Returning Home
Clarity Scifiroots
Content: yaoi (Karasu x
Kurama), slight angst, some bloodletting, but overall happy
Started: December 17, 2002 Completed: January 2, 2003
Disclaimers:
Karasu and Kurama are characters of YYH and do not belong to me ((concept of
Karasu – his new look and personality, yadda, are my creation)). Plot is mine.
Oh, and actually we get a lot of the other characters from the YYH series in
here and they’re not mine either. By now you know who are my creations. Happy
Holidays, and yes I know it’s late but I don’t care =P No profit made here or
I’d be more careful about deadlines ^_~
Songs:
First song is “Psychopomp” by The Tea Party. Good group. Second song is “ain’t
afraid to die” by Dir en Grey. Gorgeous song. Third lyrics that you see only a
bit of are from “So Wrong” by Stabbing Westward
Notes:
Nothing much to say, other than this was written over many various days so some
slight problems with continuation might be at hand. While it looks like a few
of the other stories in the beginning, it ends up taking on a lighter note.
Summary:
Pretty much a feel-good story about reunion with family and friends when Kurama
finally returns home. A belated Christmas story.
~
* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
So
sleep tonight / In idle dreams / The pain will drown / Your silent screams
The
small bulbs on strands of wire blinked on and off, distracting and dizzying to
viewers on the floor before the raised stage. The club wasn’t much of a place;
small, often dirty, and full of the harsh sounds of the English language.
“Buddy’s”
was an American-run bar set between low-class restaurants in a crowded district
of Tokyo. It wasn’t very impressive, but it had been easy to get the gig and,
amazingly, the pay was good.
Kurama
put down the glass he had been given with a hidden wince. Looking back at the
stage he could see Karasu dipping over the crowd with the mike as he often did
for this song. Gwedian was lost to the world, drums shaking with the intensity
of his strikes, with his mouth open loosely. Emerald and Greg leaned back to
back, their strums on the guitars carrying across the room.
Lies
you can’t ignore / You soon repay / As you fade away
With
the last strike of a sharp cord, the main stage lights were turned off and the
band picked up and moved offstage. Kurama left money on the bar for his
unfinished drink and headed backstage.
“A
lot of passion put into a crowd that hardly listened,” the redhead commented
when he caught sight of the four band members.
“One
person was,” Emerald winked. Kurama rolled his eyes.
“That’s
it until Saturday, we have –“ Greg was cut off by the shake of Gwedian’s head.
Karasu
explained in a cool tone, “There’s someone else that came and appears to be
more popular. Zoe is looking into giving us a spot Friday.”
“Do
we still have the spot next Monday?”
Kurama’s
expression changed very slightly, a hard coolness added to the edges of his
face. He had argued with Karasu over the date of that particular Monday gig,
but the band needed the money.
“We’re
still playing,” Karasu directed the statement toward Kurama as a final say to
the former argument.
“Sorry,
I can’t go. ‘Kaasan wants me home for Christmas.” He turned, intending to
wander the streets alone for some time to think. A cool hand gripped his own,
stopping his movement. Sliding his eyes back, Kurama saw the Irish trio
exchange looks and make their subtle exit. Reclaiming his arm, Kurama crossed
his arms in a defensive position.
“We
need the paycheck,” Karasu reiterated.
“I
know that, but can’t you find another day? If we need a place to stay there’s
always –“
“Your
friends?” Karasu snapped. Kurama’s flashing eyes didn’t stop him, “Your family?
Shade’s?”
“We
can manage.” Karasu continued his heavy stare. Kurama sighed and turned away,
“Forget it, let’s go.”
~
* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Emerald,
Greg, and Gwedian wouldn’t be back in the hotel until late the next morning. It
was time to explore
Unsure
of what his friends would think and not knowing if the sentence still hung over
Karasu’s head, the redhead had thought it best to only inform his human family
of his return. However, he neglected to tell Shiori just when he’d get in.
Slender
hands slid over Kurama’s shoulders and down his chest. His muscles tensed and
he turned his head away from the seeking lips. “No,” he murmured. Instead of
letting go, Karasu’s hands tightened over the fabric of his lover’s shirt.
“No?”
Kurama
remained still and quiet, waiting while the youkai’s breaths caressed his ear.
After a few minutes of no response, Karasu’s grasp abruptly disappeared and the
lights were turned on. A tiny, shaking breath escaped Kurama’s lips. A glance
from the corner of emerald eyes revealed Karasu stripping off his shirt while
dropping onto the bed.
The
silence emphasized the huge gap between the two youkai that had been absent for
months. Just as Kurama opened his mouth to speak, Karasu flipped on the
TV. A pack of cigarettes appeared and
Kurama turned away disgusted.
It
was Karasu’s turn to watch his lover with veiled eyes. His half-blue,
half-black hair hung in his face and shaded his violet seeking eyes. Kurama
plucked a long coat from the floor, oddly looking like Gwedian’s (as to what it
was doing there was anyone’s guess), and brought it with him to a chair.
Curling up, Kurama pushed aside the curtains and studied the parking lot in
silence with the coat wrapped about him like a blanket.
He
ignored the news report, instead trailing his eyes over the redhead’s profile.
His vision was slightly cloudy on the edges, but due to the tenseness covering
the room he would not ask Kurama for his services. It was a wonder he head
lasted so long, almost a full ten days since his last feeding. Karasu lay back,
closing his eyes and focusing on the feel of the youko’s ki.
~
* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
“Nani?!”
The exclamation rung harshly through the air, causing the blue-haired girl to
clasp her hands over her ears.
“Shh!
Not so loud, Yusuke!”
The
young man stared at Botan incredulously. “You want me to be quiet when he’s
back?” Coffee-brown eyes wide, Yusuke said, “He hasn’t been here for years… Is
the… charge still there?”
Shaking
her head, Botan replied, “Koenma-sama got it cleared a year ago. As long as
they’re quiet, there shouldn’t be a problem.”
“As
if that’ll happen,” Yusuke muttered. “Where are they?”
“We’re
not sure. Koenma-sama was watching clubs for the band, but I haven’t heard
anything.”
Yusuke
nodded, somewhat distracted. He caught a glimpse of snow falling outside the
window. “…Snow?”
~
* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
“Where
are you going?” Karasu’s voice sounded drained of energy and dry, like gravel
scraping the bottom of a tidal pool. Kurama paused momentarily in slipping on
his coat to study the singer sprawled on the bed.
It
didn’t look like Karasu had moved all night. The youkai still had his knees
bent at the edge of the bed, the rest of his body pressed against the comforter
of an unused bed. The violet eyes were only partially open and his day-old
makeup was dry and messy on his face.
“Daijoubu
ka?” Kurama asked, attempting to hide concern.
“Where
are you going?” Karasu asked again, pushing himself up. Kurama hid a frown, why
did the youkai look so weak? “Answer me.”
Hardening,
Kurama finished buttoning his coat. “I’m going to find something for ‘kaasan.”
He turned, missing Karasu slipping back bonelessly onto the bed. “The others
came in a few hours ago, so they’re likely to be over later.” He left without
further comment, making sure he grabbed one of the hotel room keys.
He
traveled by rail to the shopping district, mentally running through the money
he had to spare and what he’d be able to purchase. Melted snow left slush on
the streets he walked on, soaking the toes of his worn-out sneakers. All the
shops he passed were worthless to him, although he used to shop often on that
street.
“Shitsurei
shimashita,” Kurama murmured upon bumping into another moving body.
“What
are you doing here?” The voice was very vaguely familiar, but Kurama had to
study the face in front of him before it clicked.
“Quix?”
The silver-haired percussionist was bundled to the nose in a winter jacket and
brightly striped scarf. His brilliant ice-blue eyes looked almost silver in the
winter sun and they were widened in recognition.
“Karasu
is back?”
“Ano…
Yeah. I wanted to be here for the holidays this year. I didn’t mean to run into
anyone yet…” Kurama tucked hair behind his ear in a nervous habit, unsure about
this turn of events.
“You
might want to know that Shade’s around… although I think he’s over, you know,
he never really liked you.” Kurama smiled slightly. Quix turned his head,
posture showing he had spotted a familiar face, luckily it was only Rez.
“Kurama!
Yo,” Rez managed to greet around a mouthful of candy cane. Shifting the
packages he was carrying, he freed a hand and grabbed the candy from his mouth.
“O-genki desu ka?”
“Genki
desu… I apologize, but I really need to finish my shopping for ‘kaasan.” Kurama
felt an inner chill set over him when he saw Quix and Rez together, finally
letting it sink in that he was home and there were open ends to fix.
“Can
we see you later? Where’s Karasu?”
Quickly
Kurama replied, “There’s a gig at Dahlia’s Tomorrow.” Before they could
respond, the redhead hurried down the next crowded street.
While
he had spent nearly twenty-two years of his life in
“Kurama-kun!”
The exclamation of his name was abrupt, more out of shock from the speaker than
for the benefit of catching Kurama’s attention. The redhead wanted to wince;
this hadn’t been what he envisioned.
Drawing
his long coat tighter about him, Kurama turned sideways and looked up into the
amazed face of Kuwabara. “Hello, Kuwabara-kun. It has been a while, hasn’t it?”
His
name wasn’t even repeated before the giant of a human picked up the smaller
form in a great hug. “Where have you been? How could you just leave like that?
We wondered where you went. Are you living somewhere? When did you get here?”
The
raid of questions didn’t let up and Kurama had to jab Kuwabara forcefully in
the side before he could breathe again. “I need air if you want answers,” he
reprimanded gently.
Appearing
to be as young as he ever had been, Kuwabara stuck a hand behind his head and
laughed at himself. “Gomen nasai! It’s just such a surprise!”
“I
know,” Kurama replied quietly with a smile.
“Let’s
go to Yusuke’s! We can warm up and have hot chocolate with him and Keiko!” He
was excited now, on a roll, listing off people Kurama both knew and didn’t
know. The redhead didn’t have the heart to put a stop to the attack on his ears
and let himself be pulled along until they were out of the crowded shopping
streets and in range of residential apartments and houses.
Kurama
finally slowed their pace when they reached the inside of a residential
building. “Kuwabara-kun, are you sure this is all right? I –“ he cut himself
off, unsure.
Seemingly
unaware of Kurama’s uneasiness, Kuwabara dragged them to the elevator. “They’re
not doing anything, there’s been enough hands to run the shop since even before
Keiko took maternity leave.”
Shell-shocked,
Kurama barely managed a “Nani?” before being shoved in front of an apartment
door as it was answered. The first thought that entered his mind was that Keiko
was fat. ‘No,’ he corrected himself, ‘pregnant. Big difference.’
“Kurama-kun!”
He was getting that a lot today.
Yusuke
and Botan appeared in the background, adding to the sudden gathering of people.
With everyone staring at him, Kurama could think of one thing to say:
“Tadaima.”
~
* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
There
was pounding in his head. Funny, he didn’t remember getting smashed. He inched
his hand up to his face to massage his aching temples but the pounding
continued at a steady rate. Soon a voice started to accompany it.
“Karasu?
Kurama? C’mon guys, get up!”
“Christ,
Em, ever think they need to be alone?”
Whatever
further conversation there was escaped him as Karasu forced his eyes open.
Everything was bathed in a white haze, signaling the blinds were open and the
sun was in its afternoon descent. He couldn’t sense Kurama anywhere nearby as
of late, strange that the kitsune was gone that long. ‘Strange I slept that long…’
“Kurama!”
Emerald’s
voice broke through the pounding in his ears as he pushed himself up. Not good,
the sound wasn’t her knocking, it was too methodical for that. Too much like a
pulse.
He
somehow made it to the door in his haze. The figures of his band members were
hardly clear enough to define as humans by sight as he leaned on the doorframe.
“Kurama…?” he murmured, his senses beyond sight going crazy at the bodies of
blood before him.
“You
don’t look well… He’s not in there?”
Karasu
attempted to shake his head. “Kurama…I need…”
Gwedian
caught him as he slipped forward. “Em, quick, call Kurama’s mom, see if he’s
over there!” With Greg on one side and Gwedian on the other, the two guided
Karasu back to the bed.
“This
place sure hasn’t seen any action,” Greg muttered, noting the made bed. The
phone to her ear, Emerald glared. “Sorry.”
“Hey,
let go, man,” Gwedian directed his command towards Karasu. The singer’s
half-lidded eyes were dark and unfocused. His pale hand gripped tightly to his
drummer’s wrist in an almost deathly hold. “Karasu?”
Emerald
was talking to someone on the other end now. Greg aided in freeing Gwedian’s
wrist and checked Karasu for a fever.
In
a sudden, harsh voice Karasu managed, “Get Kurama now.” His eyes sparked
with the seriousness of his meaning. Even then the pounding danced through his
ears. He could hardly focus on Emerald’s voice on the phone and didn’t note the
concerned look in Gwedian’s eyes.
~
* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
“This
really wasn’t supposed to be how our reunion would go, but it seems everyone I
know is finding me today.” Kurama was sitting on a chair in a western-style
dining room with the others in the Urameshi apartment.
“When
Botan said you were back, I hardly believed it,” Yusuke admitted.
Bracing
himself for the question he needed answered, Kurama asked the ferry-girl, “Are
there still charges?”
Botan
shook her head. “Koenma-sama got them dropped. As long as –“
“Where
is he?”
The
redhead studied Yusuke’s face, seeking out the meaning of his friend’s expression.
Carefully he replied, “We’re staying at a hotel at the moment. We just got in
and… well, as for settling somewhere it depends on the welcome here, mostly,
and what the rest of the band wants to do.”
“There’s
still a band?” Keiko questioned, a little surprised.
Kurama
smiled. “Yuudoku na Kisu never stopped. We just kind of picked up more people
on the way.” He laughed. “I guess you’ll have to meet them. I’ll make Em
promise to behave herself.”
“Does
your mom know you’re in?”
“We
just got in here and I told her we’d be here Saturday. I wanted a few days to
get ready, and some time to go shopping for her.” He half-smiled, a little sad
-looking. “I’m seeing my family Christmas Eve, but the band’s got a gig.”
The
phone rang and Keiko got up to answer it as Kurama asked about some of the
changes in his friends’ lives. It wasn’t long before Keiko returned, her hand
over the mouthpiece of the phone and looking worried.
“Kurama-kun,
it’s Shiori-san, she says your friend Emerald called…”
The
redhead took the phone from Keiko with a frown. “’Kaasan?”
“Shuuichi!
You really are home! Why didn’t you – your friend called. She says you need to
get back right away. Something about Karasu collapsing…?”
Green
eyes wide, Kurama mentally cursed. “H-hai! I promise I’ll call later, ‘kaasan,
but I need to go. Yes, everything will be okay. I’ll talk to you later.”
“Kurama?”
They watched as Kurama slung on his coat in a hurry and headed to the door.
“Need a ride?”
Kurama
glanced back, looking relieved. “I really do.”
Yusuke
grabbed his keys from a hook and headed into the hallway with his friend. On
the elevator ride down, the redhead began to explain. “Em called ‘kaasan
because Karasu collapsed. I didn’t think about it before I left, but he hasn’t
fed for days…” At Yusuke’s questioning look he dropped his eyes. “Don’t worry,
he doesn’t take others.”
“Nani?”
Yusuke demanded as they got in the car.
Kurama
gave directions before replying. “I don’t let him take much, but before we flew
I needed to make sure I was up to full health. When we got here we argued over
the Christmas gig… I need to get to him before the hunger takes over.”
“Just
stop, I don’t want to know anymore.” Silence fell over the companions. After a
few minutes, Yusuke sighed. “I’m sorry…”
“You
don’t need to be. It’s a personal matter and a youkai habit, and both are hard
to discuss or listen to.” Kurama looked ahead. “We’re almost there, thanks for
the ride.”
Once
the car slowed down in the parking lot, Kurama dashed out and into the lobby.
He took the stairs three at a time to the third floor, pulling the key out
along the way. He fumbled but a moment at the door to get it unlocked before
tripping into the room. Greg looked from him to the bed, where Karasu lay.
“You
guys can go, it’ll be okay,” Kurama said, steadying his adrenaline-filled
heart.
“I
was about to call an ambulance, are you sure…?” Emerald started.
Kurama
flashed her a reassuring smile. “It’s really nothing, Em. Can you do me a favor
though? A friend gave me a ride here, can you keep him company and introduce
yourselves?”
“Sure,
Kurama, but I hope you know what you’re doing,” Gwedian replied for the three
of them. Kurama nodded minutely, anxious for them to leave.
Greg
was the last to leave and the door shut behind him with an audible click; that
was his signal. Immediately Kurama started towards the bed, shedding his coat
as he went. He swallowed, uncommonly aware of how his skin moved against the
chocker he always wore. Nimble fingers undid a clasp and the rings on the
leather clinked together as he dropped it.
Crawling
onto the bed, he lay out full on his side, facing Karasu. “Kara-“ he started,
but didn’t finish before the youkai was suddenly alive with movement. Frozen
fingers clutched his arms briefly before pushing back blood red hair. Kurama
stretched his neck, leaving it exposed with a sigh as his lover buried his face
against the hot flesh.
“I’m
sorry,” Kurama murmured as Karasu tore at his neck with his teeth. There hadn’t
been time for a razor to be found and the skin to be sliced as normal. Kurama
hissed until the initial pain wore off and Karasu began to nurse the wound he’d
made.
Long,
tapered fingers worked their way into the blue-stained hair and Kurama massaged
his lover’s head, losing himself in the moment and forgetting about the
troubles currently bothering him. His vision wavered and he shut his eyes,
smiling softly even as his fingers tightened in Karasu’s hair, pulling the
youkai back, his body protesting as he let consciousness go.
~
* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Kurama
regained his senses slowly, aware that there was a warm body beside him and
blankets covering both of their forms. “Karasu…” he murmured. Lips brushed his
eyelids in response. “Yusuke…?”
“Is
pissed, waiting with the crew,” the singer responded in a low voice.
Opening
his eyes, Kurama studied the eyes watching him carefully. “You took too much.”
“I
know. I apologize.”
Nodding,
Kurama asked, “How long have I been out?”
Karasu
shrugged, the sheets slipping off his shoulder and revealing a bare torso. One
of his hands came out from beneath the blankets and Kurama winced slightly when
he felt gentle fingers brush against the freshly healing wound on his neck.
Violet eyes were trained on the spot where fingertips met pulse, but the look
wasn’t that of lust or need, instead it was a soft, guilty glow that radiated.
“Karasu?”
he wondered aloud. He broke the moment, however, by shaking his head and
pushing himself up. “Yusuke’s next door? Did you see him?”
“No,
Greg was the go between,” the youkai replied with a smirk.
Kurama
headed towards the bathroom, rubbing his throat lightly, trying to gauge how
big the tear was. “If you bite me again, we’re going to get your teeth filed,”
Kurama called, finding the pain irritating. He heard a dark chuckle coming from
the bedroom. Thank Inari Yusuke wasn’t there to see or listen.
~
* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
The
room Emerald, Greg, and Gwedian shared was only in slightly less disarray than
the one the youkais shared. Yusuke was currently sitting on one of the two
chairs in the room at a small table while Emerald leaned back against Greg on
one bed and Gwedian watched TV on the other.
“They’ll
be in soon, don’t look so uptight,” Emerald said, directing her attention
towards Kurama’s friend.
“Has
this happened before?” Yusuke asked, already pretty sure he knew the answer.
However,
Greg’s response surprised him, “No. At least, never revealed to us.” He
exchanged a glance with Emerald. “Truth is, we’ve never seen complications with
Karasu before. The most ever seen him do is get drunk and smoke. He’s going to
have problems singing if he keeps that up.”
“What
do you mean?” Yusuke was confused, for now it was obvious that although this
band seemed to have been together for a few years, they didn’t know about the
youkais or their habits. “There’s been complications with Kurama?” he added,
recalling Greg’s comment about Karasu specifically.
“Maybe
a year or so ago, we thought he was a goner. Too much tripping, although I’ve
never see the stuff since,” Emerald replied.
A
knock on the door roused Gwedian from his perch. The room accepted in two new
bodies, one of which Yusuke gave a cold once-over. Kurama was wearing a new
shirt, a long-sleeved, low-neck black zip-up shirt with a thick, collar-like
choker on. The accessory did not escape Yusuke’s sharp eyes.
“Urameshi…
how delightful to see you again.” Kurama elbowed Karasu in the ribs
before taking the seat across from Yusuke.
“Sorry,
there were some things to clear up,” he explained. “Thanks again, Yusuke, for
the ride.”
“Couldn’t
turn down an old friend,” the young man replied off-handedly, most of his focus
on studying Karasu.
“Hey
Kurama, your mom sounded a little disappointed that you didn’t’ tell her you
were in. Think you might want to give her a call?”
“Hint,
hint. Nudge, nudge,” Greg tacked onto the end of Emerald’s sentences.”
The
redhead made a face at their urgings. “So glad you’re concerned about my
personal affairs. If you can manage to keep mildly quiet, I’ll call in here.”
So saying, he abandoned his chair to sit on one of the beds to use the phone on
the bedside table.
Karasu
claimed the emptied chair, smirking slightly in Yusuke’s direction. “I see
you’ve had the decency to not kill him… yet,” Yusuke remarked dryly. Karasu’s
smirk slipped only slightly, his annoyance mostly reflected in the rolling of
his eyes. Yusuke sighed. “I don’t like you, I never really expect to like you,
but I will tolerate you for Kurama’s sake.” He cast his eyes toward the redhead
on the phone, ignoring the three who were yet strangers to him. “When he came
back, I didn’t think it would be with you, that’s for sure.”
He
missed the thoughtful frown that crossed Karasu’s face. Greg, Gwedian, and
Emerald didn’t miss it, however, and they exchanged curious glances. Their
mysterious companions suddenly were wrapped within new mysteries.
“I
hadn’t thought It’d really get that quiet. Jeez Yusuke, you disappoint me,”
Kurama said with an amused smile.
“I
apologize for deciding to accept your decisions,” Yusuke replied with mock
solemnity. “What did your ‘kaasan say?”
Running
a hand through his hair, Kurama glanced at the phone. “Well… it seems she’s
determined to meet the group. She wanted it tomorrow, but there’s the gig…”
“Ooo,
free food? Is that what you’re saying?” Emerald asked with a grin.
Scowling
slightly, Kurama nodded. “Nice of you to put it that way.”
“Anytime.”
“Seems
like you’re going to be busy for at least the next two days. When should we
expect to see you again?” Yusuke inquired.
Kurama
shrugged helplessly. “Give you a call?”
Hiding
his disappointment, Yusuke nodded. His searching hand turned up a complementary
pen and pad of paper from the hotel and jotted down a phone number. “That’s
Keiko and me. Let us know when you have some time.”
~
* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
“Inari-sama,
save me,” Kurama muttered beneath his breath. He sat between Karasu and Gwedian
on a subway on the way to his family’s home. Greg and Emerald were forced to
stand, the subway crowded enough to fill up quickly without being crushing.
I’m
sure we’ll all be fine, Kurama. Your mom was really nice on the phone. I think
you should try relaxing a bit.”
“Thanks
for the reassurance, Em. It’s otousan I’m a little more worried about, however,
and there’s really nothing any of us can do about that.” Weakly Kurama smiled.
“Okaasan said she’d handle things. Anyway, next stop we need to get off.”
As
the subway slowed, Kurama got to his feet and headed towards the doors. The
group of five exited together and took Kurama’s lead from the station. It was
about a mile walk to the Minamino-Hatanaka household from the station. It
wouldn’t have been so bad except for the extra-chill wind and the newly falling
snow. Kurama found himself quite thankful for Karasu’s arm about his shoulders
as they walked.
“I’m
counting on your mother being a good cook. I only grabbed a sandwich to eat in
the past twenty-four hours,” Gwedian remarked.
“You’ll
be happy, but let’s not make financial matters a key topic, ne?” Kurama begged,
every moment conjuring up a new horror scenario as to how the night could end
up going. “I guess there’s no turning back… Welcome to my house.”
He
knocked on the front door after slipping from Karasu’s grasp. In a hurry the
door was flung open and a woman with faintly silvering hair quite suddenly
wrapped her arms about the redhead. “O-kaeri nasai, Shuu-kun!”
“’Kaasan…”
Kurama murmured into her hair, returning the strong embrace. “Please forgive
me.”
“Oh,
Shuu-kun…!” Shiori whispered as she pulled back, joyful tears shining brightly
in her eyes. Quickly wiping away the moisture, Shiori took in the rest of her
guests. “Pardon me for my behavior. Irasshaimase, minna-san; please come in.”
They
were brought into the foyer where shoes were slipped off and “little” Shuichi
came dashing in to glomp onto his stepbrother. Kurama laughed in shock, caught
in the grasp with his coat halfway on.
“Shuu-kun!
O-kaeri-nasai! Where were you when I needed help for studying for the tests for
college?” Shuichi demanded.
“Gomen-nasai,
Shuu-kun,” Kurama replied with a smile, pulling back to finish taking off his
coat. It’d been far too long since anyone had called him by his human name. He
had almost forgotten to give an explanation to his friends that he had taken on
the supposed nickname of Kurama. “Shuu-kun, ‘kaasan, these are my friends: Emerald,
Gwedian, and Greg. This is my mother and stepbrother. His name’s Shuichi, too.”
“Hajimemashite,”
Shiori greeted, bowing slightly with a smile. Shuichi followed her example,
peering up at Karasu from beneath his bangs.
“Pleasure
to meet you,” Emerald returned, resisting the urge to shake hands and bowing
respectfully instead. She caught Kurama’s amused grin and glared at him when
she straightened up. “Don’t think I’m going to get myself confused, though. I’m
still calling you Kurama.”
“Kurama?”
Shiori echoed, looking towards her son. “She mentioned that earlier on the
phone. Shuu-kun?”
“A
nickname, ‘kaasan,” the redhead explained quickly. “I believe I owe you a
long-overdue introduction to Karasu, though.” He bit the inside of his cheek
nervously, glancing back at the youkai.
Karasu
was the epitome of formal manners as he bowed properly and said, “Hatanaka-san
Hajimemashite. I’ve been waiting to meet you.”
“Call
me Shiori, please, Karasu-san,” she replied with a smile. “I must say that my
son has put this off for far too long, but it is a pleasure to finally meet
you.”
Kurama
let a relieved sigh escape as he peered back behind his mother and brother.
“Where’s otousan?” he asked, a little uneasy. Shiori’s creased brow didn’t help
reassure him either.
“’Tousan’s
in the living room,” Shuichi answered for her.
“Shuu-kun,”
Shiori looked towards her stepson,” please guide our guests to the living room,
I’ll finish dinner preparations.” She gave a quick hug to Kurama one last time
before disappearing down the hallway.
“Unless
the rooms have moved, I know where to go,” Kurama remarked, ruffling Shuichi’s
hair as he had done when they were younger. “So… catch me up.”
“When
you come over for Christmas, Ami’s gonna be here. She’s from- wait, you were
already gone by then. Well, anyway, I know her from high school. She got into
“
“Yeah,
although ‘tousan has been pushing a little much,” he said quietly before they
entered the living room, “I think he doesn’t want me to drop out.” Louder he
continued, “I’m going into forensics. Ami’s debating whether she likes that or
not, but mostly she’s just teasing me.” Kurama smiled, and then noticed a ring
Shuichi was wearing. Catching the glance, Shuichi winked. “Engaged three months
now.” Feeling very out of touch, Kurama only nodded, too stunned to say
anything.
“Well,
welcome home, Shuuichi.” Kurama tore his gaze from his brother to look at his
stepfather. Kazuya was standing in front of a chair that looked as if it had
just been abandoned, a paper sitting folded on the arm.
“Otousan,”
Kurama greeted. “May I introduce my friends…”
Again
the greetings went smoothly, if a bit more tense this time around. Karasu’s
warm hand encircled Kurama’s wrist, leading him to an empty spot at the couch
that Greg and Emerald had taken. Letting Karasu sit first, Kurama leaned
against the arm and shifted Karasu’s grip so that their fingers could lace
together. The quick squeeze allowed him to gather his bearings again and watch
his stepfather’s face. The gaze wasn’t a very happy one, but it wasn’t as bad
as he had feared.
“It
sounded like Shuichi told you about his schooling and his engagement,” Kazuya
remarked, refocusing his attention on Kurama’s face.
“Hai,
I’m quite impressed. It’s too bad that I missed all the excitement.”
Further
conversation was paused when Shiori came into the room and announced that
dinner was prepared. Kurama excused himself to help her bring out the food
while the others went to sit at the table in the adjoining dining area.
“Tabemashou,”
Shiori announced once everyone was settled. [let’s eat]
The
band ate as quickly as they could while still being polite. A full home-cooked
meal was an amazing treat to a group that rarely had enough to buy three
fast-food meals a day. Even Kurama couldn’t deny how hungry he was. Karasu was
the only one who didn’t appear to have been starved, given that human food
wasn’t really a necessity for him, it wasn’t a surprise.
“I’m
glad my cooking seems to appeal to all of you,” Shiori said with a small laugh.
Shuichi
eyed Emerald as she guiltily took a third helping of rice on her plate. “Don’t
you regularly eat?”
“Shuichi,”
his father warned.
“I’m
sorry,” Kurama said, feeling warmth touch his cheeks. “It’s been a while since
we’ve had a home-cooked meal. It’s very good, ‘kaasan.” The others echoed their
agreements.
“No
need to apologize, eat what you’d like. I’m just curious at the large
appetites,” Shiori remarked, glancing at Gwedian who had eaten silently
throughout the meal. He was on a third helping of a few items too.
Reluctantly
Kurama admitted, “Money’s a little tight at the moment. It took a bit to get
into
“You’re
welcome to come over for meals anytime, then,” Shiori stated, looking quite
determined. Kurama’s lips twitched into a smile. Kazuya seemed to have paid a
little more attention to Kurama when he had mentioned their financial status
but at the moment he made no comment. “So Shuu-kun, where have you been for so
long, may I ask?”
The
redhead leaned back in his chair a bit, considering. “All around the world,
practically.
“World
travel, indeed,” Kazuya murmured.
“We’ve
certainly had our mini-adventures,” Kurama agreed quietly. His eyes met
Shiori’s and he sobered. “I’m sorry, ‘kaasan… I should have written, but I
worried what you had thought so I didn’t dare.”
“Will
you be staying?”
She
had put the question in the air whereas his other friends had merely had the
question lingering in their eyes that afternoon. Kurama looked at Karasu, then
at the others. Slowly he shrugged. “I’m not sure. It’s not just my decision.”
Shiori hid her disappointment well, but he could still see it in the corners of
her eyes. “In any case, we’ll be around for a while.”
“Hai.
We should arrange for Monday’s plans. Shuichi’s fiancé will come around three
to help me prepare dinner and you are welcome to come whenever you like…”
“About
that,” Kurama broke in when she trailed off. “The band has a performance, I’ll
be coming alone, I’m afraid.” He attempted to smile, but it failed and his
expression dropped.
He
was mildly surprised when he felt Karasu’s hand seek his under the table and
suddenly stroke the back of his fingers. He was further surprised when the
singer spoke. “Never mind that. I was thinking of canceling it.” Both
guitarists looked up at him in shock. Gwedian oddly didn’t look nearly as
stunned.
“Are
you sure?” Kurama asked quietly, trying to gauge the reaction in Karasu’s face.
“Would
I rather miss a lovely dinner or sing for a crowd of strangers? Not a very hard
choice.”
Kurama
squeezed the hand in his in thanks. “Arigatou…” Turning to Shiori, his smile
had grown into a grin. “I guess plans have changed. When do you want us to be
here?”
~
* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
nadarakana oka no ue yuruyaka ni yuki ga
furu todokanai to wakatte mo
kimi no heya ni hitotsu daisuki datta hana
wo ima...
Kurama sat at a table for the first time
in months while watching the stage. Yuudoku na Kisu had only recently gotten
up, meaning Yusuke wasn’t as late as he seemed to be. He scanned the crowd near
the entrance again and this time caught sight of Botan’s bouncing bright blue
pigtail. Smiling, he stood up and motioned towards his friends. Botan was up
front with Kuwabara, helping clear a path for Keiko and Yusuke who were
following behind.
“Does that guy at the door give everyone
weird looks?” Yusuke questioned when they had made it over to Kurama’s table
and sat down.
The redhead grinned. “You’re a little out
of place, I have to admit.” The club had been a regular spot for the original
Yuudoku na Kisu to play. It was a dark, but relatively clean, place filled
mostly with young adults in dark colors and an occasional bright red. Piercing
and tattoos were constant sights to catch along with wildly styled and dyed
hair. A small group with basically “standard” wear did stand out in the crowd.
Kurama was dressed plainly in a
short-sleeve black shirt with two pockets closed by zippers and bordered by a
blue barbed-wire pattern. His dark green pants hung low on his hips, the many
pockets empty. “Thanks for accepting the invite.”
“We might as well see what sounds you’ve
subjected yourself to for years,” Yusuke told him, glancing towards stage. “Do
they always do covers?”
“No, but it does for a good opening in a
club like this,” Kurama replied. “I didn’t think you’d recognize the song.
Although Dir en Grey is one of the groups he likes to do best.”
Yusuke rolled his eyes. “Figures,” he
muttered.
Keiko poked him in the side. “He’s just
fine, Kurama, don’t worry about him. He just hates to admit when he’s enjoying
something he didn’t think he’d like.”
The redhead nodded, knowing what she
meant. He watched her smooth her hand over her swollen belly and asked, “When’s
the due date?”
“January 15th, I can hardly
believe how soon it is,” she answered, a nervous smile lighting her face.
Wasted thoughts of you / Useless prayers
to you
“’Baasan was so shocked by the news,”
Kuwabara put in.
Kurama laughed. “I suppose she didn’t
think Yusuke had the commitment to want a kid?”
“Hey! I’m sitting right here!” Yusuke
exclaimed.
“Don’t worry, I’m sure you’ll be a fine
father,” Kurama assured. “Just think of how alert you’ll learn to be, getting
up in the middle of the night. You’ll be on your toes, ready for anything!”
“I’ll make him get used to it before he
can complain,” Keiko said, smiling slightly. “I already made sure he’s staying
in Ningenkai permanently for a long while. No way he’s getting out of
any of this.”
“Way to go.” Kurama turned his attention
to Yusuke. “That mean you’ve done any recent trips to Makai? How’s the
situation there? And how’s Hiei, Inari only knows the last time I heard of
him…”
“I guess you’ve been out of the loop for a
long time. Things are sort of tense, which isn’t the best way to leave things,
but like Keiko said, I need to be in Ningenkai. Mukuro seems to be pretty
content with her land and Hiei’s been working more and more jobs for her. I
think she plans on giving him some co-rulership abilities pretty soon. Last
time I was there, I’d heard Yomi was busy with catching up his kingdom and
schooling Shura.”
That brought back memories. Kurama
recalled the last time he’d seen his long-ago partner and watched Yomi leave
Gandara with the young Shura in tow. It had always amazed and pleased him that
the Makai lord treated Shura so well, their relationship actually like father
and son. He hoped it would give Yomi a happiness that he hadn’t had before. In
his experience, everyone needed a little love in their life to get by.
Thinking about the two made his thoughts
loop back around to Yusuke, Keiko, and the soon-to-be-born baby. Shuichi was
engaged, soon to start a family, and surely it wouldn’t be long before Kuwabara
did the same. It was odd, thinking of his friends at the age for marriage and
families. True, Yusuke and Keiko had married before he had left, a young
marriage but something that had been expected years in advance.
He smiled across the table, catching
Yusuke’s watchful expression. He wondered again on the question if they would
settle in
“What are you thinking about, Kurama-kun?”
Botan asked.
I can’t fill this hole / You are all I
know / And it’s so wrong that I need you
“I’m wondering what the heck I’ll do to
get a job,” he returned. For a moment his friends studied him questioningly. Then,
almost in unison, wide smiles broke out on their faces.
“O-kaeri nasai, Kurama-kun,” Keiko said
quietly.
“Arigatou.” Looking back at the stage,
Kurama caught Karasu’s gaze passing over him. The violet eyes locked on his
momentarily as the song finished. The redhead raised his glass in a salute,
smiling. His lover raised an eyebrow in question, but soon the moment was gone.
“Do you think your friends will stay?”
Kurama considered Emerald and the guys and
then slowly shook his head. “I don’t think so. They have a home away from here.
Em and Greg would have gone back eventually anyway. They love the band, but
they’re falling in love with each other as well and they might as well settle
someplace of their choosing. Gwedy, I’m not so sure about. He’s pretty flexible
and it’s never felt like he had much of something back where he came from.
“Still, the band might not be completely
done for. I saw Rez and Quix yesterday at Dahlia’s. Shade was lurking around a
corner too, but we didn’t talk.” Kurama laughed a little. “I’m not really
surprised. But they seemed to like the music still, and it could at least be
something on the side.”
“Are you just coming up with all this off
the top of your head, or have you really thought about this yet?” Yusuke asked.
Wincing slightly, Kurama conceded, “Well,
I’ve thought about it by myself a bit more after ‘kaasan asked about us
settling again. I haven’t brought it up, though. I suppose I’m worried if there
will be an answer of no.”
“I somehow have the sense that’s not going
to be a problem,” Botan admitted.
After a moment’s pause, Yusuke agreed. “I
hate to say it, but all of you guys seem to get along really well. And while I
don’t get the attraction, you and Karasu seem to be getting along fine.”
Kurama fingered the choker on his neck,
knowing that was the thing that made Yusuke uncomfortable. He didn’t make any
arguments, just smiled softly, feeling content with the acceptance from his
friends. “Thanks guys. This is making things a lot easier…”
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
“Smells delicious, Shiori-san!” Emerald
said as she passed the kitchen.
“I brought the last-minute groceries!”
Greg announced proudly upon entering. Gwedian carried a second bag and both
were deposited on the counter.
Kurama helped Ami with unpacking the bags
while Shiori continued to manage the stove. From the other room he could hear
Emerald’s voice as she started up a Christmas carol. A guitar was playing along
with her and he thought he could hear Shuichi joining in the song. He glanced
at Ami from the corner of his eye, noting mentally that she was a nice-looking
girl with bright, intelligent eyes, and a kind face. She had a pleasant voice
as well and her aura had a warmth about it that was welcoming.
“Anything I can help with?” came a voice
from the doorway.
Shiori looked up and smiled at Karasu.
“I’m afraid not. There’s not much room in here for more than three people.”
“Would you mind, then, if I borrowed your
son for a bit?”
Kurama was about to protest that he was
helping, but Shiori made shooing motions and even Ami got in on it. “Go on now,
we can manage just fine.” He looked at his soon to be sister-in-law with
surprise but she just winked at him.
“Bold girl,” the redhead muttered under
his breath as Karasu guided him by his elbow up the stairs. “Now just what are you
up to? Or was this all a conspiracy?”
“No comment,” the singer remarked with a
smirk.
“That means a conspiracy. Wait, this was
my room…” He looked inside the open doorway and took in the plain look of it
all. It appeared it had been converted into a guest bedroom and while he
couldn’t sense the presence of prolonged ki in the room, he saw a few boxes
under the window ledge.
“Your mother said to look through the
boxes, it’s what she saved from your apartment when we left,” Karasu told him
as he closed the door. Kurama took a step that way, a little surprised she had
kept so many things of his. “As for your ‘conspiracy,’ it’s nothing more than a
simple request to get you away and give you an early gift.”
“Ooo, gifts.” Kurama grinned. Turning back
around he looked up at Karasu. “So, what is it?”
“Demanding, aren’t you?” Karasu scowled
playfully.
“Certainly, if I’m getting it anyway. But
really, what is this surprise?”
Karasu’s smile broadened as he turned
Kurama around to face the window. “Close your eyes and wait a second.” Before
the redhead could retort, his fingers rested against Kurama’s lips. “Don’t say
a word, koi.”
Curious, Kurama wished momentarily for
eyes in the back of his head as he heard Karasu open some sort of box. His hair
was lifted and moved to the front of one shoulder while Karasu’s hands came
around with something held between them. Kurama tried to look at it as the cool
press of metal rested against the skin immediately beneath the hollow of his
throat. Karasu’s fingers tickled the back of his neck, fastening the necklace
in place.
“What is it?” the redhead asked curiously,
still unable to see it since it rested so high up.
“Look in the mirror, baka,” Karasu
suggested lightly, pointing towards the mirror over the dresser.
Kurama made a face at him and then peered
into the reflective surface curiously. The chain was about a quarter-inch think
of plain silver; the pendant at its center was simple made solely of metal, but
with a design embossed. Something resembling a Celtic knot was at its center
and along the edges, circling inward, were words written in some language
completely alien to Kurama.
“How in the world did you manage to get
this…?” Kurama whispered, quite amazed.
Karasu looked thoughtful and a little
distant as he replied. “I’m sure you remember
Kurama waited for more, but Karasu had stopped
talking, looking at the engraving on the back of the pedant, what Kurama now
assumed was Karasu’s name. Still feeling more than a little stunned, he turned
his head. “I’m not quite sure what to say.”
Smirking slightly as he came back to
himself, Karasu ran his fingers through Kurama’s hair. “I would have thought
thank you.”
“Sorry, I’d rather go for something else,”
Kurama said. After kissing the singer
soundly on the lips he murmured, “Aishiteru.”
Karasu responded in another language, but
Kurama felt the meaning as his kiss was returned.
~ * ~ * Owari * ~ * ~
Again, not the ending I expected, but I rather like it. I’m
considering doing a “snowed in” fic in which everyone’s kind of stuck in the
house. Thought something cutesy, but I’m not sure. Also considering a Valentine
fic… but I need to get at least some brief thing about Keiko giving birth,
because Kurama is going to get further interested in having a family. I’m
working on details about adoption right now, so if you have information on how
adoptions go and whatnot, and if you’d like to give some ideas about what sort
of kid Karasu and Kurama adopt, let me know. lionna@execpc.com
=)