Tension High

Part III – Version 2

The halls were practically empty the by time I started heading toward my club room. Asuka, with bright eyes and bouncy pigtails, was waiting for me outside the door.

"Good afternoon, Keiko-san."

Yeah, she seemed like her normal bouncy self.

"The others are inside, but wait…"

I stopped, noting she looked a tad bit concerned. "I heard this morning that Hiyo-san is trying to get the uniform bill dropped."

She dropped her voice and whispered as though passing on a secret. I knew already that Hiyo was against the uniform plan, the girl liked our uniforms as they were.

I didn't.

I wasn't particularly fond of the odd red jackets or our school symbol, but I could understand the reluctance to change it. The others were proud of our colors and symbol and there was some, well, a lot of people who weren't thrilled about me trying to change things.

I nodded. "Okay, thanks for telling me."

This could very well make me the most unpopular person in school and as of right now, I wasn't really well known. I kind of liked that, being somewhat anonymous.

As I stepped around her reaching for the door, I caught sight of a bright head of red hair, but it vanished just as quickly. I stepped into the club room and forgot all about it.

When club ended almost two and a half hours later, I was more than ready to go home. Asuka was right by my side as I left, babbling on about a class project she was doing.

"Oh! Guess what? I got assigned to Minamino-san's group!"

That almost stopped me in my tracks.

Kurama? Asuka knew Kurama?

"Minamino-san? You mean Minamino Shuichi?" I asked numbly.

She nodded with a small, proud smile upon her lips.

"I know. I was amazed, too. He's so nice!"

She sounded so star-struck. I was a little bit … well… I'm not sure how I felt about it. I wasn't happy, let's put it that way. It was a sudden sour kind of feeling. Really, it was beyond description.

I wouldn't call it jealousy, definitely not.

But it was definitely some kind of infringement feeling.

Forget it, I wasn't thinking about it anymore.

By now we had reached the slipper room and I changed into my shoes. Asuka continued to talk telling me about the project specifics. It was a science project on plants.

It sounded boring.

It sounded boring until she mentioned a trip.

My head snapped up. "A trip?"

"Yeah. The four of us decided to go up to the Kansai Park to collect leaves. We're going Saturday, I can't wait! I've never been to the Kansai Park!"

"You're all going together?" I asked.

Asuka nodded as she snapped the ties on her own shoes and stood with her bag. "Yup. By magnet train."

I grabbed my bag and headed for the outer door. As I stepped outside a gentle wind blew against me and the scent of flowers seemed to cling lightly to the air.

"That sounds like it'll be fun."

What else could I say?

I quickly scampered down the steps and toward the gate. I had gotten maybe halfway to the gate when from my pocket there was a hum. I withdrew the little cell phone my mother had given me only a week ago.

"Hello?"

I listened.

"Keiko, sweetie. Your father and I are going to be late tonight; we have business to tend to. So make sure you eat well and we should be home before midnight, okay?"

"Okay. I'm going to go buy the store and do some grocery shopping. I picked up the list you had on the fridge."

"Oh! I was wondering where that had gotten to. Okay, don't be out too late and lock the doors."

"Yes, mother."

I smiled and the phone call ended a moment later.

As I clicked the phone shut and tucked it into my pocket and looked up I found Asuka and I were no longer alone.

"Good afternoon, Keiko."

I blinked, a little astonished to see Kurama there so suddenly.

"Good afternoon, Minamino-san."

He didn't seem surprised by addressing him so formally. Had I given him permission to use my first name?

"Good afternoon, Miyako-san."

Miyako was Asuka's last name. Something about his formal address with her soothed my previously ruffled feathers.

Asuka stared at us, glancing back and forth as though dumbfounded. "You two know one another?" she asked, her voice dipped slightly with awe.

Kurama glanced back at me. "Keiko and I have known one another several years. Please, Keiko, no need to be so formal, feel free to use my given name. I would be honored."

I frowned at him. "I'm not sure I'd like other people to know we've been friends for a while," I answered. "Your fan club isn't the most friendly group of people."

It was a lame answer, I know that. It was reasonable, but lame. That wasn't really why I wanted not to call him by his first name.

That was just denial.

Yes, I knew I was in denial and I was happy about.

Deny, deny, deny.

I deny everything.

They were both staring at me, had I said something stupid out loud?

I cleared my throat awkwardly.

"I was just telling Keiko about our botany trip." Asuka smiled broadly, clearly excited about the upcoming trip she and her partners were taking.

Kurama was looking at me. "We're going up to the Kansai Park to collect leaves. We're doing a pressed leaf booklet."

I nodded. Asuka had told me all about it already.

"Would you like to come along?"

I quickly shook my head. "No. No. Of course not, I have other things to be doing. I'm sure you'll have a good trip."

He frowned at me.

"Shall I walk you home?" he offered.

"Oh, no I'm okay. I'm not going home, I'm going shopping for a few things for my mother."

He nodded and turned toward Asuka. "May I walk you home?"

Asuka blinked and nodded and I watched them walk away not liking the feeling I was having.

Why was he walking her home?

Quickly, I headed the opposite direction. The store I was going was actually in the same direction that Kurama and Asuka were going, but I wasn't going to follow along behind them.

Ugh.

By the time I reached the market by a long roundabout way, my feet were kind of tired and I was irritated.

Very irritated.

In fact, my willingness to tolerate Asuka and her following me around was very quickly dying. It had more to do with Kurama than I wanted to admit.

I didn't like Kurama.

He wasn't mine.

Well, okay, I liked him, certainly.

No one doesn't like Kurama, but I had no right to feel jealous. None.

Although, there was that whole seed offering protection thing that Hiei had told me about.

What did that mean?

I wasn't sure…

Courting…

He was courting me, wasn't he?

Ugh.

How dare she get involved?

Did I have to worry about rivals, too?

Was Asuka a rival?

I wasn't sure about that either.

As the doors automatically opened, I found myself disappointed. Was I really getting this worked up over a guy I really didn't have anything to do with?

Yes.

Ugh.

I was pathetic.

"Yo! Keiko!"

Yusuke was a welcome distraction. He was carrying a couple of bags.

"What's that?" I stopped to stare at him, glancing at the bags as though I wanted to see right through the paper.

"Food. Come on."

"Food?" He started walking ahead of me and I followed him. He was obviously going toward my house; his mother's apartment was on another street. "What did you bring food?"

"To eat."

I blinked. Obviously it was going to be eaten. Why was he bringing food to my house?

"I mean what for?" I asked patiently.

"Why not? Everybody needs food," he answered. He walked up the pathway to the house and waited for me to unlock the door.

What was I in for?

He took the key from my hands and opened the door and walked on in. Leave it to Yusuke to just welcome himself…

I sighed and pulled my key from the door and stepped inside. Yusuke had already gone through and was in the kitchen. I could hear him bustling around in there.

I followed him to the kitchen and saw him sitting at the table with boxes of food.

"What are you doing?"

He looked up suddenly and then out the window. Then he gathered the stuff up again and headed out the back door.

Bewildered, I followed.

"... Yusuke!"

He ignored me.

Outside was a small table my parents and I sometimes had dinner at. He set up the food there. I watched until he looked up and sort of... glared.

"Sit down already..."

Curious, I did.

"What's with the food? I don't think you've ever brought food to my house."

He shrugged, as if disinterested. "So, what's going on with you and Starbutt?"

I sighed. He was still calling him that?

"Nothing, what makes you think so?"

He grinned and it was the 'I-know-something-you-don't-know' grin that I hated.

What did he know?

"I've been hearing things."

I sat forward. "Things? What kind of things?"

Yusuke picked up a rice ball and started chomping away leaving me to wonder. I followed his lead, eating slowly and wondering, watching him avidly.

As he reached for another, I slapped his hand. "Yusuke!"

He laughed. "Hiei told me you got an offering."

He said it so seriously that I felt like I'd just been dropped into a vat of ice water.

"What?"

"An offering... Hiei told me you had your room full of seeds or something and that it was an offering from Kurama."

With him suddenly switching back to Kurama's name I was even more worried.

"What does that mean? Is it bad?"

His eyes widened slightly. "Bad?" He stared at me a minute and started howling with laughter.

I growled. "Yusuke Urasmeshi!"

I almost jumped to my feet.

"Is he offending you?"

Yusuke's laughter died abruptly and we both turned startled eyes toward the interrupting voice.

Kurama... was in my back yard.

I cleared my throat. "I... hello, Kurama."

What on earth was I supposed to say?

And what did that mean? Was he offending me? Didn't Yusuke always offend me?

What did you say to a youkai that was courting you?

"Um... Kurama... could we talk?" I asked, daring to look at him directly.

Yusuke watched, grinning, reaching for more food as though he were in the front seat at a theatre.

"Certainly."

He glanced at Yusuke, but didn't ask him to leave. I would have, but I know he wouldn't have left.

"Um... About this courting thing... "

Kurama sat himself down at the table and peered up at me. He sat right next to Yusuke.

Was... that significant?

I wasn't sure.

"Um... What exactly does it mean? Youkai courting? That's what's happening, right?"

He nodded very calmly. "Youko and I have chosen you."

"C-Chosen me? Yes, I realize that. Could you explain the procedure?"

He smiled faintly. "Very simple, Keiko. Stage One: attract your attention; turn your eyes toward us. Stage Two: secure our mark upon you, prepare and give an offering, a sign of our territory and protection."

I nodded. "And what? Stage Three?"

He smiled again. "Stage Three is more complicated and I'm afraid I cannot explain it to you."

I frowned. "Why not?"

"Because then you would not respond to it as I want and then it would be pointless."

"I'm not happy about this."

He didn't seem to note the comment at all.

"Really." I sat back down. "I'm not happy with all this secret planning or what not and how exactly did you get into my room? I found seeds all over. What were you doing my underwear drawer?"

I dropped my head. Why did I have to have a sudden image of Kurama sniffing my panties?

I was completely nuts.

It was official.

Yusuke, again, erupted into laughter. Only now he'd laid his head on the table and was banging his fist on it. I regarded him coolly, a look he completely missed.

Kurama didn't acknowledge him at all.

"I apologize, that was most... intrusive of us."

There was a smirk on his lips at that.

"But I assure you it was most essential. The most important territory marker of all, that wasn't placed directly upon your person, of course."

He smiled as though he had just successfully told me how to parallel park or something.

Ugh.

"So, does this mean what I think it means? If I go to the library and look up fox mating will I find out what's going on here or is this a youkai thing?"

There was a snort of repressed laughter and I turned to see Hiei was lounging in my back yard tree.

Okay, now this was too weird.

I looked back.

Kurama looked even more displeased.

"My offering is not intended to draw males into this territory, but to keep them away."

His voice was like stone.

I stared at him, semi-astonished at the sound. Was he angry?

"Yo, Hiei. What's up?" Yusuke had recovered enough to speak. "You here to see Starbutt stake his claim on Keiko?"

Hiei hopped down. "Starbutt?" he asked.

"I cannot believe this... " I muttered.

"Keiko thinks Kurama has a hot ass," Yusuke answered. I slapped a hand to my face. He didn't really just say that... to Hiei of all people!

I couldn't look to see if he was staring at me.

"About this claim thing... what am I supposed to do, exactly?" I mumbled, staring at the table.

"Nothing," he responded. "I wish you only to react as you normally might. That is how a courting works, no different than dating amongst humans."

I looked up. "No, I think dating amongst humans is a tad bit different."

"Not that much, hey, since this whole thing is going so well, why don't you just skip the rest of the stages and get it on?" Yusuke grinned.

"Yusuke! Don't be crude." Kurama shot back.

I was actually a little more worried at that.

'Get it on?'

Oh my..

OH... MY...

Don't tell me this thing was a prelude to sex?

My face colored as I recalled the notebook entries.

I shot to my feet. "I gotta go."

Yusuke was grinning wider.

I escaped into the house and didn't look back.

The next day when I was in counsel I found myself unprepared.

"We have a special order of business today..."

I looked up.

"It has been brought to our attention that Mai, our treasurer, is no longer able to keep up with her workload. She has decided to resign the position, effective immediately, and so we need a replacement. We have such a replacement in mind."

Huh?

I hadn't seen Kurama practically all day. The others had gone from my back yard within an hour the previous night. I had discreetly peeked out at them through my windows, but they never came back up to the house and my parents were home just short of midnight.

I was actually asleep then, but I'd woken at the noise they made downstairs.

"A replacement?" I found myself asking. The others turned toward me. "What replacement?"

Replacements were required to be voted in the rare exceptions of emergency replacements and then the counsel president could choose them.

"Since we are in immediate need of a president, I have already assigned the new position."

Eh?

The position was filled?

With who?

When the door opened and the replacement walked in, I really wanted to kick myself. I should've seen it coming. My paranoid brain should've warned me.

"Ladies and gentlemen of the Counsel, please welcome our new treasurer, Minamino Shuichi."

Minamino… Shuichi…

Ugh.

I almost shot out of my chair; instead, I quickly diverted my gaze toward the desk.

"Thank you, I hope my stay here will be productive. His voice was the same confidant tone it always was.

I sighed.

I spent the entire session, trying to avoid looking at him.

I was the first one out the door. Was I avoiding him?

Yes.

Did I want to avoid him?

Yes.

I had just gotten to the exit doors when I was suddenly pulled aside. I didn't recognize the person readily.

"Yukimura-san?" his voice was soft and that was when I realized who he was. He was on the boy's soccer team, but his name escaped me. All the girls thought he was really nice. I didn't really know him.

"So.. um, are you busy say, next Tuesday?"

I shifted. Was this guy asking me on a date?

"She cannot."

We both turned to see who was talking. When I met green eyes and an expression just slightly less than neutral, I almost slapped a hand to my forehead.

I almost blurted out 'Kurama!'

"M-Minamino-san!" the boy exclaimed.

"Kirishima-san..." Kurama's voice was still and held a dangerously sharp edge to it. He advanced toward the other boy and I was almost scared by the prediatorial look there.

Actually Kirishima, which I now remembered was his name thanks to Kurama, looked kind of familiar, but I couldn't place the face exactly. Where was he from? Aside from the fact we went to school together? In the mean time, the look on Kurama's face hadn't softened.

"I'll warn you only once, do not make trouble for Keiko."

The other boy nodded quickly and then almost dashed for the door. I turned toward Kurama with a glare.

"There's no need to be so harsh. I could take care of myself, thank you very much."

I could.

Besides, Kirishima looked perfectly nice. Kurama didn't acknowledge my comment at all, instead, he smiled slightly. "Shall I walk you home?"

"No! You cannot just chase off my would-be suitors and then offer to walk me home."

He shook his head. "I have an earlier claim, Keiko. It is within my bounds to defend it and you did not reject my offering for you."

How could you argue that?

"I didn't say you could take over my life."

"We had this discussion before," he explained, taking my arm and pulling me gently outside where the others couldn't see or hear us. There were a few people coming down the hall, I noted, before the doors had closed. "I cannot allow you to court other males, I apologize if this is an inconvenience for you."

Was that bitterness there or was I imagining that?

"I'm not that kind of girl!" I snapped. "But I didn't say you could act like a big scary gorilla and chase off perfectly pleasant individuals."

He looked away. Uh oh, why did I have a bad feeling about him looking off in the distance like that?

He turned back to me a moment later. "Keiko... "

I waited anxiously for him to continue.

"While I have a claim over you, I cannot allow you to see other males. If you cannot abide by this, please reject me outright presently."

It felt like the floor had dropped out from beneath me. I turned and began to walk away. I was running away again. I'd been running from the very first, hadn't I? Trying to escape what I didn't want to think about.

Kurama was serious about this.

Very serious.

Why couldn't I handle it?

The next afternoon I predicted sunny skies and happy days. Nothing ever goes like that but I was living in hope.

I headed off from school, there were no club activities and intended to go home. Mom and Dad were working late a lot with expanding the shop and so I was getting a lot of alone time with the house.

My walk home was peaceful and I did everything I could to avoid thinking about Kurama. I had even avoided leaving my classroom so I didn't have to accidentally see him in the hall. Except for those one or two trips to the restroom, of course.

Now, successfully half way home, I was tired and well.. tired, really. Mainly that was my problem. I had too much to think about and I didn't want to think about any of it.

"I didn't even do anything!"

I came around the corner curiously and stared, taking careful note of everyone in front of me.

Kuwabara, Kurama, Yusuke, and Kirishima?

What was this?

Kuwabara looked torn. "Aww... You guys... Can't we settle this peaceful-like?"

"I'm perfectly willing to be peaceful as long as Kirishima abides by the rules. If he refuses to stay away from her I'll be forced to take action."

Kirishima scowled and advanced, a glower on his gentle face. "I don't have to take this from some uppity pretty boy!"

A sudden awareness dawned over me! That's why Kirishima looked so familiar. He was one of Kuwabara's friends!

Kuwabara grabbed the boy's collar and quickly placed himself between his two comrades. Yusuke appeared to be there just for the fun of it.

"Yo! Keiko! You here to see Kirishima get his ass kicked?"

Yusuke grinned and I frowned. "What's going on here?" I asked but the boys were all staring at each other like they couldn't look away or something disastrous would happen.

"It's just minor business, please don't worry over it, Keiko," Kurama answered.

I growled at him. Was he giving me orders? What was that? A gentle 'it's fine, go away now'?

"Does this have anything to do with the whole hallway thing because if it does-" I was interrupted when Kirishima again tried to get past Kuwabara.

"I don't have to be offended like this. Even if it wasn't about Yukimura, being called an impotent halfwit is going too far!"

"An impotent halfwit?" Kuwabara repeated, as if he couldn't quite believe it. "This is over a girl?"

The tone of his voice was incredulous as though he couldn't believe two of his friends were fighting over something so stupid. I fought not to be offended.

"Kurama, can you please tone it a down a bit?" I asked, not sure really what I should be saying.

He looked away from the other males and toward me.

"I told you what you had to do to get me to stop this, Keiko."

"But... it's not fair! You're not telling me everything, I know you aren't. I think you're leaving out everything you possibly can like you're getting some twisted enjoyment out of all of this!"

He didn't deny it. He grinned at me and his eyes sparkled. There was pride and deep self-satisfaction gleaming in his eyes and it looked so… appealing. Kurama had always been attractive but... I don't think I ever thought he was so startlingly... male? Maybe that was the wrong word. I shook off the feeling.

Yusuke was laughing. I realized, belatedly, I hadn't even heard him begin to laugh at us. At me, probably.

"She's right, you know," Yusuke finally spoke up as silence descended over our little group. "You aren't being fair."

I looked away as there was movement off to my side and I saw Kirishima next to me. "I apologize Yukimura, I didn't realize you were dating Minamino-san. I wouldn't have imposed on you earlier. "

He shot a hateful look back toward Kurama.

"Doesn't mean I like him," he hissed.

I nodded. "I'm really sorry Kirishima-san. Minamino-san and I are having a lot of miscommunications right now."

He smiled at me tenderly and I was sorry I hadn't noticed him before. He was cute and had a nice smile. Nothing like Kurama or that look he'd sent me, but sweet all the same. With his head and shoulders bent slightly, he walked away, defeated and I felt bad for him.

I turned toward Kurama, angry.

"You will explain this whole thing you're doing right now, or-"

Yusuke's laughter interrupted. I glared at him.

"It's a youkai thing. You need to accept or reject his attentions. Accepting means giving him an offering, like he gave you... except different."

I crossed my arms, my patience wearing thin.

Kurama and Kuwabara just watched, well Kuwabara watched, clearly interested. Kurama seemed a bit displeased. I couldn't imagine was he was upset about. I was on the verge of not caring. I was angry at him.

"Oh! I got it! You need to give him something to show you're accepting his protection while you're courting and that you're the only male you're looking at."

I stared at him.

He grinned at me lecherously. "Give him a pair of panties."

I stopped tapping my foot; hardly aware I was doing it until just that moment. I frowned at him, but his expression didn't shift. He was serious. Kuwabara was staring at him too, but then he turned a questionable glance toward Kurama. I was leaving.

"Don't go."

I stopped and looked back. Kurama was staring at me.

"I refuse to wait any longer. I have waited long enough. Your answer now." Kurama's voice was soft and steady and his eyes trained directly upon me.

"Hey, Kurama, what's going on here?" Kuwabara asked.

I glanced at Kuwabara but he was glancing around, looking for answers.

"You and Keiko dating?" Kuwabara continued.

"I'm sorry. I can't do that," I answered.

Kurama didn't so much as fidget. He waited and said nothing.

"Hey, Urameshi, I thought Keiko was your girl?" Kuwabara continued, unhindered by the tense silence.

"Nah. Keiko's too much of a pain in the ass for me."

I spared Yusuke a glance.

"So… Kurama and Keiko are dating?"

Yusuke shrugged.

He wasn't going to let me leave without an answer?

"Um…"

Kuwabara frowned. "What the hell's going on here and what's it got to do with Kirishima?"

I sighed and glanced toward Kuwabara. "I apologize, Kuwabara. Like I said, Kurama and I aren't communicating well and its causing problems."

He turned to look back at me. "So, then you aren't dating Urameshi then?"

"Yusuke and I never dated. What girl legally sane would go out with him?"

Yusuke scoffed. "Hey! Just 'cause you're stuck on Starbutt over there doesn't mean I don't have a great ass too!" The young former-detective snapped. "Plenty of girls have ogled this ass!"

I was afraid he was about to do something completely embarrassing, so I grabbed Kurama's arm and began to pull him away.

"You know… I think Kurama and I need to do some talking. Good to see you Kuwabara, I'm really sorry about the other thing with Kirshima. He's such a sweet guy."

I smiled at him and Kuwabara nodded. "Yeah, it's okay."

Kurama was quite willingly walking away with me and I had hoped we were through with Yusuke and his badgering.

"Yo! Keiko! This mean you're skipping all the stages and going for the hot sex?"

I stopped walking; intent upon slapping him into next week, but Kurama slipped an arm around my shoulders, gently turned me about and kept walking. I fumed silently.

"Moron…" I mumbled.

Kurama seemed pleased. Why didn't that surprise me?

"So, Keiko, what would you like to discuss?"

As though we had the weather to chat about or something. My house was really close and I let him in without really thinking about it. I mean, it didn't really occur to me that we were –alone- in my house until the door clicked shut and that's always the worse time to realize it.

I dropped my school bag onto the floor, paying no attention to it and headed for the kitchen. "I'm going to grab a snack, want one?"

"Whatever you're having will be fine. Would you mind if I waited here?"

Of course I wouldn't mind. I just shook my head and headed into the kitchen. I ended up grabbing some leftovers from the fridge. But when I popped the lid from the plastic bowl the smell almost knocked me over.

How old was this?

Wait!

I stared at it a little closer, holding my nose. Correction: what was it?

I threw the whole thing, container and all, into the garbage. Mom probably wouldn't notice.

I ended up preparing a little fruit plate. It was better than nothing and I didn't feel like cooking. Especially after I'd picked up three bags of fruit yesterday. When I re-entered the living room Kurama was on the couch and...

I almost dropped the plate in shock. What was that in his hands?

I quickly made my way toward the couch and sat the plate on the little table. "Where'd you get that?"

The little blue notebook that had started this mess was in his hands. I had put that in my school bag just last night intending to get rid of it. Somehow I'd gotten distracted and not done it.

Okay, fine, I had stood by the trashcan unwilling to drop it into the container.

"It fell out of your bag. I was most surprised."

He was smiling again and I was really beginning to get annoyed. I looked away.

"I want to straighten this mess out right now, Kurama."

"Do you dislike my presence, Keiko?"

Ugh, he sounded so… tender.

"No. It's not that I don't like you or anything like that. It's just a little odd. I mean, I know you as Kurama and everything but, you're still Minamino Shuichi and that person is mini-superstar, and I don't know you very well on top of that so…"

I sighed despairingly.

"Would you have felt this way had I asked you on a date?"

"Yes," I responded immediately. "Because it feels sudden and awkward and I really feel bad saying that, like I'm saying I don't like you, but I don't feel that way, really."

He sighed softly. "I shall tell you then, about our mating rituals if you like."

I nodded. "I would, please do."

"Fox youkai don't take life mates. Much like the normal foxes, they mate year to year, although there is a habit for taking the same female to mate if she can be found."

"You… Are you saying that you're going through this whole mating ritual thing and you'll only be interested for a year?"

Did I just hear that right?

"I'm saying foxes mate per year. I'm a fox youkai; it's not quite the same. When dealing with humans it's quite different."

There was a moment of silence and I reached for a slice of apple. Wasn't I so lucky?

"Would you like to go on a date, Keiko? A movie, perhaps?"

"No. I wouldn't like that, besides you're only asking because I'm a little weirded out about this whole thing."

He didn't deny that and I didn't know what to do. Should I have said 'yes' and just went with it or was I doing the right thing? What was the right thing?

"Do you have any questions?"

I sighed. "I don't know."

He stood. "Then I should be going. I have to make a tutoring session."

He tutored? I didn't ask as he was already at the door.

"I'll see you tomorrow then."

I watched him walk out with a sense of disappointment. This situation hadn't gotten any better from the very first. I sighed and sat down. It was true enough, what I said to him. It was so complicated.

He really was a mini-superstar and his family was important to him, that I knew and plus he was a youkai. That was just… well… No, it didn't bother me, I could handle it. It wasn't exactly as though Yusuke were 100 percent human and he turned out ok.

Oh, no, now I'm thinking about kids with him! I sighed again.

Leave it to me to jump straight past dating and marriage to children. I was not planning for a family right now. Absolutely not.

But wow, what would they look like? I could just imagine a tiny red head of hair and beautiful, big green eyes… Aww, it was so sweet!

Realizing what I was doing, I quickly snapped myself back to reality. I liked Kurama, I did. But did I like Kurama enough to want to have kids with him?

Well…

That was not as complicated as I wanted it to be, because the answer was simple and I knew what it was. Yes.

I would have kids with Kurama. Any female not insane would, he was Kurama, after all, there couldn't be a better provider than him.

But that was just looking at it from practicality's point of view. How did I feel about Kurama personally?

What did I know about Kurama? I glanced at the notebook… Other than he had some really interesting thoughts about me?

I picked up the notebook and flipped through.

A splash of unfamiliar blue ink caught my eye. Especially since it hadn't been there before.

"Keiko,

"I would like to express my sincerest apologies. I have made you uncomfortable and that was not my intention. It has occurred to me that perhaps my attentions are not wanted by you and you are simply too nice to say so.

"If that is the case- I understand. You needn't put up with my unusual behavior any longer. You needn't try to spare my feelings.

"So let us settle this matter. In two days I shall be leaving with my classmates on a weekend trip. If you would not be adverse to receiving more of my attentions, please meet me at the school garden out back Friday afternoon. If you do not appear, I will understand and you will have to say nothing of it."

The letter ended without a signature, but really, who else could have written it?

So, he would meet me at the school garden. Okay, I would decide what to do before then.

But I knew already I would be going.

I couldn't just leave him out there waiting and me never showing up. That would be cruel.

And it wasn't as though I didn't like him.

Ugh.

I would work this out later. Yes, I was putting it off again. Maybe I just couldn't help it.

I stared at the note for two days. I tried even harder after that to avoid Kurama. I just didn't want to do this. I didn't want to do any of this. I was so confused and strung out. My parents were still working late; they had told me earlier in the week they didn't expect to be returning home upon normal hours for at least a few months.

As I approached the garden on the appointed day my nerves were completely shot. I was just all sorts of anxious and tense. I loitered twenty long minutes in the bathroom as I debated whether or not to meet Kurama and chiding myself for not going sooner and equally berating myself for taking so long.

What if he left? What if he assumed I wasn't coming? I had read and analyzed every word of the letter he'd left in the notebook. I had skimped and added and morphed every word of it into something it wasn't. Speculation ran rampant in my little head.

I dragged my feet and stopped to talk to everyone and anyone along the way just to keep myself from having to go. When I reached the back doors that led into the garden, I glanced around.

I didn't seem him anywhere.

I pushed open the door and stepped outside. It would serve me right if he'd gone and left. I was being unfair and cowardly.

I was thoroughly disgusted with myself. I walked past the two bushes at the sides of the steps, glancing around rapidly. I was scanning the place, peering about for him. Where was he?

Was he gone?

Anxiousness and fear rode its way through me, holding tight and digging deep. The soil was a bit soggy from the hard rain we'd gotten just last night.

I'd laid awake and listened to it pour, trying to drown out my thoughts of Kurama. It hadn't worked, but everything was worth a shot once.

I stepped into the main circle of the garden where there were a couple of benches. The school garden was a project of the school Gardening Club and they took great pride in it.

"K-Kurama?" I called tentatively.

They watched her move into the main center of the garden, eyes caught between emerald and gold. Her movements were small and uncertain. Fear wafted from her in soft, rippling waves. Her body trembled slightly and she crossed her arms to cover her uncertainty, to afford herself more stability.

Her eyes flickered around wildly, searching.

Tenatively, she sat down on one of the old wooden benches and then stood up just as quickly, dusting off the back of her skirt.

He grinned.

The wood was wet.

"K-Kurama..?" se called, her voice soft and with a definite but slight tremble to it.

Kurama, she called, not Minamino-san or Shuichi.

A low, pleased growl rumbled through his throat and he stepped forward and headed toward her, approaching her from behind.

Humans were interesting creatures…

But sometimes they acted too much like prey…

AN: Ah... I forgot about this story, sorry. Rose reminded me.