Youkai Academy

Chapter 14

Kagome's whole body jolted with pain as her knee buckled, causing her to stumble and collapse into Mitsukuni's arms. Her breath was harsh and ragged as a desperate yelp of agony escaped her throat. Kagome did her best to contain her sudden tears, biting down hard on her lower lip as she cradled her knee desperately attempting to stop the pulsing pain. The skin on her knee and ankle was a nasty shade of purple, with several scrapes swelled with blood. She knew she'd hit the sides of the pool hard; she just hadn't thought it was that bad. Despite the pain radiating from her limbs, she was determined to keep a brave face and press on.

Before Kagome could say a word Mitsukuni effortlessly lifted her. Kagome was shocked to feel the strength and tenderness in Mitsukuni's arms as he lifted her off her feet and cradled her close to his chest. She felt the warm, muscled arm beneath her legs and held her breath in awe as he gracefully lifted her in a bridal style despite their height difference and started carrying her away. Every step he took was deliberate, as if he were conscious that he was still holding her, and her heart was beating so fast that it was hard for her to concentrate on anything else. Kagome could not bring herself to look away from Mitsukuni, who seemed to be the embodiment of strength and care all at once. Slowly she brought her arms up, loosely hugging his shoulders.

"Thank you Hani-Senpai." Kagome whispered, her cheeks stained red with blush.

He moved effortlessly through the forest, and when it started to rain, he held her tightly under the shade of a large tree, much to her protest. Mitsukuni was so childlike that she sometimes forgot that not only was he a demon but how strong that made him.

"I'm going to set you down, K'gome-chan, some things happening," Mitsukuni explained, gently setting her onto a protruding root. "I'll be back soon."

About to ask, Kagome was left shocked as ropes slithered down from one of the ceiling panels, each bearing a man dressed in squat gear. She meekly nodded, and then Mitsukuni was gone as if he had never been there.

In the distance, she heard shouts, and despite Mitsukuni's unspoken order to stay put, Kagome limped after. Using trees for support, Kagome was left breathless and grimacing at the constant thrum of pain at each movement of her leg.

Once at the clearing, Kagome leaned heavily on a tree, trying her best to catch her breath as she took in the sight of the swat member bowing in front of Mitsukuni.

"What are you doing, K'gome-chan? You shouldn't be walking!" Mitsukuni shouted, his usual youth twang slipping as he rushed to her.

"I'm fine," She warbled, stepping towards him again and leaning heavily onto his shoulder.

Her name rang out in a chorus amongst the approaching host club. Kagome smiled back with an awkward wave to the group as she limped beside Mitsukuni.

Now that Mitsukuni knew her secret, she'd have to have this conversation with everyone, and she was scared that it could affect their relationships. A part of her wanted to run away and avoid this conversation for as long as possible but knew that would be impossible- knowing Tamaki, he, and the others would come to find her. And oddly enough, that was reassuring; even if the friendship changed, they would still be the same people she'd come to think of as friends.

"Kagome!" Her name was her only warning before being pulled into a tight hug. His arms were like iron, holding her tight against his chest.

"Kaoru," she whispered his name, ready to push him when she noticed he was trembling. His hands were in her hair at her shoulders; his face burrowed into her neck. Kagome stiffened, surprised at first, shocked to hear him breathing so deeply in her ear before relaxing. Raising her trembling hands, she rubbed soothing circles on his back and caressed his hair. Swallowing her nerves, Kagome nuzzled him back. Rubbing her nose and cheek against his cheekbone before rubbing the junction of his neck and shoulder, where she gently croons.

He responded in kind, a gentle rumble falling from his chest. He held her tighter, pulling her up against him, her feet barely on the ground. His youki slowly leaked out, falling against them in warm curls.

"I'm okay," she did her best to reassure him, but he showed no signs of letting her go. "Kaoru," She moved, feeling his arms slowly loosen at her slightest protest. Caressing his cheeks, Kagome leaned back, still within the circle of his arms but now able to look up into his face. She offered him a gentle smile. "I'm okay, I promise."

"Kagome, you're hurt." Haruhi snapped. "That's not okay."

Kagome offered the girl a guilty smile. "I'll be alright, I promise."

"No, she's right, Kagome; you were hurt because of some miscalculations in the park infrastructure. We are taking you to a doctor immediately." Kyoya interjected, the glare on his glasses making it impossible for her to see his expression.

Kagome sagged before smiling as she stepped out of Koaru's arms, though he kept a supporting hand under her elbow. "Alright, but I expect this incident to reflect kindly on mine and Haruhi's debts Kyoya-Senpai."

Kyoya shook his head as he approached, stealing her from Kaoru. Kagome tried to contain the sound that tried to escape from her throat and kept her hands held close to her body as he strode towards the exit with her held tenderly in his arms.

"No fair!" Tamaki squealed. "Daddy wants to carry Kagome!"

Both Kyoya and her released an annoyed sigh, their deadpan expressions mirroring one another before he walked away. "You'll only get lost." He walked away quickly, the others trailing behind.

"I'm glad you're safe."

Kagome blinked up in surprise, staring into his soft eyes. Kyoya was one of those few people that Kagome found challenging to read, struggling to pin the random strikes of emotions that rarely broke through his usual indifferent façade. Right now was no different, her chest fluttered, and cheeks flared red. She looked away, trying to ignore the strange look and how their skin touching made her feel.

"You have a lot to do if you're going to make this park safe enough for humans, but I could see demons enjoying it."

Only the slightest break in his step could be noticed. She felt how quickly his body had stiffened and how his hold on her had wavered for a split second. It was only a second, but it was all they needed. With her slip of the tongue, Kagome waited for his next question, ready to reveal her secret.

"Thank you for the input." He kept walking.

Kagome smiled softly. "You're welcome, Kyoya-Senpai. I had a lot of fun." Her weary head settled on his shoulder, her whole being slumped with exhaustion. And before she knew it, she was falling asleep, lulled by the gentle rhythm of his heartbeat and warmth.

If he asked, she'd tell him; she'd tell them all the truth.

wolfYLady: And there we have the second part of the jungle pool episode. I hope everyone enjoyed it, and are excited for things yet to come. I am still working on getting new chapters out as soon as I am able.

I know the pairing is still undecided, but it's so hard to pick when you can have an entire harem.

Thanks for reading, and please leave a comment/review- it really means a lot to me.

UNTIL NEXT TIME~