A/N: Hello once again, FanFiction Dot Net Users and Anonymous Readers alike!
A shout out to both DreamRealm3 and Charlotte for their kind reviews, I'm glad you both have been enjoying the story!
In regards to how much Toriko/Hiei interaction there has been so far (and how little Akari/Kurama), it's mostly because there is more going on for the first pair right now than Akari, as Akari is mostly just wandering Human World trying not to stick out and it wouldn't make for very interesting plot.
Symbols Guide:
* : Written by CM; She writes for Akari and Hiei
3 : Written by Star (supposed to be the 'heart' symbol, but FF doesn't like the 'less-than' sign, so it's a 3 instead); She writes for Toriko/Shikiyoku and Kurama
~!**!~ : A universal transition between scenes or characters, sometimes used to indicate a passage of time, but most often used to transition between major scenes that are happening. As the story progresses, this will evolve into mainly separating the (usually two) scenes happening between authors/characters.
As a general rule, anything in italics is thoughts.
Unless it's used in a sentence like this, which merely indicates emphasis.
"Quotations are usually reserved specifically for telepathic dialogue being transmitted from one being to another, but sometimes this can also mean a character isn't being careful about what they're thinking and anyone with telepathy in the nearby vicinity can listen in without taking any effort."
The only exception to that last rule is for the Shiba Inu dog, Nabu. All of his "spoken" dialogue will be in italics and quotations, but is communicated through body language or dog-like noises, so unless a character is able to translate those they are unlikely to pick up on what he is saying any more than the average person might understand his general moods like aggression (bared teeth, ears back) or excitement (wagging tail).
Previously on Yu Yu Hakusho!
Shikiyoku, with Maneshi and Hiei's help, manages to purge her body of the virus Otento gave her,
but in the process Shikiyoku frees herself more completely from the bonds of Toriko
and rushes out searching for humans to exercise her powers on.
Akari catches Shikiyoku before the latter actually gets to try anything,
and upon realizing that there are other demons in the world,
Shikiyoku relinquishes her prize to turn and leave with Hiei.
The clash between the two of them left Akari weakened and she starts to collapse to the ground...
After their dinner together, Kuwabara and Yusuke had both parted ways from Kurama, who had wandered home himself, but restlessly moved about the house until his mother suggested he go for a walk to think through whatever bothered him.
He'd ended up at the park, walking the paths and meeting with few people given the late hour and the soft rain that fell around him.
During his constitutional, he naturally felt the flux of demonic energy in the area, immediately recognizing it to be Akari's signature, and made great haste to follow the energy to its source, coming onto a scene of Akari collapsing onto the ground and a human male gathering her up with a dog skipping about his feet as he carried Akari to a nearby bench.
As Kurama walked towards them, he noted the uprooted bench and spied the last of what he was certain to be Hiei disappearing around a tree.
"Is she alright?" Kurama asked when he approached, his soft voice breaking through the patter of rain.
"I think she'll be fine." The human could not have been more than thirty.
"What happened?" Kurama bent over her face, the rest of her stretched out across the bench.
"You know, it's a funny thing. I was here the whole time, but I can't seem to remember anything that happened. I came to myself just about the time she started to fall over. Do you know her?" He asked, on the off-chance the red-head did and he wouldn't feel like he'd have to call the police for help.
Kurama assumed Hiei had been a part of the man's memory being lost, and nodded when the man asked his question. "I do. I'll stay here until she wakes up."
The man seemed satisfied and walked away whistling with his hands in his pockets, looking no worse for the wear save for some grass stains and a bit of mud on his back.
Kurama examined Akari, but did not seem any immediate signs of physical damage. The dog he'd seen before, much muddier than he previously assumed, had his front paws planted firmly on the edge of the bench, trying to looking into Akari's face and making lots of noise at her.
"I think she'll be alright." Kurama gave him a pat on the head and tried to reassure the concerned pup as he gave a long-suffering sigh at his lack of umbrella as he watched droplets of rain fall on Akari's face. He slipped his light jacket off and arranged it over the back of the bench and the metal arm rest so that her face at least would remain untouched.
Satisfied it wouldn't fall completely over her face and cover it, smothering her, he sat down on the only empty space left on the bench, next to her feet. He scooted back and reclined with his legs crossed at the ankles, not minding the warm rainfall in the slightest and enjoying the general serenity of the park.
~!**!~
"I'm ridiculous?" Shikiyoku countered, still moving at a brisk pace, but glancing over her shoulder at him briefly. "And who was the one that decided to chase after me in the rain for no good reason?"
What with her previous plans having been interrupted, Shikiyoku could feel her frustration with the whole situation simmering deep in her gut, but the seemingly random appearance of the two demons stirred her thoughts from the disgusting human-prey she had been so formerly bent on having. They were not worthy of her attention unless necessity demanded it, and what with her having found demons in the area, it led her to believe that perhaps there were more, should she look hard enough, and her patience was legendary. 3
Hiei raised a brow, pulled his hand from her grasp, and took to walking alongside the demon instead, a scoff released into the air, barely heard over the sound of falling rain. "Yes, you," he responded, choosing to ignore her last statement. "Running off and finding a worthless human. What's that going to earn you?" he sneered, his amusement still evident on his features. He wasn't sure why it amused him as much as it did, but he simply went with it anyways.
"Humans are hardly worth the trip you made to find one." he paused, then shot a sharp look in her direction. "That does not insinuate that you can use that energy of yours on me." He wasn't actually worried about it, but he felt that if he didn't say it, then he wasn't actually drawing the line.
"And that cat is useless." He finished grumpily, his mood having shifted swiftly as he finally noted the water trailing down his face.
~!**!~
Big, round brown eyes searched the face of a friend who wasn't answering him, Nabu continuously calling her name, even asking if she'd throw the ball again because, sometimes, when she wouldn't answer him, that would get her attention. But not this time. He gave a small whine and looked up at the redhead that pat his furry head, his ears laying back in sadness.
"Why isn't she talking?" the dog yipped, taking to sitting at the man's feet, looking up at him in confusion and worry. "It isn't like her. She always tells me to shut up." He didn't know if this man could talk to her, like Akari could, but he hoped so. He smelled different than most of the two-legged people walking around, and he hoped that meant he was like Akari. "Can you hear me?"
Nabu jumped up so that he sat on his hind legs, his front paws held up and off the ground, reaching to touch the pants leg of the male but not making contact as he sat back down again. He remembered the last person he'd looked to for consolation this way, with mud on his paws. They'd struck him. Another whine, and he jumped up onto the bench, sitting beside the man and looking up at him cautiously, a single paw slowly reaching out, testing to see if he'd be stopped. If not, he'd lay on this quiet person and watch his best friend until she awoke. *
Kurama regarded the dog curiously as it almost appeared to be trying to talk to him, unable to help the smile that touched his lips at this companion Akari somehow acquired since having taken up residence in Human World. He actually chuckled at the expression on the dog's face as it reached out again, this time from the bench, looking for a lap to climb into.
"These things can be washed." Kurama grabbed the dog gently about his middle and plopped him down, sitting up and pulling his feet up under the bench before he released the animal so the platform of his legs would be flat enough that the dog would not slip off.
As the dog settled down, Kurama found his eyes wandering over to Akari, taking her features in a new light with the loyalty of the animal making a nest for itself on his thighs. Maybe...maybe she wasn't quite as terrible as she liked to make it seem.
~!**!~
Before Hiei could say another word, Shikiyoku turned and grabbed for the fabric of his clothing at the shoulders, whipping them both around and slamming his back into the tree next to them, her demonic energy flaring out of her eyes as she smiled languidly into his, holding him in place with both her hands and her gaze and leaning in much closer.
"You realize, of course, that by telling me not to do something, it makes me want to do it in an exponentially greater proportion." She clenched her teeth together as the pact between them startled up in warning, but did not relent her grasp as she continued, "It's been fifteen long years, and I'm nearly ridiculous enough at this point to use you regardless of consequence."
She glanced up into the branches of the tree hanging above them, having become aware that their shelter prevented any further rain from falling on them.
Letting go of Hiei all at once, she lept up onto the lowest branch above them, then made another jump for a second one, disappearing into the green canopy.
She found a pleasant enough branch in the middle of the magnificent plant and stood on it with her back against the trunk for a moment, taking in a deep breath of the crisp, wet air around her. She then stretched out over the limb, crawling far enough that her feet barely rested against the bark of the trunk, laying on her stomach and folding her arms up to use as a pillow, resting her chin and watching the rain fall joyously to the ground in chorus. 3
Hiei didn't react to the sudden change in events, not exactly surprised. His expression stayed the same, irate, a frown stretching his lips downwards and his brows shadowing his eyes as they furrowed. He stood tall as he was backed into a tree, looking at the woman with a warning stare that said he wasn't in the mood for games. He felt the energy flux, and his eyes widened just a bit, but in a moment's notice, the eye contact had been broken and she was gone from his immediate eyesight.
He stayed there for a moment, relishing in the dry area, wiping a hand down his face to rid himself of the rainwater that was still attempting to glide into his eyes and mouth. He blew a breath from his lips, sending a spray of the water away from his face as he glanced up into the leaves. Still, he didn't see Shikiyoku, but he didn't make for her either. He knew she was nearby, he could simply feel that she was near. He wasn't worried a bit.
He shook his head, frowning more as water was slung everywhere from his hair, despite the little effort he put into it. "This is ridiculously foolish," he commented, referring to the rain. "No place should get this much moisture." he complained, staring out at the street and watching the droplets hit the puddles. A strike of lightning lit up the sky, and he watched it with familiarity; demon world always had thunder and lightning, but not so much rain.
After a few minutes, he looked again to the trees above, again looking for Shikiyoku. He didn't know how long she planned to stay there, or even if she was getting comfortable. "Do you plan to stay here all night?" he called, suddenly realizing it should be close to the early morning. Likely about four, if he was judging it right.
~!**!~
Nabu had let the male set him on his lap, and hadn't wasted any time in getting comfortable, his nose buried in his paws as his eyes watched Akari, her chest moving up and down with the rhythm of natural sleep. He was surprised that this person let him lay here like this, when only Akari had ever allowed him to do such a thing. Sure, a couple of children had seen him, but they had always been dragged away by mothers with disgusted eyes. Before Akari, he'd been alone in the world.
His head shifted to look at the redhead again, curious this time. He had only seen this one a few times with his friend, and never once had he gotten the impression of fondness. He stretched his legs out in front of himself and turned back to Akari, eyeing her as he heard a small sound come from her. A cough, he thought, but otherwise nothing changed.
And then suddenly, she shifted, her head turning to the side and a small groan rumbling. His ears shot forward and his head shot up, but he didn't move from the redhead's lap. "Akari?" he yipped, tail beginning to wag.
"Give me a second, Nabu."
"Yay! I was worried!" His tail began wagging with ferocious speed and he shifted his head to the male who had been so nice to him thus far. "She's awake!" He yipped enthusiastically, tongue lolling from his mouth. "Thank you!"
"Nabu, I said shush for a second, okay?" *
"You're quite welcome." Kurama spoke down to the dog, guessing at the animal's expression, reaching his right arm from where it settled on the armrest and giving the other a scratch behind his ears. His left arm was stretched out over the back of the bench and he glanced down it to see if Akari had opened her eyes before turning back to the attention he gave to the excited pup in his lap.
~!**!~
Shikiyoku's head popped out from the bottom row of leaves on the tree as Hiei finished asking his question, upside down with her long, dark hair streaming towards the ground. "It is kind of wet, isn't it? It's not so bad up here." She grinned, "We can go home if you want, though. It doesn't usually rain inside there."
Her eyes widened and she stared at him, completely and utterly entranced at the sight of his damp hair, still sticking straight up off the top of his head.
"It...it defies the laws of gravity..." Her voice held no small sense of awe and without thinking, she let one arm off the branch she had it curled about, pressing her stomach harder into the bark as she tried to reach close enough to touch it. She stretched farther and farther until, without warning, her knees slipped off behind the branch she'd propped them against to hang upside-down and she only managed to twist her body far enough to land on her stomach instead of her head, she was so close to the ground. 3
Hiei frowned at Shikiyoku as she popped into view, her eyes immediately widening at the sight of him. He didn't like the feeling of her watching him so closely, or the fact that she seemed so delighted about his hair. It'd always been there, so why was she fascinated just now? He raised a brow in silent question, but watched her reach towards him anyway.
He had half a mind to step away so she couldn't touch his hair, but he stayed. He waited for the contact, wondering what would happen. And then, just like that, she slipped. For a moment, he was shocked. Then a millisecond later, he was a step away, eyes watching her fall until she landed on the ground. Amusement crossed his features before he snubbed it, forcing a mask of calm indifference.
"What did you expect?" he said casually, arms crossed over his chest.
~!**!~
Akari lay on the hard surface of what she assumed to be a bench, but she didn't know how she'd gotten there. She remembered everything except moving away from the tree where she had argued with the demon. After that, she recalled nothing but darkness. Right, I fainted, she thought, recognizing the sensation. How could she have forgotten what that felt like?
Her head throbbed, but otherwise, the pain was gone. She could hear the sound of rain falling and Nabu's excitement, but she tried tuning it out. Then she realized, Nabu wasn't speaking to her. Her eyes flew open and she sat up, her face meeting a smooth surface that stuck to her face. Surprised, she ripped the jacket away and flung it to her lap, startled and confused as her wild eyes, ready for a fight, moved up to see Nabu laying in the lap of Kurama. Almost immediately, she hung her head and her vision swam; wasn't so much a good idea to move so quickly.
"Why are you here?" she grumbled, rubbing her face and feeling the rain hit her head again.
"He helped; he watched over you and me! He's nice."
Akari released a huff and grabbed the jacket from her lap, thrusting it in Kurama's direction. "I didn't need the assistance." *
"I was simply enjoying the night air." Kurama looked up at the rain falling from the sky. "This bench looked like a pleasant enough place to rest for a moment, and the company wasn't half-bad either."
He turned his face to the dog that hadn't moved, giving him another scratch and calmly taking the jacket out of Akari's hands.
~!**!~
With demonic speed, Shikiyoku was on her feet and had circled around behind Hiei, staring up at his hair and slowing as she walked about him, her bare feet padding silently on the grass.
"For it to not stand straight up when drenched with rain?" Shikiyoku provided, making the circle one more time before ending up in front of him, still staring up at it. "You surely can't deny that it is rather strange for it to be able to do that." Her voice grew quieter as she spoke the next part under her breath to herself, reaching up with tentative fingers as if to touch it, "It must be so stiff." 3
Hiei scowled; he hadn't been referring to his hair. But, she was still going on about it. He hadn't seen it as that much of an interest, but he supposed for someone who'd never seen hair like his, it would be rather amusing. But when she reached up as if to touch it, he took another step away, stepping just out of her reach. He never let a person touch his hair; he simply didn't care for contact of any kind unless he was about to kill the person who got close.
"It's always done that," he replied tartly, brow raised still. "And it isn't stiff," he clarified, his head tilting to the side just a bit to show her that it moved without problem. Even the wind had it moving on occasion, but tonight the wind wasn't really blowing much at all.
~!**!~
Akari let out a breath of disbelief. "There are other benches," she grumbled as she swung her legs over the side of the wooden surface, her shoes touching the mud. She didn't stand yet, waiting to see if it was safe for her to move yet. When no more complications arose, she stood and turned to face Kurama, eyeing the hand that scratched at Nabu's ear. She took in the way his tongue lolled and his head tilted, and irritation skyrocketed.
"Why, out of every park in this town, and every bench in this park, did you decide to pick the one I was resting on?" she demanded to know, arms crossing her her chest with a small humpf. Nabu looked up at her, as if waiting for her to leave, but made no move to do the same. Her eyes roved up to meet the striking green irises of the redhead. Why do you care? she thought grumpily, huffing again as she stared at him. *
Kurama's eyes flickered over at the only other bench nearby, which lay despondently in the wet grass, legs somehow uprooted from its concrete, returning his attention shortly thereafter to the dog.
"This is the largest park, not to mention the best one." He replied calmly. "And for all you know, I could have been sitting here the whole time. Maybe I should be the one asking you why you chose the bench I was resting on." He lifted his eyes to meet hers.
~!**!~
Shikiyoku's eyes watched Hiei's hair flutter slightly. She pursed her lips together, fighting an urge to try reaching for it again, the thought leading to an image in her mind of Hiei physically fighting her off. She let out a brief laugh at the scenario and looked into his crimson eyes.
"Well, if you ever find yourself in an amiable mood..." She flickered her gaze back up to his hair, "I'd like to see for myself."
She glanced at the torn shoulder of her uniform and brushed a smidge of dirt away.
"Now," Her voice shifted to a more 'down-to-business' tone, "Did you want to go home, or should we stay here?" She tilted her head slightly to indicate the tree they still stood next to. 3
Hiei waited silently, expecting to have to swat her away and make a threat to be left alone. But, surprisingly, she retracted her hand with a laugh. At this, his shoulders relaxed and his hands slipped into his cloak pockets, his entire body relaxing; he hadn't realized he'd gotten so tense. His eyes flickered around their surroundings, looking at the different buildings nearby that were dark on the inside, aside from a few small stores; convenience stores, he remembered them being called. Gas stations, as well. He erased his mind of the trivial thoughts and turned back to Shikiyoku in time to see her brush at her shoulder, causing a small scoff to leave his lips at the demeanor she displayed.
Then, at her question, he thought for a moment. In truth, the water wasn't so bad here. It hardly touched his head from the cover of the treetop, and he was starting to dry off at a rapid rate due to his heat energy. But, he was growing tired again. And staying out in the rain did that to him at times, especially when his energy continuously fought against it.
"I'm growing tired of the rain," he answered honestly, his tone exasperated and expression slightly irate. And, without prompting, he turned to lead the way back to the house, uncaring if she wanted to take the lead or not.
~!**!~
Akari's chest swelled with the breath she took in, her nose flaring as she felt challenged. He hadn't been here earlier. Right? No, he hadn't. She'd been here all evening with Nabu, playing his ridiculous game of fetch. Speaking of, she looked around for the tennis ball, surprised to find it nearby. She walked over to it and picked it up, looking over her shoulder at Kurama. "While you think you're being funny, I have no interest in your stupid jokes. I've been here all evening, courtesy of the brat in your lap." she paused, staring at the dog with an intensity that made his ears lay back on his head. "Speaking of, I had said we were leaving earlier, did I not?"
"But you're the one who stopped," he retorted with a whine, immediately standing and glancing at Kurama once. She witnessed him licking his hand in thanks before hopping down and trotting over to her obediently, eyes watching her carefully. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a dog to feed and a warm place to be, and I do not want to waste anymore time in your "glorified" presence." With that, she turned and left, Nabu on her heels, occasionally glancing back. *
Kurama watched them go, a smiling playing at his lips. He stood up after they had gone out of sight and wiped off some bits of the drier mud left on his clothing by the pup, watching it fall onto the path.
He stood up and glanced around for a moment longer at the scenery before putting a hand in his pocket and heading for home himself.
~!**!~
Shikiyoku watched Hiei turn to leave, amused as she watched his shoulders visibly hunch over as soon as he went back out into the rain.
A sudden thought crossed her mind, and before she could give it a second consideration, she ran past Hiei, intentionally, but barely, brushing his shoulder with hers and catching his eyes moving to regard her as she went by, in those milliseconds making sure he caught the impish grin on her lips as she released a small giggle in passing him, her eyes flashing challengingly, and then she was beyond him, easily making the leap about halfway up the nearest building, finding no trouble catching purchase on it in her bare feet, alighting only for an instant on the sheer vertical wall with her toes before jumping the rest of the way to the top, moving faster than any human eye could have ever seen and dashing almost instantaneously from rooftop to rooftop out of the business district and towards home. 3
Hiei hadn't been expecting the burst of pounding feet on the ground, so when Shikiyoku dashed past him, he turned to catch a glimpse of her, at first not caring for the smile she gave or the challenge she issued. He ignored it for a millisecond, until he caught her scaling up the side of a wall. He watched with interest, her disappearing from his view sparking a feeling inside him. A sneer formed on his features despite himself, and then he too was off, running at a speed that no mere human would be able to even sense, much less see. He, however, stayed on the sidewalks, deciding he'd see which route would be faster. He took alleyways as shortcuts, knowing them like the back of his hand, or perhaps the hilt of his Katana. He used his knowledge to his advantage, sprinting along the sidewalk and concrete as swiftly and quietly as possible, his mind basically mapping his route for him along the way.
In minutes, he was drawing close to the house, the open window he preferred using in sight. He could see the curtains billowing, even the raindrops touching down on the windowsill. But, what caught his attention as he came up just under it was the person sitting in his preferred tree. He stopped and stared up at her from the ground, a scowl coming to his face and lighting his eyes with disappointment. He'd never been declared slower than another being before now.
"Foolish game." he grumbled before jumping up, grasping the edge of the windowsill and pulling himself inside.
~!**!~
Akari ran her hands over her face as she stalked away from the park at a brisk pace, Nabu on her heels, looking up at her. "You were really mean to him," the dog voiced, earning nothing in response aside from her hands dropping to her sides, grabbing the ball from her pocket and bouncing it along the sidewalk absently. "He was watching over you, when that other man was gonna leave you. And you were mean. Why were you mean?"
"It doesn't matter, Nabu."
"You should be nice to those who are nice to you. There are a lot of mean people in this world. You're being one of them."
"Nabu, shh. It isn't important."
"Yes it is, because one day, you'll kick him while he's down, and he's gonna bite you. Like a hurt animal."
Akari gave a resigned sigh. "Yeah, yeah."
"Don't be mean, because I know you aren't mean. Be the Akari you are with me!" *
~!**!~
Shikiyoku slid in through the window after Hiei and came up behind him, throwing her arms over his shoulders and leaning into him, her chin resting on top of his shoulder near his neck. He was taller enough than her that she had to make a tiny leap first in order to make it, and she ended up with one of her toes barely touching the ground, her other leg bent behind her at the knee with him supporting her weight almost entirely.
"Because you lost?" She purred in response to Hiei's previous proclamation outside her window, glancing at his profile out of the corners of her eyes. "That was only because I got a head start, flame-boy, so that one doesn't really count. Don't be such a wet blanket, hm?" She gently pressed the side of her face into his, almost a nuzzle but not lasting long enough to qualify as such.
Slipping off, she glided past Hiei and started to tug her blouse out from the skirt it had managed to remain tucked into for the entire night, though the skirt was actually nearly down past her hips. She stopped when she got a couple of feet in front of him to concentrate better on the task.
Out of the rain now, she could practically feel the ickiness of the entire night-sickness to mud-coating her skin. Without pause, she lifted the shirt up over her head and ripped it off, lowering her arms to finish the task by peeling off first one sleeve then the other, thinking to herself how useless the garment would be anyway with the large tear it had in the shoulder. Shivering at the nastiness of the stained blouse as she removed it completely, she threw it down at the floor near the door frame.
She gathered her hair together in her hands and pulled it over one shoulder, examining the strands with growing distaste at the dirt from the rain water. When she released the hair from her scrutiny, it hung down almost to where her skirt had come to rest at the curve of her waist.
Shikiyoku turned back around to Hiei and put a hand on one hip, resting her weight on one leg, "I would imagine you can make yourself pretty dry pretty fast," Here she pointed at him with her other hand, "But if you can't do the same for the outside of that cloak, don't just stand there letting it drip all over the carpet. Take it off and hang it over the desk or something." She gestured to a corner of the room that had a relatively empty desk and chair as she moved towards the open bedroom door, pausing after a couple of steps.
"I'm taking a shower. You're welcome to join me," She said archly, her eyes glittering mischievously to mirror her tone as she glanced over her shoulder at Hiei. "Showers are much nicer than rain. They can get much hotter too." She tossed her hair back and sashayed over the threshold of the room into the hallway, waving a hand behind her and calling pleasantly as she did so, "Make yourself comfortable."
As soon as she stepped out of the bedroom, she spotted the open door of the room across from her and made the extra step closer to shut it, moving down the hallway past another set of doors on either side to the last door on the left, the same side her bedroom had been on. This door was open as well, but she didn't bother shutting it behind her as she entered, and flipped on the light as carpet abruptly changed to tile with a rug in front of the sink-mirror-cabinets combination to her left, shower to her right. She ducked to the side of the simple-patterned curtain covering the shower and turned the water on, letting the steam fill the room as she stripped off the rest of her outfit that was steadily becoming more disgusting to her senses by the second. She grabbed two fluffy towels out of a cabinet and placed them on the countertop next to the sink, turning and shifting past the curtain into the shower and immediately feeling better as soon as the nearly-scalding water kissed her skin. 3
Hiei froze when he felt the pressure of the small girl on his back, arms around his shoulders. He had no idea what she was doing, and quite frankly, it didn't understand the meaning behind the gesture, which seemed to make him distressed only a little about the situation. So, he held still in his spot in the middle of the room. Her words made her breath gently move across her face, but he ignored it as he calmly listened to the words she purred out. A scoff left his throat at her proclamation and he pulled away just as she released her grasp on him. His arms immediately crossed over his chest to show he hadn't appreciated the close contact, his eyes alight with irritation. But still, he didn't reply to her words.
He watched her move, expecting her to leave the room as she moved in front of him, but instead, he witnessed her pulling an article of clothing over her head. He showed no external reaction other than scowling at her and turning so that his side was to her, his eyes to the side of the room where her bed was. And, after a small pause, he moved towards it, intent on making himself comfortable. That is, until she pointed out his dripping cloak. He glanced down at the hem of his favorite material and scowled at the small drops of water that continued to fall to the ground. Irritated that it had yet to dry out, he let his energy flare, causing the room temperature to drastically flux and the heat sear through the liquid water that he felt was defiling his clothing.
In little to no time, the dripping had ceased and his energy was pulled back, hidden from the world again with a satisfied glance-over. "Happy?" he grouched at her, glancing over in her direction in time to see her turn to the door, then look at him over her almost completely bare shoulder. He raised a brow that conveyed anything but curiosity, and watched as she took her leave.
"That woman is ridiculously impetuous."
Without asking or even thinking it'd be a bother, Hiei let himself get comfortable on the bed, legs stretched out languidly and crossed at the ankles while his hands were linked behind his head. His eyes slid closed as he listened to the silence, save for the shower in the bathroom somewhere down the house. His nose took in the scent of the rain, one he actually enjoyed surprisingly, and a calm expression took over his face as he lay there, not really sleeping but not fully aware of his surroundings either. *
Emerging into the heavy fog that still filled the bathroom even once she turned off the shower, Shikiyoku reached for one of the towels she'd laid out and bent over to let her hair fall towards the floor, wrapping it up within the dry towel.
She twisted the towel and stood back up, releasing it so that it hung down her back and grabbing the second towel to secure it around her torso where it hung just above her knees, drying off only enough to prevent either her hair or her body from dripping.
She picked up the clothing she'd discarded onto the rug before climbing into the shower and made her way back to the bedroom, a smile flickering over her face when she spied Hiei already having made himself comfortable on the bed. It took a lot of willpower for her not to just tackle him outright, but she managed to merely unceremoniously dump the clothes she had been wearing on top of the blouse by the door.
Shikiyoku's eyes, attracted to the glint on the bedside table, fell on the bobby pins and she almost sighed. She sat down on the very edge of the bed, in an attempt to leave Hiei undisturbed, and stared at them as she took gently removed the towel from her head, holding it in her lap.
She picked one up and held it in her palm, closing her fingers part-way around it and letting its natural chill settle onto her skin. It tugged viciously at her demonic energy, creating a vacuum of empty power in her hand, though with just the one she hardly noticed.
Did Spirit World even remember her?
Quite likely. Their memory of her work within Youko's gang was no small thing to their minds, as they made obvious within the warrant they put out for her arrest.
But it had been such a very long time!
Fifteen years? Fifteen years was nothing. Now, had they stopped their immediate search for her? That was slightly more plausible. She looked different enough that if she didn't particularly bring attention to herself, namely by exuding too much energy in too short of a time span and create too many victims, it was quite possible that she could...
That she could what? Go back to Demon World? And how exactly did one propose she do that?
She felt an ache rip across her stomach, and the next breath she took was filled with Hiei's scent, his demonic presence behind her becoming oh-so-tantalizing. There was only so much one could stand.
Sweeping the rest of the seals into her hand, she rose abruptly and tossed the towel angrily at the pile of clothing next to the door and stalked out of the room, getting down the stairs and ending up in front of the couch within the blink of an eye. She looked down at the seals she held, a force more to be reckoned with now that they were all together in her grasp.
There was no telling how much longer she could stand it, how far the next demon actually was. She may have once been able to patiently seduce another for hours in order to pump them of the information she needed, but she never took fifteen years about the whole thing.
The thought of taking a human when aware she stood within close proximity of a demon as desirable as Hiei made her insides churn and she trembled with frustration, hand clenching the seals until they nearly bit into her palm. Centuries of perfecting various methods of torture that fell within the realm of her powers-and often did not constitute as so much 'torture'-did not mean she was completely immune from the concept herself. More resilient, yes. That came with the territory anyway. But this...this was nearly beyond her.
Shikiyoku derisively scattered the bobby pins over the coffee table and let out a huff of agony as she plopped down on the couch and glared at the seals.
So much freedom only to not be very free at all. Her lip curled upwards in disgust and she snatched up a seal with two of her fingers, turning it back and forth in front of her eyes. It would not be the last time she longed for Demon World, and neither was it the first.
No plans were readily forming in her mind, and if she was going to be forced to stay around this impertinent fire demon without being able to so much as think about doing anything fun with him, fine. She had little other choice.
She grumbled nonsensically to herself as she started to twist her hair together, resigned to slumber in a prison of her own design over her current torture. Combing her fingers through the strands of her hair to make things more smooth, she started replacing the bobby pins one-by-one.
As soon as the first one got buried, a jolt ran up Shikiyoku's arm and she sucked in a breath of surprise, but resolute in her decision she kept going. The jolting did not stop even as she placed the last one from the table in place and her vision swam, not from so much pain-which she felt none-but her eyes glazed over and she stood up, pinpricks of light that danced about the room causing her to squint.
Making little noise on the soft carpet, she stumbled over to the staircase and pulled herself up to the next floor with the help of the banister, getting to the bedroom and managing to collapse onto the bed, near the bedside table but facing the side on which Hiei lay, before her legs gave out. She brought her knees closer to her chest, her head pounding. Her eyes squeezed shut, forming a deep frown across her brow. Her entire body kept tensing and she twitched as if shivering with cold, conscious, but unable to react otherwise. 3
Hiei had heard the shower turn off, but hadn't really registered the sound. He had, instead, listened to the rain fall at the window, hitting the glass and the windowpane. No sounds of creatures were heard now, like earlier, but still he felt soothed, almost lulled to sleep, if it weren't for the fact that he was making himself stay at least half conscious of his surroundings. Instinct, he supposed, but he didn't think much of it.
As before, he had heard the door open, and Shikiyoku walk into the room. But this time, he opened a single eye to glance at her, then nonchalantly let it shut again, indifferent to the state in which she presented herself. His head shifted a bit so that his cheek just touched his right arm, giving a small sigh of content as he continued to relax, getting comfortable enough that he almost couldn't fight off sleep.
So comfortable and so close to sleep that he hadn't registered the sound of the demoness leaving the room. Or the rain he had been previously listening to. Or the sound of clumsy footsteps coming back up the stairs. He was so close to dreamland that when Shikiyoku plopped on the bed, his eyes flew open instinctively and he turned to her, glancing at her and visibly relaxing again, settling again on the bed the way he had been laying before.
"Could you be any more disruptive?" he grumbled before he sighed again in content, deciding he'd stay right where he was regardless if she wanted him there or not. And in no time at all, he was back where he'd been before she had stumbled into the room, and this time, he fell into a deep sleep with ease. *
An indeterminate amount of time passed where Shikiyoku lay there, completely awake and incapable of movement other than the trembling her body did on its own, but as the room started to lighten up just enough to be noticeable, she blinked, one last shiver traveling all the way down her body. And then it all stopped.
She blinked again, listening to Hiei's steady breathing indicative of his slumber, and then silently got out of the bed without disturbing him. She stood still for a moment and the room continued to grow brighter around her, her mind swimming through a gelatinous sea of incomprehension. That is, until a wrack of pain made her stomach feel like it curled in on itself.
Once she got past the delicious smell of the demon behind her, she found her feet moving almost on their own out of the bedroom door that had remained open in the hours she lay unable to move.
She got downstairs with little difficulty, her nose sniffing the air and leading her over the tile and past the countertops to her left. She paused and crouched down, opening a cabinet in the middle of those on her left and rummaging noisily through it, another pang of what she realized was hunger cramping through her stomach. This time the organ made an audible noise and she cringed at the churning it made within her.
Her hands touched something other than metal and she eagerly pulled it out, frowning at the strange texture of the bag and experimentally nibbling on the edge of it.
A murl somewhere close to her knee pulled her away from the odd-smelling package, roughly half her size, and she glanced under an arm to see the bright eyes of the cat trying to climb over her thigh, pressing his head eagerly to the underside of her arm.
"You want this?" She asked, almost incredulous. She took another sniff and her lip curled, "I mean, I guess it almost smells like food."
The cat murled at her again and dropped from her leg as she released the package carelessly next to her where it came open and scattered some of its contents onto the floor.
The smell made Shikiyoku's nose scrunch up, and regardless of the gusto with which the cat crunched into the small, oddly shaped pieces, she decided she would pass on trying the stuff. She wasn't quite that desperate yet, though her stomach's next contraction told her otherwise.
Moving to the next cabinet down the row, this one under the sink, Shikiyoku found her nose inundated with smells that she would have likely equated more with poison than food were she actually human, though she did dig through the strangely shaped bottles and canisters anyway, on the off-chance that there was something else hiding that might be edible somewhere amongst them.
When she turned away disappointed, she moved to the cabinets on the other side of her, still hunched over to peer into them half-heartedly, but getting no real sense of anything other than the cardboard or plastic containers with contents that she assumed might have passed for food at some stage in their existence. Something in one of the higher cabinets caught her attention and she made a small jump onto the countertop and began pulling out cylindrical cans of metal, a few of which had a bit of edible scent to them, but she did not know how to remove them from their fortress of protection and she tossed them aside, a few falling on the floor to join the other strange metallic devices from the first cabinet-pots and pans, though she did not know that-and the tipped over bottles of poison, thankfully still closed, falling out from the second.
Frustrated, she sighed angrily and hopped down, leaving the cabinets up above open as she had the others. She absently kicked a strange metal bowl and momentarily enjoyed the clatter it made, though the cat looked up from his meal with no small expression of distaste.
Growling, she turned to the large, white thing to her right from where she could smell more food and grabbed for the handle, jerking it open and almost falling over at the ease with which it swung towards her. Curious at the wave of cool air that swept over her bare legs and shoulders, she opened the upper portion of the thing to have her face blasted with a chill she had not expected.
Nothing in the lower part appealed to her, even when she squatted down to give it several sniffs. There was a bit of fish wrapped up in some strange, sticky substance that refused to let go of itself until she tore into it with her teeth, but the flavor did not appeal to her in any way and she tossed it over her shoulder, minutely aware of the cat making a pleased noise and skittering across the tile to get at the meat.
Many strange things were neatly lined up in the cool container, but she let herself pass over every one of them, the contents mostly earning an ever-deepening scowl. There was a weird, rectangular block of something orangey that she almost sampled, but the color made her flinch and the texture was more rubbery than anything.
She stood up, defeated at the lower portion of the cooling thing and deciding to search within the upper part. She pushed past a heavy plastic container with a hand, but knocked it out onto the ground as she rummaged behind it.
Curious, she closed both of the white thing's doors and sat down on her feet, tilting her head first one way, then another. She lifted it up in both hands, finding that the same chill that struck her when she opened the place it had been sitting was inherently held within the plastic, and she rotated it a bit as the cold stuck to her hands.
It smelled good, once you got past the plastic. Which she had no idea how to do. She tried gnawing at a corner, but her teeth were not sharp enough anymore to make much of a dent. Confounded, she plopped the container back down on the floor and crossed her arms over the towel covering her chest, glaring at it as if it could be intimidated into revealing the secret of its contents. 3
Hiei turned over in his sleep, laying on his left side with his head on the crook of his elbow. He was starting to wake up, feeling the warmth of the morning sun on his face and, after a few minutes, seeing the light that washed over his closed eyelids. He huffed a small breath of air out through his lips and turned over to his opposite side, as if doing so would make the bed comfortable for him again and he'd be able to go back into slumber. But, it was already too late; his mind was wide awake, his ears picking up on the strangest noises that he couldn't identify.
Frustrated with himself, he finally rolled onto his back and sat up, running a hand over his face before he allowed his eyes to open, blinking once at the room to let it come into focus. Nothing seemed out of the normality, but he had the strangest sensation that something was amiss. He glanced at the clock on the wall and frowned at it; he hadn't slept much, but he still felt really well rested.
A clamour from downstairs made his ears twitch and his eyes turn to the door that stood open, letting him see into the empty hallway. Curious, he swung his legs over the side of the bed and followed the ruckus, adjusting his cloak as he walked and warily watching his surroundings. He felt no immediate sense of danger, but the ruckus in the kitchen- as he just identified- made him cautious.
And he had not been expecting the sight that met his eyes. A dark brow raised high enough to hide in his bangs, crimson eyes glittering with amusement as he witnessed Shikiyoku bite at a container, then let it fall to the ground in disappointment and irritation. A sneer touched his lips at the way she crossed her arms and glared at it, the object obviously not privy to such an attitude towards it.
"It's upside down," he said casually, noting the lid that was touching the smooth tile of the floor. Simultaneously, he noticed the mess in the kitchen floor, different things scattered everywhere- canned foods and pans alike. There was even a package being torn at by the cat, and it smelled suspiciously like a type of meat he wouldn't enjoy. He turned his nose up at the smell and stepped away from it, bringing him closer to the demoness who was still wrapped in the towel. Without giving her a chance to stop him, he grabbed the container, flipped it over, and pulled the lid off in the exact same manner he had witnessed Toriko do once, earning a small pop with the force he used on it. He eyed the substance inside with interest, taking a moment to inhale the scent before turning it towards Shikiyoku. "Sweet snow," he presented, forgetting the words Toriko had called it by. "With bits of…." he paused, trying to think back. "...strawberry." he deduced, tilting the container so she would get a good whiff of the smell. *
The words 'sweet snow' seemed self-explanatory, but the next one he used that she did not recognize and made her frown as he stuck the now-opened container under her nose. Her eyes widened. It did in fact smell like the name it had, though there was another scent she picked up that she associated with the other word he used to describe it.
"Straw...berry..." She tried the word out on her own tongue. "And you eat it?" It seemed like the consistency was very hard, packed tightly against the sides of the container as it was. "How?" 3
Hiei inspected the contents of the container as well, thinking a little on the previous time he'd seen Toriko open it. He thought about each process she had made before giving it to him, and when he remembered her getting into a drawer, he turned and began sifting through each cabinet drawer, making a large amount of sound as he did so. "With spoons," he said finally as he found the objects, grabbing two of them and holding them up to show her what they were. He tossed her one, figuring she'd catch it, and then scooped his own spoon through the sweet snow, showing her that it came out rather easily despite its appearance. Then, he stuck the spoon between his teeth and tilted the small jug towards Shikiyoku, revelling in the melting substance in his mouth as he waited for her reaction as well. *
The 'spoon' she did know, and he did not surprise her when he tossed it, though his throw was accurate enough that she hardly needed to put any effort into the catch.
Her eyes were wide with interest at each movement he made and she followed his example when he extended the container, surprised at how the sweet snow gave way to the spoon. She eyed both Hiei and the substance now on her utensil with wariness, but when Hiei did not immediately fall over and die upon consumption, she cautiously brought the spoon closer to her face, watching the edges of the chilly mound melt against the room-temperature metal of the spoon.
There were red bits of what she took to be strawberries littered throughout, and she didn't think they were poisonous, despite the vivid color. Her eyes flickered to Hiei again, but he still stood there, seeming no worse off than before.
The smell finally got to her and she went ahead and slowly opened her mouth and closed it around the spoon, pulling the utensil out and drawing her lips over it to keep the sweet snow within, her head tilting in the consideration of the flavor.
It was not, however, the flavor that she even noticed in the slightest as the sweet snow stung the back of her mouth and slithered down her throat, melting on the way down.
She coughed and sputtered at the shock of the temperature, sticking her tongue out and glaring up at him.
"It burns." She declared, accusingly, pursing her lips together as if he knew and purposefully had not told her. 3
Hiei raised a brow in amusement at her declaration, not hesitating in swallowing the substance and getting another spoon full. Without replying right away, he stuffed the bigger spoonful into his mouth, savoring the sweet flavor with amusement in his gaze as he watched the glare being sent to him.
"You'll get over it," he responded finally, his words slightly muffled from speaking around the colder substance. Again, he turned the tub to her, waiting to see if she'd take another bite. "Unless you want to continue searching for something else while I have this?" *
"I've looked everywhere." Shikiyoku grumbled, gesturing with her other hand to indicate the torn-up kitchen as she dug her spoon in again when he offered, though her second portion smaller than the first. Before she could change her mind, she popped it into her mouth, swirling the sweet snow at the front of her tongue, controlling its location in her mouth as she had not before.
This time she caught the flavor as it melted, though it slid to the back of her throat again before she meant for it to and it still left the strange cold, but burning sensation as before when she swallowed.
"I do not understand." She found herself confused, "How does one make snow 'sweet?'" Without any further ceremony, she reached for another spoonful, putting this bite into her mouth with the same caution-to-the-wind mentality as with the last one. 3
Hiei considered her inquisition, suddenly realizing he hadn't asked that question before. Why he hadn't, he didn't understand. Perhaps he'd been too engrossed in this delicious treat to think of its actual contents. So, he didn't answer her, only took another scoop and put it in his mouth, dragging the spoon out and over his bottom lip to ensure he got every bit of it.
"Sugar," he said suddenly, remembering once watching a woman cook with the white substance, and it had been briefly explained by his redheaded friend when inquired of. "It is a powder that sweetens things," he explained briefly, feeling rather proud of himself for thinking of the substance. But, if she asked anything else, he wouldn't be able to answer. So he continued to stuff his mouth with the treat, eyeing the messy kitchen warily; Toriko wasn't going to be happy. *
"Shu-gahr." The word was the weirdest one of them all. She didn't like how it made her tongue bend and tense up at the end, but she approved of whatever magic it worked on the snow. She found herself unable to resist going for more, getting one bite into her mouth and savoring it as she reached for a second. "Straw-berries?" She tilted her head, intending to ask what exactly a strawberry was, but with her mouth full, it was the only word she got out. 3
Hiei nodded silently at Shikiyoku, listening to her test the words. Then he realized she likely didn't know what a strawberry was, so he slid the tub into her grasp after another scoop and moved to the white box of cold, opening the larger door and looking among the contents; he knew they were there, he'd seen her grab them from here before.
His nose flared as he sniffed, searching for the particular smell. This brought him to a crouched position, nose close to a white drawer at the base of the box. He pulled on it, making larger, round objects clatter against the sides. His eyes laid sights on the strawberry container, and he lifted it with ease from the drawer, then stood, letting the large door shut, except he heard it clatter on the drawer and slam onto it. He glanced back at it, but ignored it as he walked over to the counter, trying to figure out how to open the plastic container.
After a few minutes, irritation grew and he merely ripped at the plastic, tearing the top off with an extremely loud and annoying sound, but he produced a strawberry from within and held it up for Shikiyoku. "Strawberry." *
Shikiyoku did not reject the sweet snow when he handed it to her, and she was so engrossed in the next few bites that he popped her in the back with the door of the white thing before she could move out of the way. She scooted forward, one arm holding the sweet snow and the other at the spoon in her mouth, and glanced behind her, only half-interested as she continued to discover the true flavor of the treat she ingested.
She paid him no heed until he spoke, then looked up. Leaving the spoon hanging out of her mouth, she reached up and poked at the item he held out for her to see. She frowned as she lowered her hand and took the spoon back into her fingers.
"They are the same?" She lifted the sweet snow slightly to indicate it. 3
Hiei frowned slightly at her question, and without asking, pulled the tub from her grasp and used his fingers to pull out one of the red chunks inside the sweet snow. He inspected it, then the whole strawberry in his hand, and came to a conclusion. "This," he said, setting the container down on the counter and holding up the small chunk of red and the whole strawberry, "is the same." He paused and again inspected the chunk. "Probably." *
Shikiyoku relinquished the container, but wasn't pleased when he took it, frowning as she put the sweet snow she'd managed to snitch before he grabbed it into her mouth.
"And you can eat that one the way it is?" She said around the spoon, pointing to the larger one. They seemed so different she was not sure. 3
Hiei inspected both products again before looking up to meet Shikiyoku's gaze, and nodding at her once. "They are the same, aside from the temperature." he explained, lifting the strawberry to his mouth and taking a bit out of it as an example. The taste was odd on its own, almost sour, but he enjoyed the taste and popped the rest of the strawberry into his mouth whole. As he munched on it, he snuck a spoonful of the sweet snow from the tub and into his mouth as well, the combination delightful to his senses. Then he offered one to Shikiyoku as well, still chewing at the fruit. *
Delicately plucking the strawberry form Hiei's outstretched hand, Shikiyoku brought it up to her face, though not with nearly as much caution as she had scrutinized the sweet snow.
She squeezed it a little, spoon in her mouth, and her nose scrunched as the outer skin gave way, a few of the dots on it coming off onto her fingers, the texture squishy. The color was much more fresh than the one within the sweet snow. She tugged experimentally at one of the green things at the top and it came out, her eyebrows rising in surprise. She associated the slim, earthy green thing with leaves and glanced up at Hiei.
He had eaten the entire thing though and his eyes-usually devoid of emotion-revealed the slightest hint of pleasure past his normally stony façade at the stuff.
She snuffed a breath out of her nose and pulled the spoon out from her mouth, going ahead and tossing the entire thing past her parting lips.
The burst of juice as her teeth broke through the strawberry left behind a strange mixture of bitterly-sweet flavors, though the leaves marred any enjoyment she might have had, giving the consumption an overpowering sense of dirt that she cringed at, barely managing to swallow the thing.
She stuck her tongue out and made a face, doubtful if this, like the sweet snow, would get better the more she had of it. 3
Hiei sneered despite the chunks of strawberry behind his teeth. He didn't care if she enjoyed them or not, it only meant he could have more. "Suit yourself," he replied tartly as he took another spoonful of the sweet snow and another strawberry, popping them both into his mouth as soon as he swallowed his last combination of the two. Then he proceeded to grab the entire plastic container, glance at the still open door of the white box of cold, and leave the room.
He sauntered his way into the living room, glancing around at the couches and chairs before making himself comfortable on the floor, back against the base of the couch in front of the large box that showed him a reflection of the room in its dark surface. *
"Hey!" Shikiyoku exclaimed as she pulled the spoon from her mouth and dashed after him, coming around to stand in front of him and crossing her arms, "I wasn't done with that." She pointed petulantly at the container of sweet snow. 3
Hiei's crimson eyes looked up at Shikiyoku with indifference, as if challenging her to take it from him. But, he sneered and passed it up to her, as if he'd been joking the whole time. Then he proceeded to set the second container, the strawberries, in his lap and pluck one from the top, taking a small bite from it and looking up at the demoness expectantly; he doubted she'd stand there the whole time, and he expected her to share. *
He actually surprised her with how easily he gave up the sweet snow, though she had already felt her ire rising with the first look she got from him.
In a similar fashion, she remained standing and stared down at him as she took another bite for herself just long enough to make it appear like she had no plans on letting him get any more. The bite she took made her close her eyes and smile around her spoon and broke her attempt at a challenge however, and she turned to sink down to the carpet next to him, sitting down on her feet again-the only position she was capable of with the towel still wrapped around her-and completely unaware the she had settled closer than she intended, her shoulder against his.
She held the container steadily in her lap and continued shoveling into it for another morsel. 3
Hiei had, at first, glowered at the look she'd given him, but had stuffed another bite of the strawberry in his mouth and relaxed when he saw the smile stretch her lips as he munched and crunched on the small fruit while she got comfortable. As soon as she was settled beside him, he reached for another scoop of the sweet snow, driving the spoon into his mouth and leaving it hanging there as it melted on his tongue, eyes inspecting the screen of the box in front of him and wondering what it was, at the same time watching his own reflection and Shikiyoku's not noticing how close she'd sat to him. *
A sudden feeling of uncomfortableness washed over Shikiyoku and she looked up, one hand on the spoon hanging out of her mouth, realizing that her feeling came from being watched.
Her eyes widened and she tensed up, sort of able to see Hiei staring at her in the strange reflective screen, but suddenly made aware of the presence of his shoulder against hers.
"I-I'm sorry!" She scooted twice to the right, getting half a foot away from him, neck turning slightly pink as she ducked her head back down to watch the process of digging her spoon into the sweet snow in her lap as if it were of great interest, not looking up even as she slid it into her mouth. 3
Hiei raised a brow at the sudden outburst from the demon beside him, his eyes slowly leaving the screen to look directly at Shikiyoku. He stared for a moment, confused. Had he done something wrong? A sneer came to his face but he said nothing. Instead he turned back to inspecting the large box. Again, he noted the reflective surface, and realized she must have noticed him staring at the reflection.
He turned again to look at her, this time his eyes going to the tub of sweet snow. He scowled at her in disappointment, then reached over and took it from her grasp, digging his spoon into it. "Fool." *
Flinching, Shikiyoku made no protest when he grabbed it except for following its path with a brief, wide-eyed expression of longing, turning back to her lap where she pulled the last spoonful of sweet snow from her mouth and fiddled with the utensil, biting her lip but saying nothing. 3
Hiei stuffed a spoonful into his mouth, eyeing Shikiyoku from the corner of his eyes. He found himself surprised when she didn't resist, only looking at her now empty lap with surprise. He swallowed his mouthful of the sweet snow and then took another chunk of it onto his spoon, waiting for the moment she decided to fight him for it.
But it didn't happen, much to his surprise. So, he glanced down at the almost empty container, staring at the contents for a moment before making a small sound and slowly reaching over to her, outstretching the tub to her. He didn't look at her as he extended it to her peacefully, popping the rest of his strawberry in his mouth as he waited on her to take it.
Thanks for reading! Bless your face. If you sneezed during this chapter, bless you. Peace off! -Star