Title: Fast Forward to the Stars
Author: Knuckle-san
Fandom: Nurarihyon no Mago
Pairing: Yoru (Night!Rikuo) and Rikuo Nura (Day!Rikuo)
Rating: T (SHONEN-AI and uhhh implied themes, but the rating will never change… I think?)
Disclaimer: I own nothing from Nurarihyon no Mago. I only own the plot! I hope you guys enjoy the ride anyway!
NOTE (PLEASE READ): This fanfic is AU. No incest or anything. They totally live on separate worlds. And yes, this is SHOUNEN-AI. No flames or anything of the sort. I've already warned you.


CHAPTER 16 – DARKNESS IN THE MIDST OF LIGHT


Unlike Yoru who adored and embraced the pitch-black night, Rikuo was definitely human. The brunet didn't have to go through the effort of staying up late for the yokai as he eventually fell asleep. Who knows what the crimson eyed yokai and his grandfather were doing so late at night? He really didn't want to know.

And the morning began like any other; it was rise and shine for Rikuo as the sun's glare penetrated the room. He felt someone sleeping next to him, even though that someone was supposed to sleep on the bed next to him. They didn't have two beds in one room for nothing. But then again, Yoru was always the clingy one between them. But the level of clinginess wasn't choking the heck out of Rikuo, not just yet.

"Yoru, didn't I remind you to sleep on your own bed last night?" Rikuo reminded with a soft sigh. "What if someone gets the wrong idea?" He wasn't the usual overly embarrassed fellow lately whenever Yoru blatantly slept beside him. He was getting used to everything, after all. Though deep inside, there was still that small and lingering feeling of embarrassment left inside him.

When and how did he get back anyway? he thought to himself. If he entered the room through the window, then that was fine, no harm was done there. But if he ever entered through the front door and disturbed Wakana's sleep, that was a completely different story. Rikuo then caught a familiar scent… an awful scent to be exact. What the…?

"You reek of sake!" he exclaimed, eye twitching in irritation. So Yoru was out the whole night… because he was drinking with his grandfather? Well, the mighty blood of Nurarihyon ran in Yoru's veins, no doubt about it. "What did you exactly do with Nurarihyon-sama last night?"

Instead of whining from Rikuo's motherly lectures, Yoru scooted closer and leaned his head on the brunet's knee, since Rikuo was sitting upright already. And of course, this small gesture melted Rikuo's heart for the nth time as a smile was plastered across his features.

"Come on, Yoru, you can't sleep forever," Rikuo told Yoru as he ruffled the yokai's ever so unique hair, smiling genuinely. Truly, these two never ceased to enjoy these little moments they had together; they were the most priceless anyway. "We have a long day ahead of us." Yep, another day under the burning sun Yoru loathed with a passion. He wasn't much of a sunshine person in the first place.

Yoru's eyes fluttered open, putting on his conceited smirk, the smirk Rikuo saw too many times before. "I won't be able to get up without a kiss from my beloved." The tone of his voice was entirely flirtatious, and rather than entrancing the brunet's heart, the effect was quite the opposite.

Rikuo clenched his fist, a vein pulsing in his forehead. "How about you get a kiss from this instead?" And he referred to none other than his trusty old fist. One thing that would never change about the crimson eyed yokai no matter what Rikuo did was his merciless bluntness. But then, he wouldn't be the same without that being part of his unique personality.

"Ah, I'll get one later instead," Yoru said, shrugging, his aura full of nothing but determination added with a fine dash of cockiness. "I have my own ways, after all." All he had to do was to get through Rikuo's heart, and his lips were as good as his. And Rikuo's heart happened to be easily swooned in countless ways that only the yokai knew, and that was one of his exclusive advantages being this close to the brunet.

"Don't get so full of yourself!" Rikuo huffed, his face beet in embarrassment. "I know your evil tricks and schemes." Not every single one though. He didn't have mind-reading powers, so he had a slim chance knowing each trick up the Yoru's sleeve, since the yokai was the very example of unpredictable.

And without warning, Yoru's aura changed into a menacing one, one Rikuo would never expect. Or maybe that was all in the brunet's imagination? He couldn't be too sure. He always relied on that sixth sense of his… and it was telling him that the crimson eyed yokai here was being rather hostile. "Are you sure you know everything?" Yoru asked grimly, his crimson eyes narrowing.

Rikuo's eyes widened and he was caught off guard. This aura… this wasn't the Yoru he knew… "O-Of course not. What do you take me for?" He mentally cursed himself for stuttering, but he couldn't help it, this unexpected dark side of Yoru showed up from out of nowhere. I got nervous for a minute there… he thought to himself, cold sweat dropping from his forehead. The only thing left to do was to take a step back out of caution. Even though he knew the Yoru had strong feelings for him, he was still undeniably a yokai and Rikuo here was still human. Anything could still happen despite the possibilities being lessened.

Yoru then held Rikuo's hand and all the worries of the brunet disappeared in an instant. Never underestimate the power of a single touch. "Don't assume too much, Rikuo. There's much more yet to know about me." Yoru smiled. The mood was so contagious Rikuo felt like his heartbeat could be heard all over the room. "Don't worry though. We still have all the time in the world to get to know each other better."

And on that fine note, Rikuo's heart fell for Yoru. And he knew it would keep falling, as long as it was Yoru enthralling that heart of his. No matter how many times he fell deeply in love with the crimson eyed yokai, the brunet would never get tired of it, since this was the best feeling he ever felt in his life and he wouldn't want anything else in the world; he was purely satisfied falling in love with the same person, rather, yokai, over and over again.

I guess it was all just my imagination, Rikuo thought as he felt his cheeks burn, his heart pounding like a bass drum. This method of winning his heart was so overused, so cliché, but then again, it was one of the most effective.


LATER THAT DAY


"Oh, this is just adorable," Wakana chirped in delight, taking shots of everything surrounding her. This was her first trip to Kyoto with her son and possibly future son-in-law, so she might as well enjoy every moment and make the very most of it.

On the other hand, Rikuo rolled his eyes at Yoru, who was once again, expressing his utmost disdain about spending time outside in the brightest of days. He wasn't one of those supernatural beings who would die under such weather, but this simply wasn't his type. And this just goes to show how meticulous he actually was.

"You're really not the sunshine type of person, are you?" Rikuo asked, even though he knew the answer very well. Maybe this time, he would be the one to get to tease the crimson eyed yokai.

"Never." Yoru gritted his teeth and folded his arms against his chest, acting like a spoiled brat, all cranky and grumpy.

"Come on, lighten up a little," Rikuo chuckled. He didn't want Yoru grimacing the whole day, so maybe a little joke would put a smile across his visage, even a little? "If you know what I mean." He couldn't help but chuckle at his own joke; since it had been a while he had been this creative.

And surprisingly, his technique worked. His joke had a consequence though. Yoru smirked as he threw his hair over his shoulder as he rolled his eyes. "Geez, your pun sucks."

Rikuo's eye twitched. Instead of expressing gratitude, he gained mockery out of it? Unacceptable. Well, in the brunet's perspective anyway. "Hey, at least it helped with that grumpy face of yours!"

And out of the blue, a girl who was laughing all the way as if she was chasing someone, most probably, a playmate of hers, bumped into Rikuo. The brunet's eyes widened because it was that very same odd feeling, whenever there were hostile yokai around. But this was a little girl… Could she possibly be… No, she couldn't. Maybe there was someone out there watching from afar; a distant shadow.

"Oh, sorry mister," she said with a chuckle. Rikuo didn't get a glimpse of the girl's face, since it was covered with her long bangs. It was amusing to see children playing outside the streets of Kyoto at this time of day; the summer really was nothing but warm and bright.

Rikuo shook his head and hand in unison, smiling. "It's fine, no worries." The feeling still wasn't going away. Could the yokai be possibly near? Could it be possibly scheming something in this time of day? But aren't yokai usually active during the night? It was all perplexing for the brunet. He needed to confirm these things to Yoru later… and speak of the devil…

Y-Yoru…? Rikuo blinked in curiosity, staring at Yoru's deadly expression. The brunet was curious as to why he had that kind of face towards an innocent little girl. And as for the girl herself, she already ran off somewhere. He's giving off his death glare… Rikuo then folded his arms as his eyebrows furrowed, clearly suspicious of the other's behaviour. "Oh, come on, Yoru. It's just an accident," he sighed. "You know how kids are." Sometimes, children were too playful and carefree that things like these happened. But they couldn't be avoided in the first place anyway. Rikuo had no right to ruin the girl's cheerful mood, since childhood was an important stage of life.

"I hate those kinds of kids," Yoru hissed, his glare not faltering one bit. Why was the yokai so angry at such a petty thing? Maybe he had other reasons… but then again, Rikuo would never know unless he asked Yoru himself.

"But you were once a kid like that too, you know." Rikuo puffed his cheeks, thinking that it was rather unfair for Yoru to get mad at a child even though he could have done the same accident back then. It was natural for a kid to run around as if the world was his and his alone. It was impossible for Yoru to have not experienced such a thing, since Nurarihyon looked like a considerate fellow and would let his grandson do whatever he wanted.

"That was way back," Yoru smiled as he closed his eyes, scratching the back of his head.

Rikuo blinked. This was the perfect time to get to know more about the other. "How old are you again?" Finally, I had an opportunity to ask him, he thought in relief. Ever since Yoru had that intimidating presence, the brunet thought opportunities to ask him were scarce.

Instead of immediately responding to the other's question, Yoru opened his eyes and dug his hands into the pockets of his pants, gazing at the ground, specifically at their feet. "Will you still love me despite my actual age?" he asked, his eyes looking at their softest and most vulnerable.

Rikuo felt his cheeks burn. And yet again, the other's blunt side prevailed. Did he have no shame in any way? He rubbed the back of his neck and avoided Yoru's gaze out of newfound embarrassment. "Yeah, yeah, but keep your voice down. May I remind you we're in public, Yoru?" he whispered sharply, his eyes narrowed. Did Yoru have the memory of an old man? Why did it seem that he always forgot the simplest of reminders?

"How does eighty-eight sound?" Yoru affirmed casually. He expected Rikuo to be surprised, shocked or flabbergasted. They were all natural reactions for such a revelation, after all.

But Rikuo's reaction wasn't that natural. "Oh," he said, his face nonchalant.

"Hm?" Yoru didn't expect the other's reaction. The brunet really never ceased to genuinely amaze him. It was one of Rikuo's quirks… and one of the countless reasons why Yoru was head over heels for this human being. He was one of a kind and he would never want someone else in his life. "Does that mean you're sick of me already?" He smiled widely in amusement. "Since I'm kind of a pedophile or something…?" He whispered the last statement, since he obviously didn't look like one, given his current appearance.

Yoru braced himself, even though deep down he wasn't going to let go of Rikuo even if this would be the reason why they would drift apart.

"Who gave you that idea?" Rikuo raised an eyebrow, his face flushed. Even if their age gap was… larger than usual, something as insignificant as age wouldn't affect Rikuo's feelings towards Yoru; he already made up his mind that he loved the crimson eyed yokai, and hopefully, nothing would ever break them apart.

"Ah…" Yoru's heart apparently skipped a beat and at the same time, mountains moved within him. He couldn't help but smile in utter happiness; to have fallen in love with Rikuo, and to have the other love him back, his life was one step closer to perfection. But by simply having the brunet by his side, he was already satisfied. "I'm glad… you're the one I fell in love with."

"Um…" Rikuo looked awkwardly at the ground, feeling as embarrassed as ever. It was a good thing Yoru wasn't exactly talking loudly , though some people were curious as to why Rikuo looked like a blushing mess. "I'm not exactly your first love, right? Given your age and all…" Another question successfully asked. He was on a roll here.

Yoru shrugged, chortling. "Well, I've been leading the clan to its glory for as long as I can remember, so…"'

"Are you serious?!" Rikuo was currently in a state of disbelief. Maybe Yoru was just merely bluffing? "Not even a little crush on someone else?" The yokai here was an impossible and hopeless case. How did he even fall in love with the guy again?

"Nope," Yoru replied, eyes as bright as the sun at that moment, which was pretty much blinding the brunet. How could he be so sure that Rikuo really was his first and one and only true love? That seemed so far-fetched for someone as charming and charismatic as him…

"You're unbelievable!" Rikuo huffed. Seriously, this must be just a form of flattery, but judging by the other's mien, he was nothing but joking. Maybe their red strings of fate were tied to each other all this time? If only those strings were visible to the naked eye. But then again, it was what made the whole destiny thing thrilling; you would have to see who you were connected with yourself and prove this person really was your soul mate.

"How about you then?" Yoru asked, raising an eyebrow and smirking, as if he was challenging the other. He was confident that he was Rikuo's first and only love as well. If his conviction was true, their meeting was the epitome of fate.

Rikuo scratched his cheek, abashed. "W-Well, I haven't been really interested in anyone since I'm always preoccupied with stuff, so…" And to think they had the same case. It was entirely coincidental…

Yoru smiled in satisfaction as he put a hand on his hip. "See? We're the very example of destiny." It seemed that recently, Yoru's hunches were always correct… just thinking about it was pretty nerve-wrecking.

"How many times do I have to remind you we're in public?!"

For as long as we're together… Together always and forever…


Wakana laced her fingers together, smiling and pretty much restless in her seat. They had just returned from their second day of roaming the streets of Kyoto, and the mother had nothing but the finest enjoyment and fun. "Oh, I'm so excited to meet Yoru's grandfather!" she chirped. She wore a kimono in commemoration of their first meeting. And surprisingly, the clothing was provided out of courtesy by Nurarihyon.

"He's a great guy," Rikuo said. Instead of feeling just as excited as Wakana, he couldn't help but feel rather nervous, since he knew Nurarihyon already. "I'm sure you'll like him." I hope Yoru gave Nurarihyon-sama reminders about meeting a human, he thought. Knowing Yoru, he wouldn't forget something as essential as that, since Wakana would most likely not comprehend the situation that her own son was in love with a yokai.

"I'm sure he'll knock at the door any moment now," Yoru said in a tone Prince Charming would use to woo over princesses. Yep, he had that sparkling vibe again, most likely due to Rikuo's acceptance of his age. Who wouldn't be happy that the one you love accepted you for who you really were, despite the shocking revelations?

Then, someone knocked on the door just when Yoru mentioned it. "Speak of the devil…" he uttered as he walked towards the door.

Rikuo sweated bullets; all this pressure was getting to him even though he had nothing to do with this at all. Yoru should have told Nurarihyon the reminders… and everything would flow smoothly and everything would go back just the way they were. Yeah, just as planned. You guys definitely planned this out… he thought. Like grandfather, like grandson, after all.

Hm, I wonder what Nurarihyon-sama looks like when in a human disguise… Rikuo pondered, folding his arms against his chest. Now that I think about it… how do they magically transform back to their yokai forms? Too much of that thinking and worrying made his head throb just now. Ugh. I think I only know .0001 percent of Yoru's life… he sighed mentally. Out of all this time we spent together… He then found out he was blinded by his emotions and thought he already knew Yoru inside and out, but this just goes to show how to never judge a book by its cover. At least they did have all the time in the world, as Yoru said earlier…

Just when his reel of questions came to an end… more were added. Maybe I should write down all of the things I want to ask him, since Yoru look like the type to answer them all willingly. Yeah, that should work- His then eyes widened in disbelief with the sight before him. Wait, why's Nurarihyon-sama in the very same get-up?

"Yo!" greeted the infamous sodaisho, Nurarihyon, with his long protruding hair and golden narrow eyes and everything as he waved at both mother and son.

Rikuo's jaw dropped while Wakana blinked and waved back, smiling in fascination. Nurarihyon was quite young-looking to be a grandfather. Yoru's family sure was something. Not to mention he accepted that his own grandson was in love with her son… He was quite the grandfather. "Oh, hello," she greeted back.

Rikuo then turned his head to Yoru, glaring and growling. Yoru, you're so dead meat when this is all over! Yoru simply shrugged it off and chuckled. Maybe he was mocking the brunet on purpose?

"Hey, Riku-chan! It's been a while," Nurarihyon greeted the brunet. "I missed you a lot, in case you didn't know. You haven't been dropping by unlike last time." It was proven that Yoru inherited his bluntness from this yokai. But the golden eyed yokai was much blunter; he was the first of his generation, after all.

"Hello, Nurarihyon-sama…" Rikuo's eye twitched, averting his gaze from the sodaisho. He hoped Wakana wouldn't get the wrong idea and the other was just being playful, but still…

Anyway, Rikuo walked over towards Yoru and placed his hands on his shoulders. "We're going out," he whispered, his eyes narrowing in annoyance and irritation. Why couldn't things ever go smoothly?

"A date?" Yoru whispered, looking back at Rikuo.

This was far from a date. But then again, the crimson eyed yokai always had a knack to get his hopes up. "While you two get to know each other better, Yoru and I will have a little talk outside."

As they exited the room, Yoru sighed in disappointment. This was the consequence of being optimistic. "I thought you were asking me out."

"Don't bet on it," Rikuo growled. No way was he going to let the other have his way with everything again.


"Oh..." Yoru rolled his eyes and chuckled, amused of the reason why Rikuo invited him outside in the first place. The brunet sure had his way with things, and each one of them always seem to delight the ever so mischievous yokai. "So you're mad because of how the old man looks?" He waved his hand and head. "It's not like the sodaisho can actually follow an order from his own grandson." Nurarihyon's level of pride was off the roof, after all. The only one he lowered his pride for was his late wife, Yohime. It showed how much he was love with her… and he always will be, no matter how much time had passed already.

"As much as I want to tell Mom about all this, it's just that…" Rikuo's eyes showed his clear resolve; his 'noble' side was showing yet again from out of the blue. "I don't ever want her to get involved. I mean, she's the only mother I'll ever have. Surely you know how I feel…" He let out a soft sigh, hoping Yoru would be understanding of him this once, because the yokai sure was a stubborn fellow. "You do have a mother, right?"

"She's here in Kyoto, actually…" Yoru uttered, smirking rather oddly. He didn't look exactly happy, nor did he look melancholic… He was more on the neutral side.

"Whoa, really?" And that was the surprise of the century for the brunet. "Why didn't you tell me? It's better if Mom met her instead!" And the flow of things would be a million times smoother instead of Nurarihyon wrecking things up (in his opinion, mind you).

Yoru chuckled bitterly, a sound Rikuo rarely heard from the other, and so, he couldn't help but immediately become concerned.

"…They can meet some other time."

"Aw, why not?" Rikuo had a feeling Yoru's mother was graceful and kind… well, those were traits that Yoru here clearly didn't have that much. Maybe she wasn't around that much hence the reason why Yoru wasn't raised a noble and respectable heir of a clan and instead became reckless, blunt and arrogant beyond words.

"She hasn't actually been herself lately…" Yoru replied, his eyes clearly showing signs of strain. As much as he tried his best to look defiant and all that, he still had signs of weakness, whether he liked it or not.

Rikuo could empathize with the other, because even though he was strong physically, he wasn't exactly the strongest human being, because first off, he was obviously outmatched against any kind of yokai and his selfless was one of his biggest weakness; he would rather sacrifice and risk his life without hesitation. No matter how much he loved his life, the people most precious to him was always his first priority. He would rather carelessly throw his life away, unaware of the mere consequences it would make unto others.

"In fact, she's been possessed by some other yokai," Yoru added.

He remembered the last time he saw his mother. She had long black hair and her eyes were as black as a bottomless void and yet they shimmered like daylight. Her skin was pale, but nevertheless, it was a match to her mien. He got mostly his looks from his father, but he loved his mother more. She was so kind that he was definitely more attached to her than anyone else in the household. Finding out her body was possessed by a stronger and despicable yokai during one of the clan's raids fuelled rage inside Yoru. He wanted his mother back, but Nurarihyon restrained him and said it was too late to save her. She was gone… and she was the reason why his father died as well. She wore a nefarious smirk as she stabbed Yoru's father right before his eyes. There was no sign of her, the mother Yoru once knew and loved. And that was when he fully accepted that she was no longer in this world. He vowed vengeance for her and his father… one day… surely…

Yoru snapped out of his reverie as he heard Rikuo exclaim angrily at him. "And you finally decided to tell me after all this time?! What is wrong with you?!" He thought his trip to Memory Lane had been longer than he thought… but all of the events he recalled happened in a single moment.

"You don't understand," Yoru asserted, eyebrows furrowing. Rikuo was too clueless, but then again, Yoru was divulging information for him at this very instant. "She's too powerful." And I needed to gain power first. "I didn't know I already had it in me all this time though." He then stared deeply into Rikuo's eyes, his bitter smile changing into an appreciative one. For some reason, the brunet could notice these slight changes; then again, they had been spending a lot of time together, so he was bound to notice. "And it's all thanks to you."

Rikuo blinked. "Huh? What could I possibly have done? You gave yourself motivation, not me." How could he have gotten himself involved when this was about Yoru's conflicts within himself?

"You're the one who's helped me realize…" Yoru stated. "I've been the leader of the clan all this time, but that's nothing compared to when I met you." He smiled fondly as he was already speaking from the bottom of his heart, given his tone of sincerity. "I didn't accept it at first because me, falling in love with a mere human? Once in a family's enough… I wasn't stubborn though. I was afraid. But even since I met you, I've learned more things than I ever will in a lifetime." He then placed his arms on his back, puckering his lips. "This might sound awfully cliché, but you're the one who's helped me find the strength I didn't know I had in me. You became my light." He observed Rikuo's constant selflessness, and that was the very thing that triggered something within him. If the brunet could do it, so could he.

"Yoru…" Rikuo didn't know Yoru had all these kinds of feelings building up inside him. He always thought that he was simply brash and arrogant, but then, everyone had their reasons for everything.

But his speech wasn't over yet. "I already had the power, but you gave me that very push, so I'll give you something in return for your invaluable and irreplaceable kindness…" he began again. "I'll give you the world…"

"Yeah, right." Rikuo chuckled lightly. "You're so cheesy, Yoru." He never thought Yoru was one of those old-fashioned casanovas blurting out lines as cheesy as that.

"Believe me, Rikuo. I'm serious." Yoru's eyes definitely meant serious business, which surprised the heck out of the brunet.

"Say what…?"

"Currently, the strongest yokai is the one possessing my mother," he enunciated, looking as if he was scheming, and the shocking part was that he really was. "But no matter, once I kill her…"

"What the hell are you talking about?! You can't kill your own mother, even if she is possessed!" Rikuo exclaimed. How dare would Yoru say such a thing? What if that so-called strongest yokai possessed the brunet's mother? Would he still kill her even though he very well knew Rikuo would never love him again, because that was pouring salt into the wound?

"You're too naïve, Rikuo." Yoru clicked his tongue in annoyance. It was about time he shed some light into the brunet's cluelessness. "Once she's possessed, she can never go back to the way she is. Her soul is long gone from her tangible body. You think we can get through her simply through an emotional connection? This isn't some fantasy novel or a figment of human's desperate imagination, it's that ever constant cruel thing called reality."

Rikuo had never seen so much fire within the crimson eyed Yoru. He was completely different just a minute ago. How a single moment could turn tables around them forever…

"I've accepted long ago that mother passed on. And I think it's about time I've done some justice for her sake…" He then extended his arms, his smirk growing wider… his facial expression could be easily compared to that of a lunatic, to Rikuo's surprise. "And when I gain victory, the famed Nura clan will live up to its name. I'll be the strongest yokai in the world…"

No way… Rikuo thought nervously. He thought all that anxiety and paranoia was for nothing, turned out his worries had never disappeared in the first place. Yoru did have a dark side… well, he wasn't a yokai for nothing.

"I never go down on my word, Rikuo. I can literally give you the world, since I'll be ruling over it." Yoru cackled, looking just as menacing as any antagonist. Rikuo's heart fell in despair and fear… This wasn't Yoru… "If the old man did it once, so can I. I want you to be the first to witness my reign… my beloved Rikuo."


A/N: Ahh~ another update. I guess, this is where the real deal begins. You guys never expected for Yoru to have a side like this, eh? But then again, he is a yokai, what did you expect? This chapter answered some questions, but at the same time, added even more questions for all of you to ponder on. LOL I hope you all still enjoyed it though. Till the next update!