I awoke to a steady knock at the bedroom door. Kuso! It couldn't be morning already, could it? Rolling over in an ocean of blue covers, I grabbed my alarm clock. Sure enough, I should have been awake thirty minutes ago. I had a feeling I knew who was pounding at my door. I wished he would find a nicer way to get me up.
"Hold on a sec, Shuuichi," I called, knowing he could hear me.
"Are you just now getting up, Touma?" he yelled back.
"Unfortunately," I replied, hopping out of bed and beginning the search for my uniform trousers.
"Don't you ever set your alarm?" his voice sighed, exasperated.
"If I think about it, but not if I can help it. That's what I've got you for."
I heard him laugh as I quickly put on my clothes. I ran a brush through my blue hair and scrambled to find all my books.
"You can come in now," I hollered to him.
The door opened and Minamino Shuuichi stepped inside. He was holding his bookbag casually over his shoulder, his other hand stuffed into the pocket of his uniform. His red hair was wild as usual, the bangs falling across his beautiful, clear green eyes. I had fallen for those eyes once. Shuuichi had been the object of my constant affection. He was handsome, smart, and I liked him. Unfortunately, his heart belonged to a demon. Maybe that wasn't so bad for me, for in the tangles of their relationship, I found someone else to love, that actually loved me in return. While my dear Seth had become a whole new world for me, Shuuichi...or Kurama as most of his own knew him, still had a special place in my heart.
He was what got me to school on time.
I finally got all of my things together and stuffed them into my bookbag. Shuuichi smiled at me.
"You ready now?"
I nodded and followed him out into the hall. My mother was downstairs making breakfast. I could smell her cooking and wished I had gotten up sooner to enjoy it. If I counted on myself to make breakfast, it could technically be called lunch, and probably wouldn't be edible. I can't cook.
Together, Shuuichi and I headed for the school. We were both in our last year. I wanted to become a professor in America. I was well-versed in English, French, and Russian; I knew more about math than any of my peers (except for Shuuichi); and history thrilled me to no end. Not to mention that the concept of educating students in a foreign country was absolutely exciting. I didn't know what Shuuichi wanted to be. I guess he could have been anything he wanted. He was as smart as I was, and had more experience in the complications of life than anyone I knew. He was, after all, about five hundred years old.
The idea had actually bowled me over once I first realised what he was. He was a youko, a fox spirit that had been mortally wounded eighteen years ago. In his past four hundred or so years of life, he had been an accomplished thief from the Makai, realm of demons. Since he didn't want to be tried for his crimes, his spirit fled into the unborn fetus of a baby boy. Minamino Shuuichi. Fortunately, his human side was much more tame that his old one, thanks to his mother, Shiori. It was her son that I fell in love with, even though I now respected his other side too. He had hidden his secret from me well, and I only found out less than half a year ago. I was caught up in some kind of revenge plot that involved my soul, therefore, I got a firsthand look at what some youkai were like. It was then that the truth about Kurama's past surfaced, told to me while I was trapped in Seth's mind and soul.
Before I had become involved in Kurama's problems, I had been in love with him, almost madly so. I would have given him anything to have him return my feelings. Maybe at times I had gone overboard with showing my affection, but he never said it bothered him, and even now, I sometimes kiss him goodbye or embrace him longer than I really should. Of course, I always made sure to do that when Hiei wasn't around. Kurama may have cared about me, even loved me as a friend, but his heart really belonged to a short, grumpy, hot-tempered demon. They had once been partners in crime, but later chose to make it more. I'm happy for them.
I'm happy for me as well, for while I was caught up in that crazy mess, I had found someone that I truly adored. Seth was as lonely as I was desperate, but our feelings weren't just born of that. He had been misguided, and even though he had an evil streak that had scared me at the time, he was so innocent. I forgave him for stealing my soul and trying to hurt Kurama. Well, after that, we kind of just fell for each other. I thought he was beautiful, with silver eyes that could pierce the darkness and hair as pure as the newest snow. While I just looked like a smart, scrawny, blue-haired kid, he was...well, perfect. I loved him and he loved me.
Needless to say that my life has been a strange one. I had actually expected to live a calm and tranquil life once Arago had been defeated. My armour had lain dormant in my soul for the longest time, only to resurface when Seth tried to steal it from me. The bond between me and my yoroi was what kept me bound to Seth, thank the gods. I would have abandoned him otherwise. After that, things got hectic again. I found out that my best friend had been a demon and was in love with one, and there were others out for revenge over long-dead mistakes. I learned quickly that some people's lives just weren't meant to be normal. Just take a look at my friends and you'll see just how true that is.
End Part 1
