I finished another chapter; yay for me! It almost got deleted, but I managed to recover it. Enjoy the chapter. Writing in first person is fun!
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Chapter 3: The Decision
Smirking, Kuronue walked Kurama backwards into a tree. "So where were you?" The bat's voice was dripping with anger, and Kurama obviously feared him.
I was torn between leaving and watching this play out as I stared at them. I watched in fascination as Kurama's eyes stayed hard and determined even as he trembled.
"I… got held up." He whispered timidly. Where was the confident, eccentric demon I had just been talking to? This timid, trembling mess was certainly not him. How could such a complete and utter change occur in a matter of seconds?
Kuronue reached out to stroke Kurama's cheek, but his hand was slapped away. "You are not allowed to touch me!" Came his panicked cry. Well, maybe timid wasn't the right word.
I really did not like this situation. There was no way I could act, with my employer right there. Wait a second… why would I act in the first place? This was just some random demon I met, and I'm thinking about protecting him?
What was this damn place doing to me?
Kuronue pouted, but surprisingly, he backed off. Leaning nonchalantly beside the redhead, he told him it was only a matter of time. The bat went on about how because Kurama was promised to him and his brothers, they would be allowed to touch him soon enough. Therefore, they didn't mind leaving him untouched for now. It was obvious that the boy craved the redhead.
So he was their fiancé. I took this job because I was curious about the shape shifters in general, but now, I was even more curious. Why was Kurama their fiancé when he feared them? Why was he in this forest fetching water when there were no buildings around? And why did he fear Kuronue, the least intimidating of the three brothers?
I had to find out. Right at that moment, my objective changed. Screw their money… well, secretly of course.
Then, Kuronue started talking about me. He didn't name me. He just told Kurama they had hired an assassin to kill off the demons trying to break 'the promise'. Even if they didn't tell him who I was, I knew Kurama was smart enough to put the pieces together.
Smart? Was I talking about the fool who was, just a minute ago, ranting about my nonexistent sense of humor?
"Are you going to tell me where you were now?" Kuronue asked him, refusing to let it drop.
Kurama looked up with those hard eyes of his and told him, with a completely straight face, "Well obviously, I was right here." I had to admire his guts, if that's what they were, for standing up to the bat like that. He was a fool, but a brave one.
Not that Kuronue was intimidating, but Kurama obviously saw him that way. Kuronue growled, obviously annoyed at the demon's secrecy.
I winced as Kurama tried to back away again, but couldn't. "Listen up, fiancé." His voice was dark and dangerous. "I don't know what it is that you're up to, but forget about it. There's no way you can get out of mating with us, and as you know from experience, running away won't help you." The bat's voice stayed dark and possessive.
I nearly growled when I saw the way Kurama seemed to shrivel at the though of some past punishment the brothers had inflicted. I thought they wouldn't touch him?
Then the bat backed away, his expression returning to the innocent, nymph-like façade that he usually wore.
"Come on Kurama." Kuronue said, grabbing his wrist. My fingers curled up into fists and I glared at the bat from the bushes.
But this time, Kurama didn't tremble. In fact, he seemed more determined than ever, as if some secret goal pushed him forward. Kurama pulled his hand away followed the bat away from the water.
Before he completely faded from sight, however, he shot one very convincing warning look my way. For the first time, reflected in those eyes, I had a very clear understanding of the redhead's meaning. I was not to follow them.
Normally I wouldn't obey orders like that. But today…I don't know. Something told me that I should keep out of this.
Once they left my sight, all of the strength seemed to drain out of me. I found myself lying on my back, staring at the roof of trees. What was so taxing about eavesdropping that it left me weak? It almost felt like the plants around me were draining my energy.
I lay there until night fell, thinking about what had transpired.
So Kurama was obviously not a willing participant in this arrangement. Well, who would want to be around the brothers creepy?
The youngest wanted to fuck everything that moved. The middle one seemed sadistic and liable to snap and kill his brothers off. Then Yomi, the eldest…who knew what was stirring in that guy's mind?
But thinking about it, did the fact that Kurama was unwilling really change my feelings on the situation? No, it didn't. I wasn't really sure what my feelings were either.
I stared up at the roof of the forest, sensing that the moon was up there, just beyond the treetops. How could I sense it? The moon and I were old enemies. It always shone at the worst times, and it always stayed just out of reach, taunting me.
Of course Kurama was the fiancé. Why else would a random demon be in those woods? Plus, he really was pretty.
Just like the moon. Man, I hated that thing. I didn't hate Kurama though, at least not that I was aware of. They were similar. Both cast light, and both seem to be floating out of my reach. Nobody can touch the moon though, and Kurama was quite tangible in comparison. I guess that's the difference; the moon gets to drift peacefully about the sky, where as Kurama and I are still down here on Earth. Oh, how I hate the moon.
Still, I didn't realize who he was when I talked to him. How could I have known? After all, he acted so damn happy when he talked to me. I never would have guessed that he was living in such a terrible situation.
I couldn't help but feel a little guilty that I was the one who got Kurama in trouble. Why didn't he just tell the truth?
After all, I wasn't afraid of them. I could defend myself. Even in the worst-case scenario, if he had tried to punish Kurama, I could have protected him.
Why did he lie about me? Did he just revel in keeping secrets from the brothers?
And then I realized it. Kurama didn't need my protection. He was trying to protect me.
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And Hiei, how does that make you feel? Oh me oh my, what will he do now? It's time to review, so just wait and see!