A Forest on Fire (KuramaxOc)

Chapter 47: Departure

Sakyo had watched her skeptically, wondering if this were some sort of advance. When he noted her eyes drifting to that fire, he chuckled.

"Togoro kicked you out?" He asked with a knowing smile, then jerked his chin towards the fire. "Go ahead."

Tsume had shifted back to wolf form, and crossed to the fireplace without a second thought. She had come to enjoy dozing by that fire, completely at ease in the male's presence, and would often wake to fight a hot stew or steak waiting for her on the desk after he had left.

With another wave of her tail, she stretched, shifted, and accepted the long overcoat Togoro handed out to her.

"Of course I am! The tournament's in just a few more days. I'll finally be able to see my mate again." She confided, knowing he couldn't care less if she spoke of her Yoko.

"You do realize he could very well die in the first round." It wasn't quite a question, but Tsume answered with a shrug, regardless.

"Death doesn't have the same bearings for a sylph. We already know where we go when our time is up. If Yoko dies, then we'll just get to be together in the glade."

The male got a strange, far off look in his eye as he considered the words. It was a look she had seen before, but only when there were no others to catch it. Not even his brother, who was currently in a private section of the jet, having his way with the lithe jackal demon hostess. Togoro often acted strange when it came to the subject of what happened after death, as though... longing, for an answer to a question he dared not voice.

"Must be nice." He finally muttered, then turned toward the small window.

Tsume knew that turn of the head to mean the conversation was over, and allowed herself to shift again as a scream of what could have been pleasure, fear, or both, came from the back of the plane. A few more days. Just a few more days, then one way or another, she and Yoko would be together again.

'Come find me, Yoko.'

She sent out in thought as she drifted off to sleep.

_______

Kazuma tried to be as quiet as possible as he packed his duffel bag with enough clothing for the tournament. He couldn't believe two months had already passed!

He had spent nearly every day training with one demon or another. Now he just had to hope it was enough. Before that however, he had to escape the house without his sister noticing how much extra stuff he had packed. One hand to the door knob, he took in a deep breath, whispered a quiet farewell to Eikichi, and opened the bedroom door.

No lights. That was good. He had gotten up super early so Shizuru wouldn't be awake yet. He made it all of three steps when a floorboard creaked, and he froze. His dark brown eyes darted to Shizuru's bedroom door. Nothing. No sounds, or lights flickering to life. He moved again, this time making it four steps before the floorboard betrayed him.

***

Sunemia clasped a hand across her mouth to hide the snort as Kazuma made another startled noise. She watched shamelessly from a crack in the door as he froze for the fifth time, having only made it a single step this time. The carrot-top really thought they were both asleep, and Suni could feel Shizuru trembling with the effort not to laugh as her idiot brother tried his absolute best to be stealthy.

"An elephant in a china shop stands out less..." Shizuru whispered.

Her breath hitched as his own bedroom door creaked, and Kazuma froze in place. Even from here it was clear the effort it took for the big oaf not to fall on his face as he waited. Shizuru threw a hand over her mouth and pointed, and Suni nearly choked as Eikichi stalked up behind the boy on silent paws, and gave the loudest, most ear-splitting meow of her life.