A/N: Hello once again, Audience.
I am sick today, and had the run of my show this past week/weekend, so getting the chapter summary for last chapter did not happen, and neither will this one have one until I am feeling better.
Ciao for now!~
EDIT FROM THE FUTURE: The recap has now been added! Also, just for reference, yes, the Ookami in the last chapter is in fact based on Koga from Inuyasha, tee hee.
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 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.
(Words in italics and within parenthesis is dialogue between Hiei and Shikiyoku via the bond between them after Hiei becomes Shikiyoku's Consort. As soon as the 'thought' occurs, it can pass between them, and does not actually have to be formed into exact words-feelings and sensations can pass through as well-in order to be picked up and the meaning translated immediately by the other. For the sake of the coherence by the reader, words and sentences are used as normal. It cannot 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 Nabu Exception also applies to anyone when they are in an animal form, if the dialogue is in italics and quotations, unless stated otherwise.
Previously on Yu Yu Hakusho!
Akari is brought before the Alpha Ookami of the North,
and his first Beta, Tetsuban.
She is given food and drink,
as the Alpha begins to question her.
Apparently the direction in which Akari had been going,
was one that would lead her off the edge of the world,
the Alpha wondering aloud if she had a death wish.
When she says she does not,
he comments on the fact that perhaps she is seeking
a way back to her own time,
asserting that she smells as if she belongs to the future.
Akari feels this knowledge explains many other pieces of late,
such as the return of her anthropomorphic ears and tail,
as well as her ability to change into canine form once more.
When he offers her a place among his pack,
to work alongside if not directly as one of them,
Akari agrees to stay,
and the Alpha passes her into the care of Tetsu.
~!**!~
For his part,
Youko Kurama spends his first Moon Festival
with others of his kind while he is stuck
in the same past as Akari.
~!**!~
Fast-forward a bit in time,
and Temples are being awakened across the lands,
and Tetsu and Akari are headed deeper into the Northern Territory,
having word that whoever is doing this is going there next.
No one seems to know what these "awakenings" mean,
only that they should be trying to prevent them.
Akari finds Yusuke and Kuwabara at the temple,
bodies of the Monks, the Demon-Slayers meant to protect it,
strewn all about the entrance. Kuwabara has been in pursuit
of the demon into which was wrenched a piece of his soul.
Just as assumptions were being made,
Akari bursts past the other two in response
to a cry of pain coming from inside the temple,
and Kuwabara and Yusuke are hot on her heels.
An eruption of flames ends their pursuit,
whatever is activating the temples suddenly gone and
Akari has to turn and deal with the incensed wolves,
who are certain Yusuke and Kuwabara are to blame.
After a brief argument with Tetsu,
Akari gets Yusuke attention so that he would follow her,
and he leaves Kuwabara behind to purify and release the dead.
Akari feels somehow that Yusuke and Kuwabara
are seeking to return to their own kind,
and while she makes no initial indication that she wishes to do the same,
she asserts that they should not leave Kurama behind.
Yusuke claims that whatever he encountered
was not Kurama.
Akari leads Yusuke to Mother Wolf
in search of answers of the happenings,
and they find that Kuwabara is already there waiting for them.
When Kuwabara indicates in passing that he is missing a piece of his soul,
the Alpha demands an explanation from Yusuke,
who begins telling about the moments on the Eighth Level
just before he and the others were hurled through time.
~!**!~
Shikiyoku is upset to find that when Hiei changes her form,
she returns to her former human one,
and not her true, demon form as she expects.
Hiei is surprised to find Shikiyoku with short hair,
a sacrifice in power she made while trying to return to him.
As they lay in bed, her in Hiei's arms,
they bask in one another's company,
though Shikiyoku pines after her true form,
Hiei asserting that he has seen it now...
Shikiyoku stuck her bottom lip out further as she felt the warmth that was Hiei within her mind conjuring for her a rather disconcerting image of herself, one that she would have argued was not her if she had any doubt that Hiei would not tell her the truth.
That wasn't how she remembered herself at all.
The scars were in all the right places, but it should have been divorced from that body and placed on the form she was in now. It was displeasing, or very nearly so, to see herself looking like that when she knew at one time she had made many a demon swoon at her feet for her...well beauty, or their perception of it in any case.
"That's all wrong." She pouted.
(I wish you'd known me as I was then.) Back then. Back when she was normal. Any sort of "intrigue" would have been much more magnified. And called for.
Tch. 3
"Tch."
Hiei's expression shifted, his lips twitching upwards ever so slightly. If he had met her then, there was likely no reason he would have stayed- he'd never been one to swoon. In fact, he likely wouldn't have even noticed and just walked on by- if she hadn't been a target, anyway.
I don't swoon. Never would have.
(The past is the past for a reason.) Despite his slight chastising, Hiei's expression was one of amusement. (You wouldn't have enjoyed my company then anyway.)
~!**!~
Akari had lead the way to the tent, shifting forms only when inside the tent. She eyed first the Alpha, second the older demon woman on the floor, and third Kuwabara. she hesitated, momentarily unsure of where she should be, before she decided to cross the room and sit next to Kuwabara, him between her and Yusuke.
She listened to them argue, and found that unlike before, she wasn't sure if she enjoyed it this time around. She couldn't tell if they were serious or not, after not having seen them in what felt like decades.
Heck, maybe it had been decades. It was hard for her to know, since time in Yomi's palace had gone lost on her, and even the time here had been lost to her.
She remained silent, her eyes wandering from face to face in the room, uncomfortable, until ookami took control of the situation.
And Yusuke's retelling of the story left her even more unnerved than before; she hadn't known Kuwabara had died. She'd been too stunned by the light, wrapped in her own world to notice anything else.
Sometimes, it still felt as if she was.
Sometimes, she didn't even know what world she lived in. What was dream, what was reality. But today seemed even more unreal than any other day before now. Her eyes turned sidelong to Kuwabara, and a hand pat his knee once before she retracted. *
"He can track it." Yusuke picked up again, attention returning to him. "We ended up within yards of each other when we got blasted back, and the one with his soul wasn't far away, but far enough that they stayed ahead for a long time."
No one else appeared to notice Akari's sympathetic gesture, but Kuwabara gave her a grateful smile, pulling himself from his thoughts back into the conversation around them.
"We were South, first, we figured that out eventually."
The surprise was palatable. Everyone knew how the Element raged there, the land ravaged.
"It was hell." Yusuke admitted, shaking his head. "It's, uh, it's calm now. The temple there was activated or whatever, us trailing along behind into the East, to that temple too. Same thing. Then here. Then you. We almost had them, but-" He shrugged.
The room's silence grew as Yusuke ended his tale, the Alpha turning to watch the older wolf-woman as if he could gauge her reaction.
"What are the temples for?" He finally asked when she said nothing. "What do they mean? What's going to happen?"
And for the first time in her entire lifetime, she gave an answer she had never had.
"I don't know."
~!**!~
Shikiyoku finally couldn't help her lips parting for the start of a wicked smile as she snuggled the fingers of the hand he held closer to his palm and looked up at him, eyes sparkling through her blush.
(You, my darling fire prince, would have present the exact sort of challenge I would have been best suited for.)
She narrowed her eyes playfully.
(Perhaps you are still the sort of challenge for which I'm quite up to task.) 3
(I find it entertaining to be the challenge, Shiki.) Hiei's reply held no small amount of amusement, his eyes twinkling and his lips pressed into a thin line to fight the small smirk that threatened his countenance.
"But I'd be the victor."
~!**!~
Akari shifted, crossing her legs underneath herself and hiding her hands in her lap, clasped together against the floor. Her eyelids closed as she listened to Yusuke finish up, his last words cutting off, but akari finishing them in her mind.
'-but then Akari got in the way.'
Yeah, Yeah. Same as always, knuckle head.
Jerk.
Her eyes opened again and she looked to the Mother-Wolf, waiting for an answer.
And the answer had even her blinking.
Because Mother had all of the answers… At least, she was supposed to.*
The Alpha's mouth dropped open as if he had a follow-up question to any answer he might have been given.
But he wasn't expecting to not get an answer.
"The temples...have always been." She gave a little shrug. "Since the land was formed. We don't even understand why the Element rages as is does, why sometimes it is the one in the East or West, and others the North, or why it has been South for so long."
"But then how-" The Alpha flinched, a hand reaching up almost reflexively and slapping at his neck before he registered the gesture and brought the hand in front of himself.
"'But with two Elements in existence, the world cried out for an Oracle, and so it was that Wind left the land to become the Oracle and maintain the Balance, and the land from whence Wind came grew hostile as the Element raged free.'"
A tiny voice from the palm of the Alpha's hand floated to everyone's ears as if quoting some ancient story, and upon closer inspection, it looked as if a flea demon sat quite contentedly in his palm.
The old wolf-woman gave a wisened smile, "To what do we owe the honor, oh First-Among-All."
"I believe that is fairly obvious, woman." He peered over at Yusuke and Kuwabara first, then Akari. "I wondered what all the fuss was about." He sighed. "And now the temples are being awakened. So it begins."
"So what begins?" The Alpha asked as patiently as he was able.
"The end of us all." He nodded to the other three. "And your way home."
~!**!~
"Just like you're winning now, hm?"
Shiki grinned as she reached up with her free hand and poked his cheek where the strain of his refusing to allow himself to smile showed in the muscle. 3
With the touch of her index finger against his cheek, Hiei couldn't help his lips turning upwards into a smirk, his eyes still sparkling with the amusement he felt.
(It's more entertaining this way.)
~!**!~
Akari's attention never wavered from the older woman, even when another voice entered the room. She hadn't expected this one to not know about the situation, much less the many ways it could end- if there were so many ways.
And yet she somehow knew the answer, even before the newcomer piped up.
Because she didn't belong there. None of them did, thus it threw the world off balance.
So, really, she didn't seem surprised to hear that their way home, as the other said, would be the downfall of this world. That their presence would be the cause of such destruction, however it may fall.
And to think that this place had started to grow on me.
Tch.
Akari leaned back a little, stealing a glance at Kuwabara for only a moment before turning her eyes forward again.
She couldn't decide if she was relieved, or disappointed. *
The magnitude of what had been spoken weighed heavily on the air.
"Wait...what?" The Alpha finally spoke up, his face having been sufficiently taken aback, but then quickly recovering. "Why?" He stared down at the creature in his hand, who hopped down and hopped over to stand in front of the old wolf-woman.
"Their presence here, their arrival, has put into motion something that would have happened anyway, just...faster than originally foreseen." He looked at the three from the future. "The female seeks to prevent the breaking apart of the world so that her children never die, but it is by her very actions that the world will break apart. Let her finish what she seeks out to do. Send a messenger to the Eastern Lord to put no one in her way for any others will fall like the rest. We should allow no more blood to be shed over these events."
"What on earth are you babbling on about?" The Alpha finally demanded. "The world is going to break apart? That seems to be a much bigger problem than what you're making it out to be."
The flea sighed, "No one else has to die, if that is your worry, child. Leave her to do what was destined to be, and we shall meet her on sacred ground, for she will head to the land of the Oracle and it is there that her work will come to fruition and she, and you all, will be returned to your own land."
The Alpha only seemed partially satisfied, "That's a terrible way of explaining what's going on."
"Would you really rather I started at the beginning?"
"Well, yes."
Shaking his head, the flea replied, "That would take more time than we have, and we do not have much in the big scheme of things. This story ages back to before the land, before our land, Sekaiju we call it, was created, to a conflict that has been, is, and will always be waged. Chaos and Order fighting for dominance and Balance seeking to turn the tide from one way or the other. From their conflict came the Kami, and from the Kami came people, and because of people, Elements were born and blessing bestowed upon the people, dividing them into two groups where they had once been the same: those who could use magic and those who could not. You, and all who go by the name of apparition, are the descendants of those original element-wielders, gaining dominion over the land and over their fellow people, widening the gap between them through the ages until those who now are called 'human' live in fear. The Kamis foresaw this fear and the power of the apparition, and put within the Elemental temples the knowledge humans would need to survive, protected by the monks, the demon slayers, until the time came when humanity had no hope to continue. With such knowledge, they will begin to fight for dominance, and war will make this land inhospitable, and all will perish. But the Kamis do not wish for their creation to turn to such violence. Not now. So the world will be divided, and each will be given their own home, and it is the awakening of the temples that is the beginning of this ritual."
~!**!~
(Maybe for you.) Shikiyoku gave a derisive sniff that belied the remnants of her previous grin that still darted across her lips before scooting forward as best she could while still entangled in her now-too-large clothing and snuggling up to him, turning her face to rest her cheek against him and closing her eyes. 3
Hiei bowed his head a little, the tips of his bangs just brushing the top of Shikiyoku's head as she settled against him, almost blocking his vision of her. With her not being able to see his expression, it afforded him the moment of relaxing his features, into a calm, content state that reflected how he'd felt the moment he'd confirmed it had indeed been this demoness who had sent him the drink at the bar.
His eyelids slid closed after a few moments of reflecting back on the past several years, where he'd done nothing more than wait for her to reach him, passing the time with acquiring new hobbies and then turning around to sell the production of such hobbies.
Though, honestly, he had enjoyed one hobby in particular.
Perhaps he'd show her sometime.
(Thank you.)
For returning to me, for loving me enough to return.
~!**!~
Akari could only listen, her mind working over what was being said, and what she knew of the world she'd been tossed from however long ago that had been. She knew that when she was a child, there had been Levels. One through Nine, Nine holding only the most powerful of demons and One partially under Spirit World control.
Then, there had been Layers, where the world had come together- not completely, but together still. The three worlds had dissolved into one, giving some demons the ability to traverse through those Layers with some sort of ease, blessed upon them only by the Kamis knew how.
And now, here she sat, in a world that predated the one she had been born in, where there were no such things as Layers or Levels, but only one flat world where all resided together.
And she understood, on some level, what the other was saying. That the presence of her, Yusuke, Kuwabara, and whomever they chased meant that the world would turn to how it was when she was little: Human World. Demon World. Only separated by...
Spirit World. The Veil.
Going home meant throwing this world into a similar state in which she'd been born in.
Her head hurt.
It didn't even seem as though any of them had much choice in what happened from here on- if someone activated every Temple, all of them would likely be thrown back into their own time, whether they really wanted to or not.
And again, she didn't know if she was relieved or disappointed. *
"Divided." The Alpha repeated. "How? Who determines where everyone goes?"
The flea chuckled, "Three souls will be required, child. Three souls drawn to where I shall taken the travelers. The sacred grounds." He nodded towards the three who did not belong in this time. "The land will be divided into three-"
"Human World, Spirit World, and Demon World." Kuwabara finished, his eyes bright as he began to understand.
"Correct. Sekaiju will be no more. You come from a time where three worlds were still needed, to separate those who are capable of magic but incapable of love from those who cannot use magic, but love fiercely. That was the trade-off, you see. The former come to be known as 'demons,' though they certainly do not call themselves that now, and the latter are 'humans.'"
"We...we will be separated from the spirits of those who have gone before us?" The Alpha asked quietly.
For the first time the flea actually looked sad, "Yes, child."
The other did not answer.
"The three souls will be bound, each to their destined world, and will pull with them the rest of their kind. Do not fear, each shall go to the place in which they belong, the Kamis will oversee the ritual themselves." He turned to the other three. "Do not despair. Everything that is going to happen would have happened regardless. You're simply...moving things forward more quickly."
"And it's not even us." Yusuke rolled his eyes. "So, how exactly are we getting back home, then?"
"The Kami will tie into the ritual a way of returning you to your own time, but it is only within the power of this ritual that there will be enough gathered strength to get you there."
~!**!~
Shikiyoku's eyes opened into the dim darkness of the room, surrounded so completely by Hiei's scent and the beating of his core and the feeling of him within their bond, and she realized that a sort of 'completeness' had settled over her.
Sure there were things to do.
She hoped there would always be things to do.
But while she longer felt the need to constantly be in the presence of others, she still felt this need. The one in which she needed to be loved. And while she did not perhaps at that moment realize exactly who was filling that need-or perhaps she did not believe such a demon could possibly fill it-there was no doubting in her mind that she did indeed feel whole once more, that other part of her which had been silent for so long now humming with his appreciation for her return.
She closed her eyes again and shifted a little, finding that she had nothing to say in reply, but that she didn't have to reply.
Her presence there was more than enough. 3
Hiei lapsed into a calm silence, both mentally and verbally, his eyelids remaining closed over his ruby orbs as he relaxed, pulling Shiki closer as he shifted to lay on his back instead of his side. When he stilled again, he let out a small breath through his nostrils. He didn't mean to fall asleep, but sleep he did, and for some reason, he dreamt of one of his childhood escapades.
It was a late night, the moon full and high in the sky. Little feet were silent on the grass and dirt as he kept to the shadows, not letting himself be seen or heard by the rambunctious demons who all seemed to be dancing and enjoying some festivity or another in the distance. He couldn't see them yet, but he could hear them, smell them- smell his target.
The demon he was after- Hiei hadn't seen him before, but he'd crossed paths, and the bandits he stayed with, they had had an object he had dropped that had smelled of him. the story was passed around that this one knew of a jewel unlike any other, one that had fallen from the sky and landed in the hands of another fire demon. Stories circulated that he knew where the other was, and how to find him.
But when he'd been confronted, the demon had killed one of the bandits, one of his family members. turns out, he'd had no information to give, apparently.
So as Hiei slipped into the festivities, he followed his nose, weaving his way through crowds of demons who paid him no mind- why would they, if they didn't immediately have business with him? Little did they know that he'd been planning to kill every one of them for the one demon's transgressions.
He came to a clearing that gave way to a large bonfire, demons dancing in circles and laughing and having a grand time. He scanned the area, searching for the source of the scent, becoming increasingly angry as it became harder to siphon out who was who, to weasel out the one rat from the whole nest.
Just when he'd decided to kill the whole lot of them, his eyes passed over one demon in particular- tall, dark-skinned, long white hair, striking amber eyes that flashed a dazzling color when she noticed she'd captured his stare. A tattoo, what he could only guess to be fox tails on the inside of her forearm, beginning to glow, seeming to add to the warning that was being directed at him.
With narrowed eyes, Hiei had sidestepped and taken another route, deciding to take his target alone, and from the shadows.
And take his target he did, leaving that encampment with blood on his sword, the festivities still going on in the background, undisturbed.
~!**!~
Akari shifted around a little until her legs were extended in front of herself, and from there she moved to stand, sensing a wrapping up in this conversation. She knew her presence would no longer be welcomed, and even if it were, she'd be thrown back to her time anyway. It was best to end it all at once, here, of her own free will rather than at the will of the Kamis.
She brushed off the ropes of furs at her waist, as if thinking she might have gotten them dirty, but otherwise did not move, and never said a word. *
"This is dumb."
Yusuke blinked and looked over at the male wolf demon, finding that the phrase was more likely something he would say himself as opposed to the obviously powerful pack leader, who sat with his blue eyes closed and his arms crossed over his chest.
After a moment the Alpha opened his eyes and looked over at the wolf-woman who met his gaze steadily.
"Why should we trust you? Why should we trust anything you have to say?" He wasn't talking to her, but the flea knew at whom the questions were aimed.
Why can't I help it?
"Because she is Mother."
For the first time, the small wolf-girl standing at the older woman's shoulder spoke, her own eyes finding the Alpha's.
"No, I know that." Sort of. "You." He finally looked at the flea. "Who are you to speak with such authority?" Why is it I believe every word you say?
"Your woman knows me." The flea replied. "Is that not enough?"
"No." Yes. "Well, it is, but I don't like it and you'd better explain yourself."
"First-Among-All." Kuwabara repeated what the wolf-woman had called him, blinking as he looked down at the flea whose beady eyes glimmered up at him.
The flea nodded.
A low resonance of power started thrumming from the older wolf-woman, seeming almost to come from the very earth itself and as she looked out over those gathered, she seemed to be seeing something beyond them, and her eyes suddenly whitened completely as the vision overtook her.
"And first they gave their power to one who rose above the rest, who conquered all that was laid before him, and within whom all elements reside. The first user of magic. Our Father. Father of us all."
The Alpha knew best of all that size meant little, but the idea that all elements resided within the tiny creature in front of them, and in a harmony that did not destroy him, was difficult to imagine at best.
"I can take any shape I please, child." The flea looked up at the Alpha, who seemed surprised at the prospect of this one being able to read his thoughts. "But as you yourself have a true form and a true size, mine cannot be contained within these lands as my strength would tear it apart. As for why I am here, why my fate is entwined and compels me to appear..." He grew silent for a moment, and when he spoke again it was in a much quieter tone. "It is my soul that shall call with it my brethren into their new home. I was drawn here by design, and will be drawn to the sacred ground when the time comes."
~!**!~
Shiki had gladly shifted to position herself with her head on Hiei's shoulder instead of his chest as he made himself more comfortable, and it was quickly thereafter that she found herself drifting lightly through sleep, having remained awake earlier in the night to watch over Hiei, but not being able to entirely shake her watchfulness, especially not after her run through the Eighth Level.
She hadn't truly slept since then, finding herself too haunted by their groans and their reaching hands to drop into slumber.
Not to mention the fact that as soon as she had been able to walk on her own two feet, she had set a furious pace for the Niiro, finding that Kasai did not so much as drop behind her, even when she ran through the night to get there.
Kasai.
She had asked him to wait for her, and it was one of the things she thought of earlier when she recalled she still had things to do.
It was not yet morning, though.
And she already knew she would have to tear herself away when it was.
Or rather, drag her and Hiei down there since she did not plan on leaving him for any length of time for quite a while.
And so as she floated along amidst daydreams of the actions she planned on taking once the Ninth Level's equivalent of morning arrived, Shikiyoku felt the slightest disturbance within her mind at the level of her bond with Hiei, and was curious enough at the anomaly to investigate it, turning inwards to assess the strange quiver that seemed to pulse through it.
That's when she realized Hiei was dreaming.
It wasn't as if she could directly see what he saw in his mind's theatre, but the reaction of the bond led her to believe that she was somehow the subject of his dreams, otherwise why would it call to her?
Pulling away with no small amount of amusement in her head, Shikiyoku gave out a satisfied little breath, staying awake enough to sense that moment when Hiei might stir again. 3
He wasn't sure why, but as he slept, that face would occasionally reappear in another dream here and there, until the morning crept in and his internal alarm was going off. Mentally, in the current dream he had, he slammed a hand on the alarm clock to shut it up, and once it was silenced, settled into slumber again, the dream shifting back to that forest, that night where he'd seen the demoness that had warned him not to kill anyone but his sole target.
That is, until she spoke in his dream, calling him "little fire".
"I'm not little. I'm quite fierce."
The skin over her high cheekbones twitched with the barest hint of a smirk, her dark skin lit by a fire that burned nearby, her tattoo on her arm still glowing.
"That's not quite fair. Where's my mark?"
When she merely smirked and turned away, his eye gave a little twitch, and a hand reached out to grab her wrist. "You didn't answer my question."
~!**!~
Akari's eyes landed on the Alpha when he spoke up, a curiosity brewing behind them in inquiry to which he referenced. She waited for him to elaborate, knowing he was not one to leave the room in suspense after such a comment. And really, she couldn't say she was surprised with what he said, his question on the dependability of Mother.
It almost made her smile, finding something that she knew that the Alpha did not.
She opened her mouth to respond, but quickly closed it again when the smaller girl standing behind Mother spoke up, drawing attention to her. The girl's voice was almost familiar in some way, and the scent that moved about the room with just the simple turn of her head had some bells of recognition ringing. But really, she couldn't put her finger on it. And even as she thought on it, something at her core stirred, waking some part of herself that she'd shut away a long time ago.
Hope.
She didn't know why it stirred, or even how when she'd locked down all emotions over the past several months. But it held her eyes on the girl, who did not even so much as turn to look at Akari.
When the girl turned forward to Mother again, Akari could just make out a filminess of the other's eyes, and she realized that the other did not turn to look at the Alpha as she had assumed, but merely to show who she was talking to.
Akari blinked once, her core pulsing again with that odd sense of hope, of promise, as if something were to come of this moment, and all she could do was shift her weight in an attempt to peel her stare from the girl.
Yet even as she spoke, her eyes remained on the younger child.
"Even if he were not the First-Among-All, Mother's trust of another is hard to disbelieve even for the strongest of demons. Once Mother deems you safe, you are trusted by any and all pack members. Mother's word is, in short, law."
Because without Mother, there is no pack to begin with.
"You'll learn in due time, dear Alpha." Her smile here was wry, almost teasing. *
"I was not questioning her vouching for him." The Alpha replied, glancing at the old wolf-woman to make sure that her vision returned to normal, the milky-whiteness pulling back as she returned to the present. "But rather his credentials. There is a certain point at which an Alpha is able to remove themselves from the blind trust afforded her position, and even while still trusting the mother, question the situation at hand with a clear mind. Him being...well, father essentially, completely explains the sensation you likely were not aware of, the one in which it was not actually mother's word deeming him 'safe' as you put it-though that was also true-but that it was in fact his own word which held equally as much sway over my own forced trust." He returned her smile with a lofty, toothy grin, his Alpha dominance in no way shaken by what she thought she knew over him. "You'll learn in due time, pup."
~!**!~
Still adrift in the world of the half-awake, mentally making a list of things and how they might be accomplished, free to think of the future now that all was right with her world, Shiki did not so much as get startled out of her sleep as drawn more towards the waking world.
For one thing, Hiei began grumbling aloud, and when he'd done so earlier, she'd just woken him up enough to get him to drink some water. However, his grip on her hand twitched once before tightening slightly, as if she might leave him at any moment.
Her eyes opening to half-mast, Shikiyoku nudged her nose into his shoulder in reassurance, filling their bond with her calm presence to let him know she was still there if that was his fear.
They would need to rise soon, but not now.
Not while she was still so comfortable. 3
"Your mark?" The face that was of Shikiyoku's demonic form gave way to the barest hint of amusement, a brow raising as she turned to look at him again. "I am not yours, little fire."
Still, Hiei took a step closer, not letting go of her wrist, not giving her a chance to run off. He wasn't in the mood to play cat and mouse. "You will be."
Her lips gave a slight twitch upward in a dry show of humor, "And how do you expect to plant your mark on my skin?"
Hiei blinked once, not having thought of it. His lips pursed in thought for a moment, but he came up with no immediate answer. So, before she could say anything, before she could begin to tell him that his attempts were futile, that he would not be able to do so, before she could even so much as protest, he pulled on her arm. He pulled her down to his level, seeing a flash of surprise in her eyes just before his lips touched hers.
He only was able to savor the moment for a split second, before the dream faded away and lent itself to darkness.
~!**!~
If Akari heard or even remotely acknowledge that the Alpha had spoken, she showed no outward signs of it. Her expression remained as it had since entering the tent, unchanged from its neutralness to the situation at hand. Really, she wasn't aware that she'd even spoken, much less that she'd earned a response to whatever she'd said.
She was too preoccupied with trying to force her eyes in another direction, to force down whatever stirred in her very spirit, trying to regain control of herself when it felt as though there were no such thing.
Finally, after a few minutes of silence, her head turned towards Yusuke, eyes following only when it was near-painful to keep her gaze on the girl any longer.
"Do you want to meet her there- whoever you've been chasing?" *
"It isn't her that has me." Kuwabara replied, his voice still quiet. "She only travels with him that does."
The flea took up the answer, "They will make the journey to the sacred lands once all the temples are awakened, it is in their steps. When the time comes, it is there that we shall meet them. And it is there that you shall become whole once more."
~!**!~
When Hiei shifted to face her, Shikiyoku opened her eyes completely to look at him as she obliged his movement and gave him room to do so by scooting backwards. He rolled his shoulder over onto a portion of her cloak, unwittingly trapping her in place on the small bed.
Having a thought to say something, she opened her mouth to speak until she realized he still slept and his shifting wasn't one of informing her he was awake.
Examining his face, seeing his eyes darting around behind his eyelids in a dream that by the shivering of their bond she knew still contained herself, Shikiyoku noted that he needed a haircut nearly as badly as she herself, beginning to wonder who exactly he had doing it all these years, for it was not nearly long enough for the time apart that he claimed he had been on his own.
As her eyes flickered over the bangs that hung low over his forehead, obscuring the white bandana over his Jagan nearly completely from view, she took her first, true note of the age in his face.
Not old age, for he was still so very young in her eyes, and not age in regards to his face holding any lines to it that did not belong due to the stress of his existence, but simply a difference in time since the last she had seen him.
Without her energy clouding her own thoughts she could tastefully observe how he, like all demons before him, had finally shed the last of the child-like curves of his face, though he was not quite finished, to reveal nearly completely how the structure of his jaw had been for the longest time, formerly hidden by his youngness.
His neck and shoulders too, broader and older like the rest of him, and each little change like the ones before had Shikiyoku smiling a soft smile.
The bond within her mind gave the strangest sort of shimmer, and though Shikiyoku became distracted enough to turn inwards to assess it, she was just as quickly torn from her curiosity when Hiei tugged at the hand he held and tilted his head up to find her lips when she was drawn towards him.
What the hell?!
The thought was terminated as quickly as it formed in the midst of a mixture between Shikiyoku's shock and her core responding to the attention by sending a thrill of energy first up her neck to her scalp and down to her soles, her feet free of the too-large shoes as she had kicked them off hours earlier.
That energy released invisibly into the air in a haze of perfume, as Shiki herself was left dumbfounded and frozen in place, eyes wide and staring into what she could make out of Hiei's face in the darkness.
The only certainty in her mind came from the bond itself, which told her that in this particular case, there was no doubting the fact that Hiei was specifically kissing her, not just in real life, but in his dreams. 3
As the dream turned to the darkness of sleep, the fire demon settled again, his lips coming away from Shikiyoku's after a moment and tilting his head further up, as if to press them to her forehead, but not quite making it there. His hand loosened around hers, but never let go of her hand entirely, fingers still entwined.
And after a little while longer, he stirred, his eyelids slowly opening, than blinking to rid his vision of the blurriness. *
Shikiyoku would have had a brisk rejoinder at the ready for when Hiei finally awoke had she not still been recovering from his earlier kiss.
As it was, she was lucky to not have her eyes glowing any longer, though her core was still beating energy through her body at a pleasant pace.
She toyed with pretending she was asleep to escape the moment, but wasn't sure if she had closed her eyes in time for him not to realize it…3
Hiei's eyes came open fully, this time able to make out the face of the female next to him, the slight color to her cheeks, the way she breathed, and the feel of the bond humming at his core pleasantly. He raised a brow, blinking once at her, noting her closed eyes and deep breaths.
He also registered a sensation at his eyes, as if they itched but not really enough to rub them, and his core felt… odd. After a moment, the itch faded.
He couldn't readily explain it in his waking moments, but what he was sure of, was that she was not asleep.
(You can't lie to someone who's in your head, woman.) *
Shikiyoku blinked her eyes, expression still.
(Why, whatever do you mean, Hiei?) 3
Crimson flashed with amusement for the briefest of moments before he reigned in his emotions, expression calm again. He reached his hand up, still holding hers, and wiped the back of it against his eyes to clear the sleepiness and the slight grogginess from his short nap.
(Your energy told me you were awake.) The emotion that accompanied the statement was one of amusement, with a slight hint of caught you in the act tacked on. (I was almost convinced, aside from that one factor.) Only than was he reminded that the bond had its own funny way of letting him know he'd affected Shikiyoku in some way. *
Aside from the fact that I haven't really slept since-
Shikiyoku shrugged her shoulders a little, (Just resting my eyes.)
(Did you know you're a fairly heavy sleeper at times?) 3
Hiei blinked down at Shikiyoku, his head giving the slightest tilt to one side. He hadn't particularly noticed, except this previous night he had slept rather well. He attributed it, however, to the person against him.
(It may have crossed my mind once or twice. Why?) *
Shikiyoku blinked once at his answer, knowing somehow that a demon who had grown up like Hiei was not likely used to sleeping heavily, though she supposed for the past several years he had not been sleeping out in the open and was in less danger than usual, but still.
(I...only mean to say that you seemed to sleep quite well last night in spite of your drunken spree.) 3
Hiei's expression remained calm, almost unreadable as he stared at Shikiyoku for a few silent moments, gauging her expression and considering her reply for the moment, also considering his own. Her retort gave the implication that she had watched him sleep.
That or something had happened and he hadn't noticed.
The latter was less likely than the former.
(It's easier to sleep here.)
nd by here, he meant beside her, not the pub itself. *
(Is that so?) She raised her eyebrows as if in disbelief. (I haven't the faintest idea why.)
...though the light smile on her face seemed to indicate she might have had a clue. 3
For a brief moment, Hiei recalled a time when she had told him he was too far away. they had only been a few feet apart then, but it had seemed like such a problem then. Now, he felt the same, as if he just couldn't get close enough; she'd been gone for so long that he'd forgotten what it had felt like to sleep right, much less well.
suddenly, Hiei was thinking of the first level, and how it had colors that were not only red and black. How Shikiyoku had a house there- a house that they had taken residence in at some point, what felt like an eternity ago. And the thought of that level had him sick to death of this godforsaken place.
And yet he didn't want to move from his spot.
(When we get out of here, would you cut my hair?) He was so sick and tired of doing it himself- it seemed to get harder and harder every time. *
Shikiyoku closed her eyes at his semi-complaint and request, same smile as before on her lips.
(You know there are many barbers all around the level. I'm sure any number of them could do you great justice.) 3
(I don't trust many with blades of any kind near my eye.) Hiei's response was swift, as if he'd expected her to say that. His expression, however, was one of very slight amusement at her smile. (I take it, however, that you plan on visiting one of them?) It was in the way she suggested a barber that hinted she wished to go out.
Perhaps he could collect the last of his earning before they left, then, if she decided to do that. They would all be along the way to any barber, in every direction. *
(Quite likely.) Shiki replied without the slightest suggestion in her tone that she wouldn't. (I don't trust many blades of any kind near myself.)
Before she could discard the comment in such a way that the bond would deem it unnecessary to transmit, the following thought surfaced: (Besides, it looks terrible and I didn't exactly take the time to do anything about it. I was in something of a hurry.)
She gave her head the slightest toss as her eyes seemed to focus on nothing, when she was in fact picturing the jagged edges which had likely not been bettered in appearance by being allowed to grow out what little it did in such a state. 3
Hiei gave a nod and a slight smirk at Shikiyoku., a knowing gesture. He wouldn't argue, considering it was not his place, but he personally rather liked the messiness. Or perhaps it was the messiness of being in a bed all night that he prefered.
Hn.
(Which one will you be visiting?) *
(My personal one.) Shikiyoku made it seem as if it were the most obvious thing in the Nine Levels. (Assuming Rae hasn't killed him yet.) She added as an afterthought.
"And assuming you haven't burned him alive." She teased, finally opening her eyes again. 3
Hiei's expression twitched, turning into a pout. (I've burned a total of zero people so far. Only trees and buildings and grass.) He made a sound that seemed self-satisfied, as if it had been the most difficult thing in the world, and that he'd conquered it. *
Shiki chuckled at him.
"Is that so? Terribly difficult to believe from my end of things, I'm sure you understand." 3
(There were a few that came close to meeting their maker.) The admission was a calm one, almost an amused one, as Hiei turned his eyes away in thought for a moment, considering each encounter he'd had. (Really, if I'd burned anyone, it would have been Rae. I still owe you the pleasure of seeing the building burning to ash, after all.) *
(You do, don't you?) Her eyes glimmered mischievously.
She had not forgotten the promise.
(Though you certainly didn't have to restrain yourself burning anyone on my account.) 3
Hiei made a thoughtful sound in the back of his throat. (It wouldn't have been as entertaining to hand you decade-old ashes upon your arrival. More entertaining to watch as it burned.) The mental image was a pleasing one, and for a few moments, he considered that being his objective for the day.
….accept that if he burned the palace, the balls would cease for a while, and the demand for his higher-priced goods would drop. Less demand.
Not like I'll be returning anyway.
It was a very tempting thought…
(We will see.) *
(I suppose we will.)
"I have something I have to do before we leave the Niiro, though." 3
Hiei nodded his head, thinking of the tab he had left to pay off. He'd been good to Kafu monetary wise, paying everyday before he left, in case it would be his last here. It was only right to pay off all the drinks he'd had, plus the room, if he remembered correctly.
Though, he wouldn't be surprised if Kafu would be glad to see him out of the bar for a while- the fire demon had been well aware that his presence had been an imposing one on occasion.
(Let's me tie up loose ends.) *
(Like your tab?) It was a fair guess, but she couldn't help grinning at him. (I imagine you've racked up quite the bill. Kafu will be sad to see you go.) 3
(I'm sure someone else will take my place.) Once he left the level, Hiei was sure the bar would get busier, those who had been chased out by his presence returning to the bar in no time at all.
There was sure to be someone as loud and rambunctious as he had been somewhere on this level.
His lips curved upwards a tad.
(Likely not as big of a spender, however.) *
Shikiyoku shifted around as if readying herself to get up, though in the process she managed to remind herself of the condition of her clothing.
(I think you would be surprised. I've known a handful of demons who bought out Kafu's entire stock.)
Mentally, she took stock of herself and what she would need.
(Made him close for the day.) 3
Hiei's brows raised, fighting the urge to stop Shiki in her tracks and make her lay down again; he'd been just so comfortable… But, really, he'd be more comfortable on the first level, in that little house, on the couch.
Eating sweet snow and strawberries.
Yes.
(I tried once. It was his shipment day, however.) His expression gave no indication as to whether or not this was the truth, and he didn't quite give her time to think on it. (Do you have clothes stashed, or should I go scrounge some up?)
Or give you my cloak?
….
The idea was an amusing one. *
Distracted by her current wardrobe malfunctions, Shikiyoku's mind only gave an absent sort of sense that she was paying any attention at all to what Hiei said, and as she pushed herself up onto one elbow, glancing around the room behind her, she half-rolled, half-leaned far enough away only to reach the drawer of the small table-desk next to the bed, opening it and reaching inside.
What she retrieved was only a small pad and writing utensil, but she at this point sat up cross-legged on the bed, only vaguely hindered by the size of her clothing-sigh-and after succeeding in freeing both hands from her overly-long sleeves, scratched a brief note onto the top piece of paper, tore it from the pad, folded it in half and finally looked up at Hiei.
(Kafu.) Was all she said, holding out the piece of paper to him and knowing she didn't have to explicitly state her instructions. (Because you can be down there and back before I know you're gone.) 3
Hiei watched Shiki as she scratched on the notepad, his eyes not quite seeing the lettering she imprinted onto the paper. An eyebrow arched ever so slightly, his gaze turning up to her face as he waited, figuring that the note would be his answer to his question.
The moment she tore the paper away from the pad and handed it to him, he took it from her grasp and sat up, brow arching at her a little more. When she was done talking, he nodded and slid off the bed, having needed only to move to the end of the bed before sliding away.
Without saying a word, the fire demon left the room, the door clicking closed behind him before he flit down the stairs and into the bar area, note outstretched to Kafu within the second. Simultaneously, he nodded his head in greeting, so as to not be disrespectful. *
Kafu honestly could not help the internal flinch when he sensed Hiei's footstep crossing over the threshold of the room Shikiyoku had disappeared into with him in arms the night before.
It had become something of a habit for the old demon.
But when the hybrid only stopped short of the bar and extended a piece of paper, Kafu blinked at him, or perhaps the note itself, and took it from him, noticing immediately the change in Hiei's demeanor and stance.
Unfolding the note with the hand he held it in, Kafu blinked at it again, gave a nod, and closed it.
"I'll take care of it." He waved back towards the stairs in the direction Hiei had come as if he knew Shikiyoku waited for her Consort, dismissing him, and glanced out across the bar floor towards a set of demons in the back, raising his empty hand and giving a brief signal for one in particular to join him. 3
Hiei waited only a moment before he turned away, sensing that his presence was not required for whatever task Shikiyoku had written on the paper. Even as Kafu dismissed him, the fire demon was moving up the stairs, picking up speed after two steps and entering the room Shiki waited in only a second later, the door closing silently behind him.
(Definitely won't miss me.) Hiei thought, his lips twitching in amusement.
Kafu had seen him in the bar every day for a decade, and even Hiei had seen enough of himself within these four walls. *
(I'm certain you've provided Kafu with a certain level of entertainment that he isn't likely to see recreated for several decades, fire prince.) Shikiyoku replied in something of a straightforward, no-nonsense manner as she managed to scoot away from the edge of the bed towards the wall in the hopes to invite Hiei back.
A single dark eyebrow arched upwards, and while she managed to withhold the smile she wanted to give him, she followed her movement up with, (Now where were we?) 3
Hiei tilted his head a little at Shiki as she scooted, recognizing the invitation and that she didn't quite have plans to leave yet. He crossed the room and took the place next to her before sliding into the spot he'd been laying previously, his arms going behind his head and his eyes turning to look at her.
(Talking about how much you missed me.) *
(Of course.) Shikiyoku obliged, sliding down so she could prop herself up on an elbow next to him for a moment. (How silly of me not to remember.)
(You, my young demon of fire and ice, are such a terrible Consort for leaving me on my own like you did.) She stared into his eyes as she spoke at first. (Forcing me to run through the entirety of hell-) When she picked up again, she reached out with both arms to place her hands on Hiei's shoulders near his neck, gently tugging so that he might roll onto his side to face her. (-while you sit around getting to burn foliage to your heart's content.) 3
For a very brief moment, Hiei blinked, having not expected the first sentence- and almost was miffed at what she said; it wasn't like he didn't try to get to her. However, as she went on, he realized she was only making an attempt at dry humor, and his eyes narrowed at her a little at the edges.
He did, however, roll onto his side for her, an elbow moving to prop against the mattress and his cheek resting in that hand as he watched her.
(Burning foliage isn't done sitting down. You have to direct the flame, woman.) *
(Many things can be done while sitting down, flame-boy. Including, I'm certain, flame-direction.)
Satisfied that he faced her, Shikiyoku finished wrapping her arms around his neck and drew herself up closer to him.
(But I digress. The fact of the matter is that I'm sure we're both perfectly aware of just how much the other was missed, but in case you really needed reminding…)
Shikiyoku briefly let her eyes close as she deliberately searched for the bond and reemphasized everything she had been through in order to get to him, a testament of her deepest desire to return to him if nothing else, but scattered with enough longing in those lonely days of wandering that it should have put to rest any remnant of doubt in his mind. 3
There was a certain ring to Shikiyoku's tone that had the fire demon pausing, blinking, and staring at her, unable to comprehend what was going on- or perhaps not wanting to comprehend, he wasn't sure. There was a hinting vibe that had his thoughts scattering, his reaction to be one of confusion and confliction. What was it she wanted of him in this moment?
The bond wasn't much help, and he couldn't read desires like she could.
And yet he found himself with the unexplainable urge to.. to…
To what?
He thought for a moment, his eyes searching her expression before a certain softness grew there, the last of her memories flitting away from his mind's eye and leaving him with the sense of comfort.
Instinctively almost, his arms wrapped around her waist and he brought his lips to her forehead, leaving them there as he took a small breath in, and then released it through his nostrils.
And he didn't have to say anything on the matter. *
Lost in her memories for a moment as she stepped through them while they passed into the bond, Shikiyoku didn't particularly notice the fact that Hiei didn't at first have the faintest idea of what to do.
She did noticed when he shifted beside her, especially when she found herself in the midst of his embrace.
Her eyes popping open, she found herself staring at his neck as he kissed her forehead.
That was the point at which she flushed once more, the feeling of her energy prickling across her skin a foreign of a sensation as ever, and she shifted slightly in place, uncomfortable somehow and unable to express it fully.
(...what was that for?) 3
Hiei didn't reply to Shikiyoku, his lips remaining there for a minute longer before he receded and rested his head on the pillow, his chin finding the top of her head. He made a sound somewhere between a scoff and a huff of content, his lips twitching a little now that she couldn't see his face.
It had been oddly satisfying, to do that. Not to mention the feeling that had crawled across his skin- proof of her own reaction to be sure- that had him considering repeating the moment. It made his skin rise in little bumps and a shiver run along his spine.
He didn't, however. Instead, he merely relished the feeling, finding it nothing short of satisfactory. *
When he gave her next to absolutely nothing in reply, and not so much as a sense of desire as to what he wished next, Shikiyoku found herself staring forward blankly in the next few seconds as her energy skittered up and down her body in an excited fashion.
Oh, stop that. Bloody hell. She closed her eyes again and her teeth clamped together.
Not that she could really do a thing about it.
The next time she shifted around a little, she felt something hanging about her neck resting cooly against her skin and it brought her back to an issue she realized she had been distracted from much earlier.
Hiei…
The arm around the part of his neck facing upwards shifted away and her hand went to rest near her collarbone, feeling the gem there, as well as something which he must have added when he took it from her but that she couldn't remember seeing.
Hiei, I can't…
(Hiei, I don't have to watch over this anymore.) 3
Hiei made a sound in the back of his throat that said he heard her, but had no intention of fixing the thing she was complaining about. (You're not watching over it.)
He went quiet again, his lips still tilted in a little half smirk of amusement. *
(Well, I was the last I knew about it.) She replied. (And in any case, you're here now and that promise has been fulfilled, so I-)
It was difficult for her to put into words.
It wasn't as if she didn't want it, she wanted very much to have it. But she only wanted it if Hiei gave it to her with complete understanding of exactly what it meant to give it to her.
Which was a great deal more than she was ready to accept that he understood.
Him having possession of his sister's...that was something entirely different in a situation where little else could be said or done about it.
This...this was not her place. 3
Hiei repeated the sound he made moments ago, this time a little louder. AgaIn, he had no intentions of taking it back, though he realized that she hadn't seen the little ring that he'd slid onto the thread to know that.
Meaning she hadn't gotten the implication.
(You have a mark that is visible on my skin. the necklace is my mark on you- I do not wish to have to fight other demons about it around every corner, especially here.) His eyes came open to look down at her for a moment, his expression serious, stern. (It's to show others that you are mine, just as I am yours.) *
His words rang within their bond for a moment as Shikiyoku pieced them together and began to understand exactly what his intent had been when he had returned the thing to her before shifting her back.
Just what had he added onto it anyway?
In any case, she supposed it made sense, as the thing would most definitely "mark" her as "taken," though perhaps not in the exact manner Hiei wished it to do.
(Hiei...it is very likely to be misunderstood what exactly is meant by this.) Sure, it would mark her as he wished, but in a way that she knew he did not wish to pursue in her case.
Or, really, anyone's case as far as she could tell.
(The gesture is one that in our particular circumstances would be reserved for something more akin to a 'mate' than our relationship.) 3
(I'm aware.)
Hiei had done his share with his newfound hobby, had made special orders for demons who had wanted something for a prospective mate. In fact, his most expensive piece had been to a demon who had special requested a necklace out of sapphires and lapis lazuli, both of which had been rather hard to come by on this level, for reasons unforeseen at the time. The challenge to get the stones themselves was-
Not the point.
The fact of the matter was that he'd been well aware when he'd given the jewel back, what it could stand for. Right now, it was his mark, and it would keep unwanted company away, at bay for a while.
Also, it would make the chances of losing her again slimmer, if she appeared to belong with someone. *
She supposed that it didn't particularly matter in the end, because it appeared as if she were stuck with the trinkets with little choice, as if Hiei's short response did not indicate as such to her.
And so all she could do was give a slight nod of her head to assert her acknowledging his...acceptance of her statement and admitting on a more personal level that she supposed it would be some sort of mark or another, deciding that she probably deserved it more than anything, seeing as how he had been denied a portion of his duty and power as Champion in getting to lay a mark upon her skin.
It would have made a good many of their follies in the past quite a bit less difficult.
...though the thought of such a mark sent her momentarily into wondering what exactly it would have ended up being. 3
Hiei gave the faintest of smiles when she no longer protested, content with the fact that she seemed to not mind it as much as he had originally thought she did. Perhaps it had been because in the beginning, he hadn't quite understood what she'd meant by him always returning- it made more sense now that he'd learned a few things.
He'd never really intended to take it back from her anyhow, unless she decided to leave him behind one day.
And now that he was her Consort, she couldn't.
(It's yours.) *
(I suppose it is.) Shikiyoku replied was a sense of resignation in the admittance. (Don't feel as if you can't ask for it, though. It's part of your heritage after all.)
After a moment she took her hand from where it rested and curled it back around Hiei's neck, perhaps not feeling satisfied with exactly how the situation turned out in the end, but seeing little need to continue to argue the point when in a way both she and Hiei were right. 3
Hiei gave a short nod in response to Shiki's last line, noting them despite his surety that he'd not want it back for a good long while, if at all. He wasn't worried about it much, the thought sliding away to be forgotten.
He relaxed again, eyelids closing once more. *
There was something in the moment of silence and companionship that had Shikiyoku pulling herself back towards Hiei, the tightening of her arms around his neck silently expressing everything she hadn't bothered to say about finally being there with him again.
She tucked her head under his jaw for a moment before a sudden impulse led to her moving her face until her nose touched the underside of his chin, but before she could complete the action, a sliding sound startled her briefly into pulling away from him before she saw that a package much too tall to have been actually slid under the door was on the floor in front of it, though it door was closed and had never been opened.
Not actually giving sound to the silent glee she felt, Shikiyoku only slipped away from Hiei's grasp to get to it. 3
Thanks for reading! Bless your face. If you sneezed during this chapter, bless you. Peace off!