Ikigai (Hiei x OC)

KNOWING

After sharing more about her past, Yukina immediately felt closer to the girls. She hummed to herself as she wrote, enraptured by thoughts of how much nicer her life had been since leaving home. Eventually, Botan returned, eyes rimmed with red and unable to meet hers. With time, her bubbly nature returned, and all seemed right again. A sense of accomplishment filled her as she completed her final letter, just as neatly done as the first.

The sun had gone down, and the table was littered with dirty dishes. As an ice apparition, she didn't need to eat, but Haruki's food was so incredible, she did anyways. Her stomach was heavy and full, making her feel sleepy. Loud clapping had her eyes shooting open. Had she fallen asleep?

"Great job," Genkai said, walking towards them. "You took too long. We won't be able to send these out tonight. Meet me in the south wing, top floor, first thing in the morning. And bring these plates back to the kitchen. Haruki's exhausted from dealing with those kids all night."

She let out a soft giggle – it was no surprise that he was tired. They were good children, but challenging, nonetheless. There were too many of them.

With a series of stretches and groans, they tidied up and made their way to the kitchen, dishes stacked nefariously in their arms. Everyone seemed to be as exhausted as she was, and they made quiet work of cleaning up. When the plates were washed and set out to dry, four sets of feet dragged down the long hallway that led to the stairs. By the time she got to her room, her eyes were drifting shut.

It was not until she'd changed into her nightgown that she realized how frigid her room was. Glancing to the window, she found it closed. She even went as far as to inspect the room for vents, thinking there may have been air conditioning she never knew about. The only one she found was closed. Running her hands over the goosebumps, she shivered, and shrugged on a cozy robe before climbing under the covers.

Rolling onto her side, trying to settle in, she noticed the condensation on the window next to her bed. Something about it looked strange to her, and she reached out to touch it. She let out a loud gasp, her mind moving a hundred miles an hour trying to reconcile what was happening. It was not condensation, but frost.

She screamed, as a handprint appeared on the glass.

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Airi let her clothes fall to the floor, ignoring the sudden nerves that seized her from head to toe. Her hand raised to her neck – the bite, which she'd been so sure had radiated energy earlier, seemed like nothing more than a typical wound. Perhaps the long journey, and the distraction of these new feelings, caused her to hallucinate.

They'd skipped dinner, not concerned in the slightest about what the others thought. After the intimacy of their afternoon together, she refused to tolerate any kind of separation. Sucking in a deep breath, she attempted to steady herself. It did not make much sense, being so uneasy around someone she'd been with more times than she could count. Just as their relationship began to feel familiar, everything had been turned on its head, and she didn't have the faintest clue as to why.

Steam curled up from the gap between the bathroom door and the floor. She opened it slowly, his form behind the frosted glass stopping her heart momentarily. He stood still, head hung low under the water. The subtle splash of her footsteps alerted him to her presence, and his face, cast over his shoulder, had her mouth feeling especially dry.

Perfect boy.

Sliding in front of him, she placed her palms on his chest, and found herself drowning in oceans of garnet. Straight-faced and serious, he held her gaze. She could tell there was something he wanted to say, though she doubted anything of importance would make it out. It didn't bother her, that he was so quiet. She'd never much cared for noise.