Building Stacks

Oneshot

Note: Yoshi defeated Kaguro but Gen didn't die. Yay! Set a month after the defeat of Kokubourou. Yeah, yeah, they're a little young and naïve and there's Tokine to consider but TOUGH! If they seem AU, then I apologize. Also, this seriously killed me to write. Practically three times as long as I intended because the stupid characters just weren't satisfied and had to make things difficult and drawn out for the romance to get there. Plus this is just the first part! The romance hasn't even started yet and it's guh. I'm still writing the romance part and I'll have it up by next week. This story can only go two ways: up or completely fall flat on its face.

For vampy, who loves Kekkaishi as much as I do. I hope you like this.

-

"Ketsu!"

Yoshimori held his fingers firmly and felt the ayakashi barging against his kekkai repeatedly like a small pressure bumping against his entire being. It wasn't strong and his kekkai easily held the creature inside.

"Metsu." Yoshimori immediately held up his staff to absorb the shattered shards. "Tenketsu."

When the ayakashi pieces were all absorbed, Yoshimori lowered his Tenketsu and whirled around, flashing a v-sign and a wide cheesy grin at the two people standing behind him. "How was that! Were you two incredibly impressed by my power and accuracy?"

Tokine waved a dismissive hand, glancing away with a smirk. "It was a low-level ayakashi, Yoshimori. Anyone could have easily disposed of it. It's a pity that after everything that has happened you've reverted to your old skill level. Come, Hakubi."

Yoshimori's jaw dropped as Tokine walked away, Hakubi trailing after her with his usual simper of 'All right, Hon-ey.'

"B-B-But Tokine!" Yoshimori cried, looking crestfallen before kicking on a tiny pebble when he was ignored. "Damn, I can't believe she just insulted me! It's not like it was my fault it was such a weak ayakashi in the first place and besides, I could still catch it if it was more powerful."

Shishio stood with his arms crossed, leaning against one of the pillars that supported the overhead ceiling over the school entrance. His face was set in his usual closed-off expression.

"Hey, Shishio, you thought it was impressive, didn't you?"

Shishio glanced down those few inches at Yoshimori's imploring look, the boy leaning just a tad too close in his personal space. The Kekkaishi's lips wobbled pathetically.

"I don't associate with mediocre fighters," Shishio muttered and pushed away from the pillar before following after Tokine.

Tokine glanced sideways at Shishio, humor glinting in her eyes. "Good one, Gen-kun."

Shishio just grunted, secretly amused in his own way as Yoshimori raced after them, leaving Madarao choking on the cloud of dust he left behind.

"Shishio, you bastard!"

-

Yoshimori grumbled as he stomped towards the dojo dressed in his usual training clothes.

"Don't disturb me, I'll be training all day!" Yoshimori yelled to anyone who might hear him as he slid open the door. He arranged himself in the middle of the room and glared at the innocently drawn square a few feet in front of him. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath and let it out in one long huff as he held up two fingers in front of his face.

Picturing the square in his mind, Yoshimori's eyes snapped open. "Ketsu!"

The kekkai appeared half an inch larger than the drawing on the tatami mat.

Yoshimori cursed and slashed the air with his fingers, muttering a pissed off "Kai." He slapped both his cheeks and straightened his shoulders with renewed determination. "All right, I'll just have to do it until I get it right."

"Ketsu! Ketsu! Ketsu! Ketsu! Ketsu!"

Yoshimori glared at the single stack of kekkai, all of them the same size but still just that half an inch bigger than the floor guide. Yoshimori fell on his back, arms spread out and glowered at the ceiling. Although his speed and accuracy had increased during his intense crow-training, it still wasn't enough that he couldn't even fit a kekkai over the stupid drawing on the mat. He wasn't a stop-and-think kind of guy; Yoshimori was the hands-on type and performed better when adrenaline pumped through his body and the only option was to win. Not practicing with stupid images on the floor.

He knew he had to be stronger. Stronger even when he defeated Kaguro (although the specifics of that had been vague afterwards) because Yoshimori wouldn't let anything like that happen ever again. He had come close to losing a newly made friend and the thought of the people he cared for dying set Yoshimori's teeth on edge and made him boil over in rage. Not just Tokine but Shishio, his family, his classmates…anyone who could be hurt. He had always been fixated on making sure only Tokine was safe but these days it was slowly dawning on him that he had a much larger responsibility than just to her. Anyone who might get hurt because of Karasumori had become unforgivable.

Yoshimori could be a reckless idiot at times but he was always aware of his goal and because of this he let the consequences slide away. And despite his promise to seal Karasumori, he was satisfied with leaving the place in peace for a while. After all, if it hadn't been for Karasumori's unexpected assistance then Shishio Gen would have been buried six feet deep beneath the ground right about now.

An idea suddenly flickered in his mind and Yoshimori bolted upright, grinning. He dashed out of the dojo, passing Shigemori who was calmly sipping tea with his father.

"Is the training over already, Yoshimori?" Shuji called out at the Yoshimori-shaped blur.

"What kind of Kekkaishi master trains in just under thirty minutes?!" Shigemori demanded loudly, eyes flashing as he made a move to slam his cup on the table.

Shuji smiled and placed both hands on his father-in-law's shoulders, pushing him back down. "Now, now, father, I'm sure Yoshimori is working hard. Please drink your tea before it will get cold."

Shigemori nodded, still frowning deeply. Shuji was right. Despite the fact that Yoshimori was an utter idiot, he still somehow managed to pull through when needed.

Yoshimori passed them again in a run and they heard vague noises coming from the boy's room before Yoshimori was once again sprinting down the hallway, a backpack bumping against his shoulders.

"I'll be training at the temple! I'll be back in time for dinner!" Yoshimori said in passing before they heard the brief squeak of rubber shoes being put on and the vigorous passion of foolish youth opening and slamming the door.

"You can always count on Yoshimori, father," Shuji said easily.

Shigemori grudgingly drank his tea. "If I need a fool…"

-

The priest looked up at the familiar cloud of dust sprinting up the long flight of stairs to the temple. He didn't pause in his sweeping as Yoshimori finally reached the top, panting heavily and bending over his knees.

"Ah, you're back Yoshi-bou," the older man said in a mild tone. "And you no longer look troubled."

"No," Yoshimori grinned, holding himself up with one palm propped on his knee. "Can I use the mountains again? I need to train."

The priest nodded and Yoshimori hurried towards the back of the temple. He found the same clearing he used for practice and smirked at the crows flying overhead. "Sorry, guys, but I'm not playing with you today," he mumbled as he glanced around the area.

Yoshimori dropped his backpack carelessly and closed his eyes and expanded his senses, trying to find the other presence that he was certain lurked somewhere nearby. He heard the normal sounds: leaves rustling, the cawing of airborne crows, the tiny noises of wildlife.

He opened his eyes, seriousness overcoming his face. The breeze ruffled his hair and his heart thumped heavily in its cavity, pumping blood and adrenaline to his entire system.

A shadow stirred to Yoshimori's left and he turned his body, fingers up in reflex and cried, "Ketsu!"

The startled raccoon scratched against its unexpected trap and Yoshimori quietly dismantled the kekkai. Just as he was sweeping his gaze across the clearing, a twig snapped behind him and a split second later Shishio launched himself up into the air and directly over Yoshimori, claws extended and gleaming from the glare of the sun.

Yoshimori jumped back and lifted his arm in an upward arc, words startling the birds into flight, but the kekkai missed Shishio as the ayakashi-majiri dodged to the left, vaulting off the side of a thick tree before ricocheting towards the Kekkaishi. Yoshimori immediately made a set of kekkai steps, jumping lithely over each one as Shishio followed after him.

Yoshimori's eyes widened a little as he quickly muttered a 'Kai' just as the other boy landed on top of a kekkai three steps below him and watched as it dissolved before creating another one to surround Shishio. But the ayakashi-majiri must have anticipated that move because he tore through his trap with his claws, ripping it apart like silk.

They fought for what felt like hours, each one trying to ambush the other in increasingly over-the-top techniques where at one point Yoshimori created a durable kekkai and bounced the other boy up into the air and gleefully commanded the crows to peck on him (at any other time, Yoshimori would have been the one attacked if not for the even stranger aura Shishio emitted that unsettled the birds). Or when Shishio sliced through a tree and violently hurled its trunk towards Yoshimori, wherein the Kekkaishi had the worrying thought that maybe Shishio was taking their mock-battle way too far.

Finally, both of them conceded to a tie as they slumped on the patch of shadow underneath a leafy canopy, torn, bloody and utterly exhausted. Even Shishio was having trouble moving from the earlier exertion, sweat having drenched his dark shirt a long time ago. Slowly, his minor cuts and scrapes healed and he stared down at a particularly long gash on his right forearm that was magically repairing itself.

"That's a really neat trick, being able to heal yourself." Yoshimori said tiredly as he pushed himself up to a sitting position, throwing a water bottle towards the other boy. He rummaged through his backpack and triumphantly took out three cartons of coffee milk. He stuck the straw in and sucked a good portion of the drink down his throat. "Ahhhhhhhhhhh that hits the spot!"

Shishio uncapped the bottle and drank it greedily. Even ayakashi-majiri needed sustenance now and then.

Yoshimori lowered his coffee milk and grinned. "That was really fun, Shishio. We should do it again. Shige-jii's always complaining that I don't train enough and I think it's better to have a one-on-one battle than just sitting around the dojo anyway."

"Why didn't you ask Yukimura to spar with you?" Shishio asked, leaning against the trunk of the tree.

Yoshimori made a face. "She would just keep on talking about thinking and strategies, like that stuff's really going to stick with me."

"Hn. You just don't want to hurt her."

Yoshimori sputtered. "Of course I don't! What's the point of all the training if Tokine gets injured? Geez, Shishio."

They fell into a comfortable silence, slowly regaining back their strength and Yoshimori knew that he would just ache all over tomorrow. He hadn't gotten a good work-out like that in a long time. He took a peek at Shishio who's expression looked as unreadable as ever, eyes closed and face upturned towards the breeze. For a moment, the image of him impaled by Kaguro's sword flashed in Yoshimori's mind and his heart fluttered anxiously.

"Oi, Shishio," Yoshimori called out and the other boy opened one eye after a few moments. "You're all right, right? You're not…" He made a ripping motion with his hands and gestured at Shishio's stomach.

"What?"

"You know…" Yoshimori made the same motion but Shishio was still looking at him blankly. "Your wound from that time at Karasumori…"

Shishio placed a hand over his abdomen. "It's been healed."

"It might have," again with the action, "burst open or something."

"I'm an ayakashi-majiri, I heal fast." Shishio dropped his hand and scratched the ground with a claw. "Even if that ayakashi's sword slowed down the process, Karasumori helped me and so did the medical team at the Yagyou."

"Oh." Yoshimori drank the last bit of his coffee milk and picked up another carton. "Hey, do you want to eat dinner at my house? I think dad's making tempura. I forgot to bring snacks."

Shishio looked at Yoshimori's expectant face for a moment before he nodded.

-

The days went by and Yoshimori and Shishio fell into an agreeable pattern. They would meet at the mountains behind the temple on weekends and train, usually involving a long and intense sparring session while other times Shishio just tried to evade Yoshimori's technique as long as he could as Yoshimori developed his accuracy. Then they cooled off for a few minutes before heading to Yoshimori's house for dinner.

Sometimes they met in school for lunch or at the roof for a quick nap. During these moments, Yoshimori would be the one who mostly talked, complaining about school, his grandfather, Masamori, Tokine's cruel behavior and the pains of creating the perfect candy castle. Shishio typically just listened and made a comment or insult here or there. There were times when Shishio would invite Yoshimori over to his apartment to study but they usually ended up at the Sumimura residence to do their homework before heading back out to Karasumori where they met up with Tokine.

Nights at Karasumori had gotten more peaceful save for a few powerful ayakashi that invaded the school now and then. They handled those, and the weaker ones, with relative ease and a teamwork that was surprising in its strength and trust.

"Hey Yoshimori," Tokine said one night as the two of them strolled around the school, waiting for the inevitable ayakashi to show up. "You're getting along with Gen-kun better, aren't you?"

Yoshimori glanced up at the quick shadow of Shishio jumping from branch to branch ahead of them. "I guess so."

"But it's a big deal," Tokine was saying. "Since Gen-kun hasn't had friends before. It's good that you're there for him."

Yoshimori adjusted his grip on his Tenketsu. "I know that, Tokine. It was sad when we learned what happened to him with his sister and Kagemiya and the others seemed intimidated by him. I dunno, it must have been lonely and well, that's probably why he's so violent or something. Then he almost died during that time…but we're here now to help him when he needs it as his teammates and friends."

Tokine stared at Yoshimori. "That was certainly mature."

"Hey, I'm a mature person!"

She opened her mouth to argue when they sensed an intruder just as Hakubi and Madarao appeared between them.

"Honey, there's an ayakashi ahead."

"Yoshimori, I smell a strong one."

Yoshimori grinned as he and Tokine broke out into a sprint. "Hey, Tokine, I'll show you the fruits of my training!"

Tokine smiled. "That's my prey you're talking about."

"That ayakashi is fair game!"

-

A hand was shaking Yoshimori's shoulder and he ignored it, burrowing deeper into his comfortable sleep.

"Sumimura, Sumimura. Hey!"

Yoshimori lifted his head up from his arms, sleepy eyes heavy and a bit of drool pooling at the corner of his mouth. Creases lined his forehead and cheek as he blinked up at the fuzzy image of Tabata and Ichigaya standing over his desk.

"Man, you can sleep through anything," Tabata said, repeating this well-known fact, before peering closer at Yoshimori's worn expression. "Hey, Sumimura, how close are you to Shishio Gen?"

Yoshimori yawned and rubbed at his eyes. "Whydyaask?"

"There's so little information about him and nobody knows much more than the necessary facts despite the fact that he's been here for nearly the entire term," Tabata explained as he took out his notebook and pen. "So, what can you tell me about him?"

Now much more awake, Yoshimori thought about it. "Um, we're not that close."

"But you sometimes eat lunch and go home together," Ichigaya cut in, patting Tabata's shoulder in encouragement. "Why don't you help this idiot here? He's been desperate for more information on Shishio."

"Why are you focusing on him?"

"Because he's the mysterious new guy who we don't know anything important about!" Tabata exclaimed dramatically, notebook pressed against his heart and his arm extended to the ceiling. They experienced the bizarre feeling of Shishio's face appearing over their heads shrouded in bright light and sparkles. "He's cool, tough but gets good grades and he doesn't have any friends but you. He also lives alone and there are rumors that he's half-foreign and actually ran away from home because he was forced to marry a girl he didn't like!"

It took a while for Yoshimori to react before he pointed an accusing finger at Tabata and gave a horrified shriek. "EHHH?! Do you like Shishio in…in that way, Tabata?! Is that why you're so interested to know more about him?????"

Tabata paled and shook his head vigorously, waving his arms about. "N-No! Why would you t-think that, Sumimura?!"

As the two boys started yelling incomprehensibly at one another and drawing the attention of everyone in class, Ichigaya sighed and pushed up his glasses. His held out his hands and covered Yoshimori's and Tabata's noisy mouths.

"You're both too excitable," Ichigaya said. "The reason why Tabata is so keen on Shishio is because the other boy is popular and he has a lot of female fans. They approach Tabata for information and he likes their attention and actually plans on selling his data to them. Unfortunately, there's very little to sell."

Tabata pushed away from Ichigaya's hold and blushed, muttering, "I'm not going to sell it to them. It's just…they're so eager and innocent that I can't resist helping them."

Ichigaya dropped his hand from Yoshimori's mouth.

"Is that how it is?"

Tabata nodded and Yoshimori crossed his arms, tilted his head back and stared at the ceiling; a sure sign that he was thinking deeply.

"There's not much to tell, actually," Yoshimori murmured as his mind remembered Masamori's story of the ayakashi-majiri's painful past. "He's…half-foreign, you could say that, but he didn't run away because of an arranged marriage. He's only fourteen, you idiot."

Tabata was writing on his notebook. "What else? What's his favorite food? Drink? Color? Sport? Any hobbies or unusual habits you know of?"

Now that Yoshimori thought about it, he really didn't know all that much about Shishio. He knew about his real identity and his job at the Yagyou but the tiny details remained a mystery. It shouldn't matter but it seemed somehow important that Yoshimori know the answers. They were supposed to be friends, after all.

Shishio didn't have much of a life before he came to Karasumori but things were different now and he should have those little details, to let someone know about them, to give life and depth to his day-to-day existence.

"Oi, earth to Sumimura," Tabata said and knocked on Yoshimori's forehead, causing him to blink. "We thought you fell asleep with your eyes open again. I didn't even know that was possible!"

Ichigaya's glasses flashed. "It's not. Sumimura is just weird."

"Hey, I resent that," muttered Yoshimori. "Tabata, what sort of information do you have on Shishio?"

"Oh, just his vital stats, really." Tabata thumbed through the notebook's pages, holding it close to him as if he was afraid of anyone reading any of its tiny, coded writing. "Let's see…Shishio Gen of class 1, age fourteen, 163 centimeters tall, weighs 65 kilograms and his birthday is on January 1st. Shishio is excellent in sports but doesn't participate in any club activities. He's a relatively good student with a high grade average but he doesn't do well in social situations. He's quiet, scary and intimdating but people have gotten used to his presence by now. He's got a slightly substantial fanbase of females in his class and in other classes. He usually buys his lunch in the cafeteria and the only known friend he has is Sumimura Yoshimori, even though you didn't get along with him in the first place. Oh and he also lives alone. That's about it, really."

Ichigaya shook his head. "That's pretty depressing."

Tabata nodded. "I know, right? The poor guy must be lonely having only Sumimura for a friend."

"No," Ichigaya corrected seriously. "I meant about you collecting data."

"Why is that depressing?!"

"It means you have no life."

"Data collecting is my life!"

The two dissolved into a friendly argument, ignoring Yoshimori who turned his head to stare outside the window in contemplative silence.

-

Yoshimori was careful with the paper bag he brought as he climbed up the narrow stairs to the second floor of the apartment complex. It was a Saturday and he didn't have any training planned for today. It was good to just laze around sometimes. He'd spent the better part of the morning baking three different but relatively simple cakes while all the while grateful that his grandfather had left for his monthly hike with his elderly group and hadn't been able to disturb him.

He stood in front of the door and rapped his knuckles twice against the wood. "Oi, Shishio, it's me. Open up."

Yoshimori switched the bag to his bandaged hand and waited impatiently, hearing a soft thud and the resulting footfalls from the other side. It was a warm day and Yoshimori had worn a simple dark blue shirt with the Houin printed on front (something his grandfather had somehow found in the store although Yoshimori was certain that the square wasn't meant to be a Houin at all) and comfortable jeans.

Finally, the door opened and Shishio leveled the other boy with a mild glare, hair tousled and eyes still sleepy-soft. He was just wearing a plain white shirt and some shorts.

"Did you just wake up?" Yoshimori asked, feeling awkward all of a sudden. "I thought you were awake. Sorry."

Shishio let out an irritated sound and stepped away, giving space for the other boy to pass through. "What are you doing here?"

Yoshimori skirted around Shishio's messy futon which was spread next to the low table and sat down in front of the table, lightly dropping the paper bag on top. He motioned for Shishio to sit across him and the ayakashi-majiri followed, glaring suspiciously at Yoshimori all the while.

"You don't like sweets, right?" Yoshimori grinned. "Atora-san mentioned it."

Shishio shuddered at his mentor's name.

"So, I did say that it was fine if you didn't like sweets but then I thought that maybe you just haven't tasted the right kind of sweets, you know? So I'm here to remedy that because maybe you'll realize that you have a favorite dessert after all," Yoshimori rambled as he pulled out three plastic containers from the bag and laid it on the table side by side. He proudly took off the cover of each and revealed three different colored cakes. "Here we have the ever popular chocolate, which I improved a bit, and vanilla and strawberry. Here, take this," Yoshimori produced chopsticks and handed it to Shishio who looked bewildered, "and I'll give you a slice of each. Tell me what you think of it."

Shishio stared down at the colorful desserts. He glanced at Yoshimori who made an encouraging motion with his hands, smiling all the while. Just like before, Shishio started with the chocolate slice and picked it up securely with his chopsticks. He brought it to his mouth and took a bite, letting the flavor burst into his mouth.

Yoshimori watched as Shishio began eating through his cakes, wondering what he thought of them. His conversation with Tabata had been stuck in his head for the rest of the week and it disturbed him that he knew so little personal detail about Shishio while the other boy probably had more knowledge about Yoshimori, considering that the Kekkaishi was the one who mostly talked during their times together. It seemed important to him somehow to know as much as possible about Shishio. Yoshimori already grasped the essential things to know about Shishio but the inconsequential details? Well, those were just as important and Yoshimori's brain hurt trying to justify the sudden need he felt until he just stopped trying to understand it. After all, wasn't that how Yoshimori always worked?

Finally, Shishio lowered his chopsticks down on the empty plate and Yoshimori eagerly leaned forward. "So, how was it? Which was your favorite?"

There was a moment of anticipatory silence. "Neither."

Yoshimori toppled backwards in surprise before he straightened and glared at the other boy. "What?! But I made those for you so painstakingly! I put my best effort…my heart and passion and you didn't like it?!"

Shishio didn't seemed to be bothered by the loud volume of Yoshimori's voice and shrugged. "I really don't like sweets. It's too…sweet."

Yoshimori hung his head in defeat. Shishio felt the aura of misery wafting from the Kekkaishi's direction and felt at a loss on how to respond.

"Why do you want me to like sweets anyway?" Shishio asked.

Yoshimori lifted his head and scratched at his left cheek, smiling lopsidedly. "Well, Tabata was saying that how little information there was on you and it got me thinking that I don't know you all that well at all. So I thought that I could start by knowing what kind of cake you want even though Atora-san said that you don't like sweets at all. I mean, we are friends, aren't we?"

Shishio looked startled, eyes widening a fraction at the other boy's confession even as he marveled at how easily Sumimura could talk about these things. He'd noticed that trait about the legitimate successor early on after meeting him. Yoshimori wasn't afraid to speak out his mind or have conversations about feelings and other awkward subjects. Even if he was uncomfortable Yoshimori still managed to say what he had to say no matter how difficult or embarrassing.

And Shishio felt strangely pleased that Yoshimori would take such an interest in him. He'd always imagined that their friendship was nothing more than an empathic teamwork but to have Yoshimori going to such lengths to find out something so simple made Shishio feel warm all over. It was weird in a good kind of way.

The other boy shook his head, strands of shaggy black hair falling over his eyes as he gave an discomfited chuckle. "I guess it was useless anyway if you don't like sweet things in the first place. Sorry if I forced you to eat it – "

"It's all right," Shishio interrupted, eyes averted and feeling self-conscious. "I…ate it because you're my…friend and it wasn't so bad. The chocolate one wasn't so…it's black, so it's acceptable."

Yoshimori stared at him like he couldn't believe it before his entire face brightened like the sun. "That's great! That means I'll just have to make everything black for you!" He laughed triumphantly, pumping a fist into the air. "So how about donuts? I'll make them black of course and oh, dad wanted me to invite you for dinner tonight. He said that it's important you have proper meals regularly and Toshimori asked if you could help him with his homework. And hey, how about those donuts?"

"I don't like donuts," Shishio answered.

A frown wormed its way on Yoshimori's face before he waved it away. "Do you like anything? I'll make it black so you'll like it but anyway – "

"Black food sounds unappetizing, Sumimura," Shishio interrupted again. "But I'll go to your house for dinner."

-

Tokine arrived at Karasumori a little later than usual. Her sandals clacked softly on the ground as she leapt over the entrance gate, Hakubi flying over her shoulder.

"Everything seems to be peaceful," Tokine murmured to her guardian, eyes searching for her two companions for the night. "I wonder where Yoshimori and Gen-kun are."

Hakubi yawned. "I half-expected Yoshimori to accost you for being so late. Perhaps he's finally taking this job seriously, Honey, but he'll never be better than you."

Tokine tried to say something when loud voices suddenly broke through the serene silence. It sounded like it came from the side of the school. Tokine shook her head as she went to investigate although she already knew who was making such a racket.

"…what?!"

"…I don't…"

"….what?!?!..."

To her exasperation, Tokine found Yoshimori gesticulating wildly as he knelt on a suspended kekkai with Madarao asleep over his head. Inches from him, Gen lounged on the lowest branch of a tall tree, staring at Yoshimori with a defensive expression on his face.

"What do you mean you don't like curry?" Yoshimori exclaimed, looking absolutely gobsmacked. "It's…it's curry…it's spicy and savory and flavorful and well, it's curry!"

Shishio frowned and appeared to think something over deeply. "The smell is weird."

Yoshimori slumped down on his kekkai and crossed his arms with a sigh. "Well, there is that I suppose. I don't usually notice the smell because I'm too busy eating it. So, you don't like cake, yakisoba, takoyaki, edamame or any of the other things I mentioned. What about Pocky? Everyone loves Pocky."

"I've never eaten Pocky before."

Yoshimori dramatically clutched at his heart. "Never had Pocky before? That's…that's just wrong, Shishio! Are you really a normal Japanese kid? I can't believe you've never – "

"What are you two doing?" Tokine interrupted as she glared up at both boys, hands on her hips.

Yoshimori immediately pointed at Shishio and shouted, "Tokine, this guy has never eaten Pocky!"

"And?"

"And it's wrong! You should have told me earlier and I would have given you some," Yoshimori grumbled as he started to calm down a little. "Dad always buys a few boxes for Toshimori and me."

Tokine rubbed at her temples, unable to believe what she was hearing. "Were you two talking about food all this time?"

Shishio raised his arms over his head and reclined more fully against the trunk. "It wasn't my fault; Sumimura kept on asking me questions. I just couldn't not answer because then he would become annoying."

"Hey, you can't blame me if you're a picky eater," Yoshimori retorted and then shook his head. "Let's just skip that one for now. So, which do you like best, Coke, Ponta or Coffee Milk?"

"Tea," Shishio grunted in answer.

"Geez, you're like an old man, Shishio. Besides, what's wrong with coffee milk? It's the perfect drink and the caffeine gives you energy."

"What are they doing, Honey?" Hakubi asked, looking mildly interested before another yawn broke out of him. "Look at that idiot, sleeping so peacefully like a baby. We'll surely get all the prey tonight."

"I won't even bother with them anymore," Tokine conceded in defeat. "As long as they don't let it interfere with their duty. It's not like I can stop Yoshimori anyway."

"Jasmine tea?" Yoshimori burst out loudly and then wrinkled his nose in disgust. "I like Oolong better, although I could happily drink only coffee milk for the rest of my life."

Are they comparing favorites? Tokine thought, a little intrigued despite herself. She knew that Shishio was helping Yoshimori train once in a while but other than they she didn't know. It seemed suddenly strange to her that despite the bonds they shared due to their line of work, Tokine didn't really have a much deeper connection to them on a daily basis. That was mostly because of their age difference and that she rarely did anything non-Kekkaishi related with any of them. Tokine wondered if Yoshimori and Gen had a different friendship aside from the one forged during their nights at Karasumori.

It left her feeling a little…

She was snapped out of her thoughts by the abrupt intrusive feeling that cut through her. An ayakashi…what an evil aura! Tokine thought as she sprang to action. "Hakubi, can you tell me its location?"

Hakubi growled and sniffed the air. "It's by the junior high school, honey. It's giving such a malevolent feeling, you should be careful."

"All right," Tokine said and glanced sideways as Yoshimori fell into step beside her. She briefly saw Gen's shadow leaping from tree to tree in tandem to their speed.

They turned the corner and burst through the clearing and saw a gigantic bird whose eyes gleamed scarlet in the moonlight, its feathers cast in equal parts radiance and shadow. It noticed their arrival and gave screech so earsplitting that the very trees and wind were carried by its force.

"Ketsu!" two voices simultaneously cried out and though it was drowned out by the ayakashi's shriek, Yoshimori and Tokine were instantly surrounded by their kekkai, blocking both the force and volume of the scream. Madarao hung back behind Yoshimori, eyes glazed over from the sound. "You okay, Madarao?" Yoshimori asked, one leg kneeling on the ground and glaring at the ayakashi.

"Gen-kun!" Tokine called in alarm when she saw the younger boy struggling against the screech, having fallen on his knees with his hand-and-claw firmly clamped over his ears. "Ketsu!"

Gen dropped his hands and gave a nod of gratitude. The ayakashi gave a hoot of anger and flapped its gigantic wings at them. Feathers unhooked from its wings but they gleamed like silver knives as they whizzed uncannily through the air towards the trio.

Three feathers speared through the top of Tokine's kekkai and just inches away from Hakubi's tail.

Tokine rolled away, Hakubi following faithfully, and evaded just as another feather headed for her.

"Tokine!" Yoshimori yelled as his own kekkai faltered from the attack and he scampered towards her just as Shishio jumped in front of him and swiped at a few feathers aimed at his face, his demonic claw easily crushing them. The three huddled close together behind a cluster of trees, Madarao and Hakubi bending low to mutter advice to their masters.

"You're hand," Yoshimori noticed the blood dripping from Shishio's palm.

Shishio closed his fingers in a fist. "It's nothing," he dismissed easily and when he opened his hand the cuts were gone. "More importantly, how are we going to stop it the ayakashi before it gets stronger? If its cry is painful now, then it would be unbearable when it gains enough power."

The ayakashi was hooting loudly in aggravation, flying around and its left wing catching against the side of the building that sent rock and glass tumbling to the ground.

"We have to act fast," Tokine said. "Yoshimori, we'll leave it to you to trap the ayakashi while Gen-kun and I distract it."

Not even a second passed after Tokine's words when the bird found their location and started flapping its wings, sending the same feather-knives flying through the air.

Tokine and Gen dived to one side and broke out in a run around the bird. "Ketsu!" Tokine pointed precisely at the bird's left wing and her kekkai rods pierced through the limb, causing the bird to screech in pain. Gen jumped at the same time and dragged his claws down the side of the ayakashi, causing feathers and blood to explode in the air.

"Yoshimori, now!"

Yoshimori appeared above them, climbing higher to the sky with every kekkai he created. The ayakashi jerked its uninjured wing and let three feathers fly towards Yoshimori, one nearly catching him on the shoulder as he fell back with a curse.

"Damn noisy bird!" Yoshimori yelled angrily as he held up his fingers. But the ayakashi released more feathers towards him while at the same time let out another deafening shriek, this one louder than the last that sent Tokine and Gen to their knees. The two Kekkaishi immediately holed themselves up in their barrier, Shishio and the ghost dogs included in Tokine's.

The bird howled and howled and howled, the volume increasing with each passing minute until the school windows cracked and the building rattled with the noise. They felt Karasumori's power augmenting the ayakashi, mending its injuries and echoing its cry nearly tenfold.

Tokine flinched, her kekkai weakening in the face of the ayakashi's roar. Sweat trickled down the side of her face as she fought to keep her barrier in place. Her heart thundered; if she couldn't hold this up there was the very real possibility that the ayakashi could overwhelm their hearing.

"Tokine, Shishio!" Yoshimori's eyebrows plunged downward and he faced the bird. "Dammit, shut up! KETSU!"

There was a blue flash as the bird was encased in the kekkai, wringing its wings against the sides in a frenzy. Its cry leaked through the barrier, a testament to its potent strength but Yoshimori's barrier held.

Yoshimori's fingers trembled with the force of holding the kekkai as the ayakashi thrashed and slammed against him with all its might, taking greedily Karasumori's power.

Tokine took in a deep breath, feeling drained. "Yoshimori, can you hold it?"

"I'm trying!" Yoshimori's face twisted in concentration. "I can't Metsu it yet, it's taking Karasumori's power to try and break free."

Shishio spoke up, face strangely determined. "Sumimura, remember that trick I told you! Use it!"

"What?!"

Tokine glanced at Shishio.

"What good will meditation do now?" Yoshimori argued, placing his other hand under the balled up fist for support. "It'll probably just break free once I relax!"

Shishio scowled lightly. "No, idiot, if you try to clear your mind and try to master your power then you can hold the ayakashi in and destroy it!"

Yoshimori looked like he would argue but the ayakashi's wing rammed against the east side of the kekkai, causing it to ripple. "Damn it," Yoshimori panted and with an annoyed sound closed his eyes. He began by regulating his breath, breathing in and out until he settled into a regular rhythm and imagining that his power was relaxing with him, smoothing out like a wave but still retaining its strength. He found that the pressure that had steadily built in him as the ayakashi slowly overpowered his kekkai was gone.

"Eh, it actually worked," Yoshimori mumbled before he opened his eyes and gave the ayakashi a wicked grin. "METSU!"

The bird exploded into millions of blinding fragments and Tokine held up her staff. "Tenketsu!"

Yoshimori jumped down next to them and let out a sigh. "That was a close one. Are you guys all right?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." Tokine turned towards the ayakashi-majiri. "Gen-kun?"

Shishio gave an affirmative nod.

"Hey, where're the dogs?" Yoshimori looked around him and right on cue, Madarao and Hakubi appeared from behind a bush, weaving clumsily through the air. "What's wrong with you two?"

Madarao moaned piteously. "Oh, it was horrible! I thought I would become deaf from the noise. Yoshimori, why didn't you protect me?"

"What? I was busy with the ayakashi!"

"You should be able to multitask by now!"

"Hey, don't blame me. Besides, you're dead so won't your hearing eventually fix itself?"

"That's not the point, Yoshimori."

"Then what is?"

Now he's arguing with his guardian, Tokine thought with a ghost of a smile. "That was good advice, Gen-kun."

"It was nothing," Shishio muttered in almost-embarrassment and moved towards Yoshimori who was now involved in a shouting match with Madarao.

Hakubi let out a drawn out sigh. "We have such strange company, don't we, honey?"

Tokine hid her amusement behind a hand. "They're all right."

-

-

Shishio was busy with doing nothing and making sure that nobody approached him. It was an art that he had perfected years ago. All it required were a slumped but still alert position on his chair, crossed arms and a stare that was blank but still fairly threatening. He didn't have any interest in his peers or in participating with their adolescent socializations.

A long time ago, perhaps, he'd wanted to make friends but not anymore. A pair of giggling girls to his left kept giving him glances but Shishio ignored them. He knew they would only be annoying if given encouragement.

Still, he had made friends surprisingly. He hadn't expected to trust Sumimura and Yukimura when the chief had given him the assignment. Shishio was prepared to give his all to his duty and that was it. But then somehow they had formed a team, a strange kind of bond, until it shifted again when Yoshimori had all but chased after him just to say that he trusted Shishio and was his friend.

Sumimura Yoshimori was a strange one, that was for certain. Nothing like the chief at all but yet Shishio couldn't help but depend on him during fights and just recently, depend on him as a friend. It was weird having someone care so much for him. Atora had no choice because she was Shishio's trainer but Yoshimori and Tokine could have just ignored him during the day but somehow they didn't.

More often than not, Shishio pondered upon this mystery but couldn't find any answer that satisfied him. Despite himself, he had begun to like these people who were protecting Karasumori.

Shishio was lost in thought when something knocked him at the back of his head. His first reaction was to snarl and jump on his desk, claws exposed to rip apart whoever had disturbed him.

Luckily, before he could terrorize an entire class of carefree students, the faintest whisper against his sensitive hearing pulled his attention to the window.

Yoshimori's upturned eyes peeked at him from the window, causing Shishio to give a small startled jump in his seat. No one noticed. He looked over his shoulder and saw the tiny kekkai hovering near his head. Shishio looked back at Yoshimori with a glare but the other boy just showed a hand and made a 'follow me' gesture. Then he disappeared.

Shishio didn't mind cutting class since the teachers never complained considering that he usually took top marks in exams and he was curious why Yoshimori would lure him out during the middle of class. Shishio didn't doubt that it would be something out of the ordinary and he quickened his pace to the rooftop where they usually slept. Although Yoshimori hadn't specified where to go, there really was nowhere else to go.

Shishio climbed up the short ladder and found the other boy sitting cross-legged and sporting a devious grin and a disturbing chuckle sounding from his curved lips.

For a moment, Shishio considered leaving but then mentally shrugged and pushed himself up on the roof and sat across from Yoshimori.

"You're going to like this," assured Yoshimori in a voice that was too gleeful that it pricked at Shishio's suspicion. Yoshimori reached for something behind him and produced a medium-sized box. "Here, I brought you Pocky!" To emphasize this fact, Yoshimori rattled the package and the sweets inside rattled. He tossed it to the other boy.

The box fell on Shishio's hands but he was really too surprised to say or do anything. He didn't think that Yoshimori was serious about finding a food that Shishio liked, or more accurately, trying to know what Shishio generally liked or disliked. But then again, the episode with the cakes should have tipped them off and the fact that when Yoshimori put his mind to it, he could actually do anything he wanted.

Still, the act was too friendly and for a moment Shishio panicked a little. He didn't like this. People didn't do nice things for him; they typically called him a demon and tossed him out. But Shishio quickly drove out those thoughts. This was Yoshimori and the Kekkaishi might have been a lot of things but he wasn't cruel. They really were friends and Shishio thought of the many times they had spent together sparring, talking and fighting ayakashi.

"Oi, Shishio, what's wrong?" Yoshimori asked, looking concerned and waving a hand in front of his eyes. With a start, Shishio realized he had been staring at the other boy for too long.

"Nothing," Shishio said and glanced down at the box he held.

An easy grin was plastered on Yoshimori's face, excitement clearly visible in his dark eyes. "Go on, taste it!"

Shishio tore open the top and took out a piece, staring at the chocolate-coated Pocky curiously.

"It's dark chocolate, so there'll be a little bitterness."

Shishio looked briefly at Yoshimori before he took a bite, chewing slowly and letting the taste coat his palate.

"Well?" There was the same earnest expression on Yoshimori's face, the boy leaning forward slightly with his palms balanced on his knees. "Shishio?"

"It's good."

Yoshimori's face brightened as he slapped his knee, smiling so widely that his cheeks puffed out. "I knew it! No one can resist Pocky. You can have the entire box. Good, now that we've found something you like then the rest should come easily."

Shishio watched the other boy's face for a moment before his cheeks twitched and the smallest smile on earth appeared on his face. "Thank you," he murmured, taking another nibble. He meant it.

-