A/N: Well, after a brief bout of writer's block, I finally came up with an idea! So, ta da!

(BTW: Whoever keeps telling me it's spelled 'Tetsusaiga', I tell them to look at a few good fan sites. It's all about the kanji, and in the FAQ of some sites it can be explained thoroughly.)

Chapter 10: The Jackass and the Sweetheart

For another two days, Kuro and Kiri traveled with the wolves leading the way. However, the traveling usually consisted of silence. Kuro was too wrapped up in his own thoughts of Suki, so he hadn't noticed that his sister was doing everything she possibly could to ignore Akuto. She didn't want to speak to him after their talk a couple nights ago.

However, to Kiri's dismay, Akuto kept trying to talk to her. He would try to start conversations, or ask her things, and she would either mutter "Jackass" or pretend to ignore him entirely.

Nothing really erupted into big fights. It was usually ended by Kiri storming off and yelling, "You jackass!" in he started trying to talk to her too much.

But, she had successfully managed not to come near the subject of that night…and her secret. She hoped that it would be something that would never be brought up again. As long as Kuro and Tsume were there, it wasn't mentioned.

Until, they were close to the shape-shifter's lair.

Tsume sniffed. "We're close." As the wind passed through, rippling through her red hair.

Kuro also picked up the strange scent. "How close?"

"Close enough that we could sneak up on it." She said, looking at the top of a mountain close by.

"Good." Kiri said. "Now this is finally over. Let's get going."

But that was not Tsume's plan. "Wait, Kuro-san." She looked over at him. "Shape-shifter's are tricky. It might not be wise to come at it like this."

The raven haired hanyou nodded. "Your right, we might want to figure out our position first. We better first take a look at it." He turned to Kiri and Akuto. "You two, stay here."

"WHAT?" Kiri yelled.

Tsume rolled her eyes. "If we take you, you're both bound to make too much noise fighting that might wake it up."

"Besides, we want to have camp ready by the time we're back." Kuro finished.

"No." Kiri stated.

Now, Kuro was angry. "Damnit, Kiri! Just do it for once! If you want to get this over with, just cooperate, okay?

She folded her arms and cast a sidelong glance at Akuto. He grinned. She growled, showing that she didn't like it, but she knew she didn't really have a say in the matter.

"Good, be back in a few hours. Please don't kill each other. " Kuro said, and set off up the mountain with Tsume.

Kiri stood there, with her arms folded, not wanting to look at him. Of course, she just knew Akuto was smirking. He walked up to her. "Well, sweetheart, this is an interesting position we've gotten ourselves into, isn't it?"

Kiri growled, her amber eyes glaring. "Shut up."

He sighed, "Look, why do you still hate me?"

"Because," she shouted, "You saw me naked!"

The arrogant wolf youkai grinned, "Well, what would you like me to do, make it up to you?"

Kiri didn't understand why he was grinning like he was making fun of her. "Yeah, that'd be good. An eye, for an eye, remember?"

He let out a small chuckle. "Okay then. If you want it that way, then I guess you'll have to see me naked."

Kiri turned pink and bellowed, "YOU LECHER!"

Akuto raised an eyebrow. "You still can't take a joke, can you?"

The silver haired hanyou turned sharply around, walking up the mountain. "You can't joke about those things."

"Oh, is that why you're turning red?" he asked, following her in her trek to get as far away from him as possible. "Or is it because you can't deny that it wouldn't be a treat."

Kiri crouched down, and jumped on top of a ledge, creating more distance between them. "You—" she said, as he jumped up there too. "Are the most perverted bastard it has ever been my misfortune to meet."

He smiled, "Then I'm very happy to set the record for you, sweetheart."

"STOP CALLING ME THAT!" she roared, taking off yet again in order to get away from him.

Akuto ran after her, enjoying the chase. "Not until you drop the nicknames, SWEETHEART."

"I hope you die a really painful and slow death!" Kiri said, jumping up into a tree right before he caught up to her. "You deserve it!"

Akuto stood at the bottom of the tree, his face wearing a very clear smirk. "Maybe I do deserve it, but until then, I'm gonna live life my way, something you have yet to do."

Kiri shot back, "How did this conversation suddenly turn to me?"

He shook his head, "You just don't get it, do you?"

She huffed, "Maybe I don't want to get it."

"Well, to bad for you, because someday, you're gonna have to."

There was a silence. Kiri didn't know how to answer. She contented herself with saying, "You're still a jackass."

Akuto grinned. "I know. And you'll still be my sweetheart."

Kiri suddenly built up a rage, "MY!" She shifted position in order to get a better idea of how to kill him, when suddenly, she heart a crack! And then, she felt herself falling from the tree, landing hard on her left foot on the ground. "Ow!" she yelled, as she hit.

Akuto ran to her side. "Are you all right?"

She shoved him away. "I'm FINE!" But when she tried to stand up, immense pain shot up her left leg and she fell back down. "D-damnit…" she said, realizing there was no way she could walk back to camp.

Akuto looked at it. "You sprained your ankle."

"I'll be fine in the morning." She said. "Just because I'm hanyou doesn't mean I don't heal."

"It's not that." He said, "We need to get you back down the mountain before the youkai come out for the night. And there's only one way to do it."

Before Kiri could react, Akuto picked her up, bridal style. She turned pink. "Let me down!" she yelled.

"No." he said calmly, walking her down the mountain as dusk started falling. "Put your arms around my neck, that way I can hold you easier."

Instead, she sneered, "If you think I'm going to do something like that—"

"I didn't expect it." He retorted.

There was a pause. "Put me down." She repeated.

"No." Akuto said again. But, once again, he had to have the last word. "I must say, it is quite enjoyable, carrying you like this. I'll have to thank that tree later—"

Kiri, fires now practically coming from her eyes, grabbed his shoulders. "Put me down this instant, or you're going to be reduced to dust."

Akuto stopped walking, but he didn't put her down. "You wouldn't."

Her eyes were deadly serious. "I can, and I would. Put me down."

"No, you wouldn't. You wouldn't because you'd be stuck out here all night, with no one to protect you if a youkai shows up, plus the awkward situation of having a dead body lying out here all night too." He seemed to think about his last statement, and then added, "Plus, even though my father and I don't get along very well, I don't think he'd be too happy if you killed his firstborn son."

Kiri contemplated a moment, and then with a "Hmph." She released him. He continued walking down the mountain. "I don't fancy having to fight the entire wolf youkai tribe. Not, because I value your life or anything."

"Glad you feel that way."

"Shut up."

As they were walking, Kiri glanced at Akuto for a moment. She would never say it out loud, but she had to admit it to herself. Even though I'm doing everything I can to push him away, he's still nice to me. What is it with him anyway?

But, she added, No one's ever been like this with me before…No one's ever been this nice…and…she hoped it wasn't showing on her face. He's kind of cute too…

"What're you thinking about?" Akuto asked, looking down at her.

Kiri looked hastily away. "NOTHING!" She defended herself, blushing a little pink. I was wrong; he's just a big jackass! A perverted jackass who I hate! He's not even cute at all!

However, Akuto noticed her blush, and he smiled to himself.

When they made it back to camp, Akuto set Kiri down and started a fire. They sat in silence, eating the rest of the meat from the hunt the day before. As they were eating, Akuto looked at her. "What's that?" he pointed.

Kiri looked down. To her horror, her necklace had somehow gotten loose, and was hanging in front of her yukata. "Nothing!" she said, trying to push it back into her yukata.

But Akuto was quicker; he snatched it before she got to it, looking at it. "Oh, is this what you were looking at the other day? This little bead on a string?"

"Give it back!" Kiri said, her voice dangerous. She grabbed it just as he started to hand it over.

"Let me guess," Akuto asked, "An heirloom from your mother and father?"

She shoved it back down her yukata. "It's none of your business."

"Fine." He muttered, going back to his food. Somehow, Kiri didn't like it when he was the one annoyed.

She sighed. "It was…my father's. Well…also kind of my mothers. It's really the only thing I have of theirs now. But, please, don't tell anyone."

"I won't." He replied. "I just think it's nice that you do possess some kind of feeling."

"Well, thanks." She said sarcastically. There was another silence. "Akuto," she asked. "Speaking of fathers, you said you don't get along well with your father…what's wrong."

When he looked at her, it appeared that he wasn't too keen on sharing. At first, she said, "I'm sorry, if you don't want to tell—"

"No," he said, "It's fine…You see, in the wolf youkai tribe, the eldest male has to carry on the line of the family."

Kiri nodded. She knew how youkai systems worked.

Akuto continued, "Well, anyway, since I'm 18, my father's been pressuring me to find a mate. He's been even worse about it in the past few months since Tsume got mated. But…he doesn't understand that none of those women in the wolf youkai tribe interest me. They're all the same, what's the point, really? Of course, when I told him that, he got even angrier and started going on about duty to the tribe. And so, I left for a while. Then Tsume came to find me. That's what we were doing before we ran into you and your brother."

"Oh…were you supposed to go back?" she asked.

Akuto shook his head. "It doesn't matter, I'm not keen on going back yet anyway. He'll just order me to find a mate right then and there. He doesn't understand that I can decide for myself who I want to be my mate."

Kiri noticed that he tried to be subtle about his eyes briefly glancing her when he said that, but he failed. She felt herself blushing up.

What's going on…I feel…really nervous…and…did my heart just skip a beat?

But Akuto said, "Of course, in our tribe's culture, the female must be completely submissive to the male, so I don't think you'd be a candidate, sweetheart, no matter how much you know you want me." He smirked.

Kiri backhand slapped him, "JACKASS!" she roared.

Suki looked up at Goshinboku, remembering the times she had with Kuro there. She remembered his promise to her before he left. "I promise I'll be back." But…even though he had only been gone for about a week…she couldn't help but be sad.

Kuro…she thought, tears welling up in her eyes. Please…I need you to come back soon…I…I need you here with me now…I need you to come back, before…

And sadness overtook her as she sank to the ground, tears streaming down her face and overcome by sadness.

A/N: GASP! What's wrong with Suki? Don't worry, it's nothing really to worry about…yet…Plus, you're not going to learn for a while, so don't worry about it. Now, enjoy the lovely Kiri/Akuto-ness!

Yeah, I know I screwed up on youkai ages since I previously said youkai and hanyou age much slower…so…let's pretend wolf youkai age like humans until they reach a certain age…okay, we'll go with that…

Also, for those of you who are too lazy to look in a Japanese dictionary: Akuto means scoundrel:P (And, if you care, Tsume means claw, I found it while searching for his perfect name.)