A/N- Yay for chapter eight. It's basically a continuation of chapter seven. And sorry, but I'm horrible with fight scenes; I prefer to imply that they're fighting and holding a conversation at the same time. :P Um, I think that's it. Enjoy! -OA
Disclaimer: Still not mine. Maybe one of these days...
Chapter Eight
"So, you're not…mad?" Yoshimori ventured tentatively, dodging a shower of spikes from the ayakashi. Tokine shot him a glance, mimicking his action.
"Why would I be mad?" she inquired; her tone gave nothing away. The dark-haired teen frowned at her and aimed a kekkai toward one of the intruders. The porcupine-like creature squealed and skittered out of the way, avoiding the trap agilely.
"Well…I was trying to keep a secret from you, and…" He blushed. "K-Kagemiya and I- that is, we- I mean, he's a-"
Tokine perched on a tree branch above his head, dark eyes focused on the constantly-moving enemy. "Yoshimori, if you're talking about your preference, I've known about that for a while," she said calmly. He sputtered and turned even redder, gaping at her in confusion. "I've known since…since Gen-kun was with us." A moment of silence as memories flashed through their heads, images of their strong, spiky-haired ally. "Even if you were just friends, there was something…" She gestured with one hand, trying to fill the wordless gap. "…Something else there, something deeper."
Yoshimori's head jerked away, mouth taut with embarrassment. "There wasn't anything between Shishio and me," he muttered. Tokine smiled slightly as she called forth a kekkai, succeeding in capturing one of the ayakashi.
"Metsu!" One down, two to go. "No," she agreed, shaking her head. "Not like there is between you and Sen-kun." More blushing. "That was easy to see, even at Kokubourou, when you two barely knew each other."
"T-Tokine," Yoshimori stammered, mortified by this candid discussion of his sexuality and relationships. "W-we didn't- back then-"
"Oh, come on, Yoshimori," the high schooler said disparagingly. He was not particularly pleased with how knowing she looked. "It was obvious from the way you looked at each other. After all, you rescued Sen-kun, and then he wanted to help you so bad that he nearly got himself killed by Kaguro for you…" She pretended not to notice the wince that Yoshimori gave at the recollection. "It was certainly enough to make me think."
"I…I'm sorry, Tokine," her childhood friend said quietly. "I'm sorry if any of this…hurt you, somehow. I never wanted to-"
"Idiot," she said unceremoniously, halting his penitent little speech. "You didn't hurt me." Yoshimori shot her a glance; she sounded just like Kagemiya. It figured that the two people closest to him had such similarities.
They were interrupted by the ayakashi, put to work capturing and destroying the remaining two. Tokine resumed once they were finished. "I wondered for a while if I was the one-" She cut off, her smile faintly nostalgic. "But it doesn't matter. You've always been like my brother, Yoshimori. And you've…you've grown up a lot."
He grinned at her, rubbing the back of his head. "Well, I've had to, right? That's my baby, too." She nodded, rendered momentarily speechless at the thought: Yoshimori's going to be a father… The male kekkaishi turned serious, his dark eyes intent. "But some things aren't going to change, Tokine. I'm not going to give up on Karasumori and sealing it away, because I don't want people to keep getting hurt. I'm going to reach my goal."
Tokine sniffed and told him he was still an idiot, that that wasn't going to change anytime soon, and wondered at the same time why she felt so proud of him.
"How long have you known about this?" Hakubi inquired, glancing over at the white hound floating beside him. The two ghost dogs were hovering off to the side, watching their kekkaishi owners' talk.
Madarao smirked. "I knew those two brats had mated from the very first night," he said smugly. "Good heavens, the smell…"
"And the blonde one bearing a human pup?" the dark apparition pressed. Madarao sobered, golden eyes flat.
"Not until Yoshimori told me," the pale dog said shortly. "But I smelled the young one in the blonde the first time I saw him after that. It was easy to scent."
Hakubi hned. "The pup smells a little…small," the younger ghost remarked. "Small for its age."
The elder shrugged. "It could be sick," Madarou said idly. "But who could say."
"The blonde one's body does not seem to appreciate its new guest," Hakubi noted. "Without stability, the pup's condition may worsen." He shot Madarao another sideways glance. "Are you going to tell Yoshi?"
A shake of the head. "The human doctors will figure it out," the ghost dog replied. "It seems that the brats have enough to worry about right now, ne?" Receiving no comeback, Madarao rolled his eyes. "Come, don't tell me you're unhappy with the way things turned out," he said mockingly. "After all, you never really imagined that they would end up mating, did you?" He gestured toward Yoshimori and Tokine with his head; Yoshimori said something stupid, and Tokine pounded him on the head with one fist.
Hakubi snickered. "Never," he replied. "Honey wouldn't take someone so far beneath her."
"This way is a perfect loooooove story!" Madarao cooed, giving a dramatic sigh and clapping his paws together. Hakubi ignored the fruity canine's simpering and returned to watching the two teenagers. Yoshimori whined at Tokine for hitting him, and she taunted his childlike behavior in turn.
It definitely wouldn't have worked. Ever.
More ayakashi appeared before Yoshimori and Tokine managed to make it back to Kagemiya's resting spot. By the time they returned, they found the blonde asleep against the tree trunk, hands resting limply in his lap.
Yoshimori swallowed once, distracted by the way Kagemiya's head was tipped back, revealing that pale throat again. There was something decidedly embarrassing about noticing such things when Tokine was standing right next to him. "Guess he was worn out after all," Yoshimori remarked, lowering the protective kekkai and crouching down in front of the other boy. "I should probably take him home so he can rest." He reached out and nudged Kagemiya's shoulder gently. "Oi, Kagemiya, wake up. You can't sleep under a tree all night, y'know. Kagemiya…"
The pregnant teen gave a soft moan, turning his head toward the sound of Yoshimori's voice. "I'm not going to sleep under a tree all night," he murmured, his voice thick. "You were just taking so damn long…"
"Sorry. Come on, I'm taking you home." Straightening, the dark-haired kekkaishi offered both hands and helped the semi-conscious blonde to his feet. Kagemiya wavered, disoriented by the sudden rise in altitude, and held onto Yoshimori's arm for support; he froze abruptly, staring at something outside Yoshimori's line of sight. The taller boy shifted, uncomfortable. "What is it?" he wanted to know.
"…You're bleeding," came the whispered reply. Yoshimori craned his neck to the side, barely able to glimpse the shallow cut resting next to his collarbone. One of the ayakashi must have snagged him when he wasn't paying attention.
Unnoticed on the sidelines, Tokine observed their interaction. It struck her that Kagemiya was looking at Yoshimori the same way Yoshimori used to look at her whenever she sustained the slightest injury: the worry and irrational panic mixed with the slightest hint of guilt. Kami, the irony.
"It's just a scratch," Yoshimori said with a shrug; the cut barely even stung. Kagemiya's eyes tightened. He didn't seem to appreciate the nonchalance.
"Idiot," the blonde breathed. "You can't even keep yourself safe…"
Yoshimori frowned, more concerned with how flushed the other teen's face suddenly was. He lifted his wrist to Kagemiya's brow, skin against skin, and his frown darkened. "Oi, you're burning up," he said unhappily. "Feel him, Tokine." She stepped forward and planted her palm against the blonde's forehead, ignoring the start he gave at her touch.
"It must be a fever," the young woman said. "You better get him back, Yoshimori." Her childhood friend blanched. She knew him well enough to tell what he was thinking about: that time so long ago when she had stepped in to save him from an ayakashi, and the days of fever that had threatened her life afterwards.
"Don't just decide things when I'm standing right here," Kagemiya snapped, looking and sounding irritated. He rounded on Yoshimori, which had to be difficult considering the blonde was still holding the other boy's arm to maintain his balance. "And you're not taking me back to the house piggyback, if that's what you're thinking."
Yoshimori's eyes took on a steely glint. "Fine then," the kekkaishi said with a scary grin. In a single fluid motion, he swung the smaller teen into his arms bridal-style. "I'll be back to help, Tokine," Yoshimori said over Kagemiya's half-strangled protests. "Leave some ayakashi for me, alright?"
She gave a noncommittal smile. "Get some rest, Sen-kun," she offered to the other boy, holding his gaze for a moment before he looked away.
"…Thanks," Kagemiya said, the gratitude barely audible. But she knew the thanks extended to more than just her wish that he feel better soon.
After all, now she knew the secret. And she hadn't run away.
And perhaps, somehow, that was more important than she could ever know.
Yoshimori glanced back at her over his shoulder, and his eyes thanked her for the same thing. "Madarao," the middle-schooler called, heading for the front gate. The ghost dog sighed as one much put-upon and trailed after his master reluctantly.
Tokine watched them go and then turned away. "Come on, Hakubi," she said absently. "I think we're going to be on our own here for a while."
The dark canine smiled, revealing two rows of sharp teeth. "Nothing we can't handle, Honey," he said confidently.
Tokine returned the smile. "Of course."
"Put me down!" Kagemiya hissed, struggling briefly in Yoshimori's arms. The other boy fixed him with a dark glare, effectively freezing him in place.
"No," came the flat response. The blonde stared up at him for a moment, taken aback by the blunt refusal. "I knew it was a bad idea for you to come out here after what happened this afternoon," the dark-haired teen continued in a mutter, eyes tight as he watched the street.
Something unpleasant- disappointment- welled up inside him, leaving a bitter taste in his mouth. "I thought… I thought you wanted this," the smaller boy whispered, cursing the rising urge to cry. Damn. Hormones. "I thought you wanted her to know about…about us, and the b-baby…"
Yoshimori softened, evidently sensing the potential onslaught of tears. "Of course I did," he said, moderating his tone to slight exasperation. "And I'm glad you told her and everything, and that everything's fine now, but that doesn't mean I wanted you to get sick because of it!"
Brown eyes widened. "…Put me down."
Yoshimori raised a brow, startled. "What? I already told you-"
The slender form in his arms went rigid. "Put me down now!" Kagemiya yelled, uncaring of all the dark houses they were passing, the lateness of the hour, and how his voice might carry. "I'm going to throw up!" He scrambled out of Yoshimori's arms before the other teen even came to a complete halt and staggered over the nearest lamppost, hunching over at the waist and retching onto the pavement. After a moment he felt a cool hand against his hot forehead, brushing his hair out of the way; the other hand rubbed against his back in an attempt at comfort.
Madarao was snickering somewhere over their heads. "Ah, a tender moment," the ghost dog smirked. Yoshimori shot him a glare.
"Did we have to bring him along?" Kagemiya managed before succumbing to another dry heave. Apparently there hadn't been that much left in his stomach to throw up. Yoshimori shifted uncomfortably.
"We couldn't just leave him at Karasumori. It's not like he can do anything, and he'd probably just spend the whole time arguing with Hakubi…"
Madarao gave a snort, insulted. "Can't do anything, can't do anything? Does nobody see how unappreciated my olfactory genius is?" He drifted away, muttering angrily to himself. Yoshimori grimaced and turned his attention back to Kagemiya. The blonde was panting softly, holding onto the lamppost for support.
"I- I'm sorry for yelling at you," the dark-haired boy said hesitantly. "I didn't mean-"
"Stop it," Kagemiya interjected wearily, wiping his mouth on the sleeve of his coat. "I was the one yelling, remember?" He rested his head against the coolness of the metal pole; it felt good against his feverish skin. "Kami, you're all crazy…"
Yoshimori shifted, aware that the subject had been changed. "Who's 'all?'" he wanted to know. "And why are we crazy?"
"All of you!" Kagemiya snapped. "You, your father, the Yukimura girl and her grandmother…" He hesitated, breathing heavily. "…None of you know when to walk away…"
The other teen's dark brows shot up, face altered in shock. "You don't want us to leave, do you?" he demanded, incredulous. "'Cause even if you do, I don't think it's going to work-"
"No!" Kami, that was the last thing he wanted. The very thought sent darts of panic through him. "I just don't get why you don't want to leave!" He'd only been here a week, and already they'd rehashed this argument how many times? There was nothing but silence behind him, and Kagemiya closed his eyes, wondering if maybe he'd finally crossed the line and alienated himself from the one person he wanted most to stay-
A pair of strong arms wrapped around him, pulling him back against the taller boy's chest. He felt Yoshimori's face press against his hair, heard a low hum in the kekkaishi's throat that vibrated through both of them. "Idiot," the legitimate successor said lightly; the smile in his voice made Kagemiya question what exactly was so distressing about the whole situation. Great, now I'm just overreacting about everything… "I'm not leaving because I don't want to. I told you, I want to be here." Those arms tightened, and at the same time became even gentler. "I want to be with you."
But such a confession had never been delivered, at least not in so many words, and Kagemiya couldn't help the hot blood that rushed to his face, dyeing him a nice shade of scarlet. It was just so- How could Yoshimori simply say something like that?
The other boy released him, sensing the blonde's embarrassment and probably experiencing his own. "Th-that is, I mean, y'know-" Kagemiya was silent as Yoshimori cast about wildly for something to say.
He didn't leave. The Yukimura girl didn't leave… None of them left.
So…
Maybe, for now, I can stop worrying…?
Relief filtered through him, even as everything went blurry and the world vanished into darkness, serenaded by Yoshimori shouting his name.
A/N- Okay, hope that was good. And now I have to say...that the next chapter will probably be a long, long time in coming. -cringes- See, everything I've posted so far was basically written in advance. Most of it during the summer. Yeah. And I'm not really on a Kekkaishi kick anymore, so inspirations are few and far between. But I still like this story, so I'll try to work on it in the near future. ...Please don't hate me... Review instead! Thanks! -OA
