A Pinky Promise Chapter 3, a yu yu hakusho fanfic

Author's Note: Hello, all! I have been working on this for some time now and finally feel like I can publish it for you all to see! This is my first YuYu fanfic and I hope you enjoy reading as much as I enjoy writing it! Please let me know how it is! This is a slow burn romance, so buckle in and enjoy! (this has been updated on 08.06.20- yey quarantine and a lot of free time!)

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters besides the one I created!

A Pinky Promise

Chapter Three

She had one of those falling dreams that felt so life-like she did not realise at first that it was a dream. As she fell, she could feel the wind ripping at her skin. Her hair was flapping behind her head like a blonde curtain. Below her was a deep cavern that had mountainous peaks shooting towards her with sharp looking points. Between the rocks was a road lined with gold that curved and twisted between the cavern walls. At its end was a magnificent castle with a mighty guard wall that stretched beyond her vision. She fell closer and could now see a river at the bottom of the cavern.

She heard the river's powerful roar and it hit her that she was unable to stop. She had no parachute, no breaks. The cavern, that had just been a small crack a moment ago, was now large, and wide, and deep and she was falling right into the middle of it. There were jagged rocks protruding from its depths and the water crashing against them caused white foam to spray into the air. She could taste the salt from the water as she fell through it. She hated these types of dreams, as falling to her death was her major fear.

She hated the feeling of helplessness as she fell towards the ground, knowing there was nothing she could do to stop it. The raging surface of the water was here, it was time. She held her breath and hoped and prayed to any god or spirit to save her.

When she hit the angry water it was like her soul slammed into her body. She woke up gasping for air as if it was her first breath of life. It took her a moment to open her eyes with her head spinning. Her stomach was threatening to hurl. There was sunlight touching her face, which was odd since her bed was tucked in the corner of her room. It had never woken her up before. The warmth touched her eyelids gently, but it resulted with her head screaming with pain. It spun again and her stomach made another threat of spewing last night's dinner… even though she did not remember eating…

Cautiously, she opened her eyes. The window that she hated so much mocked her with a thin, white curtain that did nothing to keep the sun away. She attempted a glare but the sharp pain in her temple reprimanded her and she winced and groaned. The last time she had felt this terrible was after a long night of drinking. She dug her head into the crisp, white pillow to hide from the insufferable sunlight. The clean scent helped calm her headache, if just the slightest. Her stomach rumbled against the firm mattress telling her that it was no longer upset, but now very hungry.

Through her reeling thoughts she tried to conjure memories from the night before. She had been working last night. Yes, good job brain! She cheered for the strained and tired organ. Next, she remembered Linn pinning her against a wall to kiss her. The next step was going to a bar… at the small place up the street from work.

But, who did I go with? She pleaded with her brain to try just a little harder to remember any more details. And, why is my bed so uncomfortable today?

Her stomach did a sudden somersault at the thought that crossed her mind. Could this… could this be Linn's house? Her chest went cold and her breathing hitched. Okay, okay, okay… She tried to keep the daunting thoughts away. The best thing that I can do is keep calm and not imagine what could have happened last night. Without moving her throbbing head she shifted her hands to her sides and felt the material from her work uniform. It's a good sign that I'm still dressed.

Relief washed over her like a hot shower. Taking a deep breath in to steady herself, Hana slowly pushed off the bed. The sheets tangled around her feet as she swung them over the edge and onto the cold, wooden floor. Her heart was in her throat and she almost choked on it. The sharp pain in her temple had spread to the whole right side of her head and almost blinded her. The acidic bile in her stomach was attempting to crawl up her throat again, but with a mighty gulp she swallowed it back down. Before any of that, she needed to figure out where she was.

Glancing around the room, hoping for any sort of clues, like a map on the wall with a big red arrow that said 'you are here' to help her figure out where she was. Unfortunately, there were only plain, white walls of what she could only guess was a guest room... or a waiting room for Linn's victims to put them at ease. There was just the bed and a nice wooden desk and matching dresser. Beside her was a small side table with a lamp and…

My phone! She tripped over the sheets when she jumped towards it and almost fell to the wooden floor. Hushing herself sharply to remind herself that she needed to keep quiet to not alert her capturer that she was awake. Her fingers tore the device from the veneered wood and she almost cried with joy that there was still some juice in its battery. For the time ever, she was thankful that few people tried to reach her.

She was able to stand now. Her joints were sore and creaked as she flexed them, but she noted that she was not tied down by anything while she slept. Whatever Linn had planned, perhaps revenge for breaking his arm, she was not about to sit around and wait for it. Her eyes found the closet and the slightest bit of hope filled her. The closet would be the safest place to make a phone call since it would hide some of the noises she would make.

The door slid open after a moment of messing with the handle. It must not have been used often. She was surprised to find that it was storage for a few nice shirts and some blankets, and nothing else. Not what she expected for a house of a kidnapper. She brushed the thought away and brought up her recent calls on her phone. There were only two notifications, both from Han. Ignoring his rightfully concerned messages, she hit the green phone next to his name and held it to her face.

Through the feedback of the call, she realized how heavy she was breathing. She held a hand over her mouth and forced herself to breathe only through her nostrils. By the time Han answered she was a little dizzy.

"I need you to pick me up." She tried to keep her voice quiet, so no one in the house could hear her. She went to give him the coordinates, but realised again that she had no idea where she even was.

Han was mumbling something on the other end of the call as she slid the door open again. As quietly as she could, she tiptoed to the window and peeked with one eye out the window for any street signs or landmarks. She realized too late that the sun was bright and the moment it touched her pupil she felt it scorched her brain. She ducked down with a mighty hiss that she tried to silence through clenched teeth. Her knee knocked into the bedside table and the lamp danced around. As if knowing how dire the situation was to be as quiet as possible, the lamp threw itself against the wall. The light bulb shattered and the lifeless lamp fell to the ground, making as much noise as possible on its way down. She cursed almost every word she knew at it.

"Han," she returned to the phone. "I can't see any street signs so I have no idea where I am. I need you to track my phone and figure out where I am and come get me."

"What happened to you last night, Hana?" He did not seem to realize the solemnity in her voice. If he had been in front of her she would have hit him. How could he not understand that she had been kidnapped and why was he not freaking out about it?

"I'll have to explain later. First, I need to figure out how to get out of here without letting him know I'm awake." The idea of Linn brought a bite to her tone. "Once I get out of here I'll call you with a more precise location for you to track." There was sudden noise from the floor below her. She cursed again. Linn must have heard the lamp crashing and was preparing to come up to her room. "I got to go," she hung up before Han could say another word. He needed to get here as soon as possible, anyways.

She glanced around the room for any sort of a weapon and unfortunately found nothing. Not even a letter opener on the desk. There was just a picture of a woman with a warm smile and dark hair pulled back into a ponytail. Not at all what she suspected from a creep like Linn. She took another spin around the room and her toe touched the dented lampshade. It was something, at least, and she lunged for it. The lamp was the size of her forearm and cheaply made; probably used in a dorm room. She tied the cord around her hand and jumped behind the door as a squeaky floorboard announced Linn's arrival.

Her heart found its spot in her throat again and she struggled to breathe around it. A soft knock came from the other side of the door. Linn paused before reaching for the doorknob. She stepped closer to the wall as the door swung toward her.

"Miss Seoul-Oh?" It was not Linn's voice.

She kicked the door and it hit whoever was on the other side. They stumbled and she jumped from her hiding spot with a weapon in hand. She was surprised to find a head of bright, red hair. She swung the lamp anyways- this was no time to ask questions.

The red head ducked and the lamp hit the door and shattered what was left of the shade. Her victim spun and faced her with hands filled with a tray. He had green eyes that, for just a moment, caught her off guard. They were bright, and emerald, and if she was anywhere else but here, she would have called them beautiful. However, he was between her and the exit and she was not planning on standing around to gawk.

"Miss Seoul-Oh, please calm down." He put the tray down on the desk.

Her elan vital struggled on deciding if this man could be trusted. He was in the same house as Linn, and could perhaps be just as vile. He was clad in a white button-down shirt and jeans and did not appear as someone she should be worried about. His long red hair was pulled back into a ponytail and his face was soft and gentle. Yet, his eyes watched her like a fox and there was an uneasy jerk in her stomach when she met his gaze.

She decided not to trust him and that she needed to get running. She stepped to the side and towards the door and her exit. He followed her and she threw the lamp. The redhead ducked and she turned to the open door and fled. Her socks caused her to slide across the polished, wooden floor and she stumbled trying to reach for the doorknob to slam the door shut. That would give her at least an extra second.

Her heart was thrashing against her rib cage. Adrenaline was coursing through her veins and she kept slipping on the super polished floor. She used the wall to keep her balance as she ran down the hallway as fast as she could. The bedroom door was starting to open when she reached the stairs. She heard him call out to her, or perhaps out to Linn, she could not decipher over the loud pounding of her heart in her ears. She jumped the four steps onto the landing between the floors. Her knees buckled, however, and she slammed into the wall. A picture fell and shattered when it hit the floor. She attempted to step over the shards, but failed miserably and the sharp pieces pierced the bottom of her feet. The hot adrenaline in her veins made her impervious to the pain.

She jumped down the remaining steps three at a time. She landed in what appeared to be a living room that was very tidy and neat. The kitchen behind her was bright with more sunlight coming through a window and the fresh scent of coffee filled her nose. She glanced around the calm scene and had never felt more lost. This was not the den of a creep. It was far to bright and clean. The redhead was making his way down the stairs and she took a quick left and decided she would make an escape plan as she went.

"Hey, Hana!"

Before whoever could make another move towards her, she swung her fist into their gut. She heard them groan and they doubled over. She ran passed the stranger with orange hair and found the front door at the end of the hallway.

"Hana!" She heard a familiar voice yell out. "What the hell is going on?"

The doorknob was in her hand. It was cold and calmed the adrenaline coursing through her. Her body was frozen to the spot as she tried to figure out why the voice sounded so familiar. She dropped her eyes and found next to her feet three pairs of neatly lined shoes- and one of them were hers.

And then she remembered that Yusuke and Kuwabara had taken her to the little bar up the street from work and she had gotten so drunk that she could not remember making it home… well, here at least.

An exasperated sigh hissed out of her as she turned around and faced the brown eyes. They were darker than what she remembered and red veins almost replaced the white sclera. His dark hair was raised on the left side as if he had been sleeping on it. He was still wearing the white shirt and jeans from last night. Behind him was the crumpled form of Kuwabara. His long arms clung to his stomach and he was making noises as if he was about to throw up. The redhead landed on the main floor and stepped around Kuwabara. His green eyes were sharp. Both boys watched her as if she was a wounded animal and both were prepared if she tried to flee again.

Her elan vital shook its head as if saying, you've done it this time.

She had never wanted to disappear so much in her life before. Embarrassment was not a word that could be used to describe how she felt. It wasn't good enough. What she felt now was much more intense. All she wanted to do was flee because of it, and not because she believed she had been kidnapped. A blush burned every inch of her skin as she raised a hand and fiddled with the small hairs at the back of her neck. She tried conjuring up an excuse for her rampage of throwing a lamp and shattering a picture frame, and possibly breaking Kuwabara. But, how do you explain to someone that you thought they had kidnapped you?

At least apologize, her elan vital wagged a finger at her.

It was right and she opened her mouth to begin her amends, but no words came forward. Instead, the stomach vile she had been keeping down all morning did. A hand flew to her mouth as she tried to swallow it back down, but it was determined. She burped and it tasted like the beer from the previous night.

Please not now, she internally begged all the gods and spirits around her to cut her a little slack. She stepped back and tried reaching for the door to make a quick escape. There was no way she was about to make another fool of herself by throwing up on the floor of a strangers house. The bushes were another story, though.

But, the universe seemed to have another plan for her. There was a shoelace under her heel that she did not realize was there until she slipped. It would have been comical if she was not already the most embarrassed she had ever been as both feet lifted in the air as she fell. Her head hit the back of something, and her vision was spotty when she hit the ground.

There were two heads standing over her as she blinked and tried to rid her sight of the black dots. Someone tried calling out to her, but it was muffled as if they were in another room. She blinked again and there were now four sets of heads standing over her, two brunettes and two redheads.

Someone spoke again and when she did not respond, a hand was placed in front of her. It sounded like she was instructed to do something, but she still could not understand them. They sounded like the adults in the Charlie Brown cartoons she had watched as a kid. One of the redheads crouched closer and through the fog of her vision, she could see green eyes staring at her. He raised a hand to his lips and blew something from his palm. Whatever it was felt like glitter as it sprinkled all over her face. It tickled at first and then her head started to spin. Darkness was growing until her vision was overtaken and she realized she was asleep.

She woke up in the living room. The couch below her was stiff but the blanket curled around her was soft and warm. The room was filled with light, even though the windows had plants with long vines that clung to the glass and cascaded down and all over the floor. Besides that, the room was spotless and very put together. The walls were grey. There were a pair of brown, leather chairs in front of her and a polished wooden coffee table between the two and the couch. There was a plant pot on top of the table with a small, white flower sprouting from the dirt. This could have been an ad for a furniture store.

Someone moved in the kitchen on the other side of the couch. Water was running and the clank of pots sounded like someone was cleaning dishes. She sat up from the couch and was surprised to find that her head was no longer throbbing from her hangover. Her hand shot to the spot on the back of her head and found it tender, but could feel nothing out of place. Her hair was still in the bun she had twisted it in last night, which was an amazing feat with everything that had happened in the last twelve hours.

The water stopped and the thought of pretending to still be asleep crossed her. How long could she keep her eyes shut before they would leave and she could escape without having to see those boys again? Relieving the embarrassment caused a stone-like feeling to drop in her stomach. There was no way she could ever face the three again.

There were footsteps across the kitchen floor and they crossed into the living room. She kept her eyes down to hide her shame and to protect what little pride that she had left. Whoever it was was barefoot and wearing jeans. They paused at the coffee table and placed something down and then took a seat in one of the leather chairs.

"How are you feeling?"

"Look, I'm really sorry."

They said in unison. She took a deep breath in and dared a quick glance at her host. It was the redhead and his green eyes were filled with a laugh. She looked away quickly. He happened to be very handsome. "I feel better than what I deserve. I do apologize for whatever was broken during my… consternation."

He sat back into his chair with one leg crossed over the other. "Yusuke and Kuwabara have done more damage to my home than you could ever imagine. But, this is the first time I have ever had a lamp thrown at me… Or my front door knob taken off by someone falling into it."

A blush crept onto her cheeks out of nowhere and she found the plant on the coffee table pretty interesting. He sounded amused, but she felt like an inch tall. "I'll reimburse you for the lamp," she went quieter as she continued with her list, "and the picture frame… and the door…"

He made a soft, but polite chuckle, "It really is all right, Miss Seoul-Oh."

It surprised her that he knew that last name, but was relieved since it was her fake surname. She quickly wondered if he was in business with Yusuke on the quest to find Kamata. She glanced at him again, no...he's too pretty for that kind of work.

"I guess I drank more than I realized. When I woke up, I didn't remember hanging out with Yusuke and Kuwabara at all. There was this guy at work, Linn, and he made a pass at me… and I was afraid that somehow I had ended up at his house even though I broke his arm for trying to kiss me…" she realized she was rambling to a complete and utter stranger about personal and embarrassing things and slammed her lips shut. She would have to add this to the list of things to never do again.

"I am sorry to hear about that, Miss Seoul-Oh and must apologize for the male race. But, I assure you that I have no affiliation with Linn, and do not condone his behavior. You are safe here." When she glanced at him again, there was a warm and soft smile on his face. She found herself relaxing, or turning into an oozing pile of goo, because of that smile.

"Hana," she blurted out, unable to conjure anything else. "You can call me Hana."

"Hana," he took a moment after saying her name, testing it in his mouth like a sommelier did with wine. He gave her another smile and she felt her toes wiggle under the blanket. "My name is Shuichi Minamino."

There was a long amount of silence that was filled with Hana staring at her feet and Shuichi staring at her staring at her feet. Her elan vital had started a list of things she could talk about to fill the silence. Hana clung to the least embarrassing one since the rest were related to how handsome he was.

"How do you know Yusuke and Kuwabara?" She swung her legs around and onto the floor. Before her was a cup filled with a dark looking liquid with a soft wisp of steam rising from it.

He seemed to realize her distraction and explained, "that is some tea I made. It is meant to calm a headache. It does have a slight anise flavor, I must warn." But, his admonition came too late as she had already raised the glass to her lips and almost spat it out. He had undersold the black licorice flavor. If she had not already made a complete fool of herself today she would have spit the tea back into the cup- so she swallowed it instead. A shiver went down her spine as the hot liquid fell into her stomach. She did not realize there had been a soft humming in her ear until it began to ease as the warmth of the tea spread through her. "As for how I know Yusuke and Kuwabara. We met while in school nearly twelve years ago."

"You must have a lot of patience to have such a long friendship with those two." She dared to take another sip but was not able to hide her grimace this time. The flavor was strong and made her toes curl. The warmth of the cup made her hands sweaty and she stretched to return it to the coaster on the coffee table.

He chuckled again, watching her with his intense gaze. "Yes, that is a skill you must have to be a part of our little group."

Hana went to straighten but realized the little flower on the coffee table was no longer there. She paused completely flabbergasted as she found the little pot now had a plant with thorny looking vines spilling over onto the coffee table. "Wasn't this just a little flower?" She questioned as she reached out to investigate if the plant was real or not. The first flower was white and intemerate. This plant was thony and portentous.

Long fingers curled around her wrist and she almost jumped from surprise. Shuichi's grip was gentle as he guided her hand away from the sharp thorn she was about to touch. "Call it a taboo hobby, but the plants I collect could be fatal to the human touch."

"I collected snow globes once," she sat back onto the couch with a shrug, "so I understand."

A red eyebrow raised and she almost laughed as his serious facade slipped for just a second. When he realized she was joking he shook his head with a small smile on his lips. For some reason that did strange things to her stomach, heart, toes; all of her senses seemed to flutter. She watched him sit back into the leather chair, cross his legs and steepled his fingers together as if suddenly intrigued by something. "Hana, are you from Japan?"

She secretly rolled her eyes. Why all of a sudden did people care that she was not actually from Japan? Her mother was, but Hana spent all but the last eight years of her life in America. She looked nothing like her mother, who constantly reminded Hana that she looked like her father while growing up. However, Hana was never given answers of his heritage, nor did she want to know. He had skipped town before she was born and left Hana to care for her mother. So, when people asked where she was from she always answered it with her own question. "Why do you want to know?"

"You have beautiful eyes. I have never seen eyes so grey that they are almost silver." He answered truthfully, which never happened. Usually, people were put off by her question and tried to change the subject. Shuichi, however, was not fazed by her at all. A blush crept to her cheeks, down her neck, and all over her chest. That was not the first time someone had commented on her strange eyes but was the first time they were called beautiful. He continued with his next question. "what brought you to Japan?"

She had to dig deep for confidence this time. The green eyes were unblinking, astute. She was left with the sinking feeling that he would know if she was lying to him. After her elan vital had summoned the strength, Hana sat back into the couch, mimicking the redhead. "And what do I get for answering your questions?"

"I am sorry, Miss Seoul-Oh, but I do not understand." She could tell he was lying to her.

"People pay big money for the answers to those questions," she rubbed her thumb against her index and middle finger. "I don't give out information for free, Mister Minamoto. People have paid a lot of money, cars, their very souls, even."

His green eyes did strange things behind his steepled fingers and it took every ounce of strength in her to not turn away from his piercing gaze. "And what is the price that your host, who spared you a room for the night for free, must pay?"

Her first reaction was to roll her eyes, but she bit her tongue to remind herself to keep her composure. He was trying to get her to break, to cave and spill all of her secrets. His guile was admirable, but she had lived with Han for too many years for it to affect her. She smiled with a coy mien, "I believe that debt is owed from Yusuke, since he was the one who invited me here."

She could see his eyes harden, almost into a glare. A smug smirk pulled at her lips and he shifted as if reacting to it. "If you say so, Miss Seoul-Oh. Do I have to pay more for you to tell me your price, or do you plan on just playing coy for the rest of the morning?"

"Hhmmmm…" she placed her index finger against her chin in mock thought. "I don't believe you can afford it."

The redhead shifted forward in his seat. Now his elbows were resting on his knees. There was just enough of a gap in his buttoned up shirt that revealed his smooth chest, but Hana had to secretly yell at herself to keep focus. The green orbs were contriving and she actually feared she might not be able to keep up the illusion that he did not make her want to curl up into a ball under the blanket. Confrontation had never been an issue for her before and she was blaming those damned green eyed for the sudden stage fright.

"Humor me, then." His words were like swallowing an expensive whiskey. Smooth but burned everything they touched.

She felt his stare into her very soul. It made her chest cold, but hot at the same time. Her stomach was in a flurry as if she had just swallowed a hoard of moths. She needed all hands on deck to widdle this redhead down. He was staring at her intently and she needed to keep her thoughts straight. Her palms were suddenly sweaty. "Okay, Mister Minamoto, I don't want to waste any more of your time. My price is simple-" She had no idea where she was going to go with this…

There was a loud pop from the kitchen. If Hana was't mistaken, it sounded like a whirlwind was happening right behind her. She quickly turned, fully expecting the strong howling wind to be tearing the kitchen apart. Instead, she saw Yusuke resting casually against the white marble island in the pristine kitchen. She searched for an open window in case there was a storm happening outside. When she turned back to the redhead, the window behind him showed only a sunny, siren day. His green eyes were nearly slits while looking at the boy behind her. Clearly forgetting their previous conversation.

"Did I miss anything?" Yusuke stood straight and started for the living room, ignoring the glare from his friend. He plopped down on the couch next to Hana. "Hana, you should have warned me you were so cheery in the morning." His index finger was suddenly poking her in the cheek.

"I've already apologized for my behavior. Too bad you missed it." She swatted his hand away and fixed him with a glare.

"Too bad I was busy taking Kuwabara to get checked out from that punch you gave him." His words were not malicious but humorous. "I'm sure it was a good one, though."

Her defense dropped as worry washed over her. "Is he okay?" Her words were soft from her guilt. In her blind dash for an escape, she did not realize that it was that she had hit so hard that he needed to seek medical attention. She turned to the redhead with anger brewing softly in her words. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"You did not ask," he simply shrugged. "And, besides, we were talking about where you were from and distracted me."

The way he said it made her skin shiver. It was like he had enjoyed their little back-and-forth and she would be lying if she said she did not, either. It was nice to have someone with some sort of intelligence to trifle with, even though she sucked at it.

Yusuke seemed to sense it, "so I did miss something!" His arm suddenly curled around her shoulder and he brought her to his chest. "What was it like? What did you do to Kurama while I was away?"

"Nothing, you schmuck." Hana pushed away from him and adjusted the bun he nearly ripped off from the top of her head. "Wait... who is Kurama?" Was there someone else in the house she had not met yet?

"Yusuke..." Shuichi exasperatedly groaned and dragged a hand down his face.

"Oh shit," Yusuke played with the baby hairs on the back of his neck. "Forgot about that…"

A jingle rang out from both Yusuke's and Shuichi's pockets. Green eyes met brown and Hana sensed the severity of the phone call as the room sobered. Both boys stood and reached into their pockets and extracted the same black compact case. Hana could not help but wonder why they had makeup on them, or why it was making noises like a cellphone. Could it be a new brand that she had not seen yet?

"Don't worry, I'll take it and explain to baby-breath what's going on." Yusuke held out his hand with his thumb in between his index and middle finger and his lips pursed like a kiss. "you two continue what I interrupted."

It was a vulgar hand signal that she had learned after coming to Japan. Even for Hana, it was too despicable. She could only react by throwing a pillow at the brunette's retreating head. There was a soft thud of the pillow hitting its mark but it did little damage. She turned back to the redhead with the strongest blush she had ever experienced. It almost felt wrong to look at him.

"I must apologize for his behavior." Shuichi sighed and returned to the leather seat. He turned to her after a moment but the beguilement had disappeared from his green gaze. "Keiko has had her hands full trying to reign him in."

She brushed his comment off as if it was a fly buzzing around her head. "It's alright. But, perhaps it would be wise to put a shock collar on him for moments like that."

Shuichi chuckled, "I will suggest it to Keiko the next time I see her."

"Is Keiko his wife?" Hana barely remembered the conversation that included all that information from the previous night. "And, who is Kurama?"

"Yes, Keiko is Yusuke's wife. They've been together ever since I met them. Married finally three years ago." He shifted back into the chair and rested his hands on the armrest of the chair There was a sense of momentary unease as he shifted further into his chair. His face remained stone-like, however. "Kurama is just a nickname of mine that my friends use. I prefer it to stay within them, however. My mother is not very fond of it."

What a strange nickname… Hana pondered but then realized she, too, was going by a false name. Seoul-Oh was the name on her fake ID, but her real surname was Aihara. It eased her that Yusuke and his Yakuza seeking gang did not know that. Whoever their source was must not have been a good one.

Yusuke entered the room again, slamming the compact shut with a sharp snap. He looked irritated. "Sorry to cut this short, but we're being summoned to the Rei-" his brown eyes landed on Hana and he sucked his lips into his face. "The restaurant." He quickly tried to cover. "Something… has happened to the... noodles … and we need to get there to help out."

He was clearly hiding something and was not doing a good job recovering. Shuichi stood from his chair, distracting Hana from investigating the brunette's poor excuse for the masquerade.

"Miss Seoul-Oh, I am sorry to make it seem like we are throwing you out, but we are needed at Yusuke's restaurant." He tossed Yusuke a 'are you kidding me' type of a glare as he extended his hand out to assist Hana from the couch.

"I needed to head out anyways," she tried to sound convinced as she followed the redhead to the front door. Her elan vital was too very preoccupied that her hand was still warm from his touch. She did her best to ignore the titillate sensation left that still danced across her fingers. "I appreciate your hospitality, Mister Minamino."

"It was my pleasure, Miss Seoul-Oh." She knew something was up when he nearly purred her name. The warning was like a shock that ran down her spine. She straightened as quickly as she could- but she was not sure if that helped or not. His eyes were nearly glowing a vile green as he stood over her. She became very aware of the door pressed against her back . "Perhaps the next time we meet I will finally hear the price for your answers."

He had stepped closer and one arm reached behind her. The breath in her throat caught and she nearly choked. The top button on his shirt was still undone and she was sure he had recently sprayed cologne. The musky scent was mixed with something floral… perhaps roses? Whatever it was, shot through her nose, down her chest, and made her toes curl. Her mouth was suddenly very dry. She glanced up into the green eyes and felt the sensation that he was looking into her deepest thoughts. Her elan vital was cheering, but she pushed it away.

She lifted her chin and met his gaze with a confidence that she did not have. "I look forward to it."

The corner of his mouth lifted as he tried to suppress a smile. He twisted the already fixed doorknob and the sunlight met her unadjusted eyes. She stepped onto the concrete step that led to the street below. Suddenly, as if a last minute thought, Shuichi reached out for her hand.

"Until next time, Miss Seoul-Oh." His lips brushed ever so softly against her knuckles, but she felt it through her body. She was so shocked that she did not realise that he had slipped back inside and closed the door.

Her consciousness slammed into her like a bull and she realised she was still standing in his doorway. She turned on her heel and started down the handful of steps, ignoring the urge to run to the street below. When she hit the sidewalk, someone called out to her. She turned towards the voice and found Han propped against his orange and black Veilside.

"About time you came out," he popped a snack into his mouth. He was still able to smirk at her, despite his cheek full of food. "Did you have fun last night?"

She paused, her mouth agape. "How did you know I was here?"

He laughed as he stood from his perch. "Your friend Yusuke called me last night. Explained that you got belligerent drunk and was going to crash here."

"You know you could have saved me a lot of humiliation if you would have told me that when I called you." Her words were full of venom. This morning would have gone in a totally different direction if he had explained that over the phone.

"You didn't give me a chance to!" He was still laughing as he slid into the leather seat next to her. "I thought you were playing a game with your new friends."

She huffed, trying to not let her anger get the best of her, and crossed her arms over her chest. "You know how I feel about making friends."

The silence stretched between the two of them. Clearly, neither had forgotten their argument from the previous night. She twisted in her seat and rested her head against the cold window. Apartments flashed by but were quickly overtaken by towering skyscrapers. She realised that they were very close to home and that she must not live far from Shuichi Minamono. She shook her head before that information could settle itself in her brain. She would be damned determined to never see those boys again. Besides the fact that she had made herself into a total ass, the redhead gave her a jittery feeling in the pit of her stomach. It did not help that he had a mysterious zeal about meeting again. Her stomach squirmed at the idea and almost made her retch. The audacity of her elan vital.

Han seemed to be speaking to her, but she was so lost within her own turmoil that she did not hear a word. "I heard him yelling and breaking stuff when I made it to bed." he turned his dark, brown eyes towards her as he took a turn. "He did not sound happy."

She tried to connect the pieces of his story so he would not figure out she was not listening to him. Who would have been mad last night? Twinkie? Sean? She racked her brain for any more clues. When he raised an eyebrow at her, obviously caught on that she was not listening from her lack of response. "I was talking about (cats name)."

"I knew that," she huffed her embarrassment away. The news dawned on her and dread washed over her like a terrible cold shower. A groan escaped her and she fell back into her seat and imagined the mess she would be walking into when they got to the garage.

Han seemed oblivious to her mood as he turned around a corner. "Sean is going out for his first run later today and I need you to-"

"Absolutely not." She cut him already knowing how he would end that sentence. She turned a glare towards the man in the seat next to her. How dare he try and have her baby-sit the very person she abhorred at this very moment.

Han had the nerve to laugh at her. "Come on, Hana. I need your help on this."

"Why?" She hissed as the garage came into sight. "I don't want to encourage your stupid ideas, Han."

"Just give the kid a chance, Hana. It's not like it's going to kill you if you do." He slowed the Veilside so the bottom would not scrap against the lip of the floor when he pulled into the garage. He did not park in his usual spot. Instead, he kept the car near the entrance as if he would be leaving soon. The engine died and Hana turned towards him. Her anger was starting to simmer since Han seemed so casual about a subject that she did not agree with. And, to think he wanted her in the middle of it as if her opinion meant nothing.

"I don't worry about me dying because of it Han," her words were cool and calm, despite her pique she was holding back. "The life we live is not meant for just anyone. It's dangerous. You know all of our adventures we have had, and know that we should have not survived any of them. Yet, here you are leading a new soul down this ruinous path and you are not even warning him about it." She slipped out of the car and into the loud garage. "The blood will not be on my hands if anything were to happen to him."