi'ed us fer a par'y or sumtin' like tha'."

"Urameshi?" I questioned. Why on earth would he invite us to Ningenkai?

"Yep, Urmeshi! Said i' was 'is birthday er sumthin' like tha'. Ya wanna go, Icy? Please?" He gave me a pleading look.

"Who else is going?" I questioned, opening my book once again. I had absolutely no interest in going to a ningen party.

"Well, Urmeshi said everyone'd be there, ya know! Three Eyes, an' Flower Boy..." Jin began ticking them off on his fingers, and his expression was one of sheer concentration. "...an' the big bloke wi' the funky hair, an' Urmeshi's girl, an' the ferry girl, o' course...an' oh yeah! The li'tle ice maid!"

My head unwillingly shot up. "The ice maiden...Yukina?"

"Yeah, tha's the one!" Jin said happily. "Can we go, Icy? I be beggin' ya!"

My mind started to race. Yukina would be there.

But wait...why did I care? Why was I being urged to say 'yes' by this unknown force inside me?

"When is it?" I replied nonchalantly.

"T'morrow," Jin said happily. "A' one o'clock."

I thought for a moment. Tomorrow...I had no previous engagements.

Well...there was that little problem of a sparring match with Tara, the Master of Electricity. She would understand, though...there was never a time where I had put off a spar with her, and she knew that I must have a good reason to back out.

"Fine," I decided. "Tomorrow at one o'clock." I'd talk to Tara later and explain.

"Whoopie!" Jin yelled, zooming around the room and creating chaos in my usually neat living space. Then he skidded to a halt right in front of my face. "O' yeah, there's one more thin' I be needin' ta ask ya," he said. "Wha' are we gonna be ge'tin' Urmeshi?"

Right...a birthday present.

I sighed and shook my head. Ridiculous ningen customs. Why give someone a gift when they turn a year older? It isn't really that big of a deal, especially in the Makai, where we live for hundreds of years.

Actually, most demons don't even keep track of their age. I sure don't. I have better things to do with my time than count how many years I have aged.

"I really don't know," I said, going back to my book. "You can be in charge of getting him something, okay, Jin?"

My friend grinned widely. "Thanks, Icy!" And he zoomed off to find a suitable gift.

After a few minutes, I realized that I was reading the same line over and over again. Great...now I couldn't concentrate.

Sighing, I placed the book on the small table next to my chair and proceeded to clean up the mess Jin had made.

Soon I found that I could do no better here then on my book. I kept putting things in the wrong places.

I sighed again and gave up, and in tossing myself on my bed I began to wonder. Why was I like this? Why couldn't I function?

Then it dawned on me.

It was because of her.

I couldn't get her out of my mind. She was beautiful, polite, charming, everything an ordinary man could ever dream of.

But I was no ordinary man. I was a Shinobi. I was forbidden to care that way for others.

Did I really care that way for her?

No, it wasn't possible. I barely even knew her. Besides, it was impossible for me to love, to care. I didn't even know what it felt like. For all I knew, this feeling could simply be a symptom of sickness or fatigue.

Yes, that's all. I was just tired.

I folded my arms across my chest and closed my eyes, willing myself to rest. It was late anyway. I'd talk to Tara in the morning and explain why our match would have to be canceled.