Kissing Cousins

Chapter Fifteen

Kagome felt the wave of dizzyness wash over her as Sango helped her sit down on the couch. Her nose twitched, she was sitting next to the pillows Kurama usually slept on. His scent filled her nose causing her eyes to sting. "Who cares why he returned it? The point is he did, for that I am grateful."

"I guess you are right, it is once again in your possession. Still theres the question of why he didn't kill you when he had the chance." Koenma looked at the pale girl and saw her flinch.

Kagome wasn't sure why he had left, maybe it was because he was already injured and he sensed Sango coming. "He got lazy and didn't finish the job. Sorry to disappoint some of you, it's not my fault he didn't finish what he started."

"No one wishes that he would have killed you." Koenma was startled by her announcement. If the jewel hadn't been returned they would have needed her to find it. "Since the jewel has been returned the situation is still the same. So I suggest I have one of my men go fetch Touya, he shouldn't have left you unprotected."

Kagome flinched at that statement, so everyone knew. She stood up meaning to set her foot down, "No, he left for a reason. No one will fetch him or anyone else. If you try to force a mate on me then I will either kill you or you will have to kill me. That choice is yours, I suggest you choose wisely. If you are that worried about the damn jewel, then you are welcome to it."

"Don't threaten me or I'll have you arrested." Koenma bristled under her intense gaze. "You have less than two months to pick one or I will pick one for you."

"Do so and he will die the minute he tries to touch me. If you wish to kill your men fine, you might as well lock me up now." She threw the jewel at him smacking him in the chest, "Take it, I want all of you out." Her eyes landed on Kurama, "And I mean everyone except Sango."

Sango went to assist her when she tried to stand up, "Kagome, are you sure you just want to hand over the jewel?" She placed her arm around Kagome's waist helping her to stand.

"Yes, let him have it. I have already lost too much because of it and I believe you should feel the same way." Her feet began walking, she needed to get out of the room before the crying began. The jewel was the cause of all her heartache. If she no longer had it then she wouldn't need the protection.

"Very well, maybe it is for the best if I lock it up. Now that it has been removed, it might be safer in the Reikai." Koenma bent down to pick the jewel up, "I'll be leaving now, I'll call upon you if you are needed."

"Whatever," Kagome let Sango lead her into the bedroom. "Now, tell me about this guy you've been keeping from me."


Kurama saw Sango come out of the room a few hours later. He didn't get up from his position on the couch. She merely nodded to him as she walked into the kitchen to get whatever it was she'd come for. His thoughts were keeping him from sleeping, two many questions left unanswered. She could answer a few of them so he decided to ask her. "Sango may I speak to you?"

She walked out with a glass of water in her hand, "What about? Why are you still here?" She walked over to the edge of the couch and took a seat.

"I want to speak to Kagome when she feels up to it. I want to ask you something about your friend. What is his name? Can you tell me what you know about him?"

She eyed him, wondering why he was curious. "Why?"

"I have a feeling you won't tell me anything unless I tell you first. I once had a partner, when I lived my life as Youko. For a long time I have believed him dead, he fell into a trap on a raid. The man that came to see you tonight, I'd swear it was my old partner. If it was theres a chance he wouldn't have recognized me in my current form. Can you tell me what you know of him, please?"

"I don't know much, we only spoke a few times. He told me his name was Kaori, he didn't tell me much of his past. We mostly spoke of present topics, I'm not sure how much help that is going to be." Sango watched the crestfallen look on his face. "I take it that he isn't your friend."

Kurama got up and walked onto the balcony stepping over the broken glass. He felt his heart pinch at the name. Why would the man call himself by that name? Sango stepped up beside him waiting for his answer. "Yes, it is him. Why he calls himself that now, I have no idea. His true name is Kuronue."

"How can you be sure it is him then?"

"All our years together he always carried something with him, a pendant. He had recieved it long before he met me. I once asked him where he had recieved it, so he told me. Before he met me he was injured in the Ningenkai. He was nursed back to health in secret, near a local village. You are from an era not far from that time. It would have been centuries before even you were born, so you can imagine how things were then. A girl from the village helped him, he fell in love with her. The pendant was a gift from her, she was killed soon after. The day I thought he'd died, the pendant snapped from around his neck. He went back for it where he fell into the trap." Kurama took a long breath not sure how Sango would take the information. "I never met her, so I have no idea what she was like. All I know is that her name was Kaori, the name he now uses."

"I see, so what are you going to do? Going to try to speak to him when he comes back?" Sango asked, not sure how to take the news.

"I'm not sure, I will deal with things here first."

"You mean Kagome. She cares for you, thats why she doesn't want a mate. I'm going to head to bed now."

He watched her leave him to his thoughts. Kuronue was alive but where had he been since that day? Why hadn't his old partner sought him out. What would the man say if he saw Youko again? Should he seek the man out and find out what he needed to know? He wasn't sure how he felt about his old partner being alive now. It left so many questions for him.

First he'd deal with his problem with Kagome, his biggest problem. If he'd known that Touya was gone he would have come back. He hadn't known that he was leaving her alone, he just couldn't stay knowing that the other man was with her. Touya had left before taking her, he hadn't claimed her. Koenma wouldn't enforce the mate with the jewel being in his possession. It had hurt when she had thrown his words back at him. Did she truelly believe that he would wish her dead? Seeing her injured had made a large impact on him.

He was sure his mother and stepfather would never accept a relationship between them. He didn't know what had caused the mating not to take place. It didn't matter now, he would see it as a blessing. Sango was right, he was running from it. He didn't want to disappoint his mother or do something that would hurt her. Yet he couldn't deny the fact that he wanted Kagome.

They could always keep their relationship a secret. His family wasn't aware of youkai or what a mating was. Was it possible to mate and keep it from his parents? Would she even want that? She didn't strike him as the type to want to hide a relationship. He could always ask her but knowing how she felt right now, she wouldn't accept the idea. He walked inside and pulled the blinds closed, might as well go find out.

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