Only the Most Intense Flames can Burn a Rose
folder
Yuyu Hakusho › Yaoi - Male/Male
Rating:
Adult +
Chapters:
7
Views:
3,053
Reviews:
19
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
1
Category:
Yuyu Hakusho › Yaoi - Male/Male
Rating:
Adult +
Chapters:
7
Views:
3,053
Reviews:
19
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
1
Disclaimer:
I do not own YuYu Hakusho, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.
Chapter Four
A/N: Okay, this is a short chapter, but this next scene is giving me a lot of problems, so I thought I'd post a little thing to tide you guys over. Beta didn't read this one over since she's kinda... Disappeared, but here you go. :3
Kurama had covered all of his bases. He didn’t know how long he’d be gone for this journey, so he made sure all of the people that normally saw him knew that he was going to be taking a little trip. As he did so many times before, he used school as an excuse for his mother; and he told his college classes that he promised his mother that he’d be a chaperone on a school-funded trip at his little brother’s middle school. He got all of his assignments and finished them as fast as he physically could. Surprisingly, it didn’t take him too long, and he emailed his finished assignments to the appropriate teachers within two days.
Those two days weren’t completely boring, however. When he got back from telling his teachers he was leaving, the hallway once again smelled of gunpowder. Though he didn’t think he needed to be, he was careful again. He crept around his apartment to check for anyone who shouldn’t be there, and there was nothing on his desk this time. There was no visitor either, thankfully.
He kept searching his home for something. Surely Karasu wouldn’t break into his house and not leave anything behind…
He searched the kitchen, looking in cupboards; he searched the living room, scanning every table and seat. He got to his bathroom last, and when he pulled back the shower curtain, the first place he decided to look, he saw it. There, in the middle of the shower floor. Where he’d… Given in to desires.
The thing that waited for him, though, left him even more unnerved. He sensed magic in it now that he saw it, and he’d seen similar things before. He’d spent years trying to learn how to get them unlocked without setting off the alarm that most were paired with. It was what appeared to be a simple padlock, though he could see the energy swirling on top of it. It was no ordinary lock, and because of that, most thieves couldn’t even be bothered with them- and this one was strong. Inside of it, held in place by the same magic, was a lock of blood red hair.
Stepping away from the shower, he turned to the mirror, holding up his hair to the mirror and looking at the edges.
There. After several minutes of searching, he found where it must have been cut off. He found the ends that were in so much better condition than any of the rest of his hair. But when? When did Karasu get an opportunity to cut his hair? The only time when Kurama couldn’t have seen it… He must have done it while he was sleeping. But why did he not sense the crow? He should have been able to sense his energy and awoken with adrenaline to fight him, not slept soundly as if Karasu’s presence was normal.
In fact, why did the fern in his bedroom not wake him? Kurama walked to the doorway connecting his bedroom and his bathroom and looked to the plant in a pot near the head of his bed. It matched the soft green, brown, and white décor his bedroom used; its shade of green matched the bedspread perfectly… Or it did.
The gentle green was now black and crumbling, burnt to a crisp. How had he not noticed it before? He’d searched the entire house for evidence of Karasu’s presence, he should have seen this. A sigh laced with a passive hint of frustration passed his lips, and he raised a hand to his hair again. He pulled out a small brown and green seed and dropped it to the floor, filling it with his energy. He focused on Karasu’s life force and the seed grew into thin, flexible vines lined with leaves. It slithered and grew until it covered most of the floor in this room, moving into another room after that and over his house where it had sensed the crow’s energy. Karasu obviously took his time to learn this home, just as Kurama would have done if given the opportunity at wherever Karasu was staying at.
Kurama would want to know where everything was, both so he didn’t trip over it and so he knew where he could find cover. He wanted to know where everything that could be used against him was hidden. Was Karasu as thorough as he would have been? There wasn’t anything missing, was there? He threw a wave of his energy out of his body, calling to the hidden things in his home.
They were safe. Good.
His attention returned to the bathroom. And what of the gift’s location? Did Karasu know? Did he see him somehow? He didn’t think that Karasu had any scrying abilities, but what did he really know? All he knew was what he’d seen in the fight, and he was surprised then. He thought that the crow had to touch his victims in order to make them explode, and it almost cost him his life. He didn’t want to underestimate Karasu about anything this time around. He had to be ready for anything.
He leaned down and to pick up the lock, and when he did, he immediately pulled his hands back. There had been a small bomb planted above it, and now the tub was charred around the object, as were his fingers. He sighed and brought his hands to the sink again. He ran cold water over them, eyes turned back to the lock.
When his fingers felt soothed enough for having no medical attention, he pulled a washcloth out of the cupboard. He dabbed his hands dry and then dropped it on the gift, covering it entirely. It seemed safe, now. He leaned down to touch it again, and succeeded. The hair stayed in place as he lifted it, and it was swimming in demonic energy. It was unfamiliar. Another good thing about it. Karasu didn’t have the ability to enchant. He has now beginning to wonder what the crow could and could not do.
He was almost certain that the hair trapped in the lock was his. Not only did he seem to be missing some, but it felt the same, and it was the exact same shade. His exact hair color was rare, especially in the area.
Now, to see how good the lock really was. He walked back to the sink and turned the water on. He held it under the stream for a few seconds and watched it. He pulled it back out and examined it. It was strong magic. The hair wasn’t wet. It was as if there was an invisible barrier over the strands that water could not pass through. It would protect what it was sealing. If it was holding a chest closed, the entire box would have the same effect- no water or fire damage.
As for the lock mechanism itself… It was magically sealed on top of the machine. He hadn’t seen such a thing in a long time. He needed specialized tools to open it. He didn’t keep those on him, or even in his human home. It was likely that Hiei had a set hidden on him, but the small Jaganshi was no where to be seen. They were friends, but not close enough to warrant a visit so soon. He’d seen the Koorime about a month before, so if trends continued, it would be another three-four weeks before he got another.
He didn’t see much of Yuusuke or Kuwabara. One was juggling the life of a working husband, soon-to-be father with Keiko, and noble of the demon world. The other did the same as Kurama did: go to college- with the slight difference of chasing an oblivious ice princess. They would all band together if needed, he was sure. But this was something Kurama needed to do on his own- and he knew that he could.
He set the lock on his desk in the living room where the necklace had been found, and began working. He wanted to get all of his work done as soon as possible, and when he finished, two days had passed. Two days was a good time with all the work he had to get done, mixed in with breaks for eating, sleeping, and refreshing his mind.
And when he was done, it was time to leave, after a full night of sleep, of course. He’d leave first thing in the morning.
-------------------------------
Heat. He felt heat. Why was it hot right next to his temple and no where else?
Without moving his body, he opened his eyes to determine just that. However, as soon as he did so, nothing changed. That same consuming blackness was both behind and in front of his eyes. Was he blindfolded? No, he would feel the cloth over his eyes if he was. It was never this dark in his room, never. It made no sense why it was that dark, and that kind of frightened him. He went to bed in his own room, and where was he now? He felt around the blankets that he was one, and indeed, they were not made of his own comfortable cotton. They were silk, or some similar feeling material.
He started to move his hands up his body, but then the sound of chains and thick shackles against his wrists made him stop. Why had he not felt it before? Kurama was confused, and he didn’t like it. He was confused, and it still felt hot. That unidentified heat moved forward, brushing against his bangs for just a moment before pulling back. That was unusually affectionate for heat? Since when can a temperature even touch at all?
His eyes hadn’t closed since he opened them, and he still couldn’t see a thing, but he wanted to make sure he didn’t miss anything if for some reason he could suddenly see again. What flashed in front of his eyes at that moment made his blood freeze. He saw a small green orb with wings of the same color, with a yellow eyes in the middle of it.
Seeing eye bomb.
-------------------------------
He awoke with a gasp and a jerk, coming off from his lying position on his bed and pressing himself against the wall behind him, breathing heavily. His eyes groped desperately at being able to see, and saw his own bed and his own room. His hands were free of shackles, and there was no bomb in front of his face.
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, already calming down. He opened them again and eased his eyes forward, watching a pale peach withdraw from where his head was moments before. He followed it at its own slow pace, where it came to rest right on its own black… Shit. That was a thigh. From that thigh, his emerald eyes jumped up to the face of an amused crow demon. Even if that smug smile was behind a mask, he could still see it as if it were bare and open to everything.
“Good morning.” The darker man greeted simply, looking completely comfortable as he perched on the edge of his bed. His back was straight and his pose was proud. It was completely Karasu. Kurama looked at him and felt his heart race, and Karasu looked as if the redhead had no effect on him at all. That heat was explained now. It wasn’t just heat, it was Karasu’s hands. It was his long, nimble fingers that brushed his bangs away from his face.
So much for having the upper hand for this...
Kurama had covered all of his bases. He didn’t know how long he’d be gone for this journey, so he made sure all of the people that normally saw him knew that he was going to be taking a little trip. As he did so many times before, he used school as an excuse for his mother; and he told his college classes that he promised his mother that he’d be a chaperone on a school-funded trip at his little brother’s middle school. He got all of his assignments and finished them as fast as he physically could. Surprisingly, it didn’t take him too long, and he emailed his finished assignments to the appropriate teachers within two days.
Those two days weren’t completely boring, however. When he got back from telling his teachers he was leaving, the hallway once again smelled of gunpowder. Though he didn’t think he needed to be, he was careful again. He crept around his apartment to check for anyone who shouldn’t be there, and there was nothing on his desk this time. There was no visitor either, thankfully.
He kept searching his home for something. Surely Karasu wouldn’t break into his house and not leave anything behind…
He searched the kitchen, looking in cupboards; he searched the living room, scanning every table and seat. He got to his bathroom last, and when he pulled back the shower curtain, the first place he decided to look, he saw it. There, in the middle of the shower floor. Where he’d… Given in to desires.
The thing that waited for him, though, left him even more unnerved. He sensed magic in it now that he saw it, and he’d seen similar things before. He’d spent years trying to learn how to get them unlocked without setting off the alarm that most were paired with. It was what appeared to be a simple padlock, though he could see the energy swirling on top of it. It was no ordinary lock, and because of that, most thieves couldn’t even be bothered with them- and this one was strong. Inside of it, held in place by the same magic, was a lock of blood red hair.
Stepping away from the shower, he turned to the mirror, holding up his hair to the mirror and looking at the edges.
There. After several minutes of searching, he found where it must have been cut off. He found the ends that were in so much better condition than any of the rest of his hair. But when? When did Karasu get an opportunity to cut his hair? The only time when Kurama couldn’t have seen it… He must have done it while he was sleeping. But why did he not sense the crow? He should have been able to sense his energy and awoken with adrenaline to fight him, not slept soundly as if Karasu’s presence was normal.
In fact, why did the fern in his bedroom not wake him? Kurama walked to the doorway connecting his bedroom and his bathroom and looked to the plant in a pot near the head of his bed. It matched the soft green, brown, and white décor his bedroom used; its shade of green matched the bedspread perfectly… Or it did.
The gentle green was now black and crumbling, burnt to a crisp. How had he not noticed it before? He’d searched the entire house for evidence of Karasu’s presence, he should have seen this. A sigh laced with a passive hint of frustration passed his lips, and he raised a hand to his hair again. He pulled out a small brown and green seed and dropped it to the floor, filling it with his energy. He focused on Karasu’s life force and the seed grew into thin, flexible vines lined with leaves. It slithered and grew until it covered most of the floor in this room, moving into another room after that and over his house where it had sensed the crow’s energy. Karasu obviously took his time to learn this home, just as Kurama would have done if given the opportunity at wherever Karasu was staying at.
Kurama would want to know where everything was, both so he didn’t trip over it and so he knew where he could find cover. He wanted to know where everything that could be used against him was hidden. Was Karasu as thorough as he would have been? There wasn’t anything missing, was there? He threw a wave of his energy out of his body, calling to the hidden things in his home.
They were safe. Good.
His attention returned to the bathroom. And what of the gift’s location? Did Karasu know? Did he see him somehow? He didn’t think that Karasu had any scrying abilities, but what did he really know? All he knew was what he’d seen in the fight, and he was surprised then. He thought that the crow had to touch his victims in order to make them explode, and it almost cost him his life. He didn’t want to underestimate Karasu about anything this time around. He had to be ready for anything.
He leaned down and to pick up the lock, and when he did, he immediately pulled his hands back. There had been a small bomb planted above it, and now the tub was charred around the object, as were his fingers. He sighed and brought his hands to the sink again. He ran cold water over them, eyes turned back to the lock.
When his fingers felt soothed enough for having no medical attention, he pulled a washcloth out of the cupboard. He dabbed his hands dry and then dropped it on the gift, covering it entirely. It seemed safe, now. He leaned down to touch it again, and succeeded. The hair stayed in place as he lifted it, and it was swimming in demonic energy. It was unfamiliar. Another good thing about it. Karasu didn’t have the ability to enchant. He has now beginning to wonder what the crow could and could not do.
He was almost certain that the hair trapped in the lock was his. Not only did he seem to be missing some, but it felt the same, and it was the exact same shade. His exact hair color was rare, especially in the area.
Now, to see how good the lock really was. He walked back to the sink and turned the water on. He held it under the stream for a few seconds and watched it. He pulled it back out and examined it. It was strong magic. The hair wasn’t wet. It was as if there was an invisible barrier over the strands that water could not pass through. It would protect what it was sealing. If it was holding a chest closed, the entire box would have the same effect- no water or fire damage.
As for the lock mechanism itself… It was magically sealed on top of the machine. He hadn’t seen such a thing in a long time. He needed specialized tools to open it. He didn’t keep those on him, or even in his human home. It was likely that Hiei had a set hidden on him, but the small Jaganshi was no where to be seen. They were friends, but not close enough to warrant a visit so soon. He’d seen the Koorime about a month before, so if trends continued, it would be another three-four weeks before he got another.
He didn’t see much of Yuusuke or Kuwabara. One was juggling the life of a working husband, soon-to-be father with Keiko, and noble of the demon world. The other did the same as Kurama did: go to college- with the slight difference of chasing an oblivious ice princess. They would all band together if needed, he was sure. But this was something Kurama needed to do on his own- and he knew that he could.
He set the lock on his desk in the living room where the necklace had been found, and began working. He wanted to get all of his work done as soon as possible, and when he finished, two days had passed. Two days was a good time with all the work he had to get done, mixed in with breaks for eating, sleeping, and refreshing his mind.
And when he was done, it was time to leave, after a full night of sleep, of course. He’d leave first thing in the morning.
-------------------------------
Heat. He felt heat. Why was it hot right next to his temple and no where else?
Without moving his body, he opened his eyes to determine just that. However, as soon as he did so, nothing changed. That same consuming blackness was both behind and in front of his eyes. Was he blindfolded? No, he would feel the cloth over his eyes if he was. It was never this dark in his room, never. It made no sense why it was that dark, and that kind of frightened him. He went to bed in his own room, and where was he now? He felt around the blankets that he was one, and indeed, they were not made of his own comfortable cotton. They were silk, or some similar feeling material.
He started to move his hands up his body, but then the sound of chains and thick shackles against his wrists made him stop. Why had he not felt it before? Kurama was confused, and he didn’t like it. He was confused, and it still felt hot. That unidentified heat moved forward, brushing against his bangs for just a moment before pulling back. That was unusually affectionate for heat? Since when can a temperature even touch at all?
His eyes hadn’t closed since he opened them, and he still couldn’t see a thing, but he wanted to make sure he didn’t miss anything if for some reason he could suddenly see again. What flashed in front of his eyes at that moment made his blood freeze. He saw a small green orb with wings of the same color, with a yellow eyes in the middle of it.
Seeing eye bomb.
-------------------------------
He awoke with a gasp and a jerk, coming off from his lying position on his bed and pressing himself against the wall behind him, breathing heavily. His eyes groped desperately at being able to see, and saw his own bed and his own room. His hands were free of shackles, and there was no bomb in front of his face.
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, already calming down. He opened them again and eased his eyes forward, watching a pale peach withdraw from where his head was moments before. He followed it at its own slow pace, where it came to rest right on its own black… Shit. That was a thigh. From that thigh, his emerald eyes jumped up to the face of an amused crow demon. Even if that smug smile was behind a mask, he could still see it as if it were bare and open to everything.
“Good morning.” The darker man greeted simply, looking completely comfortable as he perched on the edge of his bed. His back was straight and his pose was proud. It was completely Karasu. Kurama looked at him and felt his heart race, and Karasu looked as if the redhead had no effect on him at all. That heat was explained now. It wasn’t just heat, it was Karasu’s hands. It was his long, nimble fingers that brushed his bangs away from his face.
So much for having the upper hand for this...