Disclaimer: I do not own Nurarihyon no Mago nor any of its characters.

The Storm

All girls, even youkai ones, tended to have a few romantic fantasies lingering about in their subconscious.

Tsurara was no exception. In fact she suspected that these fantasies were leaking a bit more than she would have liked from her subconscious with the amount of teasing that she received on almost a daily basis now from some of the other Nura clan members. She'd always put up with a light amount of knowing jokes about her unwavering devotion to Rikuo-sama, but ever since the young master had reached high school the ribbing had gotten more intense.

And, yes, while Tsurara did admit to having a fantasy about Rikuo every once in a while (especially ones where he named her the most important member of his Hyakki Yakou and asked her to be his right hand force; Tsurara almost died with blushes every time she dreamt of this happening), they were never really that risque. It should not have given Kejourou leave to offer advice about how to "push him down", Kappa to shoot her a thumbs up every time she passed the pond, or the Tsukumogami to titter to themselves whenever Rikuo visited the Nishikigoi district. What they were insinuating was too embarrassing even to think about.

If these suggestions and encouragements made their way into her dreamworld, she denied it with a vengeance. They defied the balance of the relationship between Rikuo and herself, they skewed the picture of the world she lived in, and as a Yuki Onna she emulated winter and desired a calm, forthright, but everlasting perfection in her days. Blizzards were for fights with opposing youkai, not meant to shake her feelings for Rikuo, and it was with this unfaltering certainty that Tsurara lived.

It was also why she was not prepared at all for the storm when it came.

The afternoon had started pleasantly enough. After walking with Aotabou and Rikuo back to the Nura compound, she had left for one of her thrice weekly visits to her Hyakki, the Arawashi clan. She'd stopped into various stalls as she wound her way through the district, doing chores and checking in with people, feeling the comfortable peace of returning to a place that functioned as a second home for her. It had been over four years since she'd been assigned to take the district in hand, and though she still hadn't managed to match up fully to the past 'Onee-san', her mother, she was welcomed and treated with an almost sibling-like respect. One day, the Garakuta stall owners had promised her, she would surpass her mother in all aspects, the young Nura head would be sure to acknowledge it, and until that time they would be supporting her all the way. Setsura-san had come to them already in her full power, but Tsurara-chan, they swore, would be a true product of Nishikigoi.

She liked visiting, it was always entertaining and fun and her friends in the Arawashi clan always tried to help her grow and get stronger. Gorou, the youngest son of the stall that sold takoyaki, would make sauces of all different kinds so that she could perfect her control of how fast and to what degree they froze. Katashi, who was the handyman and carpenter for the area, practiced staff and other weapon attacks with her after the day's work was done. And Taichi and Nobu, two of the older men of the clan, would demonstrate strength and fitness exercises for her.

"And you just need to stretch your arms like this everyday," Nobu would say, looking around furtively as sometimes the other members of the clan would reprimand the two if they found them discussing these things with Tsurara, "then you'll get results in no time at all. We'll even go ahead and buy a new kimono for you this summer, since you'll definitely need it."

"I'll really grow by doing this?" Tsurara would ask back, tilting her head to one side. "I haven't really gotten any taller in the last ten years."

Nobu and Taichi would glance between themselves, but eventually Taichi would reach out and pat her kindly on the head. "You just keep practicing the exercises. We'll make sure that the third thinks as highly of you as you do of him."

"Oh, but Rikuo-sama is a much better leader! I am just following his example," Tsurara would always instantly reply, but the two clan members never seemed to take her seriously and would just smile and do a few more demonstrations before going on their way.

Overall Tsurara thought of the Nishikigoi district as one where she could practice living up to her dream of being an essential part of the Nura clan, and so therefore, when a group of strange youkai attacked the market that afternoon, she naturally called upon her Hyakki and led the charge herself.

Thirty minutes later and she was sprinting down an alley way, the sound of pursuit echoing off the walls behind her. They had been attacked by a group of Hebi, snake youkai with pointed features and narrow eyes, who were visiting from Okinawa. From what Tsurara had understood, they were looking to establish a foothold in the city and had decided that replacing the Garakuta market with one of their own, selling southern delicacies and trinkets, would be a fantastic way to do so. When they had learned that Tsurara was the leader of the area, the group of twelve had quickly focused upon her.

Right now Tsurara was using that to her advantage. It wasn't that she didn't trust her Hyakki to defend her, they had been more than enthusiastic in jumping into the fray, it was just that she didn't want them to get hurt when there were better options. Just eight blocks away was a trap she had set up months ago, thinking to use it if Rikuo ever needed anything of the sort, but realizing that now was the perfect time to enact it. When she remembered it, she'd turned and ran towards it, and predictably most of the Hebi had followed, breaking away from the Tsukumogomi and the Arawashi to chase after her. The paths were tight and it was a time consuming process for her to wind her way there, but at least it was keeping her district safe and was surely delaying her pursuers as well.

Making a quick turn down another small path, Tsurara noticed the two boxes left carelessly along the path too late and found herself tripping into the wall. It took her only seconds to steady herself and regain her footing, but by that time the Hebi had begun to catch up. She heard the cry the youkai in the lead gave, "That's her! She'sss right here!" and glanced behind her to find the group only meters away. But her trap was just around the next turn and she refused to be deterred. Pushing away from the wall rapidly, Tsurara leapt into a sprint again and managed to make it down the entire alley before running into the second unexpected obstacle of the day.

A swift hand caught her wrist as she wobbled on her geta.

"Watch it," a deceptively calm voice cautioned her, and the voice would have given his identity away if Tsurara had not already determined it from his mere presence alone. Her head shot up anyway, seeking confirmation.

Rikuo was looking back at her, his youkai form towering over her petite height. In the last four years even his day form had grown to be a head taller than her, but it still had not yet matched the height of the night. Clad in his customary black kimono and blue cloak, he was already blending naturally into the growing shadows of the alley. It was no wonder, Tsurara thought absently, that she hadn't noticed him on her hellbent path to her trap. The hand at her wrist steadied her, but it was the small frown that twisted his lips down that caught her attention.

"Rikuo-sama! What are you doing here?"

The frown ingrained itself further into his face, radiating displeasure, but instead of answering his eyes flicked up to the Hebi, who were now slowly approaching the two of them and hissing to themselves in mocking laughter.

"That'sss right, the market will be in our care now," one of them said, giving the sibilant promise.

"Out of placesss to run?" another one added.

And finally, who she presumed was the leader from his prominent position amongst the intruders, a last snake youkai spoke up, tongue slipping out from between his teeth. "Two for the price, sss, of one, hmm?"

Tsurara barely had time to glance back at the crowd approaching before Rikuo tightened his grip on her wrist and spun her behind him. Ah, she thought, moving her feet quickly to keep her balance, it would be Matoi, right? She squared her shoulders and readied her fear.

But instead of reaching back for it, Rikuo stepped forward and drew his sword, his fingers still like a vice, connecting them. "A bunch of scavengers, sniffing around for new territory? This woman is mine, you'll have slither off, bastards."

A discordant hiss of aggression arose from the group and Rikuo's grip disappeared. They had barely slashed through his after-image, Tsurara's icy staff slicing into the first over eager opponent in retaliation, before a cry of pain turned attention towards the center of the group where Rikuo had appeared again to sink his weapon bone deep into one of the Hebi. Lightning fast the snake youkai writhed inward but Rikuo had disappeared once more, his fear overwhelming the weaker antagonists.

Within minutes it was over, several of the youkai hunched over on the ground, badly wounded or dead, and the rest retreating, the leader hissing out curses as he held his mangled right arm to his chest and limped hurriedly off, his remaining followers bunched up closely around him to protect his back. Standing motionless, his back towards her, Rikuo watched them go.

Sighing, Tsurara set the butt of her weapon down and let it melt out of its deadly form. "Well, they certainly ran when-" She cut off abruptly as Rikuo appeared before her and snatched her wrist up again. "Rikuo-sama-!" she started when he began pulling her down the alley, continuing on the path she had been headed initially, but left the "what's going on?" unsaid when his shoulders set in front of her and he tugged her around the corner.

She was spun with a brusque suddenness as soon as they were out of view of the injured snake youkai, and Tsurara found herself being backed into the wall by an angry Rikuo. In fact, by the frown still etched into his mouth, she would even venture to say that he was furious with her. "What," he began, voice even but tone rough, "do you think you were doing?"

"What?" Tsurara asked in return, thoroughly confused. Her back hit the bricks behind her and she was forced to stop retreating, but Rikuo still pressed further in until they were touching as he leaned over her. Mouth falling open in blatant befuddlement, Tsurara blinked up at him. "I... I was protecting my district."

The assertion of doing her duty only seemed to make the situation worse. A swift hand planted itself next to her head against the wall. "Why didn't you send for me to help?"

"I didn't..." Tsurara stopped mid defense. What? What on earth was Rikuo implying? She was given this district to lead her Hyakki Yakou, was given it because she had earned a position of significance among the Nura clan, and it was her duty to protect it. Hers. Did he not think she was capable? "I was defending Nishikigoi-" she tried again.

"You were running," Rikuo interrupted, looking fierce. "You're lucky Nattou was by to visit and saw you."

Inside of her, Tsurara felt a little fire, a cold one but it burned all the same, spark to life. Her temper was rising. Wasn't this her responsibility? Wasn't this her Hyakki Yakou? Hadn't she been given it because she could be trusted to handle it? "It is my duty to protect my clan."

A second hand landed next to her head. "Mine, too," the pissed youkai in front of her said. "Next time, you have to call me."

Tsurara's response was immediate. On retrospect she realized she should have phrased her intent differently, should have perhaps explained that she wasn't running from the Hebi but leading them to a place where she would have the advantage, should have told him that she was a Yuki Onna, a powerful one, and could handle a few snakes. But instead all that came out was one word, soft, dangerous, and perfused with bafflement and irritation.

"Why?"

She meant it as a question of why he thought she needed his help this time, why this level of harm, small as it was, should elicit such overwhelming response, but by the time it reached his ears she knew that he had heard it as a question of why she should call at all.

The red eyes in front of her narrowed instantly, and Tsurara saw the action clearly because he had bent over to match their gazes. One of the hands, which had been pressed against the wall with such force that she thought there surely must be prints left behind, left its position to spin a lock of hair next to her face between two finger pads. The snow youkai felt herself freeze, and not by her own volition. "You are mine," came the simple answer, and then there was nothing simple about their interaction at all, because the hand fiddling with her hair abandoned that amusement and instead found her neck and pulled her in.

And then she lost track, exactly, of where Rikuo's hands were because his mouth was on hers and she was melting, sliding into puddles, facing the end of winter as it transitioned into spring, and it was wonderful. He kissed her for what seemed like forever, an eternity of warmth, but it was only when she relocated his hands, when a palm slid around her waist and he pressed her back into the wall with his body even as he cradled the back of her head, that she realized it couldn't have been forever because spring only lasted a short time before it turned into summer. And then she was burning, boiling, evaporating into steam because he had opened his mouth and somehow gotten hers open too when she was distracted by his hands, and his tongue had curled ever so delicately around her left canine. And it was glorious.

She was sure she had misted herself away to nothing by the time he pulled back and pressed his forehead against hers. "Who," his voice rumbled out at her, rough now for an entirely different reason, "did you share Sakazuki with?"

The air between them, meeting in hot and cold fronts, puffed into visibility for a few moments before Tsurara managed to answer. "Rikuo-sa..."

He leaned forward before she could finish, nipping almost playfully at her bottom lip, then retreated scarce inches to stare at her seriously. "You have to call me. If you have to run, you have to call me."

Tsurara blinked as the conversation resumed and left her stumbling to catch up. "I had a trap," she started, releasing one hand (she had no idea when they had bunched up into his kimono) to wave vaguely behind him. There was an avalanche hidden in that wall, and it would have covered up the Hebi when they followed her here and allowed her to pick them off one by one.

But she didn't get any further in her explanation before they heard Rikuo's name echoing down the alley ways. At the sound Rikuo pulled her against himself and tucked her head under his chin, looking in the direction of the voice. It wasn't until after he identified it (Aotabou, she was sure) that he released her. "Come on," Rikuo said as he took her hand and began leading the way back to the market. "We're going back to the main house."

And all the while as they left, part of Tsurara wanted to dig in her heels and shout "You don't understand! I could have handled it!" Because he'd never realized that she hadn't been running away, and she thought if he just understood that one point perhaps he would have left her to her own fight. She wanted to say that even if she had been running away, it was her responsibility to confront all the problems in her district and if she couldn't then she didn't really deserve it anyway, let alone his intervention.

But the bigger part of her, filled with the knowledge of Rikuo that she had gained throughout almost a lifetime of being by his side, was whispering that this wasn't about trust, was cautioning her that something was going on between them that had transgressed the borders of their Hyakki Yakou relationship. This Rikuo that was leading her, he wasn't the night Rikuo, composed and full of cocky command, but he wasn't the day Rikuo either, compassionate and considerate to both human and youkai alike. This was a Rikuo that she hadn't seen before. Her heart beat out an unsteady rhythm at the thought.

Distractedly, she spoke with the Tsukumogami and the Arawashi, reassuring them that everything was okay and that the threat was gone. She greeted Aotabou, Kubinashi, and Kappa, and thanked them for coming to help, even though they, too, commented that she likely could have handled the Hebi on her own with little trouble. She bade farewell to her Hyakki, then joined the Nura group as they walked back to the main compound. And all the while Rikuo held her hand nonchalantly, as if they were always linked thus whenever they were together.

No fantasy, Tsurara thought as she finally regained her autonomy at the gate of the main house, had prepared her for this. A storm had just broken on her life, and she had no idea what to do about it. Avoiding the curious gazes of the other members of the household, she retreated to her room and went to bed, mired in uncertainty.

It took almost a week until she was calm enough to remain in the same room as Rikuo for any extended period of time. In truth she really only had to withstand the tight frisson this caused in her nerves in the evening. During the day it seemed as if Rikuo was avoiding her, but at night he would calmly sit at the head of the dining and meeting hall and every so often turn his eyes to stare at her. The heat in his gaze would make her heartbeat speed up as if by magic, but the inconsistency between his two forms was starting to cause a little lead weight to develop at the bottom of her stomach whenever she thought about it.

Just what was going on here? It seemed as if everyone knew but her.

It didn't even take a week for that to happen. If there were members of the Nura household who did not know the circumstances of Rikuo's abrupt departure to the Nishikigoi district that evening, they definitely knew it by the next day. The gossip seemed to spread like wildfire. Kejourou flashed her naughty grin and quirked her eyebrows several times as they prepared breakfast. Nattou, Toufu, Sannokichi, and Ko-oni were all extremely deferential to her, more so than they had ever been before. Even Nurarihyon-sama had shown interest. She'd glanced up in the garden one morning to find him paused on the porch, watching her. After a few moments, he'd chuckled quietly as if to himself and walked off. Tsurara had spent the rest of the morning fretting about what had been so different about her as to inspire that response. And all around she felt the undercurrent running through the house: Rikuo had finally made his move.

In fact the only ones who seemed to be more wary at jumping to conclusions were the three who had come out with Rikuo to save her. Kubinashi often watched both her and Rikuo lately, with more of a thoughtful than speculative gaze. Kappa had stopped flashing her the thumbs up sign. And Aotabou had come right out and asked her what was going on. When she had replied that she didn't know, he'd 'hmm'ed but taken it at face value. "Perhaps," he'd said, "neither does Rikuo."

When Zen had come two weeks later it had blown out the last thread of normality she was clinging to. The bird youkai and she had always participated in a kind of unspoken rivalry for the spot of the third's most loyal supporter. When he'd seen her, Zen had tsked in an annoyed fashion, but as he'd passed her in the hall he'd rested his palm against her head and remarked, "He could have waited a bit longer."

She hadn't had a response to that, not when it seemed as if Zen was relinquishing a bit of his spot to her, and she'd remained silent and still in that hallway as he'd opened the door leading to the main hall and called out to those inside before shutting the portal behind him.

She couldn't help it then, Tsurara fled to the kitchen and remained there for as long as she politely could all evenings after that. Nura Wakana remained the same as always, welcoming and open, and refrained from mentioning the recent changes in dynamic between the yuki onna and her son, and so Tsurara found it much more peaceful there than most anywhere else in the compound.

A week was spent in this haven without interruption, almost a month had passed since her world had first tipped and spun like a snow globe, before the storm found her again. It's name, she had learned, was Rikuo, and he met her in the hallway not two meters from the kitchen.

"Hey."

The voice that emanated from the darkness startled her and unbalanced the tray that she was currently carrying. A hand reached out and steadied the platter above her fingers and slowly Tsurara let her eyes follow the arm up to find the young Nurarihyon commander gazing back at her. "H-hello, Rikuo-sama," she greeted, trying to keep her tone light. She made to step back and move around him, but Rikuo caught one of her hands and pulled her forward.

"Tsurara. You're avoiding me."

You're avoiding me, too, she wanted to retort, but her breath caught in her throat as she became hyper aware of his presence, as she had constantly for the past month. His other hand, still helping support the tray, brushed against hers, and she felt herself tremble. "Everyone keeps staring," she volunteered as a reason instead, noting that her voice wavered slightly but not in control enough to help it. You're staring, her thoughts continued silently, and I don't know what you're thinking when you do.

Rikuo was silent for a moment, as if considering how to counter that statement, then shook his head. "They don't know everything."

"Neither do I," Tsurara said before she could help it.

Immediately he smiled in response, and it was the confident, charming smile of his night form that she loved, that she knew she would follow forever. "Neither do I," he echoed in confession, smiling a bit more when the tray stopped wobbling and she glanced fully into his eyes for the first time in weeks. "But I'm not about to let that stop me." His gaze, after holding hers for a few seconds, slipped down to her lips and darkened, and in response she felt her heartbeat increase. "Tsurara," he said, and her name was pronounced with such a serious intent that she felt the significance of the statement even before he said it, "I want to kiss you." And because he paused and remained still, obviously waiting for her response, she felt the questions behind it, too.

Do you dislike this? Will you let me?

The answers nearly thrummed through her. No, she didn't dislike it. She was upset that only half of him seemed to want to talk to her right now, she felt like her life was currently caught in a maelstrom with no way out but forward, but she didn't dislike it. She could be honest with herself because she'd always been honest. She loved Rikuo. Loved him as a subordinate, loved him as a friend, and even loved him romantically. She'd strived to keep the first two predominant in all their interactions before now, but he'd always had a special place in her heart and she'd longed for the return of his affections in any form. And, based upon the dreams she had now, the fantasies that had been sparked when he had pinned her against the wall, she was certainly not adverse to any physical shows of that affection. It didn't mean she had come to terms with their new relationship and its changed balance, but... she couldn't help it. Looking up into his heated gaze, she slowly nodded.

Just as slowly, almost delicately, his hand dropped hers and reached out, catching the bottom of her chin and tilting it carefully. Then he leaned it and let his breath mix with hers before closing the final distance and covering her lips. Oh, so very, very slow. Every soft brush, every moist catch, she felt it all as his lips skittered away, his hand tilted her chin the other way, and then he returned to repeat the exploration again.

Without thought, only wanting more, Tsurara let out a soft, breathy moan, and suddenly the pace between them changed as if caught up in the tempest in her heart. His body turned them instantly and once again she was pressed into a hard surface, Rikuo's fingers leaving her chin to slide down her chest and find her free hand, pinning it firmly and swiftly to the wall in the space above her head. His mouth, instead of copying the upwards motion of their joined palms, wound its way downwards and staked a claim on the pale column of her throat, nudging the scarf out of his way as he descended. Pushing futilely and carelessly against the hand above her head in an effort to touch him in return, Tsurara lost concentration on what she had been doing before running into Rikuo.

The tray slipped out of her fingers and past his inattentive support to crash to the ground.

Rikuo shifted immediately and they both listened as the rhythmic chopping in the kitchen halted. "Tsurara?" Wakana called, her concerned tone making it obvious she had heard the crash.

Letting his weight press into her for a moment more, the nurarihyon youkai in front of her brought his mouth to her ear in a way that made her shiver. "Tsurara," he whispered, "don't avoid me."

Then, like a phantom, he slipped away. Tsurara managed to set the tray to rights before Wakana appeared in the doorway, but she doubted she hid the burning blush that scorched her cheeks for the rest of the evening.

The next morning Tsurara rose with a new purpose, determined to start setting her life back into some semblance of order. She was in over her head right now, things were happening that she didn't have a firm grasp on, and if she was ever going to exert some control over the situation then she needed to understand it. It was time, quite simply, to ask for advice.

Without much remorse she avoided the kitchen. Normally she would help make breakfast for the household, but Kejourou was in there as well, and the female youkai would be a poor choice to ask for advice, Tsurara thought, blushing lightly. She'd get all sorts of hints and suggestions that had little to do with a peaceful existence and a lot to do with keeping Rikuo's gaze on her all the time. Purposefully, Tsurara pushed away the wild images (though Kejourou would probably announce them tame) running through her head. It was unfortunate that she couldn't discuss this with her best female friend in the compound. Outside of Rikuo, Kejourou usually had sound advice.

No, Tsurara decided, the best people to go to were the ones who were most likely to understand without her having to give an explanation on the circumstances, namely the three youkai of the Nura clan who had accompanied Rikuo to Nishikigoi that night. Aotabou was pushed to the bottom of her list since he had approached her earlier with the same level of confusion she was experiencing, but that still left the two others.

Taking a broom out to the garden and acting as if she was going to do a few early morning chores, Tsurara approached the pond and knelt by its edge. "Kappa," she called quietly, leaning slightly over the water, "hello?"

Almost immediately a pale head popped above the water. "Hey, what's up?"

Feeling her fingers tap nervously against the broom handle, Tsurara dived right in to her subject. "I need to ask you a question."

"I'll take pickles for breakfast," the water youkai replied immediately, brightening.

"Ah, no, not about that." Tsurara shook her head before putting on a determined expression. "It's about Rikuo-sama."

Almost instantly, Kappa sunk back into the pond, the water coming up to his eyes. "I haven't spoken much with the young master recently," he gurgled back at her.

Tsurara ignored that statement. He was one of only three people who might possibly have the answer she was looking for, she couldn't give up just because he was feeling reticent. "Why did Rikuo come to Nishikigoi when the Hebi attacked?"

Why had he been so upset that evening? Why had he refused to allow her to handle the threat herself? Why had such a situation compelled his youkai side to kiss her? Was it the same reason why he kept wanting to kiss her?

Why was the greater portion of him acting as if she didn't exist?

Kappa was silent for a long moment before a large sigh escaped him with a loud pop. "Nattou came back here in a big rush. He was under the impression that you were gonna get killed. It's why all four of us went." With this pronouncement, the rest of his body slid under the surface. "You'd better speak to Rikuo-sama about the rest," the pond burbled up at her.

Well, one down, Tsurara thought, sighing. Nattou was saying that she would be killed? That didn't make sense! But then, she realized, if he had only seen her turning to run and the pack of Hebi turning to chase after her...

Kubinashi was next. She found him sitting on the porch folding shirts about half an hour later. Quietly, she knelt down beside him and picked up some laundry to begin helping.

"If you're worried about Rikuo-sama, you shouldn't be," he announced with no introduction. Tsurara glanced up from the pair of pants in her hands to find him still peacefully folding.

"I-I'm not worried!" she denied on instinct. To be worried would mean that she was experiencing a lack of faith in her commander, especially as he was in no current danger. But, well, she reconsidered after a moment, perhaps she was a bit concerned. "Why shouldn't I be?" she asked.

Kubinashi smiled a bit as he shifted his stack of clothes to the side. "Because I understand. Rikuo-sama is young, but he is very loyal. When he gives promises, even unspoken ones, he keeps them."

Promises? What promises had Rikuo made with her recently? But Tsurara realized she knew quite a few of them. He had reminded her of the Sakazuki, her promise of fealty and his of protection. His mouth had promised to kiss her if she'd let him and his eyes promised things she didn't think she could even name. And he'd promised, in that narrow alley, to come whenever she called him, to protect her from whatever enemies she encountered. And Tsurara thought, Ah, so that's it. Or at least part of it. The tables had turned. She remembered the frustration that had filled her when she'd been unable to protect Rikuo in Kyoto. It had been an awful, sinking feeling. And if that had been what he had been feeling as he ran over... "Why did he come to Nishikigoi?"

"He was worried," a new voice commented with a matter-of-fact tone, and both Tsurara and Kubinashi looked up to see the supreme commander walk to the edge of the porch and sit down, pipe held loosely in his hand. He glanced over at Tsurara with amused eyes. "If he didn't at least tell you that, my grandson's stupider than I thought."

"He, ah," Tsurara started immediately, only to trail into a small voice, "I'm sure he thought I knew."

A chuckle came from Nurarihyon as he puffed idly. "That kid is really rash and foolhardy in emotional situations, a lot like me when I was younger. He didn't manage to inherit his grandmother's better thinking in these matters." He ignored the other two youkai on the porch as they tried to reassure him that both he and Rikuo had plenty of good sense. "How would you feel," he asked placidly instead, "if you heard someone you cared about greatly was close to being killed and you were several kilometers away? Even if it wasn't true, I bet you wouldn't be that calm when you got there."

No, Tsurara found herself agreeing silently. She'd be upset and worried and maybe even a bit angry. Ah, she thought again, another piece of the puzzle descending out of the storm and clicking into place, so that's it.

"Didn't even take Oboro-guruma," Nurarihyon was complaining grumpily.

"Ah," Kubinashi explained in return, "that's because it was too slow in coming out. Rikuo-sama just immediately rushed off. Those of us who went after him couldn't even manage to keep up."

"Hmm." After a while spent in silence, the supreme commander glanced back at her, noting the furrow in her brow and the sleeve she had raised to her mouth as she sat deep in thought. "So, what's troubling you?"

"Oh!" Tsurara exclaimed, pulling her mind back to the immediate surroundings. "No, I'm sorry. It's just that lately Rikuo-sama has been avoiding me."

Even Kubinashi looked dubious at this one as Nurarihyon let out a startled bark of laughter. "Avoiding you? He's been following you every chance he gets! He even trails you home when you visit Nishikigoi now. And if you haven't been noticing, he's gotten a lot better at it," the older youkai ended thoughtfully.

"W-what?"

A raised eyebrow met her stunned glance. "He's just had a nasty shock. He's not going to want to let you out of sight for too long until he gets over it."

"W-well." Well. That, at least, would explain the feeling she had that she was being watched every evening. Following her home though? She would have to pay more attention. "But that's just at night," she piped up again once she had regained some composure. "During the day Rikuo-sama doesn't speak to me at all outside of school, and even then only when he has to."

"Oh?" The supreme commander didn't even appear troubled by this statement. "Well, what you say might be true, but I doubt I'm wrong either. Rikuo stuck to me like glue for months after Rihan died. And I don't believe it's a habit he's grown out of, youkai or not." After a moment, he took the pipe out of his mouth and knocked the ashes into the dirt beneath the porch. "Try talking to him today," Nurarihyon advised, standing up and sliding the pipe back into one sleeve. "Now that you've heard what I've said, I doubt he'll be too hard to find."

Following Nurarihyon-sama's advice, she spent most of that morning in school trying to pin Rikuo down, but all her efforts were turning out to be futile. Every break between classes he managed to spirit himself off, whether to the bathroom or on errands for their other classmates. The note she attempted to pass him seemed to get lost amongst the other papers on his desk and then disappeared. And when she excused herself right before class ended before lunch, to "run to the bathroom" she told the teacher, but really to stand outside the door and wait, Rikuo somehow got out of the classroom in a different manner. She suspected it was through the windows, but since no one in the room seemed to make a fuss, she really couldn't confirm that deduction.

At lunch, though, she was surprised when Kana approached her desk. The girl was no longer in the same class as Rikuo, but she often came over during lunch to spend time with him and the other members of the Kiyojuuji Squad. She looked slightly nervous as she stepped up, tugging on a lock of hair near her face, but she spoke up nonetheless. "Hey, um, did you and Rikuo-kun have a fight?"

"Ah? Oh! No," Tsurara denied, shaking her head. "At least, I don't think so."

"Oh," Kana replied in turn as the conversation stymied. She looked over awkwardly at the rest of the paranormal enthusiasts group, but remained where she was after observing their flapping hands.

Inexplicably, Tsurara found herself asking, "Do you know where Rikuo-sama is right now? It's just, I've been trying to talk to him and he keeps on running off. I really don't know what else I can do..."

"What?" The young woman in front of her appeared mildly startled. "With how much he kept looking at you, I could have sworn-" She cut off abruptly, her expression growing subtly more empathetic. "Come on, don't make that face." Kana paused then let out a light sigh. Tsurara watched in surprise as the girl pulled out the chair from the desk in front of her and sat down. "Alright, alright. I'm sure Rikuo-kun wants to talk to you pretty badly as well, he's just not sure how to do it."

A little unhappy laugh escaped the yuki onna. "I thought he was trying to get away from me."

"Eh? There's no way that's true," Kana denied immediately, looking as if the very idea was absurd. "It's just that he's a boy. And an odd one at that." She tapped the fingers of one hand against the top of the desk. "Okay, how about this. We'll set it up so that he has to talk to you after school today."

The roof of the highschool was chilly that afternoon, but Tsurara didn't mind. It was nearing the end of November and entering her favorite season of the year, so she had readily agreed when the members of the Kiyojuuji Paranormal Squad decided to enact their plan there. Sitting near the edge of the roof, next to the fence, she hugged her knees to her chest. It was Rikuo's last year of high school, he'd be finishing up this spring, and she wondered if he was starting to feel a bit lonely. Sure, he'd be going to college after this, but she also knew that the supreme commander was thinking about fully retiring in a few years and leaving all the daily management of the Nura clan to Rikuo as well. The more he became recognized as the sole leader, the less free time he would have to spend in his human life.

The sound of a scuffle turned her attention back to the door behind her, and she just caught the conspiring grins of the helpful group members before they pushed Rikuo through the opening and slammed the door shut. Stumbling a bit, the young head rubbed his shoulder with an expression of confusion before he spotted her sitting barely three meters away. It shouldn't have been surprising that he saw her so quickly, after all they were the only ones on the roof, but what hurt was how fast his face flashed into full out alarm.

"O-oh, hi, Tsurara." His brown eyes slid to the right as if already searching for an exit. "What are you doing up here?"

It was the first full sentence he'd said to her in weeks, and at his obvious reluctance Tsurara felt her temper break. She shot to her feet and marched over, pushing a finger firmly into his chest. "I was waiting to speak with you. I've been unable to do it in the normal way, so I had to ask your friends to help me!" She punctuated this with an extra firm jab. "Why do you keep running away from me?"

His gaze fixed upon the finger currently digging into his sweater, switched to her mouth, then did another swift slide to the left. "R-running away? I don't know what you're talking about."

At his words Tsurara felt her face shift into an expression of irritated misery, her lower lip poking out in what she knew was an unattractive pout but that she didn't care enough to fix. First he wasn't talking to her, now he was lying to her face. She didn't know which one was worse, and she was starting to wish that she'd never taken Kana up on her offer to help in the first place. Caught up in her own dismay, the hand that lingered next to her cheek was stunning in its abrupt appearance.

Glancing up, she saw that Rikuo's eyes had changed to reflect his own regret. "Don't look like that." Letting his mouth twist, he pulled his hand away.

"Then stop running away," she mumbled back, still upset.

A sigh left the young man in front of her, ruffling her bangs slightly in its passage. "I'm sure you don't want me bothering you all the time."

Tsurara's mouth dropped open at this assumption. "You've never been a bother! I've been very happy to serve you, young master, and I've never done anything for you that I wouldn't have done without asking!"

His hand quickly snatched hers away from his chest. "Oh? Are you saying that my night form really isn't a bother? We're not that different, you know, it's just that I've got a better conscience right now."

"Are you saying you didn't want to kiss me?" Tsurara shot back, feeling her eyes narrow into an displeased glare.

At that Rikuo's eyes found her lips again, and the heat that came off of them suddenly made the similarities between his day and night forms completely clear. "Do you want me to prove that that's not true?"

The moment hung in crystalline suspension, fragile enough to break at any moment, as Rikuo's annoyed gaze caught her own again. It was a good thing, too, Tsurara thought, because without that intense stare drawing her attention she likely would have let her eyes drop to his mouth as well, and that would have pushed the situation entirely out of her control. As it was she remained entirely still, sure that any movement would unbalance her world again.

"In my night form," Rikuo finally explained, letting some of the tension drop from his shoulders and loosening his grip on her hand, "I don't want... I am unhappy when I don't know where you are. And I know that makes you... uncomfortable."

It doesn't, Tsurara couldn't quite find it in herself to say. Because the truth was that when she was in Rikuo's presence now a peculiar churning tended to start in the pit of her stomach, and her shoulder blades often felt like they should be itching. It wasn't uncomfortable, really, but it wasn't exactly peaceful either. Instead she found herself asking that dangerous question again. "Why?"

Rikuo studied her face for a moment, then said mater-of-factly, "Your daily patterns changed almost immediately. That morning after the Hebi you didn't come to wake me up. I didn't even see you until on the way to school and you stood so blatantly far away on the train-"

Another piece clicked into place like magic. He thought he was bothering her, from the very beginning, which was why he had avoided her when he was human. Understanding now, Tsurara interrupted to clarify, "Why are you unhappy? You almost always know where I am. I'm going about my duties as part of the Nura clan."

"That," Rikuo started, then winced. Seemingly resigning himself to telling the whole truth, he flopped down to sit on the roof, pulling her with him. "That isn't enough," he finally continued quietly.

"He's not going to want to let you out of sight for too long," the supreme commander had said. And by Rikuo's flushed, averted face it seemed as if that statement was true.

"Why?" she continued unrelenting, having to hear all of it now. The puzzle of her new circumstances had almost been solved, she could feel the storm winding down, if only she could get the last piece. "Why isn't that enough? I'm Yuki Onna, I certainly am strong enough to equal several youkai in the Nura clan. I was assigned my own district," she added softly, coming nearer to the true insult her heart had suffered that day a month ago. "Have I failed your trust somehow?"

Almost immediately Rikuo's eyes narrowed, and with deliberation he pulled her firmly forward against his chest. "You're a part of my Hyakki Yakou, right? We even exchanged Sakazuki. I'm trusting you to back me up." The voice that spoke these words was unwavering, and she peered up to see Rikuo staring out into the sky with an unfathomable expression. The voice that continued, however, was quieter and somehow more intimate. "But Tsurara is special. I want to keep you near me."

"Why?" she asked one more time, feeling something build up inside her that was echoing the tension in the air.

"I don't want to see you get hurt," he finally said, and he sounded so forlorn that Tsurara sat up to fully watch his face as he continued. "Anyone who attacks you, I don't want them to even get the chance of hurting you. I think, haaa, that I'm probably being unfair to the rest of the Hyakki." The mouth in front of her twisted a little but then smoothed out into serenity, as if he knew he was being unscrupulous and couldn't seem to care. "But I feel like Tsurara is the most important."

And out of him she could feel the emotions crashing into her like waves. Affection. Trust. Devotion. Tsurara knew them all very well, because to her they'd always spelled love. And she could feel her own ocean sweeping out of her in return. Smiling brightly as the last clue snapped into place, she launched herself at Rikuo, nearly tumbling them over as he swiftly tried to brace himself with his hands anchored behind him.

"Whoa! What-?" She could practically feel the blush radiating his skin as he gingerly wrapped one arm around her in return. How utterly like Rikuo, Tsurara thought cheerfully, that he could get through his entire declaration without a stutter but froze up when she responded.

"You're not a bother," she said quite clearly, holding onto him stubbornly when she felt he opened his mouth to contradict her. "Don't avoid me because you think you are."

"O...kay," Rikuo said instead, slowly relaxing as they remained still.

"I'm a member of your Hyakki Yakou, and I'll never, ever leave it," Tsurara continued, tone firm.

He laughed a bit at that one. "I don't want you to."

"I want to be the one to defend Rikuo-sama's back!" she added quickly.

A sigh followed this but nevertheless he answered in the affirmative. "I suppose that means I'll be watching your back in return, so that's where you're going to be anyway. I'm counting on you," he ended, almost solemnly, and her heart swelled just a bit.

"If you're going to follow me all the way to Nishikigoi, you might as well walk me home."

"Wait, who told you that?" She sat up straighter at his words and felt the urge to announce primly that no one had told her, she had figured it all out on her own, thank you, just to prove to him that she was fine at looking out for herself, but before she could follow through, Rikuo let out an annoyed huff. "I bet it was grandpa, wasn't it? I knew I'd never hear the end of it when he caught me coming in."

Tsurara sniffed, unwilling to admit it. After all, the supreme commander had told her a lot of things that helped settle her heart. "You could have let me know."

"Oh? And taken nearly an hour longer because I'd backed you into every dark alley I could find?" This time it was Tsurara who lit up with a deep red blush. Rikuo smiled slightly as he listened to her stuttered explanations that she had not meant it that way and leaned back with one eye closed as he seemed to size her up. "Alright, I'll walk you home. But you'd better get some of the Tsurara clan to accompany us." And it seemed he had gotten the pattern of her demands because he added, "Anything else?"

Looking back at him, Tsurara set her shoulders and said what she had been thinking for the last several minutes. "Rikuo-sama is the most important person to me. More important than any Hyakki Yakou, more important than any clan." And the timbre of her voice seemed to pull his gaze straight and soften his smile into one full of sincerity, the kind, lovely one that she adored most from his day form.

"Ah," he said finally, straightening up, "me too." Then his smile shifted into a gleeful, teasing one that she had rarely seen since his childhood, when he used to play pranks on her every opportunity he got. "Now, I've got one request for you."

"O-oh," Tsurara said, missing the nonchalant tone she was aiming for completely. She was trying to resist leaning back from him and failing as he shifted closer and closer to her.

"Mmm," he continued, still nowhere as near as they had been when she flung herself at him but wearing an expression that made her far more wary. "I want you to stop with the 'young master' and forget about using 'sama'. No 'kun' either," he added when she opened her mouth.

Her jaw snapped quickly closed.

Leaning in further, Rikuo reminded her, "I've agreed to everything you asked."

He was far too close to her when she had no idea what he intended. "Rikuo-sa-" Tsurara started, in growing agitation, then stuttered the name into compliance. "Ri-Rikuo, what are you doing?"

The inquiry ended on a near shriek as he caught her around her shoulders and pulled her to him, pressing his lips to the underside of her jaw. "I thought you said I wasn't a bother?" he tossed back at her, voice muffled but definitely emanating smugness. "And I'm proving that I want to kiss you."

"Ah, that's not-" Tsurara choked out, unable to stop her hands from clutching at his school sweater as his mouth found her ear again. "It's not...mmn...Ri-Rikuo, that door has a window!"

Instantly he pulled back, face clearly annoyed, and she let out a sigh of relief. Her announcement was enough to stop Rikuo right now, but it likely wouldn't be in a few hours. She watched as he turned around slowly and they both shifted their attention to the rooftop door. There, in the window, five pairs of interested eyes peered back at them. The Kiyojuuji had stuck around.

As if on cue, Tsurara and Rikuo flushed a matching red.

"They, um, couldn't hear us, right?" Rikuo asked quietly.

Slowly, Tsurara shook her head. "I don't think so. But they're probably reading our lips now."

After a moment Rikuo just chuckled with a bit of resigned irony and held out his hand. "Well," he said, grasping her fingers, "might as well see if they'll open the door."

Tsurara had smiled and followed him out. And later that night, when he'd pulled her swiftly into an empty room and kissed her quickly and firmly, as if to start to make up for all that time where they had avoided each other, before leading the Hyakki Yakou out to walk the streets, Tsurara considered that perhaps she didn't mind a storm between herself and Rikuo every once in a while. As long as when it was over she still loved him and he her.