Many more days passed in the same fashion, and honestly, I was glad that they were quite uneventful--as far as fighting, that is. Kurama and I went out a lot, since we had some spare time during a break. Several pictures were now hung on his wall. When I slept in a sleeping bag on the floor, I would stare up at the ceiling, where some of the pictures had been placed. There was our picture on the roller coaster. Kurama wore a bright smile while I clung to him for dear life. At the mall, I had come forward so that he looked like the background to a headshot of me. Now that we had made so many memories, we didn't have to do so much for each other all the time.

Of course, that didn't mean that the romanticism faded. No, he always loved me like that, too, and I knew that he always would. A picture taken in the park showed me planting a little kiss on his cheek while perched atop his knee like a graceful child. Looking at it then, I realized that he had blushed a little in being so open, but then it was fine. I was enjoying settling in. Lirra was right, and I had always known that she would be. For this time where we just hung out, I was truly happy.

Since there wasn't much to do around the house, I returned to school. Clever as he is, Kurama said that I had been ill with an unexpectedly serious case of the flu, but I wasn't contagious anymore. After a while, he let me meet his friends. Most of them went to different schools, but I found them to be interesting. Yusuke Urameshi was the one who always asked how I was. If I didn't know better, I would have hit him. Kazuma Kuwabara was a wannabe tough-guy, but he was really quite the gentleman. We had a lot of fun together. Once in a while, we went to the arcade, laughing at Kuwabara and Yusuke's anger at the video games while Kurama and I played air hockey. Usually, I could tell that he was letting me win.

However, despite the time we spent with his friends, we spent even more alone. Other favorite haunts were Tina's little western bar, and the lake where he had found me. Whenever we went there, both of us would take our shoes off and let the gentle tide wash in on our toes. It was always cool, and we would talk about our times together. Sometimes we would sit there for hours, and I would lean against his shoulder. Those were the times when we both looked out into the deep waters in contemplation and thought how such a vast plane could have been below there. At times it just didn't seem possible, but then there were days when I could feel the enlightenment, and I figured a few ways it could have been there.

Since it was raining, me, Kurama, Yusuke and Kuwabara had retreated inside to the cafe. It was an incredibly small place, but I had considered trying to get a job there. Most of the staff was agreeable, and I could use the money. Most often, Kurama was paying for me, and I felt guilty for draining his wallet so many times. The decor was quaint but pretty in its own way.

"So what now?" Kuwabara asked, feeling pretty restless. I understood that feeling perfectly. I couldn't go to the lake with Kurama afterward if this kept up.

"I guess we should order something," I said wearily. Thoughts of Jakiri and Ithryl living happily together had been taking their toll on me.

"Ah, they won't care what we do. We're customers, they should be happy that we're even here in this hole in the wall!" Laughing at Yusuke's brusque comment, we saw a waitress approach. Kurama, who sat close to me, wrapped an arm around my waist and then ordered some drinks for the two of us. By now, we had been here enough times that he knew what I liked.

"Well, don't you look cute?" Yusuke scoffed, and I shot him a look of disdain. Kurama shook his head, knowing that all that was on Yusuke's mind if he met a girl was whether or not he was going to get laid. Even though he was a good friend and a lot of friend, I tried not to get too mixed up with Urameshi. He had problems of his own, after all.

"Glad you think so," I scoffed, and he pouted jokingly. Both of us had fun pretending to fight.

The waitress brought out drinks, and I sniffed at my very light-brown coffee. It smelled sweet and lofty, so tempting. Looking over at Kurama's, I saw that his was dark brown, almost black. Deep as his emerald eyes, it had a heavier scent than I had expected from such a substance. One sip, and warmth flooded through me. It created a certain peaceful euphoria that I didn't want to leave me, but it wasn't just the drink. Kurama had his arm around me, and I only had time to notice that the room was empty before he kissed me. Both of us set down the coffee, and he slid a hand down my side, noticing every curve of me that he had seen so many times.

"Oh, get a room!" I heard Yusuke shout, but I was on Kurama's lap, and when we broke away, I gazed up into his eyes. Not a day went by that we didn't kiss, enjoying each other as much as we possibly could. Leaning my head against his chest, I drank deeply and drained the cup, running a hand up and down his chest.

"Did I miss something?" Kuwabara asked stupidly, scratching his head.

"Nothing at all," I whispered softly, nuzzling my head against Kurama's chest.

"Yeah," Yusuke retorted sarcastically. "Nothing but our two resident lovebirds schmoozing, nimrod." At the angry glare Yusuke gave me, I wrapped both arms around Kurama's neck and smiled, winking.

For some reason, Yusuke got up and walked out, storming out the door and then running down the street. Looking up at Kurama, he had a concerned look on his face. "He's mad at me," I said. "I'll go talk to him." It didn't take long to track Yusuke's huge energy signal. I found him leaning against a building, his head between his knees. "What is it?" I asked. "What did I do?"

Instead of replying he got up and took me forcibly in his arms. "I've known you for only a month, and you seem so familiar," he said. "Just wanna see you and Kurama get hitched so I can get these crazy thoughts out of my head." With the same roughness, he forced me into a kiss, making me open my mouth so that his tongue intertwined with mine. Realizing what he wanted, I pushed him away, making him fall down onto the pavement with a thud.

"No," I said, choking back the tears. "You can't be."

"Sorry," he said. "I'll leave you alone. Just stay happy with Kurama." Sighing heavily, he walked away from me and I stood there in the cold, pouring rain.

It was a shock, and yet it shouldn't have been. The way he fought with me, sometimes it could have been called flirting. Whenever me and Kurama were showing affection, he seemed to be even more cynical than usual. Thoughts fluttered around in my head. Never before had I known that others would be attracted to me, and it seemed so strange. Usually Yusuke was so harsh and coarse, so I had never thought him capable of true love. I suppose everyone is, even him.

Sinking down against the building, I shuddered, both with cold and sadness. Emotion overwhelmed me and I wrapped my arms around myself, hoping to stay warm. There was no other way to calm my mind. Nobody else was there, and my energy had been cloaked. There was no Kurama there at the moment to help me through, though I wished there was. How could Yusuke dare to do something like that? Such things as he wanted would destroy everything I had worked so hard to achieve. Yuki would take him away after that, laugh at me, spit in my face.

Rain plastered my hair to my face and made me feel so inferior. Sweat slicked down my cheeks, then it was mixed with silent tears. Yusuke had just asked me to betray all my feelings for Kurama, and he had gone so far as to kiss me. It felt more like he had raped me. Sitting down on the pavement, I stared down at the ground and waited. Nobody was there for me. Kurama wouldn't be able to find me in such a remote location, and I wasn't ready to go back yet. Yusuke would be with him. We would go on laughing together after a while, but then it would be uncomfortable, for me at least.

Mustering all the courage I possibly could, I got up and started walking down the street, toward the forest that I had come to know well. It was dark there, and I fled until I hit the cliff, then bounded off in an a swan dive, my spread-eagled arms folding into a straight line as I entered the water. It was time to revisit the place that I had been to before he met me...

The first thing I saw was Lirra. She smiled down at me, her wings shielding the both of us. "Why are you back?" she asked. "It seems not to long ago that you were here." Utterly distressed, I looked up at her and then sat up, realizing I was on the floor of that chapel. Rose petals were scattered across my body, and I watched them fall as I erected myself.

"One of Kurama's friends," I managed to say while holding back the tears. "He...he wants me, too, but I cannot forsake the one who has always loved me."

"I cannot help you with this dilemma," Lirra said. "It does not involve me. Kurama and yourself have a destiny of your own. My master has spun a very intricate plot that I intend to see play out."

"Well, then," I said. "I see you're no help."

Lirra shook her head and wrapped her wings around me. After the white feathers had faded away, I saw myself...

I was running, more scared than anyone could ever know. They had killed my father, and my mother had been poisoned. Soon enough it would be me if I didn't leave. At the bottom of the steps, they were there. A dark figure, taller than the rest, was barking out orders in his smooth, low voice. "Kill everyone here," he said. "Be sure that no one escapes." Having given the final verdict, he vanished into thin air.

Now there was no question about it. There were some very brutal things they could do to me, and I didn't want any of them to happen. Torture was not a thing that I thought I could survive, so I morphed into the only form I knew: Yaga, the wolf of old. She had a sleek, beautiful body, and was the strongest of her kin. Bounding down the stairs, I found myself in the courtyard. Nobody paid attention to the various creatures there. They were all keen on killing the me that they would recognize. Yaga's guise worked perfectly, and I smiled in triumph as the palace faded behind me.

With my home went my old lifestyle. I would have to start anew, and the only other place I was familiar with was Hell's Grove. It was a start, so I went there, unsure as to what I would find. Settling down on the grass in that darkened place, I fell asleep as a wolf, waiting to see if destiny had any more in store for me...

"Why?" I asked, dumbfounded. "What's the point?" Lirra wasn't there anymore, though, and I began to shift back to my other body, the one that I was familiar with.

Beside me, there was a quick splash, and a wet red head of hair popped up. His arm wrapped around my waist, and I followed him blindly to the bank of the lake. Water came out of my lungs whenever I coughed, and I thought how lucky I had been not to drown. Before it had been raining; now it was pouring. Droplets splashed down on both of us, and since I had dived into the water with my clothes on, they were thoroughly soaked through. "How'd you find me?" I asked weakly, feeling a little sniffle in my nose from the chill.

"It was easy enough to track you," he said. "You obviously don't have too much experience in cloaking your energy."

If not for my weakness at the moment, I would have flustered at his comment, but instead I sank into him, striving for warmth. Smiling, he took off his jacket and wrapped it around me tenderly. The outside was soaked, but the inside was dry, and warm. "Everything is so complicated," I said. "Yusuke...he tried to make a move on me. Of course, I warded him off, but I realized that just because we're in love doesn't mean the world is going to stop spinning, or the sun is going to stop setting. Before, I was so lost, and then I found you, so I guess I thought that you could be my world."

"I understand," he said. "For a while, there was an empty void, so large that if it was filled it could consume you. However, you can just enjoy it for now."

"Glad to know you don't think I'm obsessive," I joked, and let him drape an arm around my shoulders.

All of a sudden, the rain stopped, and I swept a hand over the grass, feeling the soft dew. It was so gentle, and then I brushed one finger along Kurama's cheek. "Finally," I whispered, heaving a huge sigh of relief. "I thought this rain would never end." Kurama didn't answer; he just looked at me and then drew me into a deep kiss, feeling my hair as he enjoyed being with me.

How sudden it was that he would just forgive me on the spot. There were very few explanations involved, and he didn't question my word at all. I took that as a sign that we would stay together for a very long time. Pressed up against him, I smiled gently and then we just laughed. It had been so silly to think that he would be angry at me for something I didn't do. Really, I should have known him far better than that. "Sorry," I said softly, brushing up against him, "for suspecting you of even coming close to being inconsiderate."

"I forgave you before I knew what you did," he said. "It was a spur of the moment thing. Why would you leave after waiting for so long anyway?" There was definitely plenty of truth to that. It would have made my whole world pointless.

Aside from that, I couldn't just go from lover to lover, changing whenever I pleased. There would never be anyone I could count on, and it would be such an empty existence. Looking into those deep green eyes, I wanted to be able to stare into those forever. "I-" I was about to say something, but then I turned my head at the sound of distant footsteps.

"It must be Kuwabara and Yusuke," Kurama said, standing up and wrapping an arm around my waist. "They probably got worried and came to check on us."

It wasn't them, though. In the distance, I saw something much bigger. Huge wings spread out from it and I could see claws in the shadow. Whatever it was, it wasn't much taller than I was. Bracing myself against Kurama, I held my breath, waiting in utter silence...

A/N-Hey guys! It's only fair to give you a cliffie after making you wait so long for me to update. Yes, it took a while, but I've been busy. Hope you all contine to read this story, and even if you don't, I'll probably keep on writing it! You don't know how many times I've rehashed this idea, and how good it's turning out now. The first one was such a horribly short, poorly-written piece that it got deleted off the site. Glad to know this is doing better!

Yuki Amida: Yup, it always keeps marching on! I realize that I am a painfully fluffy writer! Still, you're only one who has reviewed chapter eleven so far, so I commend you for that! ;)

C y'alls later!

Miari