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!
Shikiyoku and Hiei leave the bath house,
Hiei taking her to the old, destroyed stadium
that had been the location of the Dark Tournament,
and he promptly releases the Dragon of the Darkness Flame
into the air whereupon it begins thrashing around the place it had first been called.
Meandering around the broken seating,
Shikiyoku feels herself being watched,
her energy beginning to tingle,
and is initially unaware that Hiei is the one staring.
The Dragon begins ramming off pieces of the structure,
forcing Hiei to dodge about the grounds to avoid the debris,
until the very moment in which it turns and swallows Shikiyoku whole.
Hiei learns that the Dragon has a sort of sentience,
the manner in which it speaks akin to how the True Fire talks,
and that it consumes things in order to understand them.
The result being Shikiyoku's energy is greatly depleted
and after it spits her back out,
Hiei finally returns with her to her home.
Feeling Kitoushi calling for her,
Shikiyoku goes upstairs to find him sick,
and that it had been three days since she left with Hiei.
~!**!~
Managing to return to her own body,
Akari tells Kurama how Takeo had still been around,
though her shadow moved to take care of it,
and Kurama wonders if perhaps the manner in which
he had been attempting to keep her soul in place,
also made it more difficult for her to return.
The two rest in near-silence as Kurama adjusts the necklace,
until finally Kurama gathers her into his arms,
attempting to distract her from their circumstances beyond the room.
Akari ends up kissing him,
having missed being around him for so long,
and when she admits to being tired and not wanting to fall asleep,
Kurama suggests they lay down...
Akari made a sound at Kurama. "I'm trying to stay awake. Laying down isn't the answer." No matter how much I want to.
Again she thought about how they had lay in the meadow, her arms around his neck and his arms around her, one toying with her hair as they bantered back and fort-
You're making it more difficult.
Another groan.
It's so tempting.
If she knew how much longer they were going to be in there, it might have helped her situation.
Except if she came in the room tired and left the room rested…
Yomi would notice.
She crossed her arms over her her chest and huffed loudly. "I've decided that is a terrible idea and that I don't want to sleep." She gave a smile, her tone suddenly taking on one that mocked a TV game show host she'd seen before leaving for the third layer. "Thanks for trying though! Come back and play again sometime!" *
"And if not sleep, then what exactly do you propose doing, beautiful?"
~!**!~
"Kit-" Shikiyoku let out an exasperated noise and sat back on her heels, feeling the cat demon still trying to pull her forward and while she rocked back and forth, she didn't let him move her down.
"Lay down." He whined, turning onto his side to face her and reaching for her.
She fended him off gently, "Kit, we can't lay down we need to-"
"I know what I need." He said grumpily, "And it's you to-"
"Kit."
He gave out a sigh that knew she was right and she echoed him with one that had thought of another problem.
"Kit, somebody's probably already taken over the place."
"Nu-uh." He argued, "It was a really good hideout."
"That's the point. Someone's got to have already found it by now."
He pouted at her a little, "But my stuff's in there."
"I know."
The 'stuff' he needed was well-hidden and even if the entire place was sweeped, it would likely not be found.
Shikiyoku started to scoot back off the bed and Kitoushi's grip on her arm tightened suddenly and she stopped to look at him through his dark hair.
"I'll be right back." She mumbled, trying to get herself free.
"Kiss me first."
She let out a huff.
"Yoku..."
"Will you let me go if I do?"
He nodded, leading her to let out another huff as she leaned back forward and reached over to move aside the curtain of his hair.
Kitoushi shifted his head a little and she pressed her lips against his, but was pulling back fairly quickly only to find that he followed after and her eyes came open, pushing him back down onto the bed and easily slipping out of his grasp.
This time he gave out a huff and watched her as she left the room, moving back down the stairs. 3
Hiei had remained sitting that way until he heard the door close and footsteps at the top of the stairs, telling him Shiki was coming back. He released his tension and shifted, lazily stretching himself along the couch again, just as he had been when she left.
Even if the scent on the air still struck him as off. He didn't like it, but Shikiyoku wasn't in danger at the moment, so he left it be for his senses to follow at the edges of his awareness.
His eyelids slid closed and his arm propped his head up again, one ankle crossed over the other by the time she would reach the bottom step.
~!**!~
"I dunno," she admitted, refusing the yawn that built up in the back of her throat. "Talk about the weather?" Of course, she was joking. She let her head tilt to the side a little as she watched him, thinking.
"We could play tic-tac-toe with plants and shadows." she suggested, her smile suddenly wide and eyes sparkling with mirth as she tried not to laugh. *
Kurama blinked at her once before answering, "You're..."
...
Adorable.
[Aw, that's so cute.]
{Shut up.}
~!**!~
Shikiyoku let out a little breath when she reached the first floor, mind still whirling with Kitoushi's circumstances and the sudden need to return to their hideout after all these years.
When she rounded the couch, she stopped, taking a moment to just look at him, unaware of the calm smile that had settled over her features.
I wish I could join you.
She stepped forward quietly, wondering if he had actually fallen asleep, and gently sat down on the edge of the couch near his waist. 3
Hiei listened to her footsteps with interest, noting she was coming in his direction. He didn't move, only listening to her calmly until she paused by the couch, and he could feel her calm eyes on his face. He wasn't particularly surprised when she sat next to him, but didn't move to actually lay where she had been before.
He knew she had to go somewhere. It was clear in the way she hesitated around him, as if she didn't exactly want to go.
His eyes came open slowly. "Where are we going this time?"
"Because you're not going alone."
~!**!~
Akari's smile remained, wide and showing off her teeth and even the tip of her tongue as it rested between her front teeth to hold back a laugh. She waited for him to continue, but was very much satisfied with the simple blink he gave her.
Because she hadn't achieved it until this point.
"I'm what, hmm?" she intoned, her voice wavering a little with her withheld laugh as she sat a little straighter, moving her shoulders around in a little happy jig. "Hmmmmmm?" *
"You're kidding, right? Plants versus shadows? Since when is that fair?" Kurama picked up right where he left off, completely unaffected by her display.
Or at least making a decent case for it.
~!**!~
"We're not going anywhere." Shikiyoku informed him playfully, scooting back into him a little and then making to lay down next to him on the outside of the couch. "You're staying here."
"I'm not going alone, silly." 3
Hiei raised a brow at Shikiyoku, scowling just a little. "If something were to happen, would he be able to fight, or will you be carrying him?"
He really, really didn't want to stay behind if there was any chance of trouble. After all, she'd had her energy drained, and the cat was sick. He at least had had time to recover. A nap and all.
And he made sure to pin her with a stare.
~!**!~
Akari's smile only seemed to widen, her eyes flashing even brighter. "What part of that would be unfair? It isn't like shadows can read your mind." And a sudden thought occurred to her. "And I promise I won't drop you into a random shadow if I get upset, if you promise not to have me dragged into the air!"
At this point, she was completely and utterly jubious, like a kid who'd just found a new friend on the playground. "Or," she suddenly gave a laugh, "we could play hangman." This time, she couldn't hold back the snort that turned into a giggle. *
"Not dragging you into the air?" Kurama asked, eyes flashing, but his lips not so much as twitching, "What about pinning you to the ground?"
~!**!~
Shikiyoku made a little noise of unhappiness when Hiei didn't scoot over to let her lay down next to him, his stare setting a blush across her nose that she tried to hide by physically pushing him towards the back of the couch before she cuddled closer to him.
"He's fine. He's just a big baby. It isn't nearly as bad as he's making it out to be." She had an elbow propped up on the couch, head in that hand as she looked at him. Her voice lowered, "We won't be gone long." 3
Hiei let her move him, and even scooted a little more while she moved to lay next to him, allowing her just enough room to lay there without falling. He continued to stare at her, taking in her features as she spoke, looking for anything that would make him want to go even more.
And he knew at this moment that one of the main reasons he didn't want to wait around is because he'd already done that and hadn't gotten anywhere. But when he'd stolen her away, he'd gained some of that advantage back.
He didn't want to lose what little he had earned.
At her last words, her reassurance, the fire demon gave a small impression through their mental bond of unhappiness. He hesitated for a moment before releasing a small breath, stare still locked on her gaze. "I'll be right here." He'd keep his telepathy open, just in case she needed him and yelled for him.
~!**!~
Akari raised a brow at him, an expression of 'oh really?' coloring her features. And for a moment she didn't answer, only smiling that wide smile at him. "Well, I mean if you want to play dirty, I can't guarantee a fair game at all." *
[Uh, she does know she's talking to the avatar of a kitsune, right?]
{I do believe she's come to realize that somewhere down the line, yes.}
"I don't think I'd care for being trapped in one of your shadows, if I'm being honest."
[I mean, seriously, when do we not want to play dirty?]
{I somehow feel as if your definitions of 'dirty' are somewhat different.}
~!**!~
For just a moment, Shikiyoku relaxed into the couch and just looked back at him.
What would I do without you?
She smiled a little, "Why are you so sweet to me?" 3
Hiei's brow raised a little higher, and his head twitched a little as if to tilt but not really able to do so the way he lay. Why? He continued to stare, lips pulling up into a smirk. "Just come back before I go looking for you."
~!**!~
Akari's smile was showing her teeth again, the tip of her tongue resting between her front teeth as she denied another little laugh. "No one really likes shadows except those who can call upon them." Her head tilted a little and her brow quirked in thought. "We could play any other game you can come up with, if you wanted. I just blurted the first that came to mind."
Hangman would be more fun if Takeo were the 'man' part.
The thought had her pursing her lips together briefly before her smile returned.
"I'd love to hear your ideas." *
"Is that so?" Kurama leaned closer to her, eyes gleaming, "Are you certain you want to know what a fox considers a game?"
~!**!~
Shikiyoku laughed pleasantly, "That wasn't an answer at all, fire-prince." 3
Hiei's smirk grew wider, his eyes flashing and gleaming with more amusement and mischief than before, and he rolled onto his side to face her, propping his elbow on the couch and resting his cheek on his hand. He considered her for a moment, and the many responses he could give.
And he decided to choose the most honest one of them all.
"Because I happen to find your presence a likeable one."
~!**!~
"You know, I'm not as narrow-minded as I like people to believe." She still smiled, but her lips were closed and a majority of that smile was sparkling in her eyes, contained in her irises. "I may not be the smartest and I may not exactly think before I act, but I do know enough, mister." Akari stuck her tongue at him. *
"Was that a yes, then?" Kurama asked, his eyes gleaming at her.
~!**!~
You are so distracted right now.
It felt as if the half-smile were stuck on her face. Even more so when he turned to face her, which while allowing her more room to breathe also put his countenance right in front of her own.
The blush wasn't going anywhere either.
Kit's upstairs and needs your help and all you can do is sit and stare at this one.
"I...I need to go." Shikiyoku lowered her eyes to stare down at the couch cushions beneath them. 3
Hiei watched Shikiyoku, half expecting a retort of some kind, but not really surprised when he didn't receive anything more than the smile she offered. He knew he was distracting her, knew she felt she needed to go, even if he really didn't want her to.
But the moment she said aloud what he already knew was going to be said, he made a small sound of confirmation. "Take care of the cat's business." He shifted some more, letting his eyes close as he rested his head atop his arm that acted as a pillow. "Before I change my mind." And not let you leave.
~!**!~
Akari's tongue hid behind her lips again as she took to considering the redhead unblinkingly, watching him almost warily despite the smile she still wore. You need to stop that… that charm of yours. "Quite honestly, if you really wanted me to know, there wouldn't be much I could do about now, would there?" *
"It's very true." Kurama said seriously. "Maybe I'm questioning whether you know if you're really prepared to know or not. Or maybe I just don't want to tell you."
~!**!~
The tension around her ribcage immediately relaxed when Hiei's eyes closed, and Shikiyoku hadn't even known those muscles had tightened, as if in anticipation for something.
Her first instinct was about Hiei changing his mind about finding her presence a likeable one if she didn't leave soon, and surprisingly enough the connection had her giving a little laugh at herself inside her own head.
As she started shifting her limbs around in preparation to get up, she looked at him and had a sudden urge to kiss him while he wasn't looking. While he appeared so...well pleasant was a good way of putting it.
He'll be here when you get back.
Or at least if not in the couch, nearby.
...he looked rather adorable though.
Shikiyoku shook herself and started to get up. 3
Hiei shifted a little bit as Shikiyoku moved around to leave, bringing himself further down on the couch so that his head didn't touch the armrest anymore. And when he settled again he did bring his eyes open to watch her calmly, though not exactly staring in the way he had taken to doing. SImply observing.
It took a lot to close his eyes again and not protest.
Because he'd had fun those three days with her.
Had it really been so long? It certainly hadn't felt like it.
~!**!~
Akari's head tilted to the side a little, blinking once at Kurama as she considered his words with a serious expression. She slowly leaned away, the smile returning to her features as she continued to stare at him almost searchingly. "Tic tac toe it is then!" *
Kurama gave an acquiescing nod of his nod, "As you say. Would you like to go first?"
~!**!~
With one last look back at Hiei and a minor sigh of discontent, Shikiyoku wrapped herself inbetween and took a step towards her bedroom, ending up in it and unwinding herself back into the first layer.
Upon feeling her in the room, Kitoushi started to shift towards the edge of the bed while she approached, and as she bent down, he shifted forms as she scooped him up in her arms, moving him for her shoulders at which point he gained purchase and climbed over the back of them, resting his torso behind her neck with his lithe legs hanging on either side.
And then she left.
Thoughts ran through her mind even as she ran through the layers.
Of course things weren't fine. When was the last time Kitoushi had actually gotten sick? She could count the times in the past it had occurred on one hand.
But Hiei really did need to stay here. Going with them would probably just get him killed, given how they had the hideout set up. And of course, in order to get to the things Kit needed, it required the both of them to deactivate the locks. As harsh as it may have sounded, Hiei would have only been getting in the way. The area was...out of his league.
Now, as to whether or not someone had taken over the main portion, that would remain to be seen once they arrived. 3
Half of the night, Hiei had been awake and listening to the silence of the house. He had strongly considered going up to Shikiyoku's room and taking over the bed as he had awhile back, but that had required moving, which, honestly, he was too lazy to do.
So he'd stayed right where he was until he had fallen asleep, laying on his back with an arm over his eyes and his ankles crossed at the other end of the couch, his free hand resting over the gems that rested under his cloak.
~!**!~
Now she was really curious. So for a moment, Akari only stared at Kurama unblinkingly, considering backtracking. But half of her was certain it was tickling he was considering, and she really was powerless against that too. Funny how that worked.
She recovered after a moment and blinked. "Do we want the grid made from vines and the shadows and… whatever you use as the place markers? Probably be easiest that way. And I don't mind going first." *
"This was your idea." Kurama insisted. "We will do it any way you like."
[Heh.]
{Really?}
~!**!~
When they arrived back at the first layer, Kitoushi insisted they landed on the other side of the city so they would have to walk through it to get to Shikiyoku's house on the other side.
He also insisted they hold hands the whole time.
"Oo!"
He let go of her hand for what was probably only the third time and dashed back a few steps to stare into the window of one of the shops they had gone by.
This had been happening the entire time. Mostly he would pull her back with him, but there were occasions like this one where he out and out let go of her to scramble back down the way they just came.
Needless to say, he hadn't done much exploring of the first layer, even as a cat. Nor had he garnered any interest in 'human things' before now, so he was seeing these things with new eyes.
Since he didn't motion for her to 'come and see' this time, Shikiyoku only turned, watching him fondly and cross her arms over her chest, thinking.
She had gleaned a little bit more from him on the disease that apparently continued to crop up all around the layers, though only demons were affected it seemed.
He discovered that almost every single demon he studied-among those who were ill, those who had the ability to energy-absorb but had not fallen ill, and other demons who had yet to acquire the ability-there were a handful or so who did not already have the disease, himself being one of them before he gleaned a portion of it from Shikiyoku.
Almost every single demon in the layers, he made the conjecture according to the data he gathered, already had the disease laying dormant inside of them, and many of those likely went their whole lives without knowing. The virus only activated if those demons were infected with Crusnik, which Kitoushi continuously insisted was almost like a separate virus in and of itself.
Anytime he went into greater detail than 'virus,' Shikiyoku would feel her eyes glazing over. It was all his expertise, not hers.
A whiff of his scent on the air brought Shikiyoku back to the present, seeing that Kit almost appeared to be stalking down the side of the window to the one before it, popping up with his ears raised high of his head and his nose nearly in contact with the glass.
He still didn't smell right.
It was the only way she could describe it, even after all these years. Anytime he got sick, there was no way an outsider had of knowing unless they were used to his normal scent, because that's the only thing that outwardly changed.
Except for his whininess, perhaps. And the penchant for wallowing about in bed and making Shikiyoku wait on him hand and foot.
Their journey to the hideout had actually borne fruit, though she was right in thinking it would after centuries have new residents, a new band of bandits. Rather easily gotten by for the two of them, but a new band nonetheless.
These bandits had not gotten into the secret room, but someone else had. Several someones in fact. Someones that had Kitoushi's tail growing bushier and Shikiyoku's body tensing with the power whoever it was had left behind. They couldn't even tell how long it had been, though they certainly didn't think it had happened yesterday considering the way the room had been ransacked and the rest of the hideout was relatively well-kept. Not to mention this kind of power would have likely just blasted through the front door of the hideout-instead of sneaking in like Kit and Shikiyoku did-and destroyed every single demon inside.
Regardless, after sifting through the pieces, they finally came across a single dosage of Kitoushi's secret stash left, likely inadvertently left behind by whoever stripped the place, and Shikiyoku stood there and watched as Kit injected himself with it, unwilling to let him go a moment longer without the concoction he invented all that time ago-after the first time he had gotten sick-that was intended to give his body the necessary boost it needed to combat whatever infected it.
He was a walking disease machine since he insisted on acquiring every new one they came across. And usually his body was able to combat it, lock it away, allow him to study it, or whatever he wished to do with it. The occasions in which it couldn't resulted in Shikiyoku fulfilling his every need until she would remember the injections. That's how few and far between the instances had been. She would forget, and Kitoushi certainly wasn't going to remind her about it. Not when it meant she had all the more reason to be with him for every moment of the day.
She watched as his tail slowly stroked the air back and forth as his eyes and head darted about the window and grinned a little, starting to back up to join the moving crowd of people that were unaware of the two demons in their midst, though they gave them enough berth to breathe in at the very least.
Shikiyoku turned and melted in with them, ears perked for the moment in which Kitoushi would notice.
Last time he had called her name in such a despondent manner with his ears and tail lowering-and she hadn't even been out of sight yet-that she had actually felt bad.
And here she was doing it again anyway.
Right before he pounced, Shikiyoku felt his desire to do so but that didn't mean her entire body didn't seize up when he landed.
Practically swallowing her in a giant hug from behind, Kit had moved through the layers, stalking her when he noticed she had sneaked out of sight.
For a second, Shikiyoku felt her body go rigid as Kitoushi had his face near her neck. He nuzzled her face with his and planted several kisses along the bottom of her jaw.
"Why you do this?" He pouted a little, Shikiyoku's chuckle releasing the moment of startle his pounce had created.
"Because it's fun." She informed him. Her nose crinkled after a second. "You smell awful. How is it going?"
Kitoushi released her and they started walking forward again, though his ears were perked and he kept glancing into the each window they passed.
"It'll take some time." He replied easily, giving Shikiyoku no outwards signs that she could read to tell if he was lying or not.
She shrugged and kept moving.
How was he supposed to tell her that the dosage hadn't worked, that it had lost its potency over the years, or quite possibly was a placebo that whoever had been there left behind or something? Or that no matter how many times he reassured her it was a cold-the definition of which was, to be fair, nebulous and could apply for a lot of sicknesses-that it wasn't in fact a cold at all?
Blinking, Kitoushi caught sight of another shiny product in the window, letting out another 'Oo!' and letting Shikiyoku laugh and keep walking even as he pressed through the crowd and stuck his nose near the glass again.
What is that smell?
He sniffed, blinking again and peering further into the shop.
This was a...shiny store. Not a food-y store. He passed enough of both to know the difference by now.
Hm.
Tail curling and uncurling, Kitoushi took another soft sniff, nose twitching as he realized he was terribly hungry.
He hadn't eaten in four? five days now? Since he brought Shikiyoku back from the Northern Tribe.
They passed by a bunch of-what were those called again?-bakeries, but he hadn't particularly noticed being quite so hungry then, and what is it that smelled so good?
Staring at the glass, no longer seeing the items beyond it, Kitoushi tried placing the scent.
Shikiyoku meanwhile had kept going for a ways, stopping when she could only just see the top of Kit's ears as she glanced back, and stepping out of the crowd to lean up against the wall of another shop to her left, watching Kitoushi with a smile for a moment before turning and looking through the crowd to the other side of the street, finding that there were two or three demons over there who seemed to be doing much the same as she and Kit were, wandering aimless along the sidewalk through the humans that hardly gave them a first glance.
Ugh, that smell. Shouldn't it have at least gotten better by now?
When Shikiyoku turned to look over at Kitoushi, she very slowly found her arms dropping and her back coming off of the wall behind her.
His face turned, just as slowly as she shifted, from the glass in front of him to stare at her, head tilting just slightly to the side, and eyes unblinking.
And pitch black.
Shikiyoku's core froze in place.
...
No.
Kitoushi took a step for her and everything around Shikiyoku felt like it had gone into slow-motion as the vision she conjured while sitting in the hot spring tunneled her sight, leaving only her and Kitoushi as she pushed off from the wall and dashed through the crowd towards the street, her eyes never leaving the cat demon.
No. No, no, no-
He took off after her, and when he cleared the crowd heading in her direction his form had shifted, and she found herself staring with wide-eyes and an unaccepting mind at the large black cat, the size of the small cars parked a block or so away.
"Kit!" Can he even hear me? "Kit, please!"
His strides were longer than hers, and by the time he was leaping at her from halfway across the street, she was only a foot from his paws' reach.
Shikiyoku started to turn in the next stride when she saw his jaws parting and his head tilting to the side, his giant paws passing either of her shoulders as he went for the kill, stretching towards her neck.
No...
Her body reacted without her permission, her core jolting in panic and pulling aside her true form to reveal the grey, scarred skin and the dark green eyes, and without so much as a chance to think, her hand snapped up between Kitoushi before his mouth could reach her face, sending a life-ending pulse of energy blasting directly into his core from where her hand came in contact with his chest.
The slow-motion stopped as in the next instant everything seemed to snap back into place, Kit's head thrown back as the blow rocked his neck and his giant body smashed into Shikiyoku and took her to the ground.
She lay breathing hard in the embrace of his front legs where he had fallen, half of him on the sidewalk, half of him on the street and her stretched up against his furry chest and belly as if he hugged her.
And from that position she got to feel the life go out of him as his body shuddered and did not move again.
She barely even cringed as a deep etching drew itself as if by a knife-point through her skin, leaving a deep, heart-shaped scar that spanned all the way across the back of her hand, more scarring appearing over the old ones already there as the mark creeped halfway up her forearm, only leaving a small echo of the mark the cat demon had worn, just like Otento's had done.
For a second she could only stare at the black fur in her face, finding she couldn't cry, finding she couldn't...feel anything really.
Slowly, agonizingly, she started to sit up, his paw heavy on top of her as she scooted back and watched that same paw drop with deadened weight to the ground.
All thoughts had stilled as she scooted until she touched him no longer, only staring at what was left of him even as she stood up, silent, stared a moment longer, then wrapped herself inbetween, fleeing down to the Ninth Layer. 3
Hiei shifted a little, mouth twitching in displeasure as he felt the sun's rays filtering heat into the house. He hadn't meant to sleep so long. He let his arm slide away from his face and he rolled onto his side, listening to the utter silence of the house. He could feel the Jagan had taken to watching a specific area instead of the place it had been originally keeping watch, but at the moment he didn't pay much attention to it.
He sat on the edge of the couch and rubbed at his eyes a little, trying to rid his vision of the bleariness before making any attempt at getting up to investigate anything.
And then he felt it. That surge of energy that lasted no longer than a second.
His eyelids shot open and his vision was consumed with the image of Shikiyoku blurring away on a street somewhere downtown. He was up and moving before the image even vanished, using the inbetween so that it might become easier to track her, which wasn't an easy feat when she'd disappeared so quickly.
It didn't even take him a whole minute to find himself staring down at the large body of the cat demon. If he'd had the time, he would have done something about it instead of leaving Kitoushi where he lay.
But he didn't.
And now that the Jagan had easier access of Shikiyoku's energy, the fire demon folded between the layers at a dead run, his vision completely engrossed in the image of Shikiyoku dashing through the layers at a speed he'd only recently come to know how to manipulate.
And he did just that, keeping his vision swamped with her and his mind blank, his feet making the necessary adjustments when the layers instructed him to do so. He didn't know if his movements were fluid or not, but he only hoped he'd be able to catch up to her before something happened.
~!**!~
Akari gave a little hum in thought. "I think vines- or even tall grass really- would be best for the grid. Shadows versus flowers, hm?" Her smile returned as she looked to Kurama. "Care to do the honors, sir?" *
"You know," Kurama appeared to look thoughtful about it, "We could make the grass really tall, and then suspend ourselves from the ceiling above it so we could see-"
[Shuichi]
Kurama's heart clamored once in his chest, feeling Youko give a sudden, demanding pull that sent Kurama's thoughts scattering as he defensively refused Youko's sudden desire to change places.
He blinked, and realized the fox had called him by his human name. Something Youko had never done before.
Youko let the urgency feed between them, the need to leave.
[Now]
{What's going on? We can't leave.}
[We're leaving. NOW.]
Kurama's feet shifted as if he were meant to obey the command, and Youko hadn't even taken over yet.
The thought had him momentarily stunned.
[She's dying. Or worse. And I'm not about to sit around here while you-]
{If we leave Yomi kills Akari. He said that much to our face.}
[I don't care, Red. Something is wrong.]
{If we leave now, Yomi kills mother.}
The fox and the human had been struggling against one another for control of the body, and Kurama's last comment had the kitsune pausing for long enough that Kurama could stand to his feet, bringing Akari up with him.
"Akari, you need to leave."
~!**!~
Hide me.
The layers seemed to accept her into their embrace, sending her speeding off without purpose, leaving her mind blank, though this time not with serenity or peace, but simply with nothingness.
Almost as if knowing she needed the distance, she was not taken in a direct route to the only place she had anywhere in her mind, instead her pace increasing by exponential amounts as she tore headlong through them.
There was no telling for her how much time passed before she was dashing through the red forest of the Ninth Layer, out somewhere in the Northeastern most territory, in an area she had not been in since she was a little child.
When she twisted out from inbetween, her energy was pulsing outwards from her body and left dead things in its wake, a trail of blackened foliage, a hunting party of bandits falling noiselessly, the energy that followed her streaming outwards and then starting to trickle farther even once she moved on, creating a dark, sickening haze that turned away creatures not caught in the middle of it.
At the last, she stumbled, reaching a clearing, unable to go on any longer, and collapsed to her knees onto the ground, arms hanging by her sides and brushing the blackened forest floor, her head lowered so that she stared at her thighs, and as soon as she stopped, her energy began permeating the air around her and seeping into trees beyond where she stopped. 3
Hiei could feel his speed picking up, could feel the way his muscles continued to relax even further than should have been possible given his complete and utter state of swirling panic inside his core. Because he could feel it, that she would run, and run, and run as long as possible. And he could hear nothing from her thoughts, nothing that meant she had a definitive direction to go, no specific place to be.
And as she went, he could see things in her path wilting, demons dying, the ground darkening further than it already had, turning into crunchy, dead blades of grass and leaves that fell from trees all at once. He could feel her energy taking from everything around her, killing as much in her path as it could.
And he was almost certain it was doing the same to her.
He didn't know why he thought that. Perhaps it was because of the sickness, and how he knew it progressed the more, the longer she was in this form. The more she took from the life forces around her.
And it drove him faster, drove him further with every inch of his being screaming to catch up.
They could've run for years and he wouldn't have even noticed.
He didn't slow even when the Jagan watched her fall to the ground, giving up, unable to run any further. He took keen notice of the image it sent him from some time ago, something she'd shown him at some other time that wasn't important at the moment. And then the image passed and he knew where she had stopped.
It made him try harder.
He only slowed when he was within a certain distance of her, but he didn't land on the Ninth Layer until he was within fifty feet, his pace slowing dramatically once the transition had set in, until he was walking the last few feet to her.
His body fought his every step, his core giving a jolt that told him it wasn't safe. His blood seemed to freeze in his veins with the sickening aura that had thickened the air, and his hands instinctively twitched for his sword, for an attack against what was attacking him, but he kept his pace steady until he was dropping before her, reaching for her.
"Shikiyoku," he said her name in a voice much too calm in amidst the whirlwind of emotions inside him. Fear, worry, desperation, even sadness that she had been put in such a situation. His hand extended towards hers, not even pausing before he grabbed hold of her right hand with his left. "Shiki, look at me."
~!**!~
"No. No heights, you freak. I refuse everything you just said." Akari hadn't waited for him to finish, piping up and cutting him off as she sat back, eyes closing in irritation. "And there's nothing you can say that will convince me otherwise."
She waited for a chuckle, for a wise remark, for something to rebut what she'd said, and found herself surprised with silence.
Tense silence?
Her eyelids came open after she heard him shift a little and she blinked at Kurama, whose eyes were not seeing the room, but glazed as if he were in another universe altogether. It made her uneasy. "Kurama?"
And then he was moving, grabbing her and pulling her to stand with him, which made the hairs on the back of her neck stand. His voice was even and he appeared… calm enough. But she didn't like the air that surrounded him.
Leave? Where? The room? The building?
I'm confused, and you're making me nervous.
"What?" She couldn't really do more than blink at him. When her lips opened, she meant to ask her questions that would actually likely get her better answers, but all that came out was the same, nervous word, "What?" *
"I'm sorry." Kurama still had a hold of her arms and he smiled down at her a little. "I don't mean to cause you concern, but there's something that I have to take care of and you shouldn't be here for it."
Youko had taken up the fight again and it took everything in Kurama not to clutch at Akari's arms, not to even just grab her and start pulling her after him to shove her out the door.
...maybe that would have been better anyway.
~!**!~
Shikiyoku's hand twitched when he grab it, trying to get away from him, but the only reaction she had to his words was for her head giving an almost imperceptible shake.
"...go away." 3
Hiei's grip tightened a little around her hand and his stare darkened a little at her quiet demand. "No." he responded, tone still even despite his lack of patience at the moment. His other hand reached up to grab her chin, knowing the longer she sat in this state, the more likely it was that she would become sicker.
..And that he could very easily fall victim to her energy's rampage as well.
~!**!~
Akari's frown deepened and she stared at the smile he gave her. She clenched her teeth together for a minute to stay her protest, no matter how much she wanted to. He was making her nervous, and had she had hackles they would have been raised in alarm.
But, she knew a losing battle when she saw one, even if she didn't often decide to stop the fight before it began. And she couldn't remember him ever flat out telling her to leave.
She gave a sound that even she didn't know how to describe. Frustration, concern, nervousness all mixing together in that one little grumble of sound
She couldn't even muster up the small threat she had before she nodded and turned to leave. I trust you.
And even harder still was it not to stop and turn back.
But you had better come back when it's fixed. *
Kurama waited.
He waited until she was no longer in the room.
He waited until the door was shut, the plant life that filled up the space crawling over even the door itself this time, completing the haven in which no eyes would be able to see, and no ears would be able to hear.
As soon as she left, the plants that were murmuring into the walls the sounds of arguments, the sounds of a pair of voices, went silent.
And almost as if Youko knew Kurama would start fighting harder, the fox grabbed for control while Kurama stood listening for the tell-tale click of the shutting door, even through the foliage around them.
Their body blurred and Kurama slammed Youko away, repeating everything he had said before, and getting in return that something had happened with Yoku, that she was breaking, if not already broken, and they needed to be there.
Images of Yomi slaughtering his mother, Akari, Kurama fed these to the fox even as the two of them locked together, Youko pushing to gain the body and Kurama holding him back.
~!**!~
She resisted his hand at her chin, knowing he likely meant to kiss her, to change her back.
"No..." This time a bit of emotion sneaked past what had previously sounded like a flat, monotonous response. "Please..."
"If I can feel...I will die."
Of a broken heart. Of a shattered one, at the least.
The hand he held twitched again, aware of how cold and clammy her skin felt against his, and of how painful the new scar on her hand and arm would be should their place on her skin appear in her core. 3
Hiei gave a small sound at her protest, her words making him pause only momentarily before he pulled on her, not giving her the chance to protest his arms wrapping around her. "And if you sit here, you will die." Of the sickness, from her energy. And he would too, because he wasn't going to turn around and go back. He wasn't going to take back what he'd said, and what he was about to say again. "I'm not going anywhere. Not without you." He took a breath. "You are not going to sit here and waste away. You are not going to break apart and disappear. I won't let you. You don't get the privilege to choose here."
~!**!~
Akari had gotten halfway to the door before she felt the need to turn around grow stronger. And when she thought she was about to, she broke into a jog, knowing that if he wanted her to go, it was for a good reason. And she only slowed when she had to pull the door open.
When the door clicked loudly behind her, she took a deep breath and released the doorknob, head bowed as she gathered herself.
When she stood upright again, her expression held irritation and her shoulders were slumped with exhaustion. She swallowed and turned, moving down the hall.
Yomi can't know.
As she turned a corner, she passed the very demon she'd just thought about, and she kept her eyes ahead and passed him without even a glance.
He didn't stop her, and a demon scurried to him with something or another, so she continued to her room as she knew he would want of her. Because no one could get stuck in a room with an angry fox and continue about their business as usual afterwards. *
~!**!~
A shudder ran up Shikiyoku's body when he grabbed her, cringing at his touch but otherwise remaining unreactive.
As long as he didn't try to change her back, what did she care? Being resistant to pain also translated to the pain she knew would await her on the other side of things, where she knew the instant she reverted back, the pieces of her core would fall apart.
And why not?
Suddenly don't want to die?
She would die anyway if she sat here long enough, he had that much right. Her energy was seeping out of her in such large amounts that eventually she would be burning through her life energy, and she knew she wouldn't have any desire to stop it at that point.
Hiei's words struck her and her eyes came open from when they had shut as he grabbed for her, staring forward blankly.
"...why not? Why don't I get to choose?" 3
"Because I need you here, Shiki." The response had come so swiftly that even he hadn't registered what he'd said. He was painfully aware of the energy around him, of it moving from her body at alarming rates and even taking his own energy at an alarming rate as well.
So he pulled away again, grabbed her face so she couldn't pull away without giving a tremendous resistance, and pulled her face forward for the second time. *
No...please...
Shikiyoku didn't even feel like fighting, didn't think she could fight him, but-
Her hand came up inbetween them as he pulled her forward, her fingers gently covering his lips as she stared into his eyes.
"Why? Why do you need me here?"
Something flitted across her eyes.
"What do you desire?" 3
Hiei stopped moving when her fingers touched his lips, finding the gentle protest likely more surprising than if she had mustered up the energy to jerk away. And he didn't release her, only staring back at her with a scowl.
And her questions had him conflicted. Because he wanted her to live.
'If I can feel….I will die...'
He felt his expression shift, though to what, he wasn't sure. He didn't know what he was feeling in that moment, because all he'd wanted at the moment was to switch her back, to not let the sickness take her from him.
But she was certain she wouldn't live the other way either.
"You." he replied simply. "And if you won't let me change you, then you have to at least fight in this form. Fight your energy, the sickness." He paused, eyelids going close briefly. "Live. I desire for you to live." *
Shikiyoku stared at him a moment longer with her fingers still over his mouth, eyes darker replicas of what they usually were.
Something was beginning to trickle into her awareness, something that kept her pressing him, asking him things she couldn't rightly say she was thinking of.
She blinked once, "Why do you need me here? Why should I live?" 3
He wanted to see the color in those eyes again. Their normal color. Their shine with the smile she'd worn just the day before. And it made the fire demon realize that he was fumbling because he didn't know how it felt to lose someone. He'd never really had the opportunity to even have someone to lose.
So when she asked her question, he blinked slowly at her, the thought processing.
"Because you are my companion, and I do not want to lose you." He blinked again slowly. "Because you never called me cursed." He remembered that night in the Niiro when Taka had said it, and she'd refuted, not once repeating the word in regards to him.
"You… are the first." The first to get through my defenses unnoticed. The first to make me care other than not wanting you to die. The first for a lot of things. *
When he mentioned 'cursed,' she blinked at first, then her expression lightened, the frown on her face flattening out into the ghostlike remnants of what could be a smile, her severe features looking...not as sharp as they had moments before.
You...are not cursed.
You are much more than the label they have put you in.
You just need the chance to paint outside the frame.
She didn't know why she hadn't conveyed all of that to him directly. Perhaps because she felt he hadn't yet accepted being more than the name they gave him from birth.
"...do you wish to stay?" Her eyes almost gleamed, hand unmoving from his face. 3
Hiei let his eyelids come open, his eyes staring into hers and catching the slightest change in those darkened irises. Shikiyoku's question had him blinking slowly at her, not really sure where her train of thought had gone. His first instinct was that she was asking if he wanted to stay with her.
But he wasn't entirely sure.
So he conveyed that with a sense of confusion through the bond. *
She leaned a little closer to him, "Is there nothing more?"
I would give you anything you asked. 3
Hiei blinked again, and the words she had just asked echoed in his head from another time. Not quite so long ago as it felt, but it wasn't from this moment. And he understood what she was asking.
His gaze met hers, sparking a little with recognition.
And he repeated what he'd said then, one step at a time.
"I want you to stay. To let me stay." He paused and let his expression show a very small change from the concern and confusion to a very slight twitch of his lips before going to an openly neutral expression. "I want to be your Consort. Your companion." *
Let him.
You will be safe.
Shikiyoku looked at Hiei for a moment longer and started to slowly lower her fingers.
"That is your desire." She let her hand fall into her lap. 3
Hiei didn't blink when her fingers slid away from his lips and fell to her lap. He knew her words were not phrased to be a question, just a simple fact, but he nodded anyway. And he took her release of his lips as permission.
He pulled her forward slowly, eyes closing as his own words echoed in his ears when his lips touched hers. *
(...divide your griefs...)
Shikiyoku's eyes closed as Hiei neared her, and never before had she felt a desire while in this form until that moment, until Hiei kissed her, wishing to be her Consort.
Without her touch, she felt the marking on him begin to glow, could feel it moving to encase her entire body through the connection of the hands on her face and the lips pressed up against her own.
The energy flowing into the area around them stopped, the course cut off from the outside, and where earlier she felt the ripping burn of the transition into pain form, now she experienced once more the tingling sensation, the shimmering, as her grey skin peeled back, the scars disappearing, until each and every inch of her had been recovered.
And she could feel the broken pieces of her core, the shattered remains of herself, which had crumpled apart when Kitoushi died...
...but they did not fall out of her.
She blinked and sat there for a moment, glowing yellow. 3
Hiei didn't have to look to know when she'd shifted back. He didn't have to open his eyes to see every scar gone, her skin smooth and colored as it should be. He didn't have to gaze at her to know that she was still in pain, but also still there.
But when he did open his eyes and slowly pull away, he became aware of the glow around her, encasing her in a wonderful color that he'd began to look for when he'd gotten under her skin enough to cause such a reaction. Except this time, he was also aware that the warmth all over his body was not from energy coming from her, as her hand was not over his mark, but it was just… glowing. Warm, as if she had pressed her palm to the little heart underneath his cloak.
He eyed her for a few more minutes before his hands moved to her shoulders and pulled her forward, rocking back so he could sit on the ground and pull her into his arms. He knew she wasn't falling apart, but he also knew she was in pain. And this was one of the ways he'd noticed helped. *
Shikiyoku made no protests, feeling herself breathe for the first time in what seemed like ages as he gathered her up.
After a couple of moments of breath, she checked herself, and realized something was missing...it wasn't...done? 3
Hiei held her in silence for a few moments, feeling relief flood him now that he felt the air lighten and that there was no longer a dire threat to either of them. And he had to admit, he hadn't noticed how much it was taking from him until he felt slight muscle cramps here and there, his core still managing to produce enough energy to keep him from completely going lax and simply falling back on the dirt.
He released a breath.
He could feel the confusion in the air, the Jagan still watching and tipping him to that.
"What's missing?" His voice was low and quiet, hardly above a simple murmur. *
Shikiyoku slowly sat up, pulling away from Hiei and looking around as if the clearing itself might have the answer.
She still glowed.
Having not exactly registered that earlier, she looked down at her hands, turning them over, then looked over at Hiei, eyeing the place on his neck where the marking still glowed there too. 3
Hiei let Shikiyoku pull away, his arms falling away from her so that she could move freely, his eyes watching her as she glanced at her hands. His lips pulled up in quiet amusement, finding that he glow made her look like an ethereal being.
It was a thought he hadn't had before now, and it made his amusement become a small scoff that left his lips, eyes closing as he was suddenly aware of the warmth on his arm growing, moving from beneath his sleeve and over the back of his hand in intricate swirls.
The Jagan also seemed to be interested in the movement of the mark at his jawline, showing him that it grew there too, crawling along his skin until it came to rest on his cheekbones and covering about half of his chin, the rest curling until it framed the outside of his left eye, the end of the smallest swirl just missing his eyebrow.
His eyes came open to stare at Shikiyoku, amusement still creating a very slight smirk on his features and making the markings on his cheek move just a little. He considered making a remark about it tickling, but decided he didn't mind sitting in the silence for a minute or two.
Then he repeated his question. "What's missing, Shiki?" *
Shikiyoku had glanced away after eyeing the glow that still sat on his neck, mind whirling, but when Hiei asked again, she turned to look up at him and her eyes widened briefly, for the marking had grown in those few seconds.
The answer crashed across her consciousness as the edge of her lips tugged upwards in a half-smile and she found herself with the same look of possessiveness that she gave him in the bathhouse.
Mine.
"Heh." Shikiyoku reached forward and grabbed for Hiei's cloak near the marking, leaning towards him and pulling him closer, kissing him back. 3
Hiei blinked at the expression that bloomed over Shikiyoku's face, and blinked again with the sound she made before she was grabbing for his cloak and pulling at him, to which he complied by coming closer and letting her lips touch his.
He released a breath of amusement at her, but made no move to pull away. *
(You will divide your griefs...)
Shikiyoku's eyes closed as she kissed him, and the glow across her skin disappeared into her skin and she could feel it pulling inwards until it encircled the pieces of her core, but it stopped again and she pulled away, blinking at him, just enough to see that his markings were still glowing.
...3
The fire demon waited until Shikiyoku pulled away before he met her gaze, watching her blink once at him. He raised a brow at her, wondering what it was now that was missing. And he could feel the warmth of the glowing mark on his skin, despite the lack of glow around her now.
It left him confused.
What else could be missing?
He kept his brow raised at her, blinking and being distracted by the glow around his eye before he was staring at her again. *
Shikiyoku sat for a second, then her gaze dropped to her hand, still clutching at the fabric of his cloak.
...oh.
When she met Hiei's gaze again, she wore a wicked smile she had not made use of in a very long time, and she tugged down a little with her hand.
"Take it off, flame-boy." 3
Hiei blinked at Shikiyoku when the smile formed on her features and she tugged at his cloak. He made a curious sound just as she spoke, and he briefly remembered the last time she'd said that. A sneer formed on his features and he unwound the scarf from his neck with one hand, the other tugging at her hand to release the material so he could pull the cloak from his body.
"Hn." *
Shikiyoku's grin didn't leave, though it lessened somewhat, and she leaned down towards his chest, one hand coming up to lay gently on his skin. As she drew her face over the glowing mark on Hiei's chest, to the epicenter of it, her smirk faded, closing her eyes as she kissed it.
As her lips touched his skin, pressed into the middle of the heart-shaped mark she knew outlined his core, she could feel the glow around her own contract suddenly, pulling together the pieces, filling in the cracks, making her...whole again.
(You will divide your griefs and multiply your joys.)
To say that every concern, every bit of heartache, was completely lifted from her in that moment would be overstating her situation. But it was clear that as soon as the connection was made, everything...softened. Lessened. None of it dulled, because it was all still there in some form or another, some of it still too recent and difficult to approach in any mental capacity whatsoever, but...it somehow became more...manageable, as both the glow around Hiei and her own core began to start to fade.
Everything from Kitoushi dying by her hand, Douji's last breath, Taka's mark dissipating into the air around her, the killing of Otento...even her petty self-deprecating thoughts about not being good enough, or pretty enough, or pure enough because of Horu and Kafu and Uryo leaving her... The weight of everything that had happened in the last few months grew lighter, even going as far back as when she had turned and attempted to decimate a mountain to get back to her Champion, falling into a depression and wandering alone and listless through the Ninth Level.
All of it...
No longer as sharp or keen as it had been before.
It was in that moment she realized what exactly divide meant, as she could feel every bit of those previous realizations being passed to Hiei, passed to her Consort in some strange manner she couldn't quite comprehend, so that he might understand and take on some of the weight himself to spare her dealing with it all on her own. 3
Hiei didn't dare move, his eyelids closing as he forced his muscles lax with the new contact. But he didn't have to think on it long, because the moment her lips touched his skin, he felt as if someone had opened up a different type of telepathic connection and had filed through Shikiyoku's mind, rifling through everything that had been plaguing her and sliding it in his direction.
He saw images flashing one after another, beginning with her energy moving to Kitoushi and attacking, the large body of the cat falling atop her and the lungs giving out the last breath Kitoushi ever made. And from there, the images seemed to go back in time, showing him random things such as her taking his energy, Douji's death by the Lur'Mogs, removing the marks of the other demons he hadn't seen in a while, Taka's death from a being that she dealt away with before taking her rampage. Then Otento's death, and so many other things that he almost couldn't keep track.
And the emotions that accompanied those images had him feeling heavier, making his lips pull down into a scowl as more and more was added, all the way back to their separation.
And he became aware that what he was feeling was not all of it, but only a portion. Only a half, it seemed. He realized that he hadn't known the entire burden she had carried for so long, and in that instant, came to understand the way she had wanted to give up. The reasoning behind her thoughts and actions. The heaviness in her heart.
And he couldn't imagine how it all had been at once.
He'd never had to deal with most of the things she'd had to deal with. He hadn't ever been burdened by killing another. He hadn't ever lost someone close to him. He hadn't ever had to deal with half of what she did.
But he understood now, her wanting to give in. *
Amusingly enough, the feelings she had harbored previously about being tired in regards to Hiei's capacity for affection also 'lessened,' though she felt each hesitation, the weariness and concern...passing...over...to him.
...dammit.
The fact that she didn't want him to know was passed over too. The fact that she never would have told him in a million years she wished he would kiss her on his own, without the need to change her back. ...and would never admit it because she would never ask him to do something he wasn't willing to do.
Stop dividing, dammit.
Stop giving. Is this what it takes to put us on equal ground, she wondered. Is this what Renai meant?
She only pulled herself from his chest to sit up again when she felt the pieces of herself stitched back together again, seamless, as if never broken, and both the glow within her and the glow on Hiei's mark was completely gone.
She stared at the heart for a moment, eyes following the swirls.
And then her vision blurred as she felt a different sort of lifting from her mind.
And each moment in the past where she had found absolute joy in a memory with Hiei felt as though it multiplied in delight, things flashing through her mind so quickly that she couldn't even keep up with them all, some of them little things, little gestures or moments, like how he had just earlier pulled her into his arms after switching her back, others of them larger, older, like when they had been dancing at Rae's Palace and he had leaned down to whisper something in her ear which set her energy buzzing all over her body.
Her human side throwing a spoon at him, introducing him to sweet snow.
Getting introduced to sweet snow herself.
Merging their energy together so she could dance for the Northern Tribe.
...and a thousand other things that set her vision reeling and after a second or two sent her laughing at how absolutely happy she finally felt after all this time. 3
Hiei wasn't particularly surprised with the new things that flashed over to him, his mind picking apart what it could little by little. He'd known he wasn't in the top of the running, known he hadn't been anywhere near top pick. So he wasn't surprised by the new feeling, though he wasn't happy about it either. It explained why she'd forgotten about him, though. Why she hadn't seemed to notice his leave of absence. But before he could assess that too much, something else was calling for his attention.
The image of them standing in the bath house passed briefly as he remembered standing there after she'd asked for a kiss, the memory triggered by the new reluctant emotion that accompanied her want for him to kiss her more often, her confliction about his own wants and desires righting that odd emotion.
And it confused him briefly before the image there passed too.
And he felt that weight he'd just gained become overshadowed, memories popping up from random times and magnifying in the joy he'd felt then. Content turning to happiness and happiness turning to absolute joy. The bath house, when he'd discovered the stare affected her in an odd way. The running- no dancing- through the layers and learning that with her guiding him through the steps.
Laying on the couch the day before and watching her bury her nose in his cloak.
Sitting in the tree on the Ninth Layer after he'd finally caught up to her.
Standing on Hanging Neck Island and telling her about the dragon. Later that same day, her having the general air of 'I told you so' when the dragon had come for him again.
Running across the levels with her before they'd been separated.
Conjoining energies so that she may dance worry-free for tribes they passed through.
Smiling sleepily at her before drifting away.
Flame-Boy.
Fire Prince.
And so, so many more that even the Jagan couldn't keep up. His lips twitched into a smirk of amusement at the prospect, the gesture twitching even more when he heard Shikiyoku's laugh nearby.
(Incredible.) *
Shikiyoku couldn't contain herself any longer, throwing her arms around Hiei's neck and tackling him to the ground as she kept laughing for a moment, hugging him before pulling away just enough to look into his eyes, grinning.
"You were the one staring at me in the ruins? You're terrible." 3
Hiei blinked his eyes open as he felt the arms encircling his neck and his back hit the dirt below, taken by surprise. He watched Shikiyoku's joyous laughter, and for the first time, instead of smirking, his lips pulled upwards in a smile.
...Which quickly turned to a smirk at her enlightenment. Mischief gleamed in his eyes for a moment, and he realized that sometime when he'd been falling backwards, he'd grabbed her out of instinct.
"Hn." You weren't supposed to find out, woman. *
"Is that all you have to say for yourself? 'Hn?'" She mocked him, sticking her face a little closer to him and narrowing her eyes, making a poor attempt at hiding her smile. 3
"Well," he began, giving a nonchalant shrug despite his smirk and the gleaming amusement in his eyes. "I don't regret it, if that's what you want." *
"Sneaky little demon." She scrunched her nose up at him.
...though really, if he had been the one doing it that last time, why hadn't she just assumed it was him the whole time.
...she had a feeling she was going to regret telling him about that stupid stare of his.
Her vision focused back in on his face and her grin receded into a sly smile.
"I hope you know you're stuck with me, flame-boy." 3
Hiei's smirk very quickly turned into a sneer, his irises flashing at Shikiyoku. "That also means you're stuck with me." And his eyes searched her face for a moment before settling into a stare, catching her gaze very deliberately. "Shiki." *
Shikiyoku gave a snorting laugh as she quickly averted her eyes from his face, fighting a stupid smile as a blush settled across the mask of her face. 3
Hiei gave a single snicker through his teeth as she turned away, his eyes doing the same after a moment in a way of saying that he conceded for the time being. He let his eyelids close and he let out a breath through his lips. A breath of content. *
"Hmph." Shikiyoku let her eyes slide back to him when she felt her awkwardness fade, following the swirls and curves of the marking on his skin and realizing for the first time that it was, as far as she knew, a permanent addition to his features.
She shifted one of her arms from behind his neck and placed her hand over his heart, setting the mark aglow.
"...I just hope you don't come to regret it." While her tone may have been a little rueful, her lips had turned up into a half-smile. 3
Thanks for reading! Bless your face. If you sneezed during this chapter, bless you. Peace off! BOOP! -Star