A/N: I really need a beta for this story, I went back through the last chapter (and I swear, I do edit them!) and could pick out at least ten mistakes/typos. How annoying. With that being said, I'll try a little harder to edit from now on. I hate seeing mistakes but I'm always too lazy to re-upload the chapter and fix it. Anyway, onto the story! Happy reading!
Disclaimer: Don't own it, will never own it, I am not making money from writing this.
Warnings: Violence, blood/gore, adult themes, Hiei dressed in human clothing, poorly written fight scenes, etc.
. . .
"Kasumi…?" A whisper, as soft as a butterfly's wing entered my ears and made my eyelids twitch.
"Kasumi?" It was louder this time, a little more urgent, but still muted.
"…Oneechan, are you awake?" A whisper again, dejected…sad.
Finally I sighed and rolled over in my bed to face my sister. "What is it Hitomi?" I mumbled sleepily.
"I need to tell you something." She was facing me, wide green eyes boring into my grey relentlessly.
I rubbed the sleep from my lids, trying to give her my full attention but a loud yawn gave away that I was very tired. I glanced at the alarm clock on our bedside table and saw that it was after one in the morning, but Hitomi did this to me often. I was used to our little late night chats.
"What is it?" I croaked out, my voice heavy from sleep.
"I saw something weird today…" She mumbled.
"You're always seeing weird things Hitomi, what makes this time special?" I didn't mean for it to sound condescending, but she took it that way anyway, shrinking into her covers and frowning.
"I'm sorry…I didn't mean it…" I said, feeling ashamed.
Those big green eyes were on me again in an instant, forgiving me as easily as it was for her to breathe. They are our only true difference in appearance – the eyes. Mine were a bland slate grey, but Hitomi's were so green they reminded people of fresh cut summer grass. So much different, yet still so much alike in shape, but hers…they shined with a light of curiosity, of understanding that many her age did not possess, and of love that I was unwilling to feel or give freely. So much different we were, yet still so much the same.
I loved my sister as much as I loved a fresh snowfall and the feel of water on your skin during a summer rain. I loved her as much as I loved how the sun's rays filled me with warmth and as much as a hot cup of cocoa on a cold winter's morning. She was my everything – the one person who ever accepted me exactly for who I am. I would do anything for her: I would die for her.
"Have you ever really looked at Grandma and Grandpa?" She asks.
My brows draw down over my eyes in bafflement, "That's an odd question."
"It's hard to explain…but if you look at them, I mean really look close, you can see they are meant to be together."
"What do you mean?"
"They're soul mates, can't you tell?"
"Isn't them being together for forty years proof enough?" I ask.
"I guess you can't see it then…"She mumbles again, her lips turning up into a pout.
"See what?" I suppress an eye roll – Hitomi was a little too dramatic for my tastes.
"The red string," She whispers.
"Huh?"
"Oh Kasumi, you're so blind to things."
I was scowling now – I hated when she acted as if I were younger and stupider than her. Hitomi did better in everything that wasn't physical. She had better grades, more friends, a nicer personality, and often it would seem a sense for the supernatural. I had a hard time believing that one, though Grandpa did say it ran in the family. Then again, Grandpa also believed in things like demons and ghosts.
"It's called the red string of fate and it binds two people together for eternity, meaning they are soul mates!" She explains haughtily.
"I think you're full of it," I spit, turning my back on her and pulling the covers over my head.
"You'll see Kasumi; I'll prove it to you one day! I'll prove that I can see these things for real!" Her voice is petulant but I can also hear the determination there.
She's just like Grandpa…I think to myself. He believed in all those weird things too and was also disappointed when I didn't see the same things he did. He was constantly training me and during that training I've been forced to do a lot of meditation to try and unlock my "latent abilities," whatever that meant.
"Go to sleep Hitomi," I finally say and I hear her roll over and go quiet.
But I wasn't able to fall back asleep that night. I lay awake and thought about what she had said. I thought about all the other times she had told me she had seen something weird and then I began to wonder – why couldn't I? We were identical in every way except for our eyes…was that it? The eyes? It couldn't be…
. . .
Present day me awoke slowly, reveling in the memory I had just dreamt of because I missed my sister so much. But it was fleeting and the more aware I became the faster the dream left me, until I felt empty and cold. I also couldn't shake the feeling that it was trying to tell me something…but that was just foolish, it was only a memory and a long forgotten one too.
The red string…I thought, as I held up my little finger and wondered if Hitomi were here would she see one on my pinky just like she saw it between Ojichan and Obaachan?
Probably not…I thought bitterly, as I strongly believed there were no such things as soul mates. Just like I never believed Ojichan about the demons…or the ghost the supposedly lived in our attic…or the time the city had supposedly been overrun with brain sucking bugs.
Don't misunderstand me, I didn't think my Grandfather was crazy, but he certainly wasn't normal. My Grandmother and Hitomi had always believed him too…I was the only one left skeptic and often alone. I guess that's why he trained me as hard as he did, to try and compensate for my lack of the "sight" as he had called it.
I sat up in bed, letting the blankets pool into my lap and tried to push away these old memories but I was still left with an inkling that I was missing something. But what could some conversation I'd had with my sister at twelve years old truly be about? What was my brain trying to tell me?
I still couldn't recall the events of the day previously and just as I had done over and over again through the night, I reached up to feel the back of my head. There was no wound, no bump, nothing that could possibly indicate I had suffered some kind of trauma – so why the hell couldn't I remember anything?
The color purple flashed across my mind's eye briefly…and left me more confused the harder I thought about it. What did that have to do with anything? I was saved from my musings when a knock came to my door. It was soft and hesitant and I automatically knew it was Keiko.
"Come in," I called and the door creaked open.
Keiko was standing there in a pair of pajamas, long pants and a button up shirt with little kittens printed all over it. And she says my clothes are hideous…
"How are you feeling?" She asks and I just smile.
"If I could remember what happened to me yesterday I would be feeling much better."
She looked guilty for a moment but covered it up with a smile in return. "Your face doesn't look much better…though the bruises are starting to yellow already."
I had forgotten all about my face to be honest, too caught up in my sudden memory loss to really care. I watched as Keiko cautiously entered my room so she could sit at the end of my bed, turned so she was facing me. She looked like she was about to say something important and I waited with bated breath.
"Kasumi…I think it would be best if you stayed away from Yusuke for a while."
Out of all the things I expected her to say, that hadn't been one of them. "Huh?" And then, "Why?"
She swallowed audibly and continued, "I just don't want to see you get hurt."
I couldn't help the bark of laughter that shot out of my mouth at that statement. I wasn't scared of Yusuke, not even after the other night. "It's a broken nose Keiko, it could have been worse and I'm sure he isn't normally like that."
"I'm not talking about the fight…"
"Then what are you talking about?"
She was silent for a long time, twiddling her fingers and looking anxious. "Look Kasumi, there are things that Yusuke is involved with that we can't have you knowing about. He seems to think it would be better if you did but Kazuma and I both agree that it is safer that you don't know."
"Oh? You know you're making him sound very suspicious right?"
She cringed, "Yes, but it's nothing criminal, I promise."
"Then what the hell else could it possibly be Keiko? You aren't making any sense!"
"I know…" She sighed, threading her hands through her hair in frustration, "I don't know how to explain it without telling you. Can't you just trust me?"
"I want to trust you Keiko but you're making it really hard lately, you and Kazuma both. Does this have to do with what happened to me yesterday?"
I knew I had guessed right when her eyes lowered and that same look of guilt appeared and didn't go away. I didn't feel sorry for her, not in the least. I was sick of people trying to control my life – it was high time I took matters into my own hands.
So forming a plan, I took a wild guess. My brain had been trying to tell me something since last night and now I was going to pick it apart. The most prevalent was my sister and Grandfather's love of the supernatural, so I went out on a limb and said the first thing that came to mind, "Is this about the story Yusuke told me last night?"
A drop of sweat had appeared on her forehead, beading and then running down her temple to her chin. She bit her lip and started to wring her hands in her lap – all signs of sudden nervousness. This was starting to get ridiculous – Keiko couldn't be serious…could she?
"This is about demons? Come on Keiko, you have got to be kidding?!"
She laughed, high pitched and slightly hysterical, "No! That would be silly! There is no such thing!"
It didn't sound very convincing and by the look on her face she realized it too. Before I could point it out though, she rose from the bed and headed for the door, stopping just on the threshold. "I know it doesn't make sense…but please, just listen to me."
And then she left, shutting the door softly behind her and leaving me with more questions than answers. I flopped back down onto my pillows, pulling at my hair and wanting to scream but controlled myself even as the urge seemed to grow by the second. Then it occurred to me what day it was…Saturday.
I was out of my bed faster than lightning, pulling apart my dresser for something suitable to wear and thinking the whole time that I could have used Keiko's help. I checked the clock on my bedside table and discovered it was still very early…so I calmed down significantly. Ren wouldn't be here to pick me up until noon, it was only six. That gave me time to go through my normal morning routine – train, meditate, shower, coffee and breakfast.
I dressed in shorts and a baggy t-shirt and then spent the next two hours outside my room in the loft going through what little Tai-Chi I knew, then my Katas. I dug out the practice sword I had stashed in my closet and went through all my striking exercises. Finally, after I was covered in sweat and sore, I sat down on the hardwood and meditated for half an hour. By eight-thirty I was finished and in the shower.
I dressed for the day, trying to make myself look at least semi-feminine. The outfit I had chosen for the date was simple – a knee length lavender colored skirt and grey button up top. I had also pulled out a black leather jacket as the day looked gloomy and cold.
I was sitting at the breakfast table pulling on my stockings when Keiko came out of the kitchen with food and I grinned excitedly at what she had made. Instead of a traditional Japanese breakfast, Keiko had done something nice for me and cooked American cuisine. I had a strange liking for most American foods and their breakfasts were simply the bomb. A platter of bacon, scrambled eggs, toast, and pancakes greeted me happily and I hastily pulled my stockings up the rest of the way (somehow avoiding getting a run in them) so I could dig in. Keiko followed suit and we chatted amiably as we ate, choosing to ignore what had occurred only a few hours ago.
Half-way through her second piece of toast Keiko finally noticed that I was sort of dressed up. Her eyes narrowed accusingly and it took me no time at all to remember I had not mentioned my date. I had only told Kazuma – who had been no help at all, might I add.
"Why are you dressed normal today?"
I glared at her, "I dress normal every day."
"Sure you do," Her tone was dubious and condescending and only made my glare at her harder.
"If you must know," I said pompously, "I'm going on a date."
This changed her entire attitude. She dropped her toast, letting her breakfast get cold as she shot rapid fire questions at me, "Who? When? Where? Why?"
I tried to answer her as fast as I could while still avoiding the "Who" question. Keiko had met Ren more than once, as had Kazuma, but Keiko loved him. She thought he was perfect for me and had spent countless hours telling me so. Kazuma on the other hand was right with me in the hatred department. He thought Ren was slimy and fake – I agreed.
After telling her I didn't know where we were going or why he had asked me I finally could no longer avoid telling her who it was in particular. I still tried though, all the same.
"So, who is it?" She asked again.
"Someone from the precinct," I said evasively.
"That didn't answer my question."
I don't want to tell her, I really don't…but that look she's giving me is promising pain if I don't spit it out soon. I relent after enduring her stare for only a minute, "Okay, okay…it's Ren."
She squeals and screams that she "Knew it!" And I cringe, stuffing my face with more food so I can avoid speaking. A second later she runs off only to return with a bag full of cosmetics. I'm absolutely horrified at the amount of make-up Keiko owns, even though she wears so little, and before I can do or say anything to save myself she sets to work on my face.
Eye shadow, foundation, mascara, eye and lip liner, and one painful eyebrow tweezing later and she's almost finished. She picks out a lipstick that complements my skin tone (or so she says) and makes me purse my lips so she can apply it. She steps back to cast a critical eye on her work and then smiles in satisfaction.
"Much better!" She claps her hands together and grins.
I'm still skeptical, but when she holds up a hand mirror so I can see as well I am surprised that she somehow managed to cover up the worst of the bruising, though if you looked closely enough you could still see the dark purple splotches. At least the swelling had finally gone down so my nose no longer looked so bulbous.
"Thank you Keiko," I say, because after all, it did look much, much better. My hatred for make-up was still there though, even in light of this.
So I could escape her questioning I told her I needed to go make a call and confirm the time Ren would be picking me up. This wasn't true, but there was only so much primping and girl talk I could take. I fled to the safety of my room, shutting the door and placing my back against it so I could slide down its surface to the floor.
I shouldn't even be going on this stupid date; I have more important things to worry about. I think to myself as I sit in a heap on the floor, wrinkling my skirt but using very little energy in caring about it.
Today was certainly going to be interesting…
. . .
As promised Ren had come to pick me up at exactly twelve and I discovered shortly thereafter that I had dressed inappropriately considering what Ren drove when he wasn't using the squad car. He had pulled up on a motorcycle of all things – one of those sporty ones that could weave in and out of traffic. It was a midnight blue in color and if I hadn't been wearing a skirt I would have been excited that I had gotten a chance to ride on it. I'd never been on a motorcycle before but I had always thought it looked exhilarating.
So here we were, I was standing on the curb outside my apartment building trying to think of a way to sit on the bike without my skirt flying up and allowing the world at large to see my undergarments and Ren was straddling his bike, an extra helmet held in his hands and a smirk a mile wide on his face. He's eyeing me up and down, look appreciative but also full of humor at my predicament.
"Didn't you tell me you hated dressing up?" The amusement is apparent in his voice and it has me turning around and walking back up my apartment building's steps.
He scrambles off the bike to follow me, still carrying the helmet and freaking out because he thinks I'm backing out on the date. What I really intended to do was change my clothes…or at least the skirt. Ren was wearing a rather nice (and form fitting) pair of blue jeans and I figured it would be acceptable for me to wear the same. Besides, my leather jacket would look way cooler with jeans instead of a skirt.
I abandon him at the door with no explanation, but stopped to tell Keiko (who had come out of the kitchen wondering why someone had walked into her home) that I was just changing my clothes. She lamented on this fact for a moment, so I had to tell her about the motorcycle. Her mouth turned into a little "Oh" of understanding and I marched off to find pants, leaving her alone with Ren.
I dug out and donned a pair of light wash jeans, threaded a leather belt through the loops on the waist band, and then went to find my date. Ren was standing just where I had left him, on the threshold of our home, helmet in hand and talking to Keiko. He had her giggling about something and I didn't bother to hide the rather pointed eye roll I sent his way. He smiles at me, genuine and rather sexy, with all those perfectly straight white teeth behind those full lips.
"Ready?" He asks, still smiling.
"Yep," I say, waving goodbye to Keiko once again and heading out the door without him.
I hear him say his farewells to my friend before following me, falling into step beside me and we walk back outside in silence. He gets on the bike first, starting it up and then handing me the helmet.
"Do I really have to wear this?" I know it's going to ruin my hair.
"You're a cop, you tell me." He says cheekily.
I cram the helmet onto my head and straddle the bike behind him. I try to find a place to put my hands so they're not touching him, but he reaches behind his back and grabs my wrists, pulling them forward so they are around his waist. I feel my face heat up but studiously ignore that little fact.
"Hold on tight," And then he puts his own helmet on (much cooler looking than mine, all black and sleek) and revs the bike up.
We're off like a shot, speeding out onto the street and the wind is blowing around us, tousling the locks of hair I have sticking out of the back of my helmet and making me feel like I'm flying. I knew it would be fun but it was even better than I had imagined as Ren raced in between cars and avoided the heavy traffic that had built up during the lunch rush on a Saturday afternoon.
The ride had my heart racing in a good way and I had a smile plastered to my face the entire time. Thoughts fled me and I was left with just feelings – feelings of exhilaration, of rapture, of well-placed and understandable fear. Especially as Ren took a corner much too fast, yelling at me to lean into it, but it had my blood pumping and reminded me of the adrenaline that runs through my veins during a competition fight. It was one of the more exciting things I had ever done, even though it was such a simple thing. I was very sad when it came to an end.
For a moment, after Ren has pulled the bike to a stop, I forget that I have my arms wrapped around him and I just sit on the back of the bike wishing he would start it up again. I would be a happy girl if riding around on that thing was all the date consisted of.
"You gonna let me go Kasumi?" He chuckled lightly, one of his large palms straying to mine and resting there rather intimately.
I snatch my arms away from him, hopping off the bike and pulling the helmet off my head. I shove it into his hands and then go about fixing my hair which had been hideously flattened. As I ran my fingers through my fiery tresses I took stock of our surroundings.
We were at some kind of diner and at first I wasn't all that excited about it. A diner for the first date, I mean really? Not that I was complaining – I would have died if he'd taken me somewhere fancy. As I finished messing with my hair, I let my eyes stray up to the sign because I didn't recognize the place from sight alone.
The giant, lit up sign was in English and this instantly brightened my mood. How the hell had he known I liked American food? I whirled around to confront him about this but was momentarily distracted by the look on his face. He was staring at me with such intensity that my heart started to pound – and not in the same way riding the motorcycle had made it.
Ren was still sitting on his bike; like the sight of me had frozen him to the seat and he had pulled off his helmet, which sat in his lap forgotten. After what must have been a solid thirty seconds of just straight out staring, I cleared my throat loudly.
Ren jerked, almost dropping his helmet to the ground and then I watched in amazement as a bright red blush spread across his cheeks. He ducked his head, hiding his face from view and brought a hand up to rub at his short hair nervously. "Sorry…" He mumbled.
He used his foot to knock down the kickstand, carefully letting the bike rest its entire weight on it as he stood up. He hung both our helmets on each of the handle bars and I was tempted to point out that they could be stolen that way, but kept my mouth shut. Ren wasn't stupid – he should have realized that himself. Even so, he left them just as they were which lead me to believe he simply didn't care.
As we entered the diner though, I discovered that he wasn't as oblivious as he was acting to be. We seated ourselves, Ren picking a booth that was located directly next to the front window. We were on display for anyone walking by on the sidewalk, but it was a strategic location on Ren's part. He would be able to keep an eye on his bike with little to no effort and we were so close to the door that it wouldn't take him long to get outside should anything happen.
We sat in an uncomfortable silence as we waited for a waitress to bring us menus and I distracted myself from Ren's odd behavior by picking at invisible pieces of lint on my pants. I didn't know what to say to him, I had a million questions but couldn't voice a single one. All I could do was gulp audibly and pray he would say something first, otherwise this was starting out to be a very awkward first date.
He answered my prayers shortly after our waitress dropped off the menus. "So, are you surprised I took you to a place like this?"
His eyes never leave the menu and I watch that deep blue skip around the pages as he reads, but a crooked smile is present on his face and as I look at him I notice that he's exuding straight up happiness and I haven't the first clue as to why.
As was per usual for me, I blurt out that very question without even bothering to answer his. "Why are you so damn happy?"
He stills for a second, then continues perusing the menu and without looking up answers me, "I've wanted to take you out for a long time."
I sputter stupidly for a moment, then pick up my own menu and begin reading the selection even though I already know exactly what I'm going to order – A double decker bacon cheeseburger with lettuce, pickles, and a side of french fries. It was iconic American food and also possible to get at just about any fast food place in the city, but this was different. This was real food, not processed garbage.
I heard him place his menu down on the table and then mine was grabbed from my fingers, joining his off to the side for the waitress to pick back up when she came to take our orders. I wasn't really sure what he thought he was doing, as he was staring at me again, like he was looking for something important.
His brows drew down over his eyes dangerously a second later, "Is your nose broken?"
When I didn't answer immediately those blue eyes started to seethe with hidden rage and he reached out a hand to prod at my nose. I cringed instinctually and it was easy to see that he had also spotted the other bruises only just barely hidden by the large amount of make-up Keiko had applied.
"What the hell happened to you Kasumi?" He implored, still stewing in his anger and for the life of me I didn't understand why he seemed so mad.
"I got into a fight…that's not really unusual for me." I explained; shrugging it off like it was nothing.
"No…what's unusual is it looks like you lost." I shrug again in reply, unwilling to admit that I had in fact lost, but Ren didn't need to know that.
I was relieved when the waitress finally came back to take our orders, which we gave to her quickly (I was intrigued by the fact that Ren happened to order almost the same exact meal, except he got tomatoes and onions on his burger) and she left again to go inform the cook. Once again I was left in an uncomfortable silence with my partner and I wished I could figure out why this time it was so hard for me to make conversation.
I had gone out to eat with Ren before, not on a date mind you, but when we were on patrol. Even police officers have to eat, after all. I was lead to believe it was because Ren was acting so strangely, while we were working it was always the same – bully each other a bit, work, ignore each other, work, argue, work some more, and then go our separate ways at the end of the day.
I sat there much longer than I probably should have considering I could still feel that suppressing aura of hidden rage coming off Ren but I couldn't bring myself to say a damn thing. If I had been thinking clearly at all that day what I should have done is gotten up and walked out on him. What right did he have to be pissed off at me anyway?
"Okay, I'm done pussy footing around," I finally blurt out, unable to bear the silence a second longer. "Stop being so damn mad for a minute and tell me why the hell we're here."
He raises an eyebrow and then folds his arms across his chest and leans back in his seat so he can eye me critically. "Tell me who did that to your face first."
"Why does it matter?" He was seriously starting to piss me off.
"Because I'm going to give him a taste of his own medicine," He says with a snarl.
"Who says it was even a man that did it?"
"The size of the bruising…it's too large to be from a woman's hand." Goddamn him and his observational skills.
"Jeez Ren, maybe you should have gone into forensics instead of becoming a cop." I say flippantly.
He slams a hand down on the table, making several of the other patrons turn to stare at us and then quickly look away again when I glance around with an angry glower. That same look is directed at Ren shortly thereafter. I was more comfortable with this than I had been with anything else since he'd come to pick me up. Fighting with him was normal – it was safe.
"Enough Kasumi, tell me who hurt you!"
"No Ren, it's none of your damn business!" I shout at him, slamming my own hand down on the table for emphasis.
We're locked in a stare down, electricity practically shooting between our eyes; when the waitress comes back to nervously place our plates of food down on the table. When we don't stop glaring she scampers away without saying a single word, but neither of us pay any attention.
I raise a hand above my head, holding it out flat and say, "I've had it up to here with you already!"
"Well that's not very much now is it," He's referencing my height and it only makes me angrier.
"Oh screw you," I say sarcastically, picking up my burger and taking a large bite so I no longer have to speak to him.
"Anytime babe," He didn't sound like he was joking, but I pretended he was anyway.
We eat quickly – me so I can escape that much faster and Ren so he can continue to berate me without any interruptions.
Once the last fry and sip of soda had been consumed, I watched Ren slap some money down on the table, leaving the waitress a generous tip considering how rude we have been, and then get up to leave. He pulls on his jacket before grabbing mine off the back of the booth and holding it out for me to put on. I will have none of that though and snatch it from his hands so I can swing it over my shoulders and put my arms through it all on my own. I'm not a child and I sure as hell wasn't going to let Ren treat me like one.
We stomp back out onto the sidewalk but don't make it very far before he grabs me by the shoulder and wings me around to face him. "Can we stop this please?" He asks.
"If you'll drop the whole 'I need to avenge your honor' bullshit, then sure." His eyes cloud over for a moment, as if he's contemplating whether he really wants to do that or not.
"I'll find out eventually Kasumi and when I do, the guy is going to wish he was never born."
He marches over to his bike, smashes his helmet down over his head and then hands me mine. I do the same, though not quite as violently as he had, and try to suppress my laughter. Ren fighting Yusuke would be just about the best and funniest thing I'd seen in a long time…maybe I should tell him.
I know Ren can fight, he's not defenseless, but he's certainly not highly trained and I could tell that Yusuke was. Our fight might have been short lived and he might not know as many forms of martial arts as I do, but Yusuke knew plenty to get by. I would even bet he'd be competition worthy if he wanted to be.
Ren climbs onto the motorcycle, puts the kickstand back up and then starts the engine. I clamber on behind him, doing the same awkward dance with my hands as before but he turns around and lifts the visor on his helmet so he can stare at me in disbelief.
"Are you really that revolted by me?" I might have been imagining things, but I could have sworn he sounded hurt.
That tiny hint of pain in his voice was enough to keep me from retorting with something rather mean, as I had originally planned. Instead, I just place my hands on his hips so I can hold on and that's enough for him. He turns back around and then we are off again, speeding through the streets of Tokyo.
I figured this was the end of our date – or at least I had hoped it was, because it didn't get off to a very good start. I was wrong though, as Ren zipped through traffic and started to head in the opposite direction of my apartment building.
What I couldn't have guessed is that Ren had planned an entire day. After lunch he brought me out to an afternoon matinee at the theater to see a movie I had wanted to watch but had been too cheap to go out and see by myself. From there we stopped to get ice cream at a tiny shop hidden inside a large mall. The ice cream was homemade and delicious. Our fight had been long forgotten at that point and our conversations remained mild and pleasant throughout the rest of the date.
As the day dragged on he took me out to dinner, the place slightly fancier than the diner from earlier but not fancy enough that it would warrant a change of clothing. We discussed our cases while we ate, I talked about the classes I would be starting within a week, and he told me about his family. I didn't bother with mine…Ren already knew about Hitomi and as for the rest of my family, they were all dead, so why bring down the mood by talking about it.
I was interested in Ren's life outside of work because I had never really bothered to ask him. Apparently he was an only child, his mother having suffered several miscarriages before and after she had given birth to him – his family called him the "miracle child" and I rolled my eyes at that one, like he needed any more ego fluffing.
His father had passed away five years ago from a heart attack and his mother lived on her own not far from where Ren was located and he made it a point to go out and visit her at least once a week. I called him a momma's boy but he only smiled good naturedly and agreed with me, which wasn't very fun.
Dinner ended sooner than I wanted it to, mostly because I was finally starting to enjoy myself and wanted it to continue. As we strode out of the restaurant with an air of contentment about us he stopped me before I could put the helmet back on and straddle his bike.
"There's one last place I want to take you, if that's alright?" He seemed apprehensive; like he was afraid I would say no.
Night had already fallen and I looked up at the darkness above us, wishing (just as I did every night) that you could see the stars while in the city, but the smog was too much for them and no matter how bright they could not shine through. All I could make out was the murky outline of the moon, its vibrant glow dim thanks to the unpleasant pollution.
I look back at Ren, who is standing there like a lost little boy, and the look isn't good on him at all. So I smile a genuine one that stretches my lips across my teeth and causes his eyes to light up with some unknown emotion. "Sure, take me wherever you'd like."
That probably wasn't a good choice of words but I can see he is relieved and that makes me happy, so I climb on the back of the bike and allow him to place my helmet gently over my head. He joins me and then off we go again, except this time he takes the ride at a leisurely pace, like he's trying to drag this out as long as he can.
He drives out of the city, much farther than I had expected but I'm not nervous or scared. Ren might be an asshole most of the time and we may fight constantly, but he was trustworthy. When he pulls onto a deserted back road made entirely of dirt and full of pot holes he is forced to slow down even further and eventually we reach a steep incline. He rides the bike up it no problem and when we reach the top I discover we are on some kind of hill. He parks the bike on a patch of grass and gets off, removing his helmet quickly and then assisting me in pulling off mine.
He takes my hand and leads me to the very edge of the hill which is quite steep. You can see the lights of the city down below and I realize we have come out quite far because they are only little pinpricks on the horizon now.
"Look up," He whispers and he's so close to my ear that I can feel his breath against my face, but I don't flinch away as I expected I would.
He's still holding my hand, our fingers aren't threaded together or anything, but his palm is warm and it makes my heart flutter. I look up, just as he instructed, and I gasp softly at what I see.
He has taken me far enough out of the city to be able to see the stars in all their glory, twinkling brightly and the moon shining beautifully in the sky. I bask in its light for a moment, breathing in the cool autumn air. I let go of his hand so I can fall backwards onto the grass, landing with an "oomph" and then laughing when Ren does the same beside me. We lay there for a long while, not speaking because it would ruin the moment, and just enjoying each other's company as best we can.
I don't say anything when his hand grasps mine once again nor do I speak up when he sidles over just a tad closer to me.
I had to admit to myself that this date really hadn't been all that bad. Of course, I still wasn't willing to tell him that.
. . .
After a good solid hour of star gazing Ren brought me home as promised, we didn't make plans for another date and he never did explain to me why he wanted to take me out so badly, nor why it had been as romantic as it was.
He didn't try to kiss me goodbye or even hug me – I was very thankful for that. I didn't think I would be able to deal with the weirdness at work afterwards if he had. The only true gesture he made was to squeeze my hand gently after I had stepped off the bike and handed him back the extra helmet. He placed it in a carryon bag strapped to the side of the bike.
I don't know if he was embarrassed or just didn't know how to conduct himself after our night out, but unlike last time he did not wait for me to enter my apartment upon leaving. I waved goodbye to him as he raced off and he looked back at me as long as he could, until it became necessary for him to pay attention to where he was going.
I never thought in my life I would ever wish Ren hadn't left, but that night I wished it harder than anything and not because I missed him or had suddenly fallen in love with the jerk after one date. Oh no. You see, as I stood on the curb, quite distracted with the multitude of strange thoughts I now had stuck in my head thanks to the fucked up week I'd had, I never heard the two men come up behind me.
I was struck in the back of the head, hard enough to knock me down and disorient me but not enough to completely knock me out. My assailants didn't realize this though as I could hear them speaking over me, my eyes squeezed shut in pain. The voices were definitely male, though they weren't deep, but that isn't what truly caught my attention.
I stilled on the ground, letting them believe they had knocked me unconscious and just listened to what they were saying.
"You think we got the right one?"
"Looks just like the description doesn't it?"
"Yeah but…boss said she has a twin sister."
"So? What difference does it make? As long as we got one of the gate keepers that's all that matters."
"Yeah but...the one boss wants is the actual key, not the guardian."
What the fuck are they talking about? These guys must have escaped from a crazy house.
"For fuck sakes, just shut up and help me tie her up."
I wasn't going to let that happen any time soon, thank you very much. I sprung up from the ground, surprising the two men who were standing next to me with lengths of heavy rope clutched in their palms. They were skinny and tall, with pointed noses and beady little eyes. They both looked almost exactly the same besides their skin color. The one on the left had skin a dark royal blue in color and the other's was a rusty shade of red. Both of the men had tiny horns sticking out above each of their eyes.
What the actual fuck? Was all I could think and my brain was screaming at me that I had seen something like this before – but when?
I wasted no time in dwelling on their appearance because if I made one mistake I was going to find myself hogtied and kidnapped. I punched the blue skinned one hard in the face, instantly breaking his nose and knocking him off his feet. I kicked him hard in the head right after, seeing blood spray across the sidewalk and knowing I had knocked him out. With him down for the count I turned to the next guy but he was already running away, a tail (yes you read that correctly, a fucking tail) literally hanging between his legs as he sped off.
I didn't lay chase, more worried about stealing the rope out of the unconscious man's hands and using it tie him up with. It was better I had a hostage than revenge for the pain my head was currently in. I was tempted to pull out my cell phone and call Ren or maybe even someone at the precinct so I could report the incident…but then I took another look at him. Blue skin…horns…they would never believe me. What the hell was I going to do now?
So…I did the only thing I could think of. I grabbed the rope, hauled the man up over my shoulder (which was fairly difficult considering my size) and then carried him up to my apartment. I was thankful none of my neighbors were of the nosey sort because I would have been a sight to see. I mean, I was carrying an unconscious blue skinned weirdo and I must have had blood dripping down the back of my head by now.
But when I reached the door a sudden clarity raced through my mind – I was bringing a dangerous person into my home. The home where one of my best friends was currently inside – that would be a foolish mistake, to bring him in and let him see her. What should I do now? I didn't have many options and I couldn't think of anywhere else to go with him. I could hope that his odd colored (and I had discovered, also scaly) skin, tail, and horns were just a figment of my imagination brought on from the blow to my head, but that was probably wishful thinking.
I could call Ren…he might help me and if I didn't mention any of the weird stuff about the guy he could come and see it with his own eyes. He might not believe me if I just tell him but no one could deny what they could see right in front of their face. Of course, I was still holding onto to that vain hope that I was only seeing things. Ren might be able to confirm that too, if I were to call him…
Every second I stood there in indecision the man (creature?) got heavier so before I started digging through my pockets for my phone, my mind made up, I dropped him none too gently to the ground. He landed with a dull thump, body in a heap. I kept my eyes trained on him as I dug through my pockets only to discover I had not brought my cell phone and the frustration this invoked was enough to make me kick the man again, this time in the ribs. He grunted, but didn't wake up.
What am I going to do now?
I was saved (if you wanted to call it that) from having to make that decision when I heard voices on the stairs. I panicked, scrambling around to try and block the man from view because I had nowhere to run. It was either bring him into the apartment and risk Keiko's life, or stand out here and be caught by my neighbors. Of course, when I discovered I recognized the voices my panic only increased.
The loud and obnoxious voices of Yusuke and Kazuma was easily discernable, then there was the quieter more refined tones of Shuichi's…then finally, in short clipped sentences, was Hiei's deep grumble. All four of them at once was my worst nightmare, I didn't know what to do, so I just stood there like an idiot as I saw the tops of their heads appear and finally their bodies.
All four stopped and stared. Then Yusuke laughed, Kazuma's face morphed into a mix of horror and anger but it was Shuichi's exasperated expression and Hiei's rather annoyed smirk that really had me confused. Nothing about this situation was funny and I had no idea how to react to their reactions. So I did the next best thing and acted clueless.
"Oh hey guys, fancy meeting you here."
That one sentence had Kazuma on me at once; he grabbed me by my shoulders and shook me rather violently. "What the hell were you thinking Kasumi?!" He shouted; panic laced through his words.
"What I was thinking?!" I shout right back, "This mother fucker attacked me!"
He grimaced at my language, chose to ignore it, and then questioned me further. "What do you mean it attacked you?! When?"
I did notice the use of the word 'it' and it made my suspicions grow further. The other three men had advanced on us as well, to stand around and watch the show. Yusuke had bent at the knee so he could crouch and poke at the thing still lying on the floor like some kind of dead animal. Hiei and Shuichi stood on the sidelines, both of their eyes trained on me, Shuichi with his eyebrows raised practically to his hairline and Hiei's narrowed dangerously.
I ignored them for now and gave my full attention to Kazuma. I broke his hold on me and shoved him away. He stumbled, almost falling, but regained his footing last second. He planted himself in front of me once more, but at least he was smart enough not to touch me again.
"I don't know how much clearer I can be, this guy and his accomplice hit me in the back of the head with a goddamn lead pipe! After that I didn't know what to do with him and I was going to try to interrogate the guy, but thought it would be better not to bring him inside where Keiko is." I said all of this in an angry rush, snapping at Kazuma because he was making me feel like an animal that had been backed into a corner.
His shoulders slumped though his eyes remained wary and they kept flicking back and forth between me and the creature on the floor. "So…this guy, did he say anything?"
Before I could answer, Shuichi stepped forward and placed a hand on Kazuma's shoulder, "I think it would be best to take this inside. This is not the place for such a conversation." He said calmly, like this sort of thing happened to him every day.
I watched as Yusuke hefted the man up over his shoulder, turned to grin and wink at me, and then he headed inside. I heard him call for Keiko and fear lanced my heart, I went to rush in after him, but someone grabbed me by the arm to stop me.
"Do not fear for her, nothing will befall Keiko as long as we are here." It was Shuichi, still calm and sensible, and then there was me – a panicked mess.
"You don't understand! They're dangerous and there was someone with him! What if he comes back?"
"He won't," Hiei snapped, like he thought I was a moron for even thinking it.
My eyes wide with disbelief, I was tempted to take my frustrations out on him, for no other reason than the look on his face. Even with the stupid hat on and the hoodie that was too big for him, that look was still cold and harsh. I'd had enough.
"Go fuck yourself," I said viciously, turning on my heels and striding into my apartment.
Keiko was standing nervously by the breakfast table, whereas Yusuke had tossed my assailant into one of the wooden chairs, securing the rope around it so he couldn't leave. He stood by like a guard dog, his eyes just as hard and cold as Hiei's were only moments ago. A chill ran down my spine and I let my mind believe it was caused by a draft from the door, but my heart knew better. It had started to pump with adrenaline as fear rushed through me. I might be able to get some answers out of them tonight – but at what price?
"Take a seat Kasumi," I heard Kazuma snap from behind me – why he was so angry with me I couldn't fathom.
I didn't listen to him; instead I walked off to the kitchen, dug out a pitcher and filled it with the coldest water I could get out of the tap. I strode back out and over to where Yusuke was. I removed my leather jacket, tossing it over a chair so it would be out of the way. I then took my place directly in front of the guy who had attacked me, ignoring everyone's questioning eyes but Yusuke knew what I was doing. He backed off, just far enough so he wouldn't get splashed and then I dumped the entire contents of the pitcher over the creature's head.
It awoke with a splutter, spitting water everywhere and whipping its head around to shake the liquid out of what little hair it had. This might be the strangest thing I'd ever done, but I wasn't going to answer any questions until I had some of my own confirmed. This thing knew something about Hitomi and I wouldn't let anything or anyone get in my way until I knew what that something was. This would be the first break I'd had in three years – I wasn't about to waste it.
Once it had managed to clear its vision and his eyes landed on me, he stilled in the seat only briefly than began to struggle violently. I was about to hit him when Yusuke came around the chair and all it took was for the creature to take one look at him – just one.
He reared back in sudden fear and began to shake; his blue skin even looked lighter, as if he had paled considerably at the sight of Urameshi Yusuke. This confused me – why would he be so afraid of him? It didn't make sense to me.
"Shit…" It whispered, "Shit, shit, shit…"
"Yeah, you should be afraid asshole." Yusuke said with a twisted smile.
"I didn't know!" It yelped, "I didn't know she was one of yours Urameshi Yusuke-sama!"
"Shut the fuck up, if you think trying to flatter me is going to get you anywhere than you're even stupider than you look!" The creature closed its mouth with a snap but even so it continued to whimper in fear.
I was staring at Yusuke with shock clear as day written all over my face, that thing had called him Yusuke-sama, like he was some form of royalty and how had he known who Yusuke was at all? I had thought I would get some answers but now I just had more questions. So many questions that my brain couldn't keep up with them all, so I decided they could wait, and stepped up so I was in front of Yusuke now.
"Your business is with me," I said coldly.
I turned my head briefly so I could gauge Keiko's reaction, who was standing at the far end of the table so she had some distance from the events playing out before her eyes, and I was shocked to see that she was not at all surprised at what was going on, though she did look scared and worried. Her eyes locked with mine when she noticed I was staring at her and there was an apology of some kind in them – maybe it was for making me believe I was insane this past week or maybe because she felt guilty for not explaining things sooner. She wouldn't be able to escape that fate this time; I would make sure of that.
I turned back to the blue skinned man who was still visibly fearful, but had calmed down significantly when I took over for Yusuke. I stepped a little closer, in an attempt to intimidate him, but his eyes only narrowed defiantly.
"I will tell you nothing Guardian."
I wasn't going to play that game. I brought a foot up and smashed it down onto his crotch. I was happy to discover that it did, in fact, have the male genitalia because he howled in pain, tears gathering in the corners of his beady eyes. I dug my foot in further, crushing his manhood to the chair and making it cry out once more.
"If you don't tell me what you know about my sister, I will make sure your privates will be an unrecognizable mess once I'm finished with them."
I let up on the crushing, giving him a moments relief where he whimpered like a baby and pulled futilely at his bonds. I heard Yusuke mumble something about me liking to destroy a man's pride and joy, which would have made me laugh, if I wasn't in this current situation.
I had to ignore what was in front of me, I had to ignore the people around me, the freakiness of the situation and the fear it had invoked in me, because all that mattered in this moment was Hitomi. I had vowed to find her by any means necessary and if that meant I had to torture a blue skinned, horned and tailed thing than I damn well was going to do just that.
I applied a little more pressure, grinning rather evilly at the man. "So, are you going to talk or not?"
He gulped, making the Adam's apple in his neck bob up and down. "My master will kill me…"
"I'll kill you if you don't start talking!" I crushed his testicles again, slightly enjoying the pain filled keen he let off afterwards.
"I can't, I can't…" It said, full on crying now.
I lunged forward and grabbed the thing by its throat, digging my fingers into him and glaring straight into his black eyes. "Why did you attack me?"
He choked, but forced his first true answer out anyway, "I was ordered to."
"By who?!" I snapped, digging my fingers in just a little deeper.
"I do not know his name." He ground out.
"I think you're lying," More pressure with my foot this time had him cringing and more tears leaking out of his eyes to trail down his blue, scaly cheeks.
"Please Guardian; I do not know his name!"
I gave up on that line of questioning in favor of another, "Why do you keep calling me that?"
"That is what you are. I should have listened to my partner; we did find the wrong one!" He lamented tearfully.
I recalled the conversation the two men had been occupied with while I had laid on the ground disoriented from the blow to my head. They were talking about gate keepers…but last I checked I don't spend my days guarding a random gate somewhere…
"What am I supposedly guarding then?"
The question had him frozen to his chair; he gave up on struggling and even crying, so he could look at me in horror. "I cannot speak of it."
"Well bud, I'm getting pretty sick of this bullshit, so if you don't decide to change your mind within the next ten seconds I might just end your miserable existence."
Then I started a countdown, ticking each second off cruelly as he started to panic once more. Finally, with another flood of tears, he burst forth with real answers as I reached the number two.
"Wait, wait! I will speak, please!" What I didn't know is that Yusuke had been doing something behind my back the entire time. I wouldn't find out until later what that something was, but it helped me none the less.
"That's a good boy…now start talking or I might change my mind."
He gulped, "You…you have been sought after for some time…my master wishes to have you and the other one…the one you call Hitomi."
"Who is your master?" I ask again and this time he answers.
"I do not know his name…only what he is. He is a demon that rose amongst the ranks of the Makai only within the past year. No one knows where he came from but they also do not deny his authority."
I had no fucking clue what this nutter was going on about – the Makai, demons? What did that even mean?
"Are you fucking serious right now? Do you really think I would believe that?"
He looked confused, completely lost as to why I wouldn't believe that some demon badass was after me. But then I thought of my Grandfather, of all the stories (or at least I had thought that's all they were) he had told Hitomi and I over the years about demons and gods. I recalled one about there being three worlds all connected but still separated from each other – the Ningenkai, the Reikai…and the Makai. That story had another part though – a part about a fourth world, one that was not connected to any of the others and could only be opened by a very powerful spell.
My Grandfather had called it Purgatory and explained that only the evilest of beings resided there, biding their time until the seal was broken and they could enter our world and destroy life as we know it.
…Maybe my Grandfather hadn't been as crazy as I originally thought.
"Okay…so let's say what you just told me is true…why would your master want me and my sister?"
He eyed me like I was the crazy one, "To open Purgatory, of course."
There was a gasp and curse behind me, one belonging to Shuichi and the other to Hiei, while Kazuma questioned them on their reaction. I didn't have time to worry about that now though, I had to pay attention to what I was doing or I would never get the information I needed.
"Purgatory isn't real…how about you try again?" I snap.
"Yes, that is true, not many demons believe in its existence, but there is evidence now."
"And what evidence might that be?"
"You and your twin, Guardian."
I wanted to snap his neck; I was so frustrated with these cryptic answers. I punch him hard in the face, cracking his already broken nose and forcing a scream to burst from his mouth.
"What do you mean?! Tell me!"
"My master…he, he has brought forth a prophecy that was stolen from the Reikai vaults. It has information in it that lead him to you, please Guardian, do not hurt me again!"
He couldn't have looked more pathetic if he tried. I opened my mouth to scream at him again, to demand what he knows of Hitomi because I had heard enough of the hair brained ideas he had about me, but before I could something strange (even stranger than what I was already looking at) occurred.
A viscous black smoke rose from a silver bracelet I hadn't noticed dangling from the creature's right arm. I heard distantly one of the boys tell me to get away from him but I didn't heed the warning. I watched, awe struck, as that smoke engulfed the man's body, swallowing him up and then he began to scream. A keening, pain soaked wail that I knew the neighbor's must be able to hear. I moved to try and shut him up, removing my hand from around his neck so I could try and cover his mouth but the smoke started to travel up my arm, wrapping around it like a snake.
It felt like razors against my skin and then it began to burn, turning more painful by the second. I jumped away from the chair but it followed me, trying to swallow me up just as it was doing to the man before me. I fell to my knees, trying to wipe it off, flailing my arm around in the hopes it would just float away, but it did neither. Instead it slowly faded, leaving behind a horrible, angry, glowing red burn in the shape of a hand. After a moment the glow faded, but the burnt palm mark remained and goddamn did it hurt, right down to the bone.
My eyes shot up to see what damage had been done to the blue skinned man…but all that remained of him was a charred mess, his features still discernable and locked into a look so horrified it made me sick to my stomach. Yusuke stepped forward and touched the remains – he crumbled into dust before my very eyes.
I screamed, but not because of what I had just seen and not because of the awful, biting pain in my arm, but because I had just lost my chance at finding out any information on Hitomi. I shot to my feet, picked up a chair and in a rage, threw it across the room. It landed hard, the legs breaking off and rocketing off in different directions. I wasn't finished there though. I picked up the ceramic pitcher I had used to dump the water over the demon's head (because what else could I call it at this point?) and threw that so it smashed against the wall.
Today had gone from a perfectly wonderful day to total and absolute chaos.
. . .
A/N: Okay, so Kasumi now knows about demons, I didn't want her to be clueless for most of the fic. That doesn't necessarily mean she will know about the Tantei though…not yet anyway. Next chapter will be explanation time! Please give me some feedback on this one, I had a hard time with it and want to know what everyone thinks. Thanks for reading!