[Anime] Unexpected Love

[Mizu Rose]

lol Yea, I know you love Kurama. xD In this one, he's really sweet and stuff, just the way you like him. (That sounds so wrong. sweatdrop ) Anyway, here's chapter 4!

[anime]Unexpected Love
Yu Yu Hakusho based
By Mizu Rose

Disclaimer: I do not own YYH or any of its characters. The only characters I own will be listed below.


Characters I own:
Nozomi Kajuji

----------------------Chapter 4----------------

“Augh…. My head hurts….” Nozomi said quietly, walking home from her bus stop.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a shadow flash by in the tree tops. She looked up at the clear blue sky, both hands in front of her carrying her bag, and just watching the clouds float lazily by.

“They’re so lucky… They don’t have to do anything at all…” She said quietly, giving an envious look upward towards the heavens. Sighing, she looked back down on to the path, only to walk into someone. She didn’t fall, but she almost did if it hadn’t been for Kurama catching her around the waist and pulling her close unintentionally.

She blushed when she realized that he was still holding on to her. “Um… Kurama?”

He seemed to notice just as she had said his name and immediately let go, lightly blushing as well. Putting a hand behind his head, he said, “I wanted to meet you at the bus stop, but I was busy reading a book and-”

“What book?” She asked quickly, looking him dead in the eyes.

“Um....I believe it’s called ‘Mysteries of the Past’.” He replied, remembering the cover of the book.

“Hm… It’s ok then.” She responded, sighing with relief.

He raised an eye brow. “I see. So, there’s a specific book you want no one to read?”

“Or touch, or even look at; yes.” She replied, continuing to walk home.

Kurama quickly caught up, being slightly taller than she was anyway. “So tell me, what school is it that you go to?”

“Your old school.” She replied simply.

“The uniforms are different now?” He asked, slightly amazed.

“Yes. But, only the girl’s uniform. The guy’s uniform is still the same color. I guess they changed the girl’s uniform so that it could match the guys’ uniform.”

“I see… To be honest with you, that’s the only explanation that makes the most sense.”

There was a moments pause in which neither talked. They merely walked back to the house, each lost in his or her thoughts.

“You’re off until Monday, right?” Kurama asked suddenly, breaking the silence.

“Oh yea. I’m off for the weekend. I have to go shopping this weekend too… You’re men were so malnourished I had to use almost everything in my storage to feed them all….” She said quietly, sighing heavily afterwards.

“I’m sorry. Youko actually, but not really, starves them, because he says that if they eat too much at once, they’ll weigh themselves down when it’s time for the next heist.” Kurama explained, feeling slightly anxious for some reason.

“Hm? You act as if he’s another person… Isn’t he a part of you?” She asked, looking up at him.

“Yes, but we have two different personalities.” He added, smiling slightly.

“Oh, I see what you mean… Yes, I understand…” She said, smiling secretly to herself.

Kurama couldn’t help but want to ask a question that had been bothering him all day long. “Nozomi, tell me… How is it you know about the spirit world? Not to mention Youko and me?”

She stopped walking and looked up at him, her blue eyes flashing. Closing them, she smiled to herself and continued walking. “That’s none of your concern.”

“That’s the same answer you gave to Youko…” Kurama said quietly, feeling slightly defeated.

“Yes, it is. But, don’t worry. I’m sure you’ll find out in due time.” She replied in a slightly happier tone.

Kuronue ran up to them from the house, panting heavily. Both Kurama and Nozomi stopped, watching him curiously.

Once he had caught enough of his breath, he looked at Nozomi and practically shouted, “They…they’re destroying everything! Yomi and I have tried to stop them, but they just won’t! They’re everywhere!”

“What?!” Nozomi cried out, both in fear and in slight shock.

Without another moment to spare, she ran towards the house, opening the door and stopping right in front of the door. She stood, paralyzed, staring at the destruction of her house.

“Hahaha! You can’t catch me!” A man shouted, running right passed her while yelling over his shoulder.

“But…but Kurama should be back any minute now! We shouldn’t!” Another man shouted, running after the man that had just run by.

“You’re such a wuss!”

“Am not!”

The walls were covered with different colors of paint, and what also looked like mud. The floor was soaking wet, water and mud tracks all over the floor. There were pieces of pottery all over the floor, along with pieces of what looked like plants that had been trampled to death. Around the entire house, you could hear the men screaming insults at each other, fighting sounds, and more glass breaking.

They are dead when I come out again… Youko’s venomously cold voice echoed inside Kurama’s head.

‘I’m surprised they’ve actually done something like this…’ Kurama thought to himself, looking upon the destruction.

Yomi ran up to them, up to Nozomi. He looked pale. “Uh…Nozomi? Remember when you said that no one should go into your room? Well…”

“Spit it out…” Her voice resounded, sounding so calm it sent shivers down his spine.

“Um…some of the men decided to go in, but they said they didn’t know whose room it was….so…”

“So…you men have taken the liberty to first, come into my house uninvited, then, after the kindness I’ve shown you, decided to destroy my house? I see how it is…” She said quietly, yet it sounded louder than anyone’s yelling voice.

Yomi took a step back, feeling a threatening danger. “I-I’m really sorry, Nozomi… But…uh…”

Ignoring him, Nozomi quietly made her way inside, taking her shoes off and her socks off, then walked further into the house, disappearing up the stairs. There was an awkward silence, in which not even the men in the back of the house shouted or yelled. After a while, screaming filled the grounds, then a great scrambling.

“You fools! You’ve wrecked my whole entire room!” They heard Nozomi’s voice cry out suddenly.

The men surrounding the house must have heard what she had said, then scrambled to the back of the house.

Kurama, suddenly very serious, looked at both Yomi and Kuronue. “Let’s go.” Then began running to the back of the house around to outside. When they got there, all three of them stood, staring at the even worse destruction than the inside of the house. There was what looked like the remains of a massive garden in the back of the house. The fertilizer was strewn all over the ground, not where it was supposed to be. And the plants…there weren’t any alive at all. They had all been trampled to death, or buried in mud.

The men froze when they saw Kurama glaring at them, disappointed. But, all of the men, obviously guilty, flinched when they heard a door open and footsteps echoing inside the demolished house, coming closer to them. The back door opened, and there stood Nozomi, her bangs covering her eyes in shadow. She seemed to flinch when she saw the condition of her garden. She walked out on to the lawn very slowly, stopping after a few steps. Kurama noticed that she was shaking with built up rage, not from fear. She moved her head from side to side, scanning the whole garden with her still shadowed eyes.

“What gave you the right to destroy my house?” She asked in deadly calm, causing the men, who were huddled together on the other side of the garden, to cower in fear.

She looked up for the first time in a while, and Kurama saw tears streaming gently down her face. He felt ashamed, ashamed that he had even bothered her in the first place.

“Who the hell gave you permission to destroy my house?!” She asked again, her voice rising angrily and her fists shaking in front of her. She gasped, then ran over to a small patch of what looked like a bush. “My roses!” She whirled around now, glaring angrily at the men with her whole body shaking now. “You….you…” Her voice cracked, and she covered her eyes with one arm as a sob convulsed her body. “You idiots! This isn’t really my house! I promised my father that while he was away, I would take care of it! You destroyed it!” She sobbed, falling to her knees in front of them, not caring any more.

Kurama walked over to her, his eyes still glaring angrily at his men. “You all should be ashamed of yourselves. I never would have imagined you would do something like this, when she took it upon herself to take care of you properly, aside from what Youko usually does. This is how you repay her? How disappointing.” He commented, making it over to Nozomi, who was crying her eyes out at the pain she felt inside her heart. Kneeling down next to her, he put an arm around her comfortingly. “I’m so sorry, Nozomi. I had no part in this, as I’m sure Yomi and Kuronue didn’t either. I’m sure you sensed that they weren’t a part of it either. Please, forgive us…” He said softly, trying to comfort her the best he could.

She sniffled, then tried to get up. She now had mud and paint all over her uniform, but she didn’t seem to care. She said nothing, but pushed Kurama gently away, then disappeared back inside the house. The sound of a door closing in the distance notified them that she had gone to her room. Kurama rounded on the men, who were looking as if they were innocent, although they were dripping with mud and paint.

“I am ashamed to call you men my comrades. Not only do you betray her trust, but you betrayed mine as well.” He scolded them, actually sounding angry. “I can’t even stand to look at you.” With that said, he turned and entered the house, going to try and console Nozomi again.

“Dude…”

“Yea, I know…”

“He sounded so much like Youko there…it was scary…”

“Are you crazy? Youko would have murdered us! Hell with just preaching at us!”

Yomi sighed, massaging his temples gently, while Kuronue stepped up to the plate.

“And what are you going to do about it? What do you have in mind?”

“We could clean this place up for her!” Someone shouted in the back.

“Yea! Good idea!” Another man agreed. “We have to do it quick though; be finished by the time Kurama comes back.”

Yomi walked up next to Kuronue. “Well, in order to start, you have to fix her house first. Maybe then she’ll see that you’re actually sorry and are trying to help her fix it up again.”

“But…she’s so mad at us… She wouldn’t help…”

“I’m not so sure about that…” Kuronue said quietly, thinking about it. “If you managed to get the whole house cleaned before Kurama comes back out, then we’ll see. We’ll be going up there as well, to help them reorganize her room, since you guys demolished that too, but still keeping in touch with everyone, how does that sound?”

All of the men cheered. Kurama looked up slightly, hearing the cheer, then shook his head. ‘What are they up to now? Don’t they understand that they’ve done enough damage as it is?’ He held Nozomi closer as she cried into his chest. This was a bit awkward, but he didn’t know what else to do to console her. They were both sitting at the edge of her mud and paint covered bed. Papers and textbooks lay strewn all over the mud covered floor as well. ‘They overdid themselves, I’ll say…’

-----------------------

That's the end of chapter 4! I hope you enjoyed it. ^.^ I know that it's not as detailed as the other chapters, but I'd say it turned out better than I had thought. ^^ Please comment!  

[Mizu Rose]

Sorry that I haven't updated in a while. Updating now though. ^^

[Anime] Unexpected Love
Yu Yu Hakusho based
By Mizu Rose

Disclaimer: I do not own YYH or any of its characters. The only characters I own will be listed below.


Characters I own:
Nozomi Kajuji

---------------Chapter 5-------------

A knock came from the cherry wood door, then the golden door knob turned and Kuronue poked his head in.

“Yo! Kurama! Is Nozomi feeling any better?”

Kurama glared at him, still holding Nozomi as she tried to dry her eyes roughly. “What is it you want now?” He asked irritably, not wanting to see any of his men at the moment.

Kuronue walked in, followed by Yomi, who closed the door behind them. Both looked around at the mess. As Yomi continued looking around the room, Kuronue knelt down in front of Nozomi and looked up at her with a caring look on his face.

“Nozomi… I’m sorry about what happened. Truly…” He said softly, putting a hand on her left knee, causing her to look up slightly at him.

“Kuronue…” She hiccupped, then flung her arms around his neck and hugged him, crying into his shoulder.

Kuronue, not expecting this, was taken aback by her sudden movement. But, as she cried into his shoulder, he soon wrapped his arms around her hesitantly, noticing the dim fire behind his boss’s eyes. He soothingly rubbed her back, trying to calm her down.

“There, there…” He said quietly as she quieted down little by little, until she was just crying silently while sniffling every now and then. He held her out at arms length. “So, are you feeling better now?”

“Mhm…” She said quietly, wiping her eyes roughly. “Sorry…”

“There’s no need to be.” Kuronue smiled, then stood up, helping her stand as well. “Yomi and I are here to help you and Kurama clean up your room. So, why don’t we get started?”

Nozomi glanced around her room, eyes still red from crying. “I’m going to need the help, so thanks…” She said it quietly, yet loud enough for the whole room to hear her.

“Right! So Yomi, go get the cleaning supplies.” Kuronue ordered, pointing at Yomi as Nozomi began to slowly pick up papers from the muddy ground.

Glaring at him, Yomi turned and exited the room, while Kuronue was walking about. He checked her bathroom, which was completely white except for the light and dark blue accessories. The towels were neatly in place, and the trash can was empty. He then closed the bathroom and went to check her closet, which was near by the door to the bathroom. As he opened it, he let out a gasp.

“What is it, Kuronue?” Nozomi asked, looking up from her picking up of papers.

Kuronue looked back at her. “I’m surprised there’s no pink in here!” He almost shouted, pointing in the closet.

Nozomi sighed. “I hate pink. Why is it that most men believe that all females adore that color? I detest it! It sickens me…” She said quietly, continuing to pick up the papers on the floor.

Kurama looked up at Kuronue, who only shrugged, then entered her closet. It seemed to swallow him in darkness as he went deeper into it. “You have a very big closet, Nozomi!” He called back, not sure if she had heard him. He noticed that there were different types of clothes in there, all sorted by different colors and sizes and designs.

Kuronue soon walked out of the closet, closing the door behind him. “I’m surprised, but it would seem as if they didn’t attack both your bathroom and closet…”

“I’m glad they didn’t… It would take a lot of money to just get them cleaned, and I wouldn’t want to waste the money…” Nozomi said quietly, placing the papers she had already collected on a clean spot on her bed.

She went and began clearing her desk from the few papers and books that remained on it. Kurama had begun picking up the papers that remained on the muddy floor, disgusted at his men’s work. As Nozomi and Kurama finished picking up the papers and books from both the floor and desk, a knock came from the door.

“I’ll get it.” Kuronue volunteer immediately, not even giving the other two a chance. Rushing over to the door, he opened it and looked into Yomi’s glaring black eyes.

“Here are your supplies, Kuronue…” He said quietly, handing over an arm full of cleaning supplies.

“Um...thanks?” Kuronue responded hesitantly, taking a step backwards to help keep his balance, but failing miserably and tripping over his own feet, landing with his back against the floor; the supplies still in his arms.

Nozomi rushed over, a worried look on her face. Kneeling down next to him, she managed to get a few out of his arms, enough to help him sit up again.

“Are you okay, Kuronue?” She asked quietly, still having that worried look on her face.

“Augh... Apart from my head hurting like hell... Yeah... I guess I’m all right.” He smiled at her. “Thanks, Nozomi.”

She nodded in reply, then began picking through the supplies that Yomi had brought. “Hmm... Let’s see... We don’t need this... We need this...” She murmured, sorted through the supplies.

Kuronue and Yomi watched in silence, watching her work. Kurama glanced through the side of his eye, wondering what was happening, exactly. He noticed that the door was still open and saw one of the men trying to hide while cleaning mud off of a wall. He seemed to notice that someone had seen him and disappeared from view.

“Hmph... I see...” He said quietly, having an amused smile on his face and stood up; his eyes closed.

“Huh? What’s up, Kurama?” Kuronue asked, looking back at Kurama.

“Oh, it’s nothing.” He replied quickly, noting that they obviously had no clue he was aware of what they were trying to do. Walking over, he knelt down next to Nozomi and began looking into the pile that they needed. “Do we have all of the supplies we need in order to make this room spotless?”

“No... We’re missing the most important one...” She said quietly, looking down at the last two bottles that were in her hands. She stood up and began heading for the door. “I’ll go get it...”

Yomi grabbed her suddenly and pushed her up against the wall, but not roughly. His face burned red as he held her by her shoulders. She blinked, confused.

“Is...something wrong Yomi?”

“...no...” He said in a quiet voice, his throat closing on him.

She tilted her head slightly, trying to see his face more clearly. “Then why did you-”

“I...wanted to tell you that I was going to go get it... Just...tell me what it looks like, okay?”

She blinked twice, then smiled sweetly. “Thank you. But first do you think you can let me go?”

He let go at once, his face turning an even darker shade of red. Both Kuronue and Kurama had amused facial expressions, but watched on in silence.

“Okay. The thing you’re going to be looking for is a big white bottle. The paper on it says Deido Multi-Purpose Cleaner. You can’t miss it, it’s pretty big. Oh, and don’t forget to bring back a lot of rags too! Thanks again.” She explained, smiling again.

Kuronue and Kurama exchanged a glance as Yomi slowly walked out of the room. Looking back at Nozomi, they noticed that she was walking towards her closet.

“And where are you going?” Kuronue asked as Kurama helped him to his feet.

She paused and looked back at him. “I’m going to change clothes, if you don’t mind. I don’t want my already ruined uniform to become completely wasted. And don’t you dare think about coming in here. Besides, even if you did, you wouldn’t be able to find me. See you in a few!” And she slammed the closet’s double doors shut.

“Do you think she knows that Yomi likes her?” Kuronue asked, glancing at Kurama with an amused look on his face.

“Most likely, but I’d rather not assume. Now, assist me in picking up the rest of the scattered papers and books.” Kurama replied, closing his eyes briefly before heading towards a far corner to pick up a book.

It was bound in black leather, and looked as smooth as water before it is broke with a splash. Around the corners were golden threads forming vines in swirling forms. Kurama could feel his natural curiosity building up inside of him as he noticed that there was no title on the cover. There was a silver ribbon keeping the small black and gold book closed, and he believed that if he were to open it, it would not be the same if and when he would try and bind it again.

Placing the small book in the left pocket of his pants, he returned to picking up the remaining few pieces of paper. The closet doors soon opened again and Nozomi came back out, wearing a baggy red short sleeved shirt and black pants.

Kuronue couldn’t help but stare at her. “Don’t you think that’s a bit much?”

She glared at him. “What the hell do you expect me to wear? This is my home! I choose whether I want to wear something comfortable or not!”

“Yea, I know but...”

“’But’ nothing. Now, let’s just wait for Yomi to come back so that we can do some serious cleaning.” She cut him off, crossing her arms across her chest while looking away with her eyes closed.

“You seem to be in brighter spirits.” Kurama said amusedly, watching her with his emerald green eyes.

She looked at him, then looked back up at the ceiling. “I tend to be that way... Just don’t try and annoy me. I cried, which means that... Do you remember how I was the first day we met? Well, when I found Youko and the others in my house? How cold I was?”

“Uh...yeah... What about it?” Kuronue asked, obviously not getting it.

“I become like that. It’s just that, right now, I’m around people that care for me, at least I hope so. And I don’t want to be mad at people that are trying to help me.”

“I see...” Kurama said quietly, giving a small smile. “Then we should consider ourselves honored to be on your good side, am I right?”

“Yep. That’s about it.” Nozomi replied, smiling brightly.

There came a knock on the door and Yomi re-entered, a stack of rags in one hand and the big white bottle in the other.

“Is this the right bottle?” He asked quietly when she came over to look at the bottle.

“Yeah, it’s the right one. Thanks again, Yomi.”

“You’re...welcome.” He replied, noticing what she was wearing and giving an awkward facial expression.

“What? Oh, don’t tell me that you don’t like this either?” She asked, obviously slightly irritated.

“Uh... N-no! Of c-course not!” He stuttered, his face going slightly red again. “I just thought that i-it looked....” He trailed off, obviously at a loss for words.

She shrugged, ignoring him. Taking some of the cleaning supplies, she handed them to Kuronue. “You go and start cleaning the floor, starting over there.” She ordered, pointing into the far left corner.

His icy blue eyes flashed dangerously. “I don’t take orders from anyone other than Kurama.”

She glared at him. “If you don’t take orders, then why did you even bother to help me clean my room?”

“Just do it, Kuronue.” Kurama assured him, not wanting to have to deal with more conflict. “I am giving her temporary leadership in this situation.”

Nozomi didn’t respond to Kurama’s kindness, but instead continued to glare at Kuronue until he snorted and went to work. She then turned to Yomi. “Get all of the sheets and pillows from my bed and take them to get cleaned. There’s a washing machine and dryer in the basement.”

“Um...Nozomi?” He asked hesitantly, not wanting to get on her bad side.

“What?” She snapped, her blue eyes flashing dangerously.

“Uh, well...” He grew nervous, not knowing how to say this.

Thankfully, Kurama stepped in once again. “He isn’t used to human appliances. If you like, I could go.” He offered, nodding at Yomi’s thankful look.

“Fine... Just be careful.” She replied, the coldness slipping away from her voice. She turned back to Yomi. “You can go and help Kuronue with cleaning the floor.” With that said she got a few rags and one of the cleaning bottles and headed for her desk.

Kurama had gathered her bed sheets and was already heading down the stairs. Yomi closed the door behind him, briefly forgetting his and Kuronue’s plan. He remembered too late, but knew that there was nothing he could do now except what Nozomi told him to do. He blushed at the thought, but quickly went to work as she shot him an irritated glance.

-------------------

And there's the chapter. ^^ Sorry it took so long to write it. x.x I'll post chapter 6 shortly as well. Enjoy!  

[Mizu Rose]

Here's chapter 6. Hope you like it, and please tell me what I need to fix. Thanks!

[Anime] Unexpected Love
Yu Yu Hakusho based
By Mizu Rose (on Gaia)

Disclaimer: I do not own YYH or any of its characters. The only characters I own will be listed below. I also do not own the songs mentioned in this chapter. They belong to Rei Fu and Namie Amuro.


Characters I own:
Nozomi Kajuji

----------------Chapter 6---------------

The floor was spotless, the desk gleaming in the setting sun, and the curtains rustled in the wind. The room looked almost perfect; back to the way it had been before the complete annihilation of her house. The only thing that was missing were the covers for her bed. Yomi and Kuronue had been ordered to leave Nozomi alone because they weren’t working right and she could do a better job. Apparently, they weren’t working fast enough for her liking. At the moment, she was sweeping the floor while listening to her MP3 player, singing out loud since no one was around.

Kurama soon entered the room, closing the door behind him with his foot due to the fact that his arms were full. He paused, listening to her sing.

Life is like a Boat Lyrics:

Nobody knows who I really am
I never felt this empty before
And if I ever need someone to come along,
Who's gonna comfort me, and keep me strong?

We are all rowing the boat of fate
The waves keep on coming and we can't escape
But if we ever get lost on our way
The waves would guide you through another day

dooku de iki o shiteru toomei ni natta mitai
kudayami ni omoe dakedo mekaku shisarete tadake

inori o sasagete atarashii hi o matsu
asayaka ni hikaru umi sono hate made

Nobody knows who I really am
Maybe they just don't give a damn
But if I ever need someone to come along
I know you would follow me, and keep me strong

hito no kokoro wa utsuriyuku mukedashiteku naru
tsuki wa mada atarashii shuuki de mune o tsureteku

And every time I see your face
The ocean heaves up to my heart
You make me wanna strain at the oars, and soon
I can see the shore

“I don’t like this part...” She said quietly, continuing to sweep, obviously not noticing that Kurama had entered the room a while ago.

I want you to know who I really am
I never thought I'd feel this way towards you
And if you ever need someone to come along,
I will follow you, and keep you strong

tabi wa mada tsuzuiteku odayakana hi mo
tsuki wa mata atarashii shuuki de ume o terashidasu

inori o sasagete atarashii hi o matsu
asayaka ni hikaru umi sono hate made

And every time I see your face
The ocean heaves up to my heart
You make me wanna strain at the oars, and soon
I can see the shore

Unmei no huneoko gi nami wa tsugi kara tsuki e to watashi-tachi o sou kedo
Sore mo suteki na tabi ne, dore mo suteki na tabi ne

She sighed, then took out her MP3, oblivious to Kurama. She mumbled to herself, continuing to push a button until her face lighted up with happiness as she finally found a song she liked.

Come Lyrics:

moshi ima kanashimi afureru nara
watashi ni motarete naite ii kara

I get, I get, I get, get the feeling
I get, I get, I get, get the dreaming
tada kono mama

Come my way
kono yami no hotori
Come close to me
ima akari tomoshi
I'll be with you, I'll be with you
tada soba ni iru kara
So come my way

kizuite anata wa kono sekai de
tada hitori dake no taisetsu na hito

I get, I get, I get, get the feeling
I get, I get, I get, get the dreaming
tada sono mama

Come my way
mou hitomi tojite
Come close to me
mou nemureba ii
I'll be with you, I'll be with you
tada koko ni iru kara
So come my way

Calling out
Can you hear me? yea
So come my way

I get, I get, I get, get the feeling
I get, I get, I get, get the dreaming
tada kono mama

Come my way
kono yami no hotori
Come close to me
ima akari tomoshi
I'll be with you, I'll be with you
tada soba ni iru kara
So come my way

Come my way
Come close to me
Come my way
Come close to me

She sighed, pausing in the sweeping to lean against the broom. Kurama took this chance to place the sheets back on her bed and walk over to her. Tapping her gently on the shoulder, he wasn’t expecting her to almost jump out of her skin as she whirled around, staring straight into his emerald green eyes.

She took out an ear piece and lowered the volume before facing him completely, a light blush on her face. “You...scared me... Don’t sneak up on me again!” She cried, trying to cover her face with her hands.

Kurama chuckled, still hearing the music playing faintly in the background. “I heard the last two songs you sung. You’re not that bad of a singer.”

Her face turned a darker color of red. “No, I’m not that good at all... I just sing because it helps me relax; especially when I’m cleaning. It makes it go faster. That’s why I prefer to clean alone.”

“This would explain why Kuronue and Yomi were downstairs...” Kurama thought out loud, remembering Kuronue’s angry eyes.

“Sort of. They were working too slow.” She replied, crossing her arms and looking away.

Chuckling, Kurama turned back to her bed. “I’ve brought back your bed sheets. Hopefully they’re clean enough. I added a few herbs to help get the mud out, if you don’t mind.”

She turned back to him, smiling sweetly. “That was very considerate of you, thank you.”

Kurama’s eyes were fixed on her smile, not knowing the reason why.

‘Because you love her, and we both know it.’ Youko interrupted his thoughts.

‘Not now, Youko...’ Shuichi said sternly, mentally, of course.

‘Oh? And when by chance are you going to admit to yourself, especially me, that you like this human girl?’

‘Never, because I don’t.’

‘Mhm, of course you don’t. Then how do you explain the fact that you’re blushing?’

Kurama then became aware that his face was burning. He quickly lowered his eyes, silently cursing Youko for causing him to blush.

‘Hey! Do not blame me for you childish behavior! I’m not your babysitter!’

With his bangs covering his eyes, he hadn’t noticed that she was watching him curiously.

“Shuichi? Is everything all right? You’re looking a bit pale...” She asked, concern in her voice.

“N-no... I’m fine...” He murmured in reply, feeling his face heat up even more.

She noticed that his face was slightly red, but, being the kind-hearted person that she was, she quickly moved forward and moved his bangs out of his face, feeling his forehead for a temperature. His eyes grew wide slightly, seeing her caring face so close to his. His face burned a bright red, but he said nothing.

“You feel really warm... Here, take a seat.” She said, concerned for his health.

She sat him down on her un-made bed, not yet covered by the clean sheets neatly folded at the end of the bed. She got up and went to her bathroom, looking for something.

‘Smooth.’

‘Shut up, Youko! I don’t need to hear this from you!’

‘Oh, you’re right I’m sorry. Perhaps I should come back at a later time for you.’ The sarcasm in his cold voice sent shivers down his spine.

Nozomi noticed as she walked back over to him and placed a gentle hand on his head again. Kurama could feel his face heating up again. He watched as her face drained of color.

“You’re sick! How could you let yourself get sick at a time like this?” She asked softly, her caring eyes showing how much she wanted to help. “Here, sit in my desk chair while I fix my bed, okay? I won’t let you get even more sick than you already are...” She continued, helping him stand and sit in the chair.

She quickly went to work with getting her bed ready, all the while him watching her.

‘How is it that you managed to get sick just by blushing?’ Youko questioned, intrigued.

‘I have no idea... And I wasn’t blushing!’

‘So you’re going to deny that too? Heh, how pathetic can you get? If I'd blushed, I would have admitted it.’

‘Of course. Your chances of actually blushing at something are very rare, so how can you say that?’

‘Exactly my point.’ Youko replied, the sound of a proud smile clear in his voice.

Kurama sighed inwardly, feeling his head swirling around him. He tried to stand, but had to support himself with the arm of the chair in order not to fall. Nozomi was almost done making her bed and it was obvious by her movements that she was trying to do it as quickly as possible.

'Why do I have so many sheets anyway?' She asked herself. trying to hurry.

Kuronue knocked on the door, and both him and Yomi entered.

“Hey, Nozomi! We were just- Kurama!” He rushed over to Kurama, who had lost his balance and was falling to the ground.

He caught his boss just as Nozomi finished making her bed and lowering the blankets enough for someone to lay in it. She knelt down next to Kuronue, who had Kurama lying in his arms. Not very manly, but Kuronue could care less at the moment.

“Here, pick him up and put him on my bed.” She instructed, worried about him.

Kuronue didn’t argue and gently placed his boss on the soft bed, covering him with her blankets. Kurama looked up at them with glazed eyes, his breathing coming out more quickly. Nozomi sat next to him on the bed, a thermometer in her hand.

“Now, put this under your tongue and don’t move it around.” She told him gently, holding the thermometer just above his mouth.

He opened it weakly and she put it under his tongue. He watched as she stared at the thermometer. When it beeped, she took it out of his mouth and stared at it. She then looked back down at him.

“Well, you definitely are sick. Your temperature is 102.4, which isn’t very good.” Nozomi informed them, still looking at the thermometer.

“Well...what exactly are we supposed to do? We can’t do much of anything with him sick!” Kuronue asked, motioning towards the sick Kurama.

“I give...leadership...to Nozomi...” Kurama said weakly, attempting to sit up.

She put a hand on his shoulder and gently pushed him back down. “You are in no position for giving orders. You need to rest, although I am flattered.” She told him in a soft voice, covering him with the blankets again.

“What now, boss?” Yomi asked, addressing her now.

She looked up at him in surprise, not expecting this. “Um...well, I need to go to the store and get more supplies for food, and something else...” She replied, adding the last part in a low whisper as a light blush stained her cheeks.

“I’ll go with you then.” Kuronue offered, putting his right fist across his chest, a small smile on his face. “I have to go with you; as a duty of a man and also the fact that I have to protect our new temporary leader.”

She blushed even more, looking down at her folded hands. “I don’t know...” She looked down at Kurama, who looked so helpless. She sighed, then stood up. “All right. Kuronue, do you have a human form?”

“Uh...” He thought about it. “Yeah! I do have a human form! Kurama taught me how to make a fake image that can fool others! It looks and feels real too! only youkais with certain levels of power or higher can create one of those things!”

“Good. Change into it, and I’m going to give you some human clothes to disguise yourself more so that you look almost normal.” She continued before turning to Yomi. “You’re in charge of this house while I’m out. You also have to stay with Kurama. Who knows what bounty hunter out there is watching and waiting for a moment to where he’s alone to kill him. You address the men down stairs, then come right back up here to be with him. Get him almost everything he asks for.”

“Almost everything? Why not everything?” Yomi asked, confused.

Nozomi pointed at the bed-ridden Kurama. “Because if Youko comes back out, he’ll ask for anything, and use that against you; that’s why.”

She looked back at Kuronue. He looked miserable, but he was indeed in a human form. His hair was a mess, but decent looking and still with its raven black color, and his eyes remained their strange ice blue color. However, his hair was shorter, and his wings were gone, not to mention his pointed ears.

Nozomi clapped her hands together once. “Great! Now, come with me!” She said, grabbing his left wrist and heading for the door. “We’ll be back!” And then the door slammed shut.

“What do you think she’s going to do to him, Kurama?” Yomi asked, taking a seat in the desk chair.


“I’m not sure, but I suppose we’ll just have to be surprised...” Kurama responded weakly, staring up at the ceiling.

‘I could think of three good reasons.’

‘Reasons for what exactly?’

‘What two people of the opposite sex could do alone.’ Youko replied, a smirk clear in his voice.

Kurama sighed inwardly once again. ‘Youko, with all due respect, now is not the time for your smart remarks. We’re both sick, so I suggest we attempt to conserve our energy.’

For once, Youko did not reply, which brought peace of mind to him. Sighing normally, he waited for the return of Nozomi and Kuronue. As if on cue, Nozomi burst back into the room, seemingly happy with what she had done.

“Now presenting, the human Kuronue!” She cheered, motioning towards the door.

No one entered. She placed her hands on her hips then exited the room. Both Kurama and Yomi could hear her talking from the hall way.

“But I don’t want to...”

“You said you were going to! So you’re going to do it!” She replied, saying it with such finality that he didn’t even bother to make a protest.

She grabbed his wrist again and dragged him back into the room. Yomi stared in shock, while no emotion showed on Kurama’s calm yet pale face. Kuronue was wearing a pair of baggy light blue jeans with a pair of white sneakers. He was wearing a white T-shirt with his red pendant clearly visible. His long black hair was tied into a neat high pony tail with two thick locks in front of his ears, much like how Kurama’s hair was.

Nozomi was rummaging for something in her desk. She soon pulled out a pocket knife and walked towards Kuronue, who caught her wrist.

“What exactly are you going to do?” He asked coldly, his ice blue eyes flashing dangerously.

She looked up at him with innocence in her eyes. “I was just going to cut them so that they fit your personality more...” She said quietly, still holding the knife in her captured hand.

He sighed, then let it go. She made a big cut on on his left thigh, and a few others along the shins of his legs. She snapped the knife shut and stood back up, smiling proudly as she backed up to view her work.

“You look cool, Kuronue.” She complimented, looking him up and down.

He groaned. “Actually, you do look pretty good like that.” Yomi agreed, smirking in amusement.

Glaring at him, Kuronue then turned to Kurama. “You haven’t said anything yet. How is it? Bad?”

“To be completely honest with you, Kuronue, that is a very good look for you.” Kurama said weakly, managing a small smile.

“Yeah! Now all that’s missing are a few piercings and other stuff. But we don’t have time for that!” Nozomi said, before running into her closet.

After a few minutes of silence, Nozomi carefully came back out, a dark blush on her face. She held her hands behind her back, her face and eyes downcast from their stares. She was wearing a red skirt that went down to her knees, and a creamy white blouse that have a few impressive designs on it. Not to mention the fact that it showed her figure.

Kuronue and Yomi could feel themselves blushing as they continued to stare at her. Kuronue soon became aware that their stares made her very uncomfortable, so he cleared his throat to get everyone snapped out of their small trance. He looked back at his real boss.

“We’ll be back later. We’re not sure how long, but long enough. We’ll be back when we can.” He looked back over at Nozomi. “Are you ready?”

She quickly put a jacket over her outfit to try and conceal herself more, and grabbed a small purse. “I hate these things, but it’ll work, I guess.” She murmured before walking over to him. “Yes, I’m ready.”

“Good.” He nodded at her, then looked back at the other two. “Well, see you guys later!”

Both of them left the room, Nozomi’s blush not disappearing. As she was going down the stairs, she noticed that the walls were clean. As she looked down the stairs, everything was spotless; completely clean. She stopped in her tracks, staring around her. Kuronue paused at the bottom, noticing that she wasn’t following. Looking back up at her, he smirked.

“I’m guessing you like it. The boys felt really sorry about messing up your house and so we decided to clean it up for you. It wasn’t easy doing it all in one day, but we finished. Do you like it?” He explained, watching her as she looked everywhere.

She came down the stairs very slowly, her facial expression indicating that she didn’t buy it. “I do, but this has to be a dream. It’s too good to be true...”

“Nope; it’s true. The only thing we couldn’t do is fix your garden. Maybe you could help us out with that?”

“Hm...sure.” She replied, thinking about it for a little bit. She looked up at him. “We should go, if we want to get back before mid-night. I need to buy something other than food and medicine. And you’re going to help me.” The blush appeared on her face again.

“Hm... All right then. You’ll tell me once we’re gone anyway.”

Both exited the house, heading towards the city as the sun sank in the distance.

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That's the end. ^^ Hope you liked it! Please read and review!