Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ Vacation Time ❯ Thirty-Two ( Chapter 32 )

Chapter Thirty-Two: Shopping and Elopement

 

Cassie's POV

 

I gazed around the room, my eyes taking in some of the items littering the floor. An empty can of whipped cream rested near the bed, along with the remainders of other food items. The room was, without a doubt, a mess. It would have to be cleaned up later, but that was okay. Last night had been well worth the mess, and I was sure that Hiei would agree with me on that point.

 

Smiling, I yawned and stretched, feeling Hiei's grip on me instantly tighten. He nuzzled my neck, planting a soft kiss right below my ear.

 

"Good morning," I said happily, pressing my back a little more firmly against his chest. "Sleep well?"

 

"Mmm-hmmm..." He nodded his head, running a hand down my body. Obviously, he had less than innocent things on his mind.

 

I moaned softly. "Hiei... we really should get up. I'm kinda hungry, and everyone's probably wondering what's going on between us."

 

"Hn." The fire demon didn't sound happy, and he didn't stop his wandering hand. "Later."

 

"How much later?" I inquired, closing my eyes and snuggling back against him even more. "We do need to get up soon."

 

I felt him shrug. "Just... later." He nuzzled my neck and trailed fiery kisses down the tender flesh.

 

That proved to be my undoing, and I caved in. "Okay. Later."

 

I finished getting dressed and pulled my still damp hair into a ponytail. After everything, both Hiei and I had needed a shower. Of course, it had been a very, very long shower. I had even washed the fire demon's hair myself, and he had returned the favor. Body washing and... other things had come after that. We hadn't shut off the water until it had turned ice cold.

 

Feeling more relaxed than I had felt in ages, I stretched and turned to check and see if Hiei was dressed yet or not. He was, although I wasn't sure if I considered that to be a good or bad thing. Hmmm...

 

"It's almost noon," the black-haired demon stated, his red eyes glancing towards the clock as a small smile played across his handsome features.

 

I nodded my head. "Yes, it is."

 

Hiei walked over to me and put his arms around me, placing a kiss on the visible mark on my shoulder.

 

Laughing, I put my arms around his neck and gave him a quick kiss. "I'm starting to think that I'll die from old age before we leave this room." Suddenly, the fire demon froze, surprising me. "Hiei?" I sounded worried.

 

Then, it hit me. I finally understood what had caused Hiei to become so still. He was a demon. I was a human, which meant that I would most likely die long before he ever would. Not good.

 

"Shit." Usually, I wasn't one for cussing, but the situation seemed to call for it.

 

"There is a way to turn you into a demon," he told me, voice soft.

 

I blinked. "What?" I hadn't been expecting him to say something like that. There were some things that just were not supposed to be possibilities; him saying that I could become a demon was one of them.

 

Hiei gave a soft sigh. "A crushed Koorime tear gem combined with a drop of blood from your mate, some water, and honey will make a... potion that will change you into a demon."

 

Wrinkling my nose at the ingredients, I thought about what he had said. "I can become a demon? Give up my humanity? My mortality?" I inquired, my voice equally as soft.

 

If I became a demon, then what would that mean in relation to my normal life? How would I be able to explain it to my family? Would my appearance change? Would I be able to continue with my life as if nothing had happened?

 

I had too many questions, most of which I had a feeling Hiei could not answer.

 

"If you want... yes." His voice held a strange tone to it, and I identified it as fear. He was scared of losing me.

 

Closing my eyes and taking a deep breath, I thought about what the demon had said. "I need some time to consider this," I told him. "I just can't make a decision like this without thinking on it."

 

Hiei nodded understandingly. "Let's go get something to eat."

 

"Sure," I responded, and he released me so I could walk.

 

We went out of the room and into the dining room, which was exactly were everyone was. Boxes of pizza were strewn out over the large tabletop, and some of the demon were standing up as they ate. Botan, Yusuke, and Keiko seemed to favor the chairs over the floor.

 

Kaline must have heard me enter the room or something, because she turned around and set her plate down, a large smile on her face. "Hey, Cassie!" she greeted me brightly. "Are you finally done taping the Herbal Essence commercial?"

 

My jaw went slack and my eyes became wider as she giggled. Someone had obviously been a bad influence on her. I just wasn't sure if it had been me or Kurama.

 

"Kaline!!!" I exclaimed, surprised by her words. Yusuke and Kuwabara broke down laughing, while Kurama merely chuckled. Keiko seemed to be just as shocked as I was, and the others looked completely lost.

 

"Ummm... did I miss something?" Koenma wanted to know.

 

"I think quite a few of us did," Botan replied, eyes wide.

 

Kaline just gave me her best innocent look. "Is something wrong, Cassie?" she inquired in a child-like voice.

 

"You're laying the I'm-so-innocent routine on a bit thick," I retorted, scowling.

 

She just blinked once and then smiled sweetly. "I'm sorry." She paused. "I have good news though. We've convinced the guys to go shopping with us in the open air markets in town."

 

I shook my head sadly. "You're exhausting."

 

Hiei chose that moment to whisper a question in my ear. "What did Kaline mean by that comment?"

 

"Ahhh..." I blushed, unsure of what to say. The fire demon seemed to acquire all the information he needed just from the look on my face. What he was going to say in response, I didn't know. I wasn't even sure if I wanted to know.

 

Luckily, Kurama spoke up right then. "Kaline and I are also getting married tonight."

 

Now that statement was even more shocking. I hadn't expected them to tie the knot so soon. Yeeeash. "Okay," I replied slowly.

 

Kaline frowned slightly. "Are you all right?"

 

I thought on that for a moment. "Yeah, you just surprised me... that's all." I sounded unsure of myself, even to my own ears.

 

"Sorry," she apologized automatically. "But we get to go shopping after lunch!" Her enthusiasm vibrated through the air, and I couldn't help but smile back at her. The emotion was catching.

 

"Can't you even stay on topic for a full minute?" Yusuke demanded to know in a rash tone.

 

Shrugging, Kaline went back to eating. She didn't say anything else, which only served to annoy the raven-haired detective.

 

"Geez, you're annoying," he commented with a sigh.

 

The blue-gray eyed girl looked up at him, expression neutral. "And? You're point is?" she asked, voice calm and disinterested. I wondered where she had learned to do that.

 

Kuwabara laughed. "It looks like Kaline enjoys annoying you, Urameshi."

 

"Great." Yusuke sounded less than enthusiastic.

 

"C'mon, Yusuke," Keiko said soothingly. "It's not like she's hurting you."

 

The banter continued on, with everyone putting their two-cents worth in. I just contented myself with sitting down next to Hiei and eating my lunch.

 

About an hour later, we were all in town at the market, taking in the busy atmosphere. Booths had been set up on both sides of the street, selling anything and everything I could possibly imagine. As far as I could tell, most of the streets in the downtown area were filled with different booths. The place reminded me of a middle eastern bazaar, like the one in Aladdin.

 

I mentally shook my head. 'I've been spending too much time around Kaline. I'm comparing things to Disney movies now. How wonderful.'

 

"Oh, Hiei, look!" I exclaimed, pointing and dragging the fire demon over to a booth by his hand. He went with me willingly, although he was scowling. "How cool."

 

The old man behind the booth was creating beautiful jewelry right before my eyes. I couldn't afford the things he had created, that I was sure of, but I wanted to watch. I found the art of jewelry-making to be quite interesting.

 

He twisted golden-colored wire around turquoise stones in intricate patterns. "Would you like to buy anything?" he asked pleasantly.

 

I shook my head. "No. I'm just looking." With a smile, I went back to walking around.

 

A flash of red told me where Kaline and Kurama were. Off a little ways more where Kuwabara and Yukina with Jin and Touya. Botan and Koenma were off, wandering around somewhere, and Yusuke and Keiko were walking around by themselves as well.

 

For some reason or another, we had all split into our little groups. I couldn't really argue though. I liked having time alone with Hiei, although I did need to talk to Kaline later about this becoming a demon thing. I needed a second opinion from someone who had started out life thinking she was human and then discovered that she was a half demon. She could probably provide some helpful insights or something. At least, I was praying that she could.

 

"How long is this torture going to last?" Hiei demanded to know, sounding bored.

 

Poor guy. I couldn't dredge up much sympathy for him. He had willingly come with, probably because he wanted to do some protecting. The fire demon didn't trust Jin quite yet, and I really couldn't blame him. However, when Jin had finally noticed the mark, his eyes had become wide. The wind demon had finally seemed to accept the fact that I was out of his reach, that I didn't want him. Good for him. It had certainly taken him long enough.

 

"We're having supper at a restaurant in town, and afterwards we're going to the church to watch Kaline and Kurama elope," I replied. "Once we've done that, then we're going back to the beach house." I glanced over my shoulder at him. "I thought you already knew all that?"

 

"This place is full of stupid ningens," Hiei answered in his normal condescending tone. "You are not a stupid ningen," he added a moment later. I had already known that, but it was nice to hear him say it.

 

"I understand what you're saying." I smiled gently at him as something caught my eye. "What's that?" I promptly began to weave my way through the crowd, Hiei walking right behind me, his hand still in mine.

 

I spent some time at the booth, and then I moved onto the next. There were a few booths that sold weapons, and those Hiei took an interest in. They weren't my thing, but I stayed with the fire demon until he bored of looking at the swords and knives. It seemed that, above all else, Hiei was a warrior.

 

Our time at the open air market went by quickly, and I ended up buying a few souvenirs, as did my friends. Also, supper went by quickly, which surprised me. I had expected the meal to drag on, but with the hilarious conversations (most of which had been at Yusuke's expense), it had been a most memorable hour. Even Hiei had seemed to enjoy himself, and he had actually smiled a few times during dinner.

 

Once supper was over, we all piled into taxis and headed over to a nice little church. The church was white, with large stained-glass windows that sparkled brilliantly when even the smallest amount of light touched them. On the inside, the building was neat and clean, the epitome of the churches always seen on television. I was impressed.

 

Glancing over at Kurama, I couldn't tell if he was nervous or not. He was acting like his normal self; however, Kaline did appear to be just a little tense. Her eyes shown with a bright happiness, though, that told me she knew exactly what she was doing and what she wanted. She wanted Kurama, and one look told me that Kurama felt the same way about Kaline.

 

I gave my best friend a small hug before her and the redhead went up to the altar and the priest.

 

The marriage ceremony was the quickest one I had ever seen. It took less than five minutes for the man in ceremonial robes to announce the two as husband and wife. Impressive, to say the least. I instantly developed a new liking for elopement. Long weddings had never been my thing.

 

Before we left, I signed a little document, saying that I was a witness to Kaline and Kurama's marriage. Kurama hadn't used his real name though. He had used Suichi Minamino.

 

'Kaline Minamino... poor girl. That last name is a mouthful,' I thought humorously as I signed my name away. 'Does Hiei have a last name?' I wondered, curious. I made a mental note to ask him later.

 

"Well, Kaline, Kurama, what does it feel like to be finally married?" Botan asked, her normal amount of cheer on her face. She had nearly cried during the ceremony. Why she had, I don't know.

 

The two newlyweds exchanged a look, and I immediately knew that Botan really hadn't needed to ask that question. They were both positively beaming at each other, and I had never seen Kaline look happier.

 

"I don't know how to describe it," Kaline began to explain. "But I would have to say that it's the best feeling in the world."

 

"I can think of something that probably feels better," Hiei whispered very quietly in my ear, and the not-so-subtle hint did not go unnoticed by me.

 

I laughed softly. "Don't you ever get tired?" I inquired, my voice just as low so no one else could hear me.

 

"No."

 

Shaking my head, I turned my attention back to the rest of the group. Somehow, while Hiei and I had exchanged those few sentences, the others had decided to go back to the beach house. I just nodded my head in agreement with them, and soon, we were back in the taxis.

 

As Kaline stepped out of her taxi, I pulled her off to the side. The others went into the beach house, leaving us alone.

 

"I need to talk to you," I said, my voice soft.

 

She nodded her head. "Okay. I'm here for you," she responded. "What is it that you need to talk to me about?"

 

I took a deep breath, debating how to word what I wanted to say. "Hiei offered me something..." I drifted off.

 

After a few moments of silence, Kaline laid a gentle hand on my arm. "What?"

 

"The chance to become a demon," I answered simply.

 

She stood there for a moment, completely shocked. "How is that possible?" Confusion was written all over her face.

 

"Hiei claimed that there was a potion made from some kind of gem, a drop of blood, and some other things," I told her, trying my best to recall what he had said.

 

"A koorime gem?" Kaline inquired almost immediately.

 

I blinked, a little surprised. "I think so."

 

"I don't know much about koorime gems, so it might be possible." She shrugged and then sighed. "I don't think that you've quite gotten around yet to what you wanted to ask me, have you?"

 

I shook my head, my brown hair gently swaying with the movement. "When you learned that you were a half demon, how did you feel? Do you think that your long life is worth watching your friends and family die long before you?"

 

Kaline thought on that for a while. "When I first learned that I was a demon, I really didn't think much on my lifespan. To tell you the truth, I haven't thought on it much at all. Salova is my only family, and I am suppose to live longer than her because she's older than me." She paused for a few moments. "I understand that all things must die someday, even me. It would kill a part of me to see you die, but I would survive it."

 

She took a few deep breaths, her eyes wandering up to the sky, which was slowly becoming dark. For some reason, I had a feeling that she wasn't done talking yet. I was right.

 

"Cassie, I know that I'm going to live longer than anyone else; that's a fact. But, if I was human, and Kurama had given me the choice that Hiei has given you..." Kaline drifted off, her eyes lowering from the sky to meet mine. "I'd jump at it. I love Kurama with all my heart, and I want to spend as much time with him as I can. And you know what? If I died long before Kurama did, I have a feeling that a piece of him would die with me. I don't want a piece of him to die."

 

I soaked in all that she had told me, my mind processing it. All the information was flowing through my brain, becoming more organized.

 

'I love Hiei with all my heart, and I do want to spend as much time with him as I can,' I thought. 'If I chose not to become a demon, then I'd die long before he would. I would grow old while he would stay young. I would die of old age while he would probably still look as he does now, and it's a possibility that a part of Hiei would die with me as well. I already know that he doesn't want to lose me. My death would hurt him, and I don't want to do that to him at all.'

 

"Did I help any?" Kaline asked, worry in her voice. She was being a good friend, and I was very thankful for that.

 

"Yes, you did. Thanks." I gave her a grateful smile.

 

She returned the smile. "You're welcome." She turned to leave but paused for a moment. "This is your decision, Cassie. You should think this over carefully, although I'm pretty sure that you're already doing that."

 

Kaline took a few more steps towards the beach house and paused again. "If it means anything, I know that Hiei would probably do anything for you. He loves you, Cassie, and he's a demon who's marked you. He now considers himself off-limits to all other females... probably for the rest of his life, whether you decide to become a demon or not. Hiei has a sense of honor in some things that astonishes me. He may not always be the nicest guy, but once you earn his respect, you can trust him with your life. You've earned more than his respect; you've earned his love."

 

With that last little bit of information, she went into the beach house, leaving me alone to think. I did contemplate for a long while on what she had told me and what I might want to do. In the end, it all boiled down to the fact that I loved Hiei with all my heart. I didn't want to have him just for fifty years or so; I wanted him for as long as I could have him. Living with him for a couple hundred years sounded pretty darn good.

 

There... I had admitted it. I loved Hiei enough that I would give up my mortality for him, possibly even give up my family.

 

I had finally made my decision. I would become a demon.