Chapter 8 A Walk In The Park

An/warning: First off… I'm not going to give any half assed excuses as to why the chapter is so late. I'm just going to ask you not to flame me for it.

Second the main bad guy will be making an appearance next chapter for sure. I just want everyone to know that this fic is going somewhere. And I want to say sorry for it dragging the way it has been.

And last another yaoi warning. I hadn't expected to get this in so soon but I just couldn't help it. (I also wanted to try to make up for that crappy chapter I posted Saturday. Truth be told I didn't really like it but it was necessary for where the story was going.) I also hope people aren't mad with who the two guys are… and sorry but there will be no Hiei/Kurama action in this fic.

Disclaimer: yeah I don't own it so leave me alone you blood sucking lawyers.

Oh yeah and I must give a big thinks to all the people who reviewed. Your imput make fics worth writing :D

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Trying to shake off the feeling of dread in my stomach, I asked the guys if we could go see Koenma. They agreed but said it would have to wait till tomorrow. That of course was three days ago. And the thing I saw out of the corner of my eye a few days ago hadn't repeated itself so I was finally starting to relax a bit.

In the mean time not much had happened. The guys kept up the search for clues and potential informants and I was suck inside Kuwabara's apartment. By that point the feeling of 'wow this is so cool being here' had worn down to a 'I'm so sick and tired of looking at the same walls day in and day out'.

On the second day after my near capture I finally got to meet Keiko. She was pretty nice for the most part. Her personality was a bit nicer then in the show… well except when it got to getting on Yusuke's case about whatever he had done to piss her off. (I managed to get her autograph too… as a matter of fact the only one of the guys that I was missing was Hiei's)

Hiei was pretty scarce but I had expected as much. Even being a main character in the show he hardly ever got screen time. Kurama brought by some tea for me to drink to make sure there were no adverse side effects from the root. The taste was really nasty until you got used to it. Even then I had rather drink a strong cup of coffee black then that stuff.

Other then that I watched a lot of tv. Of course seeing daytime soaps in Japanese can only stay entertaining for so long. The anime shows were cool but the fact that I was currently stuck in one, I didn't really feel like watching those.

'Jeez, five days in this place and I've only been out once since getting here. I've got to get out before I go stir crazy', I mentally whined.

If I had thought it would do any good I would have asked if we could go see Koenma again. For some reason they kept telling me I had to wait or he was too busy at the moment to see me… Come to think of it Botan had yet to make an appearance.

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I clicked through the channels without really looking at what was on. If I had to guess I'd say I had clicked through all of the channels at least five times around by now, and believe me there were a lot of them. I just shut the thing off and put the remote back down on the coffee table.

As I was about to head up to my/ Kuwabara's room, Kurama made his way into the living room and sat down next to me. I was surprised to see him because as far as I knew Kuwabara was the one that was supposed to have 'guard duty' as I came to call it.

He was silent, but I didn't mind. I just liked him being there. Don't get me wrong I like the other guys just fine but right now I was glad he was the one that had been there.

"There wasn't anything on", I commented off handedly. Small talk wasn't exactly my forte but I still tried. Anything to get my mind off of everything else going on was a welcomed change. "If you're hungry I could make something to eat. I'm not the worlds best cook but I'm sure I can whip something up that wouldn't be toxic."

He gave me a smile and shook his head no. I figured he was saying he wasn't hungry. That is until he stood up and headed towards the door.

"I figured we could go out and get something to eat. A little fresh air will do you some good and I know a good restaurant a few blocks away."

I was going to ask 'are you sure?' but I held my tongue. I wasn't about to say no to some freedom, no matter how sort lived it was going to be.

We walked side by side in silence and I have to admit I was walking a bit closer then necessary. If I had moved over to my left a little more our shoulders would have been touching. The moment didn't last long before we were standing outside the doors to the restaurant Kurama had mentioned.

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It was quiet inside for the most part. There were hardly any other people there so we didn't have to wait long before someone was coming over to take us to a table.

The girl that came over was kinda short. If I had to guess I'd say no taller then 5"5' or so. She had dark brown hair that was pulled back in a ponytail and her eyes almost perfectly matched. The instant I looked at her I had a sudden dislike. I'm not usually one to jump to those sorts of conclusions about people, but there was something in her personality that rubbed me the wrong way.

She smiled the whole way over and only stopped when she asked what section we wanted to be seated in. Kurama, to my pleasant surprise, asked for a table in the back. All of the back tables, from what I could see, were half blocked off from the view of the rest of the tables.

The devil girl/waitress escorted us to the back and handed us our menus. I figured at that point she would go the hell away so we could decide on what to order but, unfortunately, I was wrong. She kept standing there with that creepy/annoying smile plastered on her face.

"So, I heard her say in and all to overly sweet voice, how have you been Shuichi-kun?"

I had wanted to gag. As a matter of fact I nearly did choke…. Speaking of choke. There was a really annoying brunette getting in the way of my Kurama time that was just asking for it… who the hell did that devil slut think she was anyway.

Kurama gave her a polite answer that I barely heard and I squelched the urge to go upside her head. My eyes stayed fixed on the menu while I took the time to calm my nerves.

As the need to break something passed, I let out a mental sigh. It wasn't like he was my boyfriend and, to tell the truth, I figured he only saw me as some poor defenseless girl trapped in a guys body that needed protecting.

I really hated when my mind made sense almost as much as I hated my overly jealous side.

"So, who's your friend Shuichi-kun"?

Man that voice was annoying. And did she feel the need to add kun to the end of his name every time she said it?

"Krys". I said

Short, not so sweet and to the point. Let her stick that in her pipe and smoke it.

"Oh, are you from around here", she asked? If she only knew. "How do you know Shuichi-kun"? … well nothing like letting a person answer a question.

"No I'm not from around here and how I know him is none of your business".

I noticed the look Kurama gave me but he said nothing. The devil girl/waitress ignored it like I said nothing at all. She kept rattling on about some such nonsense or another to Kurama like I wasn't even there. She was trying to get a date with him by pretending there was some sort of function or another that she thought he would be interested in. Pfft, fat chance devil slut waitress.

She kept on like that for a few more minutes. I'm sure I said before that a hungry me equals really piss mood. Deciding it was time for the devil slut/waitress to leave I figured I would make it clear that she needed to leave and leave now.

"If you don't mind, Kur-Shuichi-kun (and I made sure to add an emphasis on the 'kun' part) and I would like to look over the menu so we can order. I'm sure there are other paying customers that you could go bother". I made sure to smile back that same sickeningly sweet smile she had used on Kurama when we got there.

The girl gave me an evil glare but I didn't care… or at least at that particular moment.

"I'm surprised Shuichi-kun, I never expected someone as sweet as you to have friends with such poor manners". She glared over at me again before she said anything else. "Someone will be over to take your order shortly".

As she walked off in a huff I couldn't help hide the smile that made its way to my face. Looking over at Kurama though the victory was a short lived one. He wore a look of disappointment and something else I couldn't quite put my finger on.

"Look, I started, I…" I just signed. I wasn't sure what to say to him. Sorry? That would have been a lie. I enjoyed every minuet of it. "I know I shouldn't have done that but she was getting on my nerves and when I'm hungry I get… well… like that".

He accepted the apology and, thankfully, he didn't insist that I go say sorry to that devil slut. Probably figured I wouldn't mean it so there was no point in asking.

We looked over the menu in silence and it was a few minutes later a young man came over to get our order. It was another five minutes of silence when I finally said something.

"I just wanted to say thank you. I've been cooped up in that house for so long I really needed to get out".

"I figured as much... I've noticed you've been quiet ever since the incident at the club. Is there something wrong"?

There was something wrong but I wasn't sure how to put it into words. It wasn't anything I could prove because it wasn't just one particular thing. All I knew was something was out of place. It was like a mental splinter in my brain I couldn't quite get rid of. If you've ever had one of those moments you'd know exactly what I'm talking about. The feeling is both annoying and alarming.

'Something feels off' was the best answer I could give him. He asked me why it was I felt that way but I couldn't say anything beyond that.

"I don't know… it's just this feeling in the back of my mind that keeps telling me something is wrong… maybe I've just been indoors for too long. I guess cabin fever will do that to you".

After that we had some pleasant conversation about this and that. I asked him about his world and he asked me about mine. Time seemed to fly by because next thing I knew the food was there.

While we ate I told more stories about my two best friends, Joann and Beth. I also talked about school and things at home. He never interrupted me and actually seemed interested in what I had to say.

"So, I heard him say as he pushed his plate off to the side, I've heard you talk about your friends and your mother but you haven't said anything about your father".

I looked down at my near empty plate when he said that. The subject of my father was still kinda touchy with me. It wasn't like I knew the guy and he never bothered with me so I shouldn't really care about him but it still hurt.

"I haven't seen my father in years. I can't even remember what he looks like".

"My apologies, did he…"

I didn't let him finish. "No he isn't dead… at least I don't think he is… He left my mother when I was really young. Not that it mattered anyway. He wasn't ever there even when he was still there. The only thing he left me was a worn out photo and a necklace that belonged to my grandmother".

"I'm sorry".

"Don't be. I'm not. It's no big deal. What's done is done and there's nothing you can do to change the past".

The conversation pretty much died out after that and when the check came I figured it was time to head back to the temporary prison I called home.

We walked out of the restaurant and he started towards the opposite direction of home. I wasn't sure where he had planned on going next but as long as it wasn't home I didn't really care where he took me.

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It wasn't until we were practically on top of the park that I noticed it. It was very pretty, trash free and most importantly nearly deserted. The few people that were there were either elderly couples or young children playing.

I had figured he was going to head over to one of the benches that littered the path so I headed over to one and got ready to sit down. Before I got the chance he motioned for me to continue following him. Kurama was heading along the path further into the park and even further away from the rest of the world.

"Where are we going", I asked him? I couldn't get rid of the stupid butterflies that were trying to move around in my stomach.

"There's a spot not to far from here where I usually go to when I need time to think or just be alone".

Those stupid butterflies kept up and wouldn't leave me alone. It wasn't like we were there for any other reason then Kurama wanted to… to… well I wasn't sure what he wanted but I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt it wasn't for any of the reasons I was hoping for.

"Why here", I couldn't help asking?

"I thought you'd like it and it will give us some time to talk about your current situation without having to worry about someone over hearing us… or more to the point, we won't have to watch out for an attack".

"Hm, makes sense I guess… So do you and Hiei come here a lot"?

"No. Hiei's never been here either. It's my own personal getaway".

I almost couldn't stop the blush that was about to be plastered all over my face once I realized what he meant by his words. I was the only one he had shared that special spot with. Even though it seemed strange, or rather, should have seemed strange I just smiled and let him lead me wherever he was going.

We walked another five minutes (probably more but my sense of time really blows) before nearing a small clearing. The first thing that came to mind was that it looked almost surreal. There were more flowers and other plants I couldn't name to save my life placed all over.

The look of awe must have been clearly written on my face because the next thing I knew I heard Kurama letting out a low laugh. I liked the sound and thought he really should laugh more.

"I take it that you approve".

"Mm-hm, definitely. This place is really pretty. It's just so… so… clean? … No, that's not the word I'm looking for". I thought on it for a few seconds but wasn't sure what to call it. "What I mean is that it doesn't have the same feel as the city around it… You know that smog choked feeling".

"Yes, I know what you mean. It's part of the reason I like coming here".

I didn't bother to ask what his other reasons were while I looked for a spot to sit down. There was a place near a particularly large tree, so I sat down and leaned my back against it. Kurama sat next to me and I swear I felt my heart stop for a second… yeah I know its stupid girly stuff like that, that makes you want to rolf right? Oh well I'm enjoying every second I can get.

We sat there like that for a long time, not saying anything and just enjoying the moment. I could feel myself falling asleep when all of the sudden I realized my head was leaning against Kurama's shoulder.

Quickly I picked my head up and said sorry. I told him that I didn't mean to fall asleep on him (both literally and figuratively). Like that was true but I'm not going to say 'Hey Kurama sorry for falling asleep on you. Do you mind if I stick my head back down and catch a few more Z's?'

"How long have we been here", I asked? I wanted to kick myself almost as soon as the words came out of my mouth. How stupid can you be? I mean come on. Alone in a quiet secluded area with a super hot guy and I had to ask if it was time to leave yet.

Score one for me in the worst asked questions of the year category… or maybe it was more then that by now…

"Not very long… Did you want to leave"?

No way in hell was what I had wanted to say but I just gave him a simple 'no'. I didn't miss the slight smirk he failed to hide and couldn't completely stop the pink tinge from coloring my cheeks.

"I'm glad to hear it". He gave me another heart stopping smile. "It will give us some more time together… That is what you want after all isn't it"?

I felt him reach over and touch my face but there was this feeling of something passing through me. It was like a foreign energy coming off of his fingertips and into my skin. It sent a shockwave through my nervous system.

My eyes were half closed when I saw him moving in to kiss me. It was gentle at first then became rougher as he continued. I didn't try to fight him as his hand moved to lift up my shirt.

The whole world faded out as I just let the sensations take over. I didn't even take notice to the fact that he was currently removing my pants, or the fact that my shirt was long gone. The only thing separating us now was a thin piece of material.

When he did reach down and place a hand on the top of my boxers it was like someone hit me with a freezing cold bucket of water. A strong fear crept into my chest. All of my senses were suddenly back and I was fully aware of the fact that I was about to do 'it' as a guy with another guy.

I grabbed a hold of his shoulders and pushed him back.

"I can't…"

Kurama stopped moving the boxers and looked at me.

I'm not sure why but the fear I felt before started to change into something worse. My throat started to close up and it felt like my lungs were on fire.

"Can't…. I…. I can't breath".

Kurama was talking to me but I couldn't hear anything. I figured he was saying he was going to help me but the only noise I could make out was the pounding from my heart. He pulled out some kind of seed and placed it on my chest. The thing started to grow and vine out, little thorn looking things stuck themselves in around my heart and stomach.

The air started to ripple again only this time I was looking right at it. There was no mistaking that it was real this time and I did the first thing that came to my mind: I reached out and tried to touch it.

It was almost out of my reach but I did manage to brush the tips of my fingers against the furthest edge of the waves. Just as I did that I heard a voice holler out 'Cut the link'.

Everything around me disappeared in an instant and then went white.

"You will soon come to realize you power", a woman said. "But I'm afraid it won't do you any good as you are. You must be brave and don't give in. There is great darkness within you… but do not despair for there is an even greater light".

I never got the chance to ask what she meant or even who she was.

The blinding light faded and I suddenly found myself, not in the park, but back at the Double Helix in the manager's office. Across the room was Puppet Master sprawled out on the floor.

The next thing I knew the door came flying open and Yusuke came running in.

"What the hell? … talk about deja vu…. What the hell is going on here"?

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End chapter

Yeah I know I'm evil for not posting sooner. Sorry about that -innocent face- … -dodges flying sporks- I know I'm really, really, really late with this chapter but I wasn't kidding when I said good reviews help me write. It was over ¾ of the way done but then my brain was like mooooo. Then I got a good review and suddenly I could finish. So please keep that in mind :D