Title: True Belonging
Summary: It always felt as if the world was grey, haunted, silent with barely enough noise for him to realize that he was awake and present. Except for when she touched him. When she touched him, the world bathed in the brightest colors of sunflowers and green ribbons in raven hair.M for swearing, violence, non-con and later consensual explicit smut
Disclaimer: I don't own anything
Chapter Five: Youth Part III.
When you fully trust someone without any doubt, you finally get one of two results;
A person for life
or a lesson for life
- Anonymus
Warning: Mentions of blood!
Yokai
The previous day Nana barely had time to get home wash up and prepare something quick for them for lunch before they were forced to run to catch the train to school. She didn't really have time or a properly rested mind to think or question what she was just told by her best friend.
Yokai
School and then returning home had passed in a blurred fast-forwarded fashion before she was told to lie down and rest by both her mentioned best friend and her granny upon coming home not even certain how did they end up there in the first place.
Yokai
'Rest, Nana,' she heard while looking into his green eyes that was the last thing she remembered before the sleep took her away.
Yokai
When she woke up it was dark outside and a glance at her watch told her it was close to midnight. Fuku, who must have woken up when she did, rose its head and glanced at her, his eyes sparkling even in the dark.
Yokai
It only now seemed like Nana had a moment for herself to properly think about what Shuichi-wellKurama now, told her. She always knew he wasn't like her, but it was true she never really thought he could be a different being so to say. It made sense. In fact, if Nana unlocked all the things she carefully placed in her Shuichi's Biggest Secret box, everything fit and made perfect sense if she accepted that yokai were real, and given the fact that she was attacked by one, it seemed very pointless and stupid to try to deny it.
Fuku carefully laid back down seeing Nana wasn't about to get up or disrupt his place on her bed with movement.
Yokai
Kitsune
Her mind supplied her with a random image of a red fox that forced her lips to make a smile. When they were younger, Shuichi-Kurama used to remind Nana a bit of a dog or some other animal with how possessive he could be, not to mention his strong sense of smell that was always bothered by something, how good his hearing was, and how profoundly upset he was with outsiders, not a stranger to defending himself by biting others. She supposed being a fox suited him far better and made many of his little quirks understandable.
It caused a small giggle to escape her lips causing Fuku's ears to move in her direction, but otherwise, the cat didn't move to allow her to have her little girly outburst. It was almost cute even despite all the horrible things Shuichi-Kurama told her about himself. Nana found herself unwilling to give them more significance than to acknowledge them as his past. She was being nothing but honest with him and herself when she said she wanted to be his friend and nothing else matter. He was her best friend. He cared about her and treated her right always looking out at her as a good best friend or brother. It might have been immoral to look at it that way, but Nana didn't dare herself to feel guilty about it. If she ever would allow herself to be selfish in her entire life, she would be selfish about keeping her best friend in her life for as long as possible forgiving him anything he might have done in his past before he met her.
Kurama
She closed her eyes knowing she needed to catch more hours of sleep, or she would be useless tomorrow again.
What a fitting name for a kitsune.
After the wake, it seemed that the Yukimuras were even more trusting and depending on Nana which made her feel a newfound sense of pride and accomplishment she didn't know before. She always helped out her granny and Shiori-san or in school when it was her duty to stay and clean up, but it was so much different to be appreciated by strangers who simply recognized her good work. It made her want to do even more than before especially since they were still dealing with the aftermath of what happened to their family friend.
'Hello, Hinata-san,' said Keiko, and the older girl grimaced, 'Ah, you can call me Nana. It seems weird. I'm only a year older than you.'
The other girl smiled a bit but it seemed mostly out of politeness, 'You can call me Keiko then.'
Nana nodded finishing preparing the rice while wondering what they should talk about. It was just the two of them since Keiko came down, and her mother was on the phone. It was the first time Nana saw her since what happened to her friend, and the girl wasn't sure what to say.
'My condolences,' she managed to blur out after a silence that felt too uncomfortable.
The brunette looked at her with something utterly heartbreaking behind her eyes before she nodded, 'Thank you.'
Nana bit her lip before she glanced at the counter and with a small smile pointed toward it, 'Hmm, if he was here today, he would probably show up by now. Dirty and hungry from fighting with someone.'
The younger girl blinked at her for a moment and then looked at the spot Yusuke, the boy in the green jumpsuit usually occupied when he came, 'Yeah, he would usually skip last periods, but even so he would always run into some trouble on his way to the arcade or here for dinner,' the sadness behind her eyes was replaced with something close to irritation, 'He was such a tool. I always told him to knock it off and start doing something with his life or he would end up like a middle school drop up, but he never listened.'
Nana chuckled, 'Yeah, he would wave you off or call you a nag.'
'I know!' snapped Keiko, 'Can you believe it? And then he would annoy me or grope me like the biggest pervert until he would get smacked by me,' she crossed her arms, 'Sometimes I wondered if he didn't like to get hit. Stupid.'
'Maybe he did,' wondered Nana, 'He never seemed to try and avoid your punches, not even to block them.'
When she looked at the brunette, she saw the corner of her lips lift up into a small smirk, 'Yeah because that doofus never knew when to quit. Then I would get mad and storm off, and he would show up with a marriage propel or some bullshit excuse.'
Nana smiled seeing Keiko come to life by remembering the good times with her friend for a moment before she must have realized he was gone again, and it all faded into sadness.
Nana's own smile softened, 'He really cared about you, Keiko-chan. I think you might have been the only person he actually liked.'
'Please,' said Keiko doubtfully, but Nana shook her head, 'My best friend is a bit different too. He doesn't fight with punks, but he doesn't really like many people and despite what others might think, he doesn't fit well with others. Still,' she smiled to herself thinking about Shuichi- well Kurama, and their childhood together, 'he likes to be around me. He seeks me out and spends time with me just like Urameshi-kun did with you. Almost every day, even if he got caught up in a fight he showed up here to be with you. Maybe he didn't say it much or express it the way others would, but he liked it here. '
Nana looked at Keiko again and gave her a bright smile, 'He really liked being here with you, Keiko-chan. Even if it's sad now, you should hold onto that.'
The other girl looked at the counter again for a few moments which made Nana feel like maybe it was the wrong thing to say. Maybe when a person was grieving he didn't want to talk or think about the dead.
She was ready to apologize when the younger girl finally spoke, 'Say, Nana-chan, do you believe…in the afterlife?'
The raven-haired girl blinked surprised by the change of topic before she thought about it. Ever the course of the last couple of days Shui-Kurama told her a lot about his life in Makai, the Demon Realm. Since there was a demon realm and human realm it seemed logical there would also be a spiritual realm. Not to mention, Kurama got here by escaping in a spirit form of sorts, 'Yes, I think I do.'
Keiko was silent for a moment, 'What about…ghosts? Or specifically ghosts sending messages to people who are still alive.'
The question caused Nana to completely stop working and look at the girl not sure how to take her words, 'I...don't know. Why do you ask-?'
Before Nana could finish, the door opened and two girls in uniforms matching Keiko's entered asking her to join them for a walk.
Mrs. Yukimura came out, and Nana continued to work sensing it wouldn't be right to ask Keiko with some many people around. Still, it made her wonder about the topic and make a mental note to ask Kurama later.
After the girls left, Nana and Mrs. Yukimura continued to work with only occasionally spending a few words about school or the weather. The older woman didn't seem to be much up for discussion occasionally taking a short break, 'Are you feeling unwell, Yukimura-san?'
The older woman waved at the girl's worries just as her husband came asking Nana to help him unload some groceries from the truck.
Nana couldn't have been gone more than a couple of minutes, but as she came back she heard both Yukimuras yelling at someone like crazy.
She rushed through the back to take a look into the diner as Mr. Yukimura pulled out a knife pointing it at the intruder shouting at him, 'Listen, you! Yu-chan ain't no ugly punk, like you!'
'Yeah, yeah! Why should we tell you where Keiko is? We don't even know you!' agreed Mrs. Yukimura.
'What's more, you jerk, Yu-chan ain't of this world no more,' carried on Mr. Yukimura still looking furious with the boy in front of him who apparently came to bother his daughter.
Nana's eye widened as she barely recognized the red hair and terribly beaten up-looking Kuwabara, who helped her out a few weeks ago, 'Wait, wait!'
She quickly got in front of him raising her hands, 'I know him. No need for weapons. He's harmless. I promise.'
Neither of the couple looked convinced, but Nana quickly turned around and started to push the taller boy out of the diner, 'It's fine. I will talk to him. Please, give me a moment. Consider this my short break, alright?'
She barely heard their answers already closing the diner door behind her and dragging the boy by his blue jumpsuit away from view, 'What's the matter with you? It looks seriously shady when you come in looking like that asking about someone's daughter, you know?'
'Nana,' said the boy grabbed her by her shoulders to stop her and make her look at him. For a second, the girl got worried she grandly misjudged the boy, and he really was some punk who would hurt her.
However, the boy only squeezed her shoulders forcing her to look at him. His eyes were urgent and with his face so beaten up he looked beyond intense, but there was something else that caught Nana's attention. For some reason, Nana couldn't help, but feel like the color of his eyes wasn't right.
'Where is Keiko? Do you know where she is? It's-it's important,' he said his voice also sounding strange, not to mention his speech. Even if Nana barely knew the boy, she was almost sure something was off about the way he spoke.
'Nana! This is a life or death situation. If I don't find her and convince her…shit. Nana, are you listening to me?!'
She blinked and then pointed behind him, 'She went for a walk with her friends. They're over there.'
He glanced to where she was pointing at and bolted toward the girls scaring them in the process but ultimately meeting up with Keiko only to grope her?!
Nana was left beyond confused and horrified watching Keiko slap the boy so hard she probably added a new bruise into his already messed up face only to in the next moment start hugging him.
'What the hell?' asked the girl herself still confused by the situation looking around to see if anyone else was just as shocked as she was or if she was the only one. The two continued to hug for a while before once again Keiko got the boy to the ground this time positively finishing him.
Nana started to slowly walk toward the two still beyond confused by the whole thing only for Keiko to call out at her to tell her parents she was going to visit Atsuko-san.
Nana nodded briefly remembering the name mentioned before while she carefully poked at Kuwabara's shoulder with her foot to see if he was still alive, 'Are you still with us?'
He groaned slowly getting up, 'Barely. I feel like I got hit by a truck five times in a row.'
Nana leaned down and took a hold of his shoulder to help him, 'Oh, Hinata-san, hello. So you started to work for the Yukimuras. Good for you. That Yukimura-chan sure knows how to punch,' he said touching his face as Nana helped him to a nearby bench, 'I wonder if she's the one who beat me up so badly.'
She froze a bit realizing that Kuwabara didn't remember what happened to him not to mention that now he genuinely sounded and looked like himself again. Something weird happened. She wasn't sure what exactly, but it made the hair at the back of her neck stand up when she thought about it.
'Hey, Kuwabara, what happened? What's the last thing you remember?' asked the girl wondering if this was something to do with Keiko's question about ghosts or maybe yokai.
The boy with orange hair brushed it a bit and ground some more from pain, 'Not sure. I think I was on my way from school and then I was holding into Yukimura. I thought it was a dream. I wonder when I left my school bag.'
Nana would definitely be freaking out more than the boy was now if she had no recollection of what she was doing for the past few hours, but after a while, Kuwabara said his goodbye and walked away seemingly like nothing happened or at least as he dealt with far stranger things in his life than this.
Yet, the raven-haired girl couldn't help herself but feel worried about him and Keiko wondering what was going on in their school.
Everything felt almost violently ordinary. Kurama could partly blame Nana's lack of meltdown or any outburst on perhaps shock or concussion, but after a day passed and then another and before he knew it a whole week ended without anything deviating from what their lives were before he told her the truth, he had to come to terms that Nana truly accepted him without any backlash.
He didn't trust it.
He couldn't help himself. Years of living in a world where everything a person could gain was either by blood or theft taught the kitsune that. Even if the human world was different with the occasional beauty in form of kind people such as his mother and Nana, he still couldn't help himself but expect a grand reckoning for his honesty no matter how open-minded and calm Nana seemed about it.
'I used to eat people,' Kurama whispered when it was just the two of them in her kitchen like so many times before the scene could have been just a memory of a different day.
Nana needed help with some of her homework, and he didn't go to visit his mother because some of her friends from work were coming whose pity, the yokai found especially frustrating and sour even on good days. Given that his mother's health was getting worse there weren't many of those anymore.
The raven-haired girl looked up from her homework slowly her eyebrow raised, 'Would you like to eat someone now? Someone's head or foot maybe?'
He scoffed at her, 'Don't be absurd.'
He saw her tiny smirk before her head returned to her homework hiding most of her face. At least, she wasn't slacking off anymore.
'Is there really nothing I could have done that would make you resent me?' Kurama couldn't help but ask looking at the girl with still slight suspicion. Despite knowing her for so long it didn't sit right with the yokai. He would feel better if she freaked out at least a bit or had some reservations about his past. If only she would try to keep her distance or look at him as if he was someone she didn't know, but Nana did no such thing making it almost painful for the ex-criminal of sorts to know he was forgiven and cared for by such a good and kind human regardless of his sins.
Nana looked up thinking about it, 'Nope…Maybe if you told me, you hate my cooking?'
He sighed but offered her a small smile anyway watching as her lips rewarded him with one as well, 'That would truly be an ugly lie.' He would never hurt her like that especially since her cooking was one of his favorite things in the human world.
'Don't thieves lie to gain what they want?' she asked curiosity radiating from her brown eyes.
'We twist the truth. There's a difference,' he said calmly noticing how her eyes lightened up a bit, 'Spoken like a true criminal.'
He allowed himself to show her the tip of his teeth as he smiled at her, 'You would do well to remember that.'
Her own smile fell, and he heard her heartbeat speed up a bit before she waved the hand in front of his face quickly losing whatever slight embarrassment threatened to possess her, 'Okay, enough. I need to finish this and start preparing dinner.'
'And here I was sure I would never see the day, Hinata Nana would be so eager to study,' he allowed a final tease that earned him Nana showing him her tongue before she returned to her page trying to work again.
He still found it unsatisfying that it seemed nothing he told her about himself caused her to look at him differently, but for the time being, he decided to let it go. Nana was wrong though, there was something that could probably cause her to resent him. Unfortunately, it had nothing to do with her cooking or the sins of his past but rather the crime he would commit soon enough and the aftermath of his decision.
Luckily for him, he wouldn't be around to face Nana's hater or sadness. He would be dead as a sacrifice for the life he stole from his mother when he entangled himself with her fate.
Like a coward, he would meet his demise to avoid the consequences of his choices.
After Nana got some sleep once Kurama told her the truth about himself, she asked him if he met up with Hiei since she was present when the other yokai told him to find him.
Kurama denied only for his best friend to call out on his bluff.
'You don't have to tell me anything you don't want to,' she said, her eyes steady and face revealing just how unimpressive she found it he would try to lie to her again, 'but don't try to make an idiot out of me,' Nana told him with a sigh as he walked her home.
Even with her knowledge of his life limited, Nana was very good at reading him at times or at least knowing that his feelings and emotions were being masked. It was surprising and impressive as the last person he believed got even close to doing so was Kuronue, and that was a very long time ago. He had been around others, but after the death of his close friend, Kurama preferred to work and live in solitude. Perhaps, he simply wasn't used to people getting as close as Nana has, and therefore found her abilities almost supernatural-like.
Kurama stopped the human girl by taking her wrist and nodded coming clean at least about the meeting itself, 'I met him, but I cannot discuss with you what it was about. Forgive me.'
Her warm brown eyes carefully read his face before she nodded and smiled at him a bit, 'Alright, thank you for telling.'
At times, the yokai found it unsatisfying how little the human girl needed from him. She should be more curious, nosier, more demanding. She should become annoying and question his every thought and intention trying to figure him all out the way anyone else would. Others would never become satisfied with just this little she gave to him. No, they would riot and want more. So why did she always seemed content with whatever he was willing to give her? She shouldn't be. She deserved more, far more than he, a paranoid and controlling being, allowed her to have.
Kurama's meeting with Hiei was brief, but it served its purpose to reveal why the fire yokai was looking for him. He assumed he either needed his professional skills regarding the ice maiden he seemed to be interested in or some other goal. He was right, but even he had to admit he was thrown back by the value of the treasure Hiei wished to steal. The three Artifacts of Darkness.
'Are you certain about this? Such crime will be cruelly punished by Reikai,' he told the shorter yokai already calculating his own risks and gains if they would succeed.
Hiei smirked as he pressed his back against the wall in the old warehouse near the docks where he requested the meeting, 'Don't tell me, the Legendary Bandit fears some weaklings such as spirit guides and orgs.'
Kurama didn't let his mockery affect him knowing it would probably only serve as a flue for the other yokai. He already had a pretty good reading on him and found it pointless to start an argument, but still decided to wisely note, 'That's hardly the only defense the Reikai can use against someone like us.'
'Relax, when I use the Shadow Sword even their Elite Force will have their hands full,' said the yokai with a sense of great malice before he looked away, 'If you're worried about your little pets, you can sleep soundly. I promise to stay clear of them as long as they stay clear of my way.'
Although he didn't appreciate Hiei's words sensing the beginning of his own anger, he quickly let it go. It would be pointless and foolish to try and argue with him knowing this was how other yokai would view his mother and Nana. Most of the yokai would think the same about them, and he couldn't really fault them knowing if he was his old self he would think so the same.
'I will try to think about your plan and review if it would be even possible to accomplish since you did me a great service by protecting my friend,' he said and watched as the other yokai grimaced and let out a sound of displeasure, 'Friend. How pathetic someone of your height fell to such a low status of that of a human lover, Kurama.'
He couldn't really find it in him to be upset by the other yokai's words. This would have been a reaction any other one would give to finding out about him and his life with the humans. Still, Kurama wasn't completely sure Hiei's words were driven by personal hatred.
'I don't expect you to approve or understand,' he smiled a bit recalling how Nana made his mother laugh the other day in the hospital by telling them about a regular customer in the diner who constantly changed his order. It seemed not a lot of things managed to lift up his mother's spirit nowadays even less so give them a certain feeling of normalcy. For moments like that Kurama was eternally grateful to his human friend for both his and his mother's benefit, 'But there is more to them than our kind might believe. Not all of them are the same.'
Hiei closed his eyes leaned away from the wall, 'Don't waste your breath with nonsense, kitsune. You have two days to go over the plan and decide.'
He disappeared before Kurama could say anything even if he had no intention of doing so. Hiei didn't seem like the type who was interested in goodbyes, and Kurama wasn't the type to waste time. Hiei's plan was certainly on the bridge of a sane mind, but even the kitsune had to admit, if it was done correctly, it could work. During his life, Kurama stole many artifacts and other treasures. A part of the thrill was in the risk, but the other part was all about the value of what was being stolen. The Artifacts of Darkness, The Orb of Baast, The Shadow Sworn, and the Forlorn Hope, the most valuable treasures in the Reikai vault. They would be guarded better than anything else but their worth especially that of the last artifact was priceless. He heard about them. All great thieves of Makai had. The prized possessions, something they all knew they could never gain no matter how good they would be. It was a certain death sentence for sure, but for someone who was already determinate to do everything he could, give everything he had, lose everything he owned, wasn't it worth it?
Kurama's green eyes rose to the dark sky his mind set on the only goal that matter at the moment.
He would save his mother's life
Some time had passed, and Nana was a bit confused about both Shuichi-Kurama's and Keiko's moods. It seemed that from the time Kuwabara showed up at the diner acting so bizarrely, the girl's spirit returned to her, and she started to act like herself more and more. Oddly, the same could have been saying about the girl's parents, who Nana caught on more than one occasion whispering something with their daughter before they all smiled or looked beyond overjoyed.
Nana wasn't the type to pry. Even if she would like to think the Yukimuras considered her a good employee, they were still strangers. The raven-haired girl had no intentions of explaining her parental situation so she shouldn't ask about whatever was happening in their private lives even if she couldn't help but feel glad that the family seemed to be doing better after the tragic death of Keiko's friend.
As for her best friend. There also seemed that something was on his mind. Something that wasn't about Shiori-san at least not about her health or about his biggest secret since now Nana knew all about it. No, whatever, was on the redhead's mind seemed to have at least busied him enough to lose some of the sorrow he carried in his heart since his mother's illness which warmed Nana's heart even more. She didn't even try to ask him about it since just the fact that it occupied his mind enough to lighten his spirit was enough for her. She partly wondered if it didn't have something to do with Hiei, but she already told him, he could only tell her what he wished to say, nothing more. She would be fine with it.
'Welcome,' called Nana from under the counter, on Saturday as she came into work and was left alone with Mr. Yukimura dealing with the man who brought them meat in the back. Mrs. Yukimura was still at the hospital as far as Nana knew. She planned to stop by after work today to bring her some fruit and see how she was doing. It was the same place as Shiori-san was so she could visit her afterward as well.
'What can I get you today?'
'How about your best soba soup. Haven't had that in forever,' said a familiar voice.
The girl blinked finding the voice all too familiar as she slowly straightened up expecting one of the regulars. She wasn't wrong, but sort of for a second wished she was as the plates she had been holding in her hands hit the floor without her even trying to stop them her brown eyes comically wide and her mouth opened.
'Damn,' said Urameshi Yusuke rushing over around the counter to her and kneeling down already picking up the pieces of the plates she let so carelessly break against the ground.
Nana stood there watching him in shock, not sure if she was dreaming or had gone insane. Did Yusuke have a twin? No. She clearly remembered he said he was an only child, and no twin could act and talk just like him. He was even wearing the stupid green jumpsuit with the only difference his hair that needed a haircut.
Yusuke tossed some of the pieces of the plate into the bin just as Nana reached out and took a hold of his cheeks pulling them, 'Au! AU! AU! NANA!'
He tried to stop her, but the raven-haired girl wouldn't let go not sure if she was checking to see if his face was his or if she was proving to herself he was real.
'Impossible,' she mumbled just as Yusuke finally got her hands away and brushed his wounded cheeks, 'Kami, woman, calm yourself.'
'You're alive?' she asked still shocked. She would benefit from a chair right about now and a glass of water.
The boy stood up waving his hand as if it wasn't a big deal that a boy she thought was dead was walking around looking more alive than many, 'Yeah, doctors made a mistake or whatever. Now, what about that soba soup, hm?'
Nana watched him walk around the counter and return to his seat still feeling bizarre. When Mr. Yukimura showed up, he let out a happy shout and immediately rushed to the boy giving him a bear-hug and messing his hair saying he heard from Keiko he woke up last night but was so happy he came. As Nana watched the exchange and listen to the conversation, she finally understood why the Yukimuras were so happy and secretive. They must have learned about Yusuke not really being dead just in a come and were waiting for him to wake up. Quite a miracle if you asked Nana, but all the same who was she to question it.
She silently prepared the soba soup, Yusuke requested, and placed it in front of him, 'Good to have you back, Yusuke-kun. Be more careful next time.'
The boy looked up at her for a second before he gave her a determinate smile and nodded. Nana knew she couldn't believe him one bit and that sooner or later he would get in trouble again, but just seeing him alive and living was enough to forget that and focus on the present.
Just like that, the day turned far better than it was yesterday, and the raven-haired girl was grateful for that.
Taking a deep breath, Nana entered the hospital room after knocking and waiting for a response. Shiori-san always looked a bit better during the evening hours close to the night than she did during the day. Nana wasn't sure why was that, but she was grateful as a lot of times it was very hard to look at the woman she came to love as a second mother and see the poor state she was in.
The dark-haired woman smiled at her, 'Nana-chan, I'm glad you made it.'
The girl returned her smile pushing away any sadness to leave it for later when she would be alone, so Shiori-san wouldn't see her. She supposed she didn't cry as often as she did at the beginning after the visits, but she was still very sad whenever she left wondering if she would be able to recall those moments once Shiori-san would pass away and hating that it was the reality she needed to come to terms with.
'I hope, I'm not late,' she said politely and sat down in front of the woman, 'I made some Imagawayaki for you. Granny and Shuichi don't like it very much.' They both found it too sweet for their taste.
Nana carefully placed it from the bento box onto the plate and gave it to the woman while wondering why did she ask her to come alone today. It happened during the last visit when Shu-Kurama left because Shiori-san requested he ask the nurse if she could leave the window partly open during the night. Nana didn't think anything of it, but then the woman leaned closer to her and asked her to come alone sometime because she wished to speak with her.
Since she didn't ask in front of her son, Nana didn't tell him she would be paying his mother a visit on her own. It was hard not to say anything as she felt more than anxious about the visit wondering what could Shiori-san want and if she would be able to stay with her without bringing her down. It was hard to see her in the hospital every day, and more often than not, Nana was certain the only thing that stopped her from going all sad and depressed in the presence of her sick loved ones was trying to stay strong for Kurama. He had enough to deal with his mother being sick, he didn't need Nana to be a crying mess on top of it all. She would rather swallow her tears and sorrow and choke on their bitter taste than to hurt him more than he already was.
'They're delicious,' praised the woman giving Nana a smile that made her almost seem healthy and happy, 'You're so talented, Nana-chan. I'm sure you will make a fine chef someday.'
The girl smiled and modestly thanked the woman as she finished the dessert and gave her the plate to wash in a nearby sink.
When Nana returned, she felt her heartbeat faster than before her stomach drowning in anxiety knowing whatever the woman wanted to say she would soon. But after a few moments passed, and she didn't say anything Nana grew confused.
Ultimately, the woman smiled softly and rose her hand for Nana to take, which the girl immediately did feeling some of the anxiety leave her, 'I don't think we need to stall too much. You probably already know why I asked you to come, Nana-chan.'
She sighed the smile's brightness fading from her face just as Nana squeezed her hand tighter, 'I won't be here for as long as I would like to. I will probably be gone before the summer. No one really plans when they will leave this world, but I did hope to have more time. I wished to see you both graduate and step into adulthood together. I wished to see you together,' her smile fell off completely, 'It's silly, but the fact that I won't be able to see my son get married and start his own family hurts far worse than any pain my illness might bring me.'
Nana bit the inside of her mouth so she wouldn't start crying doing her best to keep her hold on Shiori-san's hand to show her as much love and comfort as she could.
The woman looked at her and reached out with her free hand to touch her cheek. Her hands were colder than usual reminding Nana along with how sad and tired her eyes looked about just how sick she was, 'I know I can't do anything about that. I know it's pointless to wish for it, but a part of me still does.'
The woman gently stroked her cheek, 'I want to ask you something, Nana-chan. It's why I asked that you come alone. I knew I wouldn't be able to do it with Shuichi-kun here. He would try to stop me or change the conversation. You know how he is. My strange silly boy,' she finally smiled fondly thinking about her son, 'I want to ask you to look out of him and continue to care for him as you do now. I want to ask you, to be by his side just like you were until now. Always-'
'I will,' said Nana before she could stop herself cutting off whatever Shiori-san wanted to say next. She could almost taste blood inside her mouth from how hard she bit her flesh there, 'You don't even have to ask me that…I promise I will always be by his side. He's my best friend. I would never leave him behind.'
Nana looked away her voice shaking with emotions she held in her heart as she spoke, 'If…if you will really leave us soon rest assured that Shuichi will always have a friend and close person in me. No matter what, I will never abandon him. I promise,' she said knowing it was true as even the knowledge of his past couldn't stop Nana from feeling nothing but care, love, and support for the boy. He was her best friend. They knew each other for so long. What they felt for each other at least in Nana's case went beyond anything he could have done which would go against her morals or what she believed to be good or right. He meant too much for her for something like that cause her to hate him or not care for him.
Shiori-san watched her for a moment probably to see if she was telling the truth before she chuckled and leaned closer pressing her forehead against Nana's making her feel the warmth of her face that was still there unlike the coldness of her hands, 'Thank you, my daughter. Thank you.'
Nana shut her eyes closed pushing the tears away trying to find some balance and not to break down now, but ultimately still felt a few drops of her tears slipped away down her cheek. Luckily before Shiori-san leaned away she was able to wipe them off.
The rest of Nana's visit was in a much lighter mood which helped the girl regain her composure before it was her time to leave. She didn't feel good about the visit. Even if she should have been grateful for whatever time she had left with Shiori-san it was incredibly hard to see her and know she wouldn't be there for much longer. The way she spoke about the things she would miss in Shuichi's life, Nana found tragic.
How cruel was it to die before seeing your child, you work so hard to give everything, succeed?
Nana found it profoundly unfair.
'I see my mother has told you she wished to speak with you in private?' Kurama asked his raven-haired human friend as she came out from the hospital building.
The girl let out a startled gasp and jumped several steps away from him with her hands and bag defensively in front of her for protection.
He looked away to hide his smirk but not very well as she let out an annoyed noise before she snapped at him rather upset, 'Don't do that!'
Letting out an annoyed puff of air, Nana started to fix her uniform skirt while some people passing by gave them weird looks.
Her chubby cheeks were red with embarrassment, and perhaps it was the strange mixture of relaxed and stressed mood, he was in that his hand reached out and pinched one of those cheeks before she could even notice he planned to do it and try and stop him.
Her eyes widened making her face even more red and lovely as she pushed his hand away, 'Ku-Shuichi!'
His own eyes widened for a second as he realized she almost called him by his real name again but caught herself last minute. Of course, it wouldn't be good if she would go around calling him that, but he couldn't help the small part of him that seemed to lighten up at the thought of her doing so again. She only ever called him that once when he first told her his name, and since then either referred to him by his human name or didn't call him anything at all. Naturally, he did tell her she could carry on and call him Shuichi, but seeing that she didn't have a problem in her mind to see him as Kurama now made him wish she would call him that even if only one more time.
She sighed, her face returning to her original color, 'So how did you know?'
Kurama smiled and raised his eyebrow at her, 'You're not a very good liar. It was obvious my mother told you something after the last visit since you were so cagey. Also, you asked me if I was planning to stay late at the club immediately after we spoke about my mother, and right before we parted this morning you asked again. Did the Yukimuras gave you a day off?'
She nodded, and they slowly started to walk toward the train station 'Yes, I worked a lot of extra shifts because Mrs. Yukimura was sick, but now she's all better. The last time, I was here Shiori-san asked me to come alone. She wanted to talk about some things.'
He nodded as well looking at the sky instead of her, 'She asked you to continue to take care of me.'
'Yes,' said Nana quietly almost as if she whispered it.
They didn't say anything for a while carrying on both of their hearts heavy. Looking at the sky, Kurama knew he didn't have much time. In two days, they would make the heist, and then in four more days, they would have the full moon. So, in total, he had six days left. Six days left to be with his mother. Six days left to be with Nana.
He grabbed her wrist stopping her in track.
Her warm brown eyes looked up at him curious as to what he was planning, but for the first time in forever, not even the yokai knew. What was he planning to do now that he had her attention, now that he was holding onto her wrist and having her big brown eyes watch him and only him all so hopefully and with kindness so far beyond what he deserved?
For a second, he wished Nana was the only person he cared for in his life. The only person he felt close to, connected to, the only person who fueled his humanity and his own kindness. The only person he loved. If it was just Nana, he would toss the plan out, forget about Hiei and Goki (their newest and weakest addition to their little team). He would forget about the Reikai vault and the treasures it held. If it was only Nana, sweet, caring, lovely Nana, with her big brown eyes and bright smile that made him think of sunflowers, Kurama would perhaps put his hands against those cheeks that he adored bathed in the red color whenever she got embarrassed about something he did and maybe claim her lips again satisfying the occasional thought about if their taste changed from the last time they kissed when they were children or if perhaps he would be better at appreciating it now with his sharpened senses and his death near. If it was only Nana, who he cared for he would do it, partly for fun, and partly because he could, and maybe partly because he sometimes looked at her lips and longed to do so anyway. If it was only Nana, he would let his mother die in peace accepting it was her time and perhaps only feeling slight remorse. If it was only Nana…it would be only Nana, and he would be able to give her everything she deserved and more for how good and kind she was to him ever since the day she handed him some chalk and let him make his first garden on the payment on their old playground.
If it was only Nana, he could have loved her the way she deserved until the end of her days…
But it wasn't only Nana…
And so, Kurama offered her a fake smile, he knew she could see right through, but squeezed her wrist to silently beg her not to call him out on it at least this once, 'Let's not go home yet. Let's go for some ice cream in the park.'
Her eyes blinked, but as he predicted she didn't ask what was wrong or told him that he didn't need to give her fake smiles. Instead, she nodded and shifted her hand, so they were holding hands, and started to lead him toward the direction of the park. She didn't give him a fake smile for which he was grateful as he hated such things on her face. No matter how hypocritical it was of him to, he wanted all her expressions even sadness and anger to be honest and real.
In the end, he couldn't bring himself to taste her lips again, it would be beyond cruel to toy with her in such a way and know in a few days he would be dead. Maybe he wasn't as selfish as he thought. At least not when it came to her.
Just as Kurama said, they stopped for ice cream and made their way into the park. It was big and bright with flowers and trees bloomed at their peak as it was the middle of spring.
'It's almost like we're in a fairytale,' Nana said looking over at Kurama who smiled at her agreeing. Outside of the hospital, he seemed stressed, not at first but after a while, he must have realized something, and Nana could see the shift in his posture and the mask he wore across his face. Something bothered him and for a moment, Nana thought he was about to tell her something else or even do something else before out of the blue he suggested going for ice cream and to the park. She sensed he didn't wish her to pry and therefore allowed him to keep his thoughts to himself without feeling guilty about not telling her.
Despite the tension somewhere in the back of their minds, Nana thought the walk was nice. It was a warm day, and their treats were tasty enough. They spoke to each other about mundane things such as school and her work or his botany club some of the pressure fading away. It was almost like old times which was sad in its own way to know it was so long since they last did something like this.
They finished their ice creams just as they reached the restricted area in the park that was probably used only by a local university for their biology department.
When Kurama looked at her and pressed his finger against his lips to signal she needed to stay quiet, Nana blinked for a moment seeing a ten-year-old boy instead of a yokai in a fifteen-year-old body.
He didn't tell her anything, but when he took her hand, she rushed after him behind the sign and the blockade of the restricted area into the part of the park with special and exotic flowers.
They walked around for almost half an hour and whenever Nana caught their reflection in the lake or some glass, she could see them both almost the same height as ten-year-old kids dressed in their casual clothes their legs and arms tanned from spending almost every waking moment playing outside, and their knees and faces dirty, cut or bruised from their occasional wrestling matches and fights. It felt liberating. Every single moment of it felt like they gained some newfound freedom away from the sadness and heaviness that crushed their souls daily.
When the wind blew several pieces of flowers got stuck in between their hairs and clothes making them both laugh a bit before rushing to another part of the park still holding hands.
When all of the sudden it started to rain, they didn't even think about stopping continuing on their journey in their little adventure chuckling every now and then from how ridiculous they must have looked. Two high school students running around the rain like children.
Finally, after almost an hour, they stepped in the middle of a small field with sunflowers that seemed to be endless since the flowers were so tall Nana couldn't see where they began and where they ended. It stopped raining just as quickly as it started and the sun came out bringing the jolly flowers back to life. Nana always found sunflowers beautiful. They were her favorite flowers for as long as she could remember. Always so happy on sunny days reaching for the sun.
'I wonder where the sunflowers turn in the dark,' she said loudly raising her head to see the flowers trying to reach toward the sun in the sky finding the idea lovely and sad at the same time. Always reaching for something more and never really able to get it.
When Kurama spoke, his lips were directly next to her ear, but unlike earlier that day where his sudden voice startled her into jumping away now Nana stayed put only sensing her heartbeat speeded up and her cheeks get warmer but decide it was probably just due to the warm day and all the running.
'At night, when there is no sun to guide them, the sunflowers turn to each other,' he said in a quiet yet compelling voice that would probably be able to get under the skin of any person he would use it on.
Nana swallowed a bit feeling the familiar warm tightness inside her stomach, she sometimes sensed around her friend, but stubbornly always pushed it aside. All the while still keeping her eyes on the sunflowers wondering why he spoke like that or why was he suddenly so closer to her not moving away an inch.
'Kura-'
'Hey, who's out there?!' they heard all of the sudden, and before Nana could turn around and see who was shouting, Kurama's hand was on her wrist again dragging her through the sunflower maze further away.
They heard footsteps and more shouts as they ran before all of the sudden Kurama stopped them and forced the girl to crouch so abruptly she almost fell to the ground instead. She was not an athletic type at all.
Nana covered her mouth trying to force herself not to laugh. They were covered in mud and wet from the rain hiding from the security guard. It was certainly not the time to laugh, but due to how emotional she got just earlier while she was with Shiori-san and knowing Kurama was hiding something that caused him to feel anxious even if he didn't let it show, just pushed the girl to her limits.
Luckily for them, the guard didn't seem to hear or notice them as she silenced her giggles into her throat and only slightly shook from the tickle that rushed over her. The light rain started again and continued to fall down. Due to the tall sunflowers, Nana couldn't see if the man was still looking at them but after a while Kurama's elbow lightly nudged her, and he offered her a smile.
She chuckled a bit and pulled her hand away looking at him once again for the first time in days feeling happy and good about life even if just for a short blissful moment.
They continued to watch one another and smile in the rain surrounded by sunflowers, and Nana couldn't help but feel truly free of their everyday worries and struggles childishly imaging what would life be like if they could live surround by sunflowers as if in their little kingdom forever.
His expression changed and something much deeper and meaningful than a brief moment of childhood happiness shifted behind his intelligent green eyes.
She wondered if he remembered about his mother and fell into the never-ending void of worries and guilt once again only to blink surprised when his hands appeared over her cheeks. His touch was light and warm, but instead of serving as a balsam to calm her, it caused her heart to speed up wondering what was he planning to do all of the sudden. Even after so many years, Kurama was an expert in coming up with actions and speeches that surprised her. Not often in a bad way.
He didn't move or say anything for a while just continued to look at her with a look, she couldn't explain any other way only that it seemed beyond focused as if at that moment everything else disappeared for him, and she was the sole receiver of his absolute attention. Although Nana had Kurama's attention often, Nana couldn't help but think this was the first time it ever felt this intense with his eyes drinking her in, not giving away anything, causing a knot of anxiety and something much pleasing tightened inside her stomach anticipating what those green eyes would decide and do next.
When they finally closed, she felt his forehead ever so slightly touch her, and despite how her mind for a moment thought he would do something else, Nana couldn't find it in her to feel disappointed.
Her lips pulled into a smile and closed her eyes as well.
'You really are your mother's son, Kurama,' she whispered knowing this close he would be able to easily hear her.
His chuckle was soft but very much honest and when he finally spoke, she heard gratitude and sincerity, 'You always know what to say, Hinata Nana. Thank you.'
Her smile grew and her heart filled up with warmth feeling millionth times better knowing she managed to help him somehow.
'I'm sorry, I haven't been paying much attention to you lately,' he told her as they walked home still wet and dirty but also feeling better than they had for a while.
The raven-haired girl waved her hand, 'Don't worry about it. I'm just glad you feel a bit better.'
He blinked at her confused, and she shrugged her shoulders, 'You just look like there's something on your mind that has you worked up. I haven't seen you so focused and interested in anything in a while. It's a nice look on you.'
Something flashed behind his green eyes, and he looked away, 'I don't think you would be so excited about my focus if you knew what was on my mind.'
As they walked to the elevator, Nana couldn't help but actually gotten curious about the whole thing since he made it sound so suspicious, 'Oh? How come?'
For a while, he didn't say anything just continued on their way to the train station to avoid the looks of passing by people who whispered something probably about how inappropriate it was for them to be so wet and muddy.
Nana was sure she wouldn't even get her answer and even made peace with it, until he didn't lean closer and whisper to her so quietly she barely caught it, 'I'm planning a heist.'
It was less than a second and before she could react, he was already standing tall and a step away creating appropriate distance between them.
He continued to walk as if nothing happened, and the girl could only follow with her mind now filled with all too many questions. He didn't tell her anything else, but the way he looked at her with the slightest smirk playing across her face let her to believe he enjoyed teasing her like this. Well, he was a former yokai and criminal after all. But at the same time, he was far more than that.
Just before they entered the train, she took his hand in hers squeezing it and not letting go despite what everyone might have thought of it.
He looked down at her, and she tried to pour everything she could into her eyes for him to see, 'Just be careful.'
I know you're doing this to save Shiori-san. Good luck.
She didn't know what exactly he was doing, or how, but Nana knew he was doing it all to help his mother, and at the end that was enough for her to trust him.
He gave her the softest smile and nodded, and she knew he understood her completely.
For a while, life carried on, but Nana couldn't help but feel a strange heaviness inside her chest. She wasn't sure what it was, but every time she met Kurama it was like something or someone pushed against her chest making it hard to breathe. Whatever got him to focus before was now causing a strange dark shadow to appear across his face. No one else noticed. Of course, they didn't. Kurama was an expert controlling his expressions and hiding his true emotions and feelings, but Nana knew in her heart something was going on with him. A few days ago, he told her he was leaving and would return the next morning. She understood this had something to do with the heist, he was planning. She didn't ask him about the details, but despite her best effort she still must have looked pretty down because he told her, 'There's this artifact in a special vault that can grant wishes.'
'Oh,' she said lamely since she wasn't sure what she expected and what to say now that she knew.
He shook his head and looked at her, his green eyes determinate and easy-going for her sake, 'I'll be back soon.'
She nodded and wished him good luck watching him walk away feeling another knot forming inside her stomach. Maybe she should have shaken his hand or gave him a kiss on the cheek if she was wishing him good luck. She cursed at herself feeling unbelievably useless wondering if something did happen to him just how angry would she be with herself for allowing him to slip between her fingers so easily without a proper goodbye before she chased those thoughts away fearing she might jinx something bad to happen if she continued to think in such a way.
When Kurama showed up the next day, she felt so relieved tears started to fall down her cheeks before she could stop them.
He chuckled brushing them away with his fingers while looking down at her in the alley near the train station hiding them both out of the view of people passing them by as if they needed to meet in secret, 'I told you I would be back. Didn't you believe me?'
'I did,' she said, but at the same time, she wasn't certain she did. Perhaps, she was torn between believing him and being naïve about it that a person had such hold and say in their fate and knowing that anything could happen.
'Did you at least-'
'I succeeded. It won't be long now,' he said with a strange sense of peace still stroking her tears away although there weren't any there anymore. Nana wasn't sure what to think about it, but she forced herself to believe him for now and somehow get on with their day, in school and work.
'Can I do something for you, Kurama?' she asked him on Thursday after her shift. Keiko came home upset that Yusuke skipped school again which reminded Nana that things probably turned back to normal for the two middle schoolers. It seemed as if the whole being dead/being in a coma never even happened.
Kurama was once again waiting for her at their spot to walk her home. He politely greeted her and asked how was work, but for the first time in countless days, Nana didn't have it in her to just act like she didn't know about something being off. The day that he returned from his heist, he followed her home and once they finished dinner showed her the tiny mirror, Forlorn Hope. It fit into the palm of his hand and would probably fit into hers as well if she dared to ask to hold it or thought Kurama would let her.
'It only grants wishing on the full moon,' he explained to her then his eyes studying her face as if he expected her to say something. He told her a bit about how he managed to get it but at the same time kept enough details to himself.
'I wouldn't want anyone to think you were my accomplice,' the kitsune said, his eyes sharper than ever as they watched her face.
She frowned a bit, 'Do they know it was you? Will they come to take you to punish you, now?'
'No, don't worry about that. I'm good at hiding,' he told her with a small smirk, but the tension was still radiating from his body making the girl believe she was missing something. It was something he especially must have wanted her to know because no matter how closely she looked at him, she couldn't figure it out. The only thing, Nana could deduce was that whatever he expected her to say at the end of their conversation, she didn't, and he was equally grateful and upset about it.
Now, the redhead stopped walking standing two steps in front of her only his back toward her. It was on purpose, she knew that. Sometimes even if it was hard, Nana could notice some of the seconds-long emotions that crossed his face. They never lasted long and were hard to decode but sometimes the girl who knew him the longest in the human world could tell.
'Tomorrow…can you make something you never made for me before?' he asked his voice not giving anything away even if Nana could see some of the tension just by looking at his back and his hands hidden in the pockets of his pants.
'Like what?'
'How about something you would want to present to a judge at a cooking competition or the head of the best cooking program in Japan? If you would have one chance to make something like that for someone as important as that what would you make?' he asked, and Nana tried to understand what he was saying but couldn't, 'I don't know. I never thought of a single dish I would present them like that.'
He chuckled lightly, but she sensed a heaviness in his tone still, 'You need to believe in yourself more, Nana-chan. One day you will have a chance to cook something for someone special like that. I know you will do marvelously.'
Kurama turned around. His smile was honest, but his eyes carried a certain sadness that threw Nana off. Why was he happy and sad at the same time? What was weighing down his soul like that?
'Tomorrow, for dinner, make me something special like that, please,' he asked of her his green eyes bathing in fondness for her and sadness for whatever was running through his mind.
It was too much for Nana to just let it go by, the girl took a hold of his hand. She couldn't do much. She was just a human. She was just his friend. She could comfort him and wait for him to open up to her. That was all she was able to do. He asked this of her so she would give it to him, 'I will make you something special.'
'Thank you, Nana. You were always too kind to me.'
The fact that the young Spirit Detective managed to defeat Goki and secure the orb came as a surprise to both Kurama and Hiei. After their brief meeting, the kitsune was certain the boy with such low reiki wouldn't survive the encounter with someone as ruthless and violent as Goki, but clearly, he was wrong. It didn't happen often and made him a bit curious about the boy wondering if there was more to him than meets the eye. It also forced him to secure his time schedule by meeting with the young detective and arranging a deal.
He was severely injured barely walking and stubbornly refusing the help of his Rekai assistant. He was younger than him or Nana and based on his attitude most likely someone who often got into trouble, not just the supernatural kind. However, Kurama could sense the boy was more open-minded than many of the Reikai officials agreeing to meet him in three days on the full moon.
What surprised the redhead the most, however, and this was only once he was able to look at the boy this close were his eyes. The moment the brown eyes looked at him after his request, he could see them shifting and gaining a certain warm glow, the yokai was all too familiar with. Instantly, those brown eyes reminded him of Nana who also often looked at him with trust beyond common sense and survival instincts.
Such strange humans to trust so openly and immediately based on a single look.
For the longest of times, he thought Nana was an exception. Created by years of friendship from the early years, but to see this boy now, Kurama had to wonder just how many people like that were out there brightening the human world for bitter old yokai with their trusting and kind brown eyes.
He asked Nana to make him something special the day before. He was tempted every second to reveal why he had such a requested but forced the truth down every time. He knew what she would say. He knew she would try to stop him, convince him and change his mind. But worse of all he wasn't entirely sure he wouldn't allow her to do it. He knew she never asked for much. He knew she always asked reasonably taking into consideration him and his wants first and above. He knew she never asked for anything he didn't want to give always making sure he was comfortable about it. He was grateful and annoyed about it all the same. She should ask for more. She should demand more. She earned it. She deserved it. However, if she did ask him to stay alive and let his mother die, what would he do?
What would he do?
It terrified him to even wonder imagining her lips forming the words and her voice saying his name.
Kurama
He shivered at the thought wondering how was it that his name never sounded better than when she spoke it.
Terrified.
He wasn't a stranger to fear or at least worry, but being the pragmatic being that he was always thinking, analyzing, and calculating his options, he managed to reduce such feelings to a minimum if it was regarding something within his control.
However, Nana, his human girl, held great power over him not to mention held a way to recognize his manipulation even if often all he needed to do to get her to listen to him was to simply ask.
Nana came about an hour before the Spirit Detective. Far later than he would have liked, but still keeping some time to spare to avoid her seeing or hearing anything that would force her to finally give in and ask him what was wrong. Despite her worries and need to help, she respected his wishes and needs above her own which was one of the main reasons he adored her.
'I didn't really know what to make,' she confessed opening the containers. It was rare she ever brought the food in something other than her bento boxes, 'But in the end. I decided on ramen. I borrowed these from work so it would stay warm,' he explained to the raven-haired girl as she passed the dish to Kurama's mother.
He could see how hard it was for Nana to see his mother in such a weak state. Her own hands were trembling and her smile was crocked. She wasn't a good liar and unlike many, she never tried to be.
The food was delicious. A fitting last meal of a dying man, and as his mother praised Nana's cooking skills, he wondered if perhaps she didn't believe this was her last meal as well.
They didn't talk too much, and not wanting for the detective and Nana to meet, he abruptly stood up and told her he would walk her outside.
Nana looked at him for a moment with something close to reproach before she took his mother's hands and squeezed them with a far more pleasant and honest smile, 'Have a good night, Shiori-san. I will come back tomorrow, alright?'
His mother offered her a gentle smile and wished her a good night as well.
'What can go wrong?' Nana asked almost by the entrance to the hospital, 'Is there something that can go wrong? You look so…sad.'
He smiled at her trying to convince her and ease her worries, 'Nothing. Everything will be alright. Fear not.'
She shook her head and stepped closer, 'No, something's off and…I just want to know if there is something that can happen? Something bad?'
She looked anxious. Her lovely face twisted by concern for his mother, for him, for everything even things she didn't know about, but could tell somewhere in the bottom of her soul simply because she knew him so well and she was Hinata Nana.
He put his hand on her shoulder and leaned down pressing his lips against one of her round cheeks, he liked to tease so much.
He heard her exhale sharply as her lips parted.
When he leaned away her cheeks were slowly going red, her face eased into a surprised look, and the worry from her brows eyes melted into astonishment.
'Thank you for making the food, Nana. It was extraordinary,' he told her as calmly as he could offering a smile he hoped reflected how much she meant to him.
She closed and opened her mouth probably to thank him as she usually did when someone praised her cooking just they heard.
'Yo, not to be a third wheel, but don't we have some business to attend to soon?'
Kurama sensed the detective sooner, but he thought he would have more manners than to speak in such a way. However, Nana spun around looking even more confused than before, 'Yusuke-kun?'
'Nana?! Shit, sorry, I didn't know…,' he stopped talking and glanced from the girl back at him and then back at the girl probably confused as to what a yokai like him would be doing with a human girl such as Nana.
'Well, this is awkward,' he said just as Nana took a step back her face far redder than before and looking quite frustrated.
Kurama wasn't pleased with the outcome. He didn't plan for the detective to see Nana or even know about her. But it was bizarre to find out they were acquaintances even more for the detective to be the boy Nana mentioned turned out in a come rather than dead.
'I didn't know you two knew each other,' said Nana looking from one to another getting a hold of herself and acting confused but friendly.
The kitsune and the detective shared a look, 'We met only a couple of days ago, but we have some shared interests.'
The younger boy nodded and started to follow the redhead into the hospital leaving Nana debating whether she should leave or stay before she ultimately came into his mother's room another scenario Kurama wished wouldn't have happened as he introduced the boy, Yusuke, to his ill mother who seemed all the happier to meet another of her son's friends.
The boy looked confused looking at his mother and then at Nana and then back at him, 'Shuichi…?'
'While you're here, Nana, do you mind keeping my mother some more company for a few moments?' asked Kurama offering the girl a small smile as she nodded but the worry return into her brown eyes as she watched him and Yusuke leave the room.
The two shared a look, and for the first time, Kurama felt like an outsider to some human communication he wasn't familiar with as the detective nodded at Nana before he rushed after him. The time came to make a wish and seal his fate.
Then everything faded into the dark.
A bright light shone into his eyes forcing them to close again after they briefly open. Someone forgot to keep the blinds down.
Kurama tried to hide his eyes away from the bright sun in his arm, but after a moment gave up and slowly started to raise up. He was still tired, but not as exhausted as he was the day before although he couldn't remember what caused him to feel like that.
Slowly he sat up looking around the unmade bed and empty bedroom toward the open door leading into a small corridor.
He stretched as he got up walking the path through the corridor hearing a soft female voice coming from the living room. He didn't see anyone but sense a presence from the opened balcony.
Nana
He quietly followed the sound of her voice trying to hear what she was saying but only catching every fourth or fifth word as she mumbled a lot.
Once he reached the balcony and glanced to the right, he found her sitting in the middle of a small garden of countless of pots filled with different types of tall and small plants surrounding her.
She was wearing a large blue shirt that seemed a size bigger than her with her hair tied up in a messy way but lacking the green ribbon, he never saw her go a day without.
Suddenly as if she sensed or heard him, Nana stopped and turned around, 'Oh, good morning, you said this one liked the sound of my voice, so I thought I chat with it a bit,' she smiled at him just as brightly as she always did although he immediately noticed something was different about her.
Kurama woke up to a feeling of weakness and crushing pain in his chest slowly realizing whatever he saw before was just a dream.
His eyes blinked taking in the darkness of the night before the memory of why he was hurting and why he was on the roof in the middle of the night rushed into his mind.
'Mother,' he whispered to himself before he ran away from the roof forgetting all about the detective and the mirror desperate to see her.
The nurses and the doctor tried to stop him and tell him, but he couldn't hear them properly driven by the urge to see Shiori with his own eyes and know she was alright.
When he entered the room, Nana was holding his mother's hand, but even her he paid no mind as he took his mother's other hand observing her face and taking in the slight changes that indicated she was better. Her skin wasn't as pale as it used to be, and her eyes were much more alive. Her coughing stopped and the doctors and nurses silently whispered about a miracle while standing in the open door.
A sense of joy overwhelmed him, and he returned the ecstatic smile his mother was giving him as if she could tell she was cured as well.
Once he finally felt satisfied with her current state, he went to look at Nana just as she stood up, 'I need to catch the last train. I'm so glad you're alright.'
She brushed Shiori-san's shoulder and without meeting his gaze walked out of the room.
A sense of cold sweat rolled down his back, but he didn't dare his mother to see any of his distress as he softly kissed her palm and whispered he would walk Nana out again.
She knows.
He wasn't sure what she heard or saw, but he was sure at one point Nana learned the truth. She didn't reveal anything to his mother, and he was grateful for that, but as he finally reached her, he couldn't help but feel terrified once again about what would Nana do now.
The slap wasn't a surprise. In fact, if he wanted to, Kurama could easily avoid it without touching her. Nana never hit anyone as far as he knew. She wasn't a violent person. She was kind and caring. And the closest she came to a fight was verbally or if someone was harassing her or when she was dealing with her mother. She never slapped anyone, but despite the fact, Kurama had to admit, the girl did a pretty decent job. It was a hard slap that caused the sharp pain to shoot through his cheek. This body was never slapped before so it even surprised him just how much it hurt even if, in the long run, it was a mere inconvenience.
However, he wished she slapped him again and again and a millionth more times because when she pulled her hand away, and he looked at her again, he felt pain far greater than the palm of her hand could cause. Nana's always warm and kind brown eyes that made him think of summer and childhood and sunflowers were beyond hurt. She had been attacked by a yokai and wounded by her mother's actions, yet he never saw the girl's eyes this broken and hurt. His whole being shook at the sight of her. The urge to reach out and pull her into his arms to comfort her was so strong he even stepped away only for her the girl to snap at him her voice shaking with anger and hurt, 'How could you? You…you would…you would leave me? Just die like that? I-how could you? You told me you had it all figured out and that Shiori-san would be alright and all the while you wanted to leave-'
She covered her mouth angry tears falling down her round cheeks and her voice growing too shaky to form coherent words.
'You inconsiderate, selfish, coldhearted jerk!' she snapped causing people to look their way.
'Nana, please,' he tried to reach her, but she jerked her hands out of his reach refusing to allow him to even touch her, 'How could you do that? Shiori-san has only you if you would have died. She would be all alone…how could you-'
'She would have you,' he said quietly wincing as he saw a look of absolute horror cross the girl's face far worse than the pained and angry one from before, 'You…you… '
Nana suddenly stopped talking the expression changing again into one Kurama didn't recognize before the girl turned around and started to walk away.
He was left confused. Anger, hurt, and shock he understood, but he figured Nana would carry on in shouting at him and telling him how stupid and horrible he was for putting her through all this. Instead, she walked without saying anything else leaving him clueless about her next move which really scared him.
'Shuichi-kun,' called a nurse that opened the door, 'Your mother wants to talk to you.'
Kurama mentally cursed at the situation watching Nana carry on walking while the nurse was clearly waiting for him to follow her. Perhaps because he was partly afraid of Nana's reaction, Kurama chose to go to his mother, secretly hoping Nana would grow wiser tomorrow and their relationship would have been restored.
However, that wasn't the case, and in the next couple of days, Nana avoided him every chance she got. Walking to and from school and work earlier or later avoiding him. The one time he tried to wait for her after her shift outside the diner, she ignored him the whole way home, and for whatever reason despite how good he was in manipulation and using any verbal means to get his way, he couldn't bring himself to talk to Nana. Was it because he understood why she was upset and wanted her to have her time to be angry with him? Because he believed he deserved the punishment? His mother's life was saved, but so was his own. One way or another he achieved what he wanted and by the looks of it, he got even judgment free from Reikai. It shouldn't have worked out like that. He didn't predict a happy ending with himself in it. One way or another someone was supposed to suffer, someone was supposed to pay. Perhaps, that was why he wanted Nana to be angry with him, to have sort of lose her in the process because gaining everything he could possibly want without some sacrifice wasn't something he could accept, something he could trust. Even if he so greedily wished for it every time, he glanced at the raven-haired girl knowing her heart was full of anger toward him and that she wouldn't talk to him no matter what he would tell her.
Kurama couldn't act like he didn't understand the situation. If the places were reversed, he would be furious with Nana for putting herself in danger like that. But what could he have done, let Shiori die because of what a monster he was to her growing up? Because she sacrificed her own health just to secure a future for him, an imposter?
As Nana walked through her front door without looking back at him, he sensed the presence of the Spirit's Detective assistant who immediately called out, 'Kurama, please come with me. Yusuke's friend got kidnapped by Hiei. He needs help.'
'Yusuke, are you sure you're fit to carry her?' asked the Spirit Guide, Botan as she helped put the consciousness girl on the boy's back, 'Sheesh, knock it off already. I carried her fat ass around since pre-school. I'm not some weak pencil pusher.'
The blue-haired girl shot him a look for his rude speech, but ultimately let him carry his friend as the two of them and Kurama left the warehouse and Hiei in the hands of the Reikai authorities. The fire yokai would not be pleased once he got better and would certainly have some bad blood for the kitsune for betraying him like that. However, at the same time, the redhead found it surprising he seemed genuinely concerned about hurting him even if he knew the injury couldn't be anything serious.
'Your friend will be alright, Yusuke, do not fear,' said Kurama as he watched the detective from time to time try to steal a look at the girl softly dozing on his back.
The detective looked away embarrassed of being caught, 'Of course, she will. She's a tough girl. You should see some of the slaps she gives me. Hurts more than fighting you yokai losers. No offense,' he quickly said causing Kurama to chuckle. The detective was certainly not like any of the Reikai officiates he ever met or heard of, 'Yes, Nana often mentioned how the Yukimuras' daughter beat up her friend for skipping school and refusing to study.'
Yusuke's face fell a bit, 'Yeah, Keiko loves doing that. Such a nag.' Even as he said that he glanced at her sleeping face the softness in his face not matching his words at all.
The boy glanced at Kurama, 'Nana is still pissed at you?'
The redhead grimaced, 'She has every right to be.'
'Well, yeah, but I think she's smart enough to know you needed to save your mom. Even if your idea was stupid. Like really stupid. Leaving a crying mom and girlfriend behind is just dumb.'
Botan chose that moment to remind them she was still present, 'You're the one to talk.'
'Hey, it's not like I wanted to get hit by a truck. This guy was willing to die not to mention got stabbed tonight,' he looked at the kitsune again, 'You'll be lucky if Nana doesn't slap you again for throwing yourself in front of the sword like that.'
'I can assure you, it was a carefully calculated plan,' said Kurama and the detective snorted, 'Yeah, a carefully calculated plan of how to make your girlfriend from pissed to berserk. You should probably change if you plan to see her tonight.'
Kurama gripped the wound on his stomach tighter feeling some of the pain shot through his body. It hurt less than the knowledge that Nana and he were not on speaking terms, 'Worry not. She doesn't want to talk to me anyway.'
Yusuke chuckled, 'Right. And here I thought you were a cunning century-old genius. Turns out you're just as stupid when it comes to girls like the rest of us.'
His brown eyes glanced at his, 'Look, fox boy, Nana's only pissed because she cares, and when you care so much about a person you get piss when they get themselves in danger, you don't just stop. Trust me, she's probably pissed and miserable because she's not talking to you. Since you're the one who screwed up you should go see her. That way she could be pissed at you and know you're alright. But seriously lose the bloody clothes,' he nodded at his uniform jacket.
Botan sighed, 'I don't think you should give people romance advice, Yusuke. Since you still haven't told Keiko-'
'Why the hell are you bringing that up? Knock it off,' snapped the boy and then nervously glanced at his childhood friend to make sure she was still asleep.
'Nana is just a friend,' said Kurama feeling an urge to do so. It was a while since he corrected anyone so perhaps that was the reason why the words felt foreign inside his mouth, 'No need for romantic advice.'
Botan groaned loudly showing the two her annoyance while following them, 'Another one. There must be something in the water in this town.'
The kitsune didn't comment, but he did take a better look at the two. He still wasn't certain if they weren't just some lucky fools who managed to get this far, but still there had to be enough skill and talent even for a fool to stay alive. The Spirit Guide told him if she and the detective speak on his behave it would reduce the sentence for the heist that meant he had one last thing to worry about.
He glanced at the two as they started to bicker about something childishly and smirked despite himself sustaining the pain of his injury and Nana's anger by finding the two interesting companions for the moment.
When she heard the knock on her window late in the evening, Nana had half the mind not even turn around let alone answer him. She was still upset, and no amount of apologies or reasoning seemed to calm the beast inside her that was furious with how stupid her best friend acted. It was just so hurtful. It hurt her to know he would be willing for any noble reason to do what he was planning to do knowing just how much such an act would hurt her. For someone who Nana thought-no know would never hurt her the knowledge was almost as painful as the act itself.
However, despite the anger, the raven-haired high schooler was a gentle creature at heart and even if she was still upset, she knew sooner or later she would forgive him. What good would it be to have her best friend safe and sound if she would be mad at him for the rest of her life?
Nana turned around.
Her frown immediately melted away as pure shock cross her features before she rushed toward the window opening it not sure where she could touch him as Kurama looked properly beaten, dirty not to mention wounded. Although his hand was in the way, she clearly saw his always polish and fancy red uniform ripped and blood fresh and dry soaking his fingers.
His smile was weak and apologetic but honest, 'I apologize. I know it's late, but it wouldn't be good if I came home like this-'
'Go to the front door, I will open it,' she cut him off already rushing there sensing he probably wasn't in the condition to climb up her window. She was right of course.
The raven-haired girl took his free arm pushing it over her shoulders so he could lean on her as she brought him into her room as quietly as possible knowing her startled heartbeat was loud enough to silence any other noise.
She helped him sit on her bed, his back immediately pressing against the wall under her window. The pained groaned he let out almost caused her to feel nauseous, but Nana pushed it away and hurried to the bathroom to grab the first aid kit. She recalled the time, she already did this for him when he and Hiei saved Kitajima but felt the circumstances were nothing alike as back then he barely hurt his arm while now she wasn't sure he wouldn't bleed out on her bed.
'It's alright,' he grabbed her hand to stop her fussing making her realize her hands were shaking, 'I know it might seem horrible, but it's already healing. I'm not as easy to kill as many. I'm still somewhat of a yokai.'
She tried to read his face for the first time since their fight and knew he wasn't just trying to calm her. Even before when he hid the cost of saving his mother's life, she could tell he was hiding something heavy from her. Now, she saw none of that knowing he was being honest with her.
Slowly, Nana nodded, and Kurama let her hand go to fetch a towel she wouldn't miss, 'Can you take off your jacket?'
'Never would have thought of you to be this forward,' he joked with a small smirk, and despite the situation, she felt a stab of humor her lips twisting into somewhat of a smile, 'You wish. Besides granny would show you hell if you dirty her sheets.'
'Now upsetting Inko-san is something I certainly fear,' he said even adding a worrisome expression to slip across his features which caused the girl to soundly giggle.
Their eyes met and for a second it felt as if they were just teasing each other the way they usually did on a simple day dealing with simple human problems before Nana sobered up and sighed, 'Jacket please.'
She looked away and after a moment she was sure his green eyes were watching and analyzing her before she heard Kurama start to shift on the bed.
When Nana heard another pained groan, she looked back at him and moved to help, her hands slowly pushing the clothing off his shoulders.
She sensed his green eyes on her but rather focused her own on her fingers as they unbuttoned the shirt under the jacket that was now beyond ruined as well with a large slash and blood.
Even if she expected the worse, Nana still winced as she pulled the fabric away from the wound and reveal the nasty cut. It didn't look as deep as the amount of blood and Kurama's pained groans suggested, but it still didn't appear like something any human could just walk off.
'It looks worse than it hurts,' he said quietly causing her to look at his face again. Just as she thought he seemed to have been looking at her the whole time with his clever eyes analyzing the situation, but also a hint of hesitation or worry. She wondered why.
Nana helped him take off his shirt and tossed it onto the floor. The jacket would maybe be saved, but the shirt was a goner.
She looked at him sitting on her bed with his bare chest and that nasty wound realizing just how different their life was now, and wondering if it wasn't only different for her. Kurama was a yokai, perhaps now that he was dealing with supernatural, yokai, and psychics he felt his life was normal.
'I couldn't tell you,' he spoke softly as she started to clean the wound watching his stomach flinch from time to time from the disinfection.
She refused to meet his gaze slightly frowning, 'Because I would tell you it was a horrible idea and try to talk you out of it? You're stubborn and intelligent enough to do whatever you seem fitting-'
'Because I was certain you would talk me out of it,' he said causing her to pause and finally look at him again.
His face was calm and expressionless, but his eyes spoke volume in a way only she could hear, 'I couldn't let her die, Nana.'
'I know.'
She returned to the task at hands but in a less tense way, 'It's what made me so angry that if I was being fair I shouldn't have been angry.'
'Were you perhaps angrier about the situation than at me?' he asked with a hint of humor at the edge of his voice, and she bit her cheek not to smile before she replied, 'Don't push it.'
His chuckle was short and a bit breathless as his eyes shot closed and his face twisted in a pained grimace.
She waited a moment for him before she carried on with tending his wound, 'I'm still upset. If…if Yusuke didn't show up…if things were different you would be gone and that…,' she took a deep breath trying to force her voice not to shake as she tried to imagine such a painful thing, 'If you had died it would have been sudden and without a goodbye. With Shiori-san we at least got to talk to her and be with her…but if you…I can't accept it like that. I won't,' she looked at him again, 'If it was me if I just died without a goodbye or a second to spare wouldn't you-'
'Don't,' he cut her off his eyes pleading and vulnerable something she only rarely saw in him before, 'Please.'
Nana touched his bare arm leaning closer to him, 'Just tell me. Even if it's dangerous or moronic or something you know I won't approve…just tell me.'
He watched her carefully before ultimately she saw his eyes once again shift with a new decision and knew she won.
They shared a quick nod before Nana carried on playing nurse for him while he slowly told her about what happened tonight. It did freak her out to find out how he gotten stabbed, but she channeled enough willpower to simply nod and accept it as he further explained his reasons for why he did it.
She finished by checking if the bandages were not too tight before she took packed the kit and hid the ruined clothes and towel in a bag under her bed. She would have to toss it away in the morning before granny would wake up.
Once she was done, she glanced at Kurama. He looked properly exhausted, perhaps only holding onto this long to make amends with her. It pleased her and pissed her off the same. She didn't like him hurting, but it still warmed her to know she mattered so much.
His eyes were closed and breathing very even making her wonder if he fell asleep and if she would be able to gently lay him down and sleep on the floor for tonight. It didn't sound like a good idea that he would sleep on his side or sitting, or pressed against her wall.
She turned off the lights and carefully walked toward the bed moving her fingers behind his back and to his arm. It occurred to her that naked his body felt warmer, and she thanked the darkness for hiding her face and blush knowing without a single doubt Kurama would catch it and make fun of her.
He didn't let out a single sound of discomfort as Nana placed him on his back on top of her bed. As she leaned away to pull the blanket over him, she was startled by the sudden grab of her wrist almost letting out a sound close to a cat.
'Come here,' he mumbled pulling her on top of the bed.
Nana's eyes widened and despite her protests in the form of digging her knee into the edge of the bed and pulling backward away from it, somehow the injured kitsune didn't have much of a problem if any to pull her in. Given that her bed was the same single bed she had since childhood, whenever they ended up in it, the two always had to lay on their sides in close proximity to fit without touching. Since Kurama was on his back and therefore fully occupying the bed, Nana ended up with her head and chest against his and her stomach and feet tightly pressed against his side.
It caused the raven-haired girl to freeze and her face to heat up uncomfortable. It wasn't uncommon for them to touch. They were childhood friends and tended to reach out to one another since they were in kindergarten. Touching helped. It made the girl feel held and filled voids caused by an unknown father and constantly absent or trouble-causing mother. Even if Kurama never said it and seemed to be doing alright in almost any given situation, Nana would like to think the occasional hug or hold of the wrist helped him too. Everyone needed comfort, especially in hard times. Sometimes comfort was all a person could offer and all a person was willing to accept. Still, lying like this especially when his arm rested against her back and his fingers appear inside her hair pushing her closer made Nana think about anything but comfort.
'What are you doing? Your wound might open,' she whisper-shouted. The panic and embarrassment were getting the best of her young heart.
'My wound is fine,' came his voice filled with exhaustion like he was slowly slipping into sleep.
Nana bit her lip not liking such an idea. It seemed too inappropriate.
'I just need… this for a bit,' his voice softer than ever due to the exhaustion, and Nana couldn't help but think if it wasn't for how close she was she might not have even caught it.
They hadn't properly seen each other in a couple of days, and she was angry with him. It was hard for her too, but at least she had that anger to push her through while he only had guilt and no clue how to make her forgive him. She was being cruel, she knew that, but it just hurt too much to even think he would leave her alone like that. She needed him, and he apparently needed her just as much.
Her panic and embarrassment slowly faded away causing her to notice something other than how inappropriately close they were. Possible due to the healing but his body felt much warmer like this. It was almost hot, but a quick check of his forehead told her he wasn't running a fever. She wondered if yokai even could get sick if they weren't injured. Despite how hot it was it wasn't unpleasant and the more she allowed herself to relax, Nana felt the warmth was nice.
After a while, she closed her eyes and carefully placing her free palm against his chest near her face relaxed enough to hear the sound of his heartbeat. It was slow as Kurama must have finally fallen asleep but lovely all the same. Listening to the steady lubs and dubs, she thought of how horrible it would have been if she never heard it again, but at the same time felt a sense of newfound joy knowing he was alive.
Did she at least tell him she was glad he survived? Tonight or the night of the full moon?
Barely moving at all, Nana tilted her head and pressed a soft kiss against the spoke right on top of his heartbeat.
She felt a strange spark of electricity and felt Kurama shiver under her but luckily didn't wake up.
Nana smiled to herself and laid back down finally feeling relaxed and calm enough to fall asleep for what felt like the first time.
In the morning she overslept so she wasn't surprised she woke up alone, closer to the center of the bed with a blanket over her.
When she reached under the bed, the bag with the bloody ruined clothes was gone and even the kit was back at its place in the bathroom. The only thing left as a reminder of what happened last night wasn't a dream was the feeling of peace and lightness still present in the girl's heart.
With a deep breath, Nana stretched her arms and stood up ready to take on another day wondering who's normal it would be hers or Kurama's.
A.N: Thank you for reading and the support. I am glad you like the story so far. I hope I didn't disappoint anyone. I will do my best to have the next chapter soon. Stay healthy and safe and have a nice day :)