True Belonging

by Too Young to Feel This Tired

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

9. Youth Part VII

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 Nine: Youth Part VII.

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I knew the second I met you that there was something about you I needed; turns out it wasn't something about you at all; it was just you. – Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire

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Warning: Violence, blood, non-con, biting!

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She might be scared now

The doubt appeared once Kurama came to his room and closed the door. It wasn't that Nana said anything which was precisely the problem. She hadn't said anything at all. The raven-haired girl offered him a small smile as he and the others approached them and then looked away rather than walking closer to Shizuru.

The redhead found the behavior odd.

Of course, Nana was free to walk with whoever she wanted, but last time she wouldn't leave his side and they chatted or at least enjoyed each other's silence on their way to the hotel. It was puzzling, but more so than simply that. Now she looked shaken or deep in thoughts. Even if some other time he would appreciate the chance to openly look at her with her hair down now knowing it could have been a sign of a rift between them it bothered him.

She resents me now

She saw him. Even if for a second. Even if she was too far away. Even if she probably didn't even understand what it meant. For a brief second, she saw him.

Yoko

His past self, one that he was certain he would never become again looked at her. Their eyes met and his yokai past even if out of touch with this time, he recognized her from Kurama's own memories.

Precious

Oh, Yoko remembered her, alright, and so did Kurama remember the time before. Before when he didn't know his instincts and his past self so well he often talked about Nana in such a way genuinely enjoying her company and antics. She was precious to him as she was dear to Kurama and before that to Shuichi, his human side, as well. Yoko, despite his cruel ways, was a being and as such capable of possessiveness or interest toward things that caught his attention or he deemed them worthy of it. For lack of better words that wouldn't degrade Nana, his past self liked her. Kurama could still feel the shiver under his skin at how the creature was fascinated by the human girl from the moment he saw her. Humans rarely caught Yoko's attention. They seemed too weak in comparison. So easy to break or harm. Always dying too soon. It had to be only because of his own feelings that his past self cared for this one so much. What else would it be?

Before during his dalliances, he liked strong partners, ones which he could defeat, bind up, control, and break.

Kurama couldn't help but frown feeling a bad taste in his mouth as he recalled those moments and how much he enjoyed hurting someone like that making them vulnerable and weak. He used to enjoy it when they begged, but he never allowed them mercy.

Now, his stomach twisted at the idea even more than someone like that, someone who used to do such horrible things and didn't think anything was wrong with them, would easily do them again, would like Nana in any way. Because for Yoko to be interested in Nana in any way wouldn't lead to anything but hurt and misery to the human girl.

A shiver crawled his back and a dark sense gripped his heart as the redhead closed his eyes and tried to shake such twisted thoughts away.

No, Nana was safe.

Yoko wasn't here. He was gone. A memory somewhere in his mind.

Nothing more.

But as he broke free from such ideas, he returned to his original problem. Nana didn't say anything about Kurama turning into his past self. She didn't comment in any way and in fact, looked like she was avoiding him.

Is she afraid now?

Now that the raven-haired girl knew how he used to look and act. Could she sense the bloodlust and ruthlessness? Could she sense how easy it would have been for him to jump to her and hurt her if it would please him? Or how easy he could catch her and do other things to her…far more interesting and enjoyable things for him regardless of her own feelings?

He groaned and closed his eyes while his hand reached to brush his forehead as he suddenly felt exhaustion at the dark places his thoughts led him to wish to refocus them on something else. He should stop being so selfish and start to think about Nana's wellbeing. If she was scared of him, he wished to aid her worries and help her overcome them or erase them completely by promising he would never hurt her as long as he breathed. But perhaps she needed time. If she wished to speak with him, she would but the redhead felt like he couldn't wait that long. There was a sense of longing caused by the girl's absence. Kurama never liked them to be apart or with a conflict between them. So far there was only one big one, but there were times he needed to stay away, and the result was the same. Devastating and almost unbearable pain and loneliness.

What are you thinking, Nana?

It used to be so easy to read her before. However, now at times, Kurama felt like everything shifted and things were complicated in a way not even fifteen years in the human world prepared him for.

It was ridiculous that even he, a thousand-year-old yokai, legendary thief, was suffering from the same disease that seemed to infect many of his male peers.

Girls

Kurama opened his eyes and moved his hand away as he recognized the footsteps behind his door immediately turning around even before he heard the distinguish knock of hers.

'Kurama, can I come in?' her voice was slightly muffled by the door, but it still sounded worried enough to cause his doubts and fears to spread once more.

If nothing else, at least Nana wasn't too afraid not to seek him out. He attempted to convince himself.

He opened the door with a sense of easiness when his emerald eyes landed on her. At least she didn't hate him after what she saw. At least, she still wished to see him after she saw how his true form was. The moments their eyes met something shifted behind her chocolate ones and for a second, she looked calm even happy before once again her eyes hardened by whatever was laying heavy on her beautiful soul.

Nana changed her clothes wearing a pair of jeans and a pink sweater that was slightly too big for her figure revealing enough of her neck and shoulders as it slide down every time she moved. She also took a shower. His nose was filled with the scent of the hotel's soap and shampoo and the ends of her raven hair were slightly damp. It masked her own scent well, and it would probably take a couple of hours for it to peek again. Kurama's got plagued with an unreasonable thought about pulling her closer and covering her in his scent the way he used to.

'Come in,' he said clearing his throat and trying to hide how much the idea shook him in that instant before he allowed her to enter.

Upon her confused look around the room he quickly put her mind to rest, 'Hiei most likely stepped outside for a moment. He doesn't like to stay indoors for long and yesterday was raining too much for him to go out.'

Nana nodded in understanding for a split second before once again her features twisted by the serious look that appeared on her face and trouble-filled everything from her posture to the look behind her brown eyes to how she bit the inside of her mouth. Kurama knew her by heart. Every single sign of distress caused his own to spike as he wished to aid her in whatever way he could.

'Please, sit down,' said the kitsune concerned, and motioned for Nana to take a seat on his bed. Hiei didn't use his own much preferring the floor or window frame. Old habits. But it still wouldn't do either of them good if Nana sat on what was labeled as his bed.

The raven-haired human girl took a sit. The stiffness did not leave her body even after she took a deep breath.

Kurama prepared for the worst. Whatever she would say, he would take it. He wouldn't blame her. He wouldn't try to ease or make her worries seem unimportant or small. She had a right to feel the way she felt. He would do his best to prove himself to her and to make her understand that whatever fear Yoko started in her, he would never allow her to turn to reality. He promised he would always keep her safe and be a good friend to her. He would honor that promise.

'Uh,' she brushed her hair, once again it was down causing her to look even more lovely than she usually did. There was something incredibly tender about her when she had her hair down and something delicate always seemed to bloom inside his chest whenever he saw her like that.

'Nana,' he said softly causing the girl to look up at him, 'Whatever it is, it's alright.'

The raven-haired girl blinked at him surprised before very slowly she nodded, 'Something happened. I'm alright,' she quickly added, but it didn't help the irrational part of the yokai to feel worried about what she would say especially as now he realized her shaken state had nothing to do with her seeing Yoko.

Keeping her story as simple as possible Nana explained to him what happened to her that day and why she wasn't with the other girls who arrived even later to their match than Nana did. He could tell she was keeping the story simple for his benefit. However, she failed to take in the fact that her words might have been missing but her emotions were heard and seen loud and clear by Kurama.

She was shaking both in body and voice often pausing and starting a new sentence as the memories must have caused her to forget what she wished to say. She was scared, angry, and upset by what happened and she wasn't the only one.

'Did this yokai say who he was?' asked Kurama trying to keep his voice as level as possible once Nana was done with her re-telling what happened for her sake. The human man who tried to assault Nana was dealt with. Even if Kurama would wish to deal with him himself, he had to admit and take pride in the fact that Nana managed to put him in his place and fight back.

However, fury boiled in his veins even more than usual in a way it hadn't possibly ever over what the yokai did to her. He knew anger, he felt toward Nana's mother, the yokai who tried to eat her, the boys who harassed her in junior high, or the man who assaulted her as a child. He felt anger toward all of those abominations wishing and, in some cases, even punishing them in a way that would satisfy his need to silent the rage. But the rage he felt in that moment toward the yokai who dared to terrify her enough to shake and cry was beyond anything he had felt in a while if ever. It was primal and dark coming from a place that was only awakened today because he for a moment became Yoko again.

Nana shook her head and pulled her feet up on the bed before she hugged them to her chest, 'No. I asked, but he didn't answer.' She sounded sad and slightly guilty now.

His hand reached out on its own accord and his fingers took hold of her chin urging her to face him a bit more firmly than he normally would, 'Look at me, Nana.'

Her brown eyes met his green ones, 'You're here with me. No one can touch you. No one ever will.'

His voice sounded different even to his own ears. Did he channel some of Yoko's cruelty? Maybe that was the point. No yokai would dare to harm what was precious to Yoko Kurama so who was foolish enough to scare what was precious to him?

Nana swallowed a bit. Her brown eyes were wide, and her pupils dilated. If only she knew the effect, she had on him then. When her heart skipped a beat, and he felt her clean scent change into a much muskier one his own eyes widened as well. Her scent molding under the pressure of her feelings could be intoxicating if he wasn't careful enough. And his human side, which cared too much about his best friend would never allow him to be anything but careful no matter how firmly his yokai side pushed against his mind and instincts to react.

Quickly, as if she burned him, Kurama let go and took a step back looking away, 'Tell me about him.'

Silence

He wondered if perhaps Nana needed to compose herself as well. It calmed him a bit to know he wasn't the only one affected. As always, they were in this together.

'A-at one point he spoke very softly and politely, but he wasn't either of those things. It was like when you're polite, Kurama,' she stated, and very slowly with curiosity the yokai turned to look at her, 'It's an act for the audience, for the outsiders like your classmates or neighbors, but his act wasn't as good as yours. He clearly thought less of me and well you for being close to me, and I think that the fact that he wouldn't say either of our names very often meant something but I'm not sure what. He would use nicknames, but weak ones like a flower and human girl.'

Kurama had to agree with her. If he didn't say her name, it meant he had no respect for her and wished to make her just that, some human girl. The same probably went to him.

Flower

He used that to mock them both, didn't he? How rude. How much he had to despise Kurama for his human heart and affection for his human loved ones.

Nana brushed her shoulders, and Kurama sensed a chill run through her body as she must have recalled the ordeal. Her face got paler for a moment, 'He also wasn't very good with insults. Immediately the mask fell off, and he showed just how angry he really was.'

The kitsune frowned, 'You insulted him?'

Nana bit the inside of her mouth in a way to buy herself time. She didn't want to lie, but she wanted to hide something from him. He didn't like that. He needed to protect her, and the only way to do so was to know everything there was to figure out who was the yokai who took such interest in him and his human friend.

'I was stressed, and he was a jerk. It just came out.' It wasn't a complete lie, but it was close to one.

Kurama narrowed his eyes further at her, 'Nana, you're smart enough not to try anything that reckless on someone who could so easily harm you.'

The girl looked up at him stunned, but he couldn't allow his softness for her to be the cause he would allow her to get away with such recklessness freely. It was becoming far too common for the girl to get in dangerous situations, and the kitsune didn't like it at all. Nana was smart and careful. Before she often acted reasonably even accepting his lies for the time being if only because she knew they were important to him. He was eternally grateful for that and couldn't ask for more since his life was dangerous and in order for his close ones to stay safe was either had to hide the truth from them or to get them to understand the risks and act cautiously and do as he told them.

'I…I wasn't thinking,' said the girl carefully causing Kurama to clench his jaw a bit as he could hear and see every possible sign in the girl's body language and reactions of just how untruth Nana's words were.

'You're lying,' he stated and watched as Nana's lips pressed firmly together. Obviously, she was hoping he would allow her to get away. Sadly, tonight Kurama just couldn't offer her such favors, not in this, never in such a situation where her wellbeing was threatened. He needed to know more. He needed to know everything in order to figure it out and form a plan. He needed to protect her no matter what. No matter what. No matter her own anger at him. No matter her embarrassment.

Finally, after what seemed like ages Nana accepted her defeat and sighed loudly and more than a bit annoyed, 'Alright, maybe a bit, but it just happened.'

'You should have been smarter than that,' said Kurama rather unkindly. He knew it was harsh, but perhaps, he had been too soft on her. Until now, she never gave him a reason not to be anything but proud and supportive of her behavior, praising her quick thinking and safe habits, but lately, his raven-haired friend seemed to jump from one situation to another. Such realization didn't sit well at all with both sides of him. At least they agreed on the goal if on not on the execution.

Now Nana frowned a bit clearly not appreciating the insult or to be treated like a child, 'I didn't get caught by him on purpose, you know?'

The redhead had to bite his tongue not to get into an argument now as it would be far too easy to, and as much as he wished for Nana to understand and face some apparently needed consequences for her reckless and perhaps even out of the character actions, Kurama would have to leave it for another time.

At least for now…

Sighing, Kurama scratched the back of his head and tried to control himself and the beast inside. It was far too long since he felt this powerful. It probably wasn't a good idea that he was with Nana right now. She was too fragile for his dark past. He would probably do more harm than good by giving in to his anger and fears. For now, she was safe. For now, Nana was with him. Nothing could happen to her now.

'I'm sorry,' said the human girl suddenly and looked down at the ground her strong posture from before gone as if it wasn't there in the first place replaced by a much guilty and weak one, 'I know it was stupid. I just couldn't think straight with him so close to me,' her hand fist formed over her knee as her face twisted, not from annoyance this time, 'It was really scary,' she swallowed a bit, 'He told me that I couldn't move and that if I did I would be…He made me sick. Not just because he was yokai, but because he really wanted to hurt you. Like those others Roto and Bakken. There's something horribly cold about someone wanting to hurt you just so…coldly like your life doesn't even matter, you know? I…I could understand if he wanted to eat me because that's instinct or something primal. Even when you guys fight there is an honor and this sense of trying to prove yourself and win,' she shook her head, 'But to want to hurt someone, torture them for fun…that's. It's really…sickening.'

The last bits of Kurama's anger melted away upon seeing Nana in this state and to speaking like this. Why was he upset with her? She was the victim. She had been through enough. He pushed the beast inside him to submission. Nana didn't need anyone to make her feel worse than she was already feeling. She was perfectly capable of doing that to herself, and Kurama knew that now she was thinking the worse of her knowing she upset him. So much for not causing her additional pain and for listening to her.

Kurama had half the mind to be upset at himself, but he couldn't allow himself to be any more selfish than he already was toward Nana.

He kneeled down to her feet and took the hands that were on her knees, 'I'm sorry too. Please, forgive me, Nana. It's so cruel of me to treat you in such a way when you're like this,' he raised her hands toward his lips and kissed each one of them. When he looked back up, he found a familiar light scarlet color present across her beautiful round cheeks. He smiled feeling more like himself while looking at the reaction he caused and feeling the familiar warmth in his own chest that he grew to associate with his favorite human girl, 'I'm just upset that I couldn't do anything to help you. Some yokai protector you have.'

Nana blinked up at him the embarrassment shifting and her cheeks losing some of their redness as she spoke with a sense of confidence, 'But you did.'

Kurama was surprised by the determination on her face.

The girl laced their fingers on both hands on her own the embarrassment gone completely, 'I'm not one-hundred percent sure, but just as I felt the yokai was about to do something truly evil to me or kill me, you…,' the corners of her sweet lips lifted into the most delicate and loving smile he ever saw, 'I don't know, but I felt like you did something, and it scared him. He let me go, and I ran to the front row to be close to you and then,' something very warm flashed behind her chocolate brown eyes, 'There you were and despite everything and the shock that my redheaded kitsune was suddenly silver-haired and even more freakishly tall,' she said without grimacing just keeping an adoring smile across her face, 'I felt better…and then safe.'

Only her

From all the humans in this realm, only Hinata Nana possessed the power to end his life in a heartbeat. Only she could cause every last bit of anger, guilt, and humiliation or fear to melt from his heart and something wonderful to blossom inside. Something like a sunflower.

For a moment neither of them said anything just looking into each other's eyes with their feelings screaming inside them. Despite the silence of their words and the fading light of the upcoming evening it felt like the world which was consisting only of the two of them was very loud and bright.

She wasn't embarrassed. Her cheeks remained their natural color, yet she had to feel the intensity and purity of the moment just as much as he had. Yet, despite it all, Nana didn't look embarrassed. Not one bit which caused Kurama to realize just how serious and special to the moment was. If he would reach out for her now, what would she do? Would she allow him to touch her? Would she allow him to truly touch her? More than that, would she touch him as well?

Suddenly his thoughts shifted once again to places twisted and dark that speeded his heartbeat, awoken his primal instincts, and sharpen his teeth as he thought of pushing her further down against his bed and-

However, just as quickly as that moment came, Kurama looked away once again sensing his control slipping ever so slightly just by looking at his dear friend, who apparently always knew what to say, 'So silver and tall, is that all you can say about the Legendary Thief Yoko Kurama? That's rather disappointing.'

Nana chuckled openly a lot of the nervous energy that was marking her scent gone now leaving behind only a light mood so typical of such a joyful and caring person as his best friend, 'Well, you were pretty far away, and my human eyes aren't as sophisticated as yours.'

'Of course, now she uses the weak human card,' Kurama pouted and allowed the girl to lightly tap his forehead with her index finger, 'Don't be bratty. The tail and ears were cute.'

Kurama purposely gave her an insulted look and with as much venom as he could he repeated the word, 'Cute?'

The girl grinned at him and nodded with a sense of teasing in her tone, 'Adorable~.'

'You're being absurd,' he said dryly.

Nana let out a loud and rich laugher and a wave of warmth washed over him twisting something inside his chest burning every negative feeling that wished to find a home there before leaving nothing but adoration in its path.

'Why?' she asked still smiling and it was almost enough to make him smile as well.

'My form was considered dangerous and wicked. Nothing about me was cute, and you would know so if you watched me closely,' he stated only for Nana to argue with humor behind her voice, 'Your ears and tail were cute. Just like Koto's.'

Kurama shook his head but pushed the humor from the situation by giving Nana a serious look and asking, 'Were you truly not repulsed by my form? Or afraid? You were avoiding me.'

He saw Nana's cheek turn scarlet again and her heartbeat speed up as she shook her head immediately, 'No!' her outburst was too loud and she quickly realized it as well as she covered her mouth looking humiliated which unfortunately caused Kurama to lightly chuckle out of amusement.

The gesture earned him a frown from the human girl before she uncovered her and in a much more sensitive to their surroundings said, 'That was because I didn't want everyone to know what happened. I felt humiliated and upset and as for your form,' she bit her lip for a second dragging his attention toward it, 'I think…I think I would be the biggest liar in the three realms if I said you looked anything but unfairly attractive even as a merciless yokai.'

Kurama closed his eyes letting go of her completely and sighed to himself before a small honest smile appear across his face. It felt like a first one since the day started, 'Cute and attractive is all you can say about someone like Yoko, hm, Nana-chan?'

His eyes opened and he glanced at his hands. They weren't the hands he once had. Hands that tore apart limbs and did everything they could to survive. Hands soaked in blood. But what difference did that make?

Nana's hand appeared in front of one of his and covered it, 'Unless Yoko rips my own heart out or kills my loved ones that are all I plan to say about him.'

Her hands were slightly smaller than his even if her fingers were slightly wider than other girls due to how often she used them for work and cooking. He could feel the slight cuts and burns she earned by doing what she adored. Despite all of that, Kurama couldn't help but think they were perfect just like the girl they belonged to.

Even if a day would come that Hinata Nana would rip his own heart out, the yokai would forever think that of her.

Precious and perfect.

---

The next day Nana spend a couple of more minutes waiting until the ringing stopped signaling the call was ended due to no one picking up before she put the phone back in its place with a sigh.

Granny, where in Three Realms are you?

'Is something wrong?' she heard and looked up only to find Master Genkai looking at her. She didn't hear her come in as she was waiting on the phone but even so she probably wouldn't hear someone who was as skillful as a Master of the martial arts as Master Genkai. Even without her full power since apparently, she gave that to Yusuke earlier the other day, she managed to defeat two of the strongest opponents of Team Uraotogi like it was a piece of cake. Later, when the fear and trauma from what happened washed away from Nana's system, she had to genuinely admit the woman was amazing. Especially for her old age.

'I was trying to call my granny, but I couldn't reach her,' she admitted and glanced at the phone with a serious look on her face. She promised granny she would call her every once in a while, but ever since after the boys' first match, the woman was always out it seemed. She hoped she would be alright. Of course, if anything bad happened, Shiori-san would have said no doubt. She knew for a fact Kurama called her every other day, and she seemed to like everything was fine, but still, Nana would feel less tense if she got to hear her voice.

'She's probably with some friends,' said Master Genkai, 'We old people have a life too, you know.'

Nana looked at the woman surprised before she genuinely giggled, 'Yes, my granny says the same thing.' It was true before she convinced Nana to leave with Keiko and the others, she did warn her not to call her every day because she had a life.

'Well, all old people think alike,' said the woman and shrugged her shoulders before she walked toward the window looking outside before she asked, 'Did you tell her you were coming here?'

'Not specifically, but she knew I was going to see Kurama…I think she knows about him,' admitted Nana recalling just how cryptic her granny sometimes sounded. She definitely knew things, but either didn't care or decided to let Nana and Kurama live their own lives. Still, Nana would feel better if they talked. Although, perhaps that wouldn't be the best. She still couldn't decide. It was different than if Shiori-san found out. Her granny was much calmer about life and the things that happened in it.

'You risked a lot by coming here,' said Master Genkai suddenly ripping Nana from her thoughts and causing her to once again look at the old Master, 'You must love him very much.'

Nana's cheeks turned red on their own as they always did when someone implied something like that, but now as the woman just tossed the word love out as that Nana felt twice as embarrassed and nervous about it. Usually, people just assumed they were dating or they hinted they cared about each other. Rarely if every people said they were in love. Japan was too conservative for such easy use of the word. It felt too intimate even being said so casually by Master Genkai.

'Yes, Kurama and I are best friends,' she told the old woman quickly as she always had whenever someone said something to imply there was more to them. However, Master Genkai simply chuckled at that, 'Do you tell yourself that often?'

Nana blinked surprised by the woman's words although maybe she shouldn't have been. Her granny could be blunt sometimes too. It probably came with old age and the knowledge there was no point in false pleasantries when your time is running out.

Still, Nana bit the inside of her mouth the embarrassment still her worse enemy, 'We are friends just friends.'

Master Genkai chuckled once more and turned around to look outside the window again. Nana could see some amusement coming from the profile of her face and then hear it in her voice as she let out her next words, 'I see. It's a mantra, isn't it?'

Nana blinked.

Matra?

'I used to have one too when I was in love,' confessed the woman, and although for a split second Nana got curious about such a part of the other woman's life, her embarrassment weight over her curiosity, and she felt heat rising up her face.

The girl tried to fight the blush and her nervosity, 'I don't know what you mean, Genkai-san. We're really just good friends.'

'And you tell yourself that as often as you can,' said the older woman as if she was agreeing with Nana before she pointed at her firmly. Her eyes were sharp and wise and reminded Nana of her granny even more than before, 'Word of advice, girl. You don't live forever and neither does he. Tomorrow we all might be dead. If you have a shot even if just for one night or second, you should go for it. It beats living with regrets. Trust me,' she said and started to walk toward the door that led out of the room leaving Nana closing and opening her mouth to find a good argument only to come out empty-handed.

Master Genkai paused in front of the door, 'In the end, we regret things we didn't do more than those we did. Don't make loving him something you will regret.'

Nana was left stunned.

Loving someone something you will regret

That just sounded awful. Like a curse or punishment of sorts. Nana regrated things. Mostly embarrassing things or such that involved Izumi. She regretted being so reckless before and promised Kurama she would do better and not get in the dangerous situation anymore.

But to regret loving someone. Now that sounded truly horrible.

Out of the blue, she thought about last night in Kurama's room when for a while the intensity of the moment overcome her embarrassment and she just felt something.

Ah, great.

She let Master Genkai get into her head now.

Nervously, she scratched her cheek and bit the inside of her mouth. It was just a moment. They had plenty of those. She supposed when she was friends with someone those are unavoidable.

They don't happen with the others.

She paused in her movements. True, now she could say she was friends with a lot of people, and she never seemed to get to such intense moments with them.

Her mind drifted toward the times she was worried about the others. She was scared, yes. She wished they would end it already, but it was nothing compared to the paralyzing fear she felt for Kurama when he was in danger. Her stomach, unpleasantly, sank as she recalled his most brutal fights where she felt utterly helpless to do anything else than watch. She only felt better when she was able to talk to him afterward. When she held him afterward and felt he was alive and alright. So perhaps, such instances didn't happen with the others, but she was friends with Kurama the longest, and they were best friends practically soul-

Her eyes widened and she quickly rushed to the found feeling her entire body burning up.

What in Kami's name are you think?

We're just friends

---

The next day, Kurama woke up earlier than the rest following on Master Genkai's (who finally revealed herself as the Masked Fighter) advice and went to see Team Toguro in their semi-final matches. He didn't bother waiting for Hiei as the fire yokai worked on his own schedule and decisions. If he wished to see them, he would show up somewhere. However, after witnessing the matches of the three contestants of Team Toguro, Kurama couldn't help but feel Hiei made the right call by not showing up to witness their strength and brutality. Their skills were obviously several levels higher than any other opponent the kitsune faced so far. The honest and cold truth was that despite his own skills and tricks, he would most likely not be able to defeat any of them let alone their leader, the younger Toguro.

But what was worse, was the moment he saw the first member of the team, Karasu, a tall yokai with black hair, even darker than Nana's raven color, charge himself at his opponent and with a single touch blowing his entire arm off.

The kitsune's green eyes widened as he immediately recalled what Nana told him last night about the yokai who had been stalking her and threatened her the day of their previous match with Team Uraotogi.

'He said his specialty is bombing and that he has an explosive touch,' confessed Nana that night has clearly shaken as he saw a shiver rush through her body and her face get a bit paler, 'He didn't use it, so I don't know if it was true, but I was scared more than enough.'

Kurama frowned with pure yokai fury settling over his features impossible to hide as his yoki screamed. Given what he saw Karasu would have no problem blowing Nana's head off if he wanted to. He could have done so with a single touch, but he wanted her to be as terrified as possible so he purposely held her tight scaring her even more.

How wicked! How dare he! His own body protested slightly against the wave of his own yoki. Minamino Shuichi's body was truly weak in comparison to his previous form. It wouldn't stand a chance against someone like Karasu. He wouldn't stand a chance.

After what felt like ages, Kurama finally unclenched his fists realizing his palms were bleeding from how hard he was clenching them in the first place.

Truly weak

As the fans cheered over Karasu's quick win, his opponent reduced to nothing more than ash and smoke, Kurama not for the first time cursed his human body. Such a fearsome technique to force his own yoki to his opponent's body and destroy it from the inside.

'But you did,' he suddenly recalled Nana's words as if she was standing right next to him, 'I'm not one-hundred percent sure, but just as I felt the yokai was about to do something truly evil to me or kill me, you-I don't know, but I felt like you did something, and it scared him. He let me go, and I ran to the front row to be close to you and then. There you were and despite everything and the shock that my redheaded kitsune was suddenly silver-haired and even more freakishly tall. I felt better…and then safe.'

Yes, his past form scared him away. His past self was someone to fear, someone who wouldn't have a problem standing against the likes of Karasu and defeat him without a second thought. Yoko Kurama knew no fear. He always had a plan, and he always won if that was what he desired it. The realization did nothing to help settle Kurama's feelings. He wasn't strong enough. Along with his past, he gave away his strength. Until yesterday, he never truly understood the sacrifice. Even when his mother was ill it wasn't something Yoko himself would be able to deal with. However, after what Nana told him, it was one thing to feel powerless about yourself. But to know you once had the power to do anything, to be on top of the world, and now knowing without a doubt you would never be able to protect that you cherish the most in your life…

What a fitting punishment for someone who used to be so fierce and strong.

His thoughts were filled with Team Toguro, but mainly Karasu, as he was exiting the stadium. He felt almost nauseous and yet empty thinking about his chances, the yokai, and Nana in a way one would about the puzzle without a solution.

He barely heard the words of the fans who mocked him on his way out. If only he could somehow turn into that form again. This body wasn't built for the strength he used to possess, but Yoko's was.

Kurama's legs carried him toward the exit for a while lost in his fears and thoughts before he finally caught the yoki of the yokai who somehow managed to sneak up on him in his moments of distraction.

He stopped abruptly, once again upset with himself for allowing them to corner him in such a way, as both Karasu and Bui were standing in front of him blocking his way.

In a voice just as gentle as Nana described it the yokai, who Kurama felt most hate toward at the moment asked, 'You're the only one who came to watch, huh?'

The redhead didn't plan to answer, and apparently, the crow yokai didn't expect him to because he quickly added, 'You must be quite self-assured.'

This time Kurama decided to answer looking from one yokai to the other making sure he always kept them in his vision, 'Not at all.' If Karasu needed to touch him in order to use his abilities, Kurama would not allow him out of his sight.

Karasu spoke again even softer this time as if to bring assurance to Kurama which was creepy in its own way. Nana was right. He liked to toy with people, 'Don't be so nervous. We won't do anything. You can trust me. I didn't harm your human pet, did I?'

Despite the danger of the situation and Kurama's fear and doubts clouding his judgment, he didn't allow the other yokai the pleasure of a reaction no matter how personally insulted he felt for Nana being called in such a degrading way.

If it upset the crow, he didn't let it show either rather saying, 'Besides the four of you won't die for another two days.'

'Four of us?' asked Kurama this time not able to hide his shock and worry as his mind tried to race over what the yokai could mean just as he said, 'One will die today. You will know who soon enough.'

Before Kurama could even begin to analyze who and how Bui caused a commotion by throwing a fist against the wall causing his eye to shift to him momentary losing Karasu. That single moment was all it took as suddenly the crow was gone, hiding his yoki just enough so Kurama knew he was still close but not sure where exactly.

In the next instant, that question answered itself as Kurama felt the colder than ice fingers press inches away from his neck. Karasu put his arms around him close enough to touch but rather settling for diving his fingers into his hair.

The kitsune felt paralyzed recalling how mere minutes ago, Karasu blew up limbs of his opponent like it was nothing. It could have been a trick. Maybe his words meant nothing. He liked to scare his prey as least in Nana's case. Perhaps he wished for the same for him.

'Your hair is a bit distressed, huh?' he heard the soft voice behind him trying to collect his thoughts and figure out a way to get away from the yokai before he would actually touch him, 'Do you give it treatments?' asked Karasu, and Kurama could feel his fingers moving against his red hair clearly very interested in it.

'You should take plenty of care of it,' said the yokai calmly as ever, 'After all humans such as yourself and your pet get hurt so easily. They get bruised so nicely. The red bruises against a pale neck are truly something to admire,' he said and added a soft chuckle, 'Too bad, she decided to cover it with that boring hair of hers. It lacks the glow to be special, you know?'

Fear slowly morphed into the familiar fury, 'Is this what gives you the thrill? To scare human girls?'

The movement of the fingers stopped and Kurama recalled Nana's words about how Karasu didn't respond well to insults before the yokai said using a voice much colder than before, 'I don't care for such pathetic beings as humans.'

'Well, you seem plenty of interested in mine,' Kurama gritted back at him Kurama.

He almost felt the tips of Karasu's finger touch his flesh, but at the last moment they stopped, 'You and your flower seem quite alike.'

Kurama wanted to punch him for calling her that feeling a wave of possession of such a nickname, but he pushed the impulse down instead focusing on how he would throw the yokai off to get some distance between them.

Just then Karasu gave him an opening as he let one of his hands fall, 'You both lose your cool when confronted about each other. She's more reckless when you seem rather belligerent.'

Kurama managed to swing his arm at him just as he felt the crow pull something from his wrist, 'Give that back!'

'Now, now,' said the yokai already tugging the green ribbon he stole from Kurama's wrist into his pocket as he once again was standing in a safe enough distance in front of the redhead, 'No need to get upset. I figured I should keep this for safekeeping. Both of you seem so easy to lose it not to mention they match. They should always be together.'

Kurama narrowed his eyes looking away from the pocket that held the ribbon he got from Nana. Maybe the crow even kept the one he stole from Nana there. Crows tend to keep their stolen goods close. Kitsunes prefer their dens.

As he looked back at Karasu he tried to push some of the fury and compose himself. The yokai was unfortunately right and he was rather belligerent when it came to Nana's wellbeing, 'What do you want from us?'

The other yokai shrugged his shoulders as nonchalantly as possible, 'Of the five of you, I do indeed like you best of all, and I do like your little flower.'

Again, that word made Kurama's yoki spike and his blood to boil. He shouldn't use it. He shouldn't. If anyone was allowed to use it, it should have been him, and only because he would never use it in such a degrading way. In a way to make Nana less than she was. Never.

'She's rather adorable like a pet. Especially how she says so nicely please,' said the yokai clearly amused by Kurama's lack of restrain when he heard him say that, 'Please, don't touch me. Please, don't,' he said mimicking a much softer almost female voice, 'What a lovely sound for my ears. Especially when she cries while she's saying those wonderful things.'

'So you enjoying toying with me and her?' asked Kurama pushing his words to the back of his mind for later rather than focusing on trying to read him better. There had to be more to it. Everyone had a goal. If he played with his opponents in the past, it was to get something to win something over. Karasu had to be the same. He had to want to get under his skin for the same reason.

However, his next words chilled Kurama to the bone making him realize perhaps there wasn't a reason, only malice, only pleasure in torture and insanity, 'When I kill something that I like, I get depressed, the same as when I think about why in the world I was ever born. But then, I find that to be an indescribable pleasure. Tell me did you ever kill something you love? Not now, of course, but before? When you were worthy of a challenge?' he asked and stepped closer. Even if the distance between them was far greater this time it still alarmed Kurama, 'I bet before you used to enjoy killing something you liked, watching the life fade behind its eyes leaving nothing but two empty liquid balls looking back at you.'

With an almost melodic chuckle Karasu turned around and started to leave, 'I'm looking forward to two days from now,' he paused for a second thought and without turning around whispered, 'I wonder if she will say it, you know? I wonder if she will say please, don't kill me.'

Kurama almost took a step toward him, but stop himself at the last moment just as Bui turned around and followed Karasu both yokai leaving the redhead one behind as if they couldn't care less to have their backs to him which given how weak he was at the moment they probably didn't.

He felt sick to his stomach now. Karasu knew about Nana and used her like this to mess with his head. He allowed him to take his ribbon. Worse, he allowed Karasu to target Nana and get close both to her and him.

Please, don't kill me

Useless. Weak. Pathetic.

Kurama felt all of that and more at that moment. He was nothing. No match for Karasu as he was now. Yoko wouldn't hesitate. He wouldn't even allow a chance for the crow to get near him, let alone take any of his possessions, and if he had he would pay royally for it.

Please, don't kill me

Now, as horrible as it was Kurama was sure, he couldn't beat Karasu. Not like this. Not one bit.

He had everything on him. Speed, spectral power, and everything else! No, right now, no matter how much he tried, he couldn't find a single opening or way to attack him let alone beat him. The thought alone shivered Kurama to its core.

Please, don't kill me

Nana

---

'Promise me you will stay in the hotel today.'

Kurama's words echoed in Nana's mind all throughout the day. With their position as the finalists secured, the whole Team had days off with nothing to do but train and prepare for their upcoming matches.

'I promise,' it was a heartbeat decision, but what exactly was there for Nana to deny her best friend. They were all training for their final match with Team Toguro and that could mean anything. Her presence would either be completely useless or worse she could end up in genuine danger if she was anywhere around. Also, given the fact she still had no idea who was the yokai who harassed her the other day, Nana was very much so grateful and found her staying safe behind the walls of the hotel just perfect.

She didn't need to go outside. They had a day's rest before the final match so she could definitely stay inside the hotel. No problem at all in that matter.

'Are you alright, Nana-chan?' asked Yukina as she came to sit by her on her bed. The girl for some reason filled Nana with a sense of warmth despite being an ice apparition. She was just so nice and in a way seemed very kind and naïve that Nana took an immediate liking to her, 'I'm fine. Why do you ask?'

Yukina pointed at her neck, 'Those aren't mosquito bites like Shizuru-san said, are they?'

The question surprised Nana, and she found herself nervously looking around to make sure no one heard them. No one seemed to be around, but it still forced the human girl to lower her voice, 'No.'

---

A day ago the rest of the matches went by in a blur until the girls showed up, 'Oi, Nana-chan, you could have told us that the fights were being held in the new stadium.'

Nana frowned upon hearing Botan's voice, 'Well, you could have waited for me.'

The blue-haired girl had enough shame to look embarrassed by realizing what she did, but such things as guilt and sadness of others rarely made Nana happy.

'Is that a new dress, Nana-chan?' asked Yukina as she sat down by her side, and Nana genuinely wished she could smile at her but found it impossible at that moment.

'You might want to cover those mosquito bites on your neck,' she heard Shizuru whisper at one point giving her a side glance. If she guessed what happened, she didn't say anything to alert the other girls and Nana was glad.

Her brown eyes frowning when they caught her bare wrist, she reached to the end of her braid and pulled her hair free to cover her neck and the rest of her back wishing the boys would end the fights faster so she could finally go back to her room and change out of this stupid dress and shoes.

After the final match between Master Genkai, who turned out to be the Masked Fighter, and Suzuki was over with Team Urameshi declared winner, Nana practically jumped out of her seat more than done with the whole stadium, tournament, and everything in between.

---

Something like hurt flashed across Yukina's face, and Nana quickly panicked and took a hold of her hands. They were surprisingly less cold than she would expect from the ice maiden, 'Don't worry yourself, please. I'm already worrying Kurama and probably Shizuru so I would hate another person to worry about me. I'm alright.' It was true. She felt horrible when she decided to tell Kurama knowing it would cause him trouble and distract him when he should have been at his best focusing on nothing but the match, but at the same time knew it was important for him to know that there was someone out there who personally targeting him and her by proxy. She was reckless, yes, but she would like to think Kurama had better taste than to be best friends with a complete idiot. Still, it caused her a great deal of anxiety to see him struggle with what her confession and his newfound anger.

'Don't dwell on it too much,' she requested, 'Focus on your next match, please.'

He offered her a nod and a calm façade, but she knew him better than that.

Maybe it was a horrible mistake, after all, to come here.

Yukina didn't seem convinced lowering her gaze to her knees, 'I could heal them if you would like. It's easier when others can't see the scars.'

Nana followed her gaze recalling what she learned from the others about Yukina's kidnapping and imprisonment. She truly felt terribly sorry for the female yokai. It seemed the human world could be even crueler than Makai when it came to precious things, 'But not all scars can be healed some are just…there whether people can see them or not.'

'Yes,' Yukina agreed and looked up at the human girl with a much calmer look, 'But it does help a person not see them or feel them even if just a little bit. Here, with all of you it's easy to forget with so much to do all the time, and not to think about…,' she paused and smiled a tiny bit, 'It helps.'

Nana watched her for a moment and then turned her back to her carefully lifting the hair she had previously left falling over her shoulders and back to hide her bruised neck. Even before Shizuru pointed it out, Nana knew she would have marks. The jerk who held her dug his fingers hard enough to rip her flesh, but in the end, satisfied himself with leaving bruises it seemed. He probably knew he would leave marks that would haunt her and upset Kurama if Nana ever allowed him to see them which she didn't. Yukina did have a point. It helped if no one else than at least a person's loved ones not to see their scars. Nana would rather suffer in silence than burden Kurama even more than she already had.

'Alright, if it's not too much trouble you can heal me, but just a bit. I don't want you to tire yourself when you help Kuwabara-kun so much,' said Nana and smiled a bit. The ginger-haired boy definitely fell hard for Yukina probably harder than he ever did for anyone else. Everyone could see it, but apparently, the young ice maiden had no clue.

'Don't worry, I will make sure, that I'm not too tired to help Kazuma-san,' said the female yokai with a great sense of kindness and honesty.

Nana bit the inside of her cheek when she felt a tingling warm sensation at the back of her neck. Strange, she would think someone like Yukina's magic would be cold yet everything about her was lovely and warm, 'You seem to like Kuwabara-kun the most.'

'I like everyone here,' said Yukina quickly and rather joyfully, and Nana sent out a silent prayer for Kuwabara's hopelessly in love again heart. It was quite sad to see him strike out again on the girls he decided to take a liking in. She considered him a great and good guy with so much to offer, but it seemed he was unlucky in the love department.

Just friends

Her eyes widened a bit as her thoughts circle back to where Master Genkai started somewhat of a tornado with her words.

'But it's true,' started Yukina a bit softer as if she was recalling some nice memory although what she said next surprised Nana and caused her to forget her own thoughts, 'Kazuma-san came to rescue me along with Yusuke-san and Botan-san. He wouldn't leave even when I told him that it was dangerous. He was even worried that I would hate all humans because of what…,' her voice went silent, but because of the tingling sensation on her neck Nana knew not to move yet.

'I'm sorry,' said the human girl honestly, 'And I'm glad you don't hate us,' she then smiled a bit recalling the time Kuwaraba and his punk friends helped her out. How loud and honorable he seemed even rather comical, 'I think that Kuwabara was the right person to convince anyone to think more of humans.'

'That's true, I think Hiei-san likes him too,' said Yukina, and Nana felt her warmth disappear.

She turned to Yukina just as the girl called out, 'All done.'

Nana grinned at her, 'Thank you, Yukina-chan. But,' she then raised her eyebrow at the shorter girl, 'I really doubt Hiei uh likes Kuwabara. At least I wouldn't say that he does. Definitely not to his face,' said Nana and rather obviously looked around to make sure the fire yokai wasn't somewhere around although it was unlikely since he never bothered to come to their room.

'Oh, but I think that's just the way he is,' said the yokai and smiled to herself, 'Even when he came to rescue me. He didn't say much, but I got the feeling he was very upset about my fate,' she looked down at her hands and Nana blinked surprised to hear that. Even now, Hiei rarely revealed he was upset about anything maybe about Kurama after he got so beaten up or Kuwabara when he said his farewell thinking he would die. Nana didn't really get the sense that he was interested romantically in Yukina or anyone. The raven-haired girl would think if he did fancy someone it would be someone strong just like him.

Odd

'Was Kurama-san the one who convinced you to see yokai more than we are?' asked Yukina suddenly, Nana's previous thoughts were left forgotten once again.

'Botan-san said you two know each other the longest,' explained the younger girl.

Nana smiled to herself without meaning to, 'Yup, we met when we were young. Before Kurama remembered his past. We grew up together and were friends for a very long time,' she grinned, 'I always knew there was something different about him, but he didn't tell until much later. Practically only a couple of months ago.'

'Different?' asked Yukina puzzled, Nana chuckled, 'Yes, everything stank to him. He would cover his face and nose for any stronger smell and only liked his own or his mother's for the longest of times. Since he wanted me to smell more like him, he would often force his clothes on me and try to wrestle me on his bed. He would also lay down in mine or just rub against me really close. Not to mention he would say the weirdest things like he heard things from far away or felt things,' she shrugged her shoulders recalling all those little quirks and oddities that Nana always simply took as they were as something Shuichi did because that was who he was, 'But, honestly, I didn't care. He was my best friend. He was nice to me and never cared about what others said about me. For me it would be no difference if he would tell me when we were ten years old or fourteen. Nothing he told me or showed me so far had caused me to view him differently and nothing will,' said recalling the tall white yokai he turned into the other day.

Nothing would change that.

Not even a weird state of a mind and strange heartbeats and thoughts brought by an old master of martial arts.

We're just best friends

'That sounds amazing,' admitted Yukina with a soft smile across her face, 'Botan-san also said you two went to school. What's that like?'

Nana grimaced at that but tried to answer all of Yukina's questions without being too negative or cynical. Just because she didn't like school, she shouldn't cause everyone to hate it.

'Nana-chan, someone is calling you from the desk,' said Keiko as Nana and Yukina were talking on her bed. The young yokai found the concept of Nana's school life fascinating much to the human's girl surprise. 'It's pretty annoying really. Waking up early and math exams I honestly have no idea how I even pass.'

However, for someone who never went to school, it might have sounded genuinely nice and different than living in a hidden village surrounded by only females especially such that didn't sound all that nice based on what little Yukina said. It seemed beyond cruel what they did to her brother, and Nana couldn't help but hope someday the ice maiden would find him.

The raven-haired girl's eyebrows lifted in honest confusion. Who the hell would call her from the front desk?

'Did Botan finally show up?' she asked Keiko on her way to the other room, but the brunette just shook her head. Nana noticed yesterday that Botan was acting very off. She tried to play it off as she was her cheerful self, but it came across very forced. Something happened. Something the ferry girl wasn't saying, and Nana felt the irrational urge to make sure she was alright. It was hypocritical really. Didn't they all keep their secrets? She could have confessed to her blue-haired friend about the yokai too, but she didn't.

Nana picked up the phone still unsure what to expect as she said, 'Moshi-moshi-'

'Are you Nana-chan?' asked a slightly nervous and very urgent voice. Some stress left Nana's body as she knew right away it wasn't the creepy yokai who was tormenting her before. This voice was too frantic to be the soft polite one he tried to trick her with and the maniac upset one he revealed when she got under his skin.

'Yes?' she said slowly, 'Who is this?'

'You need to come down here. Something happened to Kurama,' said the voice, and Nana frowned both by the assumption that something might have happened to Kurama and that whoever this was wanted her to leave the safety of the hotel, 'Who is this?'

'The Beautiful Demon Battler, Suzuki,' said the voice a bit annoyed now that Nana was wasting time like this.

Nana was left confused about the answer, 'I don't know anyone-wait, are you the weird clown who fought with Kuwabara-kun and Genkai-san the other day? Why would you say something happened to Kurama? How do you even know who I am?'

Seriously, she was one human girl. How was it that everyone in this damn tournament knew who she was or that she was friends with Kurama? Then again, she did rush to the arena after he was hurt and cuddled with him on the ground for everyone to see. That was probably a very clear giveaway.

'Look, I went to help him and Kuwabara out, but it backfired and …just freaking come down here if you don't want your friend to get hurt,' snapped the yokai clearly losing his patience before he finally ended the call.

Nana frowned at the phone feeling anxious all over again. Why did he call her? Why did he say something happened to Kurama? Could he really be helping the boys out? Kurama told her not to leave the hotel, but if anything was to happen to him wouldn't he trust her first to help him? To show his weakness? Nana weighed up her options at the moment until finally with a heavy sigh put the phone back in its place and rushed out of the room.

Suzuki, the yokai, was waiting for her outside the hotel. He looked less like an embarrassing clown all beaten up and bruised, but Nana still found him tacky. Even if Nana didn't know him so well, his story sounded truthful enough, and Nana had a feeling someone as lame, for lack of a better term, couldn't be on the same level of danger as the yokai who tried to blow her up.

'So Kurama took some of the Fruit of Previous Life and what? Got sick?' asked Nana as she hurried after the yokai that led her to the woods and the cave he apparently left Kurama after he went to check on him. Since apparently potions and magic were also a part of her everyday life, she understood that Kurama tried to use this Fruit of Previous Life to gain the strength of his past self. It made sense since after watching Team Toguro the other day he seemed lost in thoughts and worried even if he tried to pretend, he wasn't just as Nana had the other day. Seeing their worst enemy fight must have revealed just how much at a disadvantage he was and further add to the urge to get stronger and win. He said he needed to train, and Nana understood that and rather spend time with the girls away from him even if she wished she could do something to help him.

The blonde's face twisted as he narrowed his eyes, 'Not exactly, he must have taken less than he should have and-Stop!' he snapped suddenly.

Nana immediately stopped her right foot still in the air. She couldn't see or hear anything out of the ordinary, but it seemed the yokai could as he looked worried or at least annoyed for a moment searching the area around them.

'Kurama is in the first cave over the river that way,' he said and pointed at the direction causing Nana's eyes to widen, 'Why you're not-'

'We got company. I'll distract them,' said Suzuki slightly turning toward her, 'So they won't notice a defenseless human here. Kurama would have my head if you got injured. The cave's entrance is a tight fit since I blocked it, but you should be able to fit.'

Nana wanted to argue or ask any questions about what should she expect after she would get into the cave, but all of a sudden a branch snapped and the blonde ordered her to run with a look that left her no doubt that he was serious, and she was in deadly danger.

Luckily, her footwear of choice was much better than it had been the other day, and the human girl easily ran even through the unknown woods until she found what looked to be the cave Shizuki told her to find. It really looked like someone blocked most of the entrance with a couple of large rocks, but the raven-haired girl still managed to get inside just as easily as the clown said she would.

It was dark and scary. Every possible horror scene from a movie and real-life Nana ever experienced so far, flashed before her eyes as she with the smallest of hope yet slowly walked into the cave. It was a bit damp with water occasionally falling down somewhere further along and with almost no light, 'Kurama? Are you here?'

Nothing

Nana grew even more anxious as a large chunk of her worries settled inside her throat. She prayed it wasn't a trap orchestrated by a bitter loser and that she wasn't about to die in this cave for nothing. Just because the yokai looked harmless didn't mean he was. She shouldn't have left the hotel. If she somehow survives Kurama will kill her no questions asked.

Her eyes closed for a moment as she called out, 'Anyone here?'

Nothing

'Anyone who doesn't want to eat me? Maybe you just want to be friends?' Panic and awkward humor apparently went hand in hand sometimes even for the girl who was always terrified.

When once again she was met with silence, Nana took a deep breath. She would call out again if no one answers she would look for a different cave. Maybe this was the wrong one. Maybe Kurama already got better and left? Maybe it was a trap.

She opened her mouth to call out again when-

'Who are you?' came a very small voice somewhere behind her shutting her up instantly.

Nana turned around, but due to the dark and the unfamiliar surroundings, it took her a moment to notice a small figure behind one of the large rocks in the cave.

Scary

However, as her brown eyes blinked adjusting to the dark and making sense of the shapes of rocks, she realized it wasn't just a small figure.

A child?

Botan told her some yokai could be thousands of years old and look like they were barely ten just like Rinku, but even so, this child's voice sounded very young almost like a kindergartener's one.

'Hi, a-are you alright? Why are you here?' asked Nana trying to get a better look at the child. It seemed to be a boy based on the short dark red hair, but even so, it still could be a girl as in that small age it was hard to tell. She couldn't make out their face yet and wondered if it would be alright for her to try and get closer.

'I don't know…I woke up and I was here…everything is strange. Everything is…loud and wrong,' said the soft voice which caused a sense of recognition to rush over Nana. Those words coming from that voice. She heard them before. She heard this boy speak such things before.

It sounded familiar. So familiar. Why?

'I'm Nana, and you are?' she asked instead of taking a step closer like she originally planned, she crunched down as if it was a child it would surely feel less threatened if they were on the same level.

The child watched her for a second before he stepped away from the rock and took a step closer. Now his face was a bit clearer and Nana could tell even with his soft features he was a boy.

'Nana-chan? No…Nana-chan is five like me. You're too old to be her. Are you her namesake?' he asked but then looked away lowering his voice as if he was talking to himself, 'No, that's not right either... Nana-chan is older now too. We both are. Nana-chan is taller and older too. She grew up too.'

The boy touched the side of his head as if it hurt just as Nana's eyes widened, and she froze on the spot.

Shuichi

The little boy, small and dressed in something he would absolutely wear when they were younger playing on the playground close to her house was Shuichi from the time before he got his memories back. How could she not see it before? It was obviously Shuichi. He looked the same. Exactly, the same as he had when they were kids.

'Shuichi-kun,' she said softly and started to reach him only for him to stir as if the movement frightened him.

Nana quickly raised her hands as if to prove she was harmless, 'It's okay. It's really me. Please, don't be scared.'

How the hell did Kurama end up like this? Was it the potion? Did that weird clown yokai mess up? Well, didn't Kurama say originally Ura Urashima wanted to turn him into a child and only accidentally turn him to Yoko, so now that he wanted to turn into Yoko he apparently turned into a child? Suzuki said Kurama took less than he should have so it was possible that him going back to his five-year-old self was the result. If Nana wasn't so damn worried about him not trusting her and how to help him, she would surely squeak like a hopeless girl in love at how absolutely adorable Shuichi looked. She completely forgot about how small and cute he was often mistaken for a girl, or perhaps as a child herself, she didn't see it that way. But now, he looked absolutely cute.

She had to bite the inside of her mouth not to do something rash with how adorable he looked.

The boy gave her a look she would best describe as skeptical, and Nana forced herself to look and act normal, 'If you're Nana-chan, where are your ponytails and green ribbons. You always wear them.'

She grimaced thinking it was just her luck that he would ask that and not something else. Since she knew ever since she was a kid, Kurama could sense dishonesty even if he didn't remember how, Nana explained, 'A bad person took it from me-'

'The crow,' said Kurama and despite his young age for a second, his face twisted into a very scary and serious face. Nana remembered that one as well. Usually, it came up right before Shuichi would bite someone who was being mean to her.

The crow

If she thought about it, the yokai who took the ribbon and harassed her truly seemed like a crow in a way, she couldn't explain. Did that mean Kurama met him? He knew who he was. Based on how upset he was before, he probably only learned the yokai's identity-

Cold sweat rushed down her back. Before he made her promise not to leave the hotel, he told her he would go watch the semi-finals of team Toguro. Afterward, he immediately must have met up with Suzuki and come train here.

Nana's heart sank. He could have met the yokai anywhere, sure. It could have been any yokai that just didn't really like humans and yokai who were friends with humans. But given how unlucky they all were the last couple of days, Nana sincerely doubt it.

'Shuichi-kun did you see the crow fighting yesterday? In the semi-finals?' her voice trembled as she asked.

Was the yokai a member of Team Toguro?

Nana's stomach pushed against itself causing a wave of nausea at the thought that the asshole was watching her all alone as prey because he wanted to fight Kurama in the finals. What a colossal jerk! Did he like toying with them?

'He can't touch you,' she heard Shuichi suddenly say and found the boy in front of her and his little hand on her shoulder, 'I won't let him. You're mine. I will protect you. I promise, Nana-chan.'

Her heart melted watching the little boy with the same intense green eyes even in such a state and age willing to protect her like this. At least there was one thing, she could always count on.

She reached out and to her surprise Shuichi allowed her to hug him. It wasn't common. Before Nana came into his life, Shiori-san told her the boy avoided touches like the plague. She was his first friend and the first person after his mother who he marked as his allowed to be close to him. She remembered the little oddities about him, how he wanted to make her smell more like him and be more his. She remembered everything now smiling as each piece of memory only added to the warmth she felt in that moment being able to hold him like this.

They had a nice childhood

As his face buried into the cook of her neck he mumbled almost sleepily, 'You smell the same.'

Nana smiled feeling ridiculously happy about that, 'Yeah?'

Shuichi brushed the side of his head a bit against her neck, 'Like you but a bit like me too. It's different now. But nice. Do you still wear my clothes?'

Nana chuckled and closed her eyes honestly feeling nicely fluffy inside from hearing Shuichi's voice like this. She forgot how adorable he used to be and how his presence made her feel happy as a child with no explanation. Their days used to be so simple back then, yet they always tried to spend them together. Every day in each other room or outside. They were kids, and they made the most of the time they had before their world got bigger and things changed. She was grateful they had the chance.

'Not very often no,' she confessed and her the little boy's muffled voice, 'Hm, it must be the plant then.'

Nana opened her eyes puzzled and tried to look at his face, 'What plant?'

She never learned the answer as all of the sudden she heard a pained hiss and the boy tore himself away from her before she could stop him, 'What's wrong?'

'I don't know…it's happening again…,' his voice broke as he let out another pained sound this time close to a cry which hurt her just as much to hear it coming from him when he was like this.

'Did you drink more of potion from Suzuki?' she asked urgently trying to reach him again.

'I remembered, and I took a sip again it takes longer to…,' he stopped talking falling to his knees.

Nana tried to reach him but was frozen in place as she sensed the familiar cold and dangerous vibe, she felt back in the stadium right before she managed to escape from the yokai who was harassing her.

In a matter of seconds, the little boy was no more, and a tall yokai with long silver hair with ears and a tail took his place. The moans of pain and distress stopped just as abruptly as they began, and he easily stood up barely fitting the roof of the cave with his tall frame. He was taller than even Kurama and in general, seemed bigger more masculine at least from what Nana could tell looking at the parts of his body which were not covered by the white tunic he was wearing now.

Nana swallowed her throat getting strangely dry now.

Definitely cute and attractive

She watched one of his ears twitched no doubt catching the sound and with all the time in the world the yokai turned to her.

Maybe just attractive

Kurama was handsome and cute. He was the definition of those words. He was very polite even if he was reserved, he never felt that way to Nana who knew him better than anyone. To her, he felt warm and friendly and just safe.

This version of him didn't feel like that. He felt cold. Icy even and although she convinced herself and Kurama that Yoko was just another version of him, it was hard to find any warmth in him that Nana could use to calm herself down.

His expression was far more serious than Kurama's usually was even his eyes held a certain edge to them Kurama's didn't seem to have unless he was very much angry over something. Maybe that was when bits of his past self-slipped into his new self.

The yokai watched her in the seemingly focused yet careless way as if he could tell everything about her which he probably could base on how his ears ever so slightly twitched with every one of her uneven breaths. If having Kurama's full attention caused Nana to feel warm and strangely thrilled this Yoko's attention caused her to feel cold and thrilled for a completely different reason.

No, this person did not spark calmness inside Nana at all.

'Are you frightened?' he asked, and Nana's eyes widened as even his voice sounded completely different than it normally did. Of course, she supposed it should have since how he looked in the present was new, and his body was new so also his voice should have been new but still, it caught the girl off guard to actually hear the depth of his voice. It sounded nothing like the Kurama she knew.

She licked her lips. Lying wasn't an option with Kurama so she doubted it would be with Yoko, 'I-I'm overwhelmed. You're…a lot to take in this…close.'

It was true. Not even considering his appearance, there was a certain vibe that came from the yokai, one which even as someone with zero spiritual awareness like Nana could sense the way humans could sense danger or feel intuition.

'Hm,' the yokai, Yoko, titled his head to the side in a gesture which could mean he was curious and innocent yet Nana's caution didn't leave her.

This isn't Kurama, she reminded herself. He had memories perhaps of Kurama and her, but he wasn't him. Kurama's presence never caused her to shiver and watch her breaths to make sure she wasn't too loud as if this person, this yokai, Yoko, didn't give her his full attention probably aware of every breath, heartbeat, the shift of hair and movement of her body.

No, his look wasn't curious or innocent at all. It was intimidating and nerve-wracking causing Nana to try and make some more distance between them if she wasn't still frozen in place by his presence altogether.

Very slowly and yet incredibly elegantly Yoko crouched down as well his golden eyes still studying her, 'Hinata Nana.'

Nana cursed her body for the way it reacted upon hearing his voice say her name. What was happening? She was terrified yes, but also kind of thrilled. She hoped it was dark enough to cover for the fact that she was surely blushing, 'You plagued my new self's thoughts. Rather effectively. I hadn't been this engaged in anything since my last grand heist.'

She swallowed again not sure what to say to that really but for some reason stupidly decided to do so anyway, 'W-well, we are friends. He's on my mind too…your new self, I mean,' she struggled to form comprehending thoughts and sentences feeling incredibly aware of herself and bare in front of the yokai and his intense stare.

He stayed quiet and continued to study her with his cold golden eyes for a while. She wondered if he was even interested in her words at all, 'No.'

Nana blinked surprised a bit.

'The hold you have over Shuichi...is quite different from simple comradery,' said Yoko and for a moment looked genuinely surprised by this as well. As if only now he realized something he didn't before.

Nana felt a sense of panic. Was him being surprise a good or bad thing? 'We know each other for a long time,' she said, but it sounded rather weak to her own ears. It could have been that maybe just as when Kurama turned to Shuichi the memories were chaotic and new. He knew of them, but they seemed to be crossing paths with old memories in a rather messy way.

Suddenly Yoko stood up and took a step closer.

Before Nana knew it his hand reached out. She froze in place not out of fear but rather of shock. She wasn't afraid of Kurama. She could never be afraid of Kurama at least not in a way someone might think. But sometimes he scared her. Sometimes when he looked at her for too long, held her too close, or even said something just too right and wonderful, it scared her that if she wasn't too careful, if she didn't repeat her mantra over and over again, she might slip.

Master Genkai's words suddenly returned to her before she forcefully shoved them away. She didn't have time for this at the moment.

They were just friends. Best friends. But just friends.

When Yoko's fingers pulled at her hair tie and let her hair fall over her shoulders, Nana was left momentarily stunned by the action.

'The day you wore your hair down, when you said your goodbyes, you looked like royalty with a night wail,' he said and in a strange way even if Nana was the one crouching in front of him while he was in his full height it felt as if she was the one who had the upper hand, 'Your appearance shook him to the core that day. You always seem to surprise him,' he said with a hint of amusement and something almost close to softness but not quite, not soft enough to be human soft, but maybe enough to be by yokai standards, 'Every time he thinks he has you all figured out, you surprise him.'

Nana didn't reply to that since she wasn't sure how could she. However, feeling a sense of confidence she didn't possess before, the human girl stood up. Her height was nothing compared to his, she was even shorter than Kurama so of course, she was even shorter than Yoko, but she didn't feel as terrified or overwhelmed as she had before.

'He should have marked you,' his voice suddenly said, and Nana blinked confused. There it was again. Marking. The yokai who wanted to blow her up spoke about it too. Kurama brushed it off when she asked about it as simply something yokai said about scent, but Nana had a strange feeling somewhere in the back of her mind there was more to it, her redheaded friend wasn't willing to share with her

'The boy should have done so already,' he said, and it took Nana a moment to realize who he was referring to. Well, technically Kurama was inside a body of a boy, but she wouldn't really call him that.

Still, Nana sensed the irritation in Yoko's voice even though his face remained perfectly in balance now whatever astonishing idea he had before had either forgotten or became a mundane one which forced Nana's confidence to shake. She wasn't the one with the upper hand, and she wasn't in charge.

When the yokai took a step closer to her, she quickly took a step back.

'It's necessary. Anyone can think you're free for taking,' said Yoko again not bothered by her lack of response or the fact that she was slowly moving away from him.

She shivered to realize what he was implying and her mouth went dry again for some reason. Her stomach grew uncomfortable in a way she didn't like at all especially since it meant whatever peace settled between them before was gone and something was about to happen, 'I'm not. I don't belong to anyone. You-you can't own a person.' At least she wanted it to be true. Sure, a person couldn't and shouldn't own a person, but he could own their heart in a way. And Kurama…no, she wasn't going to go there especially now when Yoko was slowly walking toward her with a clear decision behind his golden eyes, one which Nana wasn't sure she would like one bit.

Yoko chuckled darkly causing another tremble to run across her body as he took another step toward the human girl, 'Now that is just a plain lie, my pretty sunflower.'

Her blood rushed to her cheeks upon hearing such a nickname. There was massive chaos inside her. She felt threatened, thrilled, embarrassed, and aroused all at the same time and it was overwhelming to the point she felt like she was losing her breathing.

'You belong to me. You belong to one version of me. Shuichi or not. I don't see a difference. I'm quite a possessive creature in my core,' he said causing her to swallow hard and shake her head trying to argue, but no words manage to get out. What the hell was he talking about and was he doing something purposely to make her feel like this?

Her back hit the wall of the cave, and her stomach dropped.

No, no, no, no.

This was not good at all. She should find a way to leave. She should leave right now. But how? How should she stop him? What could she possibly say that would get him to stop?

'I-I-I don't know what you're talking about. Kura-Shuichi and I are friends-comrades, we know each other for almost twelve years, and we don't own each other-'

The yokai didn't stop almost completely cornering her.

'Look,' she raised her hands in front of her body as if it would cause some distance between. She needed space. She needed to think and breathe. She wasn't sure what marking meant, but it sounded too harsh for the human world. If Kurama didn't do it, it couldn't have been necessary or something she would approve or want so she definitely didn't want Yoko to do it, 'whatever marking means clearly Shuichi didn't want to do it, so you don't need to either. Can you stop, please?'

This did cause Yoko to pause almost completely in front of her towering over her with his grand height. He was so tall and big, Nana already felt trapped and therefore, grateful that he did listen and stop.

'You said it to him too,' Yoko suddenly said his golden eyes dark, serious and so cold they chilled something inside Nana's heart, 'W-what?' she whispered or breathed out so quietly she wondered if he would hear it if he wasn't so close and a yokai with an amazing hearing.

'To Karasu,' he frowned now, and Nana had to admit, no matter how scary he appeared when he was cold and unemotional when he was angry it was a million times more terrifying, 'You said please don't touch me.'

Nana's eyes widened for a second her fear of Yoko forgotten in favor of her momentary fear of the yokai who threatened her life before, Karasu. She heard that name before, but where?

Team Toguro

Briefly somewhere between announcements and yokai talking around the stadium. She heard that name he was on the team. So she was right before.

'You-Kurama saw him?' she whispered, so it was true. Kurama did find the yokai who threatened her.

She felt something small and warm touch her wrist and glanced down to find the tips of his fingers lightly almost feathery touching her skin there, 'He already took something from the boy and you.'

Nana blinked recalling the horrible moment when the yokai, Karasu apparently, stole the thing, she had with her since she was a child with his greedy hands., 'My ribbon. D-did he take it from Kurama too?'

She looked up again and found the golden eyes still cold but bearable to look at now. It wasn't because of her. He wasn't angry because of her. He was angry at himself, at Kurama, at Karasu, but not at her. He touched her too gently to be angry at her.

'I will get them back,' he said and bent down causing Nana's brown eyes to blink again feeling a sense almost hypnotized by his stare now, 'A thief never allows anyone to take what is his. Not without consequences.'

With his face coming close to hers it was even more caging and claustrophobic, yet Nana didn't feel the same sense of horror she felt before. She wasn't afraid. There was still thrill and rapid beating of her heart and this magnetism that was shaking her core, but it wasn't fear of death. It was something else.

'I don't want revenge,' she whispered now feeling the warmth of his face so close to hers and the light breeze from his breathing. It felt surreal and thrilling, 'I just want you to be alright…'

Without a second thought, her right hand reached out and touched his cheek. Her fingers barely touched his skin which felt different than Kurama's yet strangely familiar all the same, 'Please stay safe.'

If it was possible something like lightning and thunder passed between them the moment those words left, she parted lips.

Only then Yoko's lips paused an inch or so from her lips, did Nana realize just how close he managed to get all the while his golden eyes hypnotized her and made her forget what was happening.

But just then and there, he did pause and whatever magic he was using on her stopped as he very slowly returned to his full height, panic breaking through Nana as she realized if he didn't stop, she would have allowed him to kiss her.

Nana's hand fell from his cheek almost as if she got burnt.

Her eyes widened twice their size, and she tried to break free only to realize her legs were stuck.

Looking down she found several vines she didn't even notice before growing all around and around her legs keeping her in place.

'W-what the-?' she looked back up at Yoko who seemed to be lost in thoughts for a moment before he looked at her again and spoke, 'You…,' his voice was different now, not hypnotic and not intimidating, it sounded almost tender.

Small

His eyes met hers, and once again he showed something to her she found almost wrong. As if seeing someone like him, someone so ruthless and strong so shaken and small was wrong. As if he wasn't himself.

His golden eyes stayed on her brown ones, and she couldn't help but have a newfound urge to once again to touch him if only so he wouldn't look so lost. Despite the strangeness, Nana had to admit, now he looked the most like Kurama since he ever had. When he was like this somewhat soft and shaken he looked just as Kurama did when he was in a similar shaken state. Perhaps, it was because Yoko was a mask too or a façade.

Would he look like Kurama completely if he gave me an honest smile?

That soft, small, open, and honest smile, the redhead seemed to only have for her. That smile always made Nana feel so proud that she managed to fish it out of him.

'K-Kurama?' she asked hesitated as it seemed like quite a time had passed without the yokai saying anything. Her hand already started to reach out to perhaps once again gently touch him, to comfort him.

However, either her voice or her movement snapped Yoko back into the present, and a much darker and icy look took place across his face causing Nana's heartbeat to pick up again.

'My new self has been in the human world far too long and grew too used to their customs and unnecessary morals and habits. In his mind, it would be disrespectful to mark you. He has yet to come to terms with who you are and what your position you hold in his life.' His hand was around her wrist before she could even blink causing her heart to jump to her throat. There was nothing gentle about that touch. Everything inside Nana froze, and she felt she might scream for some reason.

'I, however, know what needs to be done to secure your wellbeing from those who would be foolish enough to think you're free for the taken,' he said, and the fear and panic hit an all-time high as Nana started to shake her head, fear ripping at her insides.

'Kurama, please, let me go. I don't know what that means, but you're wrong and frankly, you're making me nervous and scared-'

Before she could finish, he spun her around and kicked her legs apart sending her to her knees. The vines were magically gone as if they weren't even there in the first place.

Was that him?

Her heart skipped a beat and then immediately started to race even faster than before as she felt a pair of strong large hands on her shoulder and wrist keeping her from trying to run or turn around at least. This was horrible. This was exactly like with Karasu. This was horrible. This made her insides press against each other in the worst sickening feeling. She wanted to cry.

'Wai-wai-wait! Please, Kurama, what are you doing? What's going on?' she asked her voice rising echoing in the cave-like she was screaming which she might as well have been given how panicked her voice was. Panic ate her alive from the inside.

'You need to be marked. You belong to me. I can tolerate you walking around an island full of yokai, but I refuse to let you do so weak and unprotected. Especially, when at least one yokai wishes to hurt you just to distract me,' he said his grip like steal making it impossible to break free even if she tried to struggle. No, this was wrong. Kurama would never hurt her. Not on purpose. Never on purpose.

'What-?'

She didn't have much time to think about his words as the hand on her shoulder ripped at her sweater revealing her skin-

'Hey! Stop it! Please! Kurama-!'

When his sharp fangs sunk into the flesh breaking the skin and drawing blood, Nana screamed both from the burning pain and was surprised that it happened in the first place loud enough for everyone even outside to hear them.

Nana immediately felt the yokai's grip lessen and without a second to spare she spun around to at least be able to see the silver kitsune only to find the tall yokai already in the process of transforming back.

'Kurama?' she called out and leaned forward taking a hold of his arm as he breathed hard a couple of moments adjusting to his old new body.

When it looked like he would be alright, he raised his head to look at the girl with almost touchable guilt, worry, and something profoundly intense she couldn't understand behind his green eyes, 'Nana.'

Just like that everything the fear, panic, worry, and sickening feeling disappeared as if the moment she saw his green eyes and heard the sound of his voice, she knew everything would be alright and she was safe.

She smiled at him weakly just as his eyes moved to her shoulder and his emotions reveal anger.

His eyes closed tightly, and he looked away partly hiding his face from her. Whatever chaos was going on inside his head he probably knew he wouldn't be able to mask it, the way he was usually a master at.

'Kurama,' she whispered somehow her voice not ready to be any louder than that as she feared she would startle him given how shaken he looked.

He flinched for a second as if he was about to look back at her, but at the end almost violently stopped him resulting in another flinch of his body.

Nana bit the inside her mouth looking at him her heart sinking and a new wave of nervosity getting hold of her insides, 'Kurama, look at me, please.'

Another flinch followed by a sound close to something of an animal. He wasn't shaking anymore, but he still kept his face stubbornly away from her. Any second, Nana expected him to lean away completely because that was the sort of person Kurama was.

She could tell he was shutting her out. She hated it recalling how horrible it was everything time she was in the dark about his past or his strange behavior. She didn't need to know everything. He was allowed to have his secrets, but she couldn't stand this, knowing it was because of her that he felt like this. Without a second to spare, she reached out for him and pushed the fabric of his clothing aside to reveal his bare shoulder.

It was either trust or surprise on Kurama's part that allowed her to sink her teeth into his skin hard. The moment was far more surreal than anything Nana ever experienced including her moments ago encounter with her best friend past yokai self. Did she completely lose it? Was it due to fear? She wasn't certain, but she felt she needed to do something, anything really, to help Kurama see it wasn't his fault. He barely hurt her and even if he had she could hurt him back.

She felt him flinch against her for a second before she leaned away from the taste of his blood somewhat metallic and different from any spice or food, the human girl ever had almost burned the inside of her mouth. She doubted she would find a liking for it, not that she planned to ever bite anyone again.

However, once Nana properly leaned away enough to be able to look into his face again all the air escaped her lungs and her seemingly accustomed to the situation heart started to rapidly beat again.

Kurama's eyes were burning. She didn't think she ever saw them like this. His gaze practically radiated with heat. It was so out of character from him for a second, she wasn't sure if the spinning ball of anticipation and nervosity wasn't due to her being afraid of him although she knew she could never be afraid of Kurama. Even after everything that happened just now.

When the hand that wasn't holding her side appeared in front of her face, she almost had the most delusional idea that he would take her face and kiss her-

'You're a savage,' he whispered although for some reason she would just as likely believe he didn't say anything at all. He didn't look like himself. Maybe he still fully wasn't. Who was to say how long it took for someone to rip away from his past self?

His thumb pressed against one corner of her lips and with a firm and slow brush it ended up by the next one. It was bizarre how despite her rapid breathing and heartbeat, she was positive there was no blush on her face as everything felt too intense and fast for her mind to even figure out it should be embarrassed and shy about this.

He leaned an inch closer his eyes keeping hers in place as if he put a spell on them. Everything ended and began with hot forest green color of them. It felt different than when Yoko almost kissed her. The moment he got close left her foggy almost hypnotized, however, left her completely aware of everything from his slightly increased breathing to his parting and closing ever so slightly lips.

'A human who acts like a yokai,' the redhead said suddenly in an alluring voice that seemed to go straight into her stomach causing some sort of chemical reaction there, 'When you do things like that, you make it awfully hard for me, Nana, and I don't always have the luxury of blaming Yoko and my past life for what happens next.'

His thumb stroked her lips again and the next thing she knew she felt the tip of her tongue sneak between the lips he managed to part and touch it.

Everything stopped at that moment including their breathing, and yet Nana felt like she was about to self-combust for some reason too overwhelmed with whatever the hell was just happening between them.

A water drop landed somewhere in the cave, and it sounded like thunder in the absolute silence that the two of them were.

It almost caused something to pass behind Kurama's eyes before they were abruptly closed. No longer under their intense stare, Nana could look all over his face and body and notice that he was breathing slightly faster too, and his neck was sweating. If she would press her hand against his chest would his heartbeat sound just as wild as hers?

Kurama took a deep breath, and his hand left her face only to be clenched into a fist on his thigh.

Sensing that this meant he was trying to get past whatever happened a moment ago, Nana also slightly moved backward taking deeper breaths in order to calm down.

She turned her head away both of them coming down from the moment conflicted about what happened between. Both somehow still drowning in mixed feelings.

It seemed to last for a while before finally, Nana heard Kurama take another deep breath even if he still wouldn't look at her, 'Why are you here?'

Nana felt another shiver through her body knowing all too well Kurama wouldn't like the answer, 'Suzuki made me come. He said you were in trouble.'

She heard him somewhat snorted in a very annoying way almost causing her to push further back away from him. No, he wasn't happy at all.

Then he didn't say anything else, Nana felt worse. If he was mean to her or shouted at least she could defend her case, but when he was silent she felt this burning shame inside her heat up her body in the most comfortable way. She gained a newfound understanding of how much it must have sucked for Kurama when she was the one not talking to him. She wasn't sure how to fix it without causing a fight, but since he still didn't start to talk and she felt the slight sharp pain from the bite left in her flesh she asked, 'So marking means biting?'

Kurama's eyes finally landed on her and then on the mark, 'He scent marked you so other yokai would feel his presence and know to stay away from you. Those who would, at least, be easy enough to scare away.'

Nana glanced at her hand, 'I thought everyone on the island was protected during the tournament.'

'Some vow didn't seem to stop Karasu from harming, did it now?' his voice was cold, and it almost hurt to hear those words, but Nana pushed that ache away and tried to stay on topic to avoid the silent treatment again.

'So the bite mark gave me his scent?'

Kurama was quiet for a second before he sighed his face clearing it just a little bit. His eyes looked more troubled but his posture looked less angry, 'No, but the seed he planted inside you did.'

Nana's brown eyes grew twice their size when she heard that.

'What?' she asked and feverishly started to pat her body as if she would be able to feel some lump or something under her skin.

'Fear not,' he said and sounded more like himself than he had since Nana entered the cave, 'it doesn't do you any harm and your body won't even know it's there. It lives off of the yoki of the yokai. Yoko. It's just a drop of it which is all I currently am able to use and enough to make the weaker yokai avoid you as you now reek of Yoko. I had quite the reputation in my past and even so, everyone would now be able to sense the threatening aura he possessed.'

Nana still narrowed her eyes. Kami, why would he do that? Couldn't he ask? She thought it was rude but when she looked at Kurama he stayed silent for a moment again not completely angry anymore just lost in thoughts and maybe worried. Of course, he would be worried. He probably didn't expect his attempt to gain more power to result in causing his best friend to bleed.

For a moment Nana's mind drift back to what happened. Did Kurama remember everything he did as Yoko? Well, he must have at least to some degree but did he actually-

She was startled at the moment of how easy she almost let his past self trick her and kiss her and then that moment when she touched him.

She snuck another peek at Kurama wondering if he felt it too and what did it cause him to feel. It probably didn't matter really. They had more serious things to deal with, and it wasn't like there really was anything to deal with. They just had a strange moment in a strange situation. They had intense moments before. They were friends-best friends. It just seemed to happen.

It didn't mean anything.

The thoughts caused a bitter taste in Nana's mouth for some reason before she cleared her throat and tried to stay on the topic once more, 'Did you ever plant anything in my body?'

Kurama glanced at her for a second, and she wondered if she said anything wrong before he looked away somewhat looking almost embarrassed, and reached to the back of his neck brushing it a bit. The redhead rarely looked uncomfortable or awkward despite how out of place he could be in the human world, but now Nana couldn't help but see him almost as any other teenager boy. Maybe there was some truth to Yoko's words.

'I would need to physically enter your body to do that. The same way Yoko has,' he said and Nana blushed not really interested in further dwelling on the dirty thoughts that caused the heat inside her body to raise.

She looked away again hearing the occasional drop of water somewhere in the cave. Now she was almost wishful for silence to calm herself and her thoughts, but for some reason found herself asking immediately cursing at her mouth for such a betrayal.

'Why would he do this? Just because we're…,'

Friends

Such an easy and simple word. So why didn't she say it? She said it so many times today and before, so why not one more time?

Her eyes looked at him again.

Kurama's jaw tensed in an angry way which made her wonder just how much a person could be at his past self and how different the two yokai versions of Kurama were from each other.

He didn't comment on her lack of ending to her previous questions. Nana was torn between grateful and upset.

Kurama's voice once again gain a firm edge one she recognized well from when he was serious, 'He wanted the scent of his yoki on you so others would know you're someone important to him and that if someone were to harm you, they would pay dearly. Like I said my past self wasn't a good person. Many yokai feared him. Usually, those who were weak and smart enough to recognize he was clever and ruthless.'

'So this is how you get someone's scent on you. Couldn't he rub his cheek against mine for a moment,' she said immediately regretting her words as certaintly that wouldn't help the sensation in her stomach or heat in her face. She was really making an idiot out of herself today.

Kurama closed his eyes and put on his best mask, 'Close proximity can only do so much. Most yokai could smell me off you but faintly and only if we touched a lot that day or you spent a lot of time in your room.'

'My room?' Asked Nana before she shot him a look recalling what he said when he was in his child version, 'The plant you gave me?'

'It grows thanks to my yoki so it adds my scent to yours if you are near it long enough,' explained Kurama seemingly not bothered by it one bit that he somehow forgot to inform her that it was the reason why he gifted her with the plant. Now that she thought about it, he gave it to her around the time she adopted Hiei as her stray cat feeding him and inviting him into the house.

'Alright we're going to argue about that a bit later-'

'We won't,' he said firmly causing Nana to frown, 'What's that supposed to mean? You didn't tell me the plant was some move to chase other yokai away. You could have-'

'Please, stop talking,' said Kurama and closed his eyes taking another deep breath causing Nana to immediately shut up feeling like she was the reason behind the start of his headache.

---

His skin cried out as if he wasn't placed properly inside it. Maybe he wasn't. Maybe he didn't belong.

Bite her. Mark her. Make Karasu know she's not his to touch.

Yoko's voice still lingers somewhere in the corner of his soul.

Damn you! He cursed his past self.

Don't you ever touch her with your soaked with blood claws! Ever!

His body shook with fury like he never felt before now feeling murderous not just because of what Karasu did to Nana but what Yoko himself-

His eyes shift to her open would.

Precious?! You call her precious and make her bleed. Of course, that is what you do, isn't it? You find the prettiest thing and kill it? His mind got plugged with memories of rushed movements and moans of passion before the smell of blood filled the air. How often did Yoko kill his lovers when he was done with them? His past self would never allow any of them to carry his offspring. He would never allow himself the weakness Kurama grew incapable of letting go of.

Nana, his mother, his friends. All weakness.

The voice didn't answer, and bits of Yoko's personally started to fade away as did the effects of the potion. Did he change because of Nana's desperate cry or was it that the fruit's time was up? What would he have done if he didn't turn back in time?

The idea that he would have try again, made his stomach flinch. He would rather never allow his past to break free at all, but he knew he didn't really have another option. He couldn't beat Karasu on his own.

Kurama felt like cursing again.

Karasu

He mocked him and threatened Nana. If Kurama lost, if he allowed the yokai to live, he promised the redhead he would go after her again. He couldn't allow that to happen. He wouldn't let that happen.

No matter how damning it was to allow Yoko control and mix with his new self, he had to beat the crow.

'I'm sorry,' he heard the soft voice close to him and finally opened his eyes. It was easier to look at her now. His blood no longer demanded that he do something. Yet, at the same time, Kurama couldn't help, but feel cross with his best friend. Once again, she ran into danger. Once again, she went against her word and his wishes, and for what? What good was she against Yoko? The idea itself was laughable. Such a creature wouldn't care for one human girl. Even if the kitsune decided she was a belonging of his, by proxy of being Kurama's friend, it wouldn't protect her forever. It could just as easily be Nana's death sentence if Yoko didn't…

Lightening

Kurama wasn't sure what the spark was. It happened to him as well. Once or twice when he was with Nana, but never so intensely. Could it have been that Yoko, the ice-cold thief with his hands bathed in blood just wasn't used to such feelings? Such kindness, such softness.

Precious

'For what is worth, I wasn't scared all the time,' she carried on as if that should calm his soul. It did the opposite. She should have been scared of Yoko. Always. Especially now that she fully met him and saw how he was. She should have been terrified of how easily he almost got his way with her. Another reason Kurama's blood seemed to boil with anger that came and went no matter how hard did the yokai try to control himself.

He never felt this out of place with his emotions. His past self would have laughed, mocked his state of mind, but Kurama couldn't help himself. Nana should have never come here.

'I don't think he would have really hurt me,' she said suddenly, 'Not when he knew how much…I mean to you-'

'You don't know him,' he cut whatever else she meant to say. Her words were pointless. She didn't know what she was talking about. She spent barely fifteen minutes with Yoko, he knew himself for centuries, 'Unlike me...' he looked her straight into her chocolate eyes making sure that she would read the seriousness of them, 'He wouldn't mind hurting you just enough to keep you safe, to keep you hidden, to keep something he treasures to himself. He doesn't have the same morals I accepted as my own. The same sentiment. If it meant you wouldn't wander into trouble anymore,' his voice lowered knowing it would invoke some fear into the girl's heart, 'he would gladly break both of your legs without a second thought, Nana.' Based on how her heartbeat speeded up he was right.

Nana's face went paler almost glowing in the dim light inside the cave. 'B-but you're not him.'

That was a weak excuse. He expected better from her.

She looked away her heartbeat still fast and her face still pale, 'And I-I don't wander into trouble.'

'Yes, you do,' Kurama argued back frowning now again. The anger, hopelessness and his personal feelings of failure were all getting to him once again. 'You go with strange women and yokai. You promised me you would stay in the hotel and not leave the other side, yet you broke both those promises and not just once.' It was a cheap shot. He knew she always had her reasons, but at that moment, they felt like excuses. She used to be good at following orders. She never pushed him for the truth and used to be if not acceptable then at least understanding of the reason why he had to leave her behind. It wasn't safe. She wasn't safe in situations he ended up in. The cases, the tournament. She was like a precious sunflower forced into the dark slowly fading. Nana shouldn't be here, and she should listen to him when he told her this. Why did she change so much? Why did she risk everything just to be with him? Didn't she believe he would stay safe? No, of course not because as both Karasu and Yoko proved, he was weak.

Her eyes widened for a second before she narrowed them immediately signaling he wouldn't like the next words that would come out of her mouth, 'I only did that because of you-'

'I never asked you to. In fact, I asked you the exact opposite,' Kurama reminded her recalling how just the other day they also almost got into the fight. It seemed childish how not a day went by, and Nana once again tossed her promises aside to further give in to his own fear for her. How much easier was it when he never cared for anything as he did for her? How much easier was it to simply hide his treasures away for no one to touch them.

'You can't blame me for wanting to help-'

'How? How could you have helped?' he asked knowing he was being cruel but this time there was no internal impulse, no feeling of his feelings, care, love perhaps for her being strong than his annoyance and anger with her and himself.

'Kurama,' she whispered with a certain edge. This time, it didn't seem Nana would back down either.

The redhead stood up, 'I asked you to stay behind because I knew it would be too dangerous. You promised. Yet, for some reason, you tossed that promise aside the first chance you got. You said a yokai you didn't know told you to come here.'

'He said you were in danger-'

'Alone,' he said and saw how she blinked some of her own growing annoyance away for a split second, 'Why didn't you call for someone else? Hiei? Yusuke or Kuwabara? Even Botan. You could have asked anyone else to come and escort you, so why didn't you?'

Nana opened her mouth but then closed it seemingly out of an answer. She probably didn't even think about such an option.

'It…it didn't cross my mind,' she confessed after a moment confirming his thoughts causing him to let out an annoyed chuckle, 'Of course not. Did you magically believe whatever was happening would resolve itself or you would be capable of helping on your own?' Kurama asked unkindly and watched as Nana flinched signaling, he took it too far which helped him push whatever horrible things he wished to say to her away realizing he was being cruel to her. Even if he had his reasons, she didn't deserve this, not when it was coming from a place of anger he held for himself and himself alone. He might have been annoyed with her, but the fury was his alone to suffer.

'Forgive me,' he said after a moment and glanced at her again, 'That was uncalled for. But you need to leave and not come back.'

'What does that mean?' she asked looking at him with panic that was screaming behind her eyes reminding him of those moments he caught when he was Yoko. She was terrified of him then. Perhaps, it would be for the best.

'It means you should stay away from me,' Kurama clarified, 'You being close to me puts you in danger over and over again. It's not right. I…I hurt you, and whether you believe it worth it or not, it is something I will probably never allow himself to forget and forgive myself. Having you around is too risky. You need to go and stay away from me-'

'Kurama,' she started weakly, 'I-you can't just shut me out-'

'For the time being, I don't see any other way-'

'Kurama-'

---

'Hiei is near. I already asked him to walk you back to the hotel,' said the redhead suddenly and Nana felt like he punched her into the stomach with his next words, 'Now, leave me alone.'

This was bullshit. Total crap. Why did he think this was how things were supposed to be? Because she wanted to help? He had to know she wanted to help because she…

As childish as it was Nana let out a small frustrated scream before running toward the opening in the cave and then out.

Fine, if he didn't want her to stay, she wouldn't stay. In fact, she wouldn't bother him at all. She would leave him the hell alone if that was what he really wanted. A wave of irrational anger clouded her mind. He was being such a jerk and for nothing. She didn't get hurt. She barely bleed and it wasn't like Yoko did it to hurt her. She didn't run into danger. She ran to help him, save him, and he was being a complete jerk to her!

She didn't see Hiei for most of her way back to the hotel as she was fueled by her anger over what Kurama said but not long after she got close she let out a long sigh and felt her anger slip away in favor of sadness and guilt. Kurama was angry with her. He was never angry with her before. At least not like this. He couldn't even walk her back to the hotel and that scared her. Did she finally ruin their friendship? Did she finally make him realize how pathetic and useless she was? How she didn't fit into his life?

'Keep walking. I don't have all day,' she heard from somewhere behind her realizing it was true in fact she did stop once her emotions stopped being so heated.

She turned around just as something quick and dark ended up on the ground.

Hiei

'I mean it,' he said again, and Nana nodded turning around and walking back to the hotel at a much slower pace her mind going over her fight with Kurama but now as if there was a different lightening to the scenes. Before everything was red, heated. Now it felt more blue almost grey and sad. He was right. She did wander off. Not on purpose - well not because she wanted to be in danger or cause him to worry about her, but did it really matter if the result was the same?

'Baka,' she heard Hiei grunt behind her causing her to flinch and stop. She didn't know he meant her because he read her thoughts, but she still felt obligated to let out a quiet, 'Sorry.'

'Him not you. Although you are quite foolish,' he said surprising her and causing her to look back at him, 'Oh?'

The yokai was frowning and looking away, 'His anger has more to do with own failure than your recklessness.'

He let out a sound almost close to a laugh and the corner of his mouth twisted in something close to a smirk shocking Nana for a second and causing her focus to shift from his words completely to him, 'Figures someone as calculative, methodical ruthless as him would choose a hopeless reckless weakling such as yourself.'

Nana blinked and asked uncertainly, 'Is that a compliment?'

'Did it sound like one?' He asked annoyed whatever good mood he was in a second ago was gone. Clearly, the human girl could mark today as the day she pissed off two members of the Urameshi team all around.

'Well, no, but now I'm not sure about anything,' Nana admitted to herself because honestly, she was unsure.

Nana was about to say something when she noticed the way his eyes were looking at her. He laughed and not in a mocking way clearly amused by Kurama's and her misfortune and so his face and the look behind his eyes was clear.

The raven-haired girl blinked as the oddest thought in the world crossed her mind.

Hiei's eyes relaxed like this look very much like Yukina's.

As if letting that thought exist in the universe was enough, Hiei narrowed her eyes and barked at her, 'You're wasting my time. Walk, baka-ona.'

Nana blinked confused by the sudden change.

What a bizarre day

'Stop stalling already and keep walking,' he snapped again.

With a short nod, Nana turned around and headed back to the hotel. There was no point in robbing Hiei of more of his time when obviously he needed to train.

---

'Here, I brought you something to drink,' said Keiko as she stepped out into the balcony where Nana went to hide from the other girls earlier that day. The girl pulled on her best smile and tried to function throughout the day.

Shizuru was showing some card tricks to Yukina and talking to her, and Botan was still somewhere off since that morning.

'Thanks,' said Nana and accepted the can just as the brunette took a spot by her left looking down at the view.

'It's a bit surreal, right?' asked Keiko once Nana opened her can, 'I can't believe it's the finals already.'

The raven-haired girl nodded. She wasn't sure she wanted to talk about what happened with Kurama. She wasn't sure how she felt about it. It felt too raw, and she kind of wanted to feel bad about herself for a little longer without anyone trying to make her feel better. It didn't feel good to be swimming in this sea of self-pity, but Nana couldn't deny she felt like she rightfully deserve it all. She was acting horribly ever since she decided to come to the island. This wasn't like her at all, and she couldn't help but spin everything she was told so far inside her mind and try to find sense or at least some other reason than to finally accept what everyone seemed to be hinting or-

'Hey, did you ever notice how Kurama changed?' asked Keiko all of the sudden breaking Nana's train of thoughts.

The other girl blinked, 'What do you mean?'

Keiko smiled a tiny bit as if she knew a precious secret, 'The other day, when Yusuke was sleeping off his training with master Genkai, I just noticed how much taller and stronger he got. He always was so immature and careless, but now he seemed more serious and knew what he wants. It's weird. I saw him every day yet…it sort of hit me how much he changed.'

Nana blinked looked in front of her at the view trying to think. She was right. Yusuke definitely shifted more than a bit from the punk kid she used to make food for back at the dinner. In fact, it felt like decades ago that she watched him and Keiko argue outside with Yukimura-san laughing at their shenanigans.

Also, no, Kurama didn't change. When he was Yoko he was his past self but even now that he was upset with her it hadn't anything to do with change. Kurama was always like this. He was worried about her safety. He blamed himself whenever she got hurt.

If only I stayed in the hotel…

'No, I don't think Kurama changed like that,' she said after a moment but right afterward, Nana caught herself frowning a bit. It wasn't entirely true. Yes, he didn't change, and probably neither did she, but something did change. What happened in the cave, and before that in his room, or at the stadium or their bathroom? There were these moments that felt as if something changed between them, wasn't that the reason why things got so out of control back in the cave? Why they were fighting now?

'Did you guys have a fight?' asked Keiko suddenly, and Nana blinked at her shocked that she asked such a thing.

The younger girl waved her hand, 'You don't have to tell me, I just know you ran after whoever called you about Kurama and then you came back really upset,' she explained and shrugged her shoulders, 'Is there any way I can help?'

Nana's face softened, and she smiled at the girl, 'Honestly, just talking to you helps. I guess I shouldn't just let myself drown in self-pity.'

Keiko hit her hips against hers almost causing Nana to clumsily spill her soda, 'Definitely not. Never let them think they got to you. If they don't come back and apologize beat their ass.'

Nana chuckled balancing the soda can. There were times it was beyond clear why Yusuke cared for Keiko so much.

'Thanks, Keiko-chan,' she said finally and nodded at the girl.

The brunette grimaced, 'Of course, what are friends for?'

As she took a sip, Nana thought about the phrase.

Friends

She definitely was friends with the girls now and even Kuwabara and Yusuke. Hiei was still more of a stray cat than an actual friend, but the point was she did make friends. Friends other than Kurama.

Learn what friends feel. Learn the difference between friendship and more. You will understand then.

Her granny's words echoed in her mind as she realized it. Immediately followed by Master Genkai's words.

I see. It's a mantra, isn't it?

Nana looked at the can in her hand.

We're just friends. She said those words hundreds of times before. So why didn't she say them in the cave? Did something really change? Or did she just start to…

'Keiko-chan,' she said suddenly and looked at the girl, 'You and Yusuke…You care for each other right? Deeply.'

She watched as a slight blush appeared across Keiko's cheeks before she looked away, 'Yup.' She admitted but immediately took another sip from her can as if to busy herself and maybe not be so embarrassed. Nana could absolutely relate to that, but she could also tell that unlike her Keiko seemed much mild in her embarrassment, 'How come you never seem humiliated or annoyed when people talk about it?'

It was something Nana was dealing with since she was a pre-teen and hit puberty. By now she should have overcome this sense of pressure inside her stomach and heat in her cheeks, but every damn time somehow brought it up she felt it all the same.

Keiko licked her lips, 'Well, I am it's…it's embarrassing yes, but also, it's not like it's not true,' she shrugged her shoulders, 'When people say it, tease us, it's embarrassing, but I think I know for a long time that Yusuke is someone special to me, and so even if it bothers me a bit, the fact that I know it's true and likes it as such is stronger and more important than some short-lived embarrassment.'

Nana blinked at the thought.

'Oh,' she wasn't sure what else to say or if she wanted to. She rather chose to finish her can and talk about the finals before they returned back. She had Keiko go with her to the boy's room if only to check they were still out, so Nana could try again to call her granny.

'Mochi-mochi,' she heard the familiar voice at the end of the line and let out a relieved sigh, 'Finally, granny, where have you been? I was worried sick.' If nothing else at least she finally managed to reach her old granny and put some peace into her heart and mind that were subconsciously making up the worse scenarios.

'Oi, oi, I told you, I'm not bound to this house and phone, Nana-chan. I went out for a walk and went to visit your grandfather,' said the old woman. This was news. Ever since Nana started high school, they hadn't gone once to visit the graveyard. It made Nana wonder if her granny was too tired for such a long journey or there was something else to it. They never really talked much about the old man. He died before Nana was born somewhere around the time her mother started to get into trouble.

'I see, did you put up fresh flowers and oranges?' she asked, her mind finding something other to think about than Kurama and their fight at least for a moment, 'What else did you do these past two days?'

Her granny humored her for about ten more minutes before she asked, 'Since I'm all out of things to say, will you finally tell me what's bothering you? One-sided conversations are no fun, you know?'

'Why would you think somethings bothering me?' asked Nana trying and failing to sound cheerful. It shouldn't come as a surprise. Didn't Kurama always say she was a horrible liar?

'Nana,' chuckled her granny on the other side of the phone, 'You should make up with him.'

Her girl's eyes widened, 'How did you-I mean I didn't say-'

The old woman laughed a bit, 'You're an open book. Only Shuichi gets you to sound this distressed because whenever you're distressed about something else, he easily makes you feel better. It's not impossible to solve puzzle.'

Nana stayed quiet for a moment biting the inside of her cheek and wondering if she should say something finally she admitted, 'I broke a promise thinking I was helping, and he got upset because I got into danger. I'm fine,' she quickly added not to worry her grandma, 'But I worried him and now…I don't know. He wants to stay away so I won't end up in more danger,' she gripped the phone tighter, 'I'm not saying he's wrong, but I don't know how to fix it now.'

'You should go talk to him again-'

'He doesn't want to see me now-'

'He always wants to see you,' cut in her granny, 'Believe me, even if he would be furious with you which I can't imagine he would be, he would always want to see you safe and happy.'

The worst part was that Nana knew this was true since she would wish the same for him.

'Go makeup with him,' said her granny again her voice becoming a bit smaller now, 'In the end, we regret things we didn't do more than those we did. Don't make loving him something you will regret.'

Nana blinked surprised at her granny's words as it was the exact same words Master Genkai told her earlier, 'Oh?'

'What is it?' asked her granny calmly.

'It's just…There's this old woman here. She's a bit younger than you, though. She told me the same thing,' admitted Nana and chuckled a bit as well. Mostly from hysteria than actual humor of it.

'Well, of course, all old women are wise and had been through the same things. You should always listen to old women, Nana-chan,' said her granny, and Nana smiled a bit to herself, 'I miss you.'

'I miss you too,' said her granny, 'But you should really talk to Shuichi and makeup with him. Whatever your fight was about. It wasn't worth it. Just talk to him. If you're not ready to tell him how you feel about him, just makeup with him,' insisted her granny not unkindly causing Nana to bite the inside of her mouth. Once again she didn't comment on that and instead felt the need to say something else, 'Thank you, granny. For everything. I love you.'

There was a small pause on the other end before she heard her reply with warmth inside her voice, 'Thank you as well, Nana-chan. I love you too. Now, go on. Go spend some time with some of your younger friends. Don't waste your time on old folks like me.'

'It's never a waste of time when I talk to you,' said Nana and genuinely smiled when she heard her granny chuckle, 'With a tongue like that I can't imagine anyone staying mad at you for too long. Say hi to the kitsune for me.'

'Yeah, I-wait what?' she asked, and her granny chuckled, 'I said say hi to Shuichi for me. Maybe you should get some rest dear.'

Nana looked at the phone suspiciously wondering if she truly misheard or if her granny was pulling her leg since obviously, she knew more than she let on.

After a moment they said their goodnights and despite the fight with her best friend, Nana felt lighter after her conversation with her granny. She didn't waste time and tried to check and see if Kurama was back to try and talk to him a couple of times, but his room was empty. Trying not to lose her optimism she returned to the girl's room and played off that nothing was wrong. After a couple of more hours, Botan showed up.

'It's nothing really, just work,' waved the ferry girl quickly changing the topic looking probably just as down as Nana felt. She tried to talk to Kurama again every few hours, but neither he or the other boys ever came back. Even Master Genkai was missing.

'I hope Yusuke is alright,' said Keiko as they prepared for the bed that night. It was the first night since they showed themselves to the boys that they spend without hanging out in their room.

Nana offered her a reassuring smile, 'Of course, they're just getting ready. That's all.'

She tried to catch Botan's eyes but the girl seemed lost in her own world avoiding most of them and then acting like she was simply her airhead self. It was a bit hypocritical, but Nana wished she would tell them what was wrong. It didn't seem like Botan at all for her to act this way, and because of that Nana felt anxious hoping the ferry girl wasn't hiding back anything too important or dangerous.

'They will win, right?' asked Keiko into the dark when they turned on the lights.

Shizuru answered her this time, 'Of course they will. They kicked everyone's ass so far. What's one more team?'

Her words sounded reassuring but her voice wasn't as steady as it usually was. No one said anything else, but it was a long time before the girls finally fell asleep all worried about what tomorrow would bring and how would their friends make it out alive.

---

The first thing, Nana realized after she opened her eyes was that she couldn't move and that her head was clouded. Everything felt fuzzy and surreal.

What happened?

Where was she?

'Oh, finally awake? How generous of you, little flower,' she heard an ice-cold voice and felt whatever woozy feelings replaced with petrifying fear that took over every cell inside her body. She felt like she was never more scared in her entire life her whole body crying from the sensation.

Then all of the sudden, his face appeared in front of her eyes.

Nana wanted to scream or cry out or at least move a muscle, but her whole body was frozen. She wasn't certain if it was fear itself or some magical ability, but in those moments, she felt paralyzed, incapable of doing nothing else but looking ahead of herself at the face of the person she knew wished to end her life in a horrible way.

Karasu

'Such a pretty flower,' she felt something cold touch her below her neck and then moved lower toward the fabric of her PJs.

She wished to beg or say something to stop him or alert someone, anyone else, but she couldn't, feeling beyond useless and scared of her dear life. Before she could at least talk. Before she could at least walk. Now she couldn't do anything but watch and feel as cold fingers slowly unbutton the front of her pajama shirt exposing her naked chest to the cold night.

'How pretty,' he played with the word, and Nana wished she could cover herself.

The fear was killing her from the inside.

Then in a move faster than anything, Nana could notice she felt something hit her chest and in the next moment she saw Karasu's hand close to his face which used to be the only thing she could see. His hand was pale and inside his palm was a red still covered in her blood beating heart.

How? How could that be possible?

'I'm going to kill him while your pretty brown eyes watch knowing that the moment the tournament is over, I will slowly kill you too until you beg me to end your life already,' his voice said changing from that soft one into that horrifying one she recalled from when he tried to go something in the stadium.

Nana watched helplessly and paralyzed as his fingers dig deeper into her heart, and then-

Nana-chan, her eyes shifted to the side and looked with a pair of all too familiar brown ones that belonged to her grandmother, isn't real, wake up.

---

Nana woke up with a start both of her hands coming over her mouth as she almost cried out.

All of the sudden, she was in her hotel room, on her bed next to Keiko.

All the girls were there softly snoring and sleeping. It was dark and quiet.

A dream…it was just a dream…

Nana slowly lowered her hands from her mouth and put them against her chest repeating those words over again over again.

Just a dream. Just a dream. Just a silly dream.

It didn't help. She could still see it, and him in every shadow and corner of the room. Why did it happen? Why was her mind so cruel to her in letting her live through such a thing? It felt somehow worse than the real thing. It felt worse than when he had her hostage in the stadium because it left her completely and horrible useless and helpless and-

Nana pushed down the pain inside her throat as she wished to cry. She couldn't do that. She would wake everyone up, and they would ask what happened and she would have to tell them everything and, she didn't wish to tell them everything.

She slowly rose from her bed and quickly put on some hoodie zipping it all the way up before she left the room. She knew she shouldn't have but she figured it was better now when no one was around than during the day like last time.

When she was younger, a child really and had a nightmare she came to her granny who would assure her it was alright to tug her back to her bed and stay with her until she would fall back asleep. If her mother did the same she couldn't remember, but it seemed always fitting that it was granny who came to rescue her from her nightmare tonight.

A part of Nana wished should could call her again, but the phone was in the boy's room, and it was extremely late. Surely, the elder woman was asleep and would only get stressed if Nana call this late. Who in their right mind would call this late if it wasn't to inform of someone's passing? Nana's stomach sank at the idea.

How pretty

She stopped in the dark empty hallway almost as if she could hear his voice somewhere behind her. No, he wasn't here. Surely not.

She speeded up telling herself it was just because.

Her feet carried her toward the door.

Her hand shook as she tried to raise it and knock before she stopped realizing what she was doing.

No

No, she couldn't just knock on their door. They were fighting for their lives in the finals tomorrow. The last thing they needed was for her to knock and wake them up just because what? Did she want to see Kurama? She felt she needed to see him? She felt like she wouldn't be able to breathe or believe her dream was just that if she didn't see his green eyes?

Nana's hand fell to her side.

What in three realms am I doing?

He was upset with her. He asked her to stay away from him to give him peace, and the first chance she got she ran here just as recklessly as she had all those other times. What in Kami's name was wrong with her?

Shaking her head, she felt tears gathering behind her eyes again.

Her foot took a step back as Nana told herself she needed to leave before someone would hear her.

She managed to turn around when the door suddenly opened, 'Nana.'

The raven-haired girl froze in place upon hearing Kurama's voice, 'What's wrong? Are you alright?'

Worried

Once again, she caused him to feel worried. She could hear it in his voice. He thought she was in danger because what else would be the reason for her to show up like this.

'Nana?' he asked again, and she shook her head a small sob escaped her traitorous lips as she was trying to step away.

Almost immediately she felt Kurama snatch her wrist and start to pull her toward him, 'Nana, what's wrong? Please, tell me.'

Another sob and despite her protest her head rose and her eyes looked directly at him. With tears in her eyes, he was blurry but seeing him still caused the girl to let out another sob and the damp to finally break.

Nana fell to her knees, and in a split second so did Kurama burying her in his embrace as she cried her eyes out into his chest letting out all the frustration she felt over the course of the past weeks. Everything concerning Karasu, her doubts and fears, her and Kurama's fight, the fact that she was on this island, remembering all those times she had to watch her friends get beat up, and how suddenly her feelings regardless of them being just friends wasn't so straightforward anymore.

'Nana, it's alright. I'm here. I got you,' she heard Kurama's muffled voice grabbing a hold of his shirt and nodding all the while incapable of doing anything else than sobbing and crying feeling too raw, frustrated yet relieved that he held her.

---

Hey guys, thank you all for the support and still reading. I hope you enjoyed the chapter. It took me ages to finish because too many things were happening, and I kept on re-writing certain scenes until I decided I need to break it into 2 chapters again. I hope you will like this one. Stay safe and have a lovely day.