A Forest on Fire (KuramaxOc)

Ch 25: Double Date

Throughout the night, vivid images and dreams filled Yumiko's mind, none more potent than her current dream.

Back pressed against a wall, the girl felt a clawed fingertip slide under the soft silk choker. A russet tail wrapped itself around her waist, pulling her flush against the being who stood before her. In the dream, she couldn't see the fox's face, but she could smell that familiar scent, and feel the breath on her neck as those glinting fangs drew closer. She whimpered as that breath traced it's way down the to sensitive skin at the nape of her neck, then back up again. Those fangs just barely grazed against her flesh as he whispered, just below her ear.

"Mine..."

Yumi bolted upright on her cot just as those fangs had sank into her neck in that dream. Her panicked eyes immediately searched for Kurama. He was still asleep on his own cot, rose-colored hair splayed out on the pillow behind him as he lay on his side, one arm wrapped tight around a pillow.

She panted, trying to calm her racing heart from the vivid dreams as she looked around the room. The sky was barely starting to lighten outside, and a glance at the clock showed it was just past 6:30am. Most everyone else was still fast asleep, though she couldn't help but notice the two empty cots, one on each side of the room. Yumiko looked around, and quickly relaxed as she noticed two blunettes fast asleep on the balcony. Both were sleeping while sitting upright, their heads leaned back against the glass.

That mystery solved, Yumi quickly untangled herself from her blanket, and made her way over to Mako's cot, giving his shoulder a small shake the way she had always done as a young child.

"Mako?" She whispered, hoping not to wake the others.

The tomcat groaned as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes, and found the girl leaning over him.

"What's up, kiddo? You have a bad dream?" He asked drowsily, rolling over on his cot to face her. His long black hair fell in a curtain around him, blue eyes bleary as he tried to blink himself awake.

She shook her head first, then tilted it to the side, glancing to the cot next to him. "No, but I don't want to go back sleep... can we make pancakes?" She asked, desperate for a distraction, but in no way wanting to tell Mako, of all people, why.

Mako studied her for a moment, that glance not going unnoticed, and glanced towards the sleeping male himself before raising a brow at her.

"Not a nightmare, then." He watched her closely as that blush rose, then sighed, the sound coming out as a tired chuckle. "Alright kiddo, just let me wake up first..."

***

By the time the pancakes were nearly finished, most everyone had woken up. Yusuke and Kazuma had been the first to wake, just about the instant the bacon Mako had bought for the morning, hit the pan. That had caused Yumiko to giggle, the sound waking Kurama, who had blinked awake a bit confused, looked around, then let out a massive yawn once he came to his senses. He was the first to make his way towards the washroom, which was wise considering the different angles that normally flawless hair was pointing after the evening's sleep.

It wasn't a question, but it was pointed, when Mako raised an eyebrow after the door had shut behind him. Yumiko could feel the color rushing to her cheeks, and gave him a look back that said, "Don't say it.". He snorted, and just handed her a plate of pancakes to put out in front of the others. It didn't take long for everyone inside to wake, the smell of bacon cutting through even Suni's deep sleep. The only ones left sleeping were Botan and Maru, though that quickly changed when Yusuke, snickering the entire time, wrenched open the balcony doors to let both night owls fall back into the apartment.