Chapter 16: "Poker Table is Closed For Business"

X

Alone at the hotel restaurant, Rei thumbed through her phone and tried very hard not to think about the night before.

Silvery sunlight poured through the skylight above the enormous foyer of the hotel, where the restaurant lay behind panels of glass to keep it from the lobby's busy morning buzz. Rei drank coffee from a china cup, picking at a plate of Western-style breakfast while skimming through her phone, ticking off mental check-boxes as she completed task after necessary task. She'd be out-of-pocket and back in the land of no signal very soon; the final emails she needed to could not be put off a moment longer. Thankfully Kurama had let her use the bathroom first that morning. She'd gotten herself ready for the day in record time and cleaned up her half of the hotel room in a swift sweep, heading downstairs alone before Kurama could emerge from his own morning routine. Probably took him so long because of that hair of his, Rei thought, but for once she was actually grateful for his unnecessarily beautiful locks. Alone time, she thought as she typed another email, was a must this morning, for sure.

… it was tough to concentrate on her phone when Rei kept thinking about him, though.

Her cheeks colored as she stared into her cup, phone dropping to her side as memories of the night before flooded her palate like a sip of sweetened coffee. Wasn't the first time she'd blushed that morning; she sensed it wouldn't be the last. But how could she not blush every time she remembered what they'd talked about, how they'd interacted, how she'd just… told him things. Private things. Intimate things. Things she hadn't told anyone in years and years. It had surprised even Rei to hear the words coming out of her mouth so easily in Kurama's presence. Truth be told, she wasn't sure why the hell she'd said any of it. And sure, Himiko had been pissed at her for saying so much, but in the light of day, Rei did not regret her choices. She just wasn't sure why she'd made them in the first place.

Well. Rei had an inkling of why she'd trusted him with her private thoughts, at any rate. The way he'd looked at her with such curiosity, like he was trying to piece the puzzles of her together to form a greater whole — a look bereft of any pity whatsoever — had made her feel at ease. Rei hated being pitied, and the attention he'd shown her had been rather flattering. And the way he'd listened to her talk about makeup and self-image and societal expectations without argument, as though studiously internalizing her point of view like he intended very much to remember it…

Somehow, she trusted that he would… and thus, she'd spoken freely.

But that was another thing Rei wasn't sure about: Why, out of all the people she'd met in recent days, did she trust Kurama most of all? Sure, she liked everyone she'd met in his group of supernaturally-inclined friends. They'd all been welcoming and kind to Rei in her hour of need, but as for blind trust? Kurama occupied the top of her list. She just wasn't sure when that had become the case. Perhaps it was because he'd shared some of his past with her not long after meeting each other, but so had everyone else…

Or perhaps it was because he'd saved her life at the club? Standing with him on the dancefloor as the demons searched for her, feeling her heard pound, his hands light but firm upon her hips, arms tightening as the demons drew close… he'd smelled like mint and fresh earth, comforting and crisp as adrenaline flooded her veins with nervous energy.

Maybe that was it, then. Adrenaline. Sharing an adrenaline-fueled moment with someone had a way of bonding people together. In fact, Rei remembered reading a study about it, where researchers had sent some couples on regular dates while others had to cross a rickety bridge, and the couples who went on that thrilling date reported higher levels of attraction, and Kurama certainly was attractive, and —

God, he was attractive, actually. That had never been clearer than that morning, when Rei had awoken with her arm draped across Kurama's chest, the Great Wall of Co-sleeping Separation shoved down into a lump under the covers at her feet. Lashes stained his cheeks like soot, red hair fanning around his head like a river of fire, skin flawless and luminous in the mild glow seeping in from around the window drapes. Rei had woke up before him, thank fucking Christ, but she'd seen a flash of green as she extricated herself from under his arm — one he'd sleepily wrapped around her shoulders in return. Something told her he had been pretending to be asleep to be polite.

God, what a mess. What a fucking mess. Her cheeks were on fire as she gulped her scalding coffee, thinking about how that damned fox-boy had acted thoroughly surprised to find the pillow wall missing. He was a good actor, she'd give him that…

"Morning, Yamato."

Rei jolted in her seat, but it was only Yusuke and Kuwabara who'd come to stand beside her table. Yusuke yawned as he lowered into a chair, elbow falling on the white tablecloth precariously close to Rei's breakfast plate. Kuwabara sat on her other side, practically lurching into place before cradling his head in his hands with a groan. He was wearing sunglasses indoors, she noted with sympathy. That sympathy turned into alarm when he hiccupped, one hand sliding down to cover his pale mouth.

"Whoa." Rei reached for his arm to give it a comforting pat. "You gonna be OK there, buddy?"

"No," Kuwabara moaned at once. His forehead fell to the tablecloth with a thud that made Rei wince. "Kill me. Just put me out of my misery already, I beg you."

"What gives, man?" Yusuke teased. "I thought you said you could drink anybody under the table."

"Sure, maybe one-on-one, but an entire burlesque troupe?" said Kuwabara. "That's —"

Again he hiccupped, large hand clamping tight around his face. Rei knew the look of a terrible hangover when she saw one (not to mention the sight of a person about to barf, which, gross) and leapt promptly into action to prevent disaster, summoning a waiter for some very specific food items so she could craft her foolproof hangover cure: a drink of tomato juice mixed with vodka and a raw egg, disgusting drink paired with a hearty sandwich of bacon and thick bread. Kuwabara balked at the Bloody Mary and breakfast she offered him, but at Rei's urging he consumed it, anyway. Soon the hair of the dog that bit him took the edge off of his symptoms, Kuwabara falling back against his chair with a grown of relief.

"Protein, fat and carbs," said Rei as Kuwabara munched. "That's what'll help you get over this. Trust me. I've had enough mornings like yours to know firsthand."

"Thanks for taking care of me, Yamato," he said around a mouthful. "You're a pal."

"Am I? I'm kind of the one who got you into this state, passing you shots all night…"

"Yeah, but you were doing it to be a friend to Urameshi. And since it was his party, that's what mattered." Kuwabara managed his first smile of the morning. "We took one for the team!"

Rei stared at him in awe, saying, "You're… you're, like, a really good person, you know that?"

"Aw, shucks, Yamato." Kuwabara flushed, and not because of his hangover. "Thanks. I try."

"And you succeed!" Rei told him.

"Speaking of success…" A wicked glint brightened Yusuke's dark eye as he leaned toward her. "You end up getting lucky last night, huh?"

"Wow. What a segue," said Rei with deadpan snark. "Truly your conversational abilities are without parallel, honed no doubt through your years spent as a silver-tongued politician." A moment's pause, and then she pretended to remember something. "Oh wait. That's right! You had advisor Kurama do all the schmoozing for you."

"… is that a no?"

"It's a 'hell no,' actually."

Kuwabara looked between them in alcohol-addled confusion. "What's Urameshi talking about, Yamato?"

"Yamato and Kurama had to bunk together last night." Yusuke spoke with a lascivious grin on his face, satisfaction etched in every line. "Was hoping Yamato might throw the poor guy a bone —"

"Pun intended?" Rei grumbled.

"— but I guess it wasn't in the cards, huh?"

"Sorry. Your clever ploy to get him laid didn't work." Rei made an X with her index fingers and held it over her crotch; Kuwabara gave a scandalized gasp. "The poker table is closed for business, no cards to be had!"

"Aw, damn." Yusuke laughed. "Not even for one of my groomsmen?"

"Nope," said Rei. "And what's with the desperate attempts to get Kurama a hookup, anyway? What, does he have a hard time picking up girls or something? I find that hard to believe…"

"You find that hard to believe because you think he's hot?" Yusuke said, hope rising with every word.

"Not the point," said Rei most dourly. "Answer the question."

"But you didn't answer my question…"

"Answer. The. Question!"

"Fine." Yusuke rolled his eyes, pausing as the waiter brought over his breakfast of bacon, eggs and pancakes. He talked while he ate, manners completely at odds with his former royal occupation. "I mean, it's not like Kurama had any trouble getting girls when we were living in Demon World. Plenty of chicks in Demon World threw themselves at him all the time. Heck, even guys did some throwing — or maybe they were interested in catching, eh? Eh?"

Yusuke snickered at his own joke. Rei just glared, though, until he cleared his throat.

"Anyway," he said. "Kurama turned 'em all down. Even before I was king, he'd turn down just about anybody who asked him out." Yusuke's eyes screwed up in concentration. "Can't think of a single time he actually…"

"Yeah, he was like that during college, too," said Kuwabara. "Lots of girls asked him out, but he always said no. Never really understood why, but I get what you're getting at, Urameshi."

"I thought you might, Kuwabara." To Rei Yusuke said, "Point is, Kurama's a good guy and you're a nice girl and I guess I just thought it could be cool if you two felt some sparks, that's all."

"A nice girl," Rei repeated, feigning offense. "Wow. Looks like I'm losing my counter-culture touch. I haven't been called 'nice' since I was a teenager."

"You know what I mean." Yusuke grinned. "Kurama deserves to meet someone who's not a total bastard or whatever. He'll never go looking for it himself, so I thought that maybe a little push in your direction…"

"Your dedication to your friend's sex life is inspiring. Alas, no. No sparks were felt." This was a lie on Rei's part; she couldn't forget the feeling of Kurama's hands on her hips in the club, the literal sparks she felt dancing across her skin as he fired off his energy, but Yusuke did not need to hear about that. Acting far more casually than she felt, Rei listed sideways in her seat and shrugged. "Not that Kurama's not delicious to look at or anything —"

Kuwabara shuddered at her wording. "Gross!"

"— but I'm not the type to jump into bed with a guy at the first opportunity, even if he does have a rather endearing habit of saving my life on occasion."

"Damn," said Yusuke, a teasing grin on his face. "And here I thought you were the easy type."

"Nah," said Rei with equal levity. "I demand at least a dinner and a life-saving rescue attempt before I hop in the sack with somebody."

"Should…" Kuwabara swallowed, gaze once more darting between Yusuke and Rei in awkward, unsure turns. "Should we be talking about this?"

"I don't mind," said Rei. "I'm an open book."

"As am I."

This time, Rei wasn't the only one at the table who flinched. Yusuke nearly leapt out of his skin at the sound of Kurama's voice, shifting awkwardly in his chair as Kurama settled into the seat directly across from Rei. Her heart beat a nervous tattoo against her ribcage as she forced a cheery smile into place, making a show of greeting him normally before diving back into her plate of food. Kurama looked even better now than he had when she woke up beside him. He wore a fitted t-shirt and a blazer with jeans, casual but not sloppy, hair brushed and silky as it fell over his broad shoulder. She could only pretend to keep cool for a minute before her nerves kicked in, the image of his sleeping face from that morning — and the image of his face from her vision — flashing in a loop through her distracted head.

Rei reached for the front of her wig and tugged at it, eyes locked on her food.

"So what were we talking about, Yusuke?" Kurama was saying as he scanned a menu. "Please, enlighten me."

"Oh, nothing! It was nothing!" Yusuke said with a nervous laugh. "I was just about to ask Yamato for a favor, that's all."

One bright red brow lifted. "Oh?"

Rei yanked her eyes from her food to glare at Yusuke. "Like I said, the poker table is closed for —"

Kurama frowned. "Poker table?"

"It's not that!" said Yusuke — but then he grinned even wider than before. "Though keep the poker table in mind, huh, Yamato? Until we can track down those demons, there will be plenty of opportunities to play a hand, so…"

Kuwabara shoveled down the remains of his bacon sandwich in a fit of embarrassed pique. Rei began to fantasize about shaving Yusuke's head while he slept. Kurama looked quite suspicious at their exchange, eyeing Yusuke's devious smile with apparent concern. Thank god he hadn't heard the origin of the poker table metaphor, or this breakfast would get even more awkward…

Eventually Yusuke sighed, rubbing the back of his neck with one hesitant hand — a change in demeanor Rei noted with interest.

"No, what I wanted to ask was… well, Yamato, you're a dancer, right?" Yusuke said. "I saw you dancing with Nobuo all night, is what I mean, and you seemed really good. And somebody said you did ballroom dancing and stuff?"

"Did ballroom…" Rei scoffed. "I'm a ballroom champion, Yusuke, or at least I was. Give me some credit."

"Cool." Relief brought a smile to his face. "So you'd be able to teach somebody how to dance pretty quickly, huh?"

"Yeah. Sure. I taught lessons to pay for my competition outfits, and… wait." Rei's mouth fell open in horror, brain linking bits and pieces together in a rickety train to Disaster-Ville. "No. No, Yusuke, you don't really mean —"

"Shit, Yamato," he said, impressed. "You catch on quick."

"Does Keiko know?" she asked, fearing the answer she was sure to get.

"I…" Yusuke rubbed the back of his neck some more, not looking at her. "I may have exaggerated what I can do, but…"

"Oh my god. Oh my god!" Rei wasn't sure whether to put her head in her hands or use those hands to smack Yusuke upside the head. "Well, this is a job for the Fixer, for sure, but — Jesus!" She swore up and down, Kuwabara sputtering in shock at her choice of words. "The wedding is in three days!"

"And that's why I need a champion to teach me how to dance for our first dance as a couple!" Yusuke proclaimed with pride, and at last Yamato decided to put her head in her hands, after all.

At last the others put it together, too. Kurama leaned toward him, reaching out as if to stop the disaster train in its tracks.

"Wait, Yusuke," Kurama said. "Are you saying you have no idea how to dance at all?"

"Two left feet, man," Yusuke declared. "Two left feet."

"So your first dance with Keiko — it's — oh, wow." Kuwabara stared at him in horror. "What were you gonna do, just stand there and sway!?"

"Hey, I watched a few YouTube videos!" Yusuke said, but Rei jerked her head out of her hands and glared.

"The University of YouTube is not an acceptable substitute for an actual teacher!" she hissed. "Please tell me the two of you at least have a song for your first dance picked out!"

Yusuke beamed. "She told me to pick it as a surprise, actually."

"So you have a song?" Rei asked.

"Well…" Yusuke hedged.

"So you don't have a song. You don't even have a song!" Rei tossed up her hands like she wanted to overturn the breakfast table. "You can't dance and you don't have a song to dance to, and I'm supposed to just swoop in and —" Rei took a deep breath, stopping herself mid-rant. Under her breath she muttered, "Calm down, Rei. You won a regional tournament dancing with new music and a new partner assigned two hours before the competition that one time Nobuo got food poisoning. This is nothing."

Yusuke looked at her with bright-eyed hope. "So you can help me?"

"Yes." Rei hated agreeing to this, knowing even without Himiko's help that this had the potential to be an enormous fucking disaster. "If I must, I will help you as Keiko's chosen Fixer." Pointing directly at Yusuke's face, she growled, "But we are going to spend every goddamn second between now and the dead zone that is Genkai's temple choosing your goddamn music. Do you understand me?"

Yusuke nodded, looking at once satisfied and trepidatious. Rei would've laughed if she wasn't busy pulling up YouTube on her phone and grabbing her headphones out of her purse. Shoving in an earbud, she handed the other to Yusuke and scooted her chair toward him, elbow banging against the table with a flare of pain. She hardly cared, though, mind already racing through music possibilities like a machine oiled by Mozart himself.

Kurama watched them and laughed, fingers curled over his smile. "Yusuke, I must ask — what were you planning to do about tour first dance with Keiko if Rei hadn't come into our lives when she did?" he said, naked curiosity gleaming in every word.

Yusuke grinned. "I was just gonna wing it!"

"Oh man, Urameshi!" Kuwabara looked torn between horror and humor. "Keiko would've killed you!"

"Meh." Yusuke shrugged. "The threat of death doesn't really have teeth when you've already died twice, y'know?"

Rei tried not to think about what dying twice must have felt like, instead focusing on the very important music selection they needed to make within the next few hours. Kuwabara and Kurama chatted as they finished breakfast, and soon the quartet made their way to the front desk to check out and summon their ride home. They stood outside to wait for the car to pull around, the early morning sunshine warm against Rei's neck as she stood with Yusuke near the hotel's front doors. Kurama and Kuwabara stood at the curb, waiting expectantly with the group's luggage.

Rei was so focused on the music that she almost didn't notice when Yusuke cleared his throat. He had to do it a second time for her to realize he wanted her attention, which she gave him with an annoyed frown. They had music to pick, Yusuke! There was no time for idle chitchat!

But Yusuke didn't get the memo. He just stared off ahead of them, watching her from the corner of his eye as he asked, "So… couldn't help but notice that Kurama called you 'Rei,' huh?"

Her cheeks flushed, but she hid it by looking down at her phone and scrolling through a playlist. "Sharing a room with someone certainly makes you feel closer, I guess," was all she said, hoping Yusuke wouldn't ask for more.

And to her surprise, he didn't. "If you say so," was all he said, and after a brief, small chuckle, he fell quiet to listen to the music with her once more.

But Yusuke continued to watch her, a knowing look decorating the corner of his bright brown eye. Rei tried not to turn as pink as a boiled shrimp, scolding him to focus when he looked at her for a little too long — but on the drive back to the temple, it was the vision of that knowing smirk (not to mention the feel of Kurama's warm, solid chest under her arm that morning) that would not leave her head.

X

If Rei could've had her way, she would've dragged Yusuke off to start his requested dance lessons literally the second they got back to Genkai's compound — but no sooner had the finished climbing the mountain of steps leading to the tori arch at the front of the temple than did a sparkling-eyed Keiko appear from the ether, grabbing Yusuke by the arm so she could deposit a peck on his brown cheek.

His eyes lit up the second he saw her. They practically glowed when she kissed him, his arm snaking around her waist and settling there like it had come home.

"Hi Kurama, Yamato, Kuwabara," Keiko said as Yusuke pressed his lips to her hair. "I'd love to hear about your night but I need to borrow my fiancé, if you don't mind —"

"By all means!" Rei said. "But Keiko, before you go, can I ask you something weird?"

"Sure. What is it?"

"Where is your wedding dress?"

"Oh." Keiko blinked a few times, thrown off kilter. "That… certainly is a weird question, yeah. Why do you ask?"

"Secret Fixer mission." Rei winked. "It's best if you don't know."

Kei laughed, apparently satisfied by the explanation. "Well, it's —"

She told Rei where to find the dress, specifying that she'd left it hanging on a rack in a suite of rooms she shared with Yusuke deep in the heart of the temple. The directions she gave Rei were complex, to put it mildly, but she didn't stay to elaborate on them when she finished speaking; Keiko had a job to do, clearly, and she wouldn't waste time standing around shooting the shit if she could help it. Rei respect this, waving as Keiko excused herself and ran off, hauling Yusuke after her and saying something about needing him to lift something using his 'freaky demon strength' or whatever. Rei would've giggled if she hadn't been remembered something important, dashing after them so she could whisper something to Yusuke before he vanished.

"Be thinking about the song!" she said.

"I will!" Yusuke told her. "See ya!"

The unstoppable force that was Yukimura Keiko soon vanished around a corner, her fiancé in helpless tow in her wake. Kuwabara, meanwhile, had gathered up their abandoned luggage, stacking pieces across his shoulders and into the crook of his meaty arms. He jiggled Rei's suitcase when he caught her eye.

"Want this in your room?" Kuwabara asked.

"That'd be great, actually."

"Sure thing." He swallowed, looking a little green around the gills all of a sudden. "Now I'm gonna go lie down… that bacon sandwich wore off about fifty miles ago…"

"Drink water; don't die!" Rei hollered after him — and when he, too, vanished into the temple, she realized something.

Rei and Kurama… well, they were very much alone.

He stood some distance away, examining one of the tall gingko trees by the wall that protected the temple compound from the dark forest beyond its gates. His hair looked nearly black in its shade, the occasional spear of sunlight dappling it with spots of glowing ruby. Rei watched him from the corner of her eye, not quite sure what to do or say — a rarity for her, the woman who prided herself on witty comebacks and clever rejoinders. It's just, this wasn't the first time they'd interacted one-on-one since spending the night in their hotel room. A rigidity had gripped Rei's chest when she realized they were without a chaperone, throat tight and arms awkward at her sides. Briefly she wondered if she should just say something breezy and walk off, pretend to feel casual and excuse herself — but before she could, Kurama took a few gliding steps in her direction, appearing at her elbow before she could make a choice.

"Forgive me for prying," he said in his usual, mellifluous voice, "but Keiko's dress…"

"Oh." Rei swallowed and smiled, pointing a thumb over her shoulder at the temple. "Yeah, I need to go scope that out. If you'll excuse me…"

She only took a few steps before Kurama's voice rang out, "Do you think you know the way?"

Rei stopped short. "Um…"

She turned to Kurama reflexively, thinking about Keiko's directions — the one she had thought sounded convoluted and strange from the get-go. Apparently her hesitation showed on her face, because Kurama shut his eyes, chin lowering as he smiled and breathed a small, quiet chuckle Rei swore she felt caress her nape. She tried not to shiver as Kurama stepped past her, his feet whispering over the cobblestones like the footsteps of ancient ghosts.

"Follow me," Kurama said — and Rei had no choice but to do just that.

The pair walked in silence for a time. Kurama led her down a long stretch of porch, then into a sliding paper door and through a maze of identical rooms, bare but for the requisite tatami mats Genkai's traditional home favored. Down another hall, onto another porch, through one meditation garden and then a second, and then a third… it became apparent to Rei that she had only explored a sliver of the temple's many wings, extant buildings and gardens, the compound a truly labyrinthine structure it would take her many more weeks to fully comprehend. Awkward though she felt to be alone with Kurama, she felt more and more grateful for his presence the deeper into the compound they ventured, happy she had an escort to keep her from getting lost and starving to death in the warren of halls and walkways.

"Genkai appointed Keiko and Yusuke a private dwelling in light of the occasion," Kurama said as Rei entertained a lurid fantasy of having to eat her own arm to survive. "It's difficult to find even with directions." One green eye turned over his shoulder, iris scintillating. "Apologies for stepping in; it was presumptuous of me."

"Oh, not at all," Rei said. "I was going to make a joke about needing to send up smoke signals if I got lost, maybe having to eat one of my limbs if I couldn't find civilization, so…"

The jokes felt inane. Stupid. Lame. But Kurama smiled and chuckled, a sound like velvet that traced up her spine as physically as a touch from his hand. She told herself not to shiver, but Rei was so distracted by her own internal musings that she nearly ran into Kurama's back when he stopped short to pull open a paper door.

"We're here," he said.

Before them beyond the doorway lay a large courtyard ringed by high stone fence on all sides, ground formed of packed earth scattered with loose gravel. Across the courtyard stood a small, upraised building with sweeping eaves and a roof that curled at the edges, eaves extending outward to cover a veranda that wrapped around the entire structure on all sides. Water and stone installations at the side of the house complemented the traditional architecture complemented, a bamboo shishi-odoshi (damn, Genkai must love those things) popping out a sedate rhythm in the still air. Steam rose from behind a fence at the side of the building — a private outdoor hot spring, perhaps? It certainly made for a lovely honeymoon suite, that's for sure.

Kurama didn't appear as surprised by the lovely scene as Rei; he led the way forward, across the courtyard and onto the veranda with sure, confident steps, where he pulled open a sliding paper door and gestured for Rei to go inside.

"Botan informed me that Keiko is keeping her wedding day wardrobe sequestered in there," he said, "in the room on the right-hand side. Groomsmen are not allowed to see it, lest they leak the details to Yusuke, of course."

"Ah. Smart move." Bracing herself, Rei said, "This feels like snooping, but… Fixer duties call!"

The house's interior, dark but for a trio of glowing lamps, held little more than a futon (neatly folded against the wall) and a few suitcases (neatly placed against another wall; no doubt this was Keiko's doing, as she didn't seem the type to chance a tripping hazard). Rei ignored these and headed to the right, losing open the paper door she found there to reveal another, smaller room just off the main room. Another lamp lit this space, revealing a modern vanity mirror set up in the corner and a clothing rack against the wall that held an assortment of black garment bags. Rei beelined for the bags, unzipping the longest of them in pursuit of Keiko's wedding dress.

But what Rei found inside it surprised — and dismayed — her.

"Oh!" Rei said as the garment bag peeled back, revealing the clothing within. "She's wearing a kimono! Full red formal and everything."

"Are you surprised?" Kurama said from the veranda; true to his word, he had not followed Rei inside. "Keiko is a rather modern woman, I suppose…"

"No, I'm just in love with it, is all." And this was true, in spite of Rei's misgivings. For Kurama's benefit, she called out, "It's… red silk, obviously, but there's a pattern through it where they wove the thread in the opposite direction. Really subtle and sophisticated." Her fingers drifted across the silk like clouds across the sunset sky. "It's gorgeous enough on the hanger, but Keiko is going to make this look stunning."

Kurama, for a moment, said nothing — but then, so softly Rei almost missed it, he said, "That was a lovely thing to say, Rei."

"I know how to make a girl feel pretty, I guess." Zipping the bag back up, she took a deep breath. "But, uh… I hope like hell this isn't her only outfit."

"Oh?"

"Tough to dance when you have to take tiny little kimono steps. Let's see…" She reached for the next-biggest bag, unzipping it with hesitant hands — but as the bag fell open, she heaved a sigh of relief. "Oh thank god, she has a white dress for the reception." Rei studied it for a second before amending, "Well, an ivory dress. But that's better than white, any day."

"A modern bride, after all," said Kurama.

"I'll say." Spreading out the dress's voluminous skirt, Rei said in admiring tones, "This is gorgeous, too. Keiko's got good taste in fiancés and clothes, it turns out."

Again Kurama paused. "You approve of her match with Yusuke, then?" he said after a time.

"I mean, I'm not blind." Rei laughed. "The way they look at one another, talk about each other… if that devotion isn't convincing, nothing is."

Into contemplative silence Rei lapsed. The way Keiko had run to Yusuke when they arrived, the way his eyes had closed when he kissed her hair… these were subtle things, but things she had noticed nonetheless. Keiko and Yusuke were kind and generous people, she'd already decided. But where Yusuke was a passionate hothead, Keiko was calm and analytical, each person's characteristics covering the weaknesses of their partner. Keiko and Yusuke complemented one another, and they seemed to take great joy and pride in one another, too. The glowing way Yusuke had yakked about Keiko all night certainly said a lot. Rei had to wonder if she'd ever find someone to yak about her that way. She'd certainly feel lucky if someone ever —

Not the time to focus on your securities, girl, Rei told herself, and she put her ruminations aside.

Keiko's gown glimmered like the firmament fallen to earth in the dim room, beads on its bodice and thin straps incandescent and lustrous in Rei's appreciative eyes. The princess-cut gown boasted a full, taffeta-fluffed skirt and a silk bow on the back that flowed into a long train, garment befitting both Keiko's regal carriage and her upcoming nuptials to a former royal. The delicate ivory silk slipped like water again Rei's palm, cool and soft and heavy — yet numinous, too, sure to float around Keiko as she danced and twirled atop the delicate ivory shoes sitting on the rack below the dress. God, she was gonna look hot in this — Rei could tell without even seeing her in it. The sweetheart neckline was gonna give Yusuke a view that would make his mouth water, for sure, and the way the waistline nipped in to highlight —

"Rei." Kurama's voice carried low and soft into the room, a gentle caress of sound. "Can I ask why you wanted to see Keiko's dress?"

"Oh, it's nothing spurious, if that's what you're afraid of," Rei said, feeling as though she were talking to herself with Kurama out of sight as he was. "Different dresses react in different ways when you move in them. Whatever dance I teach to Yusuke will need to take advantage of the dress and really complement its structure. Like if she was just going to wear the kimono, I wouldn't teach Yusuke a big, sweeping waltz or anything like that because Keiko wouldn't be able to move appropriately, and it certainly wouldn't show off her outfit."

"And what does her dress call for in terms of a dance?"

Rei smiled to herself, thumb dancing over silk. "It calls for something magical."

"So it's a secret, then," Kurama said, sounding mildly disappointed — but Rei shook her head.

"No," she said. "It's not a secret at all."

Anyone who knew dance the way she did, who loved the sartorial side of dancing the way she did, would know what she meant by that comment. Her seemingly ambiguous words conveyed much, if you just knew how to listen. Humming to herself, Rei allowed her fingers to traipse from the gown's skirt to its dainty straps, hand as nimble and as sweeping as a swift foxtrot, deft and purposeful, assessing and sure of itself —

The dress moved of its own accord, hem sweeping upward and over Rei's eyes like a billowing cloud. She stumbled backward, but as the dress descended, a ballroom stretched before her — a ballroom surrounded by people she did not recognize. These were people with horns and wings and scales, all of them clapping as they watched a couple twirl on the dance floor, the couple's bodies bathed in the silver illumination of a bright spotlight. Keiko's dress gleamed brightest of all as its hem swept the floor and its crystal details caught the light, refracting sparks across the faces of the wedding guests. A familiar song full of longing and soft loved played upon the air, its melody not nearly as sweet as the sound of Keiko's laughter as gazed up at Yusuke. His arm clutched tightly around Keiko's slender waist as he led her in a sweeping dance across the floor, stumbling once but recovering quickly, finding the rhythm just the way Rei had taught him —

(Taught him? Rei wondered. But we haven't begun our lessons yet!)

— his nerves fading as he caught the beat and rode it into the throes of a wonderful, stately, graceful waltz. Yusuke looked nearly jubilant when he realized his success, Keiko's expression stunned and impressed and then overjoyed as the song around them swelled, Yusuke spinning his new bride in a controlled turn that had her skirts swirling in an ivory cloud —

"Rei!"

Rei blinked. The vision faded, Keiko and Yusuke's faces replaced by the sight of Kurama's, who stared down at Rei with concern and dread. Dimly she became aware that she was kneeling, hands clutched into Keiko's gown, fingers nearly numb from the strain. Kurama knelt at her side, one hand on her back, the other curled around her wrist in a blaze of supportive heat.

"There you are," he murmured as Rei came back to herself. "Are you all right?"

Rei was not sure what to say. She felt — confused. Her knees ached a little. But otherwise, she felt fine enough.

In fact… Rei felt better than fine. But why?

"I heard a thud," Kurama was saying as he eased her hands out of the dress, thumb pressing against her palm in a soothing circle. "You fell, it seems."

"Did I?" she said, absently. "Explains why I'm on the floor." She paused, listening as the shishi-odoshi descended with a 'plink' beyond the walls of the house. "I think I saw the future, actually."

"Oh?" Kurama said, eyes wider than before.

"It — It was cool." Shaking him off, Rei swayed up and onto her feet. "Can you take me back to the temple? Like the main part of it?"

"Rei —"

"Please?"

For a moment, Kurama looked at Rei's determined in astonished silence.

Then, softly: "Of course."

Without another word, Kurama led way back the way they'd come, through the labyrinthine temple and to the courtyard by the stairs. He did not ask questions; perhaps he saw Rei's emotions in her eyes, her intensity and vigor, which she had not bothered to hide. She knew what she needed to do, and Kurama could go fuck himself if he wanted to slow her down — but he didn't slow her down, and when they reached the courtyard and found Genkai standing there, he hung back while Rei strode forward.

"Yamato," said Genkai as she approached, rheumy gaze sweeping Rei up and down. "I've been reviewing your aunt's things while you were off making a fool of Yusuke, and —"

"Sorry, Genkai, but I'm on a tear and we'll have to talk about that later," said Rei in a rush. "Do you have a big room with speakers?"

Genkai scowled, which would've put fear in Rei's heart had she not been so focused on other crap. "What in the world are you on about?" the old woman asked. "Speakers? What — ?"

"Where is the wedding reception going to be held?" Rei pushed, trying another tactic. "Keiko's a modern bride so you've gotta have a speaker system there and it's gotta be big, right?"

"Yes, it is," Genkai said. "But —"

"No buts!" Rei's voice rang out like a taiko drum beneath a hammer. "I'm gripped with inspiration and can be stopped by neither man nor beast nor crotchety old psychic!"

Like Kurama before her, apparently even the imperturbable Genkai knew Rei could not be put off this task. She sighed and rubbed her temple with one gnarled fingertip, at a loss for words — but Rei hardly cared. She danced from foot to foot in agitation, eager and impatient for Genkai to just fucking tell her where the dance hall was, already!

"Fine," Genkai said at last. "I'll take you there." The psychic looked faintly peeved. "Best get this out of your system as fast as we can, because there are things we must discuss."

"Sure, sure," Rei said, "but later, please!"

Thus, Genkai grudgingly showed Rei the way into the temple once again, past rooms and doors and gardens and to a large, formal hall deep in the temple's heart. The gigantic space sat beneath curving eaves and carved lintels, a relic of an ancient tradition touched by modernity in the ring of white-draped tables that sat around the edge of the enormous room. Against the back wall stood a stage, before which sat an empty space — a dance floor, if Rei had ever seen one, and she'd seen many in her life. Without another word to Genkai, Rei dashed into the space and toward the stage, leaping up onto it to scramble for whatever controlled the speakers she spotted hanging from the eaves above. Eventually she found a mixer and, wonder of wonders, an AUX cord, to which she attached her phone before she scrolled through her music library.

"I'll be back in an hour!" Genkai called from the doorway, but Rei didn't hear her. She was too busy picking a song, kicking off her shoes, and striding with long steps to the center of the dancefloor.

Rei had downloaded the song she'd heard in her vision many years before, but as it began to play over the loudspeakers, it felt as though she were hearing it for the first time. It was an old favorite, nostalgia winding soft claws into her heart as the melody swelled, rising higher as the singer crooned about love and honor, devotion and dedication, honesty and heartfelt vulnerability Rei felt to the tips of her bare toes. She listened to the first few eight-counts without moving, visualizing what she wanted to do —

Then, slowly, she shifted. Her body moved as if pressing against the arms of an invisible partner, Rei and her unseen companion drifting into the current of a waltz, sweep of arm and lift of leg timed perfectly to the rhythm on the air. Without a real partner, Rei could not perform lifts or dips properly, but she left time and space for them as she felt her way through the music beat by beat. Obviously she would need to simplify the steps for Urameshi "Two Left Feet" Yusuke, but she would worry about that later. For now, there was only music.

For now, there was only dance.

Apart from the dances she had shared with Nobuo the night before, it had been some time since Rei danced seriously. But the practice was as an old friend, returning to her from afar and settling gently over her shoulders as if it had never left. Rei's mind remained blissfully empty as she whirled about the floor, throwing herself into the music with abandon, letting it mold and shape and guide her as it would. She barely felt when eyes trained upon her, watching her every move from silence and afar. By the time the song ended, she had a good idea of the choreography she'd teach to Yusuke. Still, to be certain she would not fail him, she danced to the music a second time, and then a third, adding in leaps and turns too difficult to teach to a newbie — but these elements weren't really there for Yusuke, in the end.

Those leaps and turns were for Rei, and Rei alone. Oh, how she'd missed this, the thrill of music and dance coming together in an electric rush —

Now wasn't the time to dwell on the life and pastimes she'd left behind, however. Rei simply continued to dance, instead, letting the blissfully meditative experience of dancing wash over her brain, quieting her thoughts until nothing but the magic of dance remained.

It ended too soon for her tastes. As a rotation of the song ended, claps rang out, a single person applauding as Rei came to a graceful halt. Sweat beaded under the front of her wig, trickling down her cheek in a silver-cold trail. She swiped it away on the back of her hand as she turned to face her audience, watching with apprehension as Yusuke emerged from the dankness to stand beside her on the dance floor. Each of his footfalls through the dark battered against her ribs, nerves scraping through her veins as her blood thundered in time with her heart. Would Yusuke like the dance she'd created for him? She certainly hoped so, because she'd worked her ass off on it — and to her pleasure, Yusuke was already smiling, delight curbing his lips and eyes.

Rei did not need to see the future to know that he approved, and to know what he would say next.

"So is this a stupid question," Yusuke said, eyes glittering above his grin, "or can I ask how the hell you knew I'd pick that song for my first dance with Keiko?"

Rei grinned back. "A little birdie might've told you'd like this one," she said, and she reached for his hand. "Now get in here, Urameshi, and let's see what those two left feet of yours are made of."

X

I FORGOT I WAS SUPPOSED TO POST THIS CHAPTER UNTIL LAST NIGHT LOL I WROTE THIS IN LIKE THREE HOURS BETWEEN SHIFTS AT WORK, AKA sorry for the typos but they can't be helped

well anyway… next time we'll learn a bunch more about Rei's powers and Himiko and stuff, so that'll be fun

hey, so Sorlian, Damaged Forest Spirit, Gina Liz, cezarina, Lady Skynet and nevvy are all really cool and they totally made my fucking day by reviewing (which you should totally do, too, if you want to appear in a list with awesome peeps like this), THANK YOU FRIENDS FOR YOUR SUPPORT!