A/N: Hello once again, Denizens of FF!
Me love you long tiem.
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 Youko/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.
[Anything written in italics inside square brackets is Youko speaking to Shuichi/Kurama inside their mind and is private conversation, unable to be picked up by telepathy.]
{Anything written in italics inside curly brackets is inner dialogue by Shuichi/Kurama to Youko, and is also private conversation, unable to be picked up by telepathy.}
"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).
The above rule also applies to Akari's old friend Isamu when he is in his dog-form.
Previously on Yu Yu Hakusho!
Hiei retreats from the Northern Tribe to a nearby tree with Shikiyoku in tow.
Their conversation eventually turns to Hiei demanding to know why Shikiyoku had not informed him he was marked.
She counters by telling him that she hadn't needed to inform anyone else of their marks,
so she naturally thought he already knew.
In the morning, Douji finds the two of them together in the tree,
after having spent the entire night searching for Shikiyoku,
and she promises the young demon that she will come say goodbye before leaving.
Seeking out a private word with the Elder,
Shikiyoku finds out that energy-feeders are beginning to pop up elsewhere on the level,
Central Tribe having already been forced to eliminate some of their own people
when those demons turned 'feral' and attacked the other demons in the tribe.
With the Elder's approval, Shikiyoku and Hiei join their energies together
intended to seek out who among the Northern Tribe has become an energy-feeder.
~!**!~
Akari, Nabu, and Kurama all head for the park,
Nabu leading the way to the best tree
and all three of them engaging in movie-reference banter
as they lay down together to rest.
Akari admits to having to leave tomorrow,
and eventually the two of them fall silent,
Akari in Kurama's arms.
Before she can truly fall asleep,
a voice disturbs Akari's slumber,
and she lifts her head long enough to see that it is a child,
telling the kid to 'go away' and cuddling closer to Kurama.
Her actions cause the avatar to smile gently into her hair,
pleased that she was as eager to arise as he...
Akari had known Kurama was awake even before she felt his lips move against her head. Her eyelids slid closed as the air moved around them calmly.
"Isa, why does she matter again?"
Isamu gave no response to the child in the odd communication that seemed open to any dog within the vicinity. Aside, maybe, from Nabu. "Apologies. She tracked you here without my consent."
"You should keep better reign of your pack."
The child stood, making little noise as she moved away. "With a fox, no less."
Akari's lips twitched downwards. "This fox will kill you if you don't leave."
Isamu released a huff that came off with a rather sarcastic air, as if he were about to speak.
"Is this how you teach the children?" she cut in.
He ignored her question, actually speaking aloud to the child. "Hiyamori, you've imposed. We're going back."
"I still don't see why she matters."
Akari gave a sigh of content. For once, the male was leaving without argument. "I'd say don't let the door hit you on the way out, but…"
"We're outside."
Akari smiled at Nabu's addition to the conversation. And when the pair were turning to leave, Akari relaxed tenfold, shifting closer to the male again in hopes to fall back into the nap she knew she'd no longer be able to resume.
Her lips moved, her tone mocking. "You've imposed." She gave a sound of irritation. "You don't say." *
Kurama let out the smallest of breaths that stirred Akari's hair around his nose.
He kept his tone low so that she in her proximity would be the only one to hear, "Not to appear gauche, but I certainly hope they all are unable to see why you matter."
~!**!~
As soon as his hands contacted hers, Shikiyoku was already starting to weave the spell between them, feeling her skin start to buzz as the air around her filled with her hazy, yellow power.
The most...interesting part was casting it without movements, though said movements incorporated a lot of the binding between clan members, and thankfully had little to do with how she released the energy from herself.
Her aura settled around her like a campfire might blaze, licking upwards, releasing tongues of itself here and there. Those tongues would occasionally take the shape of strands, more and more of them doing so as she readied to release it.
"Alright. Now lend me yours."
Swirls of energy started circling their hands, appearing to almost tentatively caress at Hiei's skin, prepared to combine their power with one another. 3
The Jagan focused on the energy in the room, following the motions it could see as if curious of it, letting Hiei too watch as it thickened around him. He toyed with his own energy, readying for her to ask of it, centralizing it for easy access.
He almost felt as if they were meditating.
When prompted, his energy moved, unseen but definitely felt, towards their hands, the warmth moving to intermingle within Shikiyoku's energy.
"All yours."
~!**!~
Had Akari had ears, they would have been twitching at the moment, listening for the pair that had imposed, invaded, and then took their leave when she'd shown no interest. She wasn't sure if they'd come back, or-
Hell, she didn't even know the child.
Which didn't matter, really.
"I bet you're right." She gave a small sound of amusement, her tone as low as Kurama's. "I'm not even actually sure why Isamu wants me to stay for longer than necessary."
Nabu gave a sigh behind her, his feet suddenly touching her back as she heard him stretch, settling into his sleeping state again, paws quickly beginning to twitch with dreams.
"I bet I can make them all hate me quick enough to come back before the time period I set up." *
"Just-" Kurama chuckled before he could finish, "Just don't get into too much trouble..." He considered. "Or do. It's not like I couldn't come pull you between layers and leave them all without your esteemed presence."
~!**!~
It took a moment before Shikiyoku felt his energy move over their hands, and she continued the spell once it occurred, their energy intermingling purposefully, winding together until one was almost indistinguishable from the other.
It...it felt...nice really. Which was putting it mildly.
Shikiyoku was not sure if it was because they had done this before, but she was easily able to meld their power together, and her thoughts harkened all the way back to a memory long ago, perhaps the first time he lent her his power.
...standing in a tree, her forehead against his with his hands on her face, holding onto his wrists...
Shikiyoku had to force herself away from the memory and back to the task at hand, though she definitely toyed with playing with their energy as it mixed, stalling.
She dismissed the thought almost as quickly as it formed, starting to send strands of energy upwards where it permeated out of the tent fabric and began spreading throughout the camp. An easy task despite the size of the place.
She could feel the demons as the countless strands snaked their way through, sometimes briefly catching desires, but one was indistinguishable from another to her, or rather, they all ran together over each other, too intermixed to tell one apart from the next.
Settling into simply letting the power spread, Shikiyoku's eyes stared forward at nothing, glowing yellow, her breathing even and slow, enjoying in spite of herself, this other kind of closeness she was sharing with Hiei, sensing, perhaps sharing, the connection with his mind as well as his energy with a keenness afford her as the instigator of the spell.
"There." She suddenly voiced into the warmth she could sense waiting inside her mind, feeling somewhere that their demon had in fact reached out for the energy being made so readily available.
Her confusion was clear without her having to say anything though, because this time...the disappearance of their energy came from two different directions. 3
Hiei concentrated, every ounce of his being focused on the strands of energy he followed, the Jagan spectating and observing, moving from one strand to another. For a while, he didn't notice anything out of the norm, and his mind churned over a couple of thoughts before going blank again, patiently waiting for-
He felt it, the disappearance of the energy. His mind sent the affirmative to Shikiyoku, ignoring her confusion as he worked to find the missing strands and where they'd gone, which direction they'd been going.
There.
Another was gone, and this time, he had caught it simply vanishing, almost becoming wispy before dissipating. The Jagan followed the trail of this one, momentarily ignoring the second who still took from the supply.
When he had the visual of the male demon, one Hiei hadn't noticed at all in the time he'd spent here, he took stock of the features, sending Shikiyoku the image he saw of the strands quite literally disappearing into the demon's body. Even as the demon moved around a tent, seemingly unaffected, almost unaware of his own actions.
Once he was sure the Jagan had sent the image to Shikiyoku's mind, Hiei moved on, searching diligently, swiftly moving around in seeking of the-
There.
He locked in on the child that ran, laughing and giggling as he played, the same thing happening with this demon as the last. Energy strands seem to dissolve into the child, who was very obviously unaware of anything of the sort.
He sent the image he was seeing now to Shikiyoku, letting her see what he could.
"Two demons. One child, one adult. One unaware, the other… not clarified."
~!**!~
"Tell you what. The rose changes three times in one day, come get me. Any less, just smile and go about your business like I know you will."
Nabu kicked at Akari's back a little, making a sound akin to a snort in his sleep.
"But, I plan on at least having fun with it all. So, the more trouble, the better." *
"Oh dear." Kurama buried his face further into her hair, "I can't honestly say I pity them for the wrath they bring down on their heads by having you in camp."
~!**!~
Shikiyoku's heart sank at the image of the child she saw flickering into her mind's eye.
That was...unexpected. On so many levels.
And there was so much they didn't know. Would these definitely contract the disease? Was there a way to prevent that, or would they never get it at all? Was there any hope for a...for a cure if they got sick?
She knew from her own experience that if she went too long ignoring the hunger, her body started to rebel and almost...desiccate.
The sudden realization that it might be necessary to outright kill the child should he turn on his kin sent a sinking feeling in her stomach, but...
What am I supposed to do about it, exactly? Tell the Elder and then leave like I planned? Let them handle it?
They might not get sick. It was possible.
Maybe.
Shikiyoku began pulling their energy back in, amused once what was left had all returned that she had no small amount of difficulty in unweaving his energy from hers, like it didn't particularly want to. Like it had a mind of its own.
Ridiculous.
Having been frozen in place for so long, Shikiyoku finally let go of Hiei's hands and blinked, the power in her eyes fading as she mulled over what they had learned. 3
Hiei let the Jagan slide closed, his eyes coming open to stare at Shikiyoku as the energy about them began to pull back, retreating almost, before unwinding from one another and letting the glow in Shikiyoku's eyes diminish before disappearing altogether.
He knew what she was thinking.
Quite frankly, he didn't like the idea either. If there was no stopping the disease- assuming they ended up with it- the two demons would likely… be killed. The child wouldn't have even understood why either, likely.
It wasn't like anyone would readily explain such a thing to such a young demon.
Hiei's eyelids came closed as his hands tied the cloth about his head again, hiding the closed Jagan from view.
He didn't speak.
~!**!~
"Idle hands, Kurama." Akari's lips pulled up in a smirk. "They'd have nothing better for me to do, I imagine. And… I think you've seen what happens when I get bored."
There was the time I threw the child over the overpass. That time I created an illusion that lead to the end of my life. The time I wandered town and got into trouble with the officer. The time I befriended the enemy- or whatever that was. The time I stopped Toriko- Shikiyoku?- from… something with a human. I still dunno what happened there.
Lest we not forget the many times I've been hung upside down this week.
Fun times. *
"I'll do my best to ensure that whenever you are around you are kept quite away from 'boredom.'" He paused. "Mostly for my own sake, I think."
~!**!~
There was...nothing she could do.
Shikiyoku stared at her hands in her lap.
She knew no way of preventing this energy-siphoning ability from cropping up among seemingly random demons, no way of either stopping the disease from manifesting or curing it should it appear...
She finally let out a sigh.
She would have to let it go somehow. Have to convince herself that it wasn't her problem.
...since when had she started to care about anyone but herself? 3
Hiei remained quiet for a while, watching Shikiyoku, guessing her thoughts and knowing that there was nothing he could help her with on this one. And, he had a feeling she couldn't even crop up an answer either. So, he continued watching, wondering what she'd do next.
He wouldn't peel her away if she might have a chance at thinking of something.
If she knew anything, she herself wouldn't have the disease.
The thought swept across his mind, staying whatever he'd been about to say.
Because he noticed that, for the first time, his immediate answer was not to simply 'eliminate the problem'.
~!**!~
"Wise, I believe." She took a deep breath, then released it through her lips. "Though, I think you'd be fine. Mostly, my boredom stems from not easily finding things to keep me busy. You eliminate the problem by occupying me in the most unusual of ways." She tugged lightly at his shirt to indicate what she meant. "You, sir, have likely found the easiest way to keep me out of trouble. And you'd do well to remember it." She gave a little laugh. *
"I have?" Kurama said with mock-incredulity, "Whatever could you be referring to?"
[As if you haven't the slightest idea.]
~!**!~
Not. My. Problem.
It didn't matter how many times she repeated it, she remained as of yet unconvinced.
Can't fix it. Can't fix yourself. Do the second one first.
Unlikely.
Hm.
Her eyes suddenly narrowed at the thought that passed over her mind in that next moment, and it resolved her more than anything that the time to depart was nigh.
She stood up, blinking, and starting for the entrance to the tent, "We need to find the Elder. Obviously. Can I leave it up to you convey the ones we found?"
And don't forget about Douji.
Unlikely.
She smiled a little. 3
Hiei looked up at Shikiyoku from where he sat, staying a moment longer before he too moved to stand, hands in his cloak pockets as he registered her change in demeanor. "Naturally," came his single-word reply to her question. He blinked once at her as she turned to go, his feet moving to follow a beat after.
When she wasn't looking, he rubbed his face with a hand, using this to brush away the effects of the Jagan being so fully accessed for the first time in a while.
He'd get over it.
~!**!~
"Ha, ha," Akari shifted, but made no move to leave the comfort she'd been given. "Cute. Mock ignorance." She stilled again. "Do me a favor and touch Nabu's feet. He's kicking me." *
Kurama shifted just enough that his hand could reach near the ground behind Akari, finding the fluffy feet of the dreaming dog and smoothing his hand down them.
~!**!~
When Shikiyoku got back outside, she asked around for the Elder, as well as Douji.
The Elder was in the middle of something with other tribe members, but sensed Shikiyoku's eyes on her from a few yards away and looked up long enough to receive the images Hiei sent.
She masked her reaction so that Shikiyoku could not tell exactly what she thought upon gaining the knowledge, but Shikiyoku did let her own regret color her features just long enough to gain a slight nod from the other demon before the Elder turned back to her work.
With some semblance of a plan in mind, Shikiyoku turned with deliberate steps in the direction of the usual place the lur'mogs stayed, where she had been told Douji was working.
He sat as usual in the midst of the creatures, but stood up as soon as he saw Shikiyoku coming near.
She could tell he still hadn't slept yet, and instead of the terse goodbye that had been stirring behind her lips, she picked her way through the lur'mog and gave him a hug, leaving him a little taken aback at first, though he recovered after a second and wrapped his arms around her in return, actually going so far as to lean down and kiss the top of her head.
Her expression when she pulled back a little was pleased with him, a warm smile on her face.
"When will you be back?" He searched her eyes for an answer.
She pulled away further as his arms came up underneath her elbows to hold them, preventing her from going too much of anywhere and she in turn rested her hands over his arms.
Shikiyoku looked up at him, "Will you tell the Elder I'll be back as soon as I know anything?"
He frowned, "What's that supposed to mean?"
"She'll understand."
"But I don't." He insisted.
"And until she decides otherwise, it's going to stay that way." She replied primly, stretching up onto her toes to plant a light kiss on the tip of his nose.
He scrunched it up as she settled back down, "That's not fair."
Shikiyoku raised an eyebrow.
"And neither is you leaving me." His eyes darted off to the side, keenly aware that he could not follow her, even with her ritual binding the two of them together instead of himself with the rest of the tribe. His ties with them were still too strong.
She had no answer for him, her eyes only softening at his protests.
Douji surprised her, then, when he leaned down and actually brushed his lips against her cheek.
"I have something for you." He murmured into her ear before pulling away and letting go of one of her arms.
She watched curiously as he fished a hand into his pocket.
"The lur'mogs shed their scales fairly regularly as they grow." He held out between them what looked like a line of the burnished red scales that matched the color of the lur'mogs scattered around them.
Oddly enough, Douji's cheeks were beginning to match that particular shade too as he let go of her other arm and lay the bracelet over her right wrist, attaching the two ends together.
He dropped his hands once he finished, looking very much like the awkward, lanky young demon that he was, standing over her.
"So you don't forget about me."
Shikiyoku was entranced by the gift, only after a second able to pull her eyes away to gaze up at him.
"Douji-" She said softly, "Why would I forget you?"
He shrugged gawkily, "'Cuz you'll be far away."
"That won't matter." She placed a hand on his arm and raised herself up on tip-toe again, unaware that his eyes closed as she did so, the red flower in her hair near his nose and filling it with her scent. "I promise I'll be back as soon as I can." She murmured into his ear.
He huffed a little at her, opening his eyes to look away from her, shifting them to the side as she moved back.
She gave him a searching glance, feeling something tug at her awareness. Not quite a desire, but...
"What is it?"
Douji looked at her from out the corner of his eye, "You're not...gonna kiss me?"
"I did." She replied, smiling and tapping his nose gently with a single finger.
"N-no, I mean..."
Shikiyoku held back her laughter.
He was so young the thought actually hadn't even occurred to her.
"Do you want me to kiss you?" She teased.
As if he wasn't pink enough already, the color deepened.
"Maybe."
Amusingly enough, the only thing he desired at that moment was for her to stay.
A desire she...could not fulfill this time.
"When you're older." She replied loftily, disappointed that there was nothing else he did desire from her, nothing she could fulfill for him in place of what he wanted.
He appeared to relax as he finally looked down at her again, even giving her a little grin which conveyed his relief in her response that much more.
The expression did not last, his momentary cheerfulness fading as his eyes dropped to the ground and he shuffled his feet.
"You'd better go...before I try and figure out some way to make you stay."
Shikiyoku nodded once silently, pulling the layers about herself while he wasn't looking and leaving him standing there sighing after her when he lifted his eyes and saw she had left.
She sat between the layers for a moment where he could not see her, staring up at him before finally turning away and moving up towards the First Layer.
Getting there, she actually went ahead and unwrapped herself several miles from her house and started meandering towards it lazily.
She had much to think about, and it would do well to attempt to gather those thoughts before she made it home. 3
Hiei had done as he'd said he would, and thereafter only became a silent patron in the background, not paying any sort of attention to the interactions between Shikiyoku and Douji. Because for now, it was not of his concern. Their business was theirs, no matter the fact that Hiei and the boy were both Marked, both 'competing' for the title of Consort.
Were they really actually competing?
She isn't a trophy- not an object to be fought over. A being to be respected.
And she will be treated as such.
Hiei stood between the layers, waiting for Shikiyoku in this spot since she found the boy, silent and uninterrupting of her conversation.
But when she too was in the inbetween layer, he turned his eyes to her finally, watching her calmly before he moved to the First Layer, staying close to the woman.
He stayed at her side, calmly leaving her to her thoughts and simply being a presence to soothe her, if she needed it.
~!**!~
The dog stilled, and for a minute nobody moved. Akari breathed in the scent of the redhead, her nose buried in his shirt enough that even if she wanted to smell anything else, it would have been impossible in this moment.
And… the strangest desire suddenly popped into her mind, causing her to move her head so that she may be able to look up at Kurama from under her bangs.
A beat later she had her nose buried in his shirt again, refusing the impulse. *
Kurama let his hand stay rested on top of Nabu's paws, breathing steadily and simply existing in the peacefulness of the moment, his thoughts mostly stilled and uninterrupted.
Mostly.
[You still blame yourself don't you?]
It wasn't as if the two of them hadn't felt Akari shift, Youko momentarily questioning Kurama's reasonings behind not simply just gathering the girl up in his arms and kissing her soundly.
[You do. That's why you haven't even attempted to do it again. Because for some stupid reason you're afraid what happened last time will happen again.]
Kurama took a deeper breath than normal, and if it had not been so relaxed, it might have been a sigh.
~!**!~
That dirty little sneak. Why, as soon as I see him I'm gonna-
"Shikiyoku!"
The voice, her name rather, jerked her from her muttered, grumbling thoughts, and her eyes widened in surprise to see a slender, white-haired demon walking towards her out of nowhere, his blue eyes bright.
"H-Horu?"
He had materialized out of thin air, stepping from between the layers as if he had gone too far past her and had to turn around and come back.
Horu smiled at her as he approached, his roguish looks and jaunty gait just as she remembered it from what seemed like ages ago. He moved smoothly over the sidewalk, apparently unbothered by neither the pair of sheathed swords at his right nor the longer one on a second belt that hung down his left side.
Shikiyoku's eyes quickly found Horu's bare shoulders, where she saw swirls just starting to spread down his arms out from underneath his brown tunic, originating from a mark that she could feel centered between his shoulder blades, the black ink-like tattoo mixing with the lighter markings he already wore.
"You have no idea how lovely it is to see you looking like yourself, seductress-" He grinned, turning and giving a slight bow of his head to Hiei, "And it makes me feel all the better knowing you finally found her, to see you by her side, Champion." He blinked, "Uh, Hiei."
He gave another lopsided grin that was almost apologetic, "Habit."
"One I apparently did not yet entirely break you of." Shikiyoku replied wryly.
"Semantics, princess." Horu waved a hand dismissively. "He would likely choose again to be your Champion should circumstances be different." 3
Hiei pulled to a stop when Shikiyoku's name was called, his red eyes finding the source of the shout in record timing. And, just as quickly, he was noting the mark on the demon's shoulder, the swords at his sides, the grin on the other's face. An extra second later and he was placing this face with a time and a place, where he'd seen this one before.
And, of course, he'd been with Shiki at the time.
Funny how easy it was to recall situations where she was involved, no matter how long ago it had been.
He remained calm at the demon's word, his expression almost bored that he'd been called the Champion for the first time in…
A year? Maybe a little less.
But internally, he flinched.
He didn't respond to the male, not even with a greeting, verbal or otherwise.
~!**!~
Akari remained still, not letting her muscles move as she felt the impulse becoming a little less demanding. Her fingers played with his shirt absently, unaware of the motion as she breathed in a deep sigh. She considered checking what time of day- or night- it was, but decided against it.
You're a pain.
Her eyes came open again and she moved, stretching out as much as she could before settling with her head on his shoulder, nose just touching the crook of his neck.
Such a pain. *
[You really should just get over that.]
...
[It's in the past! And a good ways in the past, I might add.]
...
[Nothing like that has happened before or since! At least I doubt it. I don't really know about the 'before' thing.]
{Do you know why it hasn't happened since, oh fount of knowledge?}
[Well because-]
{Because I've refrained so there was no chance of it happening again.}
[...you're no fun whatsoever.]
~!**!~
"I haven't much time, business is...much more lucrative nowadays what with this whole layer thing, so you'll forgive me for making this reunion quick." Horu's hand came down to rest on the hilt of his swords. "I only really came on Kafu's behalf anyway. To take whatever correspondence you might have back for him."
Shikiyoku blinked up at him, blank expression on her face.
Horu made an amused sort of snort.
"Aaaand that's what I told him."
She kept staring at him.
"The last time you were at the Niiro Kaga, Kafu gave you a letter, which you've apparently forgotten all about. Which I told him is what probably happened if you really had switched back like we all thought." Horu crossed his arms.
Shikiyoku shrugged, "A lot's happened."
"I'm sure. Well, he told me just about everything that was in it," Horu started ticking things off of his fingers, "Which included his awareness of your Consort-seeking status, his subsequent marking earlier in the encounter of that day, and an apology for being unable to tear himself away from his work to attend to or speak to you about it."
"That I can understand." Shikiyoku said amiably.
"As I thought you might." Horu allowed, "Consequently, you know where to find us if you have need of us, and if I happen to get a moment here in the next few days, I'll make sure to bring Kafu with me." He grinned, "The old demon apparently is incapable of traversing the layers himself, though he is also, apparently, fully aware of them.
"I must get going." He gave a slight bow to each of them and started to fold the layers around himself. "I have a timetable that needs keeping."
Shikiyoku gave him a small smile as he shimmered between the First and Second Layers and then disappeared entirely from her view. 3
Hiei remained silent throughout the time Horu was there, eyes steady on the male until he was out of sight. The fire demon stayed where he stood, hands in his pockets and eyes sliding over to Shiki. "Is there an end to them?" Us? …
It was so odd to suddenly be included.
~!**!~
Her eyes turned to watch the male, her lips twitching just slightly. She wasn't sure if it was early morning or late night, but she was quite content with the way the moon's light colored his features.
A… Pain…
"You know, I'd call you adorable too, but it just doesn't cover it." *
"You're right it doesn't. Foxes aren't adorable." Kurama informed her bluntly, "We're many things, but adorable is not one of them."
[Speak for yourself.]
"Rather...we're fierce. Terribly fierce."
~!**!~
"Why? Suddenly worried you won't be able to take them all on at once?" Shikiyoku gave Hiei a grin, "Or...are you just having second thoughts?" She started walking down the sidewalk again towards home. 3
Hiei sneered. "I will be taking on none of them. I believe that will be your problem, mainly." He slid his eyes forward again to follow after. "I have other methods, none of which I will be sharing."
~!**!~
Akari's lips twitched and she leaned closer, touching her lips to the easiest-accessible place that required minimal movement: his cheek, just above the jawline. "Nope, doesn't work either. I don't like it." *
"Well, I'm afraid denying it doesn't particularly make it any less true." He smiled a little, feeling her lips brush his skin. "But in that case you'll just have to come up with something yourself, I suppose."
~!**!~
"Good." Shikiyoku proclaimed, not bothering to cast a single glance at him over her shoulder. "Surprise me."
She stepped inbetween the layers, heading for the house. 3
Hiei didn't retort, his sneer twitching and widening only slightly as he followed her, slipping between the layers just as easily as she did.
"Do you know how many there are?" He suddenly asked, very genuinely curious over the matter.
~!**!~
"Suave." Akari made a sound of consideration. "Ambrosial." Her eyes came closed and she pulled a hand up to tap her hand against his opposite cheek good-naturedly. "I think I'll stop there." *
Kurama finally opened his eyes and turned his head just enough that he could look into hers.
"That's probably wise." He murmured.
~!**!~
"How many there are total? Or how many you should be concerned about?" Shikiyoku's lips twitched slightly, casting him a single glance from the corners of her eyes. "There's quite a difference." 3
The fire demon raised a brow and considered the options. He wasn't sure it would matter either way, since he was merely asking out of curiosity's sake.
Okay, maybe not just that reason..
"Both."
~!**!~
Akari held Kurama's gaze, several thoughts filtering through the forefront of her mind as her lips twitched. "I had a few more, but they're a bit… much." She gave a shrug, still not breaking eye contact. "Not for you, I'm sure, but I am not sure exactly just what I'm willing to admit at this point." Her lips twitched again, this time the mischievous smile winning against her restraint. *
"As I said, it's quite smart of you to keep me in the dark about that sort of thing. I'm not sure what I would resort to if I knew exactly how you felt about me." His gaze had leveled out, eyes bright, but face otherwise betraying none of this thoughts.
~!**!~
Shikiyoku made a thoughtful sort of noise.
"There are seven others of whom I know that have so far given me no indication that they intend to back down. Those would be the ones you should be concerned about." She gave a little grin. "As to the other, I haven't bothered trying to figure it out. If I could even discover a way to do so. I haven't the slightest idea what I'm doing, after all." 3
Hiei refused the response he'd almost said. A retort that included the fact that he had no idea about what he was doing either. He was simply trying to figure it out as he went, because there was no way he could figure out a plan ahead of time.
Was there even a way to plan ahead in this?
He scoffed.
"Amusing to know."
~!**!~
Akari's eyelids slid closed briefly, her smile twitching and turning into a smaller one. Is this a type of stalemate? The thought had her releasing a breath of amusement. Both knowing and neither saying or doing anything about it?
"You're a pain." She huffed again. "Stupid fox." *
"You know, I think I've heard something like that before." He commented mildly, shifting his head so that he might plant a brief kiss on her forehead. "And I'm somehow certain it won't be the last time." He eyes closed again as he pulled back.
~!**!~
I should talk to Renai again at some point.
First things first.
Shikiyoku stopped when she got inside the house, just on the other side of the front door.
Her eyes narrowed and she opened her mouth, ready to demand answers from-
He wasn't there.
She blinked. Usually the dark head of the cat-demon was easily seen from over the back of the couch, but he was nowhere in sight.
Taking a couple of steps forward, she glanced around the room and looked up the staircase in time to see a dark streak scrambling down the steps.
Of all the things she expected to happen-the cat turning right before he crashed into her, jumping over her, circling her legs repeatedly-she did not expect Kitoushi to jump right for her face, and neither did she expect for his head to suddenly enlarge in mid-leap, giant paws slamming into her shoulders and knocking her to the ground where he promptly began licking at her face with a rough tongue.
Her mouth had been open, about to start drilling him, but it just as quickly shut again, a growling rumbling in her throat.
"Ow." Shikiyoku's eyes closed briefly after her head smacked the floor. She opened them again to see the huge cat licking at her cheek fervently. "You're lucky that didn't make me switch."
The cat, easily twice the size of and a similar color to a panther, ignored her, paws planted firmly on her shoulders, and started licking at her arm next.
"Kit, I'm not dirty."
The cat stopped what he was doing and turned his large head to stare down at her, unblinking, before going back to licking at her arm, actually going ahead and laying down on top of her, his chest starting to thrum against her body in a deep purr and his tail curling and uncurling behind him.
She knew that look. 'Says you.'
"No. This is not okay." Shikiyoku informed him, eyes narrowing, "Don't just ignore me. I'm absolutely infuriated with you, I'll have you know."
He appeared to be paying her no mind.
"When were you going to tell me?"
That time, he did actually stop, turning to catch her mildly furious green eyes in his own blue and brown ones.
'Tell you what?'
"Don't look all innocent, and get off me!"
He just kept purring, Shikiyoku grinding her teeth together. 3
Hiei stepped onto the first layer again, though he actually walked through the front door like any normal person would. When it shut behind him, he was staring at the most bizarre scene he'd ever laid eyes upon. Kitoushi- as he assumed that's who this was- lay on Shikiyoku and his tongue continuously roved her skin, the sound strange to hear among the very brief silence.
Instead of spectating, the fire demon moved around the pair- after ensuring Shikiyoku was okay, that is. He moved to the kitchen and out of their sight, helping himself to the freezer, where he knew there to be a bit of the sweet snow left.
She could handle herself, he knew.
And, quite frankly…
He didn't want to create a problem for himself just yet.
Only if Shikiyoku called on him would he interfere. So, for the time being, he grabbed himself a spoon, removed the lid to the tub of strawberry ice cream, and helped himself.
He didn't even care enough to grab a bowl.
~!**!~
Akari hummed in amusement, eyes opening to watch the redhead even when his lips made contact with her skin. "You'll hear it often, I'm sure. It's an impulse now. Almost a habit. And, quite frankly, it's your fault."
Just like it's your fault I suddenly can't sit still.
Her fingers continued to toy with his shirt, her feet moving with the smallest of motions and her lips twitching as she considered something else to say, but thinking against it and instead pressing them together.
Stop it. *
"Quite frankly my dear canine, I don't give a damn." Kurama didn't even bother trying to resist not kissing her forehead again, keeping his lips against her skin and leaning into her with a smile.
...mostly so he didn't just up and do what Youko kept suggesting he do.
~!**!~
"Kit I-" Shikiyoku growled at him, any semblance of the serious tone she had adopted crumbling, "Stop it! I can't take you seriously when you're like this."
He had gone back to cleaning her, now working on the other arm.
"Would you rather I shifted now?"
She suddenly became rather aware of his weight on top of her and her eyes narrowed at him again. She left it alone.
"Alright, listen up, cat. I know you've already taken a sample of the virus from me, because you're much too clever for your own good to have not, and you're lucky I don't just strip your thoughts of everything but pain for the next three days for doing it. So, keeping in mind that I could decide to do so anyway at any moment, I suggest you spill whatever progress you've got on concocting a cure." 3
Hiei stood in the kitchen, leaning back against the counter with the cold tub in one hand and a spoon in the other, mouth closing over the utensil and eyes sliding closed as he both enjoyed the taste and listened to the side of the conversation he could hear in the next room. He resisted the urge to use his own telepathic abilities to listen in on what Kitoushi had to say.
He found his respect for the cat demon to be too much to allow himself to do such a thing, even if the conversation wasn't 'private'.
So he scooped his spoon into the light-red frozen deliciousness again.
~!**!~
Akari gave a laugh that transitioned into a groan. after a moment. He was making it so difficult to continue resisting the impulse to grab him by his stupid face and touch her lips to his. But, if she did such a thing, she knew it would make it just that much more difficult to keep her mind set on leaving tomorrow…
Evening.
Yeah. She could delay it until the evening, right?
My terms. I never specified.
She made a small sound. "That list of yours just keeps growing and growing, doesn't it?" *
"I haven't the faintest idea what you're referring to." Kurama spoke against her forehead. "Unless we're talking about your list on me. In which case, I still haven't the faintest idea what you're talking about."
~!**!~
Kit raised his head taller, in a more regal, cat-like post, and crossed one paw over the other, looking down at her, still purring, and regarding her with a measured curiousness.
"Why the sudden interest, my lady?"
Shikiyoku huffed, shifting her gaze to the side so she wouldn't be taken in by his steady stare.
"It is not within you while you are in this state, so there is nothing for you to be concerned for yourself about." The edges of his eyes flickered as if he were about to narrowing them at her. "What happened while you were away?"
"There are..." She paused, "Demons suddenly acquiring the ability to siphon energy much like myself. Exactly like myself, I would say. It appears that most of them have contracted the disease shortly thereafter."
In cat form, it was even more difficult to tell Kitoushi's thoughts by looking at his face, though they immediately turned to the conversation between himself and Youko, in which the fox called him a fool for thinking of asking Shikiyoku to show him how to do exactly what she seemed to be indicating others somehow finding themselves able to do.
"The virus is dormant." He admitted. "Likely because I am incapable of this feeding on energy of which you refer. If you would see about-"
"No." She gave him a harsh glare. "I absolutely refuse to try and teach you how to do it. You're not getting sick, you hear me?"
Her steadfast expression faltered as he stared down at her, the child from the Northern Tribe flitting about her mind.
"There's never been a sickness I have not been able to cure." He reminded her.
"Yet." Shikiyoku said sternly. 3
~!**!~
Akari gave a grin. "Would you believe me if I said there was no list? Just fumbling along and doing whatever I pleased?" She gave a hum, a few thoughts coming to mind before she dismissed them entirely. *
"I'm not sure." He pulled her a little closer. "Should I believe you?"
~!**!~
The pair locked gazes for a moment, fighting a silent battle.
Shikiyoku felt Kit give a little sigh and stand on all fours, stepping off of her and shifting forms, offering her a hand to help her get up.
"You are worried about others, yes? About them dying and such?"
It was strange admitting as much to a man with whom she had been a very different demon, but Shikiyoku gave a little nod once he had her on her feet, and neither let go of the other's hand.
"Then perhaps you should reconsider my offer to learn." He told her, starting to pull her towards the couch and the silent flickering images on the TV screen. "Because I believe the saying goes that the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the you."
Shikiyoku scoffed, letting him pull her along.
"That's not how the saying goes."
He sent a challenging glance to her over his shoulder as he turned and sat down, Shikiyoku without hesitation seating herself next to him, actually cuddling up to him.
"So that's what you've been doing." She murmured.
"Hm?"
"All this time I thought you had developed a taste for human broadcasting when you were really sitting here analyzing the virus."
"You give me too much credit." His eyes gleamed.
"I'm fairly certain I don't give you enough."
"That's your error, not mine." 3
Hiei set the tub down, hearing Kitoushi's voice in the house and then the sound of two pairs of feet moving across the carpet silently. Having made up his mind to do this before, he went ahead and made a bowl of the sweet snow, grabbing a clean spoon and dropping it into the tub without thought and turning to move into the living room area, the spoon he'd been using stuck in the ice cream bowl he'd made.
He stood behind the couch briefly before extending the bowl to Shikiyoku from over her head, leaving the tub within his own hand so that he may finish off the rest of it.
~!**!~
Akari shrugged a little, lifting her head as he pulled her closer so that she could continue watching the male as best as she could. "That is up to you." Of course she had lists.
Probably not the same lists as he, but lists nonetheless.
She continued to stare at him, fidgeting just a bit more before her body relaxed and she went still again. She gave a small sigh. "I'm not just going to give you the answers, after all. I have to have fun with it too, you know." *
Kurama gave a good-natured chuckle, "Fair enough. I suppose it's only fitting. How do you know I don't already have all the answers, though?" He teased.
~!**!~
It took a second for Shikiyoku to notice the bowl that was suddenly peeking over her head, and she immediately sat up and took it in both hands with a smile, making no hesitation to beginning eating the stuff.
Kitoushi cast an amused glance in Hiei's direction. 3
Hiei gave no reaction to the glance Kitoushi shot him. He only turned to leave the room again, as if he had no intention of staying in the first place. With the spoon between his lips and the tub of sweet snow in his hand, he silently slid from the room, half tempted to go upstairs and take over her room for a nap.
Because he still felt the aftereffects of how he'd accessed his Jagan earlier.
~!**!~
"I am very sure you are very much aware of the contents of the list," Akari replied easily. "Just like right now, I'm sure you're completely aware that I still want to fidget and still can't sit still, but do not want to get up and leave because…"
Because I don't want to leave. I don't want to move away. Because I don't want to chance the temptation to not come back, despite my determination to not stay with the pack.
"Because of reasons." *
[SEE? She's just begging for you to kiss her.]
"Because of reasons?" Kurama frowned. "You know, you're making it very difficult for me."
~!**!~
Kitoushi watched with that same amusement as Shikiyoku seemed perfectly happy to consume the offer Hiei made to her.
His eyes caught sight now of the red-scale bracelet she wore as it lightly tapped against the bowl.
That's new.
As was the blood-red flower, though he could already tell who she'd gotten that from.
Like it wasn't entirely too obvious.
Eventually you're going to have to choose, Kit.
He turned back to stare blankly at the screen out of habit, his eyes seeing nothing of whatever show was on and instead searching inward for the virus he had been working with.
Either keep going in this direction to save her and let the others sweep her away, or set it aside and hope she doesn't die first while you attempt to woo her. 3
Hiei stood in the kitchen for a moment, taking another bite before he decided that… a nap sounded rather wonderful. So he slid the spoon away from his lips and dropped it in the sink, replacing the lid on the little bit of sweet snow he'd left for his later consumption, and slid it into the freezer.
After a very slight moment of hesitation, Hiei left the kitchen and moved up the stairs, giving a fleeting glance at the pair on the couch before he continued on his way.
"I'll be nearby should you need of me."
And by 'nearby', he meant her room.
~!**!~
"It's only fair, because now you're getting a taste of your own medicine, so to speak." She poked his chest with her index finger. "But you're the only one verbally complaining." *
Kurama slipped a hand up to Akari's chin as he leaned back a bit, looking into her eyes.
He made no move to actually kiss her, but he fully intended to make sure she knew what he was talking about.
"I meant," He did not so much as blink, "That you're making it very difficult for me not to just kiss you."
~!**!~
"Mmmm-kay." The first half she hadn't specifically meant to convey to him, though it is in fact what her thoughts mostly consisted of at that moment.
She almost made a jab at him, something along the lines of him asking her to join, but stayed quiet and attentive to her sweet snow. 3
Hiei considered saying something, which caused him to pause very briefly at the top of the steps before he turned and sauntered his way into her room, lips twitching slightly in amusement. "Remember that should you get bored."
He shut the door behind himself and moved to the bed, simply plopping down on top of the covers, deciding he was quite comfortable on his stomach, and letting his eyes close.
~!**!~
As I said, a dose of your own medicine.
Akari's lips twitched, but otherwise her expression remained neutral, her eyes staring into Kurama's just as unblinkingly as he stared at her. "I wasn't aware." She lifted her hand to brush his aside, never breaking eye contact. *
"Of course you weren't." Kurama leaned back again, eyes going closed. "You're also not aware of the things Youko is suggesting I do."
~!**!~
Without thinking much about it, having induced a bit of 'brain freeze' that had her dropping the spoon back into the bowl and reaching up to pinch at the bridge of her nose as if it would help, Shikiyoku sent him back a similar, "Mm-kay." 3
~!**!~
Akari continued to stare at Kurama as he leaned away, a brow raising just slightly. "I could make a few guesses, but quite frankly, I would rather not." She reached up with both hands this time and placed them on either side of his face. "If you're uncomfortable, say so. Don't just pout." Her lips twitched again, this time forming a very small smile- she wouldn't allow more than that. *
Kurama let out a sigh.
"You're pushing your luck, pup. Though I'm fairly certain you're quite aware of that."
~!**!~
It wasn't terribly long after Hiei left the room that Taka came in the front door and immediately jumped over the back of the couch to plop down next to Shikiyoku, giving her a giant hug.
"You're back!"
Shikiyoku couldn't quite get her spoon into her mouth and Taka had nearly disrupted the bowl from her other hand, leading her to send a withering glare at what she could see of his face.
"Now you can spend the day with me!"
"I am NOT going anywhere until I finish my sweet snow." She wriggled around until she managed to get herself free of him. "I just got back anyway. Why would I want to leave?"
Taka gave a long-suffering sigh, leaving one arm over her shoulder as he leaned back into the couch. 3
~!**!~
Akari smiled and rolled away, turning her back onto the redhead. "Just checking." She watched Nabu twitch in his sleep, his nose wiggling around as if he were sniffing for something very important. She smiled at her friend, though really she was fighting the desire to look back over her shoulder.
I'm still not going to get up and leave. Isamu can wait until later today. Much later. *
[Impressive.]
When Kurama's eyes came open to look at the back of Akari, they were gleaming quite golden and it took a great deal of effort for him to restrain both the color and what it meant, the usual green fading in after a moment.
"You're a pain."
~!**!~
"Ugh, this show is so boring. How can you two stand this inane, human drivel?" Taka dropped his head back until it rested against the top of the couch.
"Sh," Shikiyoku told him from where she had cuddled back up to Kit, his arm protectively over her.
The bowl from earlier sat on the coffee table with enough ice cream in it to have swayed Taka when she said she 'wasn't finished' when he proposed them leaving.
Taka gave a yawn, glancing at Shikiyoku as he sat back up.
Kit had told him she wasn't on the First Layer anymore, but it hadn't stopped the bird from flying without rest searching for any trace of her.
Dammit, how come I'm the only one who can't do that whole shifty-layery-thingy?
"I'm taking a nap." He announced brusquely, getting up.
"There's a tree outside." Shikiyoku informed him.
"And your bed is upstairs." He grinned at her.
"You are not allowed anywhere near my room." Shikiyoku glared at him.
"Says who?"
"Says the person who owns the room."
"Pft," Taka scoffed, his arms over his chest.
She still glared at him.
"Alright, fine. I'll go in one of the other rooms." He started to walk off.
"You'd better!" Shikiyoku called after him.
"I'll be in the last one on the right."
"Uh huh." Shikiyoku murmured.
Taka paused as he got to the bottom of the stairs, his eyes flashing as he looked back at her.
"Remember that should you get bored."
Shikiyoku's eyes widened a little, her initial instinct at throwing a pillow at him vastly undermined by the voice in her head that had told her the exact same thing.
"Remember that should you get bored."
Was he...had Hiei meant...no way. Not possible. 3
~!**!~
Akari reached out to touch Nabu's head, stilling the furious flicking of his ears and setting him into a calmer, much more restful sleep. He gave a huff of a sigh through his nostrils, and Akari smiled.
That smile widened at Kurama's words. "I know." She replied calmly, still not looking back at him because there was still that pesky little impulse nagging at her. That pesky little urge tugging at her. "But, remember, I never claimed to be anything else." *
It was like she was trying to test his patience. To see exactly how much he would take before he...snapped.
If it had been anyone else, he doubted they could have gotten under his skin quite so easily.
But it just had to be her didn't it?
He let his eyes consider the curls of her hair, but said nothing.
~!**!~
Shikiyoku squirmed a little in her seat, unsure how many hours had passed, unsure if it had only been minutes.
Kit finally glanced over at her. She had acted as if she were uncomfortable ever since Taka left the room.
Finally, Shikiyoku gave up and stood, Kit's eyes following her as she mumbled something to him about 'checking to make sure they hadn't killed each other,' though truthfully there were a couple of other reasons as to why she felt the need to go up there.
I've got to think of something.
Kit watched her disappear up the stairs.
Sitting here too long will drive me crazy some time.
It was simple enough to move quietly up to her bedroom door and place her hand on the knob.
And as soon as she gently tried to turn it, she knew there was no way Taka accidentally went in the wrong room. It was locked.
...so why was she blending into the layers and stepping inside anyway to look? 3
Hiei shifted, half awake and half asleep, rolling until he was on his back. His hand moved to find the cloth around his head, scratching at it and forcing a few strands of hair away from the edges of it until his hand simply came to rest on the blanket. He gave a sleepy huff as something pulled his mind further from the sleeping realm, but he didn't readily open his eyes since he felt no immediate threat.
He'd locked the door anyhow.
He took in another deep breath, mind slowly turning back to the darkness of sleep even as he was aware of another in the room.
~!**!~
Akari left her hand atop Nabu's head for a moment longer, ensuring he remained still when she did pull away from the dog. And when he didn't so much as twitch a paw, she was satisfied and brought an arm up under her head, resting against the grass again in a lazy manner, fully aware of the male watching her.
It made her expression twitch just slightly.
Stop that.
"If I had a camera, I'd let you borrow it." *
"A picture may be worth a thousand words, but I much prefer seeing how uncomfortable I can make you by simply looking at you." Kurama sounded almost cheerful as he said it, still letting his eyes follow the curves of her hair, finding it difficult not to grin while she couldn't see him.
~!**!~
Yup. There he was. Undisturbed. Well, by Taka at least.
You can, uh, go now, you know. 'Cuz he's fine.
Shikiyoku stood there blinking absently as she found herself staring at him, unable to shake whatever it was that had settled over her as she watched him turn over.
He brought me sweet snow.
That appeared to be the only coherent thought running through her mind at the moment. The rest of them apparently distracted with how absolutely...fierce he looked at the moment. 3
Hiei felt his awareness coming to fruition just a bit more as the presence remained, seemingly harmless, and yet not exactly… leaving him undisturbed, as he could feel eyes on him. It brought his own eyes open half-way, brows raising in curiosity very briefly before it registered that it was Shiki.
Soon after the realization passed, his eyes closed again and his breathing evened out entirely, his mind deciding he shouldn't worry enough to miss the nap he'd been taking.
Because, obviously, she was unharmed.
Otherwise… he would've woken up completely. And there would have been hell.
~!**!~
Akari hummed in understanding, not moving an inch. "I see what you're up to." She paused. "Well, not see, per se, since my back is to you. But that's beside the point."
Resist.
Akari gave a sigh.
You're a pain. In every way possible.
She refused to move a little longer. Because… she'd started it, and she didn't want to lose. *
Kurama let out another chuckle, "I have mentioned you are a pain. Have I also told you that you are quite amusing when you wish to be?"
~!**!~
The next coherent thought that passed through her mind was a rather crass series of words.
Because now that she was in the room, she found herself not particularly wanting to leave it.
She glanced at the locked door behind her, finding it funny that Hiei had gone to the trouble, but also realizing it had effectively prevented Taka from coming in here and messing things up with his machismo.
Shikiyoku reached up and rubbed at her forehead.
Either she should leave and let Hiei be or-
Or what?
Sit here staring much longer and you'll probably wake him up again.
Yeah, and laying down next to him won't do essentially the same thing?
She let out an almost imperceptible sigh and started to move forward, climbing on top of the covers and laying down at the edge of the bed.
...at least this way if he asks I have an answer for him. Telling him I was bored wouldn't be a complete lie. 3
On some level or another, Hiei was aware of the shifting of the bed, of the addition of weight on the bed next to him. And, despite his sleeping state, he shifted just a little, seemingly deciding to give her just a little more room to prevent her laying on the edge of the bed.
This resulted in his side touching the wall, the arm on that side coming up to rest over his head before he settled once more, still on his back.
Other than that, he remained virtually undisturbed.
~!**!~
"...Not until now," Akari answered his rhetorical question with a haughty tone. "I was quite aware, actually." HAd she had a tail, it would have been swaying back and forth for the past few minutes, conveying the amusement she didn't let become apparent in her tone.
There was a pause.
"Think there's a hole in my back yet? From all that staring, I mean." *
[There's gonna be a hole in her clothes if she keeps this up for too much longer]
Kurama very nearly burst out laughing at the audacity of Youko's observation, but he felt the fox give a little jolt as if to take over and Kurama quickly reigned in the attempt, though his eyes quite obviously flashed with yellow once more.
"There is not yet."
[Yet.]
"I'm still working on it."
~!**!~
Shikiyoku grew still, somewhere in the back of her mind wishing she would just close her eyes and nap like he appeared to blissfully be doing.
That...was likely part of the problem.
...since he looked so-ugh-fierce at the moment. All asleep and peaceful and stuff. Was this really what he looked like while away from the waking world and all the troubles therein? She half-wished he might appear like this some day when he wasn't asleep.
Unlikely.
...but it's nice to think about. 3
~!**!~
Akari smiled. She opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came to mind immediately and she was left merely grinning like a moron. She'd just begun to give in to her urge to turn around and get closer to him again when her stubbornness kicked in, leaving her right where she was. *
"Feel free to keep letting me try, though. I promise I'll try to remember to warn you before I move any plants around."
~!**!~
Watching him laying there so serenely soon had Shikiyoku's eyes growing heavier in spite of herself.
Why...do I always end up feeling this way when I'm around you?
The question went unanswered as she finally could no longer resist and her eyes fluttered shut, carrying her away into a dreamless sleep she had rather unintended to let happen. 3
Thanks for reading! Bless your face. If you sneezed during this chapter, bless you. Peace off! -Star