"Obligation and Duty"
Chapter 10
*****
"Yes! No more fever!" Rei exclaimed when she woke up a few days later. She had dressed in ultra-short-shorts and a tank-top since it was warm outside and was now sliding down her hallway in her socks.
"Do you have a secret stash of sugar or something that you eat?" Hiei asked when she came into the kitchen. He looked up and noticed her shorts and couldn't keep his eyes off them.
Her smile just got all the wider as she answered, "Maybe, but I'm mostly just happy that I'm not sick on such a nice day!"
She walked over to the counter and grabbed an orange, and Hiei's eyes followed her the whole way. She gave him a 'go-die' look just as Kurama entered the room. He stopped short when he saw what Rei was wearing and asked, "Good gracious! Are those actually shorts?"
Rei's mouth was full of orange so she just nodded.
"I can see where they got 'short' from..." Kurama muttered. "Oh yes, I just came back from my mothers' and she says 'Hello' to you, Rei."
Rei swallowed and said, "Cool. How's she doing?"
"Quite well actually. She has a nurse that takes care of her every day, so I don't have to worry about it."
"That's good. I have work today, so you guys are going to have to entertain yourselves," Rei said as she bent down to get a full look at what was in the refridgerator.
"Oh good Kami..." she heard Kurama whisper. "Rei, I think those shorts are a bit too short, especially since you're living with two guys."
She straightened up and gave him a pouty look, "But I like them..."
"Yeah, we do too. That's just the problem," Hiei spoke up for the first time since Kurama came in.
"Well then, don't look," Rei shrugged. Kurama shook his head and walked over beside her.
"How am I not supposed to look when I can practically see your ass?" he asked as he tugged down on the shorts, trying in vain to cover Rei. She giggled as she tried to push him away, "C'mon, leave me alone."
Kurama wouldn't listen and kneeled down to keep tugging. Hiei stood up and walked out of the room, obviously not in a good mood.
"What's wrong with him?" Rei asked, as she tried to keep her shorts from being pulled down TOO much.
Kurama barely looked back, "I think he's jealous," he said with a tug.
.oO{Jealous? Of what?} Rei thought as she patted Kurama on the head. He looked up and smiled, "Huh?"
"You're my little puppy. I'll go change before I go to work, okay?" she asked with a smile. This seemed to satisfy Kurama, so he left her alone. Rei checked her watch, "10:30, I can get ready and get there in time for lunch."
She spent the next half-hour trying to find her uniform, since she hadn't been to work for more than a week. She finally found it and as she promised, she changed her shorts.
"I'm leaving now," Rei called as she started to walk out the door. Kurama was outside cleaning up the yard and he stopped to look her over.
"Hmm... I think I like this outfit better," Kurama nodded. Rei had kept her tank-top on, but instead of the shorts she had pulled on a pair of hip-hugger jeans.
"They're a bit too hot though, don't you think?" Rei asked. Kurama just shook his head. "Alright, I'm really going now," Rei waved. It took her about ten minutes to get to the 'Dancing Akabeko'. Rei quickly dressed in her uniform and started waiting on the customers. She worked until 5 o'clock, and was quite surprised when Kurama came to pick her up.
"What's wrong?" Rei asked as she pulled her long hair into a pony-tail. She was dressed back in her hip-huggers and tank-top and the windy day was blowing her hair into a mess.
"Nothing is wrong, I was just bored," Kurama answered as they turned into the park. They passed by the playground and Rei stopped him.
"It's been a while since I've stopped and actually sat on a swing," Rei pouted as she pulled on Kurama's arm, leading him to the nearest swingset. He shook his head and laughed, "It's a good thing there's no kids here. They'd all be laughing at us!"
Rei wiped off her swing and sat down. "Who cares? Even if I'm fourteen and you're fifteen, it's still alright if I swing, right?"
Kurama shrugged, "I guess. But it's kinda odd. You don't see many kids our age in a playground."
"Yeah, I guess so. But I don't care. It's nice here," Rei sighed as she swung back and forth. Kurama started swinging, too, and in five minutes they were both high in the air. Around 7 o'clock, Kurama and Rei were still in the playground, talking and swinging, when Rei stopped short.
"Hiei is around here," she whispered.
Kurama started looking around, "I thought I heard something."
"I didn't hear it, I felt his presence... over there," Rei pointed.
"Very well done. I didn't think you two fools would be able to find me," Hiei's deep voice said in the darkness. Rei heard a swish of air and looked up to see Hiei standing on the top pole that held the swing up.
"Hmm... aren't you afraid someone will see up that skirt you wear?" Rei asked.
Kurama started laughing as soon as she said that and Hiei glared, "I AM wearing pants. And it is NOT a skirt."
Rei shrugged, "Looks like a skirt to me, or maybe more like a dress. Yeah, I think it's a dress."
Hiei clenched his teeth and Kurama was trying to bring his laughter under control.
"I should kill you right now," Hiei growled.
"You do that and Yusuke would kill YOU," Rei pointed out.
"Well, what about me?" Kurama asked.
"You can kill him, too," Rei agreed.
"I'm not afraid of Yusuke," Hiei scoffed.
Rei scratched her ear, "Well, last time I checked, he was the one that knocked you out and got me into that mess. I also remember kicking you..."
Hiei's eyes rounded for a second as Kurama gasped, "You've actually kicked him?"
Rei nodded, "Yup. Ain't that right?" she asked, looking up at Hiei. He just looked away and barely nodded.
"Hn. I'm leaving now," Hiei said right before he jumped into the darkness. Rei looked to Kurama and said, "I think we should get home, too. I'm kinda hungry."
Kurama shook his head as he said, "Somehow I don't believe that."
Rei winked at him, "I can't help it if I wanna see who'll get there first!"
***
"Hmmm.... odd," Rei said as she walked into her house. All the lights were still off so she and Kurama must have arrived before Hiei.
"Rei, I'm going to take a shower now. Do you want me to make supper?" Kurama asked from the next room.
"No. I'll make it," Rei answered as she walked back outside..oO{Not right now, though,} she thought as she looked at all the trees around her house. She stared up at the stars for a while until her neck started get stiff. Her eyes were drawn to the top of her house, and she saw that Hiei was sitting up there, watching her intently.
Rei gave him a little wave and a smile, and he quickly looked away; embarrassed at being seen. She walked to the other side of the house and climbed a trellis to the roof and plopped down beside Hiei.
"Perfect spot for star-gazing, eh?" she asked. He nodded and grunted a 'Hn'; his usual answer for anything.
Rei looked at him for a few seconds longer, then turned her attention back to the stars. She unconsciously sighed and put her hands behind her head as she leaned back. Rei and Hiei sat in silence for about a half-hour before Rei remembered she had to make supper.
"Darn. Too bad I can't sit there forever and watch the stars," she grumbled as she pulled some fish from the freezer. By the time she had thawed it, Kurama was out of the shower and still looking quite wet. He was only wearing pajama pants and Rei asked, "Didn't you dry off?"
"Yeah, but my hair is still wet."
"Why don't you dry it then?"
"Because I like it wet," Kurama answered, stopping her nit-picking.
"Whatever. Supper will be done in about a half-hour," Rei said, popping the fish in the oven.
Kurama nodded and leaned against the counter. "I have a question," he started.
"Shoot," Rei answered as she kept working on supper.
"Why did you willingly let me and Yusuke use you, but not Hiei at first?"
Rei was totally not expecting this question.
"Well," she blushed, "I wasn't even going to let Yusuke do anything for a long while, but Hiei got to me first. And the reason that I let you guys mess with me was because the grim truth that this is what the rest of my life is going to be like kinda sunk in."
Kurama looked down and sighed, "I didn't even think of that. If you don't want me to do anything, I wont, you know that."
Rei shook her head as she checked the fish. "That's alright. I'll have everyone else to do still, so might as well keep you, too."
Kurama barely made a sound, but Rei knew that he was relieved.
"Okay, I have a few questions for you," Rei said suddenly, leaning against the other counter.
"Shoot," Kurama smiled as he used her answer.
"One, do you think I've been acting more like a wench? And two, is it really THAT hard for guys to keep their 'desire' under control?"
Kurama blushed at her second question and decided to answer the first.
"Eh... maybe a little like a wench. But from what you told me, I wouldn't blame you. I mean, all us guys are expecting you to have sex with us, so why should you still act like a little virgin girl?"
Rei nodded and blushed a little, "Yeah, I guess you're right. Now answer the other question."
Kurama sighed in defeat, "I was hoping you wouldn't make me."
"But can't I learn a little more about that so I know how to fulfil your desire?" Rei countered.
Kurama rolled his eyes and answered, "Yes, it's REALLY hard to stop us sometimes. We're just made that way."
"Us? You mean you and your..." Rei started but was cut short when Kurama said, "Don't start twisting my words like that. You know I meant the whole male race!"
Rei broke out laughing and Kurama couldn't help but laugh, too.
"I knew you'd say something like that," Kurama blushed.
Rei wiped her eyes, "You didn't expect me not to, did you? Especially with my sick sense of humor."
Kurama laughed again, "No. But I wasn't sure exactly how you would say it."
Rei giggled as she turned to check the fish again and saw Hiei standing in the doorway. They locked gazes for a second and Rei was the one to turn away. She pulled the nicely baked fish from the oven and turned to Kurama.
"We have salad for a side. Dish yourself up, I have to go to the bathroom."
"Thanks for telling me that, I really wanted to know," Kurama teased as he walked towards the stove. Rei rolled her eyes and stuck out her tongue as she walked away.
.oO{If I had to marry one of the guys, who would it be? Wait, why am I bothering in asking myself that?} she questioned as she flushed the toilet. The water didn't fill up totally and Rei remembered that the Master Bath had it's own water tank so she tried to wash her hands.
"Dammit, my tank is out," she growled. She walked to the main bathroom by the guys' rooms to wash her hands and, thankfully, the water worked. "Well, I'll have to check out the tank tomorrow," Rei told herself.
She walked back into the kitchen and Kurama raised his eyebrow, "What's wrong?"
"Oh, it's nothing major. Just the tank that gives water to my master bathroom doesn't work," Rei sighed as she dished up her plate. She walked over and sat down next to Kurama.
"Has Hiei eaten yet?" Rei asked.
"No. He's still in his room," Kurama answered as he stood up and washed his plate off at the sink. Rei nodded and thought..oO{Hmm... odd.}
"Wait a second, how come you have your own tank of water?" Kurama asked suddenly. Rei shrugged, "I've stopped asking questions about this house. But I think it's because my room was the main room and the tank had the special water..."
Kurama nodded and walked into the living room. Rei finally started eating just as Hiei walked in. He got a piece of fish and walked back to his room. Rei raised her eyebrow to no one and finished up her plate. She washed it off and walked into the living room to talk to Kurama.
"Fox-boy, I have a question," she started as she hopped onto the couch beside him.
"Not like the last, I hope..." he sighed. Rei laughed and comforted his fears.
"No, not like the last. If you had to chose an animal that most described me, what would it be?"
Kurama looked her over for a second then answered, "You'd be a cat."
Rei's eyebrows raised, "A cat? Seriously? I thought I'd be a bat or something..."
"No, Hiei would be a bat if anyone. You're most like a cat," Kurama nodded.
Rei thought for a moment and asked, "Why is that?"
"Why is what? Why is it that you're like a cat?" Kurama asked and Rei nodded. "Well, it's because you're quick, sly, playful, violent all in one."
"Darn, then that means I have to be a little more careful with my curiousity, or I'll end up dying!"
Rei and Kurama finally stopped talking around 10:30 and Rei decided it was time for a shower. She quickly walked to her room and grabbed some pajamas before anyone got into the guy's bathroom. Rei started undressing as she turned on the showerhead. She let her long hair down before she stepped into the shower. She started washing her hair first then moved on to her body.
Little did she know that a Jagan was watching.
Chapter 10
*****
"Yes! No more fever!" Rei exclaimed when she woke up a few days later. She had dressed in ultra-short-shorts and a tank-top since it was warm outside and was now sliding down her hallway in her socks.
"Do you have a secret stash of sugar or something that you eat?" Hiei asked when she came into the kitchen. He looked up and noticed her shorts and couldn't keep his eyes off them.
Her smile just got all the wider as she answered, "Maybe, but I'm mostly just happy that I'm not sick on such a nice day!"
She walked over to the counter and grabbed an orange, and Hiei's eyes followed her the whole way. She gave him a 'go-die' look just as Kurama entered the room. He stopped short when he saw what Rei was wearing and asked, "Good gracious! Are those actually shorts?"
Rei's mouth was full of orange so she just nodded.
"I can see where they got 'short' from..." Kurama muttered. "Oh yes, I just came back from my mothers' and she says 'Hello' to you, Rei."
Rei swallowed and said, "Cool. How's she doing?"
"Quite well actually. She has a nurse that takes care of her every day, so I don't have to worry about it."
"That's good. I have work today, so you guys are going to have to entertain yourselves," Rei said as she bent down to get a full look at what was in the refridgerator.
"Oh good Kami..." she heard Kurama whisper. "Rei, I think those shorts are a bit too short, especially since you're living with two guys."
She straightened up and gave him a pouty look, "But I like them..."
"Yeah, we do too. That's just the problem," Hiei spoke up for the first time since Kurama came in.
"Well then, don't look," Rei shrugged. Kurama shook his head and walked over beside her.
"How am I not supposed to look when I can practically see your ass?" he asked as he tugged down on the shorts, trying in vain to cover Rei. She giggled as she tried to push him away, "C'mon, leave me alone."
Kurama wouldn't listen and kneeled down to keep tugging. Hiei stood up and walked out of the room, obviously not in a good mood.
"What's wrong with him?" Rei asked, as she tried to keep her shorts from being pulled down TOO much.
Kurama barely looked back, "I think he's jealous," he said with a tug.
.oO{Jealous? Of what?} Rei thought as she patted Kurama on the head. He looked up and smiled, "Huh?"
"You're my little puppy. I'll go change before I go to work, okay?" she asked with a smile. This seemed to satisfy Kurama, so he left her alone. Rei checked her watch, "10:30, I can get ready and get there in time for lunch."
She spent the next half-hour trying to find her uniform, since she hadn't been to work for more than a week. She finally found it and as she promised, she changed her shorts.
"I'm leaving now," Rei called as she started to walk out the door. Kurama was outside cleaning up the yard and he stopped to look her over.
"Hmm... I think I like this outfit better," Kurama nodded. Rei had kept her tank-top on, but instead of the shorts she had pulled on a pair of hip-hugger jeans.
"They're a bit too hot though, don't you think?" Rei asked. Kurama just shook his head. "Alright, I'm really going now," Rei waved. It took her about ten minutes to get to the 'Dancing Akabeko'. Rei quickly dressed in her uniform and started waiting on the customers. She worked until 5 o'clock, and was quite surprised when Kurama came to pick her up.
"What's wrong?" Rei asked as she pulled her long hair into a pony-tail. She was dressed back in her hip-huggers and tank-top and the windy day was blowing her hair into a mess.
"Nothing is wrong, I was just bored," Kurama answered as they turned into the park. They passed by the playground and Rei stopped him.
"It's been a while since I've stopped and actually sat on a swing," Rei pouted as she pulled on Kurama's arm, leading him to the nearest swingset. He shook his head and laughed, "It's a good thing there's no kids here. They'd all be laughing at us!"
Rei wiped off her swing and sat down. "Who cares? Even if I'm fourteen and you're fifteen, it's still alright if I swing, right?"
Kurama shrugged, "I guess. But it's kinda odd. You don't see many kids our age in a playground."
"Yeah, I guess so. But I don't care. It's nice here," Rei sighed as she swung back and forth. Kurama started swinging, too, and in five minutes they were both high in the air. Around 7 o'clock, Kurama and Rei were still in the playground, talking and swinging, when Rei stopped short.
"Hiei is around here," she whispered.
Kurama started looking around, "I thought I heard something."
"I didn't hear it, I felt his presence... over there," Rei pointed.
"Very well done. I didn't think you two fools would be able to find me," Hiei's deep voice said in the darkness. Rei heard a swish of air and looked up to see Hiei standing on the top pole that held the swing up.
"Hmm... aren't you afraid someone will see up that skirt you wear?" Rei asked.
Kurama started laughing as soon as she said that and Hiei glared, "I AM wearing pants. And it is NOT a skirt."
Rei shrugged, "Looks like a skirt to me, or maybe more like a dress. Yeah, I think it's a dress."
Hiei clenched his teeth and Kurama was trying to bring his laughter under control.
"I should kill you right now," Hiei growled.
"You do that and Yusuke would kill YOU," Rei pointed out.
"Well, what about me?" Kurama asked.
"You can kill him, too," Rei agreed.
"I'm not afraid of Yusuke," Hiei scoffed.
Rei scratched her ear, "Well, last time I checked, he was the one that knocked you out and got me into that mess. I also remember kicking you..."
Hiei's eyes rounded for a second as Kurama gasped, "You've actually kicked him?"
Rei nodded, "Yup. Ain't that right?" she asked, looking up at Hiei. He just looked away and barely nodded.
"Hn. I'm leaving now," Hiei said right before he jumped into the darkness. Rei looked to Kurama and said, "I think we should get home, too. I'm kinda hungry."
Kurama shook his head as he said, "Somehow I don't believe that."
Rei winked at him, "I can't help it if I wanna see who'll get there first!"
***
"Hmmm.... odd," Rei said as she walked into her house. All the lights were still off so she and Kurama must have arrived before Hiei.
"Rei, I'm going to take a shower now. Do you want me to make supper?" Kurama asked from the next room.
"No. I'll make it," Rei answered as she walked back outside..oO{Not right now, though,} she thought as she looked at all the trees around her house. She stared up at the stars for a while until her neck started get stiff. Her eyes were drawn to the top of her house, and she saw that Hiei was sitting up there, watching her intently.
Rei gave him a little wave and a smile, and he quickly looked away; embarrassed at being seen. She walked to the other side of the house and climbed a trellis to the roof and plopped down beside Hiei.
"Perfect spot for star-gazing, eh?" she asked. He nodded and grunted a 'Hn'; his usual answer for anything.
Rei looked at him for a few seconds longer, then turned her attention back to the stars. She unconsciously sighed and put her hands behind her head as she leaned back. Rei and Hiei sat in silence for about a half-hour before Rei remembered she had to make supper.
"Darn. Too bad I can't sit there forever and watch the stars," she grumbled as she pulled some fish from the freezer. By the time she had thawed it, Kurama was out of the shower and still looking quite wet. He was only wearing pajama pants and Rei asked, "Didn't you dry off?"
"Yeah, but my hair is still wet."
"Why don't you dry it then?"
"Because I like it wet," Kurama answered, stopping her nit-picking.
"Whatever. Supper will be done in about a half-hour," Rei said, popping the fish in the oven.
Kurama nodded and leaned against the counter. "I have a question," he started.
"Shoot," Rei answered as she kept working on supper.
"Why did you willingly let me and Yusuke use you, but not Hiei at first?"
Rei was totally not expecting this question.
"Well," she blushed, "I wasn't even going to let Yusuke do anything for a long while, but Hiei got to me first. And the reason that I let you guys mess with me was because the grim truth that this is what the rest of my life is going to be like kinda sunk in."
Kurama looked down and sighed, "I didn't even think of that. If you don't want me to do anything, I wont, you know that."
Rei shook her head as she checked the fish. "That's alright. I'll have everyone else to do still, so might as well keep you, too."
Kurama barely made a sound, but Rei knew that he was relieved.
"Okay, I have a few questions for you," Rei said suddenly, leaning against the other counter.
"Shoot," Kurama smiled as he used her answer.
"One, do you think I've been acting more like a wench? And two, is it really THAT hard for guys to keep their 'desire' under control?"
Kurama blushed at her second question and decided to answer the first.
"Eh... maybe a little like a wench. But from what you told me, I wouldn't blame you. I mean, all us guys are expecting you to have sex with us, so why should you still act like a little virgin girl?"
Rei nodded and blushed a little, "Yeah, I guess you're right. Now answer the other question."
Kurama sighed in defeat, "I was hoping you wouldn't make me."
"But can't I learn a little more about that so I know how to fulfil your desire?" Rei countered.
Kurama rolled his eyes and answered, "Yes, it's REALLY hard to stop us sometimes. We're just made that way."
"Us? You mean you and your..." Rei started but was cut short when Kurama said, "Don't start twisting my words like that. You know I meant the whole male race!"
Rei broke out laughing and Kurama couldn't help but laugh, too.
"I knew you'd say something like that," Kurama blushed.
Rei wiped her eyes, "You didn't expect me not to, did you? Especially with my sick sense of humor."
Kurama laughed again, "No. But I wasn't sure exactly how you would say it."
Rei giggled as she turned to check the fish again and saw Hiei standing in the doorway. They locked gazes for a second and Rei was the one to turn away. She pulled the nicely baked fish from the oven and turned to Kurama.
"We have salad for a side. Dish yourself up, I have to go to the bathroom."
"Thanks for telling me that, I really wanted to know," Kurama teased as he walked towards the stove. Rei rolled her eyes and stuck out her tongue as she walked away.
.oO{If I had to marry one of the guys, who would it be? Wait, why am I bothering in asking myself that?} she questioned as she flushed the toilet. The water didn't fill up totally and Rei remembered that the Master Bath had it's own water tank so she tried to wash her hands.
"Dammit, my tank is out," she growled. She walked to the main bathroom by the guys' rooms to wash her hands and, thankfully, the water worked. "Well, I'll have to check out the tank tomorrow," Rei told herself.
She walked back into the kitchen and Kurama raised his eyebrow, "What's wrong?"
"Oh, it's nothing major. Just the tank that gives water to my master bathroom doesn't work," Rei sighed as she dished up her plate. She walked over and sat down next to Kurama.
"Has Hiei eaten yet?" Rei asked.
"No. He's still in his room," Kurama answered as he stood up and washed his plate off at the sink. Rei nodded and thought..oO{Hmm... odd.}
"Wait a second, how come you have your own tank of water?" Kurama asked suddenly. Rei shrugged, "I've stopped asking questions about this house. But I think it's because my room was the main room and the tank had the special water..."
Kurama nodded and walked into the living room. Rei finally started eating just as Hiei walked in. He got a piece of fish and walked back to his room. Rei raised her eyebrow to no one and finished up her plate. She washed it off and walked into the living room to talk to Kurama.
"Fox-boy, I have a question," she started as she hopped onto the couch beside him.
"Not like the last, I hope..." he sighed. Rei laughed and comforted his fears.
"No, not like the last. If you had to chose an animal that most described me, what would it be?"
Kurama looked her over for a second then answered, "You'd be a cat."
Rei's eyebrows raised, "A cat? Seriously? I thought I'd be a bat or something..."
"No, Hiei would be a bat if anyone. You're most like a cat," Kurama nodded.
Rei thought for a moment and asked, "Why is that?"
"Why is what? Why is it that you're like a cat?" Kurama asked and Rei nodded. "Well, it's because you're quick, sly, playful, violent all in one."
"Darn, then that means I have to be a little more careful with my curiousity, or I'll end up dying!"
Rei and Kurama finally stopped talking around 10:30 and Rei decided it was time for a shower. She quickly walked to her room and grabbed some pajamas before anyone got into the guy's bathroom. Rei started undressing as she turned on the showerhead. She let her long hair down before she stepped into the shower. She started washing her hair first then moved on to her body.
Little did she know that a Jagan was watching.
