Liebestraum (Kurama X OC)

Chapter 18: Seliger Tod (Or, the second movement)

"You don't mean—"

"The cute yellow one by the door."

Kurama was dumbfounded.

"When I got to your doorstep it wrapped itself around me," she explained. "At first, I was a little worried, but I don't know, it seemed...aware somehow. I thought it was cute, so I pet it, and it gave me your house key."

"Asuka that plant..." he shook his head. Why was he surprised? He'd seen the way dangerous yokai reacted to her.

The plant she spoke of was a house guard plant from the Makai, and the most dangerous plant he owned. It was bonded to him through blood and ki. It could take someone's head clean off if it deemed them an intruder, and to his knowledge, it had never made itself friendly with anyone. Kurama had given the key to it as a last resort safety measure for his mother. He never imagined it could behave in such a manner.

"What about the plant?" Asuka asked.

After Kurama had gotten home from holding Asuka for hours, her scent had soaked through him. Perhaps the plant recognized her because of that?

He shook his head. "Never mind. Would you like some tea?

She smiled. "I made some earlier and put it in the warmer. I'll get it."

Kurama sat in his chair, unsure of what to do.

She brought back their tea, left again, and returned with the medical kit from the bathroom. 

"I saw you've got a significant gash on your hand," she said. "Normally you'd just use one of your plants, but you've probably exhausted your ki. Allow me."

Kurama looked down to find a sizable wound in his palm. He hadn't even noticed.

Asuka pulled the other chair closer to his and unlatched the med kit. She thumbed through its contents until she picked out disinfectant and a oversized bandage. He opened his hand to her, and she received it between her delicate fingers.

She was silent as she tended him.

Asuka.

Even though she'd been through her own hell, She was here for him, because she knew what he'd been through. She'd been living with it longer than he had. And so, when she finished placing the bandage on his hand, Kurama scooted forward, and placed his head on her shoulder. He sighed.

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

She smelled perfect. Kurama breathed her in before lifting his head so he could look at her. 

"The problem is," he said without emotion, "I would do it again. And part of me, most of me, isn't bothered by it."

He gazed at her, unsure if the colder side of his nature would frighten her or turn her away.

Instead, her wide purple eyes softened. "I'm sure you've done worse in a previous life—"

That's putting it mildly.

"—But," she hesitated. "It makes sense you'd feel that way. After all, cold logic is comforting in its own way, right? I think that speaks to how deeply your choice affected you, and how deeply his death affected you."

She knew him so well. Better than anyone else.

Asuka pulled back into the chair and hugged her knees. He noticed she did this when exposing something vulnerable about herself.

Kurama wished she came to him instead.

"I'm...learning to live with my own choices Kurama. It's not exactly the same but," she averted her eyes, "You know how Foresight showed me two timelines? In the second, I warned you all about what would happen. And the Gamemaster didn't die in that timeline. But all of you did fighting Sensui."