Summary: For Mika, life is a constant struggle for survival. After some very unfortunate situations, she has isolated herself and is dangerously close to losing her sanity. That is, until she meets Kurama who turns her life upside down. But things begin to get out of control when it is discovered that she could have some strange connection to a mysterious legendary force that could be plotting a major takeover of all three worlds! Could her misery be nothing more that a cruel twist of fate or is this all connected to something even bigger?
Disclaimer: I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho and I never will --- no matter how many times I wish on a shooting star. Heh. But I do own all original characters!
Angel's Cry
Chapter 5
"Shopping"
A scream echoed throughout the house followed by a loud 'thump' and a rush of indecent profanity. Mika sat on the cold floor in between the coffee table and couch. She rubbed her throbbing head as her sleep-laden brown eyes searched the room as she tried to understand what had just happened.
She groaned when she realized that she had rolled off of the couch. She must have fallen asleep there last night. She looked down to see several blankets tangled around her legs. She let out a sigh as she stood and rubbed her aching sides.
"Crap..." she hissed when she rubbed the back of her thigh, "That's going to bruise..."
She then glanced at the clock mounted on the wall and shook her head. It was close to noon.
"H-Hello?"
The living room was empty and the house was eerily silent. She frowned when she realized that everyone must still be asleep. She crept into the kitchen and spotted a vase filled with fragrant flowers. Beside it was a note. Like a moth to a flame she was drawn to the beauty of the blossoms. She smiled and fingered a pale yellow rose as she picked up the note and began to read.
Mika,
I'm sorry that I didn't wake you before I left. You were sleeping so peacefully that I couldn't bring myself to disturb you. Unfortunately, there is a problem that Hiei, Yusuke, Kuwabara, and I must attend to. It was so unexpected that I didn't get the opportunity to make breakfast before we left. As always, you are welcome to anything we have in the refrigerator. There is also cereal in the pantry if you would like that instead. We should return tonight. My friends Botan and Keiko will be coming over later this evening to take you shopping for new clothes. I hope that you enjoy yourself and I will see you soon.
P.S. I hope you like the flowers. Maybe you could use them to bring a little color into your room?
-Kurama
I guess that they're gone on a mission, she thought as she turned to set the note back down. She decided that she wasn't hungry before she glanced once more at the clock. She guessed that she should get ready. After all, she didn't know exactly when these two girls would show up.
I wonder if Botan and Keiko are nice?
She grabbed the large vase of flowers and carefully made her way to her room. She placed them on her desk where she thought they would receive a decent amount of sunlight. She retrieved the fresh clothes and towels that sat on her bed and made her way to the bathroom to take a quick shower.
In less than ten minutes she was bathed, dressed, and now making herself comfortable on the couch when the doorbell echoed throughout the house followed by several frantic knocks. She sighed as she stood up and opened the door.
Standing there were two girls that she'd never seen before. The one that had been knocking on the door was a couple of inches taller than her and had bright blue hair tied up in a high ponytail.
"Good morning!" She sang as she bounced up and down on the balls of her feet. "Are you Mika?"
Mika nodded and moved out of the way to allow the two girls to enter the house.
"I'm Botan!" The blue haired girl chirped, her bright amethyst eyes sparkled with excitement. "And this is Keiko!"
"Hi," Keiko smiled warmly as she adjusted the bright red headband in her short messy brown hair. "It's nice to meet you!"
Mika forced a smile, "I-It's nice to meet you too..."
"Well, we should get going!" Botan yelled suddenly as she glanced at the watch on her wrist. "The mall closes in about six hours!"
Six hours? We're not going to stay there that whole time, are we? Mika couldn't help but think as she stared at the odd girl.
"We need all the time we can get." Botan seemed to know what she was thinking because she turned to Mika and smiled. "We're shopping for a complete wardrobe after all!"
Suddenly in the middle of the room appeared a swirling circular mass that glittered a mystical color of silver and white. Botan and Keiko weren't startled by the sudden appearance of the object but Mika, on the other hand, jumped in fear. Botan didn't seem to notice as she latched onto her arm began to pull her towards it, a bright smile plastered on her face.
"What is that?" Mika screeched in fear as she wrenched her arm away from the girl's grip.
"Did they tell you?" Keiko questioned slowly. She and Botan exchanged knowing looks before her big brown eyes focused intently upon Mika.
She nodded.
Botan let out a sigh of relief. "Good. I didn't want to freak you out or anything! But, anyway," she said as she took a few steps closer to the swirling mass. "This," she started as she poked a finger through it, "is a portal."
"A portal?" She repeated.
"That's right! It'll take you instantly to wherever you'd like to go!" Botan smiled widely. "I'll tell ya, it beats being stuck in traffic! I summoned it here."
"You're a witch?" Mika questioned, her eyes widening with fear.
"No! No! No!" Botan laughed as she waved her hands before her quickly. "I'm the Pilot of the River Styx---or in other words, the Grim Reaper!"
Mika's eyes widened as she recalled the conversation from the day before, "Kurama said that the Grim Reaper comes to take you to judgment. Am I dead? Did I hit my head that hard when I fell?"
"Oh dear, this isn't going very well." Botan said as she scratched her head. "No, you're not dead. I'm really good friends with the guys. I come and visit them a lot. But I do escort people to judgment when they...pass."
Mika gazed warily at the blue haired girl. She wasn't very sure about this. Kurama had never said anything about 'portals' and he had definitely said that the Grim Reaper escorted you to judgment. Not downtown to shop.
"Well, there's no time to explain now." Botan shrugged as she approached the portal. "We've got major shopping to do and time's not on our side."
Mika frowned as she folded her arms tightly across her chest as she tried to put the puzzle together. But there were too many missing pieces and no matter how hard she tried, there was no way that she'd be able to completely understand the situation.
Why was the Grim Reaper taking her shopping? Now that she thought about it, wasn't the Grim Reaper supposed to wear black and carry a scythe and is...scary? This girl was the complete opposite!
"Are you coming, Mika?" Keiko questioned as she turned back to look at the confused girl. "We really shouldn't keep Botan waiting. I don't know how long the portal will hold."
Her frown deepened as she watched Keiko turn and disappear into the swirling vortex. She let out a sigh as she cautiously inched her way to it. She decided that before she went through she would test it first. She closed her eyes as she stuck her hand through it. After a quick moment, she pulled it back out and stared at her hand. It looked fine... She wiggled her fingers and then twisted her wrist. It worked fine...
She closed her eyes and held her breath as she stepped through. Her skin felt oddly cool and tingly and it felt as if she were moving through liquid. As quick as the strange sensation had started, it stopped. The noisy sounds of a busy intersection and the melodious notes of giggles rang in her ears. She opened her eyes to see that she was standing in a dark alley. Botan and Keiko stood to her left laughing.
"It took you long enough!" Botan joked as she smiled at her.
"We saw you stick your hand through." Keiko giggled as they started on their way. Mika's face turned bright red in embarrassment. "Don't worry. You did much better than I did. Yusuke and Kuwabara had to drag me through my first time. I was paralyzed."
As they turned out of the alley, Mika casted a glance behind her and watched in amazement as the portal shrunk and eventually disappeared from sight. The girls fell silent as they walked down the busy streets of Tokyo, trying their hardest not to be separated by the throng of people that just passed by.
"Here we are!" Botan called out minutes later as she pointed towards a tall building that stretched over half the block. They stood at a crosswalk patiently waiting for the 'walk' signal. "The mall!"
"The mall?" Mika repeated slowly as she turned to Botan. A look of genuine confusion graced her features. "What's a mall?"
"You've never been to the mall!?!" Both girls yelled in unison. They stared at the girl both with identical looks of bewilderment.
"No," Mika shook her head and looked at her feet with embarrassment, "I might've gone once... I can't remember."
"You poor child!" Botan said as she linked arms with her. Keiko did the same. "You have been deprived of one of the most marvelous miracles of life!"
"That's okay, Mika!" Keiko smiled as they darted across the street when the lights changed. "Now we've really got to make this trip worthwhile!"
"This is going to be so much fun!" Botan squealed as she pushed open the glass entrance. "Oooh! That store is having a sale! Let's go!"
~.~.~.~.~
"Are you done changing, Mika? Let us see!" Botan called from outside the dressing room.
"Ummm..." Mika stared at herself in the mirror. She turned and frowned at how baggy the shirt was on her. "I think I might need a size smaller..."
"But we just got that one because Small didn't fit either! What you're trying on is an X-Small, right?" Botan responded from outside the dressing room.
"Yes, but," she said softly as she tugged at the loose fabric. "It's still too big."
"Can you come out so we can see?" Botan asked.
Frowning, Mika reluctantly unlocked the door and stepped out to model the dud.
"She's right, Botan." Keiko said as she pulled on the shirt. "It is too big on her."
"Mika, why don't you try on everything else and tell us what fits and what doesn't? Keiko and I will go look for that shirt in a smaller size."
Mika nodded and retreated into the safety of the dressing room. She closed the door behind her and sighed. So far, nothing they had found had actually fit her.
None of these will fit either, she thought as she stared at the remaining outfits that she hadn't tried on. These are all Smalls too.
She frowned as she changed back into her regular clothes. Then she set to the task of putting all the clothes back onto their respectful hangers. When she finished, she walked out of the dressing room and hung all of the unwanted clothing on the rack.
"Botan?" She called out as she walked through the store. "Keiko?"
She spotted the two huddled in front of a display of shirts where she had found the shirt that was too big. They were facing away from her so they didn't see her approaching her. They were talking to each other as they dug through the pile of shirts.
"I don't see any XX-Smalls, Botan." Keiko said as she dug through the shirts. "What about you? Have you found something yet?"
"No, I haven't found anything." Botan sighed. "It's pretty sad, actually..."
"What is?"
"Mika."
Mika stopped in her tracks when she heard her name. She ducked behind a clothing rack as she began to listen in on their conversation.
"What do you mean?" Keiko questioned as she turned to stare at her.
"The boys were on a mission earlier this week. A demon had someone managed to find its way into the Ningenkai and was causing quite a problem. They chased him into a forest but he escaped. They found an old cottage in the forest and it turns out that Mika lived there. Well, the next morning that same demon ambushed them and this time he brought a friend. Kurama told Mika to run and hide but before she could she was captured. She fought the demon off but he stabbed her in her stomach. Hiei hid her in the trees and when they finished fighting they brought Mika home with them. They didn't feel comfortable changing her so they called me."
"And?" Keiko urged her to continue as Botan had paused.
"It was horrible! She's scary skinny! I could see her rib cage, Keiko!"
"Oh my god!" Keiko's eyes widened in shock. "Do you think she's anorexic?"
Mika closed her eyes and shook her head. Her mouth twisted into a deep frown. They were so mean. They were just like everyone else she met. All they wanted to do was gossip and talk about her.
"I don't know," The blue haired deity continued as she let out a sigh, "Kurama said that she's been through a lot. He says that she barely eats. He's been very careful about what he says to her. It's really sad."
Mika's crossed her arms tightly across her chest when she heard this. She didn't want to listen to anymore of their conversation. All she really wanted was to leave so that she could be by herself. She quietly stepped out from behind the clothes rack and made it look as if she had just got there.
"Hi," she muttered quietly as she came to stand beside Keiko.
"H-Hey, Mika!" Botan turned quickly, her eyes wide with shock. "How long have you been there?"
"I just got here."
Both girls let out a disguised sigh of relief. Botan began to bit her bottom lip and fiddle with the hem of her shirt; Keiko's eyes darted from side to side as she searched for a way to change the subject.
"We've been in this store for a while." The brunette said as she adjusted her headband. "Why don't we try another store? We might find something nice there."
Botan nodded furiously in agreement and they latched onto both of Mika's arms and dragged her out of the store.
~.~.~.~.~
A beautiful fountain stood in the middle of the mall. Mika stood before it, curiously watching as it squirted water from several pipes. Botan and Keiko stood a couple of feet away out of her earshot talking amongst themselves.
"I'm glad that we finally found her something." Keiko said as she set the shopping bags that she was carrying down.
"Yeah, in the children's section!" Botan responded. "It's horrible!"
"It is," The brunette nodded in agreement as she watched Mika stick her hand in the fountain with curiosity. "Can you believe that she's never been to a mall? That's one thing, but to never have heard of one?"
"It's crazy!"
The two friends fell silent as they watched the silver haired girl sit on the edge of the fountain and close her eyes.
Keiko broke the silence soon after, "It's sad. She seems really scared of people and she barely talks. I wonder what happened to her."
"I do too."
"Maybe Kurama knows?"
"Actually, I talked to him not too long ago. They just got home from their mission. Kurama says that he doesn't know for sure," the deity frowned as she recalled their brief conversation. "But he thinks that she may have been abused. He says that we should just be patient with her until she comes out of her shell."
"I know what we should do!" Keiko's yelled suddenly, her voice was filled with excitement as her big brown eyes sparkled. "We should have a little party. We can invite Shizuru and Yukina! It'll be a way for her to get to know everyone better! Then she won't be so shy!"
"Keiko, that's brilliant!" Botan yelled as she smiled widely. "We can have a sleepover after the party! We can have a spa night or something fun like that! You have your cell phone, right? Why don't you call Shizuru and Yukina and let them know? I'll call the boys and see what they think. I'll call Koenma too and ask for a couple days off."
They both nodded in agreement as they turned away from each other. Keiko, pulled out her bright pink cell phone and Botan, a bright blue communicator, and they began to make their respectful calls.
~.~.~.~.~
Mika sat on the edge of the fountain watching her dangling legs lazily swing back and forth. She let out a sigh as she thought of the conversation that she had overheard earlier.
She felt bad as she remembered how she had mentally accused Botan and Keiko of being cruel and gossipy. She realized that they were only worried about her. She didn't understand why. She had always been like this since she was a young girl.
She let out a sigh in an attempt to clear her mind. She closed her eyes and leaned back on her hands as she let her senses explore her surroundings. The marble beneath her hands felt smooth and pleasantly cool. The scents of freshly cooked food wafted through the air causing her to nose to twitch slightly. The fountain behind her drummed a contagious rhythm causing her to tap her fingers in time with it. The melodious notes of a child's laughter danced through the air and rang in her ears.
"Mika?"
Her peaceful escape from reality was interrupted as she was brought back to earth by someone calling her name. She opened her eyes only to see Keiko smiling down at her.
"You look a bit tired. Are you alright?" Mika just nodded before she looked down at her feet. "Oh, well, okay..." Keiko said as an awkward silence settled in. She stood there for a moment before turning, "I think that we're getting ready to leave. The mall will be closing soon."
Nodding, Mika gathered her shopping bags and followed Keiko back to the entrance where Botan stood yelling at someone on the other side of her communicator.
"Don't be such a baby, Yusuke!" She fussed. "After the party tomorrow, you guys have to leave! We're going to have a sleepover at the house and that's that!"
"What? That's not fair!" Yusuke's voice shouted from the other end. "You can't kick us out of our own house!"
"Party?" Mika blinked as she turned to look at Keiko. "What party?"
"Botan and I decided to throw you a little party!" She smiled. "We thought it'd be a nice way for you to get to know everyone. After all, you are going to be staying with the boy's for a while, right?"
Mika nodded.
"We invited a couple other people over. It'll be fun!"
"Sorry about that, you guys." Botan sighed as she closed her communicator. She rolled her eyes as she shoved it into her pocket. "Yusuke and Kuwabara don't like the idea that we're going to be having a sleepover after the party."
"Well, they'll just have to deal with it." Keiko said as the three pushed open the doors of the exit and started down the street. "It's girl's night! No boys allowed whatsoever!"
"Yeah!" Botan shouted her agreement before she and Keiko broke into a fit of giggles.
"So, Mika..." Botan began when she finally calmed down. "How do you like living with the guys so far?" She questioned in an attempt to immerse Mika in conversation.
Her successful attempt was surprising to her and Keiko.
"It's nice." She smiled slightly. "They're kind to me."
"That's good." Keiko smiled. "If Yusuke ever starts acting like a jerk just let me know. I'll handle him."
"Okay."
The trio fell silent as they turned down the same alley that they had came from before. Mika watched with curiosity as Botan tapped against the bricks of the building beside them.
"Aha!" She cried out happily when one of the bricks began to glow a bright white color and suddenly the portal appeared before them. She turned to her friends and gave them a bright smile, "Shall we?"
"We shall!" Keiko giggled as she stooped down to gather the various shopping bags scattered around her feet.
Mika smiled as they stepped through the portal. She closed her eyes and felt her breath stop for a split-second as the strange sensation of moving slowly through liquid engulfed her once more. Laughter filled her ears accompanied with the roar of the television and she opened her eyes to find herself back in the living room of the house.
"Hey," Yusuke greeted the trio with a jerk of his head. "How was shopping?"
"Good," Botan chirped. "How did the mission go?"
"It was too easy," Kuwabara snorted, "Some demon decided that it would be fun to try and sneak into Ningenkai. He wasn't very powerful. As soon as he saw us he ran back into that portal to the Makai and never came back."
"Surely someone went to go get him?" Botan questioned her amethyst eyes wide in disbelief. "You didn't let him get away, did you?"
"'Course not," Yusuke said, "Hiei caught 'em."
Mika glanced over and saw Hiei sitting on the windowsill, his garnet eyes staring out the window. His mouth was a straight line rendering it hard to read his expression.
"This stuff is so heavy." Keiko groaned as she set the bags down at the base of the stairs. She flexed her sore hands that were covered in purple and reddish grooves from the handles of the bags.
"Where's your room?" Botan questioned as she set her bags down. "We can start unpacking your new stuff."
"It's upstairs," Mika answered as she approached them. She began to ascend the stairs, Keiko and Botan right behind her, and turned down the hall. She shifted the bags on her left arm to her right and reached out to open the door.
"Oh," Botan made a face as she came into the room before setting her load of bags down in the middle of the room. "Next time we're going to shop for decorations for your room. It looks so..."
"Plain." Keiko finished for her as she shut the door behind her.
"No offense, though!" Botan added quickly and Keiko nodded.
Mika didn't respond as she walked and emptied the contents of her bags onto the bed; the other two girls following suit. Colorful fabrics of an endless array of textures covered the bed from corner to corner.
"Okay, let's get started." Botan smiled as she began to dig through the pile, organizing the garments into several different groups.
~.~.~.~.~
"Phew..." Keiko sighed as she wiped her sweaty forehead on the back of her hand.P
It was thirty minutes later when the trio had finally managed to organize and put away Mika's entire wardrobe.
"Who knew putting all this stuff away would be so much work?" Botan said before she flopped down on Mika's bed, her bright hair splaying across the duvet. "I'm pooped."
Mika nodded in agreement as she took a seat at her desk. She gathered her hair that had came loose earlier and lifted it off her sweaty neck.
A gentle knock came from the door.
"Yes?" Botan called out as she rolled over to stare at the door in question. "Who is it?"
"Kurama," his gentle voice sounded from the other side. "Is Mika there?"
"Of course!" Keiko yelled.
"Come in," Mika said as she proceeded into tying her long hair up into a messy bun.
Kurama popped open the door and stuck his head in, greeting the three girls with a gentle smile. "Did you all have fun shopping?"
"When do we not?" Keiko giggled as she flopped down on the bed beside Botan. "How was your mission?"
"It was good," he offered before he returned his attention to the silver haired woman who was now examining him curiously, "I came to let Mika know that dinner will be ready soon. Will you two be joining us?"
Botan rolled over onto her stomach and pushed herself up off of the bed. "Don't mind if we do!"
"You know that we're big fans of your cooking, Kurama." Keiko smiled as she sat up and crossed her long legs.
"Thank you. I'm glad that you enjoy it," he grinned at the compliment. "Why don't you three get washed up? Dinner will be on the table in five minutes." He gave them one more faint smile before he closed the door to return downstairs.
The three remained silent as they heard Kurama's footsteps venture down the hall and slowly fade away.
"I love that boy," Keiko sighed as shook her head happily, "He's so thoughtful!"
"And mysterious!" Botan sighed as she placed her hands on her heart. "He's so hard to read! I always wonder what he's thinking."
"He's really smart too!" Keiko said as she giggled.
"That, and he's absolutely gorgeous!" Botan added, "He has such pretty hair and---oh! His eyes! I could just get lost in them!"
The two girls began to giggle in delight, as they continued to discuss the fox. Mika shook her head in slight amusement before she walked into the bathroom to freshen up.
"I don't blame those girls for chasing him," Keiko laughed, "If I didn't have Yusuke, I bet you I'd be chasing after him too."
"I know, right? Hey, what about you Mika?" Botan called out to her from the room.
She turned off the sink and flicked off the lights, "What do you mean?" She questioned as she entered the room, rubbing her wet face on a brightly colored towel.
"What do you think of Kurama?" Keiko elaborated.
"Well," she paused as she pondered their questions, "He's very nice."
"Of course he's nice!" Botan pressed, "But what do you think of him?"
Mika frowned as set the towel on the desk before sitting down. "He's very friendly."
"Friendly is just a fancy word for 'nice'," Botan commented.
A sigh escaped Mika's throat as she shook her head. "I don't understand."
"That's okay," Keiko said as she smiled reassuringly. "Well let's go ahead and get washed up for dinner!"
~.~.~.~.~
The corners of Kurama mouth curved into a ghost of a smile. He set his fork down as watched as Mika smiled slightly at something Botan had said to her.
It's nice that she is enjoying herself, he thought as he reached towards the pitcher to pour himself another glass of iced tea.
"Hey, Mika!" Yusuke called to her from across the table. "You've never been to Tokyo before, right?"
"I went today," she replied quietly as she played with the food on her plate. "We went shopping at the mall."
"Well, Kuwabara and I decided that we're gonna give you a tour of the city." Yusuke smirked. "We can go tomorrow and come back just in time for the party."
"It'll be fun," Kuwabara added with a cheesy grin.
Mika's mouth twisted into a hesitant smile as she turned and looked for reassurance from Kurama who sat at the head of the table. He nodded his head and gave her a tiny smile. She turned back to Yusuke and Kuwabara who sat across from her and smiled.
"Okay."
"Don't forget you guys," Botan added, her amethyst orbs sparkling with mischief as she eyed Yusuke. "You've got to leave after the party."
Keiko giggled in amusement as Yusuke's face twisted in anger.
"Don't be such a baby, Yusuke." Botan commented as she reached for her glass of tea. She smirked as she watched his eye twitch.
"Do you see how mean they are to me, Mika?" Yusuke whined as he turned his attention to her in an attempt to engage her in conversation. "They're awful!"
Mika smiled slightly; she didn't know what to say. "I'm sorry."
"Hahaha!" Botan laughed, "You get no sympathy. See? Even Mika thinks you're acting like a child."
Mika's face turned bright red as everyone burst into laughter.
"You all are idiots." Hiei hissed beneath his breath. He was glaring at the food on his plate and smirked when it exploded and caught fire.
"Damn it, Hiei!" Kuwabara shouted as the little fire demon stood from the table and disappeared into the living room. "You don't have to set everything on fire!"
"Ahhh," Yusuke groaned as he dumped his glass onto the plate. "I got it."
Mika stared at the plate in shock. "Does that happen a lot?"
Yusuke snorted. "Pretty much."
The excitement soon began to wear off as everyone began to settle down. Quiet chattering echoed throughout the kitchen and musical clinks of cutlery and glasses complemented the sound perfectly.
Kurama smiled slightly as he looked around the table. Yusuke and Kuwabara sat beside one another, discussing past missions and memories. Botan and Keiko sat beside each other also, talking quietly about the latest fashion trends. Mika, Kurama noticed, was sitting there quietly. Her eyes were downcast and her plate lay before her barely touched. He frowned as he watched her swirled her chopsticks in the bowl of rice back and forth idly.
His eyebrows knitted together in confusion as he watched her shiver slightly. That was when he realized that she was wearing a brand new sweater that was pretty thick. Was it cold?
"Mika," he called out.
The young woman's snapped her head up and whipped her head in his direction. Her dark eyes were filled with confusion as she took in the smile on his face. When he motioned for her to come to him, she slowly stood from the table and approached him.
"Are you alright?" He questioned.
"I-I, I'm fine." She nodded.
"You're wearing such a thick sweater. Are you cold?"
"Just a bit," she answered as she took a seat next to him. "But I'm fine."
"Alright." Kurama knew very well that this was a lie, but he decided not to push the matter further.
They were quiet for a moment before Mika broke the silence.
"Kurama?"
"Yes?"
"A-Are you coming into the city with us?" She questioned meekly as she began to rip the napkin in front of her into small strips.
"I'm sorry," he frowned as he shook his head. "I have... other matters to attend to tomorrow."
"O-Oh," Mika tried to mask her disappointment, but the pitchy tones in her voice gave her away.
"Don't worry," Kurama said as he leaned forward, immediately gaining her attention. "Yusuke and Kuwabara don't bite."
"I-I know, b-but, it's just..." she sighed as she relinquished her grip on the napkin."It's weird for me. I-I haven't..."
"You haven't been around people in a long time." Kurama finished for her. "You're not sure whether you should trust them or not."
"It's just that... it's hard for me." Mika's face turned bright red as she bowed her face in shame. "After all that's happened..."
Kurama used this little slip up to his advantage and asked, "What do you mean?"
He wanted to know what had happened to her. He remembered when he had seen that look on her face---the look that had pierced his heart and made it ache. He wanted to help her...
Mika remained quiet as she continued to stare at the scraps of napkin that she had ripped. She could feel Kurama's eyes on her but she refused to meet his gaze. "I-I..."
"I understand." Kurama reassured her. "Just know that if you ever wanted to talk... I'm here."
"Kurama," her vision began to cloud and soon the white of the napkin and brown of the wooden table began to swim before her. She shook her head in an attempt to shake the strange feeling that overwhelmed her. "T-Thank you."
"It's no trouble at all."
A pregnant silence settled between them. Mika didn't mind; it gave her time to pull herself back together again. It's funny, she thought as she rubbed her eyes in an attempt to banish the tears, just one thing... just one kind word from him makes me break down... How is that?
The screeching of a chair being dragged across the tiled kitchen floor caused her to look up. Botan pushed her chair back in behind her as she smiled.
"Well," she sighed as she smiled at everyone, "I should probably get going."
"You're right." Keiko nodded in agreement as she pushed her chair back so she could stand. "I've got to get home. My parents are probably wondering where I am."
"See you later, you guys!" Botan chirped as she waved goodbye. "Oh, and, could you guys please clean up? It needs to look nice for the party."
"Yeah, yeah, whatever!" Yusuke called out as the bluenette snickered before she bounced out of the room.
"Don't worry, Kurama," Keiko smiled at the redheaded man. "You do a good job keeping this place looking nice. I know it's not easy---especially with those two pigs." She wrinkled her small nose as she eyed Yusuke and Kuwabara.
"Hey!"
Kurama chuckled, "You have no idea."
"Goodnight, you guys. We'll see you tomorrow." Keiko called out, "I had fun today, Mika!"
Mika nodded as she gave the brunette a small smile. "I did too."
"Hmph." Yusuke huffed as he stood from the table. "Telling me to clean up... What a b---"
"I CAN STILL HEAR YOU, YUSUKE!" Botan called out from the living room before the door slammed behind her.
Yusuke's dark eye narrowed as he began to mutter a string of insults and colorful words beneath his breath. He pushed his chair in and stomped out of the room with Kuwabara right behind him.
Mika turned to look at Kurama as she realized that they were the only ones left in the kitchen. Kurama smiled at her before he stood up from the table.
"I should start washing the dishes now."
"No."
Kurama turned to look at the meek young woman curiously. She stood from her place at the table, her pale face flushed.
"I'll do them," she offered a small smile blooming on her lips.
"I really don't mind, Mika," he said as he tilted his head to the side, examining her with curious eyes. "You can do something else."
"N-No," she shook her head frantically, "I want to do the dishes. I feel like I haven't been doing anything useful. I feel guilty. I live here now and I should help around the house. And Botan and Keiko spent all that money on me... I don't feel like I deserve all the kindness that you all have shown me."
"Nonsense," Kurama shook his head as he began to understand. "Mika, we want to help you. We really don't mind you living here. And Botan and Keiko were more than willing to spend that money on you. We're your friends. We want to help."
"I know..." She whispered as she looked down at her hands. "It's just that... It's hard. I've had to rely on myself for so long. It's hard for me to lean on anyone."
"I understand how you feel." In two long strides Kurama had closed the distance between them and he smiled down at her. "But, we all need someone to lean on at times. It's only natural."
"I guess you're right..." She mumbled before she looked up at him behind her tousled bangs with shy eyes.
"Of course I am," he said as he reached behind him for the dishtowel. He handed it to her and chuckled when she stared at him strangely. "But if you still are determined to do the dishes, you could help me. If you'd like."
Mika watched as he reached into his pocket and pull out a black band. He gathered his fiery locks and proceeded into tying it back. He grinned at her and turned away, heading for the sink.
She shook her head as a small smile stretched across her face before she crossed the room to help with the dishes.
Kurama already had the drain plugged and the faucet running. His gaze darted between the stream of water flowing from the tap to Mika who stood beside him rolling up the sleeves of her sweater. His bright emerald eyes glinted with mischief as a wide grin stretched across his face. He couldn't help himself...
"Ahhh! Kurama!" Mika screeched as she shielded her eyes from the tiny wave of water that splashed her face.
She wiped the sleeve of her sweater across her face as Kurama's chuckle rang in her ears. Her dark eyes narrowed playfully as her lips curved into a smile. She giggled as she quickly splashed him back with a bit more force that he had. She managed to get the front of his shirt spotted with water.
Kurama threw back his head and let out a joyful laugh; the mask was gone. She smiled and joined in with him. The melodious notes of their laughs mingled together and filled the room with joy.
"You lost the water war." Mika shrieked with laughter as she splashed him again.
"Wow," Kurama breathed as he finally managed to control himself. His cheeks were flushed a light pink and his eyes that were usually distant danced with mirth.
Mika smiled at him as she too slowly stopped laughing. She shook her head; a wide smile still plastered on her face as she ripped a napkin off the paper roll and began to clean up their mess.
"That was mean, Kurama." She teased.
"Yes," he agreed as he turned off the faucet and began to pile dishes into the water, "but it was very funny; you have to admit it."
"It was," Mika laughed again as she threw away the napkins. She returned to his side and splashed him once more. "But it still wasn't very nice."
"I only splashed you once, Mika. You've splashed me twice. Now, that's not very nice."
Mika giggled as she splashed him once more.
"Hey!"