Ride like the Wind
Chapter 42
Something bright fell on Kurama's face. He rolled over away from the light, mumbling, "Give me five more minutes, Mother… I'm tired."
Then after a moment, he realized he didn't hear his mother's footsteps leave the room or her hand on his shoulder as she whispered, "Shuichi, it's time to wake up… Breakfast is waiting…" like she did everyday. He didn't hear Shuichi fall off his bed like he did whenever he woke up or his step-dad's yawns. It was completely silent. His eyes shot open. He sat up and glanced around the room. Where am I?!
Then the last memory he had came back to him. Ah, right. So I'm at her house. He laid back down, feeling the dizziness of waking up come over him.
You passed out for two days, Youko explained. That woman made sure your dumb ass was okay. So now that you scared the shit out of her, what're you gonna do? You wanna "see the top of the mountain"?
"See the…"? What the hell?!
Just because you're a fag doesn't mean…
Kurama ignored him and saw a note that slid by his head when he flopped back down. He picked it up and read it.
"Hey,
When you wake up we need to talk.
-Mukuro
P.S. I left you breakfast on the table."
Mukuro… Was that what they said her name was? I've been through so much I can't even remember that… Kurama sighed and set the note down. I wonder… How am I supposed to talk to her or even be able to explain running across the US? "Oh, I felt really sad because my boyfriend Hiei was cheating on me with you! So I decided to run all the way here! Hee hee!" …Definitely not!
Why did you even come here anyway? Youko asked.
I dunno. I guess I was mad… But… Now I know I shouldn't fight because between a woman and a boy, the woman would always win.
God, when'd you become such a girl?
What?
You give up and then you act like a frickin' girl.
I do not.
Stage one: denial. Statement denied.
Ugh…
The door swung open and a shocked looking Yusuke ran in followed by Raizen who actually looked like he was enjoying all this as entertainment.
"Holy hell, Kurama! What the hell happened?!" Yusuke screamed as he waved his arms around like he was trying to fly or something.
"Huh?" Kurama blinked twice and cocked his head to the side.
"I saw you like a couple of days ago. Mukuro said she thought someone was after you or something like that. Was that guy who accused you of killing Sensui after you?"
"No that was taken care of a long time ago."
"So why were you running? You worked yourself so much that you looked dead when you came to Mukuro! She actually thought you were dead because she broke something when you out and you didn't even twitch or anything."
"What can I say? I sleep like the dead. As for why I was running…" He quickly thought of a lie. (He could come up with lies so fast it scared him sometimes.) "I woke up one morning and I felt really bad so I started running. And one thing leads to another and I came across the country."
"…Wow. It I were an idiot like Yusuke I would have believed that," Raizen replied. "If you felt bad because of Hiei, why didn't you just say so?"
"Uh… Well… Uh…" How'd he…? Kurama gave him a blank stare.
"How'd you figure that out?! I would've taken forever to put two and two together and…" Yusuke shook his head.
"Well, you know…" Raizen paused. "…Can I get the question again?" Long silence. "…Or ask the audience or telegraph a friend?"
"Just get out of here!" Yusuke shoved him out. "We're gonna have male bonding!"
Long blank stare. "…Wow. I didn't know you swung that way. No wonder your girlfriend left you."
"Out!" He kicked him out. Yusuke sighed. "So you're still seeing that jack ass?"
"Yusuke, it's over. You don't have to say anything to me," Kurama looked away from him.
"He told you?"
"No. I found out the wrong way though."
"That's screwed up! He never told you! Not even a hint! I should go over there and kick his sorry ass for…"
"No. Just forget it. It's over and doesn't matter." So that's what he meant when he said…
"Look man. I'm just looking out for my friends. Don't take this the wrong way. I knew Hiei was gonna be a trouble maker from the start…"
"Yusuke."
"…Mukuro is gonna ask you the same thing. She's kinda got this thing where she treats everybody like she's their mom if she knows them well enough. She won't bite your head off or anything even if she looks like she will. But don't lie to her. She won't like it. And she can tell when you are. She's a sharp person." Yusuke sighed and after a moment's hesitation, he walked out.
Yeah… But sometimes… I dunno… Kurama stared at the ceiling.
---
Mukuro came home half dragging her feet, a tired look on her face. For some reason today felt more tiring than others even if she really didn't do much that day. Must be stress. Oh, in a perfect world there would be a way I could relax.
When she came home she saw Kurama who jumped when he saw her. She nodded absentmindedly and mumbled something to herself in German.
"Oh so you're awake now," she held out a hand. "I'm Mukuro or Eikenberry and stuff of that nature. Nice to meet you."
"Oh…" He shook her hand. "I'm Shuichi Minamino."
"Everything's okay, right? I'd have to imagine that your muscles would be sore after running across the US ."
Aiya… She knows… "Well, yeah. I can deal with it though. I've seen worse."
"So why'd you do it?"
"Huh?"
"Why'd you run across the United States ?"
"Well… I just felt like going somewhere else since all I've been going to was Mexico . I thought Boston was a nice place to go. I wasn't expecting Yusuke to be here so…" Kurama lied after a moment's hesitation.
He really is a bad liar. "Bull. Listen don't BS me. I…" Mukuro was interrupted by a knock at the door. Something told her that it wasn't Yusuke or Raizen… Dare she open the door…?
Well, no. It was Kurama. "I've got it." And in lunged…
"MUKURO!" Yomi cried and glomped Kurama. Hearts. "Ah… Mukuro, your chest is flatter than I remember… And you let your hair grow out and I think you grew a bit…" Heart.
"Help me! I think he's orgasming! It's… It's like surprise butt sex!" Kurama screamed.
Heh. He said surprise butt sex. "Yomi, I'm right here," Mukuro sighed, crossing her arms.
"Muku-" He stopped mid lunge and pointed at Kurama. "So you must be Johnny Cade!" He pointed the rifle between Kurama's eyes.
"Uh… Before you shoot me with that nonexistent rifle, I'll have you know that I'm not really this Johnny Cade… I'm Shuichi Minamino… SM."
"…Oh. Mukuro!" He glomped her, half burying his face in her breasts. Heart.
She grumbled something to herself in German and threw Yomi outside. She held up her index finger to indicate she wouldn't be long. She slammed the door behind her.
"Okay. Why didn't you do us all a favor and stay in London ?" Mukuro growled.
Yomi sighed and shook his head. "I didn't go to London . Those two guys must have assumed I did just because I'm British… I went back to check on my experiment in New Jersey ."
"Experiment?" She raised an eyebrow.
"I can't tell you. It's… Says a lot to me if I can't tell my own fiancée."
Funny. I still distinctly remember turning him down. "So you started it just now?"
"Actually I got started on the idea when I was about sixteen. I got started on the experiment when I left for London about a month after you were raped. I think he's ready to see the light now."
"Well that's besides the point. I'm trying to get something taken care of…"
"It has to do with that Johnny Cade, doesn't it?" Lightning flash. Drama. Angst. Then it suddenly occurred to Yomi that he somehow influenced the weather and he added on an evil laugh just to sound cool.
Long blank stare. "Right… Okay there's no Johnny Cade. I'm still single. I'm going to turn this love triangle into a straight line the way it should be."
Gasp! More drama! More angst! …But no lightning. "How many men have you been seeing?!"
"I said I was breaking up a love triangle not admitting I was a whore!"
"…But if you were having an affair I'll forgive your fling!"
Mukuro rolled her eyes and walked back in.
Yomi scratched the door with one finger. "Mu… Mukuro… Can I come in? .are you so meeeeean...?" Whine.
"No!" She turned back to Kurama. "Ignore him. He's just my stalker but we won't go into that. That's far from the point."
Kurama suddenly leapt to a window. "I gotta get out of here! This is too weird for me!"
"Does this relate to the fact that Yomi's a sickly pale, six eared, psychotic, blind, British man? You could get used it fast…"
"No…! Why won't it open?" Hysterical laughter.
"Shuichi, get a hold off yourself! Besides that you push it up to open it!"
"Why didn't you say so before?!"
"…You never asked."
"I think I just broke a nail opening it!"
"Shuichi. Enough…" She sighed. "I know why you came here. It was for Hiei, wasn't it?" Kurama felt his stomach twist.
"No, it's not him. We were just friends. I told you. I just felt like running somewhere and Boston sounded like a nice place. Why don't you believe me?"
"Because normal people don't run across a country without anything with them."
…She got me there. "Okay we're best friends. That's all. We argued and I decided to come here simple."
Mukuro frowned at him, crossing her arms.
He sighed. "You won't hate me if I was in love with a guy?"
"Hiei told me he was bi. If I didn't kick his ass for that then why would I go off on you about it?"
"Well… I love him. I hate to say it but I do… But I don't think he feels the same about me. And I kinda found out at point that he was seeing you… I tried to convince myself that I didn't right after that but I was wrong. So I came here to see you but… Now it's no use."
"I see. Well, I'll find a way to straighten things out. Then you won't have to worry…"
"No. You don't have to do that. I'll just go home and find a girl and forget about it."
"You shouldn't have to try to change who you are to escape sorrow."
"I'm not…" He fainted.
"Shuichi?" She put a hand forehead. Damn. He's got a fever. Probably because of having little sleep lately. I feel bad for him. "Well, looks like I've got some work to do."
And she dragged the red head into the room.
---
Later that night, Mukuro went her room and released a bird from its cage.
"All right, Mark. Let's put you to work," Mukuro said as she wrote a quick note. She tied to his leg. "Okay, take it to Mexico you rat with wings."
The pigeon cocked its head and cooed.
"Oh goddamnn you. Take your note to Mexico before I fry you up you dirty little bird." She frowned at the pigeon as it flew away.
I need to fix this… Just before she went in, she froze. What the hell? That aura… It's… no, it has to be my imagination. I hope it is…
"MUKURO!" Yomi tackled her. Hearts. "I haven't seen you in forever!" Hearts.
"Would you get off me?!" Mukuro growled and shoved him off.
"Are you done with that kid so we can finally bond?"
"Who said I wanted to bond? No, I'm not done with Shuichi. I'm trying to get this mess fixed still. But you…! Do you even love me at all?"
"Yeah! I've loved you since forever but I never told you cause I was kind scared my girlfriend wouldn't like it… I'd do anything for you!"
"Okay. Hit yourself."
"Okay!" He punched himself in the face.
"…Doesn't that hurt?"
Yomi pulled out a knife. "Do you want it to hurt? …And every drop of blood will be for you!" He was about to stab himself when Mukuro snatched the knife.
"I told you to hit yourself not to cut off your wrist!" She eyed him for a minute. "Who told you to marry me in the first place?"
…Like I was paid to propose to her. "…I met a priest named Koenma when I was eighteen that suggested I marry you so I decided that's what I wanted to do!" He glomped her.
I feel so whored out now… Mukuro thought as she shoved him away.
"Whatever. We'll bond later." She turned her back to him.
"So you love me back?!" Excitement.
"Two words. Hell and no." She turned back to him. "I thought you said you went back to London . What brought you back to America ?"
"Well, I heard my aunt and uncle were killed. I know I'm supposed to be a pacifist just because I'm a Quaker but I decided I would find their killer and kill them anyway."
"So you wanna find your killer? You already have. And she's standing right in front of you. So are you gonna kill me?"
"You… I…" He knew he hand the knife with him at the time but could he turn it against Mukuro? His hand was on the handle but he couldn't take it out. "I… I…"
"I'll give you time to think…" She left him with that.
---
Kurama sat up, eyes gold now.
"Now that's Shuichi's out of the picture for the time being I can finally get the control I've wanted..." He stood up and listened to Mukuro's footsteps. "Woman…"
And I suppose getting Hiei to come here would make her think everything can get worked out. What makes her think Shuichi would take this lightly? Hm… Youko thought.
End chapter 42
Notes:
1. I use Kurama when it's understood that it's either Shuichi or Youko that hasn't control over Shuichi's body. Youko is just used when it's understood that Youko is in his own body or when he's thinking. Kinda confusing at first but you'll get used to it.
2. Quaker-I'm not talking the oatmeal. The guy on the Quaker oatmeal is really a Quaker. What a Quaker is is this religion I think rooting from Christianity. They're pacifists and are recognized by their hats. Yeah.
The next one is one of my favorite chapters because it's so random… Until the end when it gets angsty.
…I dunno what I was thinking at the time but at one point I considered making Mukuro a lesbian. What the hell?
Review please.