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!
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters besides the one I created!
A Pinky Promise
Chapter Five
Hana jumped around, ready to defend herself from her attacker. She was much more surprised to find the pink eyes and blue hair in front of her.
"You're the girl from earlier?" Hana deflated against the car. The shock left her breathless and she clenched at her heart, worried that it had flown out of her chest.
"Bingo!" The girl gave Hana a big smile, "the name's Botan!" She was no longer wearing the extravagant kimono and was now in blue jeans and a flowy floral shirt. "I just wanted to say thank you for all your help with Kyo today."
The shock had not worn off yet and Hana was left too stiff to answer. The girl was very bubbly and was nearly bouncing in front of her. It took a moment for Hana to answer. "It really wasn't a problem. Does that mean you got him to his parents?"
"Oh, never mind that now." Botan waved Hana's question away as if it were a bug. "He's where he needs to be. But, I realised I know you and could not let the opportunity pass."
Doing a quick glance of the girl, hoping that it would revive a memory, but nothing came to mind She did not know who this girl was. "I'm sorry… but how do you know me?"
"You know my friends!" Her fingers curled around Hana's wrist. "They've been talking about you non-stop. They won't believe it until they see it! And, on game night this is the best timing ever! The teams will finally be even." And, she was pulling Hana with her down the road before Hana could even realise what was happening.
"Wait a minute." Hana tried to pull out of the vice like grip, but was not able to get the fingers to budge. "Who are your friends?" Botan did not seem to hear the question since she was mumbling to herself. Hana dug her heels into the sidewalk and was able to finally get the girl's attention.
"It's just going to be so much fun!" Botan came out of her daze, unaffected by Hana's confused expression. "I can already tell you're going to make an excellent addition to our little group."
"Listen, Botan." Hana pulled out of the girl's grip at least. "It's Botan, right?" The girl nodded her head fervidly, but remained quiet. "I hate to break it to you, but I'm not on the market for friends right now. I don't even know who your friends are, anyways." She added the last part slightly harsher than intended, but her wrist was hurting from Botan's tight grip.
Botan, either purposely ignoring Hana or was just oblivious to her tone, looked over Hana's shoulder and a big smile grew on her face. "Look at that, one of them is here now!" She used her whole arm to wave at whoever was behind Hana.
"Goodie," Hana grumbled under her breath. "Listen, Botan, I really gotta-"
But, Botan ignored Hana and called out to her approaching friend. "Hey, Kurama!"
It was like Hana had stepped into a cold shower. She prayed to all the gods and spirits around her that it would be anyone else. She dared to peep a glance over her shoulder and her eye was immediately drawn to the head of bright red hair. She whipped back to Botan before he could reach them and hissed, "You didn't tell me he was your friend!"
The smile on Botan's face confirmed that whatever she was scheming was vile. She took advantage of Hana's shock and spun her by the shoulders to face him when he approached. "Look who I found in the park today!"
Their last meeting played for her in her mind's eye and Hana had a hard time meeting his bright, green gaze. Out of all the members of their friend group, he was the one she was hoping to avoid the most. Besides the fact that she had broken a lamp by throwing it at his head, and a picture frame, and even the door knob on his front door… there was something about him that made her stomach squirm and she had no reason why. It wasn't the normal leery feeling she got from meeting new people and that made her even more ansty.
"Miss Seoul-Oh," he gave her a warm smile as he readjusted the leather briefcase he had tossed over his shoulder. "It has been some time. I hope you have been well since the last I saw you?"
She nodded her head a few shakes before realising she needed to give an actual answer. "I've been well, thank you. And, yourself?"
His polite smile stayed intact. "I have been well, thank you."
Her body had gone into autopilot mode and she was speaking before her body could process the next, normal, step for conversation. "Oh yeah? And, you?"
Silence fell upon the three and the blood shot to Hana's ears so strong she could hear her heart beating. Hana thought about jumping in front of a moving vehicle in the street right next to them to escape.
The red head broke the silence first with a chuckle, not polite enough to hide his amusement. "Did you say you met in the park? I did not realise you two were acquainted with each other."
"Nope!" Botan threw an arm around Hana's shoulder and their cheeks touched. "She helped me with one of my tricky cases today."
A red eyebrow quirked as if the story intrigued him. "You were lucky she was in the neighborhood, then. Do you live around here, Miss Seoul-Oh?"
Hana shook Botan off of her. "No I don't and I was just leaving, actually."
But, Botan's grip was harder to break out of. When Hana was finally able to tear the claws off of her wrist, Hana flew backwards like she had been catapulted into the street next to them.
So, this is it. She thought to herself as she plummeted towards the ground. There was a red car speeding towards her and she knew there was no way she could land and roll out of it's path in time. This really was how she would go. She knew her death would have been by car, she just assumed she would be driving it.
That was until a hand wrapped around her wrist and pulled back back. The next thing to stop her was a surprisingly hard chest. The shirt was starchy and crisp from detergent, but there was cologne laced within its fibers. The scent was musky and she found herself weakening, not just yet from shock. The first thing she saw when she opened her eyes were the green ones staring back at her. They were large and filled with worry. His polite facade had defrosted.
"Are you alright?" He seemed to release the breath he was holding.
She nodded her head, having no idea what to say or how to say it. Her head was fuzzy and she was stiff as the shock set in. He placed her right-side up on her feet and the green eyes were replaced with the pink ones. Botan curled an arm around Hana's shoulder again and did not waste any time leading her down the street.
"Isn't this the greatest, Kurama?" Botan had tucked her arm through his and was guiding the three of them to a ramen shop. "With Hana here, the teams will be even and we can all play."
Botan kicked the door open and was pulling Hana up a flight of stairs when an alarm rang in Hana's head. She shook her thoughts back into place and had to dig her heels into the ground to stop Botan again. The blue haired girl fell back onto Hana, who was caught by the red head before they could all plummet back down the stairs.
"Wait a damn minute! I've already told you I was not on the market for friends." Hana pushed Botan off of her. "I don't even know how you got me up here."
Before she could turn and storm passed Kurama, Botan turned around and collected Hana's hands in her own. "It's just… everyone has spoken so highly of you and I was just so excited to meet you. And, I know Yusuke and Kuwabara would be so happy to see you again."
Hana was foolish enough to meet the pink eyes that were round and pleading. When Hana did not react, Botan stuck out her bottom lip. The guilt almost made Hana sick. She groaned, won over by the cruel trick. "Fine," she was firm. "Just to say hello and that's it."
Botan's smile returned and she led Hana by the hand to the door at the top of the stairs. She did not knock, or wait to be let in, but kicked the door open. "Look who I found, everyone!" She sang, loudly.
Hana was pulled in after Botan into an apartment. She was standing behind the tall, but petite, girl like a performer waiting behind a curtain. The redhead stepped in behind them and quietly shut the door. Hana was pulled forward and felt like a rabbit being plucked out of a magician's hat. In the kitchen was a tall woman with long brown hair and brown eyes. She was a few years older than Hana, and seemed very uninterested that someone had just barged into her home with a stranger.
"Hi there!" Came a tiny, but excited voice from the adjoining room. Hana's grey eyes skimmed the living room but only found Kuwabara perched on the couch. He was preoccupied with a video game and did not even realise she was there. Hana was sure the voice did not come from him, but she could not see anyone else who could have made the sound.
"It's nice to meet you! I'm Yukina!" A small form jumped out from Kuwabara's side. She had blue hair and was wearing a cute kimono and had maroon eyes that were as bright as her smile. It took her a moment to cross the living room, but when she did, she engulfed Hana's hands in her own. "Kazuma has told me all about your adventures! He made me very excited to meet you, and it has finally happened!"
The loud music from the television paused, but was replaced with a boisterous yell as if the person forgot they were inside. "Botan, why are you being so damn loud? You're messing up my game!" His grey eyes fell on Hana and he tossed the game controller over his shoulder. "Holy shit! It's Hana! What are you doing here?" He crossed the room in half the steps of Yukina and engulfed Hana in a hug that lifted her off the ground.
"Oh, you know, just the usual." Hana took a breath in to replenish what Kuwabara had squeezed out. "Ran into Botan and she dragged me here against my will."
"Yeah, that sounds about right." Kuwabara chuckled while playing with the baby hairs on the back of his neck.
"I thought since she was here, she could help even out the teams for game night!" Botan curled an arm around Hana's neck with her face contorted into a cat-like smile. Hana turned to her with a sharp glare and Botan squeaked and quickly took her arm back. She slipped into the kitchen to hide behind the tall woman still hanging out there.
"Yo," she lazily saluted Hana with two fingers, and for a moment she was reminded of Han. "Since no one wants to be hospitable, I'll introduce myself. The name is Shizuru Kuwabara, and that's right, I am the great Kazuma's sister."
Hana could not see the resemblance, but took her word for it and gave her a nod. The door to the right of the kitchen swung open and another girl stepped out. She had short brown hair and brown eyes. She startled when she saw Hana, but quickly recovered and gave Hana a big smile.
"Yusuke, hurry up!" She called over her shoulder in a commanding voice that did not match her mousy persona. When she approached Hana, though, she was all smiles and charm. "You must be Hana. My name is Keiko."
The name brought up a fuzzy memory. "You're Yusuke's wife, right?" Hana could remember, if just barely, Yusuke drunkenly explaining the history of the gang the night they had hung out.
A blush crept across Keiko's cheeks and she nodded. "Yes, that's me. Welcome to our home. It's not much, but we're happy you're here. If you need anything, please do not hesitate to ask."
Her altruism caught Hana by surprise. Her home was warm and very welcoming. It was filled with excitement and smiles and contrasted the garage that Hana was used too. Her home was larger, yes, but it was always cold and everyone was a stranger. There were pictures on the wall, disheveled pillows on the couches like someone actually used them, and a candle was burning somewhere.
"It's perfect, actually." Hana found herself returning the smile at the faces around her as she spoke truthfully. There was a strange warmth in her chest that she had not felt in a while… a very long while.
The door that Keiko had entered from was thrown open. "What were you yelling about, woman?"
Yusuke broke the circle that had formed around Hana, still shaking off his wet hair with a towel. When he opened his eyes, he smiled brightly and pounced onto Hana and spun her around the same way Kuwabara had. He plopped her next to Shuichi… or Kurama… she was not sure which name to use for him. After he had explained that Shuichi was his given name and Kurama was the name used by his friends.
"Before you ask, Botan saw me in the park and brought me here." She held her hand up to pause Yusuke's question before he could even open his mouth. "And, it's been really great meeting everyone, and seeing everyone again, but it's time I get going."
"Wait a damn minute," Yusuke huffed and threw his wet towel at her. "We've been trying to get a hold of you and this is all we get to see you? That's just rude!"
Hana pulled the towel from her face and rolled her eyes at the impassioned brunette. "You can say it like that if you want to be dramatic."
He spun and fell into her with one arm draped across his forehead as if he was faint, his other hand clutching at his chest. Hana almost fell when she caught him. "It's been weeks with no word from you. We've all been worried sick."
"Come on, Hana!" Botan joined in. "Pppllleeeaaassseee don't leave just yet?" She winked at the others and as a unit, minus Shizuru and the redhead, they turned towards Hana with the most pathetic pouty faces she had ever seen.
Her elan vital peaked its head up with a 'they just want to see you for a minute, don't be rude' thought and she felt even more dejected.
"Fine!" She dropped Yusuke to the floor. "One game and then I'm out."
The gang cheered and started for the living room. The redhead stayed behind, and she turned towards him. "So... how does this work?"
He placed his briefcase on the table and shrugged. "I've never really been able to play before, either." He was removing his jacket and for some reason that made Hana's mouth very dry, but his words made her sad. At least her excuse was that she did not have any friends to do stuff like this with. She imagined it was because he was too polite to deny anyone a chance to play for his own benefit. He seemed like one of those 'chivalry isn't dead' sort of men.
"So, we're lost in this together." He gave her the same 'I understand' look that she had given him as he went to undo his tie. "I do have a question for you, though."
"Well, Miss Seoul-oh, ask away." His attention was on his shirt buttons, though.
"You introduced yourself as Shuichi, the other day, but everyone here calls you Kurama. Which name should I use?"
He cast a quick annoyed look towards the living room, but fixed her with a polite smile. "Outside of the group I prefer Shuichi, as it was the name given to me by my mother, who does not particularly like the nickname Kurama. I try not to use it unless I am in a carefree situation." He took a step towards her and the way his green eyes were glowing made her feel like she should be retreating to the living room. "If I recall, from our previous meeting, that I had explained that my close friends call me Kurama. You are welcomed to call me whichever you find fit."
She could smell his cologne again and mixed with his offer caused a traffic jam from her brain to her mouth.
"Hey, you two!" Shizuru called from the living room. "Are you going to join us or not?"
Hana glared at the red head the best she could with her thoughts as jumbled as they were. He was teasing her and she could tell he was enjoying it too much.
"Shall I get you a drink?" Came his coy response before she could conjure up her own. His eyes were glowing as if planning something vile and she felt like the little princess when the old witch offered her a poisoned apple.
"Please," she answered curtly and pushed passed him before his next comment. "Keiko, could I use your restroom to freshen up?" She indicated to her almost nonexistent bun that was started to unravel.
"Of course," she smiled and directed Hana through the door that connected to the living room.
Hana tried to find her reflection in the mirror but it was still foggy from Yusuke's shower. She would have to rely on muscle memory to fix it. She twisted the long, black locks around her finger until it created a bun on top of her head and pinned it down with bobby pins. Once the fog had faded to the edges of the mirror, she inspected her work and decided, after minor adjustments, that it would work. She took a deep, calming breath in and fixed the reflection with a serious glare.
"You're gonna be quick- just one game." She sternly told her reflection. "There is no reason to stay any longer than that. Get in and out as quickly as possible." Before she could leave, another thought reminded her and she backtracked to the mirror. "And, stay away from Minamono. He reeks of trouble and you need to stay out of it." As satisfied as one could be after being dragged to a party she didn't want to attend, she heaved a mighty sigh and left the restroom.
When she returned to the living room the group had finished setting up a game. She tried finding a seat on the couch, but it was overtaken by Yukina, Kuwabara and Shizuru. With Kuwabara's large form, it was a surprise that all three of them could fit. Yusuke and Keiko were sharing the love seat and Boton was squished into a beanbag chair. The redhead was situated next to the only unoccupied seat and Hana felt as if the wind had been knocked out of her. Already her 'leave him alone' plan was crumbling.
She made herself comfortable on the metal foldable chair as Botan began explaining the rules and purpose of the game that Hana had never heard of before. There was a tap on her arm from the redhead, who was holding a beer out to her. She quietly accepted it and realised how close he was to her. Even with her sitting straight, and her knees locked together to avoid any accidental touching, his leg was only an inch away from hers. Hana did her best to listen as Botan explained, but the game seemed complicated. The confused faces within the circle justified her chagrin.
She could feel the green gaze burning her skin and a blush creeping into her cheeks."What?" She nearly hissed as she turned towards him.
He had a small, equanimous smile that made her want to slap it off. "Nothing at all."
Hana, not amused by his little game, went to comment but was interrupted by Shizuru throwing a question at her. "So, the guys say something about you racing cars?" Shizuru had a cigarette between her lips, but it was not lit.
Hana nodded, but Kuwabara answered for her. "Man, she had a sweet ride! A Mazda and it- owe!" Shizuru had hit him in the arm. "What the hell was that for?"
"I asked her not you, little brother." Shizuru lazily answered, as if she really wasn't bothered by it at all.
"Geeze, sorry," he mumbled and rubbed the sore spot on his arm.
A knot formed in her throat and she was suddenly very aware of her sweaty palms as all eyes turned onto her. "Yeah," it sounded like she was going to barf when she finally got the word out. "I guess you can say that's what I do for a living." Gods, it had been so long since she had made new friends. She wasn't sure if she was able too.
"Feh," Yusuke scoffed. "I wouldn't call what you did driving."
"Well, maybe next time Keiko can change your diaper before you get into my car and you would be able to enjoy yourself more." The gang laughed at the expense of their friend. Yusuke stuck his tongue out at her and she mimicked him.
"So, do you live close by?" It was Keiko's turn to ask a question. "Was that why you were in the park?"
Hana shook her head side to side. "No, I live close to Shibuya crossing. I just happened to be in the area to pick something up for the garage." She held her breath and hoped her lie would apeas them.
"It was fate that Botan ran into you," Yukina's maroon eyes were large and shimmering with awe. "We all have been wanting to meet you. Kazuma said something very interesting about you healing his-" Botan, Kuwabara, and Yusuke jumped over each other to cover the small girl's face to silence her. The table was almost knocked over in the fray.
"Hey, everyone!" Botan nearly sang to get everyone's attention. "Let's stop the chit chat and start the game!"
What the hell was that all about? Hana thought to herself, wondering what they were trying to hide. She turned to the redhead, hoping he'd be more willing to explain. He had a guilty smile on his face and shrugged as if he did not know, either. She eyed him suspiciously, but Botan had started passing out game pieces.
Hana had no idea how it happened but three games had started and ended before she realised. Her sides were hurting from laughing and she really did not mind breaking her promise of leaving early. It had been some time since she had felt this type of warmth from inside her chest and she wanted to hold onto it for as long as she could.
I bet it would be more like this if Gisele were here. She thought to herself and her heart suddenly ached. She cursed at the part of her brain, as if it knew she was having too good of a time and needed to ruin it.
Quietly, she excused herself from the table to find her phone. It had been left in the kitchen when she went to get a refill earlier. There was a missed call from Han, even though her volume had been on, she had not heard it from all their laughter. Her stomach churned as she tried to figure out the cause for the call. Was Han making sure she was okay, since she had not checked in with him all day? Or, was he calling to ask her to pick something up since he was too lazy to go out and get it himself? Recently, she had only been receiving the second kind of phone call and her discontent was enough to make her hesitate to return the call. But, if it was him checking in she did not want to keep him worrying.
"Checking in with your boyfriend?" Shizuru was suddenly behind her and Hana almost dropped the phone.
"Brother, actually." She corrected trying to hide that Shizuru had just scared the hell out of her. "Is there a place I could call him back?"
"There's a patio through there," Shizuru pointed Hana through Yusuke and Keiko's bedroom. "It'll be quieter out there for sure."
Hana was grateful for the privacy. The air was cooler now that the sun had disappeared. It was welcoming and calmed her spinning head. The patio overlooked the street and the ramen shop was directly below her. Life was quiet and calm with the street completely deserted. It was very different from her home at Shibuya Crossing. And because of that, she let jealousy stir in her thoughts for just a second. She wanted more than anything to have a life like what the little gang inside had.
There was a time when it was possible, before she and Han had moved to Japan. In those innocent years, they were a part of a tight knit group that called each other family. Through the years, and many adventures, they had recruited Giselle, and Han quickly fell in love with her. She, Hana, and Han had promised to retire after their final heist in England, but Giselle had died trying to save Han during it. Since then, Han had brought he and Hana to Japan, but had become reclusive and Hana spent her time chasing after him to make sure he did not do anything stupid. Even though it could get the both of them killed, she would stay by him, regardless.
Hana took a deep breath in and released it before she soured her own mood and hit the green phone button on the screen. As she waited for Han to pick up, she went to lean against the metal railing but it shook as if it was not secured well. She second guessed it, and chose to lean against the wall instead, she was afraid of heights anyways. She feared he was not going to answer, as the phone had been ringing for a minute.
"You rang?" There was loud music on his side of the phone call. She almost sighed with relief that he answered, until she realized he was probably at a club and knew a request was about to follow.
He was as nonchalant as ever. "Just making sure you were alright. Sean did not have anything nice to say about you when I picked him up."
Hana would have laughed if she wasn't in shock that he wasn't asking her for a favor . She shook herself out of her daze after a moment of silence. "He got the money, right?"
"That's not what I'm calling about." His voice was very serious, which did not match the music playing in the background.
Guilt suddenly stirred in her stomach and she was not sure what to do. She felt like a kid after getting caught doing something wrong. "I ran into a friend. We've just been hanging out at her place." She regretted the words instantly knowing that the argument about letting outsiders in was still a sour subject between the two of them. It was too late to fix her mistake and all she could now was wait for the retribution.
Han must have stepped away from whatever he was doing because the music quieted. "Friend? And who might that be?" He was never one to show much emotion, but Hana knew that he was gloating.
"Botan. She's a friend from the diner." It had been weeks since she had quit but she had yet to tell Han about it. For once, she was thankful for his absence.
He mused his thoughts to her, "You've been in the garage a lot recently. I think getting out is exactly what you need."
She rolled her eyes, even though he could not see it. "Surprised you even noticed."
"Well, I'm checking up on you now, aren't I?" His words were suddenly sharp. He must have heard her attitude.
"I appreciate it, I really do." She took a moment to answer and decided to not be angry and strike like she really wanted to. "Want to get food when I get back?" She held her breath.
There was a noise in the background that sounded like a girl giggling and Han came back to the phone, breathless. "Sorry, Hana, but I didn't hear that. Look, I got to go. I'll catch up with you tomorrow."
She went to answer but he had already disconnected the call. The warmth in her chest was quenched and she was left feeling very cold. There was a knot in her chest and she worried if she let it unravel that she would start to cry. Her Elan Vital tried to reassure her, telling her kind words and that everything was going to be alright. But, Hana knew deep down that her night had been ruined. She would stay out here just a little while longer to pull herself together, go inside, and then take her leave. She would drive back to the garage, go to bed, then wake up the next morning and do it all over again. It would be the same routine the next day, and the day after that. The melancholy was enough to bring tears to her eyes despite all her attempts to keep them away.
The door creaked as someone opened it. She quickly wiped the tears away as the redhead stepped onto the patio.
"They went to get food," he explained. "Mind if I join you while we wait?" She nodded her head not trusting her voice just yet. His green eyes strayed just a second longer on her face. "Is everything alright?"
She nodded again and swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat. "Was just checking in."
"Are they calling off the search party for you?" He was jesting, but she really wasn't in the mood to play along. When she did not return his comment at first, he stepped to her side.
It took her a moment to reply. She tried to chuckle, but it sounded more sober than she wanted to. "No, someone has to care enough to do that." She realised how dolorous she sounded and tried to rectify, not wanting to let on that she was in her feelings about something. "But, someone might want to keep an eye on Botan. Kidnapping is not a good trait to have."
He gave her a small laugh, "I don't think we'll be as lucky next time, if she does it." He sobered, though, when his green eyes studied her again. "Are you sure everything is okay?"
Internally, she groaned because she could not keep her emotions off her face. "I'm fine… well... I will be later." She turned to the railing, but still kept her distance not trusting it. The night sky and it's twinkling stars would have calmed her but his intermeddling gaze was making it hard to focus. "It's just… being here, with you guys, made me realise I miss stuff like this more than I thought I did." She twisted her fingers together in a nervous fidget. "I've just been so focused on one thing and neglecting the stuff that I actually wanted."
"Are we still talking about game nights with friends?" He leaned against the flimsy railing, obviously much braver than she.
"No," She sighed, abandoning her intent of keeping their friendship superficial. "Japan was supposed to be a redo… a chance for all of us to get what we really wanted. To live the lives we had only dreamed about. However, it's been eight damn years and all I have done is chase after Han making sure he's okay. All I wanted was to feel like a family again."
"I was a lot like you when I first met Yusuke." She sounded sad, pining for something for so long. He remembered being fifteen with his mother on her deathbed. He was so desperate to keep her alive that he was willing to break into the Reikai vault. "At first, I only stayed close to Yusuke to repay a debt, but ten years later I am surrounded by people I call family and would do anything for them." He turned to her and watched her scan the skyline before them. Ambivalence swirled in her grey almost silver eyes. "Since we already consider you a friend, it really would not be that hard to take the next step."
She weary chuckled and leaned against the railing, was even brave enough to cross her arms and rest her chin on them. There was one bright star she kept her sight on, and nothing else around seemed to bother her. Well, except for the red head next to her "It's easier said than done, Kurama. My way of life does not allow transitions like that."
He laughed suddenly. It was not a boisterous laugh, more like he had remembered a word he had forgotten earlier that day. She raised an eyebrow at him, almost annoyed that he found humor in her despair. He gave her an innocuous shrug. "You called me Kurama."
"Of course I would call you Kurama, that's your name isn't it?" She straightened, confused on why he would think it was humorous that she would use the name his friends introduced him as. Then, she realised she had used the name Kurama. The nickname he said only his friends used. She slumped back against the railing, regretting letting him onto the patio with her. "Don't let it get to your head, red."
"Too late for that," he threatened, mimicking her position on the railing. He was not polite enough to hide his laugh when she turned to him and stuck her tongue at him. He relished the soft glow of the blush on her cheeks and she turned away from him. "What happened to your family before coming here?"
"You know, I usually don't do backstory. So, appreciate this exception." She was somber again, near to tucking her head into the folds of her arms. She knew deep down she did want to talk about them. How she missed all six of the people she was so close to she called her family and how it had been eight years since she had spoken to them. "They are still in the states, last I heard. Unfortunately, we haven't kept in touch over the years."
He rested his elbow on the railing and his chin in the open palm of his hand. "Then, why are you still in Japan?" Watching her silver eyes put pieces of her story together was like watching taffy being created at a candy store. It was a long process of pulling things apart and put back together again to tell him just enough, without telling everything. He knew the end would be worth it, so he waited patiently as she put her words together.
"You know those old cowboy films? I mean, the scene at the end when the adventure is finally over and the cowboy rides off into the sunset with his love, and you know everything was going to be okay?" Kurama nodded, encouraging her to continue. "Well, imagine that the cowboy's love died right before they reached the end, and he still goes on anyways and hopes that his new life would be just as good as he had planned and that there would be no more trouble… only to realise that it was just another chapter and not the happy ending after all." The wind blew and softly brushed against her cheek. "Tokyo was supposed to be our safe haven, but it's more of an internment before the last chapter of our story." Tears were in her eyes again, and she blamed the wind. "I'm still here to make sure Han moves on from it… but I really think it's just making everything worse."
"Yet, you stay because you fear what would happen to Han if you did leave?" His interest was getting the better of him.
"Regardless if I stay or not," she could feel his eyes on her, and she prayed to all the gods and spirits around her that he could not see the tears that were about to blind her. "Han continues down a path and I fear I won't be able to pull him off of it before it's too late."
She glanced at Kurama, who was not even trying to hide his staring. He looked sincere and for some reason that made it worse. "That is a tough place to be I first met Yusuke my mother was very sick, and despite that it could have cost him dearly, he helped me save her. I had been so stubborn in wanting to fix everything, that I was willing to throw everything away when it wasn't unnecessary."
"But, don't you feel like you owe Yusuke?" Her words were more acerbic than she intended them to be. This was the first time she had this conversation with another person. "Han helped me out and I owe him anything and everything. If it wasn't for him, I'd be dead. "
Kurama tried to remember the file Koenma had given him weeks ago. The name 'Han' had appeared multiple times within the document, but he did not think to research who it was. He had, however, spent a few hours searching the archives in the Reikai for any more information about the girl standing next to him. He could sense her tone and knew that certain conversation would lead down to an uncomfortable situation. He was surprised she was sharing as much as she was, and he did not want to ruin it. "How did you two meet?"
His phone ding'd in his back pocket and startled the both of them. He almost cursed aloud and ignored it, hoping that the moment had not been ruined. However, she turned to him with a sad, empty smile and he knew his luck had run out before she even spoke her words. "Your time is up, Minamono. Tune in next time for more Seoul-Oh backstory."
"But, I thought you didn't do back story?" He quipped and raised an eyebrow at her.
"How about this," she returned his repartee with her own that caught him off guard. "I can't guarantee that I'll be this talkative again. So,you get one question to ask and I will answer it truthfully with no stipulation. It can be used any time or anywhere."
She held out her pinky finger between them and he almost chuckled. "You do realise that I get to ask anything that I want?"
"I am aware," she looked positively contriving, and Yoko suddenly stirred in his chest as he hooked their fingers together. "Use it wisely."
It was perhaps the most guileful plan she had ever created. After this night, she planned on never seeing the group again and she would never have to explain her backstory to anyone. Her Elan Vital recoiled, clearly not happy that she planned on never seeing the group again. But, she knew it would keep them all safe, and she could focus on keeping Han out of trouble.
"You know," he released her finger and turned back to the sky line. "It's hard to get rid of us."
She narrowed her eyes at him, worried that he had heard her thoughts. Quickly, she thought of kissing Kuwabara, the most ridiculous thing she could conjure up, and waited for his reaction. When he continued staring into the distance, she tried to casually lean against the railing with him-appeased for the moment that he could not actually read her mind. The railing shifted with the added weight and she decided against it.
"I just can't risk it," she sighed. "I can see myself really regretting if anything were to happen to you guys because of me." He went on to say something, and she knew it was going to be something about how she was wrong, so she continued speaking and did not give him a chance. "Don't get any funny ideas that I actually want to be your friend, either."
He reacted as if he had heard something behind him and was listening to that instead of her. When he turned back towards her, he whispered very quietly. "It appears that we are being spied on."
How did he know that? Who would be spying on them? But, most importantly, why were they spying on them?
She went to voice her concerns but he leaned closer to her. "They're back from getting food and are listening at the door."
Is that normal? Hana dubiously thought, never having friends that eavesdropped on her before.
He rolled his eyes as if the thought was rebarbative, but she still noted the soft blush on his cheeks. "They are trying to see if anything is going on… between us."
"What do you-" When she processed what he said, she had to clap a hand over her mouth to keep herself from laughing. "Really?" The idea was so absurd and she had to hold back a second laugh. Her elan vital sparked up with an idea and her lips curled into a nefarious smile. "Let's mess with them."
He had his own smirk, but his green eyes smoldered with intrigue. "What do you have in mind?"
"Follow along," she whispered. After he gave her a soft, confirming nod she stepped closer to him. "It was so nice for you to join me out here, Kurama!" She spoke loud enough for someone listening behind a door to hear. "The moon is so pretty tonight!' Even though the sky was free of the moon, with it being the new cycle.
The corner of his lips lifted when he realised her plan. His confusion faded away and he stepped even closer to her. "Not as beautiful as you, Hana!"
She could only imagine the group with their ears pressed against the door, waiting for something to happen. It was funny enough that she had to keep a hand over her lips to keep herself from laughing again. "I've been thinking of you nonstop since our first meeting."
The two of them were so close now that when he breathed out, it brushed against her lips. If she really wanted to give the group a show, all she had to do was stand on her toes and their lips would touch.
"I have regretted ever letting you leave," his eyes had gone dark and his tone no longer matched hers. It was a very somber and she felt the words slither through her ear and all the way down to her toes. "I can never thank Botan enough for finding you today."
His demeanor did not fit the joking scene they were acting out and for some reason that made a spot in Hana's stomach to tingle. She struggled for words to keep the fake conversation going. He reached out and took her hand in his and she almost lept backwards. His other hand shot to his face and pressed the index finger to his lips again- silently telling her to keep quiet. He led her to the door and pulled her next to him. He seemed unfazed that she was stiff in her daze and fell into his side like a rag doll. He held her close and pressed his lips against her ear- these words were meant only for her.
"On the count of three."
His long fingers curled around the door knob and he glanced at her over his shoulder. His eyes were glowing full of excitement because of this lark. It was so potent that she herself would do anything to make this the best prank he had ever pulled. He turned back to the door and threw it open. The culpable four fell to the floor and cried out as they landed on top of each other.
"Well, well, well," Hana crooned. "What do we have here?"
"Oh, we were just here to tell you two that the food was ready!" Botan was the first to recover, still sprawled out over Yusuke, Keiko, and Kuwabara. She followed it up with a nervous laugh.
Keiko, who was squished between Botan and Yusuke, wiggled her way free -not holding back when she pushed off her husband's back. "It was all Yusuke's idea!"
"What!" Yusuke bellowed, pushing the two off of him. "It was Kuwabara's idea!"
Hana and Kurama stared down at them with their arms crossed over their chest. Kuwabara sat up and put the blame on Botan and then they were all bickering. Hana turned to Kurama with a coy smile and the smile he returned was so tantalizing that when he extended his hand out to her she practically floated to it. Kurama tucked her arm through his, and together, they walked back into the apartment leaving the bickering crew behind.
It had been such a long time since Hana had left a place with hugs. It left a sense of warmth on her skin that she was not used to. Her heart was near to burst when the gang surrounded her, each giving her a tight hug and saying how much fun they had had that night. They made her promise to see them again, and Kuwabara had even stolen her phone to program all of their numbers into it.
"No excuse now," exulted after executing his plan, he slammed her phone back into her hand.
Hana couldn't help but smile as she squeezed the phone in her pocket. She really did have fun this evening- even after the nonsense board games they had played for hours. So much fun, in fact, that she really did not want to leave. But, here she was walking back to her car, and back to her chronic life. With each step she took, her stomach filled with presage. She felt the smile falling from her lips as she thought about what was waiting for her at the garage. Han probably wouldn't be home for hours. And, if he had returned, he would be nowhere in sight. Twinkie probably had convinced Sean to come over as well, and there would girls everywhere. She felt very discouraged to return home.
"What were you smiling about?"
She ignored her, very unneeded, escort. "It was just a thought."
The green eyes did not turn away but he did not say anything. Their shoes hitting the pavement the only noise around them. Life had gone to bed hours ago and only they were able to enjoy the almost silence. A soft breeze blew through the street that she was not ready for. It was cold enough to make her shiver under her t-shirt and she wished she had planned ahead of time to be kidnapped and kept out late. If she had known, she would have brought a jacket.
She almost jumped when something was gently draped around her. The cold immediately disappeared and her nose filled with cologne. Unwittingly, she pulled the jacket around her tighter, enjoying its warmth and scent. Until she realised that Kurama was walking jacketless beside her.
"No, take it back." She tried to slip out of it. "You're going to get cold, too."
He gave her a small smile and pushed it back onto her shoulders. His voice was gentle but the action was firm. "I will be fine."
"Fine," she huffed at him, then realised how rude she was being towards someone who just generously lent their jacket to her. She mumbled her thanks, much too diffident to conjure anything else.
"It is my pleasure, Miss Seoul-Oh." He gave her a dazzling smile.
"Oh, my knight in a sleek suit." She rolled her eyes, her words filled with derision. "Why are you walking me to my car, by the way?"
He gave her such a modest shrug, "because I did not feel comfortable with you walking the streets at night alone."
"Oh, so it's because I'm a girl." She alleged, all but sticking her nose in the air.
"A pretty girl walking alone to her car." If he had not corrected her oh-so- guilelessly she would have barked at him. "It would be thoughtless to do anything else."
She floundered for a moment before conjuring up some confidence to convince him otherwise. "There is nothing out here that I have not seen already." Usually, if someone ever insinuated that she was not able to handle her own, she would easily prove to them that they were wrong. However, she did not feel like punching Kurama in the stomach tonight. Silence fell upon them now but she did not feel as content as before. Perhaps, it was because she was dreading returning home, but she turned to the redhead in the mood to talk. "I feel like you spent most of the night trying to get to know me, but I never asked any questions about you."
There was a ghost of a smile on his lips, as if he knew exactly what she was implying. "You caught me. What would you like to know?"
"Well, for starters, what do you do for a living?" She indicated to the jacket around her shoulders. "What has you wearing such snazzy blazers?"
"I work for my step-father." The smile faded from his face. It was like watching someone explain that their true passion was art, but they ended up in business. Kurama did not have to speak another word for Hana to understand. She had always wanted to be a nurse, but here she was doing the complete opposite. She wondered what Kurama's true passion was before he ended up working for his step-father. "It's just a simple desk job at his firm."
They took a turn and there her car was, waiting loyally for her return, under the street light. She paused and went to remove the jacket from her shoulders. "Thanks for letting me borrow this." He took the jacket back and gave her another smile. "How are you getting home, by the way?"
"The bus," was his answer, as if anything else was absurd.
She almost gagged at the idea of public transportation ( having not used it yet in Japan). "No, that's not…" her focus faded from the red headed to the three hooded figures that were circling her car. Over his shoulder, she watched one of the figures step forward and twirled an intricate tool between his fingers before slamming it into the thin slot of her window. "HEY!" And, then she was running towards them, leaving Kurama behind… or so she thought. A red blur shot passed her and towards the three attempting to break into her car. Kurama reached them first and had the three's attention by the time she stopped at his side.
"This your car, pretty boy?" The one with the tool in his hands branded it about as if it could have been used as a weapon. He was young, probably eighteen, with bleached blonde hair. The chieftain, standing in the middle, was the oldest and had a piercing through his bottom lip. There was one more, but he kept back near the car in the shadows. He had brown eyes that were round with fear like he was watching a horror film. He was far too young to be out on the street at night. Hana recognized the tokkō-fuku they were wearing and did not need to read the kanji symbols on their sleeves to know they were associated with the Bōsōzoku. She hoped Kurama would not piece it together like she had. She really did not want him to know she was about to speak with members of the infamous motorcycle.
Kurama went to answer, but Hana stepped passed him. "It's my car, and if you were smart you'd get the fuck away from it." The two boys nearly cackled, but the third looked around as if he had no idea what was going on. Her blood was suddenly on fire as her anger flared.
"That's cute, babe. But, we're in the middle of stealing your boyfriend's car." The goon in the middle stepped forward, twirling a butterfly knife between his fingers. "If you have a weak stomach, I'll give you a head start to start running so you don't have to see us kick his ass."
Kurama's hands were suddenly on her shoulders and were about to pull her back and out of the thug's way. Without a second thought, she brushed the hand off and stepped forward to meet the leader. He was taller than her, but the same age, and the sneer he gave her was enough to cause her rage to explode and blind her.
"Alright, babe, you wanna act tough?" He twisted the knife one final time before gripping it tightly and stepping towards her. "I'll enjoy cutting that pretty face of yours."
He lunged with his knife pointed at her chest. She stepped to the side and twisted her arm under the arm with the knife. With her left hand, she grasped his face and dug her nails into his eye sockets and pushed him to the ground. He hit and floundered, mostly from shock, and she kicked the knife out of his flaccid hand.
"You're gonna pay for that, you bitch!" The blonde was running towards her with the slim jim in his hand like a weapon. He swung it at her head, but she ducked and swept her leg under his. He fell next to his partner with a mighty yelp when his legs gave out on him.
Hana let the blonde stand and he took another swing at her. His right fist swung first, but she deflected it with her palm. Next was his left fist, which she let hit her forearm. When he stepforward, preparing to hit again, but she stepped to the right. She swung her with her clenched fist and it hit the sweet spot behind his ear. The goon fell face down on the ground, stiff as a board and did not make another move.
The leader was up now and was scrambling to pull something from the lining of his pants. She slammed the heel of her shoe onto his wrist, sure that the bone broke, to keep him from pulling whatever it was out of his pants. He cried out and dropped the pistol on the ground to cradle his limp hand.
Hana stepped passed them, knowing that neither would be any harm now, and marched over to the smallest of the three still standing by her car. She picked up the butterfly knife and twirled it between her fingers as she stopped before the, far to young, boy. She heard Kurama shift behind her. When she glanced back at him, he was standing over the two to make sure they stayed down, but watched her as if she was his worry. She gave him a reassuring nod and turned back to the kid.
"What are you even doing here?" She flicked the knife closed and slid it into her back pocket.
His voice shook as much as he did. "My mom is sick! Sato said that Okazaki would help me pay off her medical bills."
"And, has that worked out for you?" She had to clench her teeth to keep the angrier words inside of her mouth. He took a moment, as if thinking it over, and slowly shook his head from left to right. "Exactly. Never trust someone in a boiler outfit with fancy hair. In fact, all two wheel-ed driving idiots are people you need to stay away from in general."
"But-" He went to argue, to beg with Hana to understand his predicament. His eyes were large, round, and were filled with tears.
"No excuses," she reached out and shook him by his shoulder. She really was not in the mood to deal with any more crying children today. "Dont move."
Kurama watched her, almost nervously, as she warned the boy and turned towards her car. She swung the door open and started digging within the car's depth. The young boy turned to his comrades, and towards Kurama with big question marks in his eyes. Kurama gave him a shrug in return, truly having no idea what she was up to.
When she found whatever she was looking for, she slammed her door shut and marched back towards the boy. Kurama braced himself, prepared to step in if Hana's anger got the best of her.
When she stopped before the boy again, it was apparent that her anger had not subsided because she reached out and grabbed a fist full of his shirt and pulled him towards her. "Do you think being out all night is helping your mother?" The boy did not answer and she gave him a hard shake. "Do you think risking your life is worth it?" He shook his head no, knowing now to give her an answer, even though it was not a good one. "Exactly- no. So here is what I want you to do...what was your name again?"
"Touma Fukuda," the boy answered, sheepishly.
"Okay, Fukuda. Here's what I want you to do." She finally released his shirt. "First, you're going to go home and apologise to your mother for joining a stupid motorcycle gang. Second, you're going to find a job that can actually help you out. Third, get rid of all your connections with that dumbass," she indicated over her shoulder at the knocked out leader, "and if Okazaki ever makes contact with you, tell him your running with Seoul-Oh now."
Fukuda, trying to absorb all of this information, stuttered, "who is Seoul-Oh?"
"Me, stupid." She crossed her arms over her chest. "Now, what are you going to do after this?"
"I'm going to… go home?" Fukuda asked, unsure if that was the answer she wanted.
She nodded her head, for the first time not threatening. "And?"
"I'm going to find a job?"
"After doing what?"
"After I apologise to my mom?"
"That's a good boy," She uncrossed her arms and tossed something at him.
Fukuda fumbled with whatever she had tossed, but when he was finally able to get a hold of it, he squeezed it tightly in his hand. Slowly, he peeled his fingers away and sitting in his sweaty palms was a thick pile of yen. He looked up at her with wide, brown eyes. "But… why?"
She warned, not bothered to answer his question. "If I catch you out here again, I will take that back, even if I have to beat it out of you."
Tears filled his brown eyes and he stepped forward and hugged her tightly. "Yeah, yeah," she brushed him off. "Save it for you mother, kid, and get out of my sight."
Fukuda gave her a deep bow and started running towards the ramen shop. When he was out of sight, she turned back towards the two still sprawled out on the ground. The leader was starting to come through, but still dazed and seemed like he had no idea where he was.
Hana bent down and grabbed a fist full of his shirt and lifted him as much as she could to meet her gaze. She shook him until his vision focused on her. "Tell Okazaki he's overstepping his jurisdiction. Stay off of these streets. They're not meant for two wheels."
Any sort of facade he had of being a chieftain faded from his face. "Who are you?"
"The last person whose car you want to break into." She dropped him and reached for the pistol still on the ground. Without removing her burning grey eyes from the two, her fingers did magic and released the magazine from the pistole. The bullets hit the ground one at a time, the high pitched clang rang in all of their ears. "Now get your two wheels off of my street. I'm tired of looking at trash."
The younger of the two was staring and she turned her glare towards him. "Wait a minute…" he was piecing something together. "You're the grey vixen!"
Kurama's interest was caught, even Yoko perked his head at the acustation. He eyed the girl, but then realised on the back of her car was an outline of a silver fox. His own yoko stirred, almost laughing in his chest. How ironic is it that this woman, the one who had been haunting him the last few weeks, was nicknamed kitsune? Stuff like this could only happen in books.
"Congratulations," she sounded anything but celebratory. "Now, I'm not going to warn you again."
She went to take another step towards them, but they both shuffled back and jumped to their feet. They took one last look at her and then ran in the opposite direction that Fukuda had gone.
Hana took a deep breath in and Kurama took a moment to approach her. She glanced at the gun still in her hands when he stepped to her side. Man, how did this look to a normal guy like him? How much of a criminal did he think she was after all of this? For some reason, it weighed heavy on her and she almost could not lift her head to meet his gaze. "I'm sorry you had to witness all of that."
If he were to be honest with her, he would confess that it was marvelous to watch her take down two street thugs and convince a young boy to turn away from this life and start anew. It would be a straight up lie if he said it was not amazing. Before he could say anything to her to convince her otherwise, she took a deep breath in and he could see the adrenaline dissipating from her blood. She was relaxing before his eyes and was no longer the street fighter, but the remarkable, exquisite, but taut girl who was too afraid to meet his gaze.
He reached out for her hand and examined her knuckles for any damage she could have done after hitting the two thugs. He noted the scars and burns that adored her skin. "Are you okay?" He asked to sedate her apprehension and her hand relaxed in his grip. He ran a finger over the smoothed over scars, inspecting each knuckle for any sign of being broken.
She should have pulled it out of his grip and told him to buzz off. What she did, however, was watch him as he looked over her hand like a doctor did to a patient. Whenever his finger raked across her skin, she could feel it all the way up her arm. It was when he was raising her hand, though, did she feel like she had been attached to a car battery and electrocuted. His lips touched her knuckles and he gave them a soft kiss.
"Thank you, Miss Seoul-Oh." His green eyes were glimmering again, as if he knew exactly what he was doing. "You have saved me from the villains."
Yet again, she should have pulled her hand away and slapped him with it. What she did, instead, was play along. She remembered leaving his house and knew the game he was playing. "Mr. Minamino, it was my pleasure."
A car was pulling up behind them, and before Kurama could pull them out of harm's way, a siren began to wail. Odium spread through Hana as the car pulled up close and blinded them with red and blue lights. She glanced at Kurama but he seemed calm and cool as ever. He must not realise the trouble they were about to be in if the officer read her tags, or found the gun she had picked up. She did her best to hide the weapon by slipping it into the back of her pants. She felt Kurama's arm curling around her as if he meant to pull her towards him. He kept his face towards the officer, but she could feel his hand inching its way towards the pistol she had crudely tucked into her back pocket. She tried to twist away and keep him away from it.
Was he about to turn her in? A chill filled her chest at the thought and she would be damned if he was about to make a fool of her. When she went to step away, he squeezed the back of her arm and she saw the softest shake of his head as if quietly telling her to trust him. Apprehensively, she relaxed but still took heed if she needed to start running. She could feel the pistol slowly slip out of her pocket but held as still as possible while the police officer approached. The bright light from his flashlight blinded her, and it took a moment for her eyes to adjust.
The officer came to a stop before them. "What's going on here?"
"Seems like we're being blinded by someone with a flashlight," Hana grumbled, not as quietly as she should have. Kurama gave her a squeeze as a warning.
"That your car?" The office sounded unamused as he lowered his flashlight.
The dread that flushed through Hana was enough to freeze her from the inside out. All it took was one step to the left and the office would be able to see her car and realise that it was associated with the investigation with the Yakuza, thanks to Han's relationship with D.K., and it would all go to shit . The officer's brown eyes looked both of them up and down.
"Officer," Kurama drew attention to himself. He pulled Hana closer to his side and Hana noticed the pistol was in neither of his hands. "I was just surprising my girlfriend with a car for her birthday. Was she being too loud in her celebration?"
The brown eyes bounced between both Hana and Kurama and contemplated the story. Finally, after what felt like a solid hour of holding their breaths, the officer nodded his head. "The car is parked illegally, ya know. There is no parking here after 10pm."
"Sorry about that, officer." Hana tried to wrap her arms around Kurama's neck to create the illusion of a giddy girlfriend. With him so much taller than her, she struggled. Instead, she wrapped her arms around his waist and laid her head on his chest. "We just left my party and my handsome, amazing boyfriend showed me this! Isn't it amazing?" She could feel Kurama holding in his laughter and it took all she had within her to not kick one of his shins.
The officer, who seemed appeased enough with their story, returned to his car. Before he slipped in, however, he tossed one last comment over his shoulder. "Next time you want to thank your boyfriend, make sure we are not doing it in the middle of the street this is a family area."
She almost fell back, aghast at the audacity of what the officer was impling. The words struck her like a car barling out of control and if it weren't for the arm around her, she would be on the ground. The cop slid into his seat and drove off and Hana was still stuck stiff in Kurama's grip. He looked down at her with a frivolous glint in his green eyes and she knew he was about to say something to tease her. Before he could she pushed away from him and straightened herself out. He must have expected that, she grudgingly noted, since he did not stumble as hard as she wanted him too.
He caught himself and chuckled. "Handsome and amazing? You flatter me, Miss Seoul-Oh."
"Yeah, yeah the most handsome in the whole world." she rolled her eyes and held her hand out and wiggled her fingers expectantly. "I'll take the gun back now."
"I don't have it," he shrugged, but his eyes told her a different story.
She glared, not enjoying being the spectacle of Kurama's magic show. She shook her hand one more time for him to give it up. "I appreciate you trying to help me out with the cop and all, but that is not a play toy."
"Then you should not have lost it," his fallaciousness was brash and was starting to get annoying.
"Listen here, Red." She stepped towards him, ready to frisk his pockets for the weapon. "You'll get into a lot of trouble if you're caught with that. It's better if I take it and get rid of it." Considering how illegal handguns were in Japan, she was surprised he even touched it, let alone helped her. She reached for his sleeve, expecting him to give up and step away. However, it was like he was welcoming her to try and intimidate him. He even lifted his arms to make it easier for her. She should have seen his coy trick, but was so concerned with getting the gun back, she played right into it. Even looked him in the eye with a confident smirk on her face so sure that she would break his equanimity.
He leaned in close to her, his face not even an inch from her ear, and whispered, "it's in the jacket." She froze and glanced at the jacket in a crumbled mess on the ground. How could it be there? She replayed the scene with the cop for herself but never saw him bend over to hide it. She glared at him, obviously not going to fall for his trick. But, he held his hands up as if he had nothing to hide. "You don't believe me?"
"You really think I'm going to believe that little trick? I bet you have it tucked in your back pocket and you're going to move it when I look down." She rested her hands on her hips and raised her eyebrow accusingly at him. "Or, are you going to tell me you have a vine in your hair and the gun is hiding there?"
He didn't laugh at first like she thought he would have. She knew it was an insane notion to have, but he looked at her like she said just unveiled something. Until he finally laughed, possibly just a little too stiff.
"Only one way to find out." His smile was not as genial as it usually was, which sparked even more suspicion.
Without taking her eyes off of him, she kicked the jacket over and lo and behold, the heel of her shoe kicked the handle of the pistol. Her jaw fell and she turned, wide eyed, towards Kurama. "But…" she was trying to figure out how he could have maneuvered to hide it without raising suspicion from the cop, or her!
He bent down and scooped the jacket and the pistol up. The exult smile he had was enough to shake her out of her astonishment. "Alright, Cyril Takayama," she grumbled, snatching the pistol out of his hand and tucking it into her back pocket. "Sorry for not clapping."
"I know you just want to keep me humble," he smiled even brighter and she found herself laughing. He joined her and it took a moment for the both of them to straighten themselves out.
"You're gonna have to show me how you did that," she wiped away at a pretend tear.
He shook his head at her, "you know a magician can never reveal his secret."
She pursed her lips at him, grudgingly letting him have the win. "Thank you for what you did, though. But, you shouldn't have put yourself on the line for me like that."
"It's what friends do for each other." His green eyes looked right at her, challenging her to say something against him.
She felt like cursing as she looked into the emerald colored eyes. Even if that were true, she still knew she was not the type of friend that they needed and dragging this out would only make it harder. She huffed, and pushed passed Kurama. "Let me give you a ride home. I don't feel comfortable with you walking the streets at night alone."
He went to give his thanks, but realized she had used his own words against him. He retracted his first reaction of appreciation, and instead decided to turn it against her. "Is it because I'm a man?"
"A pretty man," she corrected before turning to her car. He had not moved by the time she reached the driver side door. Surprised, she turned back to him. "What's the matter? Do you have the anti-car thing like Yusuke?"
There was a moment of hesitation before he answered. "Not… exactly. But, he did tell me about the driving experience the other night."
She laughed, a-tilt-her-head-back-and-laugh-out-loud kind of laugh. Yusuke must have eloquently described the ride she had given him when she believed he and Kuwabara were after her… well, they were but when she thought they were the bad guys. "Come on, Red. I'll make it worth your while."
The green eyes hesitated and she knew he was weighing the options of a bus ride versus her giving him a ride. It was almost comical seeing home spend this amount of time consulting with himself. He finally sighed, and started for the passenger side door. For some reason that caused a smile to spread on her lips, but she would hide that from him for now.
He seemed lost when he slid into the leather seat next to her. She glanced softly over her left shoulder and watched him stuff his briefcase and jacket in the empty space at his feet. He seemed perplexed as he fumble for the seatbelt.
"It's a safety harness," she instructed as she hid the pistol in the glove compartment in front of his knees. "If you take the straps over your shoulders, and the two on either side of your hips, they connect in the middle."
Before even reaching for it, his green eyes glanced at her. "Do you wear this?"
"Only when I need to." She curled her fingers around the steering wheel. "There isn't much for me to worry about when I'm in here."
She released the wheel and hit the engine button on the dash and the engine roared with life. Kurama could feel it awakening under his seat as it shook with power. The lights behind the buttons filled the cabin with a soft blue light. She hit another button behind the gear shift and parts of her dash started to lift and turn. Under the radio a screen with a keyboard folded out and buttons, more than Kurama could ever imagine a car needed, lit up. She typed something into the keyboard and a red line appeared on the screen.
"What's that?" He questioned after studying every button and switch on the dashboard.
She chuckled, not realising how strange it actually was. "Navigation to your house."
"You remember where I live?" He turned fast enough to see the blush burning on her cheeks and neck.
"Han programmed it in," she straightened in her seat, keeping her gaze as far away from the green eyes as possible. "Aren't you going to buckle in?"
"I trust you to get me home safe."
"Suit yourself," she tried to sound like she was warning him. She revved the engine until he started to regret not putting on his seatbelt. When he shifted to grab onto something, she shifted into first gear and slowly moved forward. Watching him deflate into the seat as she respectfully drove was enough to lighten her mood. "See, it's not so bad."
He relaxed a little more, enjoying the leg space. If he ever were to take a vehicle, it was either city bus, or Shizuru's little civic and with five other people sharing the space made it a very unpleasant drive.
"You know," Hana mused after some silence. They were already halfway to his home. "You still have that stipulation free question."
He continued his staring through the front window. He was not scheming or conjuring any sort of plana and that perplexed her even more. Why would he not ask his question? He seemed so determined to get all the answers about her earlier today. Why all of the sudden did he not want to use the one question to ask anything about her and she had to be one hundred percent truthful?
Perhaps she was interested to see what he could come up with. Would he ask something about her past or her future? Could it be something about her living in the states? She started a list of potential questions he could ask and did not realize she had driven right to the steps that led to his house. Like the Urameshi residence, the neighborhood had gone to sleep hours ago. The street lamps were the only things still awake. She glanced through the window, but did not really recognize the area now that it was covered in darkness. She never believed she would have returned to this place, let alone be dropping Kurama off. The Universe had been very particular as of late, she grumbly noted.
"I appreciate the ride," he started collecting his things. "And the fact that you got me here safe and sound."
She should have laughed but he was reaching for the handle to exit her car. She still didn't understand why he had not used his question yet. This would be the last time he got the chance to ask it, if everything went according to plan. There was a sense of panic that almost caused her to choke as his fingers curled around the handle. She reached out for him, grabbing onto his elbow tighter.
"Your question!" It was a lot louder than she meant and it seemed to echo in her car over and over again- perhaps that was within her own subconscious after she realized what she had done. He paused his exit and turned towards her. "You still need to ask it."
There was a sly smile on his lips. "I think I'll reserve it for another time."
She released her grip on his elbow and tried to sit back into her chair with more swagger than she had at this moment. "I wouldn't waste it. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity."
His green eyes were glimmering now, even in the dim street lamp light. "Then, why waste it now? I am a firm believer of delayed gratification."
Her eye roll could never be strong enough, "aren't you just the philanthropist?"
Suddenly his hand was over hers and her arm was softly tugged towards him. "I'll leave before you can turn that compliment against me." His lips were against her knuckles so softly she wasn't even sure if they did touch her skin or if she had just hoped they did. The air caught in her throat when he gave her one last smile behind her hand. "Good night, Hana."
The car door shutting was what brought her out of the daze. Her arm was still suspended like he was still in the car holding it. She shook her head to get her thoughts straight and saw his back going up the concrete steps to his front door. She hit the button on her door to roll the passenger side window down. "It wasn't meant to be a compliment!" She yelled out before driving away into the night.
He laughed to himself watching the glowing kitsune in her rear view window disappear around the corner. When he paused to reach for his keys in his jacket pocket, there was a soft breeze next to him. He knew who was standing next to him without evening having to look.
"You're acting like an idiot."
Kurama expected nothing from the demon he had called a friend for many years. "You're going to have to be more specific than that." He opened his door, offering Hiei to enter, despite knowing he would never.
"Hn," came the expected response. He did sound irritated, however. "Shouldn't you all have been on patrol instead of galavanting with that girl Koenma told you to leave alone?"
"Well, did you find anything on your patrol this evening?" Kurama rested against the doorframe and crossed his arms over his chest. He knew the answer before his friend could give it. It had been two months since given the mission of finding Jiro, and they were as close then as they were now. They were all due a night off.
Hiei gave one last glare, "I don't appreciate my time being wasted." And the fire appreciation was gone.
Kurama sighed, knowing that he was right, in a sense. They all had been searching night and day for some sign of a Jiro and there had been none. They were not even sure what he was supposed to look like, as they assumed the image on his passport was fraudulent like all the other information.
Kurama sighed, resting his head against the wood of his door frame. He could see the large, bright star again. The same one he and Hana had watched from the Uremashi's porch. He dreaded going inside, knowing that when he woke up tomorrow morning that the search for the mysterious Jiro would start all over. There would not be another time like tonight for a long while.