( in Japanese class we just got to verbs and grammar, eheh . . . n.n;;;; hey, I tried to correct it! ;.;'' . . . those of you who know Nihongo, please correct me if it's still wrong . . . : sighs at self -.-; )
(alternate universe, shounen ai) Kurama and Hiei are normal humans attending regular, everyday human school. NOT YOUR USUAL SCHOOL 'AU' FIC. This time they DON'T go to the same high school . . . pairings; KurHiei, YusKei, KuwYuk, KoeBot.
Shounen ai (perhaps some yaoi) eventually. n.n;;
BE WARNED if you don't like it, ok, minna-san? n.n
Pairings: Kurama x Hiei, Yuusuke x Keiko, Kuwabara x Yukina, Koenma x Botan
Disclaimer: Kita doesn't own yuyu. So don't you/you sue, onegai. :3
Semi-important notes . . .
1- Yuusuke, Keiko and Kuwabara's school is still Sarayashiki Junior High (Yuusuke, Kuwabara and Keiko are all fourteen).
2- Hiei and Karasu's school is Tatakoe High (the next step for students in Sarayashiki Junior High).
3- Kurama, Youko, Yukina and Botan's school is Meiou High. (Hiei, Kurama, Karasu, Yukina and Botan are all sixteen; Youko is seventeen).
: takes a deep, deep deeep breath…. :
Ok. : serious face :
Gomen nasai, minna-san. I know I have not updated in over two months. –'
That's my fault. I've had a lot going on, and just took my finals for Trigonometry and Physics (both accelerated…sigh…. ;.; ) on top of that, my German III final, which carries 10 of my grade, as do all finals in my high school . . .
So I've been a little busy.
Add Thanksgiving and Christmas time with family, and that's basically how I got off-track.
: shrugs : u.u;;;
Truly, I am sorry . . . sighness . . . I'll honestly try to get back to updating on a two-week or weekly basis, but I make no promises, as I have to start worrying about getting into a good college right about now . . . gwah! X.x;;
: nod : But, as for now, here's a new chapter for you guys. :3
Thankies are at the end . . . but first . . .
: flings Kurama Shuichi, Kurama Youko, Hiei, Karasu (to those who consider him a bishounen n.n;;; ) and any other imaginable anime bishounen plushies (i.e. Inuyasha, Sesshomaru, Kouga . . . : thinks : . . . Yuusuke, Kenshin, Sanosuke . . . : promptly runs out of good examples Xx;; : erk.) out to Kooriya Yui, Nite Nite, Dragonflyr, Volpe DI Spirito, Kitsune Kit, shadow priestess, Queen of the Paperclips, Sate, Vampire Ifurita, anonymous, Firekitti, Squal D. Zolo, maliks-dragon, Nefertiri, Curious Dream Weaver, Lady SilveRose and YokoYoukai :
n . . . . . n
And now onto the freaky Karasu-ness! ;3 lol
( n.n;;; )
(xxxxxxx)
Tuesday afternoon(xxxxxxxxxxxxx)
. . . beforehand . . .
(xxxxxxx)
"Shuu-chan, Shuu-chan . . . " He shook his head, sending the thin, messy raven-colored locks dangling over his face into the wind, until they settled down once again and he was staring at the redhead, unwaveringly . . . deep purple orbs tinted with bright scarlet . . .
"You could at least call me by name . . . . . . Karasu . . . Karasu Ijiru . . . my itoushi—"
(xxxxxxx)
(xxxxxxx)
Chapter Fifteen
Secrets in Shadow(xxxxxxx)
. . . those violet eyes never left him, the floating red capturing his soul and keeping his frozen form from making any attempt to escape . . . even as the bearer of the gaze shifted, now standing, a dark, somewhat vague smirk playing on Karasu's features—as he stepped closer . . .
" . . . itoushi . . . " the voice—despite the intensely soft tone—snapped him back, and Kurama reacted to the quiet murmur by lifting his head as far away from the approaching teen as possible, pressing his stiffened back against the wall behind him . . . right hand still grasping the lip of the open trash can to remain aloft, his sharp, pointed nose protesting to the rank variety of smells drifting up from below his almost-trembling hand—(on which he kept a hard clamp of control). Green irises narrowed, drawing in the whites of his eyes until the emerald gaze conveyed no fear of any kind . . .
( . . . no . . . . . . . it was too well hidden, now . . . )
The redhead's shrewd gaze flicked over his surroundings, calculating any possible chance . . .
. . . . and Karasu stepped closer . . .
Jade irises narrowed more in thought, intelligence drawn inward . . .
. . . the deep reddish purple orbs faintly observing him—with a kind of detached rapture . . .
There must be something . . .
. . . silky black hair, almost like a sin, waving carelessly behind . . .
Anything . . .
. . . closer . . .
Abruptly, his eyes widened again; firstly upon stumbling upon a solution, and secondly from realizing that his opponent was now less than a mere arm's length away—the ebony-clad teen reached out a hand and Kurama reacted, pushing his heavy ballast out in front of him, the dented metal cylinder falling towards the ground, letting a low 'thud' as it hit, spilling the half-decomposed contents out into the alleyway—the putrid mass caught Karasu's legs, causing the tall, lithe body to fall backward onto his rear at the unexpected impact . . . he looked up after a moment, bright, deranged crimson alight in his eyes . . . now searching, seeking for a sign of . . .
Kurama had bolted the moment the can had been released from his strong fingers, jumping over boxes and other assorted items, left hand shielding his aching stomach from any further pain . . . away . . . he had to get away . . . he could see the street beyond, he had to—
A sharp whistle of wind past his ear stopped him in his tracks, and a few strands of fiery scarlet drifted lazily free . . . as the object, whatever it was, had barely managed to miss his left forelock . . .
Looking up at the wall in front of him, where the small pitch-black and razor-sharp 'star' had embedded itself—his heart skipped with fear—and Kurama turned, quickly glancing over his shoulder with slightly dilated emeralds. Karasu was standing near the overturned trash can, a sparking anger found inside his normally cool irises as the thin, elegant hands artfully grasped—
Another whinged past his ear—on the OTHER side, this time—and Kurama couldn't help it as an involuntary gasp escaped him, as he dodged, an instinct, to now face the other . . . drawing back, if only a step, once again . . .
Raging crimson, nearly enveloping the original violet, burned silently into him, as the youth strolled forward, at a quicker pace than before.
All too soon Karasu was directly in front of him, and Kurama narrowed his eyes, glaring defiantly up at the taller teen, who smirked in response and delved a quick hand into the crimson tresses, knotting in the soft hair, the other grasping the left side of Shuichi's head roughly, and—without hesitation—thrust it into the hard concrete wall behind . . .
A cry escaped him as hot pain began to throb from the back of his head . . . and instantly that open mouth was covered by the other's—the all-too-unwelcome act dimmed in his mind as Kurama's world was currently spinning from the harsh blow . . . vaguely, he was aware of Karasu's hands trailing down his uniform, finding the hidden buttons and swiftly undoing them . . .
Half of his consciousness was brought back—(rather unmercifully)—as he felt icy fingers hook underneath the white tee shirt . . . lightly dancing up and across his bare chest . . .
The red-haired teen cried out, raising a hand instinctively, only the base instinct to get away managing to travel through his muddled head . . .
The ebony youth, despite his 'distraction'—easily caught the intended hit, and the warring colors of purple and red caught dazed green, then glinting at the beauty and pain mixed into his 'itoushi's eyes . . .
"That's not nice, Shuu-chan . . . " he muttered lowly, tracing a hand up the redhead's pale cheek, enticing a shiver from the softer teen, and Karasu gave a twisted smile, moving up to take those too-tempting lips in another unwanted kiss . . . his left hand drifting to the reddish trousers his 'love' wore, brushing lightly against the obstructing material . . .
Kurama gasped against the filthy mouth dominating his, feeling the cold, shivery touch at his lower abdomen, and shut his eyes tightly; mind nearly there, but body still scrambling to recover from the blow to the back of his head . . .
Then . . .
Karasu was gone?
As he was no longer pinned against the wall—(courtesy of his stalker)—the redhead abruptly slid to the ground, his blurry vision taking in a small figure standing directly in front of him—(profile view)—glaring with concealed anger at the spidery youth sprawled on the open alleyway, finally speaking when normal pure-violet eyes met his dark garnet ones.
"Hn . . . I knew you were a bas—rd and a prostitute, Karasu—did those lead to the rapist?"
. . . 'hn' . . . ? . . . . .
A low chuckle from the much taller teen drew Kurama's bleary attention from his rescuer—(not registering the fact that the smaller was only wielding his sheathed katana at the moment . . . )—
"Oh, Imouta-kun, you've met my itoushi?" Karasu purred . . . and, although Kurama couldn't have seen it—(in his condition)—the dark one's crimson glare flicked to the side, taking in the unkempt appearance and cloudy verdant gaze, then settled back on his foe . . .
"—ch. Somehow I find that hard to believe."
Karasu's eyes narrowed at the response, and the purple irises gradually drifted back to Shuichi . . . but Hiei stepped in front of the redhead, blocking him from the 'crow's line of vision. Slowly, dark eyes drifted up to meet the younger's crimson gaze . . . they kept eye contact for a tense couple of minutes, neither blinking . . . until Karasu finally looked away, clutching his arm where the hard wooden sheath had hit him, then standing . . . and somewhat limped away, sharp red eyes never leaving him even as somewhat-clearing jades took in the unfolding scene . . .
And at last he was gone, disappearing out into the dark alley beyond. . .
(xxxxxxx)
Sighing, Hiei rotated slowly, kneeling down and balancing flawlessly on the tips of his black school shoes, meeting the redhead's slowly comprehending gaze with his own stoic one, taking in the slightly dilated pupils—
—ch . . .
( . . . only a minor concussion, by the looks of it . . . )
"Kurama." Shuichi slowly blinked at the familiar sound, then a crooked smile came onto his face as he finally recognized him, most of the redhead's mind clicking back at the ability to see the other's face—and actually recalling what Karasu had called him . . .
"Imouta-san . . . " Hiei's left eye twitched slightly—as he leaned in—(annoyance carefully chiseled within garnet depths)—nearly nose-to-nose with the redhead, staring deep into those greenish eyes as he thought of his 'real' last name with growing irritation . . .
. . . Karasu, you bas—rd . . . you d—n bas—rd . . .
He hadn't meant for the odd redhead to find out his name . . .
Ever.
"Ch. Don't trouble your memory." he commented nonchalantly, pulling back and standing, tucking his sword back into its hidden place, not meeting the other's eyes while he took in their surroundings . . . hoping that the other teen would forget that d—n adoptive surname . . .
The redhead smiled warmly, still a bit woozy from the slight mental trauma . . .
"Imouta-san . . . Kono anata no namae wa desu ka ( this is your name )?" Quick as lightning, garnet eyes snapped back to him, flickering with unasked-for rage . . . and Kurama's smile dimmed a bit.
"Iie (no )." the short teen nearly spat, his voice dripping with revulsion as his glare intensified tenfold, in annoyance at both ending up giving his name out himself and not having a choice about it . . . tch. Like he would stand for being called 'Imouta'; outside of school . . . " . . . Watashi wa Hiei desu (I'm Hiei )."
Then the older teen's smile returned, upon registering that it was his given name . . .
. . . hmn. . . Hiei, so that was it . . . ?
—he rather liked the sound . . .
Shuichi's countenance fairly glowed, pushing himself up as his polite and composed train of thought finally began to return . . .
"Arigatou ( thank you ) . . . Hiei-san." Garnets drew to their corners, taking in the grateful smile on the other's softly radiant face . . .
"Tch. If you lost, where would that leave me." Hiei turned, now walking down the alleyway . . . silently slow, waiting for Shuichi to follow him . . .
As they walked, side-by-side, the redhead couldn't help but feel as though . . . his heart was much lighter . . .
(—perhaps it was a lingering affect of the recent delirium, ne?)
(xxxxxxx)
When they arrived at Kurama's house, the redhead invited him in, but the other only scoffed, dismissing the polite offer without a second thought.
"I'm in your debt . . . " the jade-eyed one murmured, softly . . . because his rapidly-returning sense of pride wasn't too happy with accepting the fact that he had needed to be rescued, of all things . . . gods, what his sensei would have thought—
Shuichi heard a snort sound from his left, where the shorter was leaning against the doorway, and looked back at the spiky-haired one, an elegant hand pausing on the door handle he had just unlocked . . .
Hiei turned his head away, effortlessly avoiding the curious jade gaze . . . and spoke.
"Stay away from her, then." Slender red brows knit in confusion, and Kurama spoke after a moment of thought.
"Nani ( what ). . . . ?" when all he was met with was silence, he pressed on, " . . . dare ka ( who )?"
Hiei sniffed, disbelieving that he had forgotten even the girl's name in his wide variety of admirers . . .
" . . . " he whispered something, so softly that the redhead couldn't hear . . . Kurama bent down, meeting with detached crimson irises, that were currently gazing, not at him, but off into the distance . . . the whisper returned, hardly above a breath's sound, and the redhead had to strain a bit to hear it . . .
" . . . yukina . . . "
(xxxxxxx)
Confusion spurted even more deeply inside Shuichi's mind . . .
Niisa-san . . . ?
. . . but –what . . . . . why . . .
"How do you mean, Hiei-san?" Said teen scoffed at the honorific, sarcastic nature returning almost immediately.
"You can drop the polite act, Kurama." he commented in a quiet, even tone, eyes slipping closed in arrogant disdain.
Jade eyes darkened, and the redhead decided to—(regally)—ignore the comment, choosing not to be distracted from the matter at hand by petty rudeness and scornful body language.
"Why Niisa-san, Hiei?" Kurama noted the way the youth changed his position, a bit of nervous tension gathering in his shoulders at the mention of the girl's name . . . "Why do you want me away from her?" Hiei opened his eyes now, staring straight ahead into the empty street beyond.
"—you don't need to know. Stay away from her." The puzzlement deepened, but then something clicked, as he realized—
"You called her Yukina . . . " the redhead whispered, two ideas coming upon him at once . . . " . . . her given name . . . " Hiei's head jerked up, wide garnets locking with keen jade for a tense, unguarded instant . . . before he quickly reigned in his emotions, narrowing his eyes back to their original glare—and looking away again.
"Tch . . . "
(—Kurama decided to be cautious . . . of the two possibilities that had wandered into his mind, he had yet to determine which—)
"Are you fond of her?" he asked quietly, a slightly unexpected nervous tightening occurring with the anticipation of a response . . .
Hiei remained silent, merely continuing to stare, unseeing, at the vacant suburban street . . . Kurama wet his lips with his tongue, palms lightly chilled, resting in his pockets . . . but he pushed the thought away with his next question . . .
"—or do you care for her?"
Again, there was that unnerving, eerie quiet for a few long moments—before it clicked, and angry crimson eyes were suddenly burning into him with the realization, short temper heatedly sparked by this simple insinuation.
"Baka! Not in the way you'rethinking!" Hiei hissed, red eyes flashing at the boldness of the taller . . . he'd known the redhead for less than a week, and the teen was already daring to suggest—!
Bas—rd . . . he muttered in his mind, the smoldering rubies still locked on Shuichi's slightly-shocked face . . . which then fell into a sly grin as the taller closed his eyes, gracefully folding his arms in front of him and shaking his head in a bit of silent mirth.
Hiei growled venom . . . and his eyes narrowed further, soundlessly demanding a justification for the other's sudden amusement. Jade eyes settled down on him, soft laughter still dancing in their depths . . . . . . . . . beaut—
The dark youth's attention was caught as the redhead spoke, a trace of over-cheerfulness reflecting in his voice, the bright green eyes sparkling in triumph.
"I see . . . so you're related to her, then?"
(xxxxxxx)
Hope you liked it!
Bad cliffhanger . . .?
Xx;; suman ne . . .
Then again . . .
This story'sgot 160 reviews? oO;
n . . . . . n
lol!
Thankies, minna!
: bows deeply to everyone :
n.n
As I'm a little out-of-practice, I'll end my inane babble here, then. n.n; Heh.
Jaa ne, minna-san!
If you could find the time, please tell me what you thought of this chapter!
: bows again :
- Kita n.n
( . . . would you guys believe that this is the longest fic I've ever written? . . . heh! n.n; )
PS
Arigatou gozaimashita . . .
Kooriya Yui (: bows : arigatou! n . . . . n heh, thanks for your thoughts on Karasu . . . some like him, some don't . . . depends on the individual, ne? n.n;; eh . . . anyway, gomen for the short response, demo . . . I WANT TO POST! T.T; sigh u.u;; and yet it's all my fault, too . . . grr . . . ah, well. : shrug : . . . mnn . . . oh! n . . . n I've been reading 'Balance', Yui-san! n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . n Awesome, chica! Great angst:3 eheh . . . well, thanks so much for the review, Yui-san! arigatou gozaimasu! n.n )
Nite Nite ( : snickers : poor Kurama-kun . . . n.n; ah, well . . . we'll think of the whole 'Karasu' thing as payback for his deeds as a youko, ne? n.n;;; eh . . . : eyes dart from side to side : errm . . . I'm not sure about that 'nana', though . . . maybe I don't want to know, ne? n.n; heh . . . but arigatou gozaimashita for the review, Nite-chan:3 Thanks! )
Dragonflyr ( : evil grin : heh . . . you have no idea how 'messed in the head' my lil AU version of Karasu will turn out to be . . . : sadistic chuckles are heard : I've even got a history for him . . . as to why he is the way he is . . . n.n evil . . . traumatic . . . my mom was even frightened, lol! n.n;; eheh . . . : shrug : On another note, Youko's so much fun! n . . . n For some reason he really just flows in writing, and it's great 'cause I don't have to think with him: laughs : I've gotten lazy . . . sigh. -; . . . as for the flashbacks . . . I'm not saying anything:3 lol, again, thanks for the review, Flyr-san! n.n doumo arigatou! )
Volpe Di Spirito ( AH! Volpe-chan! Xx; UPDATE YOUR HIEI-NEKO FIC! GWAH! x.x;;;;;; so unfair . . . u.u;;; . . . sigh . . . but thanks for the nice character comments on Youko and Karasu! n . . . . n They mean a lot, chica, honestly . . . :3 heh. Well, I'm hoping to get this chappie up tonight, so . . . thank you very much for reviewing, Volpe-chan! n.n arigatou:3 )
Kitsune Kit ( . . . heh. Well, let's not get too into the idea of seeing the three bishounen demons fighting shirt-less . . . : snickers : Like Kurama'd actually enter a battle not being all polite and modest, ne? Youko'd not want to seduce anyone when he's trying to concentrate on strategy, and Hiei . . . well, the hankoorime just wouldn't give a d—n. -;;; eh . . . doumo for the review, Kit-chan! n.n thanks so much:3 )
shadow priestess ( . . . yes, well . . . my mom's taken the mouse numerous times in the past few months, by now Xx; sigh . . . but we've got a system, now. : shrugs : . . . ah, and sorry for the late update . . . it honestly is my fault; I've been lazy. : nod : x.x;; eh . . . but thank you for the review! n.n; sorry the response is coming so late, heh . . . but danke schoen, shadow-chan:3 thankies, thankies! n . . . n )
Queen of the Paperclips ( . . . I like your quote, eheh. n.n; Coolness . . . : shrug : But anyway . . . thanks for the compliments! n . . . . n! lol, arigatou, Paperclip-chan! . . . although . . . I actually got to see a Hiei plushie, heh! n.n;; I found one online, and ordered it for a friend of mine whose favorite Yuu Yuu Hakushou character is that lil jaganshi . . . : shrugs again : n.n Thanks for the review! Sorry for the late-ness! ( u.u; ) Doumo arigatou gozaimasu! n . . . n )
Sate ( eh! I love the first line of your review, chica! n . . . n Heh, heh! I showed it to a bunch of people, and they just laughed, lol:3 : peace sign : n.n Suman ne for the 'extended withdrawal' . . . err . . . it's been ten weeks, or something like that . . . ? . . . : realizes the length of time : oo; : runs away: Xx; Don't hurt meh! x.x;; . . . glad you reviewed, though, Sate-chan! n . . . . n arigatou gozaimasu:3 )
Vampire Ifurita ( : nod : You don't need to duck for cover, don't worry . . . actually, I was thinking about a Youko x Kurama pairing, just to mess with people's minds! n.n lol! . . . demo, I'm basically tacking that little . . . : clears throat : . . . 'implication' . . . as Youko being all annoyingly arrogant, clever, dangerously seductive, etc . . . (I'm aware the list could go on, we'll leave it at that, ne? n.n; heh . . . -; ) . . . and, while two weeks may be nothing, I feel quite guilty over the month-long span of time. u.u;; . . . sigh . . . well . . . thankies for reviewing, Ita-chan! n . . . n doumo:3 )
anonymous ( eh: sheepish laugh, hand behind her head : Nope! I didn't know Togashi-sama got their names from the two mountains . . . I thought it was all coincidence, eheh . . . heh! n.n;;;;;;;;;; . . . but thanks for reviewing, anonymous-san: nod : n.n; arigatou! )
Firekitti ( muahaha! I have a weapon, now: waves the plastic sword in the air : n.n lol! Glad you liked chappie number fourteen! Thanks for reviewing, chica! Sorry for the wait! Doumo for your patience and comment, Kitti-san:3 )
Squal D. Zolo ( : nod : I've said before . . . I don't plan to discontinue this! n.n lol, too much time and energy put into writing it, ne: shrugs : n . . . n Thanks for the review, Zolo-san! Sumanai for the wait . . . I'm so lazy . . . . sigh -;;;; . . . anyway, doumo, and hoped you thought this new chappie was passable! n.n Thanks:3 )
maliks-dragon ( : nod : I accept your suggestion ( the rape-Hiei idea oO; ) though I probably won't use it. n.n; eh . . . thank you very much for the nice comments about my story. : bows :3 Very much appreciated, Dragon-san . . . sorry for the long-time writer's block, on my part. -; I've been off-task with writing, recently . . . as you can tell, ne? n.n; heh . . . but thanks again, chica . . . for reviewing, as well! n . . . n doumo arigatou gozaimasu:3 )
Nefertiri ( eh . . . oO; . . . word of advice: use duct tape to tie me to the chair, to get me to write . . . it holds wonderfully! n . . . . . n lol! n.n; I'm glad you like it; I try ( when I'm not slacking off, that is -;;;;; ): nod : n.n I hope you found this chapter good enough to live up to the rest, heh! n.n; ( seriously x.x;; ) : shrug : Thanks for the review, though! n . . . . n arigatou gozaimashita, Tiri-san! )
Curious Dream Weaver ( : beams : Thank you for your compliments on characterization! n. . . . n Arigatou, Weaver-san: nod : I hope you still find it mildly interesting, after this chappie, though! n.n; eh . . . : bow : Nice to meet you, and thanks for the review. n.n; doumo! )
Lady SilveRose ( heh! Like your username . . . very clever, Rose-san . . . n.n Ah, Kurama torture all around, ne: snickers :3 Thanks for the review, chica! n.n Doumo arigatou:3 )
YokoYoukai ( hey, I think I"ve read some of your work! n.n; eh, can't recall the name right now . . . Hiei-san and Yuki-chan were kidnapped . . . it's a shounen ai one . . . Rui's in it, too Xx; gak . . . : shrug : But anyway . . . : bows : n . . . n Thanks so much, Youkai-san:3 lol, you lucked out . . . I'm updating four days after your review . . . unlike all the poor readers who have following this fic since August . . . over two months of waitin! Xx; . . . if anyone reviews, I'll be stunned that they don't decide to take their well-justified revenge out on me by not telling me what they thought . . . xX; GAK! x.x;;;; sigh . . . but thank you for the review, again! n.n doumo argiatou:3 )
Wai!
I can actually update!
oO;
After so long . . . . n.n;;
Eheh!
Hope you choose to let me know what you thought, minna-san!
: bows to silent readers and reviewers alike :
n . . . . . . n
Thanks!
:3
Peace out!