TheAccursed
Chapter Three

"I suppose that I should allow you to return home now," Klaus spoke up.

"Oh... yeah," Miya agreed, her voice soft, eyes distant. She had no idea what the time was, but she guessed that having a leisurely walk with Klaus was not very quick. Kotarou was probalby waiting up for her. She had yet another fight to look forward to.

"Is... something wrong?"

She glanced up at Klaus. The blond demon was staring off somewhere ahead of them, a bored expression on his face. Even though he had asked he, he didn't look concerned in the least. It was a practiced expression, years of training himself to show no weakness to the dangers in his life, or so she guessed. More than likely, if one showed weakness, other, stronger demons would destroy them...

He was so unlike her. Everyone knew when and why she was feeling anything. She couldn't help that about herself.

"Yeah, I'm annoyed," she replied. From the corner of her eyes she watched for his reaction; his face did not even flicker.

"If you're waiting for me to look worried about you, do not hold your breath," he said harshly. "I showed nothing for Shia when she passed. I will not waste anything on you."

"Then don't expect me to answer," she huffed.

This was more than silly. She was just in a bad mood and instead of taking it out on the one she was upset with, she was taking it out on Klaus for a reason that didn't make any sense. And this wasn't the first time that they had had a fight over this matter, either. Every time she was in the middle of a fight with Kotarou, she picked at him.

But proving to herself that she could be a bitch never helped her feel any better.

"If you wish not to speak about it, I will not press the issue," he said.

Miya sighed. Heavily. "I'm sorry."

"You are under a great deal of stress right now. I understand that," he said softly. You care for that mortal, just as your former self did, even if not to the same extent. You are enjoying living as you are now, but feel guilty because in order to keep it, you must keep Misha under the surface. But should they succeed and Misha returns, then you will die."

She nodded slowly. She hated hearing about what would happen to her if Misha could be successfully brought back. The curse had done more than simply erase her memories as Misha, it had done so much more... but she couldn't place it. In the back of her mind she had the nagging suspicion that Klaus knew what that was. In fact, she was almost certain of that, because when they had bumped into one another, he hadn't called her Misha...

"But the problem isn't all of that right now," Miya said quickly. "Completely unrelated... and things aren't going so well..."

"It's because of me that you fainted in front of that 'super-angel'." He said angel as if it was a bad thing. "So she went and told Higuchi, while you tried to hide it. He waited you out, but couldn't, and confronted you. He was probably furious by then. And though you've been trying to tiptoe around de--sorry, trouble, it keeping finding its way to you." He sucked in a deep breath. "Have I missed anything?"

"You must follow me around," she laughed. He knew perfectly what he troubles were. If she hadn't been so flattered that he could tell, she might have been seriously concerned.

"Sometimes." His face was still pleasantly bland. She could not tell it he was just teasing or not. She let the subject drop.

"Miya, do you think you can still help me hide?" he asked. She could have sworn that he sounded worried. But that was so unlike Klaus, she was sure that she was just imagining it.

"Yup." She gave him one of her best smiled. "Just wait until I finish talkin' to Kotarou, 'kay? Su!"

"Fine."

Klaus pushed something at her. It was a flimsy black bag wrapped around something hard, like a present would be wrapped. Visible in the dim streetlight was the image of a single red rose, and the word "Crossroads" written in gold cursive lettering.

"Don't worry about paying me back."

She smiled, knowing without having to look inside the bag, that he had just given her the book she was supposed to pick up.

"Thanks."

Miya was not sure which was colder: outside in the winter air, or inside, having to face down the icy glare that Kotarou giving her. She'd almost turned tail and ran for her apartment when he answered his door. Even though he hadn't spoken a word, she knew from his expression that she had a lecture in store for her. She had already heard all of his lectures before, and this was one that she could do without hearing again.

Hearing it once a day was more than enough.

"Well, I'm back, Kotarou-kun!" she announced, though obviously did not have to. "Su."

His look softened, and he bent over to close his mathbook. He said nothing.

"Um, I'm gonna head home now," she continued, stumbling over her words. He just nodded. She stood where she was for a moment longer, staring at him, worried. He wanted to say something to her, she could tell, so why wasn't he?

WIthout another word she turned and walked towards the door. He didn't follow her, didn't walk her out and wish her 'sweet dream'. Usually he did, even if they were fighting. But this time all that she could feel was the weight of his eyes on her back as she walked away.

She hated it.

He must be really mad at me... She fought the urge to go back and ask him what was wrong. Was that Misha? Was the reason she wanted to go back and smother him in so much affection really Misha's feelings?

She opened the front door and walked out silently. She closed the door as softly as possible.

"Why don't I get it?" she asked softly. "Why do I screw up so much?"

"You are the sort of angel that never does things right. You always have been like that, I think," Klaus' voice was low, trying to hide from Kotarou. He was leaning against the wall, arms crossed. "But the effect never seemed to be so... serious. Everything worked out for you. I was annoyed by that, but Shia... she liked that about you..."

Kotarou waited for the door to click shut before he turned around to face the balcony windows. When he did, Sasha suddenly appeared, and phased through them. Her face was as serious as he felt. Maybe he wore that expression on his face, too, without even knowing it. That would definitely explain why Misha seemed so nervous around him.

But Misha was definitely hiding something from him. How could he relax when he knew that?

At the beginning, Misha seemed to be doing well. She was slowly regaining her memories, and with Sasha's guidance she had even begun to use her angelic powers again. But then, one day, she just stopped trying. She distanced herself from both Sasha and himself, and closed off the way back.

"I'm worried about that girl," Sasha sighed.

"Sasha-san... do you think that maybe it's the demon that's interferring?" he asked. He couldn't help but sound a little hopeful. If it was the demon causing these problems, and not Misha, then he knew for sure that she still loved him.

"Anything's possible Kid," she replied. She didn't sound nearly as hopeful.

Both were quiet for a moment. Kotarou was frustrated with the situation he was in. He wanted to be able to support Misha, but she was resisting him as her guardian, as someone who loved her dearly and worried about her. The more he worried for her, the more she pushed him away. Then he worried more about her, and she tried harder to cover up everything that was wrong, and then they were steps further back from where they had begun. He was getting tired, and angry.

"I'm heading back up then," Sasha announced, sighing heavily as she turned towards the windows. "I'll be back in a few days, your time."

"All right."

He didn't watch as the blond angel left, but he could still feel it. The warmth that Sasha brought with her faded quickly, leaving his usually cold.

"We're all hiding things from each other, aren't we?" a soft, bored-sounding voice commented. The voice was accompanied by a bone-chilling breeze.

Kotarou turned around slowly to face the image of his former self. It was the demon that had taken Misha from him, in what appeared to be his favourite form: Kotaroh. He probably used it to torment Misha, somehow, and she being who she was now simply kept that hidden.

The demon also came by to bother him, visiting more often than Sasha did.

"What do you want?" he growled, balling his hands into fists. "Get out."

"Kotarou, Kotarou, Kotarou," the demon playfully sang his name while shaking his head. "You should be happier to see me."

"What. Do. You. Want?" Kotarou repeated, forcing each word through clenched teeth.

"Want?" the demon laughed as though Kotarou ws being silly. "I want what I've always wanted. What you want."

"I never wanted this to happen to her,' he said softly, though his voice dripped with vemon. "This isn't what I wanted. It's hurting her..."

The demon shrugged. He did not look too interested in what Kotarou had to say. Or maybe it was an overall boredom in everything in his life. Kotarou could recall the same, though a bit angrier, look on the mysterious blond-haired demon that had watched over Shia a few years back.

"I meant safe," the demon corrected him. "I want her to be safe." He shook his head and ran a hand through his light brown hair, laughing softly. "I can't believe how strong this kid's emotions are..."

Kotarou simply stood his ground and glared at the demon. The first time that he had men the demon was after he had cursed Misha, that night when she had snuck out to go back to the park. He had told him that she was up to something. And for a moment he had gotten a glimpse of Misha, the real Misha, that night. Time and time again the demon proved that protecting Misha was his intent, and that he couldn't pass up the chance for playing mind games in the process.

Kotarou's defenses were always on high when the demon was around, good intentions or not. With the exception of Shia, he did not think any demon was trustworthy.

The demon growled lowly. Kotarou flinched.

"She's been playing some dangerous games with a demon, y'see," he explained. "And I want that to stop. Now."

It's funny. When I wrote this, I didn't pick up on how much it almost sounds like they're working together in that last scene--I did when I was typing. But at this point, I'm not done writing the story, so just maybe it is... eh?