I sit in the center of the bed the room held, in a new set of sweat pants and a t shirt. It's kind of big but it'll do and it's clean.
"How are we feeling." Marik peeks in. Hiei disappears from my side and grabs Marik by the throat.
"It's rude not to knock." Hiei's eyes flash.
Marik gives Hiei a look, "Sorry about that, but we'll be having an entirely other conversation when Nuni sees out newest guests."
"What guests?" I leaned forward, Kurama and Hiei glance at each other.
Marik's eyes landed on me. "Nuni has some guests."
"Me?" I look to Hiei but he's still glaring at Marik. He let Marik go, his hand still stiff as if it took all his willpower to force himself to release.
Marik's eyes darkened, his grin spread. "Would you like to see some old friends?"
I slid off the bed. Hiei appeared by my side in the net moment, slipping his hand into mine.
"Nuni." He whispered.
"what's wrong."
"How much do you trust me?"
"What?" I blinked. Where did that come from?"
"How much." The urgency in his voice sparked fear in the pit of my stomach. What exactly is he asking.
"I…" I glance at Marik. This is his fault. It's because of earlier with him. When it looked like I swooned.
"nuni?" Hiei's voice was a plea.
I meet his eyes. "With my life." Those words may have been the truest words I'd ever spoken. He nods and squeezes my hand.
"You know I would die for you?" he asks as Marik leads us out.
"I know."
"I would kill anyone for you."
"I know."
"I will protect you always. You know that, right?"
"of course I do, Hiei." I gave his hand what I I hopped would be a reassuring squeeze. "It's why you're the only one I'm okay with touching me."
His eyes softened, he stepped closer. "please remember that." he's begging… "no matter what happens next. Remember that… I love you."
His words warmed me to my very core. It felt amazing to be loved so wholly, so unconditionally. "I love you too, Hiei."
Marik glanced at us over his shoulder. "We'll see for how long."
Kurama had his whip out and I glared. How dare he question my feelings for Hiei, he doesn't know anything. there's no way we were ever together. He's a liar or he has me mistaken for someone else.
"Right this way." Marik almost looked giddy. "I think you'll understand everything in just a moment."
My free hand curled into a fists. "Whatever you're trying to pull, it won't work. I don't know you, I don't trust you and I—"
"Nuni…"
That voice… it's almost familiar… familiar but like there's more to it. Pain stabs at my head.
"Eh, Nuni!" That thick Brooklyn accent, I know that one too.
"Nuni's here?" Pure, almost puppyish, guy voice.
"You look great Nuni!" that girls voice. They're all so familiar. My head soothes to a dull ache. I refocused my eyes and my feet moved of their own accord. Hiei's hand slipped from mine. I drifted to ground no… not just to the group… to the short one with tri-colored hair. The upside down pyramid hanging on his neck glows and my heart shatters in a way I never thought was possible. Pain seeps into every fiber of my being,
"Nuni." That voice… It's deep, resonant. Warmth spreads through my chest and pain fills me in a new way. not like getting punched or stabbed or burned like… like breaking. Like my soul was just shattered.
He advanced on me, his strides unsteady his eyes wide like he's staring at a ghost. His regret and sorrow are evident in his big eyes. His hand reached for me, like he wanted to cradle my face in his hand. I can't move. Why can't I move. Don't touch me.
My mouth refuses to work as he drew closer. His finger tips graze my chin and I flinch, backing away from him.
"Nuni, how did you get here?" Fear enters his eyes when they flicker between me and Marik. When his eyes rest on me, looking me over as if he would find something wrong with me.
"I've missed you." He pulls me into his arms, warmth spreads through my chest and panic sears through me.
"Get off!" I shove him away, Hiei catches me with one arm and uses his sword as a barrier between us and the other guy.
"Do not touch, Nuni." Hiei warns. The guy's eyes flicker between Hiei and me and sadness seeps into the edges.
"Of course you've made a demon fall in love with you." His smile is part sarcasm part disbelief and drenched in regret. He takes a step back. "I see she is no longer mine to touch."
No longer? As in… once was? Was he… were we…
"When was she ever yours?" Hiei demanded.
The guy looks at me. "Before she left her home, we met and… we became close."
"What… no… I would remember you I…" I clutched Hiei's shirt in my hand.
"No you wouldn't." He sighs, eyes heavy on me.
"What do you mean no!" I shout at him. "Of course I'd remember if I was dating anyone the list is short and I don't remember you at all. You're mistaken."
He chuckles "not with that temper" his hand raises toward me, almost unconsciously it seems. I inch behind Hiei.
"What are you talking about!" I snapped at him, my body shaking.
His friends rushed over.
"nuni, whats the matter with ya." He's blonde, mostly white shirt, blue stripe across.
"Get away from me." I sink back behind Hiei, my heart hurts in all new ways I don't know how to deal with.
"Nuni." The girl leans around to get a look at me, I clutch at my chest. It hurts so muchm too much. Hiei moves between me and her line of sight. Kurama's hands ar gentls as one touches my elbow and the other wraps around my back.
"Are you alright?"
I shake my head. "it hurts. Something is wrong."
"What hurts?" Kurama is already reaching for seeds.
"My heart, my-my head." I wince. My own voice hurts it.
Hiei's body tenses, he jabs his sword out at the tri-colored hair boy. "what did you do to her?"
The boy looks between me and Hiei, his eyes filled with pain. "I made her forget me." he admits.
"Why would you do that?" Hiei demanded.
"To save her from a shadow game"
Shadow game?
"And herself."
Hiei considers the guy for a moment. "Liar, why would you ever willingly give Nuni up?"
The tension in Hiei's body is not from fear or concern. This groups poses very little threat, I can even see that.
"What are you talking about?" I snap. "Don't talk like I'm not here!"
"He's confused, Nuni." Hiei keeps his eyes on the tricolored hair boy. "All of this is a mistake. I'll take you home." He takes my hand.
The guy reaches for me, his hand curling around my wrist. "Wait."
Hiei yanks me forward, stepping between me and the guy. "Don't try that again." Hiei's voice voice is a low growl, his demon energy rising at the threat.
"Nuni, I understand you've moved on, but I need to give you your memory back."
"And mess with mind again!" Hiei's voice rises, energy swirling. "You have no idea the damage you've done."
"I needed to save her. It was the only way." He shouted back. "I didn't want to give her up."
"Then you should have fought harder." Hiei spat back.
The guy narrows his eyes "I wasn't willing to risk her life for myself. I made the choice to let her be free." He looks Hiei up and down. He's not much taller than Hiei so I don't know why he thinks he can look at him like that. "You're so selfish you would keep her own secrets from her." He looks at me. "Nuni, my name is Atem,"
The name pierces through me. A name shouldn't have so much power, but this one does. My head hurts, my knees shake. I grab Hiei's shoulder.
Hiei pulls me into his arms, "What's wrong?" I can feel him reaching through our link but something is off. He can't reach, I'm not stopping him.
He turns glowing red eyes on Atem. "What did you do?"
Atem looks down at Hiei, his eyes more red now. "She'll remember now, slowly but she'll remember me."
Hiei starts to move. His sword glints. I grab his hand before I realize what I'm doing. "Don't leave me." I don't want him to leave me, but I also don't want him to kill Atem. He has answers.
Hiei glares at Atem but stays with me, wrapping an arm around me.
Kurama steps between us and them. "We'll be returning to our room for now. Nuni needs to rest."
"Nuni." The guy with the Brooklyn accent called to me "Dontcha remember us? It's me. Joey and this is Tristan and Taya and Yugi."
Each name hits like a fist to my chest. A memory plays along the corners of my mind. Cards… Duels monastery's… a sleep over?
"I want to go now." I hide my face in Hiei's shoulder.
Hiei
I never should have brought her here. I should have convinced her to stay away.
"It's not your fault." She pressed her head into my shoulder her pain reverberating through our link.
"Yes it is." I hold her closer, tighter. She won't let me hold her fo much longer.
"Don't let me go." She held me as tightly as she could manage. Her hands curling into my clothes.
"I won't"
"Then why are you thinking it?" She ground her teeth. "please stop thinking it. I need you."
"I'm not thinking it, Nuni." I squeezed her to me, harder than I should but she didn't complain. "I'm afraid you will."
She pulled back, meeting my eyes. "Why would I leave you?"
