My neighbor is a demon! (Hiei x OC)

8 Happy birthday? (Yuko/Hiei)

I smile at the sweet scent of my mom's perfume and the soft kiss that touches down on my forehead afterwards. "Happy sixteenth birthday sweetie." she coos, making me open my eyes and smile up at her.

"Tell me if I'm being too smoochie okay? I know you're entering the rebellious stage and soon you'll be wanting nothing to do with me." she jokes, making me chuckle.

"I doubt it'll come that far mom." I assure her.

She smiles as she sits down at the edge of the bed looking down on me. "I'm going to get stuff from the store to bake a cake. How many of your friends are coming?" she asks, unbeknownst making my mood drop.

"Uh... They won't be coming this year." I tell her, making her smile disappear.

"Huh? Well why not?" she wonders with a frown.

I look away, trying to keep a straight face. "We had a falling out. It's stupid, but just... bad timing you know." I excuse. Neither one of my friends are on my side right now. It's surprising how easy it is for them to cast me aside.

She hums in reply. "Well, their loss." she huffs. "Then it'll just be the family, and maybe Hiei." she states, making me quirk a brow.

"I doubt he's jumping to the idea of a birthday party mom." I tell her with a roll of my eyes. It's a small miracle he's eating with us on a regular basis. He hardly ever says anything during.

"Never say never." she winks. "Besides, you get along right? He may be stand-offish, but you have this thing going on, I can tell." she smiles satisfactory.

"A thing?" I repeat in question, wondering what she's getting at.

She giggles, getting to her feet. "I don't mind. He's not bad looking at all." she states, making me blush as she makes her cheeky point.

"Mom!" I call after her, but she already skips out of the room. "Ugh!" I groan, pulling my pillow over my head. Typical.

..........

~Hiei

"What is that god-awful noise!" I shout over the grating in the kitchen after entering the Takagi home.

To my relief, the noise ceases as Yuko turns to look at me. She looks slightly less tired than she has looked all week I note. "I'm making shaved ice." she states simply before resuming what she is doing.

I cringe at the noise, striding over before slapping my hand on the contraption, making her stop and look to me with her large brown eyes in question. "It's giving me a headache." I state, stepping back.

"All the way from across the hall?" she wonders.

"From your living room." I interject, letting her know I was already coming over despite that. "Your mother said there was cake." I explain, looking around for the no doubt delicious treat.

Yuko raises a brow before smiling. "It's in the fridge, but its not done yet." she explains, making me grunt in disappointment.

She turns to her half-filled bowl of shaved ice, sighing in dismay as it melts quickly from the high temperature. "I really wanted that." she pouts childishly.

"Just go to the store." I huff.

Again she sighs. "Alright. If you're not going to let me make my own, I don't have much of a choice do I?" she states before swinging around and retrieving her favorite red purse.

"Want some as you wait for the cake to set?" she asks.

I nod. I actually like the stuff, but going to the store is something I'd rather not do. I suppose anything is better than having my ears tortured again.

.........

"What's gotten into you?" I question after seeing her glance around like a skittish cat for the millionth time. We haven't even reached the shop yet and she's already reaching a record.

"Huh? Oh, nothing much." she waves off, turning her eyes to the front, though soon they are fleeting around again wildly, being pretty obvious even if she tries to be inconspicuous.

"Hn." I hum. Fine. Don't tell me.

She's been acting stranger by the day. From the day I found her in the hallway crying, something has changed. She has turned more quiet, smiled less, looks like she sleeps half nights. But never has she said a word of what's bothering her.

I tell myself it's not my business, especially if she decides to keep quiet about it, but for some unexplainable reason, it irritates me.

I reach the final straw when she carelessly decides to cross the road, nearly getting herself killed.

..........

~Yuko

I can't help but squeal when a hand grips onto the back of my shirt, yanking me backwards with force. I swear my feet are off the ground!

"What the heck?!" I exclaim in surprise when released, looking around for the culprit only to find Hiei glaring at me and some random people looking at me in shock before continuing on their way.

I blink in confusion. Did I miss something?

"Yuko." Hiei nearly hisses, making my eyes widen, he never uses my name. "Do you have any idea how much trouble you are? You nearly got yourself killed. And for what?!" he spits, motioning toward the now green traffic lights.

"Are you going to enlighten me on why you're acting like such an idiot lately? Preferably before get yourself killed." I flinch at his harsh words.

I can only blink at him in shock for a moment, my mind stumbling over things to say.

"I- uh... You'll only think I'm being stupid." I retort weakly, making him scoff.

"Believe me, you couldn't make me think you're being more stupid than you're being now." he counters as he wraps a hand around my wrist and pulls me away from the road and towards a park nearby.

He releases me when we are out of earshot from bystanders and I can't help but rub my wrist. He has a tight grip. "Speak." he orders.

I hesitate before looking away, mumbling in embarrassment, "Remember that boy from the arcade?" I question.

"Hn." is all he replies, but I know he remembers.

"He doesn't leave me alone. He pops up everywhere, makes me feel uncomfortable and sets up my friends against me... And I don't know what to do, because no one believes me or thinks I'm making it out to be worse than it is. He scares me. I really think... he might hurt me someday." I tell him finally, wondering what his reaction will be.

I look over to him, but I can't tell what he's thinking. Whatever is on his mind, he's thinking hard about it, like he's carefully weighing his options.

"That petty excuse for a human won't hurt you." he finally states before walking off in the direction of the store.

I blink in surprise once more. "How can you be sure?" I wonder, hurrying to catch up.

"Because I won't let him." he says as if it's final. And even though it leaves me wondering, it's oddly reassuring as well.