TheHeartsPath: Yet another chapter written, hooray! Thanks for the reviews! Now here's chapter 7 for all you loyal readers! Hope you like the chapter! Enjoy! P.S. I just realized I never said this at the beginning of a chapter so here goes...Please read and review! Thank you!
Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho or any of its' characters. They are owned by Yoshihiro Togashi. I own only Ayla, her family, and any other characters that do not show up in the series.
"Talking" Thoughts ~Telepathy or mind-reading~
Chapter 7: Getting Answers? A Surprise?
Ayla's POV
The four of us had gotten home around 3:45 pm, so we had forty-five minutes until the time Shuichi said to come over. It was decided that we'd fill our mothers in about the study group we had just made with each other. So when we got home we separated and went into our houses.
Kira and Haku were already home since Mom had picked them up from school. The two of them were already working on their homework. Haku greeted us without looking up from his, while Kira ran over to the three of us and gave us each a hug before going back to work on hers.
Gwen told me and Sinclair that she'd let Mom know about what was going on. She went to the laundry room where Mom was working on cleaning clothes. Sinclair went upstairs to his and Haku's room on the second floor to change and make sure he had everything he needed to have before we went next door later. I went to the kitchen to grab a bowl of grapes as a snack. Then headed upstairs to my room to do the same thing as my brother.
Not to mention ask Hiei why he'd been following me all day.
I had noticed him following me on the way to school this morning. At first I had thought it was just a coincidence that we were going in the same direction. But as we got closer to the school and he continued to follow while staying hidden in trees and on rooftops, I decided that I had been wrong about it being a coincidence. Since I had no idea why he was doing this I just ignored him and let him do whatever.
Correction, I tried to ignore him. Which wasn't easy since his emotions kept going crazy. His Heart's Song was nothing but a mixed up mess, going from one emotion to the next and back and around again. If it had been something physical that I was watching with my eyes I'd have ended up being very dizzy.
Only twice had I gotten a clear hearing of his Heart's Song. The first time had been when I started sharing some of my lunch with Kokoda. The melody I heard coming from him was jealousy. Which totally threw me seeing as how I didn't understand why he was jealous or what he was jealous about.
The second time had been while I was dodging the balls that the girls were throwing at me in gym after the teacher had left. To put it lightly, he was PISSED, and I mean big time. I could understand why he got angry, the girls ganging up on me like that wasn't right. Something told me that if he could have gotten away with it he'd have either seriously injured all of them or killed them. Neither of which would have been good.
I was glad when I sensed him follow me to my next class. Since it meant that he wasn't doing any damage to anyone. At least not physical damage. I hoped he wasn't using his telepathic powers to do any mental damage. If I found out that he did we were going to have a long talk the next time we spoke.
I got to my room, closing and locking the door. Didn't need one of my siblings or my mother coming in while Hiei was in there. I went to my desk and set my bag and snack on it. Looking out my window I saw Hiei sitting in the tree staring at me.
The way he was staring made me think of a predator watching its prey. Waiting for just the right moment to go for the kill. A gorgeous, crimson eyed predator. I blushed at that thought, my heart beating faster. Down girl, down. No more thoughts about Hiei and his looks. Even if he and his looks do make for some interesting thoughts. Like how those beautiful eyes of his draw you in and...NO, NO, NO! STOP THINKING ABOUT THAT AT ONCE!
I was suddenly glad that I had started guarding my thoughts more when I got home. At school I had been so nervous about how my first day would go that I had forgotten to guard my surface thoughts from others. Considering he tried to get in my mind last night I wouldn't be surprised if he was listening to my surface thoughts today. I really should have been paying more attention to my shielding. I thought, annoyed with myself as I walked over to the window.
I unlocked the window and opened it. As I did this I whispered the word to take the barrier on it down. "Hey Hiei. Come on in." I said, turning and walking back to my desk.
I had just popped a grape in my mouth when Hiei asked, "Why are you blushing onna?"
That question startled me and I started choking. "No reason." I replied, coughing a little bit from trying to have a grape go down the wrong pipe. Like he's going to believe that for a moment.
"You're lying." he said, from right behind me.
I yelped and turned around fast, finding Hiei barely a foot from me. How the hell did he get so close without me hearing him?
"Tell me why you are blushing onna." Hiei demanded.
"Why I'm blushing is none of your business." I retorted with a glare. He was about to say something more when I cut him off, hoping to distract him. "Was there a particular reason you were waiting outside my room? Or were you just continuing your stalking of me for the day?"
"I wasn't stalking you!" Hiei said a bit too loudly.
Quickly I put my hand over his mouth and saw his eyes widen slightly. "Ssh! Don't be so loud. We don't need my family finding out that I have a guy in my bedroom with the door locked." After saying this I removed my hand from his mouth and started to walk over to my closet. I wanted to change my clothes before going to Shuichi's to study.
When I had touched him my own eyes had widened. I had felt something like a jolt go throughout my entire being. Wow...what was that? Felt weird but nice at the same time. Did Hiei feel it too or was it just me? I don't have time to try and figure it out right now. Figure it out later.
The next thing I knew, I was spun around and Hiei had me pinned by my shoulders, with my back against my closet door, looking rather annoyed. He leaned towards me until there were only a few inches between our faces. Needless to say this only made me blush more.
"Don't you ever do that again onna." he hissed.
Confused I asked, "What the hell are you talking about? Don't ever do what again?"
Glaring at me, he said, "Putting your hand over my mouth."
You have got to be kidding me. He is letting something like that bother him? Well isn't that childish. "You do realize how immature you are being right now, right?" I asked while frowning, starting to get annoyed myself.
His eyes narrowed and he started growling. His growling didn't bother me at all, even though he sounded like some wild beast when he did that. Guess he didn't like that particular question.
"You do realize you aren't in a position to be saying things like that right now, right?" he answered my question with one of his own.
I smiled, unable to stay annoyed with him for some reason. The way he had turned my phrasing around on me was kinda intriguing. Before Hiei I'd never known someone who could do that without making themselves confused. Well, besides my grandmother that is, but since she's family it doesn't really count.
Hiei stopped his glaring and growling the moment I smiled. He seemed to be stunned about something, though I hadn't a clue about what. I blinked when I noticed that his face was lightly flushed.
Worried that he might be coming down with something I put my hand on his forehead, trying to see if he had a fever. Which would be a little hard to do seeing as he was wearing that white bandanna of his. Doing that seemed to snap him out of the trance he was in and he backed away from me.
"What the hell are you doing?" he asked.
Blinking in confusion, I said, "I noticed that your face was flushed and I was worried that you were coming down with a cold or something. So I was checking to see if you had a fever, you felt a bit warm so you might have one. Unless your body temperature is like mine and your normal temperature runs slightly higher than most other people's do."
He shook his head, a look of disbelief on his face. Okay, he's acting weird.
"My body temperature has always been high. So you are wrong about me having a fever." he stated.
I shrugged, "Just wanted to check. I don't want you to be sick." Since Hiei no longer had me pinned I turned around, opened my closet and walked inside.
Most of the clothes I owned were guys clothes. I did have girls clothes but not that many. Those were usually only used when going out with my family. Pants and shirts is what the majority of my clothes were. My girls clothes consisted of three pairs of nice form-fitting jeans, one dress (used for special occasions only), four dressy shirts, and two skirts (one floor length made of cloth and the other being right above knee length made of jean material.)
Like I said...not many girl clothes.
I looked for something to wear that was more comfortable than my uniform. I grabbed a pair of blue jeans that I had on a hanger and a pair of black flip-flops from the little shoe rack on the floor. Leaving my closet I closed it, noticing that Hiei was sitting on my window seat, watching me.
What the hell is he watching me for? Him watching me so intently was making me blush even more. I don't think I've ever blushed so much in my life. I figured that asking him why would be pointless. Choosing to ignore him I went back to getting a change of clothes.
From one of my dressers I grabbed one of Sinclair's old gray t-shirts. The shirts were in perfect condition but he had decided to throw them away when he bought himself a bunch of new shirts with different bands on them. Like hell I was going to let him do that to perfectly good clothes. I had gotten Gwen and Kira to distract Sinclair long enough for me to take them for myself. Sinclair hadn't even realized that my 'new' shirts were his old ones until Haku had said something.
My siblings thought I was weird for not wanting to get new clothes all the time. Gwen especially found it strange having a tomboy for a sister. Mom had been worried about my not wanting to spend money on clothes, makeup, or jewelry like most girls my age. Even with my being a tomboy. Dad had told her that I merely preferred to spend my money on things that I thought were more practical, like books, art supplies, or food.
Since my clothes were in good condition I wasn't going to waste money on more clothes that I didn't actually need. Nor was I going to waste money on makeup or jewelry that I'd probably never wear. What little jewelry I did own was a couple pairs of earrings (as well as a few earrings that had lost their counterparts), three rings, and maybe a bracelet (if it was still in one piece anyways).
I placed my shoes by my bedroom door and my shirt on my bed. I'd put it on in a bit seeing as I already had a tank top of under my uniform. I then went into the bathroom to take off my uniform and put on my jeans.
Finally! No more uniform today! Now to find out what exactly it is that Hiei wants. Not to mention find out why he keeps watching me! I walked out of the bathroom and went to hang up my uniform before I started questioning Hiei.
Hiei's POV
I was determined to get answers this time. The moment she got in the room all of my focus was on her. When she looked out her window she didn't seem to be surprised about my being there. When she blushed a moment later I became curious. What's she blushing about this time? I tried to listen to her surface thoughts and found that she had them shielded. Damn.
After she unlocked the window, opened it, and took the barrier down, she greeted me and invited me in. Still curious as to why she was blushing I asked, "Why are you blushing onna?" I hadn't seen her put the food in her mouth before I asked that, so I was startled when I heard her start to choke.
Coughing she merely replied with, "No reason."
Not liking the fact that she was lying I walked over to her saying, "You're lying." She obviously hadn't heard me walk across the room judging by the way she yelped and turned around so quickly. Her face showed her surprise at finding me only a foot away. "Tell me why you are blushing onna."
"Why I'm blushing is none of your business." she retorted, glaring at me.
I had been about to tell her that glaring at me wouldn't stop me from getting my question answered, when she started speaking again. "Was there a particular reason you were waiting outside my room? Or were you just continuing your stalking of me for the day?"
"I wasn't stalking you!" I responded back a bit louder than I had meant to. Why the hell does everyone think I'm stalking her? Wait a minute. She knew I was following her today?
Suddenly her hand was covering my mouth and my eyes widened as did Ayla's. "Ssh! Don't be so loud. We don't need my family finding out that I have a guy in my bedroom with the door locked." She removed her hand and started to walk away from me.
The moment she had touched me I felt a strange jolt suddenly go through every part of my being. What the hell was that just now? By the look on Ayla's face she felt the same thing that I just did. I realized what she had done a moment later and became annoyed. How dare the onna cover my mouth!
Just as she got to one of the other doors in her room I spun her around, grabbed her shoulders and pinned her to it. I leaned towards her stopping when our faces were separated by mere inches. She blushed more, this time because of my being so close. "Don't you ever do that again onna." I said harshly.
"What the hell are you talking about? Don't ever do what again?" she asked, confused.
I glared replying, "Putting your hand over my mouth."
A look of disbelief crossed her face before she frowned. She tensed up in annoyance asking, "You do realize how immature you are being right now, right?"
Narrowing my eyes I growled at her, trying to intimidate her. My growling didn't seem to bother her in the slightest, so I decided to turn her phrasing back on her instead. "You do realize how you aren't in a position to be saying things like that right now, right?"
The tension from her annoyance disappeared and she smiled at me. This was the first time I'd been so close to her when she smiled. Even last night at Kurama's when she smiled at me, she'd been across the room. She really does look more beautiful when she smiles. Her eyes seem to sparkle whenever she does.
I was so stunned by her smile that I couldn't even mentally scold myself for thinking what I had.
Next thing I knew she had placed her hand on my forehead, a worried look on her face. I snapped out of it and backed away from her. "What the hell are you doing?" I asked.
She blinked, looking confused saying, "I noticed that your face was flushed and I was worried that you were coming down with a cold or something. So I was checking to see if you had a fever, you felt a bit warm so you might have one. Unless your body temperature is like mine and your normal temperature runs slightly higher than most other people's do."
Shaking my head in disbelief, I stared at her. She was worried that I was sick? But why? "My body temperature has always been high. So you are wrong about me having a fever." I told her.
Shrugging she said, "Just wanted to check. I don't want you to be sick." Ayla turned around and opened her closet, walking inside to find some clothes I guess.
I sat down on the window seat and watched her look through her clothes. She didn't take that much time and grabbed a pair of jeans and shoes. Leaving the closet and closing the door she noticed where I was and that I was watching her. She blushed more as I continued to watch her. Apparently she decided that she would try to ignore that I was watching her so closely and walked over to one of her dressers.
The shirt she took out was gray in color and looked like it would be loose on her. Doesn't she have any clothes that are more feminine? Or are all her clothes what seem to be hand-me-downs from her older brother? I found it odd that she seemed to have no female clothes. Does she only spend her money on books? I thought that this was quite possible, seeing how many books she owns.
After she got the shirt she put her shoes by the bedroom door and her shirt on the bed. Next she went into the bathroom with only the jeans she had grabbed. Wait a minute. She left her shirt out here. Why did she do that when she's changing her clothes?
A few moments later she came out of the bathroom with her uniform in her arms, ready to be put away. I realized that the reason she had left her shirt out here was because she already had a tank top on. Must have had that on under her uniform. And it actually fits her form unlike the rest of her clothes.
She hung her uniform up on her closet door, turned out there was a hook on it to hang things. As she did this she asked, "Mind telling me why you were stalking me today Hiei?"
"For the last time I wasn't stalking you onna." I growled.
Turning to me and placing her hands on her hips, she asked, "If you weren't stalking me, what were you doing then?"
I looked out the window and answered, "Observing a possible threat." I can't tell her the truth. That I'm watching her because I'm trying to figure out what the hell it is about her that draws me to her.
"A possible threat huh? Nice to know what you think of me Hiei." she replied venomously.
Hearing her use that tone of voice made me look back at her. The look of anger on her face didn't surprise me, but the look in her eyes did. Seeing the sadness and hurt in her eyes caused a sharp pain in my chest. I hurt her. Damn it. Why the hell does it bother me so damn much that I hurt her? She's just a human. I don't care whether I hurt a human or not.
But Ayla wasn't just any human. She was more than that, I just wasn't sure what exactly.
"Get out."
I blinked at her, "What did you...?"
She cut me off, "Get out, right now. I don't want you here at the moment, so leave."
I stared at her and noticed her eyes were filling with tears, sending another sharp pain in my chest. She's trying to keep from crying. I hurt her that badly? Suddenly I wanted to apologize to her for what I had said just now. What the hell? I apologize to no one.
"Damn it Hiei, I said get out! Leave!" she said, starting to get loud. If she got any louder her family would hear and come see what was going on.
So I did what she told me to. I got up and left. So much for getting answers this time.
Ayla's POV
Asking Hiei why he had been following me had to be the stupidest thing I've ever done.
'"Observing a possible threat."' Hearing him say that had hurt me in a way I hadn't expected. For some reason it had felt like someone had stabbed me in the heart with a knife and twisted it. I'd almost started crying right after he said that, but I kept myself from doing so...barely. No way was I going to cry while he was there.
When he looked at me I knew he saw the sadness and hurt I felt in my eyes. I've never been able to keep my emotions from showing in my eyes.
My telling him to get out had surprised him, as well as telling him I didn't want him here at the moment. I had gotten to the point where I wouldn't be able to hold my tears back much longer when he finally left after I nearly yelled at him. The moment he was gone I ran over to the window quickly closing it, locking it, and raising the barrier on it.
Only after doing that did I let the tears I'd been holding back flow freely. How could I have been so stupid? I should never have asked him.
I looked at the clock to check the time. 4:20 huh? That means I only have ten minutes to finish getting my stuff together. Tears were still falling from my eyes as I made sure I had what I needed for studying.
I noticed that I hadn't eaten very much of my snack. Because I was upset from what happened with Hiei I'd lost what little appetite I had. Still I forced myself to finish the grapes that were left, knowing that I needed to eat.
"Hey Nymph! Time to head next door! So hurry up!" Sinclair yelled from the bottom of my stairs.
"Be there in a sec Sin!" I yelled back.
I went into the bathroom and looked in the mirror. My eyes were slightly red from crying. I hope no one notices that I've been crying. I really don't want to lie about why I was crying.
I took my glasses off and set them to the side and turned on the cold water. Splashing my face with the water helped make me feel better, not much, but better. I turned the water off, dried my face, and put my glasses back on as I walked to my bed. Putting on my t-shirt I'd laid there earlier I went to my desk again. Grabbing my bag, empty bowl, and shoes before heading downstairs.
The moment my foot left the last step I was tackled by Kira. Needless to say everything I was holding went flying. My bag went in the direction of the living room while my shoes went further down the hall. Mom and the others came running into the room when they heard the crash.
"What happened?" Mom asked.
I was about to answer when the bowl decided it was finally time to land. Unfortunately for me it had chosen to land upside-down on my head.
This of course caused both of my brothers to burst into laughter. Gwen didn't laugh although she did smile. Mom smiled as well while trying not to laugh at what had just happened.
"Besides what just happened with the bowl, what happened to cause you two to crash?" Mom asked again. She knelt beside me and Kira, removing the blasted bowl from my head.
"Pixie happened. I had just gotten off of the stairs when she suddenly tackled me with a hug. She seems to be trying to break my ribs at the moment." I answered with a small grimace. Kira was hugging me so hard that it really did feel like she was trying to break my ribs or at least crack them.
"Kira sweetie, why did you choose to hug Ayla like that?" Mom asked.
None of us could hear what Kira said because she had her face buried in my stomach.
Sinclair and Haku both stopped laughing, while Gwen and Mom had stopped smiling. We all knew that if Kira had her face hidden when she spoke that something was really bothering her.
I wrapped my arms around my baby sister saying in a soft voice, "Kira we couldn't hear what you said just now. Could you please repeat it?"
She didn't let go of me, but she did loosen her grip and look at me. She was crying and said, "You're hurt sissy."
I looked at her confused, "I'm not hurt Pixie. See? I'm fine."
Shaking her head she said, "No sissy you are hurt. You're hurt badly. I know you are. You were crying. I heard you. Even though you were upstairs I heard you cry."
She heard me crying? But how? Unless...she's an empath. My eyes widened at that realization.
"What are you talking about Kira?" Haku asked.
I raised my hand to let Haku know to be quiet for a moment. Swallowing I asked, "Kira? Are you hearing a strange melody that's sad?"
Mom looked at me in shock, as did my other siblings. They knew that I referred to emotions as melodies and realized exactly what I was asking Kira.
Kira nodded her head, sniffling a little.
"How long have you been hearing melodies?"
"Ever since I can remember. But they aren't that loud. The only ones that get loud are the ones from you, Mommy, Daddy, Haku, Gwennie, and Sin." she answered.
"What about Grandma Genkai?" I asked.
"Her too."
Looking at Mom I said, "Mom? You might want to call Grandma Genkai and let her know that I won't be coming alone this weekend."