Disclaimer: If I owned anyone in Yu Yu Hakusho or the other anime characters in here, I would be turning this story into the actual plotline...not a fanfic. :D Ehe...ehehehe... ;;)
Summary: Youko Kurama managed to escape his imminent death. What if his best friend accomplished the same feat? Although Kuronue probably should have checked before he jumped into a baby girl's body. What will happen when their human counterparts meet? And what's Kagome got to do with this?
Author's Notes: Happy New Year everybody! I know, I know, it's almost a year since I last updated, but there was so much to do and frankly I hit a rough patch with this fic. Thankfully, the muses are being kind and the problem I'm having now is putting all I want to say down in coherent order, lol. ;)
I do hope that the long wait hasn't made my readers lose interest—I'm actually a bit nervous and pressured to come up with something good to make up for the long wait. Unfortunately, I'm not certain if this chapter is what you were hoping for, so do leave a review and let me know. When I've got more time and I'm able to put my jumbled thoughts in order, I may edit and flesh things out, as I plan to do with the first chapter.
That's it, basically—apart from a host of apologies and thanks, as well as many, many hopes that you enjoy this chapter. 'Til next time! ;)
Chapter 2
A Look Into The Past
It promised to be a beautiful day.
Dark, bottle-green eyes surveyed the serene picture that his lofty ninth-floor apartment offered as he finished combing the watered red silk of his hair. Past the parking lot of the condominium was one of the city's many parks—a vast area of greenery to refresh one's eyes after prolonged staring at the steel blue metropolitan skyline. Only it wasn't as green as it was gold this time of year, with splashes of roses, browns, and pinks as the plants donned their fall colors.
He glanced at the plants he tended to in his own apartment, which would appear to be perpetually in spring if one visited him often enough.
Thankfully, the only people who were allowed that privilege were already well aware of his oddities—amongst them his ability to manipulate plants of all varieties—from the roses he favored to the mythical Tree of Death. He could always make the effort to make his home seem more ordinary in case he was forced to bring less informed people home, but the part of him that made him unique could only conform so much. Wasn't it enough that his carnivorous plants kept their tendrils off of his annoying neighbor's meddlesome cat?
Besides, autumn was well and good, but he adored the freshness of spring. Everything was much newer, much more wholesome at that time of year than any other, and if it wasn't the appearance of the world during that season, it was the symbolism of it that hooked him. Spring meant new life and new beginnings, and Kami knew he'd been given both.
Rush hour was considerably lighter during the weekend, with the high-school and below class cut out of the chunk of commuters. His keen eyesight provided him with the picturesque view of teenagers playing football, several people walking dogs, and a fair number of families spreading picnic baskets beneath the blossoming cherry trees. Vendors were starting to hand out their wares and children chased each other as much as the walkers chased their dogs.
As though adding to the nostalgia of the moment as memories of similar activities danced through his mind, the answering machine that had been reading off messages for the past ten minutes suddenly sent his mother's voice out to fill the otherwise quiet apartment, making him wish he'd stayed up later the previous night so he could have spoken to her himself.
"Shuichi dear, how are you? Your brother just showed us the pictures of your university that you sent through e-mail. I was really relieved when I saw the pictures of your freshman night—with the thousands of students enrolled, I was worried you'd be culture-shocked and overwhelmed, but now it looks like I'm being a worry-wart again."
His mother's tinkling laughter followed that statement and an answering smile tugged on his lips. The freshman night block party had been two weeks ago and he'd managed to win three events, schedule a date with a very pretty girl, and get elected as freshman block representative all in the space of two hours. After that he'd partied respectably enough, imbibed enough liquor to make him acceptable to even the wilder of his male peers, and closed the night with a midnight kiss outside his date's home.
Oh yeah, she was worrying too much again, all right.
"Congratulations on your elections, dear, but make sure it doesn't get in the way of your studies, all right? Call me when you can, and make sure you're free next weekend. Your father has a meeting over there on Friday and he wants to stay until Saturday so he can spend some time with you. Take care, honey!"
After that came a noisy follow-up message from his younger brother, who demanded to know why he hadn't sent him the chemistry homework he'd promised along with the e-mail. As well as inquiries as to his standing with the sexy platinum blond who'd been holding his hand in three of the pictures.
"Ku-ra-ma!"
The masculine sing-song voice that followed Shuichi the Second's message was equally welcome to his ears. It had been quite a while since he'd heard from this particular friend, and he doubly regretted hitting the sack instead of having the movie marathon he'd promised himself after a week's worth of preliminary examinations and organization applications.
"So how's college, Fox Boy? Ugh, Keiko's so busy over here that it's been eight whole days since we last spoke. Talk about nerve! After all that drama about missing me!"
Chuckling, he flicked non-existent lint off his jacket and proceeded to straighten his immaculate collar even as his mind conjured up the expression on his friend's face as the message went on.
"I'm bored to tears right now, so bear with me, all right? I'd go pick on Kuwabara, but he's as busy as you, and the guy must have missed a payment or something because his phone line's unavailable. As for Hiei…well…I might as well talk to myself. Which is pretty much what I'm doing now, as you're probably weeding your garden…or something. Anyway, as long as you're all right. Keep your fur clean."
Youko Kurama (The Fox), also known as Shuichi Minamino, snorted at that, but his mood climbed a notch higher. He had learned after centuries of existence that the best thing to think about and treasure was the present. The fact that important people from his past were still in his present validated the belief—though he refused to consider what the present would be like if they were not. Instead, he made a mental note to call them back as soon as he got home.
With the next message came a voice he identified with slick sheets and tangled legs, and he grinned to himself as she reminded him about the party they were attending that evening.
He modified his mental note summarily. He would call them back if he got home.
---
I want to go to the gym today.
Kurenai forced herself to ignore the abrupt announcement from the obnoxious roommate that had set himself up in her head, instead forcing herself to get lost in the complexity of Hobbes' work. They were barely into anyone at that point, but she had read most of the works on the reading list and she was determined to read those she hadn't. University equated to big time in her mind. She had been relaxed in high school because she had promised herself that she would give a hundred and fifty percent in college. And she kept her promises—particularly those she made to herself.
We're starting to get fat.
Even if it meant having to deal with "herself." Kuronue insisted that he was very much a part of her, yet he was so different from Kurenai that she would never believe it—regardless of the fact that unlike most voices in one's head, he refused to go away. Unlike most imaginary friends, he didn't retreat into a convenient box in her mind to be pulled out when she wanted. He was like a mental appendix—a constant risk, even in his most relaxed state—and since they had begun having the dreams, he had hardly been relaxed. He threw a tantrum when she refused him Ben and Jerry's (which basically equated to a splitting headache that lasted until Kurenai had begrudgingly shoved half a gallon of Double Mint Chocolate Chip down her throat—though the headache was promptly replaced by brain freeze), woke her up in the middle of the night to take brisk walks out in the biting cold, and disrupted her usual activities whenever she became absorbed in them. It was like he was constantly wanting to be doing something other than what she was doing, yet when she'd confronted him about it he'd sullenly replied that he didn't know.
It was just that they needed to be doing something—and Kurenai resigned herself to a difficult time when Kuronue had no clear answer as to what that something was. She chalked it up to free-floating anxiety, but even that had its roots. And she was not a little bit worried about what those roots were. They tied in somewhere with the dreams—of that she was sure. But she didn't have the energy or the knowledge to find out. They dreamt about Kuronue's past, after all, and if he was at a loss, what direction could she give them?
I need to be comforted. Bring us to the gym now.
We can always work out here, she shot back mildly, flipping the page and picking up her pencil to underline a phrase and scribble a comment next to it.
We need professional help.
Yes, I wanted to see Kohaku-san, too, Kurenai smirking when she felt the repulsion pulsing from the part of her that was Kuronue.
I want to be trained by Sango-san.
Kuronue, for Kami's sake, shut up! When you find out what's making you such a whiny little bitch, then you have nagging privileges!
Thankfully, the phone ringing pre-empted any tantrums Kuronue could have pulled. Shutting the book and sighing heavily, she picked up the handset and mumbled a greeting.
"Kure-chan?" came an excited female voice from the other line.
"What is it, Yako?" Kurenai asked patiently, inwardly groaning even as Kuronue perked up a fraction.
"You will not believe what just happened!" shrieked her friend of four years. "I just got an invitation to a mixer hosted by the College of Economics!"
"Honey, I'm a linguistics major," Kurenai pointed out flatly. "Ask me why I would be interested."
Well, I was a thief when I was alive, remember? Why did you enroll in linguistics? I told you, the world is a place where money talks. The more you have of it—
Kuronue, shut up or I'm giving all my savings to charity.
"You're the worst," Yako snapped peevishly, breaking into Kuronue's sulking silence. "Can't you at least be happy for your best friend? You do know what this means for me, don't you?"
"Uh…you get to rub up to a lot of rich guys?"
At the pause that followed, she coughed and tried again.
"Um…you get to rub up to wannabe rich guys?"
"No." The single word came through so venomously that Kurenai inched the phone away from her ear. "Seravi-sempai is the student council representative from CE. Do you not see how important that is?"
Ah, yes of course. Kurenai closed her eyes and sighed inwardly. Yako had a famous—or more appropriately, infamous—obsession with a rich young man who she had met at a math competition when they were in high school. They'd been freshmen then, and while he'd kicked Yako's ass in calculus he'd also managed to score her heart—much to his chagrin. He'd graduated two years earlier, but it had only made Yako more determined to be with him. It had prompted her decision to continue studying in Japan rather than go abroad, and while Kurenai was happy…
"…long years of separation will finally…"
Kami, this girl doesn't know when to quit, does she?
Well, Seravi really made an impression on her.
I thought it would be of the bad kind. Honestly, looking at that guy, I'm not impressed.
"…my best friend that I've confided in for years and years and years…"
Don't be mean. Besides, it's what Yako thinks that's relevant here.
Has Yako ever seen us when we're in my form? Now that's something to be impressed with.
Kuronue, you did not just insinuate that we hook up with Yako. Ugh, that's so creepy! If what you say is true, and you're me, she's practically our sister!
And that is not a bad thing. Let me tell you the story of—
PLEASE! NO MORE CREEPY YOUKAI-INCEST STORIES!
"ARE YOU EVEN LISTENING TO ME?"
Both occupants of Kurenai's body winced at the screech and Kurenai resisted the urge to grind her teeth.
No, Yako, I'm not listening.
Yes, we were talking to ourselves. You're hot, but Kurenai finds she's happier talking to me.
On second thought…
"You were saying?" Kurenai asked resignedly, mentally smothering Kuronue.
She could see Yako rolling her eyes on the other line.
"Anyway, I was hoping you'd help me pick out what to wear."
Do we get to be in the changing room with you? Maybe we don't need to see Sango-san after all.
Shush!
"Yako, you bought a whole new wardrobe for university. It's just been a week. You can't have worn them all out yet."
"Kurenai…" Yako whined in a voice that dictated a losing battle for her best friend, "…this is special. Didn't I just explain it to you?"
Rather than risk another tirade, zone-out, misguided conversation with Kuronue, and more damage to her ear by a shrieking Yako, she let out a tired sigh to show displeasure but nonetheless muttered—
"Where?"
---
Eight hours later, Kurenia's mood had plummeted from purgatory to the pits of the ninth hell.
I think we look hot.
Not helping, Kuronue.
"Kurenai, you look great," Yako snipped impatiently, swatting the hand that was "ruining" her creation. "For Kami's sake, we've been here half an hour and you've scared off every single guy that's so much as looked at you! Could you please relax your face into something that's less of a grimace?"
"Gee, I dunno, it must be all the makeup you put on it," Kurenai shot back heatedly. She'd just about had it with her friend and the ridiculous obsession that had prompted all of this. "I can barely see through my lashes and the silicon in that lipstick is really soaking in."
When they had met up at the Ginza Strip six hours ago, she had been far more tolerant. She'd come prepared with the mantra "Yako needs help. Hopefully, if I indulge her a bit with this obsession, it won't mean 'professional' help." Yako almost reached Kuronue's standards in terms of temper tantrums after not getting what she wanted.
It had been fine—even when Yako had gone through half the stores on the Strip without finding anything to her satisfaction. Three hours later and all they'd managed to find were the shoes and earrings for the look. By then Kurenai's flip-flops resembled burned rubber, and her head was pounding—partly due to Yako and partly due to Kuronue's running fashion commentary—which by the third hour she was too tired to try and stop. As they'd searched for the perfect dress, makeup, perfume, and—heaven help her—lingerie, Kuronue hadn't even paused for breath.
Kurenai clutched her head then as comments like, "MORE CLEAVAGE!", "Oh yes, I'd love to help unzip you", and "The skirt just needs to be a little bit higher...you've got to display that lingerie, don't you?" echoed through.
He didn't improve when Yako (with the assistance of several salesladies) ambushed Kurenai for her own "new look." If he'd been lewd, suggestive, and downright horny over Yako's body, he was caught between criticizing Kurenai for taking such poor care of their body and adoring their "divine" form nonetheless. If Yako and her underlings hadn't been on hand to prevent her, comments like "I told you we needed to go to the gym", "Kami, is that a stretch mark?", and "You're so lucky you're me. I make all of your flaws work" would have had her ripping the expensive couture from her body.
Then had come the salon time, and for the fifth time since she'd seen herself she resisted the urge to dunk her head in one of the vats of cider that were positioned nearby.
Then again, the venue for the mixer was not very well-lit. A glittering disco ball shot prisms into the twilight of the dance hall, which was enhanced by the mellow blue lights that reached out from the ceiling and walls. A DJ was spinning a furious, fun beat at the end of the room, and before him was a tangled mass of bodies in sync. Three staircases led up to the balconies that served as a dining area and lounge for those that wanted to get away from the crowd. As far as she knew, there were also several karaoke rooms and private dining rooms down the hall from where she sat, but Kurenai had firmly resolved to sit herself down at the bar by the corner and drink herself through the evening. Her head hurt, her face was itching, she could barely breathe in her dress, and her feet had gone on strike.
Yako let out a huff and glared at her before getting up and smacking a bill down onto the bar.
"You could at least be supportive," she sniffed. "Seravi-sempai is never late but he's not here. What if he's hurt somewhere on the way?"
"Then he's lucky," answered Kurenai sharply. "He won't have to put up with you or this awful crowd."
Yako's eyes rounded out and Kurenai instantly regretted what she had said. She knew it showed—which was probably the only reason Yako didn't hit right across the face for it. Instead, she sniffed loudly and turned on her heel. Her first impulse was to follow, but—
Let her go. You're pissed, and she's been asking for it all day.
Trust you to say that. I need to apologize. That was way lower than she deserved.
Right now you're in no position to say anything to anyone. Come on, you've put your foot in your mouth enough for one day.
Gee, that's exactly what I needed to feel better, Kuronue. Thanks a lot.
Welcome. I know what'll make you feel even better. Ask the bartender for a "Suicide."
---
The CE mixer was a lot of fun. He was friends with most of the people there already, and everyone was just bent on having a good time that they were all pretty much doing their own thing. Some people preferred to dance, others to wine and dine, and others simple to wine. Some people were taking advantage of the evening to soften up professors, bond with others in their class, do extensive networking, and even pursue more serious discussions such as marketing deals, proposed projects, and others.
Himself, Kurama preferred to have a one-on-one interaction with the delectable young woman who'd befriended him during the block party.
He looked down into the burning depths of her deep, deep eyes and languorously slid his mouth over hers, nipping sharply at the soft, rosy flesh of her bottom lip. She gasped, opening her mouth and providing him the entry he needed. Her lashes drifted shut and she moaned deep in her throat as his mouth locked onto her own and his searing tongue drove into the slick recesses of her mouth. She pressed forward eagerly at this, heat spiraling down, down, down into nerve endings she was never truly conscious of. Now they all screamed for more—for him.
Then he was pulling back, leaving her gasping and groaning in protest. A chuckle sounded in his chest, the vibration sending sensation through her own torso, which was pressed so achingly close to his. The slightly rough texture of his tongue was soothing the sting of his soft bite on her lip and she sank helplessly into the sofa, no longer wanting to fight him.
Smugly, he looked down into the beautiful girl's flushed, defeated face and raised himself slightly off her. His eyes drifted upwards to check the time before they froze.
And locked onto dark, cornflower blue eyes that chilled the hottest of the flames in his body.
---
Kuronue to Kurenai, Kuronue to Kurenai: WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? ASK IF YOU CAN JOIN IN THE FUN!
"Oh," Kurenai managed to choke out, her nausea overtaken by mortification as the situation she'd barged into began to sink in. "O-Omigod."
When the bartender had slid over the sizeable glass of dark liquid, she hadn't been alarmed. Even when her nose had picked up the mind-numbing smell of strong spirits, slightly overripe dark fruit, and probably a pint of some other poison, she'd been more welcoming of the drink than anything else. Yako still hadn't shown up to give her a piece of her mind (which usually took place five or ten minutes after the dramatic exit), which only conveyed the gravity of her mistake.
So she'd downed the searing concoction in a single gulp, and followed it up with a glass of whisky in a misguided attempt at self-punishment as her kidneys and liver imploded and the rest of her internal organs were burned away.
At least it felt like that now, after she realized that while alcohol hit most people straight in the head, in her case her stomach took the main brunt of the blow. It had resulted in a frenzied scramble for the bathroom, the yanking of several doors, and finally—
The walking in on a couple that were singing notes apart from the ones required by the karaoke machine.
Saaaaaaay sooooomeeeething…
Kuronue, shut up! You're the one who said I'm in no state to talk to anyone!
Body language, babe! I mean, that's what they're using to communicate with each other!
Omigod, you're trashed. How can you be trashed? I'm the one who imbibed all that liquor!
"I...uh…um…" She wasn't even looking at the couple anymore. She wasn't sure if she'd see them even if she tried. The shadows in the hall and the karaoke room were merging, swallowing up the garish light of the TV screen and the mellow lighting of the karaoke room. Panic was fluttering in her chest and she slid a hand up over her eyes to try as she held the doorpost and tried to steady herself past the strange swimming sensation.
Go on ahead, Kurenai. I'll take care of our body for us. Try to find a nice dream. I don't want to join you when you're dreaming of undressing Kohaku or Seravi or some other cringe-worthy being.
W-What? Don't take over Kuronue, come with me! Better we pass out now—it'll be less awkward for everyone and we can play the "too drunk to realize anything" card.
Hush, darling, just go on and sleep ahead. There's a reason I need to stay awake for us.
Please don't have sex with them. Please don't. A threesome for my first time is just too weird.
I won't, I won't. Now come on, sleep already. I need to take over.
Her senses were leaving her. In moments, the smell of alcohol and the tacky perfume Yako had sprayed onto her had faded, the feel of the post she held onto and the floor beneath her feet, as well as the sound of the karaoke and the faint music from the floor below, were gone. Her meager vision was darkening, and the last thing she saw before she let go of the ledge and fell into darkness were a pair of sharp, shocked green eyes.
-Preview of the Next Chapter-
"It appears that we are at an impasse," said Kurama smoothly. "What I can discern from you is that you are clearly high-level youkai to be able to cloak your youki from me and moreover, quite intelligent to be able to conceal your identity."
"Right back at you," the girl's reply came with a wide grin that shifted her cold features into something different…yet familiar. There was something about her that set him on edge because it reminded him of someone, yet he couldn't quite put his finger on who. "Usually, buttering up your enemy's ego with such flippantly-delivered compliments gets them to reveal more about themselves than they would. Unfortunately for you, flattery doesn't work on me."
"Oh, it doesn't?" Kurama raised a brow. Ego practically radiated from the person before him.
She shook her dark head, still grinning.
"I know it already, so saying things like that to me are like reciting fact," she shrugged with a laugh. "Besides, I've been with the best of charmers, so I'm pretty immune to your type."
"I knew you were an egotist," the Fox laughed—more to himself than her.
But the smile faded as memory jerked at her response.
"I know. Don't you just love that about me?"
-End of Preview-
Further Author's Notes: So what did you think? ;) I hope you don't feel too ripped off. The next chapter's an interlude between Kuronue and Kurama—only Kuronue's in Kurenai's body, and from the preview I think you can pretty much guess that not all the cards are on the table yet. I hope you guys are looking forward to it. Please let me know what you think by e-mailing me or leaving me a review. ;)
And now, as per my habit, my long-overdue thank-you-s! ;)
gillian-raine: I actually didn't realize that Kurenai was a name in Flame of Recca until I watched the series again a few months ago. But I do like the name, so I'm glad you like it, too. Thank you for reviewing! ;)
nine-lifes: Still no Kagome in this chapter, darling, but hang in there. ;) She's not far off—maybe by the next chapter or the one right after. Thanks for reviewing, and I'm hoping that you liked this one! ;)
Inikus: I've brought you Kurama, dear, and while it's very late for your last birthday, it's two months early for your next birthday, so I hope that's okay. ;) Lol, I didn't think I'd like shounen-ai, but after a few good ones I'm starting to appreciate it. Um…I'm not sure about your mom though… ;)
AlsoToLazyToLogin: Thank you for reviewing, and I'm hoping you didn't get tired of the wait! ;) Here's the update, and I'm hoping you liked it. ;)
QueenOfCrisis: Thank you so much, darling! ;) I'm so glad you liked it. ;) I thought I'd try yaoi, but it was just so damned hard, and I was obsessed (still am) with gender-bending my favorite characters in favorite animes, so I decided I'd try Kuronue and Kurama with a twist. I hope you liked the update, and please let me know even if you didn't! ;)
See you guys later! ;)