Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ Born Again on the Full Moon ❯ The Third Night ( Chapter 3 )

Chapter 3: The Third Night

as I was going up the stair

I met a man who wasn't there

he wasn't there again today

I wish, I wish he'd stay away

-hughes mearns, the psychoed

***

"Did you know about the 'Jiyuu' Moon beforehand?" I ask Kurama. Please say no, please say no; otherwise you'll be taking all the blame . . .

"I did," he states softly.

He accepts it. "Why didn't you try to stop it from happening? Stopped him somehow?"

He tilts his head, clasps his hands, and rests them on his knees. I feel I've missed something important. "Miss Waters, can one stop the moon from rising?"

"No," I say. "No matter what, it always comes."

He smiles gently. "Exactly."

-from the memoirs of Shelta Waters, ABN reporter

***

Kurama drew a ragged breath, tossing off the sheet that clung damply to his legs. Pale skin gleamed in the fresh sunlight streaming through the open window, stark against a halo of blood-red hair and the small, tanner hand draped across his slim waist. The hand clenched, tiny nails scraping his soft belly as Kurama stared up at the ceiling. They both listened to his breathing until the heavy pants subsided.

"Daijoubu ka?" came the murmured question and a crimson eye opened sleepily, fixing on the shaken kitsune.

"Aa. It doesn't hurt."

Hiei grunted and used his other hand as leverage to raise himself up, leaning gently on his partner. "I do not like this," he said pointedly.

Kurama exhaled a sigh but it emitted more like a strangled whimper. He grasped under Hiei's arms and pulled the little half-Koorime to his chest, burying his nose in the sleep-fluffed black hair. Hiei tensed and then went limp, allowing himself to be subjected to the kitsune's affection.

"I don't like it either," Kurama agreed softly. "But it'll pass within a few more days. It just . . . takes a lot out of me." He felt the answering growl rumble against his chest and smiled a little. "He is very stubborn, Hiei. Reminds me of you."

"Do not compare me to him," the youkai grumbled. "I wouldn't give you so much trouble."

"Oh really?" Kurama rolled, trapping the small body beneath his own. He was well aware of the self-contained panic that briefly swept across those ruby eyes at being held down, even by a trusted lover. Kurama waited a moment for Hiei to adjust and then playfully nipped his nose. "You, beloved, give me quite a lot of trouble. I expect and welcome it though. This . . ." the youko in ningen form shifted his leafy gaze, "This I do neither." He chewed on the inside of his lip, unwilling to meet Hiei's stare. "He struggled to fiercely this time. He didn't want to return and so he fought against whatever force pulls him back every night. Hiei . . . I know this is putting a strain on you-"

"Kurama."

A bandaged knuckle lifted and grazed tenderly across the kitsune's lower jaw, warm fingers tangling in the lock of red that spilled over one ear. "Kurama," he said again. "I . . . do not know exactly how to handle . . . this situation, so you are going to have to tell me what I should do."

Kurama met the fire youkai's ruby eyes, dancing from one to the other, searching. "Agreed," he said softly. "The other has blocked his memories from me, forming a barrier between our two minds. I can't say for certain what he has done these past two nights."

"He was with a ningen."

"What?!" the redhead hissed, shock draining his face. "Where? You saw this?"

Hiei shrugged a little. "I followed the clone to some ningen school. He had been gone for several hours already, but I saw a ningen with his mark on her."

"Mark?" Kurama echoed faintly.

"Here." Hiei pointed to a spot on his own neck just below his ear. "Her name is Daini. Or at least that's what another ningen female called her."

"Inari . . ." Kurama groaned, hoisting himself off the little youkai to plop down on the mattress beside him. He draped a slender arm over his face, feeling Hiei shift and sit up.

"What aren't you telling me, kitsune?"

"The Jiyuu moon doesn't just temporarily free spirits. It also offers them a chance at making their freedom permanent."

Hiei frowned his thin eyebrows. "How permanent?"

"Very permanent." Kurama breathed out another prayer and pressed the heels of his palms into his eyes. "Whether or not I would still be able to transform back into my youko body is still undetermined, buthemost definitely would be permanently separated from me if he bonded with a human."

"Youko have a bonding ceremony?"

"Aa." He peeked out at the miffed look Hiei was giving him. "I thought you knew that."

"How am I supposed to know the mating rituals of a race that never uses them?" the fire youkai mumbled.

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Kurama said haughtily, raising up on his elbows. He waited for a reply but Hiei just stared blankly at him. The youko's face darkened. "Do you want to bond?"

"No."

"Then why bring it up now? Inari!" he spat. "This is not what I need from you, Hiei. Forget I said anything." He wrestled with the sheets tangled around his feet, cursed again, and gave up, flopping onto his side angrily, facing away from Hiei.

Hiei blinked slowly, staring down at the motionless form. He was a bit stunned at the snappish attitude of the usually docile redhead, and performed a mental rewind to see exactly what he had said that derailed the youko. His ruby eyes widened.

"Kurama."

"Go back to sleep."

"It is morning."

"Then leave," was the bitter reply. "You usually do."

Hiei felt his own temper rising, the already tense air in the room growing warmer. Snarling, he pounced on Kurama, straddling the youko-ningen. He pinned delicate wrists to the bed and shoved himself between long slender legs.

"You are making me angry, kitsune."

Those emerald depths flashed golden, surrounded by billowing red locks of hair. They both stared at each other in silence, daring one to strike first.

Finally, Hiei allowed his gaze to soften. "You never mentioned that youko bond with their lifemates, or even if they take lifemates. Kurama, I cannot help reacting the way that I did, you should realize this by now." He eased his fists loose and grimaced at the purple bruises he had left on Kurama's pale skin.

Kurama merely looked up at him with calm, frozen eyes, flexing his fingers to get the blood flowing again. "Do you want to bond?" he repeated his earlier question, soft alto low and almost inaudible.

"I do not know."

"Neither do I." Kurama slowly wound his arms through Hiei's, pulling him close. "Would you do me a favor?"

"Yes," said Hiei. "As long as it does not involve that clone."

"I can't go after him while he's separated from me. I'm too disorientated at first. Would you . . ."

Silence. Then, "Tonight, I will."

***

Daini remained indoors as much as she could the next day, running to her classes and immersing herself in large groups of other students. By the end of her last class, she felt foolish for being so paranoid. Attracting weird looks from her peers was not the best course of action.

But when Nakame left her alone and headed once more to that damnable night class, Daini walked as slowly as possible up to their room. Halting by the door, she took a deep breath and forced her shaking hand to twist the cool knob.

The room was empty.

She checked and rechecked the closets, the locked window, even under the bed, before relaxing enough to resume breathing. Laughing softly to herself, she moved over to her desk by the door and shrugged off her backpack. She flexed her aching shoulders and rubbed her neck, ignoring the faint scab still there. Picking up some required reading, she turned to lay down on her top bunk and bit back a cry. The book in her hand slipped free and clattered to the floor.

The youko sat perched on the edge of her bed. His long, draping legs were crossed at the ankles and he leaned casually on the heels of his hands. "There you are," he said mildly, yellow eyes tearing into her. He leapt down silently on the thick carpet, never breaking eye-contact, and sauntered over to stand uncomfortably close to the voiceless girl. She backed into the desk, unsuccessfully attempting to get away, more books and other items tumbling off. The youko stepped across the final distance, and lifted her chin with one long-nailed finger to plan a small, chaste kiss.

"Not frightening, eh?" he murmured, still holding her chin.

Suddenly he made a noise low in his throat, a growl. Daini could feel the sound in her feet, in the thin air between them, and through the hand still touching her. His silver hair seemed to bristle at the tips and his foxy ears swept backward, laying flat against his skull. A tiny flair of nostrils indicated that he was sniffing the air around them.

"Hiei," he hissed, twisting away from Daini. His whole physique vibrated with anger. Daini stared up at him and, holding her breath, eased her chin from his loose grip. He's forgotten about me. I can squeeze past. I can get away before he notices. The youko's eyes found her and seemed to pin the dark-haired girl in place.

After an unpleasant silence, he said, "I will not harm you. Do you believe me when I say this?"

She blinked, too overwhelmed with his presence and the sudden question to reply.

A large yet slender hand reached toward her, palm up.

"I give my word. Do you trust me?"

Daini bit her lower lip as hard as she dared and did not wake up. Trust? Believe? I've no reason to do either . . .

The youko shifted his feet but his eyes remained on hers, intent on her answer, and his offer did not waver. Such yellow eyes . . . such a keen gaze . . . Daini knew she'd look back to this moment and wonder why she did what she did next.

His hand felt warm as she laid hers across the smooth palm. His eyes shone; he hadn't expected her to accept. He inclined his head, once, and then all was a swirl of light and pastel color.

***

"Where am I?"

"The world of the unawakened." The youko stood beside Daini, his hand still curved tenderly around hers. His yellow eyes trailed across the surroundings: a large cliff overlooking fields of purple and pasty pink wallflowers. Daini was so enraptured by the sight that she almost missed his next words. "Hiei caught me off guard, the little demon, and it will not take him long to track me here. I despise being hunted," he added irritably.

"Why's he hunting you?" she ventured timidly.

Those inhuman eyes alighted on her again, after a slight hesitation. "He was asked to."

"Oh."

"Those bastards want to take away my freedom and prevent me from living by my own will. I am quite real, though, and intend on staying that way as long as possible." He gave a sudden bitter laugh and raised Daini's hand to cup against his chest. "I forget whom it is I am speaking to. I will return you to the Ningenkai once Hiei knows I am gone." His gaze drifted away and his entire posture spoke of internal weariness.

Daini watched the emotions play out across his chiseled features. "Ano . . ." she emitted softly. "It sometimes helps to tell someone what's on your mind." At his silence, she added, "It's a - a human thing."

The youko finally released her hand and reached out with his own. She tensed, a habit she was rapidly forming to any movement this creature made, but he only brushed a soft thumb across her cheek and dipped his fingertips into the black stands of her hair. "Why must you be so innocent?" he murmured.

Her lips bowed in an exasperated frown. "I'm not!" she insisted, edging away from his hand.

"Don't say that," he exhorted, turning his back to her. She stared at those broad shoulders, slender waist, drooping tail that barely brushed against her side. "Daini . . ." He seemed to search for the right words and gave up, folding his arms over a partly-bare chest.

"I don't understand you," Daini said, glaring up at him. Her mind screamed at her to shut up and her mouth stubbornly refused the warning. "I want to believe that you're really a nice guy, just maybe don't know how to show it." He snorted at that but did not stop her from continuing. "But you keep stalking me. And that first night . . ." she faltered, remembering the caresses and - and -

"I came with the purpose of stealing your innocence," he finished. Tilting his head, he peered at her over his shoulder, his elfin face closed and indecipherable. "But I could not do it then, just as I will not now."

She flushed and tugged uncomfortably on the edge of her sweater. Does he expect me to say 'thank you' or something? Somehow, that did not seem very appropriate.

The youko broke their silence, jerking his head up and sniffing the air. "No sign of Hiei," he said with obvious relief. "Shall I return you now?"

"What about you?" Shut up already!

He smiled as if touched by her question. "I must keep moving and scatter my scent. I . . . can come back tomorrow night . . ."

Daini heard the unspoken hint of question in his voice. He was asking if it was all right to see her again. This side of the fox demon was very different that Daini's first impression of him. There are many sides to every person. The warmth in his golden eyes only proved it.

"Just one thing," she finally said, mouth curving upward. "What's your name?"

The smile vanished from his face. Thinking she had said something offensive, Daini started to apologize but a finger upon her lips stilled them. "You may call me Kit," he answered quietly.

His finger lightly brushed her cheek -

- and Daini fell backward onto the wooden desk, catching herself with her elbows before she knocked over the computer monitor. Her head spun dizzily, vision blurry as if she had taken a wild ride across dimensions.

Oh Kami! I told Kit he could come back!

Groaning and inwardly fussing, she gingerly righted herself and changed into her nightclothes, crawled into bed as sleep blanketed her. She saw no eyes that night, golden or otherwise.