A/N: Hello once again, Fanficdotnet Lovelies!
Your friendly, neighborhood Star here, with another chapter for your viewing pleasure. Enjoy!
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!
Kurama walks about the room with Akari in his arms,
making sure nothing out of the ordinary would happen
with her being back in the same room in which she accidentally helped open the portal.
He comes to a place where they could lay down and rest,
returning to her the rose seed he gifted her with long ago,
as well as giving her a necklace of daises,
intended to assist in keeping her soul anchored into her body.
Watching over her as she sleeps,
Kurama notices when her shadow dashes off,
Akari having encountered Takeo in her out of body experience.
She cannot wander very far and ends up back next to Kurama,
who threatens her with allowing Youko to attempt to awaken her
and begins nibbling at her ear.
~!**!~
Desperate for Shikiyoku to take him seriously as a prospective Consort,
Hiei points out to her that her smile is never as dazzling for others as it is for him,
and his subsequent stare has her giving into the energy within herself,
a single thought beginning to echo in her head:
What do you desire?
He answers that he wants to stay with her,
and that he wants to be her Consort.
Surprised and curious, Shikiyoku presses him as to why,
as to what it would gain him,
and he answers that he would get a companion.
Knowing the truth in his response,
Shikiyoku gives him the smile he'd been missing,
and as they stand there together,
her hand over his core and his markings glowing,
Hiei turns the question back onto her,
even as he feels his mark growing over his body.
Compelled to answer by the nature of her own energy,
Shikiyoku replies that she wants him to keep calling her 'Shiki,'
but finds that she doesn't want to admit to her other current desire.
Through the combined efforts of her energy and Hiei,
she finally says she wants him to kiss her,
and though he doesn't particularly understand the request,
Hiei obliges in light of her confession.
They continue to ready themselves to leave,
Hiei testing his ability to stop her with his gaze,
and when she asks him where he would like to go,
he indicates that he does not care...
"Anywhere, hm?" Shikiyoku asked lightly. "Are you certain about that?" 3
Hiei wasn't really sure about the question she issued, half considering she was saying it as a warning and half thinking she simply wanted to toy with him. His lips turned downwards at the edges, the corners of his eyes twitching just a little as if to narrow, but not really completing the whole action.
No?
Yes?
Hn.
I trust you.
"Quite."
~!**!~
Relief passed through Akari when Kurama paused, and she sat back again and promptly crossed her arms over her chest in a slight pout. "You're a pain." She wasn't sure whether that was meant to herself or the fox demon sitting nearby. Her eyelids closed even as Kurama continued, making her tense even more.
"Why do you do this to me?" she complained, "I've tried!"
When she opened her eyes and saw what he was doing now, everything came to a halt, including her thoughts and her movements.
And when she opened her lips, it was to release the breath she'd been holding, though not quite that alone.
"Stop that!" She surged forward, hand passing through his cranium. "That isn't for you!" She turned to her body and continued the loud protest. "Wake up you frickin' idiot! GET UP!" She made as if to grab her own arms and shake, and she suddenly found she couldn't move.
Wake up, dammit.
Within the next seconds, she found herself surrounded by darkness, as if she'd never left her body in the first place. And it took a lot to force herself to wake up, to pull her arms up and plant her hands on Kurama's chest, eyes still squeezed shut. "Get offa' me," she grumbled. "I'm awake." *
As soon as he felt her returning, Kurama pulled away, though her pushing at him had him leaning away a little faster than he probably would have, settling back into the wall of vines behind him and watching her stir on his lap with more concern than anything.
"When you...are ready...awake... I'll take the necklace." He folded his arms over his chest, a bit of a darker cloud settling over his eyebrows as he exchanged notes with Youko. "It obviously needs some tweaking."
~!**!~
Shikiyoku actually let out a laugh, "Quite...uncertain, I think you mean. Nowhere in the world you want to be? It isn't as if anything can stop us." 3
Hiei turned his eyes to look around the room, as if it would give him any ideas that might be worth sharing. There were a few places he did consider visiting with her again, such as the Ninth Layer where she'd taken him so long ago, where the fruits bloomed and there were no disturbances. He also considered going back to the cliff and finding the phoenix.
But both would be redundant if they kept returning over and over again so often.
A thought hit him, and his eyes brightened in amusement. He knew just where to go.
He moved forward, taking the few long strides necessary to close the distance between himself and Shikiyoku, a hand reaching out and grabbing her upper arm. He flashed a quick smirk at her before folding them both between the layers, moving all the way up to the first, using each layer to drag Shikiyoku in the direction they needed to so that by the time they did land on the first layer, they were in the center of a silent, crumbling, very much destroyed and empty stadium.
The same stadium he and the others of the team had been in for the tournament. The same stadium where he'd mastered the dragon technique.
He let go of Shiki's arm, not looking at her as he pulled his right arm from his cloak pocket and held it palm-up in the air, a dark flame forming over his palm as he began to call on the dragon, knowing it needed to be loose every so often.
Even if it had just recently been released to obliterate hundreds of demonic souls.
And before long, the dragon's roar shook the crumbling stadium.
~!**!~
Akari moved a hand to wipe at her ear, now actually able to feel the sensation that sent a small tremor up her spine, her eyes opening to turn an accusing glare at the fox, only to see the expression he wore and for the glare to completely melt away. Her stern expression melted, leaving nothing more than the redness on her face that had actually had nothing to do with the anger she'd feigned.
She continued to rub at her ear subconsciously, eyes turning away and to the opposite direction.
"I couldn't go very far, if that helps any," she grumbled at him, shifting around a bit so that she may sit up. She didn't want to try it again. "Only a few feet." And with Kurama already in this mood, she decided not to mention Takeo.
Because her shadow was already on it.
She blinked at herself and turned inward, searching for the shadow that she had seen zoom by her, and she felt an immense amount of satisfaction in knowing that it had stopped in a corner of the room, and was working on swallowing the soul. Thank the heavens. *
Kurama's head bent down just a little, his eyes going closed, though he did hear the information she passed to him and gave a little nod and a hum to indicate he heard her.
There were...a couple of things they could try, a couple of adjustments they could make. He hadn't expected it to be harder for her to come back though. And he wondered if in attempting to keep the spirit in, they were also blocking it out.
~!**!~
Shikiyoku didn't bothering saying 'ow,' though he could have just told her to follow him instead of grabbing at her like she wasn't going to come with him if he didn't.
She took a step to the side when she felt the sudden accessing of so much power, eyes starting to wander around the ruins once she realized what Hiei meant to do.
"Taking the old girl for a walk?" She commented off-hand, starting to walk around, stepping over broken bits of the walls and former stadium seats with her hands clasped together behind her back. 3
Hiei's eyes followed the dragon as its head reared and began to snake higher into the air, moving away from him and into the open skies. He heard Shikiyoku, but for a moment didn't answer, fighting with the urge to say something sarcastic when they'd been on such a good streak so far. So, he settled for a mild, "She needs to roam occasionally."
After a few more minutes, the dragon was flowing in circular patterns above their heads, roaring and occasionally ramming into the crumbling walls, sending debris over the already broken seats and, occasionally, the ring itself that no longer really existed. "This is where she first emerged, after all. Rather destroy this place than any other."
~!**!~
Akari's eyes opened and she sighed, now sitting upright with her back to Kurama. He needs to know, I suppose. Just in case. But she really didn't want to darken his mood. And she really didn't want to keep it from him.
But it's handled.
That isn't the point.
"You might… watch Yomi the next few days," Akari finally said, voice quiet enough that he'd only hear if he was listening. "Takeo was around." Was. *
Kurama gave another hum.
As if this wasn't trying enough already.
He finally opened his eyes, "The necklace?"
He held a hand out for it.
~!**!~
"Oh?" Shikiyoku's interest grew a little at the knowledge.
She still found it amusing that Hiei had been the one to relieve the Ninth Level of Demon World from one of its most dangerous creatures.
So this is the place, huh?
Shikiyoku watched it for a second as it flew overhead.
And to think I missed it.
Whether witnessing it leaving the Level or witnessing it emerging here. In either case, she wished she had seen it happen.
She kept moving after a moment, wandering a little more aimlessly up into the seats, where she could feel the stone almost wishing to give way under her feet and knew the plant life of the island was eating away at the foundation of the structure, reclaiming the space as its own. 3
Hiei's eyes remained on the dragon for a few more minutes, remembering how he'd called it here what felt like ages ago. It felt as if a millennia had passed from that day to this one, because so much had happened, so much had changed in that time. The group hadn't had much time between the ending of the tournament and Sensui to even revel in the end of such a trying, tiring time.
And then even after that, they hadn't had much time to relax.
It was almost odd to have the free time they had now. To be able to roam as he wished, with no reason or rhyme to what he did. To whom he spent his time with.
Well, okay, there was a reason he spent his time with who he did, but that was beside the point. It wasn't forced. It wasn't a mission. It wasn't because human world needs you.
Not that he'd cared for Human World in those cases anyway.
Suddenly, he was turning, eyes finding Shikiyoku and staring at her, watching her silently.
Because he'd found a new game earlier, and he had every intention to play it when it crossed his mind..
~!**!~
"Oh, right." Akari's hands pulled the necklace up and over her head, gathering it carefully into the hand nearest the fox before passing it to him, still not looking at him. She hadn't wanted to darken his mood, to build to the cloud that hung over him, but she didn't want him to be mad about it later, if he found out from another source.
Aka, Yomi.
And in that moment, she felt small. Or rather, she wished she was smaller. Perhaps small enough to scurry away.
If she could change into her canine form, she probably would have done so, just to slink next to him and show she didn't like being the source of his worry, the reason he continued to sigh.
But I can't do that. So, I'll just sit here. *
For a moment all Kurama could see was the necklace, and when he took it from her his hands began glowing, adjusting it, tinkering with it.
He absently reached over beyond his right leg and gently brushed his fingers against the ground, a handful of small mounds starting to form as he went back to turning the necklace over, morphing its shape, the color, the size.
After a second he blinked and looked up over at Akari, the necklace lowering into his lap.
Leaning forward, he murmured a soft, "Hey," and reached out with his nearest hand to lightly set his fingers under her chin, encouraging her to look his direction.
~!**!~
Already having climbed up a portion of the broken wall and making it to the seating, Shikiyoku continued to make her way through the debris, snorting to herself when she would spot blackened sections where she could just imagine weaker demons having perished and left only their shadows behind.
She froze in place for a second as she reached out to pull herself up the next ledge, and then her head shifted to the left, snapping over to the right, and then staring forward.
What the...
...
She blinked, tilting her head upwards and her skin tingling as she searched for...something that was watching her.
...I was sure we were alone. 3
Hiei fought not to scoff in amusement as Shikiyoku suddenly paused and took to glancing around, though he didn't deny the smirk of amusement that crossed his features. And he noticed that she looked in every direction except for his.
Which made it all the better.
His stare remained on her, watching her back for a few more moments before turning his back to her and his eyes up to the dragon, as if he'd never been watching in the first place.
This will be… amusing.
~!**!~
I'm tired of this. Why can't we just go home?
Akari heard the shift, her ears feeling as if they twitched at the sudden sound and the small word that was whispered to her. And for a moment, she felt amusement. If you can be upset, so can I.
The thought passed and she turned to look at Kurama, a small, twitching smile on her face. "Hey yourself." she murmured back. *
Kurama gave her a soul-searching look before saying anything else, the tips of his fingers still softly touching the underside of her chin.
"I'm sorry."
~!**!~
The tingle that had spread across the back of her shoulders faded and Shikiyoku shook herself, going ahead and pulling up onto the next ledge.
Must have moved on. Not seen anything of interest.
She almost laughed to herself.
Or whatever it was had seen the dragon and thought better of its plans. 3
Hiei waited a few minutes, listening to Shikiyoku as she climbed and meandered, his eyes on the dragon for that span of time until he decided he hadn't bothered her enough.
So he turned his stare over his shoulder again, boring it into her back with more intensity than before, no thoughts able to project any desires to her, as he simply did this for the heck of it.
~!**!~
Akari gave a frown now. "You have no reason to be." She gave a shrug at him and grabbed at his hand that was under her chin, pulling it away. I do. "And stop looking at me like that. It's disconcerting." And she wasn't lying about that. His searching gaze almost left her feeling like an open book for him to read. *
Kurama only blinked at her calmly, turning his eyes back down to the necklace and beginning to work at it again, moving it around just as dextrously in five fingers as he had been in ten, not pulling his hand away from hers.
~!**!~
She half-wondered if it might-
The muscles at the back of her neck tensed, and from shoulder to shoulder she shivered, stopping in place again.
What the hell? 3
The fire demon's lips twitched into a wider smirk, watching the tension roll over the female again as she paused, even giving a little tremor across her shoulders, and it was even harder this time to restrain the sound he almost made. And even though he wasn't exactly reading her mind, he had a good idea of what her dominant thought was at that moment.
So he held the stare just a little longer.
~!**!~
The slow blink she saw had her almost shaking her head a little at him. Hazel eyes turned down to watch Kurama's hand work at the flowers, a very small smile forming on her lips and a breath leaving her nostrils in a small sound of amusement, letting the hand holding his rest on the grass.
She watched his expression for a minute, that same long puff of air leaving her nostrils again. How can one person be so handsome? She turned her eyes away and took to staring at a nearby plant as it moved gently around, silently. *
A sound Kurama thought to be the most gentle and calming noise in the world pricked his ears and he turned his head to the right, watching with a serene expression as the seeds he had scattered near his thigh broke through the earth and started growing, faster now that they were free of their confines, until they bloomed into two bright yellow blossoms and three dark purple ones.
Reaching his hand over, he cupped his hand over one of the yellows and as he twisted his wrist to take the stem between two fingers, the flower came up out of the ground, the roots melting into one another and making for a long single stem that Kurama set to weaving into the already manipulated necklace in his lap.
Instead of looking like a daisy-chain, there were only six of these white flowers left, the rest just looking like a green strand of material into which Kurama coaxed the end of the new yellow flower in his hand.
~!**!~
Unbidden, energy began swaying into the air from around her shoulders and Shikiyoku blinked, her shoulder suddenly dropping their tension as she whipped around to glare at Hiei.
"Wha-at?" She called, slightly irked that he didn't just say something instead of staring up at her like that. He was a telepath for crying out loud. 3
Hiei raised a brow at Shikiyoku, his expression completely neutral by the time she had whipped around to glare at him. He held that stare for a moment before coming up with something to say, simply as an excuse. "Don't fall." Without another word, he turned away again, using his back to her as a means of hiding his amused smirk and gleam in his eyes.
The dragon roared again, and he almost felt as if it could be responding to the situation, if it weren't for the fact that such a being wouldn't care.
~!**!~
Akari stared ahead, blinking only when her eyes began to burn and listening to her surroundings. The sound of Kurama's hand at work, the sounds of the plants that always seemed to be rustling nearby, the sound of the absolutely calm air in the room.
She was aware of the approaching shadow even as it zoomed by her, then circled back and came to a stop in front of her, taking shape as her personal shadow as it should have. Its energy whispered to her briefly, and she gave a small breath through her nose again, this time a sigh.
At least she wouldn't have to be monitoring the energy it took to keep a being inside the shadow realm. Apparently if a spirit became trapped in that realm, the only way it could get out was if it was released by the shadow that had trapped it.
And that was probably one of the most encouraging things she'd experienced today. *
Kurama worked steadily in the near-silence, one hand weaving the other four flowers that had grown next to him into the seven that were in the necklace already, setting the differences in the spell of the talisman as his lithe fingers maneuvered through it.
~!**!~
Shikiyoku made a huff of irritation and turned away, grumbled to herself, "You could have just said that, flame-boy. Hell, you could have just thought that."
Damn hybrid and his damn stare. 3
This time the scoff left Hiei's lips unbidden, and he kept his eyes up on the dragon that continued to occasionally ram into things, occasionally roaring and sending various debris falling in every direction. HE'd even had to step to the side to avoid a large cluster of concrete from hitting him, the wind from its impact sending his cloak fluttering and his hair rustling a bit before it all settled again.
He couldn't remember the last time he'd let the dragon free simply for this purpose.
Definitely before Otento and the Youko impersonator, that was for sure.
Another mighty screech from the dragon and Hiei was flitting away from the area he'd been standing again, making a small sound of displeasure.
I forgot how much you enjoyed doing that.
~!**!~
Akari's eyes shifted to her hand in Kurama's, then up at Kurama, a small smile playing on her features. "Would you rather use both hands?" she suddenly asked, realizing it might take him longer if she occupied one of his two appendages. *
"At this very moment? No." Kurama replied, deftly twisting another knot into the necklace and merging the stem with the others.
He briefly considered slowing down, truthfully.
~!**!~
Shikiyoku reached the top floor of the stadium and turning around, the wind at this height whipping the end of her ponytail across her back, took a look at the landscape surrounding the stadium.
She was fairly certain she hadn't been to Hanging Neck Island before, though she knew the name well enough. Anything she might have done on the first level would have been with...Youko. Yeah, that's right.
She blinked at the velocity of the air, and stepped back to seek a little refuge nearer to the wall. What little there was left of it at least.
There was still a gaping tunnel to her left though, and after leaning on the wall for only a half second, she bent forward and looked down it, contemplating going inside simply for curiosity's sake. 3
For a few minutes, all Hiei did was flit around, feet stirring up dirt as he continuously dodged falling debris from the air above. He would stop for a moment, move in another direction when he saw something else falling, and then pause again to look up at the dragon that he knew was having its fun.
It had done this before, too. Throwing debris at him in its own way.
Even she needs to do something other than attack, I guess.
There were still things he didn't understand about the magnificent creature above. Things he didn't know how to begin speculating when he couldn't rightly create situations to test his theories.
He-
He had to move again, causing all train of thought to disappear and slight irritation to swell. Not even a moment. Hn.
He turned and dashed away, up the stands of the stadium until he stood at Shikiyoku's side, noticing where her gaze was pointed.
"With the dragon out, I wouldn't. She enjoys making things fall around people."
~!**!~
Akari hummed at him and let her eyes fall to watch his work curiously, noting the efficiency even with the one hand he used. Good. She hadn't wanted to let go anyway.
And, truth be told, she didn't want him to finish the necklace either, because she didn't want to make another attempt at sleep. Because no matter how tired she was, she could always sleep when away from him and wake up only to reconvene.
Which would probably make this whole thing easier.
Probably?
Definitely. *
After a few moments more, Kurama sat up shifting his shoulders and neck around, and placed the necklace in his lap to his right. He tugged at the hand Akari held to pull her closer, or to get her to come closer. Whichever.
~!**!~
Shikiyoku passed a look from Hiei and up to the dragon.
"I'm fairly certain it likes making things fall around you." A smiled played on her lips as she turned and walked towards the tunnel, stopping at the entrance to it to at least look and see if there might be anything of interest. 3
Hiei couldn't deny what she said. He did watch her though, as she leaned into the tunnel that he knew would lead to the bottom floor, and to the exit of the whole arena. He noted her curiosity with amusement, arms crossing over his chest as he turned to look in the direction of the dragon again.
He hadn't really been tracking it, so when he saw it ram its jaw into the ceiling above him, he gave a sound of impatience and turned, taking the few quick strides to Shikiyoku so that he could wrap his fingers around her wrist, causing a spark of energy to fly between their skin, and pull her between the layers, only dropping to the first layer again when they were both out of harm's way.
This time when the dragon turned to face them, it hovered for a minute, silent.
That was unnecessary.
~!**!~
Three was this small amount of disappointment when Akari watched the necklace be lowered to Kurama's lap, her eyes moving up to his face and watching his expression. She gave no indication of her disappointment, her lips even giving a soft smile when he looked up and tugged on her hand.
She obliged and shifted around, crawling the short distance on her knees until she was sitting at his side, almost exactly where she'd been sitting when she'd ventured as merely a spirit. She gave him a curious look as she eyed him some more. *
Kurama shifted Akari around until she had her back against the left side of his chest, weaving his arm over her as he did so without letting go of her hand and one he had her nestled against him, he brought his other arm around to meet the first, settling a little further into the plants behind him and lowering his nose until her could bury it in her hair.
"I missed you."
~!**!~
Confused, Shikiyoku looked about when they reappeared on the first layer, almost unaware she had been taken away until she felt Hiei's hand at her wrist.
At least he didn't clutch at my arm again.
It all happened so fast.
She looked from Hiei next to her and then up at the dragon, and realized what had happened.
I told you. 3
Hiei scowled up at the dragon, ignoring the air around Shikiyoku that told him of her thoughts without the use of his telepathy. And the dragon seemed to stare right back for a few moments. He could feel the sparks still running along his fingers the longer he held Shikiyoku's wrist, but really, he was ready to disappear again.
Until the dragon resumed its little spins in the air, deciding it wouldn't strike anything just yet.
He released Shiki and turned to move a little further away, just in case.
The moment he turned his back, however, the dragon let out a loud screech and dove, moving fast enough that Hiei wasn't sure what it was doing until it had already grabbed Shiki and spun back into the air.
For a moment, he blinked up at it.
And then he snarled. "Put her down." For the first time in a long time, he felt fear for another, and anger for not having paid enough attention. "Now." Because if he had no idea what to do other than give harsh commands and pull at his energy that bound it to him.
~!**!~
Akari let herself be shifted about until she was contently leaning back against Kurama, her fingers still linked with his and his arms about her. She did a little shifting of her own, pulling her knees up so that her feet were planted on the grass below, keeping her from sliding or shifting unwillingly.
Her eyelids slid close as Kurama's nose rustled her hair, his breath sending a few strands fluttering a little when he spoke up. A small sigh left her lips and she gave a little squeeze of his hand, silently saying she had missed him too. Her eyes came open again to stare ahead, smile still tugging at her lips. *
Kurama squeezed his arms tighter around Akari for a second before releasing her, afterwards letting out a sound somewhere between a groan and a growl and letting his cheek rest against her hair, closing his eyes.
There is absolutely no point in being here.
[Try to convince Yomi of that.]
~!**!~
Shikiyoku caught...an inkling of something as the dragon stared down at the two of them, intently watching them as they in turned kept an eye on it.
It was obvious to her that the fire simply enjoyed having a bit of fun, causing its master consternation while at the same time trying to get him to pick up on its little game.
He dodged. She supposed that was enough to keep its interest.
But then the flames turned away, flickering about in a manner Shikiyoku could recall having seen before, though certainly not at this close of a distance, and whatever had been tugging at the edges of her awareness faded, Hiei letting go of her and moving away as if he feared the thing would try to start up its game once more.
She almost snorted when she heard the darkness flame screech, watching how the flaming of its body seemed to say-
...to say...
Shiny?
Her eyes narrowed a little, catching bits and pieces of impressions of the dancing fire that were just different enough from the true flame to have her concentration focusing in for a moment, brow drawing together as she watched it dive closer.
No wait, not shiny...
Faced with the maw of the beast, Shikiyoku's eyes widened drastically as the word finally clicked just as the jaws were about to snap shut.
"Sparkles!"
...shit. 3
There was an inner panic Hiei couldn't recall ever feeling before this moment, and it left him standing there with an expression of shock. He wasn't sure why Shikiyoku hadn't moved out of the way, only letting her energy free, but it wasn't important at the moment because the dragon ate her. He didn't look for a shadow or charred remains, because he just couldn't think right.
All at once his worry and fear turned into stone-cold anger and his muscles began to shake just a little, his expression turning to that ice cold glare that reflected the fire of rage in his crimson orbs.
"Release her," he demanded, giving a mighty tug at the energy that bound the creature to him. "I will not repeat myself."
And as a factor to his sudden rage, Hiei could feel the temperature around him rise, no flames yet seen, but threatening for form as if it would help at all.
~!**!~
Akari gave a tug at Kurama's hand when she heard his sound, moving her head a little so that she might get to look at him from the corners of her eyes. "I know," she grumbled. "Trust me, I do." I've been here for an eternity it feels like.
She let her eyelids slide close again, this time leaving them closed. "Take a nap, you stubborn fox." *
"Hm-mm." He shook his head just a little, his lips closed as he made the sound, blinking slowly. "I can rest when I'm not with you."
~!**!~
Shikiyoku blinked at first seeing only yellow, enveloped in her own energy, and then realizing that she saw absolutely nothing beyond that until her vision clicked in and she realized she was completely surrounded by flames. Black flames. Black...purpley...flames.
"Sparkley!~"
Trilling again in the air around her, the word had changed a little, and amusingly enough it was only because of her energy that she could even see the fire talking as it danced around her.
She couldn't even tell where in the thing she was.
The dragon had shot up into the air, body waving back and forth as it wove its way around, and it was the strangest thing, but Shikiyoku would have sworn it was humming this happy little nonsensical tune to itself that matched the snake-like whippings of its body.
Funny too that she had released her energy like it was going to do any good. There was absolutely no chance of harm from this creature's excitement, which was so...weird considering she had survived its rampages in Demon World and knew what kind of damage it could do.
At Hiei's tug, the dragon stopped short in another pass, flamey body wriggling around even while it was still.
"Nuuuuu!~ Want look pretty laaaadyyyyy!~" The flames protested, Hiei only a dot on the ground below. 3
When Hiei reached out telepathically, the first thing he received was the impression of excitement, which in and of itself had the fire demon's eyes narrowing further. That was a first, to say the least. But he shifted his weight a little, arms falling to his sides as he glared up at the dark flames of the dragon that had paused to turn its head in his direction.
"Drop. Her." Another tug of energy, though he wouldn't dare call it back entirely since he wasn't sure what would happen to Shikiyoku should he do such a thing. "This. Very. Instant."
~!**!~
There was a small moment of silence, and then Akari's shoulders were shaking a little, her head turning so that he could press his cheek into her hair again as she pulled her lips into her mouth. And as she heard his hummed response echo in her head, it became a little harder to stifle the little giggles that were trying to bubble up and out of her lips, her jaw giving a little quiver from the struggle. *
"Whadd're you...laughing at...hm?" Kurama stayed right where he was, fighting a smile.
~!**!~
You taste like Master!~
...what?
Shikiyoku blinked at the flames around her.
Fire!~ You good fire.~ Taste like fire.~ True fire!~
I...I don't...
There was no dying the manner in which the flames started to roll around her...as if...chewing on her, attempting to...consume her.
Yummy!~ Better than fire!~
It left Shikiyoku staring, her mouth open in confusion.
Meanwhile, Hiei's tug had the dragon shimmering closer through the air, though only a little farther before it stopped short.
"B-but~ But I dun' wanna!~" If it were possible for fire to look mournful, it did just that. It wavered in place for a second before inching a little closer. "Want to...understaaand!~ And pretty lady taste good!~" 3
Hiei watched it come closer, expression unchanging in its stern, angry glare as it paused again, wavering in place. And this time when it responded, he was given the impression of reluctance, and at the same time he heard a snippet of actual words, which caught him by surprise enough that he blinked once. And he briefly recalled the flame Shikiyoku had shown him, which had him just as quickly concentrating on the dragon that waved in the air a little.
The fire demon found himself very surprised when he was able to hear two full sentences. Never before now had it ever used words- not to his knowledge, anyway. He'd always only gotten impressions, sometimes the occasional image if it felt chatty.
So for a full sixty seconds, he felt his expression had become that of surprise, blinking twice up at the dark flames before he recovered and his glare returned full-force, flashing.
Understand?
"Don't you dare swallow her." She's still alive. Likely switched forms from the sudden attack. "Release her, or you will be called back and never given free reign to roam."
~!**!~
I should've known we would have thought the same thing.
That didn't stop Akari's little fit of giggles, however. Neither did it help that Kurama spoke up in that same tone as before. It made it just that much harder to keep her little fit a silent one.
How can one person be handsome, adorable, sly, and completely ferocious all in one day?
It's not really fair.
A few giggles left her lips and she bowed her head further forward in hopes to gain control over them. *
"If you don't stop laughing for absolutely no logical reason at all, I'm sure I can find something that would give you a reason." It was easy now to feel the way his smile pressed up against the top of her head, trying not to chuckle himself.
~!**!~
The dragon wriggled forward some more as if conflicted.
Hnnnnnng.~
"But she ish yummy!~" 3
Hiei's glare darkened, and had this been another situation, he likely would have given a dangerous sneer to his opponent. Here, however, he did not issue such a thing.
"Three seconds."
He paused, lifting his hand in a deliberate manner.
"Two seconds."
~!**!~
Kurama's threat only seemed to egg her on, earning a little giggle that was a touch louder than the rest as he only seemed to confirm her thoughts. Though, she did squeeze his hand in protest, since she couldn't quite reign in her little fit just yet.
No matter how many times she paused to suck in a breath, it only seemed to make it harder.
I can't, you're just so-
A giggle.
-Fricken-
Another.
-cute! *
"Alright. Fine." He gave a little shrug, then slipped his right arm out from around her and started tickling her side.
~!**!~
The dragon huffed, weaving itself closer and starting to slowly open its dark jaws.
They snapped shut all at once and the dragon scurried away higher into the air.
"Nuuu!~ Shinyyy!~ I found eet!~ You can't has it!~ Miiiine!~"
The dragon stopped in mid-air and started wriggling around more than usual, beginning to turn circles this way and that almost as if it were trying to chase its own tail.
"Hee!~ Stahp!~" It let out a series of squirming flames that seemed to indicate giggling as bright yellow tendrils of power started to become visible from somewhere inside it, threading in and out all along the sides of it. "Tickles!~" 3
Hiei had paused his little countdown when the dragon came closer, maw slowly opening. He'd been prepared to reach inside, until the jaws snapped closed and it took off higher into the air than before, protesting in a way he only thought a child would do.
And he wasn't rightly sure how to react.
Especially when it suddenly began moving in circles, at which point he simply took to staring at it, anger seeming to have melted away as his eye twitched and his lips opened a little, eyes wide as he followed its motions as it squee'd in what he could only describe as delight. And giggles.
He blinked multiple times before he realized he could see yellow tendrils of energy snaking into the air through the flames. A cheery yellow color that indicated she hadn't switched, and that she was not harmed.
Which did make it easier on him to only stand there and stare in bewilderment.
Here he'd thought the dragon was a mighty beast, and yet it was squealing in happiness and laughing.
~!**!~
Akari's body was very quick to lurch away from the hand at her side, though with the other arm around her neck she couldn't go very far. Her giggles got a little louder and a little more insistent in taking her air, and the occasional 'no' skittered out her lips in protest as she made more attempts to wriggle away.
I'm trying!
She squeezed her eyelids together and made another attempt at sucking in air, which wasn't very successful and only seemed to accomplish little tears of laughter. "Stop! Stoppit!" *
"Why should I?" Kurama asked as if they were only sitting there talking about the weather. "You seemed to be enjoying yourself."
Of course he didn't stop.
~!**!~
"Stahp!~ No want spit out!~ No understand yet!~"
In the midst of its protests, the dragon kept weaving around in the air, finally letting out a roaring that would have sounded fiercer to anyone that couldn't read the flames shimmering down its back, the ones that indicated laughter, joy even.
The dragon turned and took a nosedive for the ground, quickly becoming more golden in color, and pulled up at the last second, shooting across the ground of the ruined stadium heading directly for Hiei.
It pulled up a second time, arching its back to turn a wide circle that led to it coming back around before Hiei, the tendrils of energy gone now as it wavered silently in the air before him, remnants of the laughter from before shivering down its body.
With one heave, it spat Shikiyoku out onto the ground, where she rolled once before getting to her feet, making a few more steps with the forward momentum and slamming into Hiei, wrapping her arms around him and ducking her head as if trying to hide.
"Hee!~ You try!~" 3
Hiei wasn't sure what the dragon was talking about, but his eyes continued to follow its every move, confusion riddling his features more than he ever remembered feeling before. Mighty beast? Only in battle, it seems. Though, truth be told, he still rather admired the being- no matter how childish it was.
It was in the middle of that thought that he saw it turn and swoop towards the ground, leveling out to charge along it in his direction. His expression changed to mild amusement and he crossed his arms over his chest, watching it as it swooped up into the air in front of him, scattering dirt and making his hair and clothes whip about madly.
And then he was aware of Shikiyoku moving in his direction, appearing out of seemingly nowhere, and he quickly adjusted his stance, digging his heels into the ground and unfolding his arms just in time for her to slam into him, making him take a single step backwards to keep from falling onto his behind. His arms quickly took hold of her to keep her steady on her feet as well, eyes down on her in amusement before he turned the stare up to the dragon that said something more to him.
Try what?
"That's enough for today," he said almost to himself, holding out his right arm and pulling on his energy, calling it back to him. You've caused enough trouble for a good while.
~!**!~
As a last resort, Akari's body began sliding down and away, her legs pulling her to the ground until her shoulder blades and neck were pressed to Kurama and she could go no further than she'd already slid. Her hand that wasn't held by his frantically searched for the one that continued to poke and prod at her tightening muscles that twitched with each contact point made, and she managed to find his fingers and wrap her whole hand around them, breathing heavily and still giving little giggles.
"I-"
I can't breathe!
Her lips issued a string of words, but with her breathlessness and the remaining giggles, they made no sense whatsoever. Fragmented and useless for communication purposes. *
Kurama just took to watching her as she settled back down, enjoying the momentary distraction from what lay back beyond the door of the room, and truly it lifted his mood as well, to have her here, alive and well, able to...laugh.
I missed you.
~!**!~
The dragon very obviously deflated as it snaked back towards Hiei's arm, no longer able to resist his call.
"Awweh~ But...pretty lady!~"
Shikiyoku waited until the dragon was put away before pulling away from Hiei to look up at him.
"Did you know...that your dragon...consumes things in order to understand them?" She kept her arms tightly around him, unsure if she would be able to stand on her own two feet. 3
Hiei watched as the dragon disappeared underneath the sleeve of his cloak, settling as it normally did on his skin where he couldn't rightly see it without pulling the cloth away. And he kept the other arm wrapped firmly around Shikiyoku's shoulders, holding her up and only turning his eyes down to her when she spoke up with a question.
He blinked at her once. "I hadn't had the chance to explore it, no." Makes sense, considering what it said earlier. He took to searching her face, silently looking for any signs of harm that may have come to her.
~!**!~
Akari's lips still held a laughing smile, her eyes closed and her chest moving with her berated breaths as she struggled a little longer. And even without looking up, she knew Kurama was watching her, could feel his gaze on her, which made her eyes open. She began to slide herself upright again, slowly struggling to turn so that her side was against his so she could stare at him squarely.
"You're…" She couldn't rightly get the word out with her heavy breathing. And as she stared, she blinked only once before a mischievous smile came to her face. My turn. Payback for earlier.
She released both of his hands and quickly grabbed his face, pulling him forward until his lips touched hers. Jerk. *
As soon as she was letting go of his hands, he was circling them around her torso and getting pulled forward.
"I'm what?" He said against her lips, smiling a little and making sure she was as close to him as she could possibly be in that moment.
~!**!~
She wasn't 'out of breath,' or breathing heavily, but she still blinked a little slowly, feeling light-headed and clutching at him a little tighter.
"Don't...let go yet...I..." She gave a little laugh, feeling her stomach tense against him, "It liked how I tasted." 3
Perhaps it takes energy?
Hiei wrapped his other arm around her again, tightening his grip on her a little so that she wouldn't fall or even have the chance to think about falling.
"So I heard," he replied calmly, expression conflicted between slight amusement and slight concern. "It also said you were sparkly."
~!**!~
Handsome. Adorable. Ferocious. Amazing. A jerk. Sly. Adorable.
Did I already say that last one?
"A pain," she finally whispered, lips stretching into a wide smile against his. *
He closed his lips again, but voiced a definite 'ha' behind them at her descriptor.
[Does this not qualify as kissing her?]
{She started it.}
[Uh huh.]
~!**!~
"Mm." She intoned in agreement, "I gathered." Her eyes finally closed for a few seconds before coming open again. "You know, I don't think I could so much as coerce an insect right now."
She tried to get her feet underneath her at least, but Hiei was still holding up the majority of her weight.
"I don't think I've ever..." Lost this much before.
Not all at once. 3
Hiei continued to watch Shiki, taking in every muscle that so much as twitched, every reaction her body gave when he slightly shifted or when she shifted, and it was all he needed to confirm his earlier theory. Energy. He blinked once at her before moving, making quick work of sliding one arm from around her and turning her, that arm moving under her knees so he could carry her in his arms.
He paused to look at the stadium, still hearing bits and pieces of it crumbling and crashing to the earth.
Deciding they'd likely caused enough trouble- or, rather, he'd caused enough trouble- he folded the layers over himself and her, moving in the direction of her home at a slow and leisurely pace. He knew Kitoushi would be inside, very likely still on her bed.
And if that was the case, then the couch would have to suffice for now.
And later, they could cause more problems in the world and do whatever they wanted, whenever they wanted.
~!**!~
You have to breathe, stupid.
Akari's hands moved away from Kurama's face as she turned to face him fully now, her arms moving to loop around his neck just sa she broke away and simply took to leaning against him, resting her cheek on his shoulder so she could still watch him.
"Also," she began with a teasing air, pausing to take another breath, "a jerk." *
"Is that why you keep kissing me? I feel as if that's a terrible requirement. You should probably reevaluate your standards." Kurama's head leaned slightly as he looked over at her. "Jerks and pains aren't really worth kissing."
~!**!~
For each measured breath she took, it felt to Shikiyoku like her core only gave half a beat, barely able to pump enough energy through her veins to keep her conscious, and she was grateful to the fire demon when he scooped her up, unsure how much longer before she just collapsed into him anyway.
She didn't even have the strength to reach up and wrap her arms around his neck, just leaning into him and feeling keenly as if she deserved it for having done the same to Hiei earlier. 3
Hiei occasionally glanced down at Shikiyoku as he moved through the layer, noticing each time that she was still awake, but likely barely so. So when he reached the house, his first instinct was to expand his energy and search for a person inside.
He wasn't surprised to find Kitoushi exactly where he thought the cat demon would be.
So as he'd planned, he moved into the house through the front door, only unwrapping the layers from himself when he was in the living room, circling around the couch. He considered the furniture for a moment before turning and slowly sliding himself onto it, stretching his body along it and propping his back against the armrest, shifting Shikiyoku so that she lay against him and the back cushions.
~!**!~
Akari let out a breathy laugh and shrugged a little. "I would agree, but really it's only you." Only you I'd want to be like this with. Anyone else gets this close and it's a threat to their life.
She gave another small huff of a laugh.
From both of us, as I've noticed.
"So really, it doesn't matter." *
"You only kiss me because I'm a pain and a jerk?" Kurama hummed, "I don't know whether to continue so you'll kiss me more or be insulted for those being the only reasons you've given as to why."
~!**!~
Shikiyoku didn't really feel any pain about the circumstances, so she made no noise when jostled around and shifted and finally coming to rest against Hiei.
Something bothered her though, or was bothering her, or maybe had been bothering her-she couldn't rightly say.
Ever since...ever since they left the bathhouse, actually. Something that tickled at the back of her head that she couldn't actually place because-
She gave a contented sigh and a tired smile once they stopped moving, relaxing into the demon holding her now that they were back at the-
Her eyebrows drew together.
What was it exactly?
She almost felt as if Hiei was staring at her again, but it wasn't him.
"Nn." She buried her face into Hiei's cloak. 3
Hiei kept one arm over Shikiyoku while the other was moved behind his head, helping him stretch his torso a little more so that she may have just that much more room between himself and the back of the couch, if she so desired. His eyes wandered the room for a few moments until he heard her give a small noise and shift around, burying her nose against him.
His eyes turned down to her and remained there, calmly watching her with an occasional blink. "Just rest." His eyelids closed halfway, allowing him to still watch her but to also relax just that much more. "I'm not going anywhere."
~!**!~
"Hmm, no. There are most definitely other reasons." Akari replied with a smile of mischief. She thought briefly on the night before she'd left, where they had laid in the meadow with arms around one another until she'd pulled away, earning a stare that bore into her back at the time and a tense air.
She had rolled right back after a while and done the same thing she'd just done.
The thought made her huff through her nostrils.
"Most definitely other reasons. Reasons why it's you and no one else." Because…
Hm. That part she hadn't rightly decoded yet.
And it made her core give a funny little jolt.
Because..?
She made a little sound to herself. Why did she do it now?
...because I missed him. Duh. *
Kurama let out a large sigh, "I guess I'll just never be good enough to know those reasons."
[She's smarter than she looks, fox.]
{What did you just say?}
[If she gave you all the secrets, you'd exploit them even worse than you already are.]
{...say that again and I will figure out a way to expel you from this body.}
[Would you like me to show you how much I-]
{No.}
~!**!~
"S' not you." Shikiyoku mumbled, turning so that her cheek rested against him, "Som'fing's wrong. Been wrong. Dunno what." 3
Hiei raised a brow, finding himself staring at her with that blank stare he'd issued earlier. It wasn't actually on purpose this time, but he didn't relinquish it either. He would have said it wasn't important, but he wasn't sure that that wouldn't spur her on to figure it out. And he didn't want her mood turning back to how it had been much earlier.
So he stared as if he waited for her to continue.
~!**!~
Akari let out a little sigh at Kurama's words, a small smile playing at her lips. "It would take too long to tell you all of them." She paused, giving a small yawn and scratching at her face.
"I will admit, however, that one of them includes that you're completely ridiculous. How you can sound completely infuriated and look completely… adorable, all at once." She frowned, realizing she'd just given away several things in that one explanation. "All within a single minute or two. And I'm not really sure if you came up with it on the fly or planned it out and waited for the right moment."
Her frown deepened, and then suddenly became a smile. "Does that stay your curiosity enough?" *
"It'll do. For now." Kurama allowed, ignoring the other parts of her monologue where he might be able to shed some light. "I can't say I don't enjoy hearing you talking about me, though." His expression was neutral. "Not when it's like that anyway."
~!**!~
Shikiyoku wasn't sure exactly when her eyes had closed, but she opened one of them and shifted her face upwards to look at him.
"Mm-yeah. Like that. Som'fin' starin' at me." She let her head drop again. "At the back of my head. Botherin' me. Someone...tryin' tah get my attention." She gave a yawn that ended up with this little noise that was likely more adorable than she even knew as she smacked her lips together a little. She added, in a grumble, "Smells funny too." 3
Hiei blinked once at Shikiyoku, waiting until she wasn't looking to let his brows furrow and his eyes to move up and look around the room cautiously. For the most part, he saw nothing that stood out, nothing that wasn't where it was supposed to be. Perhaps that was what worried him more, was that she felt it, and he wasn't exactly sensing much of any-
Smells funny?
Discreetly, he took a small sniff of the air around him, and as she said, something didn't smell right. That drew his brows further together over his eyes and he shifted his hold on her a little so he could take another sweeping glance around the room. And the Jagan was open, sweeping the upper rooms for threats, for anything that might explain the scent, and the feeling Shikiyoku had described.
Kitoushi was on her bed, as he'd already known. Other than that, there was nothing else in the house to explain anything out of the norm.
To create the scent.
Nothing he could find, anyway.
He lowered himself back to the couch, settling again.
"Go to sleep."
He'd be watching every single thing in the room. And if anything happened, he was fully prepared to wrap them up in the layers, pick her up, and make a run for it.
Because fighting with her in this state wasn't something he was willing to risk.
~!**!~
Akari smiled and shifted a little bit. "Well, that's all you get. Everything else is my little secret." She nestled her face into his neck contentedly. "Plus, didn't you know that actions speak louder than words?" This should give you plenty of hints. *
Kurama gave out a little chuckle and settled back against the plants behind him, wrapping his arms around Akari once more.
They were...going to have to leave the haven at some point. Too long and Yomi would suspect...things.
Acting upset with her was not something Kurama particularly wanted to do. Especially since afterwards he found himself wanting to sneak into her room to make up for it.
~!**!~
Shikiyoku mumbled something that didn't quite make it past her lips.
Stupid...smells funny...can't smell Hiei...s'dumb.
All I'm getting is-
"Yoku..."
"Nn. Stop it."
Tired. 3
Hiei's eyes had been wandering the room again, but the moment Shiki spoke up his eyes were on her again. I'm not doing anything.
The thought had his unease growing, almost forming tension in his body despite all his efforts to remain lax for her. To let her fall into sleep.
Except something wasn't letting her.
He continued to watch her, letting his telepathy listen in for once, and hearing a single word that he wasn't surprised to hear, except it seemed a reason for wanting to be left alone by something.
Or someone.
His lips pulled downward.
~!**!~
Akari could almost, almost just let herself fall into sleep again if she wanted to. Which reminded her of the necklace. "Do you wan' me to take tha' with me?" She suddenly asked, eyes opening to glance at the necklace on the other side of his lap. "Or wai' until tomorrow?" Either works, I suppose.
Then again, keeping such a colorful thing from view wouldn't be easy.
...Whatever he said. *
Kurama hesitated.
If there was any chance of her falling asleep...of her spirit wandering away and never getting back to her body...of him losing her...
"There is no reason to risk it. Not until we know for sure that it works. Then I'll refine it into something that can be kept fairly hidden."
~!**!~
"Yoku..."
Nn.
"Yoku..."
Shikiyoku's eyes flew open and she sat up, blinking, scenting the air.
A rush of adrenaline into her veins had her core waking up again and without waiting for Hiei to move she phased through the layers until she was behind the couch and headed towards the stairs.
She stopped short, turned back to him with an expression of apology, "Hold that thought." She smiled a little, "You're rather comfortable." And then she was getting up the stairs and opened the door to her room. 3
Hiei nearly jumped when Shikiyoku bolted upright, blinking and sniffing at the air. He didn't move, watching her even as she blurred away from him and to the stairs, only pausing to turn back and give a small smile.
"Hold that thought...You're rather comfortable."
Which meant to stay right where he was.
Which he didn't know if he wanted to do. So he sat upright, watching her over the back of the couch until she disappeared from sight, listening to the door upstairs opening and listening to her breathing, her core.
~!**!~
"Mm-kay," Akari hummed out. "Whatever you say, boss." Maybe when she went to sleep in her room, she'd be tired enough not to wander. That would be wonderful. And even if she did wander, at least Takeo wasn't around. Anymore.
The thought made her give a breath that was meant to be a snicker.
And she was pulling away, sitting upright with legs crossed and her hands rubbing at her face. "You're comfortable, and I don't wanna sleep yet," she admitted, still running her hands down her cheeks roughly. "Auughh." *
"We should lay down, then." Because that was going to be completely helpful in regards to the last part of her comment.
It took a great deal of effort to remain appearing perfectly serious.
~!**!~
"Yoku..."
"I'm here. Kit, I'm here." The bedroom door swung closed behind her out of habit, though it didn't shut all the way, and Shikiyoku was moving across the room to the bed, the scent making her nose crinkle. "Kit, what did you do?"
The cat demon shifted his long body over a little as he opened a brown eye to look at her.
"I didn't do anything." He mumbled, his eyes partially concealed by his hair.
She climbed up and knelt next to him, reaching out to touch his back, for he was laying on his stomach.
"Kitoushi." She said more sternly this time. A sudden thought had her freezing in place, almost lifting her hand from his back. "Y-...you didn't..."
Every muscle in her body seized up and both of Kit's eyes came open as he reached out to grab the wrist of the hand propping her up and drag her closer.
"It's a cold. Not-"
"Kit." Her eyebrows raised accusatory, shifting her balance and refusing to comply as he tugged at her. "Are you lying to me?"
"Do I look like I'm lying to you?"
"You're a cat."
"Yoku, you said you'd come back to me."
That whine. The same one he always adopted when he had taken on too much and had gotten bedridden.
"Didn't I?"
"Yoku, it's been three days."
Shikiyoku blinked at him.
What?
It was dark outside. Almost exactly like it had been when Hiei took off with her. The only difference here being Kit no longer lay out in the guest room.
Her eyes narrowed, "How long have you been sick?"
"I dunno." He grumbled.
"Kit, yes, you do. You never don't know."
He mumbled something into the pillows.
"Kit." She demanded, harsher this time, worry beginning to itch at the back of her mind.
He wouldn't meet her gaze and she glared harder.
"...three days."
The entire time I've been gone?
She thought back to the last time she had seen him, when she had left. Was he really only tired then? Responding to her sleepily? Or had...what did he say, a cold?...had it already set in at that point? 3
Hiei listened to Shikiyoku's core mainly, but his senses were well aware of everything else too. Of the conversation, of the sound of the sink dripping here and there in the kitchen, hell, even of the people outside who walked by on the other side of the street. And he could hear her core's beating quicken just a little as time wore on, which brought his feet to the floor.
But he didn't stand.
He didn't know what to do.
So he sat there some more, listening, waiting. Prepared to act on almost anything.*
Thanks for reading! Bless your face. If you sneezed during this chapter, bless you. Peace off! BOOP! -Star