Hello lovelies. I've decided that, since I'm sick today, I'll write you another chapter. Its about all I'm good for right now.
The first person I saw on the way to the kitchen was Yukina. The petite girl fairly glomped me as soon as she set her eyes on me. "Pyro! I was so worried!"
"Can't get rid of me that easy, no worries honey." I laughed. Luckily I was completely healed, or we would have wound up on the floor.
"You woke just in time for lunch to be served." Kurama leaned out of the kitchen and laughed at us.
I walked closer and stared at the wall beside his head. "Are... are you, um, ok with the other night?"
From the corner of my eye I saw Kurama's eyes crinkle. He laughed a little. "I asked you to do that. We're good, Pyro. But you, seriously, I still haven't figured out how you kept that in without screaming."
I leaned a little closer and stage whispered, "I bit my hand pretty hard."
"You broke skin." Yukina added.
We all walked into the kitchen. Yukina and I sat at the table on the other side of the room while Hiei and Kurama brought over bowls of rice and stir-fried veggies.
"Why did you inflict more damage on yourself, Pyro? No one would have said anything if you had cried out." Yukina asked me while the boys were busy.
Hiei sat on the other side of me after placing rice and chopsticks down for everyone. Kurama sat at the last place, between the twins. His task had been much easier, as we were sharing from the large bowl in the center of the table.
After everyone had sat, I finally had my answer worded. It was hard to figure out. "I bit myself so that I wouldn't cause the rest of the house distress. I've seen what can happen when one of these guys hears a scream, especially if its Hiei."
Yukina giggled.
"Your screaming wouldn't be half as distressing as what would have happened had you not chosen to wake up today." Kurama tried to keep his words and emotions bland, but I knew he shuddered at the thought.
I turned a half glare on the fire demon to my right.
He refused to meet my glare. "I may have threatened the fox last night. And I have not been very pleasant while you took your time waking up."
I threw my arms around his shoulders. He tensed, but he made no move to shake me off. "My knight in shining... erm, black capes!"
I allowed the boys to coddle me for a few days as I recovered my strength. It was a load of bollocks, but it made them feel better about my repeated requests to spar them. Hiei, of course, insisted I show him what I know about fighting before he let me into their usual clearing. The training dummy, I'm sad to say, will never stand on his own again.
Kurama asked to spar me first, as he was sure of his ability to pull his punches and not hurt me so bad.
I laughed. "The last time I was told that, my tae kwon do sensei got me with a reverse hook kick and dislocated my jaw during a belt test."*
Hiei growled.
"And that is why I will be sure to not break you." Kurama chuckled.
During the fight I noticed two things. Hiei had a fondness for mentally correcting my form in midstrike, and I was learning everything Kurama knew about fighting, just because I was fighting him. I stored the second tidbit in my head for future testing.
We took a water break, and I noticed something moving very carefully toward us in the trees.
"Pass a rose, please?" I held out my hand, keeping my eyes on the movements.
"I haven't used that attack on you." Kurama protested.
Hiei pressed a rose into my hand. "Yes you did, in the alley when we met," Hiei said to Kurama. Then, to me, "You're no good with that yet, last time you nearly took off your own foot."
I flicked the rose like a whip in the direction of the movement. Direct hit on the branch it landed on. "I did not! You like to exaggerate too much."
There was a yelp and crash as the branch I had hit gave way.
"I meant to do that!" I clapped my hands in glee.
Investigation of the crash revealed a small child-like figure with stars on his cheek, and a handful of yo-yo's ready to throw.
"Kurama, why did you knock me out of the tree?" It relaxed and pouted when it saw my companions.
"Ah, Rinku, it wasn't me. She's, ah, learned my secrets." Kurama tripped over his words.
The little one looked me up and down. "You must be that human the whole makai is talking about. I'm Rinku, I'm on your side."
"Um, pleased to meet you. I'm Pyro. What are they saying about me?" I said, holding out my hand in a holdover habit of American politeness.
He surprised me by shaking it vigorously. "They say that if you come into full power, you could take over all three worlds without breaking a nail."
"Why would I want to do a silly thing like that?" I laughed.
Kurama coughed. "Its what Lotus was working on when I, um, knew her."
Hiei growled again.
I turned to face the two of them, because they were still behind me. "You," I pointed to Hiei, "cool it. And you," I pointed at Kurama, "had better get it through your thick foxy skull that I am NOT Lotus, and I will never be Lotus. I'd rather die."
Rinku laughed behind me. "I knew it. As soon as I met you I knew you didn't want to take over the worlds."
I turned around again. "You are a very observant kid. I like you." I patted the little demon on the shoulder.
"Make him stop glaring at me." Rinku kinda sidestepped so that I was between him and Hiei, so I knew which him he meant.
"Oh come on, I can like whomever I please. And if he was going to kill me, he would have tried already." I sighed and hung my head. Dealing with the fire demon could get so tiring.
"I was not glaring at him." Hiei replied. His voice held a slight tone of guilt.
"Bull shit, Oni-san, I know better than that."
Rinku laughed at us, then turned to Kurama. "Are they like that a lot?"
Somehow Kurama managed to utter an affirmative with complete calm before chuckling at us himself.
*this really did happen to me at a belt test. i had just had minor mouth surgery and wasn't allowed to get hit in the face, but i had to spar for belt testing. my sensei said he'd do it, used a kick i'd never seen and couldn't block, hit me in the face, and dislocated my jaw. and yes, i got my belt.
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