Inside The Fire

Chapter 05:

"Turbulence"

When I returned to the kitchen in black sweat pants, a white t-shirt and the same black jacket Yukina smiled at me. I nodded back and helped her place around the breakfast foods, Genkai showed up not long after. I was already back in my seat when the rest of the house occupants came to the kitchen. Hiei was absent from the meal and I ate quietly, effectively ignoring Yusuke and the random chatter. Placing my dishes in the sink, I let myself outside to start on my laps.

I pulled on my white tennis shoes that were still looking fresh and new. Stretching on my way down the steps and on the cobblestone walkway kept my mind off the cold, damp air. I sighed and watched my breath swirl through the air. Kicking off, I started around my set track at a decent pace. The birds above me in the trees were chirping happily as I jogged around.

On the second lap I ran a little faster than the first. I focused on my breathing, in through the nose, I breathed in, out through the mouth, the action followed the thought. On the third lap I sped up a little more. My breathing pattern remained and I listened as my feat drummed on the earth in a steady beat. This continued to the fifth, and by that time I was panting and stretching to relive the cramp in my side. I tugged at my collar as I took a breather on the stone walkway. Genkai was sitting on the porch nursing her cup of tea.

Might as well switch it up today, I dropped down onto the cold clammy ground and balanced myself on my toes and palms. My arms shook and my sore muscles from the previous day ached. I glared at the ground under me and lowered myself carefully then let myself back up, One. This continued for fifty reps, then I switched to my sit ups, and back again until all two hundred were complete.

Laying there on the ground, I could feel the dampness of the ground seeping into my clothes. This sucks, I pushed myself up and stood, swaying slightly when my knees shook under me.

"Alright kid, repeat the process for the rest of the day," Genkai said as she stood.

My mouth dropped open and I quickly shut it, my eyes closed and I rubbed my forehead. I stand corrected, I thought bitterly, this sucks.

I'm not sure how many rounds of this Nazi workout I've done, but I was tired. I assumed it to be around noon, the gray sky hid the sun, but thin beams of light would peak through now and then from over my head. The odd assortment of light left abstract shadows on my path as I ran. I need water, I thought tiredly. My breath came in short gasps and I almost fell on my face when my shoe caught on the ground.

Running my tongue over my chapped lips did little to help them as I jogged back to the front porch. Relief flooded me when Kuwabara was standing there with a plastic cup filled with something. He came down the steps and held out the container to me. I took it hurriedly without a sound and chugged the liquid, it was room temperature and burned my dry throat.

I wiped my chin on my sleeve and coughed, "You alright?" Kuwabara asked, looking worried.

I nodded wordlessly as I handed him the cup, my lungs shuddering with the strain of breathing, I coughed again.

I waved him off as I stumbled away, "Yeah," I croaked, my vice breaking.

"Maybe you should take a break," he moved toward me again and I stayed out of his reach.

I cleared my throat and shook my head, "No, I'm fine." My voice sounded smoother and I dropped onto the ground to start my sit ups.

"Just be careful," he said wearily before walking inside.

When I sat up on my first sit up, I felt a little dizzy. My mind fuzzed over and I laid back, my eyes closed. I laid there like that for awhile, the cold seeping into my overheated skin. My hair was damp with sweat and clung to the back of my neck. I could have fallen asleep in this spot, it felt so nice. And then:

"Hn, seems you're a lot weaker then what Koenma assumed; pathetic."

My eyes fluttered open, I could see the black spot that was Hiei, high above me in a tree. I closed my eyes again, doing my best to refrain from lashing out at the smug demon.

"Are you always this friendly?"

Silence. I opened my eyes again and saw him glaring heatedly down at me. I watched him carefully before sighing and getting back to work. My stomach muscles burned and my lungs ached. I pulled myself up again, "Two."

I grit my teeth, my hair whipped around my shoulder and back as I moved, "Three."

This went on until I was done, then I went back to jogging. I tried to keep Hiei's words out of my mind as I pushed my body past it's limits. Time and time again I stopped for air, or tripped. Each time I had to pull myself back up and keep going and each time was harder then the last. Pathetic. The word rung against the inside of my skull and I clenched my teeth and moved forward. I'll be damned if the solitary word got the best of me. Yeah, maybe I was pathetic when it came to athletic ability, but I didn't plan to always be that way.

When Genkai came out and announced that I was done for the day, I could have cried in joy. I pulled myself from the ground and staggered into the house. I passed through the kitchen slowly and peeled my jacket off as I passed Yukina setting up for supper. She greeted me as usual and I waved to her, my sore throat unable to force out any words. My jacket drug over the floor, my fingertips clutching it, but barely. I could feel it slipping from my hands when I stopped at my door.

At that moment Yusuke passed me down the hall. He took in my appearance and scowled before turning away and disappearing down the hall. I ignored the exchange and grabbed my already set up bath stuffs. Making my way down the hall to the wash room, I stowed away in the cool room and locked the door. The first thing I did was relieve myself.

All that running and water Kuwabara brought out to me during the day, then the old woman doesn't even let me go pee. She's crazy, absolutely crazy. I stripped off the rest of the dirtied clothing and filled the soaking tub. Sitting on the bath stool, I covered my chilled body with warm water and scrubbed the grime from my body. I examined my legs through clear eyes. My mind feeling energized from being warm again. Usually stubble would have started by now, but there was none. I frowned and ran my hand down my other leg, it was the same way.

I thought back on Kurama's words, about how demon females didn't really experience a menstrual cycle. Almost smiling at the relieving thought, I pondered the situation at hand. If that was the case, did they not grow hair over their bodies like normal human females? That would be helpful, too. I'll have to ask him or Yukina sometime. I pulled my rinsed body up from the seat and walked to the soaking tub. Sitting on the edge, I swung my legs over the high side like usual. I waded into the waist high water and lowered myself into it.

The steaming water eased my aching bones and sore skin. The flesh reddened to finally look a bit healthier, unlike the pasty pale color I had been when I came in from the cold. The heat stung my face and I breathed deeply when I broke the surface. I relaxed in the hot water until it turned lukewarm, my thoughts fuzzy and random as I pulled myself from the large porcelain pool.

Red eyes passed through my mind and I frowned. I let him bother me, but why? I shook my head and rubbed my hair with the large towel. I wonder if we'll ever get along, then I thought of Yusuke, same thing with him too. I sighed and let my damp hair rest against my back. I brushed my teeth and dressed in gray pajama pants and a white tank top. My stomach gurgled obnoxiously and I looked down at it, Time for dinner, I smirked a little and left the room to put my things away and head to the kitchen.

I walked in when everyone was halfway through their meal. Ignoring the few looks I received I plopped down on my mat. Sipping my tea before gabbing some beef from a plate and popping it in my mouth, my eyes widened. I chewed quickly and followed it with rice. I hadn't realized how hungry I truly was until I had a taste of Yukina's cooking. The previously mentioned foods were eaten in mass along with some sort of sushi rolls.

I caught sight of Yukina's kind smile and I wiggled my fingers at her in a form of a wave as I sipped the remainder of my tea.

"How was your day, Devin?" She politely tried to add me into the conversation.

"Tiring," I answered, "the bath made me feel good as new though. Thank you for asking."

She nodded and I sat the cup down, "How was your day?" I asked her back before I could seem rude and uncaring.

She spoke in detail about how she took inventory of the jars of preserves and how she was hoping the weather cleared up soon. She even talked about her flowers, rare Makai flowers that enjoyed the cold. I listened to her details quietly with a few single word replies here and there and a few nods. She seemed to take pleasure in such simple things, it was heartwarming to hear.

At long last I said: "I'm glad you had a nice day, it sounds like you enjoyed yourself."

She thanked me in her quiet way and before anyone else could start up any conversation with me, I went to bed.

Tucked away in my blanket, I slept peacefully, for a few hours at least. Before the sun was up once again, I was awake and ready to start the day. Vaguely, I wondered how I wasn't so tired. But I shrugged it off, like many other things in my life thus far.

"Slacker, move your ass!" Genkai roared at me.

"Ack!" I scrambled up from my lying position on the ground and ran off into the woods.

I can't even stop to catch my breath with the old lady out here, and if I stop back here she'll know. The steady pounding of my feet over the packed earth eased my mind. The frustration that plagued me rippled away in the harsh wind. I passed Genkai and Kuwabara jumped from the porch to run with me. He appeared at my side and grinned slyly at me. He passed me easily and I frowned.

Being the stubborn fool that I am, sped up and caught up with him again. He easily moved ahead of me again and I glared at the space between his covered shoulder blades. I lengthened my stride and grasped outward as my arms swayed. My body propelled ahead of his as I forced myself to pass him at the turn. Running past Genkai and Hiei who were sitting on the front porch, I could hear Kuwabara hot on my heels. On the next corner he passed me again and I fought for the lead.

The large man held his lead over me and I kept right behind him for the next lap. When we passed Genkai she yelled at us, "The next lap is the final one, if you don't beat Kuwabara you'll be stuck doing double time on all your reps tomorrow!"

Growling irritatedly I tried to pass him. He pulled further out ahead of me and as we ended the back straight away, I put out a burst of energy. My legs pushed myself around and past the human and I rounded the corner with my arms cutting through the air and my face red from being whipped by the wind. I slammed over the stone walkway and slowed once I was past the starting mark. I leaned forward to catch my breath. My opponent came up and smacked me on the back. Adding to my irritation, I noticed when I erected myself, that he wasn't even breathing hard.

"Good job, Devin," he grinned at me and I sighed.

"Thanks. Can we go in now? I'm freezing." To add emphasis to that statement, my bottom lip trembled as I crossed my arms over my chest.

"Yeah, it's nasty out here today." He looked up to the darkening sky.

"Tell me about it." I replied as we both headed back to the main door.

My shower had been done as soon as I came inside. Dinner had been eaten, and I was back in my room. Sleep all but evaded me as I stared up at the hidden ceiling. Sighing, I stood from my bed and turned on my lamp. The light coated the room in illumination and shadows alike. I picked up one of my many hooded jackets and slipped it over my head. The dark red of the pull-over clashed with my leopard print pajama pants and I didn't care. I dropped down behind the keyboard and turned it on.

Scales were easy to remember, so were children songs such as 'Twinkle Twinkle Little Star'. Both were played by nimble fingers. I stopped to push up my sleeves, the cuffs clung to my forearms and I rested back at the piano. A soft smile played on my lips, "I close my eyes and I keep seeing things, rainbow waterfalls, sunny liquid dreams." A shuddering breath filled my lungs, "Confusion creeps inside me raining doubt, gotta get to you, but I don't know how."

"Call me call me, let me know it's alright," my voice was moderate and shaking ever so slightly. Emotion gripped at my throat and climbed toward my eyes. I fought back against the sadness I felt and frowned. I was never the greatest singer, my voice was a low alto and hardly strong enough to even notice. But, I had a thing for soulful jazz style music. The rough quality came easily to me from practicing with my mother for so many years. Her voice was always lovely and she could break anyone down with the sad, yet beautiful, music. "Call me call me, don't you think it's 'bout time? Please won't you call and, ease my mind, reasons for me to find you, peace of mind, what can I do, to get me to you?" The song had originally been one I learned on my own.

Memories of singing the song to Morgan appeared behind my eyes, and I failed to hear my bedroom door open and close. My fingers moved over the keys with practiced ease, I opened my eyes to see Hiei standing against the back wall with his arms crossed over his chest, his ankles crossed to match. A perfect picture of relaxation. My eyes widened and I missed my Que to come back in with the vocals. He never even flinched and I just ignored his presence as I glanced back down at the keyboard.

"I had your number quite some time ago, back when we were young, but I had to grow," I caught the stare of his bright eyes when I looked back up and I closed my eyes after a moment. His gaze unnerved me, "Ten thousand years I've searched it seems and now, gotta get to you, won't you tell me how?" The version of the song, though it was meant for a guitar, it had been easy to convert to a piano piece.

"Call me call me, let me know you are there," I sang. "Call me call me, I wanna know you still care. Come on now won't you, ease my mind, reasons for me to find you, peace of mind, what can I do, to get me to you?" My mind raced as to why Hiei was even here. Did the scornful and usually irritated demon enjoy music? "Come on now won't you, ease my mind, reasons for me to find you, peace of mind." Maybe he came to antagonize me about how my voice sounds, "Reasons for livin' my life, ease my mind." He could be here to tell me to shut up, but why wouldn't he have said anything yet? "Reasons for me to know you, peace of mind," Or maybe he can't sleep, "What can I do, to get me to you?"

The song faded out and we stared at each other for a moment, before he looked away and left. For a minute I wondered if he had really even been there. True to his name, Hiei really was a flying shadow. After playing for a little while longer, I shut everything off and laid back on my futon. With my arms under my head and my legs splayed over the cushion, I closed my eyes. My sweater effectively keeping me warm. Maybe.. I thought. Maybe he has too much on his mind, like me.

Sleep left me stranded in the waking world that night, and I stayed there thinking over my life thus far. A few things had yet to add up, and I pushed the simple things back to focus on the big picture. Not long later, as I was delving into thought about what sort of demon powers I may or may not end up with, Kuwabara banged on my door. Morning had crept up on me, and I sighed.

"Yeah, I'm up. I'll see you at breakfast," I called, and he gave the okay before leaving me alone in silence once more.

Disclaimer & Author Notes:

Again I hardly changed anything for this chapter. The real edits are coming next, though. Six, Seven, and from there on are going to be much different. Let's hope I can get everything just right without too much difficulty. Please, bear with me. I know it's a pain. Also, I'm moving my old chapter note to this area. I wanted to keep it with the chapter; sentimental purposes and all that.

"Alright everyone, I'm posting this chapter a little sooner then I thought I would. I usually post late Sunday evenings, and all that. The reason for this is that hurricane Irene is making landfall here in my city in a little more then an hour, and I'm pretty sure I'm going to lose the power/internet connection to my house. (Also, anyone else think this title is ironic, considering the circumstance in which I'm posting so early? I just noticed it. That so wasn't planned.) Anyway, without further ado, here's chapter five."

I know, I know. This chapter was short and sort of cryptic. There's finally some interaction with Hiei and Devin. So far on our time-line here, Devin's been in the past now for about a week and a half.

I can just imagine her little scrawny self huffing and puffing as she runs past Kuwa-kun. So funny.

Anyway, now that the long author note is finished, on to the disclaimer.

Devin, Hisato, and Morgan belong to me.

The characters from the Yu Yu Hakusho cannon belong to Yoshihiro Togashi.

The song 'Call Me Call Me' is property of Yoko Kanno and whatnot.