744The Demon That Loves Me
By Miss Katherine
Rated: PG - 13 – For language, violence, and suggestive themes!
Claimer: Everything in this story is mine. Any attempt of theft will be swiftly dealt with a kick in the genitals.
A/N: Re-Revision finished 7/8/06.
Chapter 1: Fire
It's not my fault. Really. So what if I went in without his permission? Kyou had his apartment door wide open. There was just no possible way that I could know that once I closed the door, I'd be locked and lost in his apartment for the next two and a half hours, in the dark.
So you can't really blame me for accidentally kicking his TV set over, or accidentally tipping over a pot of roses. That would be unfair. You can't really blame me for, in an attempt to find my way out, running into things like refrigerators and lamps. You can't really blame me for cleaning out his fridge when I got hungry after the first hour.
Okay, maybe that was my fault.
But is it really my fault for accidentally finding that lacey black thong in the back of Kyou's refrigerator?
Um, no. Yeah, the thong was a surprise for me, too.
By now, I can estimate that I've probably caused around $1000 or more dollars of damage to Kyou's apartment. And hey, that's only in his living room and kitchen so far—I haven't even been to his bathroom or bedroom yet!
Two and a half hours. In the dark. Without my medication.
Kenmei is not a happy girl.
You'd think that I, Kenmei Shinja, being 25 years old—well, sometimes 23, but only on Mondays—would know better. You'd think that someone seeing a physiatrist for being paranoid would just know better than to just walk into an apartment. You'd think I'd just know better.
"Ow!"
But no, I don't.
"Stupid wall!" I murmured, rubbing my forehead with my hands. That's got to be the 6th one I walked into today.
Damn, this is just sad.
The apartment was just too dark. The man didn't bother investing in night-lights. I should've known that Kyou probably wasn't home anyway; it was too quiet when I first went in.
Sighing, I ran my fingers up and down the walls, searching for a switch that would turn the lights on. I've been trying forever to find it, but so far, no luck.
I know I should give up by now and stop moving or else I'll just mess up his apartment even more, but I'd rather not face Kyou when he comes home. Because when he does, he'll take one look at his apartment and ask me what happened.
And I have a feeling that he's not going to buy my story of how I fought off the two crazy Scottish burglars that were out to get his kitchen utensils with my bare hands.
Being alone in the dark isn't exactly doing miracles for my mental health either. Paranoia is definitely a very crippling mental defect. I mean, when I bumped into that broom, man, I really thought it was a monster. Really.
That's why I karate-chopped it in half, you see. Yeah, oops.
Wait, I feel something!
I took the shape of the object on the wall with my fingers. Oh my God—yes! It was the light switch! Thank God. After doing my little happy dance, I flipped on the switch, expecting a quick and easy escape.
Nothing happened. It was still pitch black. I flipped it off, and then on again. Nothing. Frustrated, I flicked it on and off, over and over again. Still, nothing. GAH! I'm losing it! TURN ON, DAMNIT! In a bout of extreme frustration, I pounded the switch with my fist.
Bad idea.
"Ow." I winced. "Owie…owie…owie…" Of course, I have to pound the one thing that was very pointy, and very, very hard with my fist. Stifling a sniffle, I decided—no more. I'm out of here. No more breaking things, no more running into walls, and no more finding thongs in the back of the fridge on top of my pudding!
Definitely no more thongs on my pudding.
No more. I've had it. I'm just going to wait until tomorrow morning, when Kyou is actually here, and ask for my car keys back. He was pretty nice to find and want to give me back my keys—but too bad he forgot to this morning when we were having coffee together.
Oh well. I guess I'm just going, uh, get out of here now. I'd rather not mistaken any more innocent brooms for monsters in my bouts of paranoia.
Getting on all of my fours, I began to crawl around, looking for the door. Under my breath, I prayed that I wouldn't hit anything that could break. The marble floor of the luxury apartment was so cold that I had to speed up crawling, or else my hands would freeze. I don't know where the hell I'm going, but damn, I was getting out.
At that second, my head bumped into something hard.
"Ow!" I cried out. My hands went to my head, where it throbbed with pain. Smart, Kenmei, I thought. Then, the object in front of me began to rock back and forth on top the low table it sat on, the way an object would before it fell.
Then, I heard something shatter in front of me.
Oops.
That sounded like another $1000 right there.
In the distance, I could hear footsteps coming closer, but I couldn't be sure because my head was aching. I closed my eyes and just sat there, holding my throbbing head.
Suddenly, the lights were turned on, and all was clear.
"Kenmei?"
Kyou rushed towards me immediately, going so fast that he looked like a blur. He crouched down beside me and put a hand on my shoulder. "Are you all right? What're you doing in my apartment?" He asked in Japanese.
Looking up, I could see Kyou's dark red eyes, probably some kind of contacts he's wearing, peering worriedly down at me. His eyes grew softer as his gaze turned from the shattered object to my head, which was still making bells ring and birds fly around my head.
"Kenmei," Kyou said, placing a tender hand onto my head, "What happened?"
He was so close that I was able to catch his clean, spicy smell, although it was a bit diluted with the scent of soap. Even though I haven't answered him, Kyou began to rub my head gently, and in a weird way, it felt comforting.
Kyou was waiting for me to explain, I know. It was just harder to concentrate with him being so close to me, though. I was becoming overwhelmed with his scent, but it wasn't until I saw the beads of water on his tanned six pack that I realized that I had interrupted his shower.
His two and a half hour shower.
Geez, what does he do in there?
And how the hell do I know that he has a six-pack? It's not that I was staring or anything. No, never. That's just plain indecent.
Okay, maybe I looked a little.
Other indications of his recent shower were noticeable, as well. Kyou's red-blonde hair was still a bit wet. His steady gaze made me nervous. Maybe, I thought, he's mad at me. I wouldn't blame him. The silence, though, was really scary.
I needed to change the subject—I needed to say something, anything. NOW. I looked at Kyou as words just flew out of my mouth.
"I really like your Bambi boxers. The butterflies and hearts are a nice touch. Very sexy."
Silence.
Holy Mother of Bambi, did I just say that?
Kyou's face was getting red.
Yes, I guess I really did say all that.
"Uhm, you know what Kenmei, I guess I…f-forgot something," Kyou said, his face almost as red as mine. "I'll be right back."
Then, as a quick as lightening, he got up and ran for his room.
Oh my God. That was surreal. I barely know the guy for 2 days and I've already seen him in his underwear.
I see that Kyou prefers boxers. Personally, I'd prefer him in briefs, but that's just me.
Wait! The thong in the fridge. The dark apartment. Kyou taking a shower. Kyou in nothing but boxers. It all adds up.
"I'm back," Kyou said, appearing once again before me, this time wearing pants. But no shirt.
"Uhm," I said, "I think you're still…forgetting…something."
Kyou didn't get the hint about the shirtless thing.
"Oh, sorry," He said, zipping up his fly.
Silence again.
We both watched each other, nervous. He was still blushing, and so was I. It wasn't exactly uncomfortable, but it was…tense. The fact that I found a woman's thong in his fridge, and caught him taking a shower, and the whole running out in only his boxers thing led me to one conclusion—
"Kyou," I said, "Are you…are you with a woman?"
Kyou turned even redder.
"Oh my God," I cried out, panicking, "I'm so sorry! That's totally none of my business!" I started to stand up with my hand still on my head. "Oh my God, I'm so sorry, Kyou! I should've never come in here! If I, like, interrupted your mojo or something, I am so sorry!" I was practically wailing, walking backwards towards his door.
Kyou was about to say something, but I cut him off.
"I'm so sorry. You just go right back to what you were doing and forget that I was here, all right?" I upped my pace walking backwards. "I was never here." Before I completely bailed out of his apartment, I conjured up one last thought. "Oh, and just in case she doesn't remember in the morning, her thong's in the fridge."
Then, I made a run for it.
Kyou got up. "Kenmei!" He cried out "Don't—"
"Ow," I said, running smack into the 7th wall for the day.
"Kenmei," Kyou said, touching my head again. "Are you all right?" He was once again crouched over me.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Just a little dizzy," I replied. Then, I snapped back to reality. "No! I'm okay, Kyou! You need to go back right now. You can't keep a woman waiting—"
"There is no woman, Kenmei," Kyou said through gritted teeth, his chiseled face still red. "I'm not spending the night with anyone. Except for you, I was alone this entire time."
Silence.
"Oh," I said. "But, what about the thong in the fridge?"
Kyou sighed and said, "That's mine."
"Oh," I said lightly. Then, my eyes widened as my mind jumped to a whole other conclusion. "OH."
"No, no!" Kyou said, turning even redder. "They're just…mine." He then added, "I'm not gay or anything, Kenmei. You just came into my apartment at a very inopportune time." Pause. "Speaking of which, why are you in my apartment?"
The whole thing about wanting my car keys back seemed very frivolous at the moment. "Oh, no," I said, "That can wait for tomorrow. I think I've caused enough trouble for you for one day. I mean, with the whole 'oops, I almost caught you in bed with a woman' thing and the moment where I questioned your sexual orientation…"
I took a quick glance around his apartment and noted the damage done.
"Oh, and about what I did to your apartment," I said, watching Kyou's eyes roam the damage that used to be his kitchen and living room, "That was an accident. I couldn't find the light switch, and I got trapped in here for 2 and a half hours."
Kyou was staring at his big flat-screened TV, which now laid in pieces next to a smashed vase.
"Uhm, about that," I began, "There was this one point where I got really paranoid and attacked your TV with a feather duster and a broom that I thought was a monster."
"So, all in all," Kyou said, giving me a grim smile, "No survivors."
"Well," I countered, "You're still alive." Nervous laughter.
Kyou's mouth twisted into a smile, and for a moment, we both laughed together.
"I'm really sorry about what I did to your apartment, Kyou," I said. "I'll pay for all the damages, I promise."
He shook his head. "No, it's all right. It was my fault for leaving my front door open in the first place."
"No!" I said. "I couldn't possibly! I've caused you so much trouble! You can't just let me off the hook! That wouldn't be fair. I have to give something back to you, Kyou."
Kyou shrugged, obviously feeling comfortable shirtless.
"All right then," Kyou said, his red eyes staring straight into mine, "What're you willing to do for me?"
Suddenly, I couldn't find my voice. With all that's happened, I hadn't the chance to really look at him, but now that I did, I knew. I knew. Kyou was sexy. From his face to his body, he was hot stuff. He had beautiful eyes—especially with the strange color contacts—and a warm laugh. I don't know why I didn't really notice before.
"I…I don't know," I said, uneasy. There was some hidden connotation in his question.
First, he gave me a smirk, then, his expression changed to concern.
Grabbing my arm, Kyou asked, "Kenmei, what're these bruises?" There, on my arms, were about five or six bruises, three of them big ones.
"Oh, um," I said, a bit surprised at the change of subject, "I guess I got them while I was lost in here. It was really dark, and when I trashed your apartment, I guess I got a pretty bad beating, too."
"Do they hurt?" He touched them gently, making sure not to hurt me. His touch gave me goosebumps.
"No," I managed to squeak out.
"Your forehead," Kyou said, his other hand now caressing my head, which probably had the biggest bruises. "You look like you've been beaten."
"Well, I could say the same for your apartment," I joked, "I think we'll call it a draw for now." Kyou chuckled, and pressed down lightly on the front of my forehead.
"Ow!" I said, flinching.
"I'm sorry," Kyou said, taking his hand away.
"It's okay," I said. "It's bad, isn't it?"
"Yeah. What did you hit to get a bruise like that?"
"I don't know," I said. I looked around for the object that I had smashed earlier. "There," I said, pointing at a mass of broken glass on the floor next to what looked like a stone table.
For a moment, I saw Kyou's face pale. Getting up, he practically ran over to the site of the broken glass. I followed him.
Obviously, I've broken something of great importance to him, and I felt horrible for it. "I don't know what to say, Kyou," I said, "I'm sorry." He bent down onto the ground as if he was searching for something.
"What're you looking for Kyou?" I asked, bending down as well.
"A key," he said, "A silver key."
I looked down at the glass, and began searching as well. "Is it important?" I asked.
"Yes."
Even though I felt horrible, I forced myself to look for the key, doing what I could to help fix the trouble I made.
"Damn, it's not here!" Kyou said in frustration. He got up and glanced around his apartment. I wanted to get up as well, to tell him how sorry I was. To tell him that I'd help him find it even if it took days.
But I couldn't. I was sitting on the floor, and I wanted to stand, but I couldn't. It was like I was frozen in place. And suddenly, it felt like I was frozen, because I started to shiver from cold. The air around me grew chilly and it didn't take long for me to notice my white breath in the icy air.
When I turned around to look at the stone stand, the inscriptions on it struck me as odd. This thing wasn't a coffee table, or even a stand. It was something else…like a landmark of some sorts.
The inscriptions on the stone weren't in Japanese or English. I doubted that it belonged to any sort of language that I've ever seen. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't find an explanation for the odd feeling that it gave off, or how it managed to glue me to where I was sitting.
Then, I saw it.
Behind the stone structure, where the glass probably used to stand, was a fireplace.
"Kenmei, don't look at it!" Kyou shouted, grabbing both my arms, forcing me to look at him. His eyes bore into mine, intense, coming to the realization that I had already seen what was behind the stone stand.
Although I couldn't understand why he didn't want me to look, I did understand 2 things; I knew that the stone stand and its inscriptions described what was in the glass before I smashed it with my head, and I knew that a silver key was what once laid inside.
But I couldn't understand what a key had to do with a fireplace, of all things. And I couldn't understand why Kyou felt so tense.
The lights went out.
The sudden change in atmosphere caught me off guard, and when I realized that Kyou was no longer in front of me, I grew colder. The darkness now wasn't like any sort of darkness I've experienced before. This was more than pitch black.
It was so dark that for a moment, I was confused of whether I was really there or not, if I was even actually anywhere. "Kyou?" I asked, feeling afraid. "Where are you? What happened to the lights?"
There was no answer.
My senses began to go wild, and my paranoia kicked in. I was alone, I was cold. I couldn't see what was in front of me. I don't know what's around the corner, or where I was exactly. I was afraid, deathly afraid, and I felt in my heart the beginnings of a nervous breakdown.
I was weak inside. People don't know that about me. Maybe because back in the US, they just judged me from what very little they knew. They knew I was a medical student at Stanford, studying for my MD.
They knew that I was originally from Tokyo, Japan, and that this summer; I was going back for a visit, where I am now. They knew that I was 25 years old. That's all they knew.
What they didn't know was that I had problems, like them. To them, I looked strong, invincible, even. I was a student on my way to a comfortable, admirable future. But, that's not so. The truth was, I wasn't strong, nor was I invincible.
All I've ever been was Kenmei Shinja and in secret, almost in shame, I see a therapist because I'm just not strong enough to work things out by myself. And sometimes, I have to take medicine to calm myself down, to think straight, to not cry. It's hard to admit, and even harder to hear it.
I try hard to be happy, though. And most of the time, I really, genuinely am. But sometimes, I'm not…and those times are just too hard for me to deal with alone. Deep inside, I'm afraid.
And that's the long explanation for my paranoia.
Tears were forming in my eyes, and I could hear myself whimper. I tried hard not to shake, but I couldn't help it. The air felt so cold, and I was afraid, and I didn't know where Kyou had gone. I didn't want to look back at the stone stand because it scared me with the way it could make me feel so cold.
I wanted to get out more than anything.
"Kyou," I said, once more.
Although I didn't expect a reply, I heard a soft growl in the distance, soft, but there. And suddenly, I felt warm again, like the air around me had given me an embrace. It was comforting, but confusing.
I heard a soft click in the distance. Inside, I knew that it was Kyou, who had locked the door.
"Kyou," I said again. Then, I nearly jumped when I felt someone breathe down the back of my neck.
It was he. Turning around, two red eyes confronted me, looking straight at me. Even though the room was pitch black, I could see them, could feel their gaze. He came forward and spoke in a soft, almost soothing tone.
"I know that you don't understand what you just saw, Kenmei," Kyou said, "But I can't let you leave this room so easily now that you have."
We were very close to one another. So close that at time, I could feel his lips brush ever so slightly against my forehead.
"What—what're you talking about?" I asked. "Kyou, you're scaring me—" He grabbed my arm and drew me closer to him. It was almost an embrace, if it weren't for his arms holding me tightly, like it would a criminal. "Let go," I said, trying to break free. He wouldn't budge.
Instead, Kyou held on and despite my struggling, placed his mouth right above where my left ear was and murmured, "What you saw, the stone stand, was a sign. It was a sign that pointed the location of a gateway, a very specific gateway. And above that sign was a glass case, and inside that case, was a silver key."
"It's just a fireplace—" I said, still struggling against him.
"It's not just a fireplace," Kyou continued, his mouth now brushing against my cheek, "It's the Gate. The Gate to Hell."
I tried kicking him. "Are you—crazy?" I asked, feeling scared and excited all at one. Being so close to him made my heart beat faster.
Kyou tightened his arms around me so that I could no longer fight. "If you don't believe me, then look," he replied. I stopped trying to struggle, and suddenly, right in front of me, I could see a dim glow. It was the fireplace.
Slowly, the glow grew into fire, and the fire grew into huge flames that seemed alive enough to jump out of the fireplace.
All by itself, the fireplace seemed to have kindled itself.
"How did you do that?" I asked, nearly breathless.
"I didn't," Kyou said. "I can't control it. I can only use it to travel to and from Hell."
"But," I said, feeling dizzy from watching the flames lick the insides of the fireplace, "That's impossible. Hell isn't real." Cupping my face, Kyou turned my gaze back to him. Now that the fireplace was lit, there was light, and I could see his face.
"It's as real as I am," he murmured.
"But that would make you…" I stopped. "That's impossible," I whispered.
"Everything is possible, Kenmei," Kyou said. "Only a fool would live a life governed by what's supposedly possible or impossible. Possibilities change everyday."
I shook my head. "But you're just my neighbor, my temporary neighbor. You're just another person…you can't be…"
"I can be, and I am," Kyou said. "I'm a Demon, and no matter how many times you try to deny it, you can't change the fact that I was born one."
"You're crazy."
Kyou shrugged. "I'm not the one seeing a physiologist."
"H-How…how did you know that?" I asked, stopping cold.
"That's not important right now," Kyou said. "Now, I want you to think, Kenmei. What do you think happens to humans who find the location of the Gate?"
This was getting creepy, and I didn't want to think. I didn't want to die. Not like this. I was scared, and I began to cry.
Kyou forced me onto the ground, surprising me. The force of the impact threw me off for a while. I don't know what to do. His arms had me pinned down—he was way too strong for me. He covered my mouth with his hand, knowing that I wanted to scream.
I'm beginning to think that I'm not going to get out of here alive. I've always wondered how I was going to die. I always thought that I'd die doing something stupid or breaking something.
Well, what do you know; it was pretty stupid to get trapped in an apartment for 2 and a half hours in the dark, and man, I broke a lot of things, including the glass box on top of the stone stand. I guess you could say that I should've expected, should've known that my end was near.
Both events were expected.
The Demon was a surprise.
"Don't struggle," Kyou said, his arms moving from my arms to wrap around my waist.
'Don't struggle'. Oh yeah, like I'm going to let you kill me willingly.
"Please don't kill me," I murmured. My feelings were out of whack—I was too scared to think straight.
All I could think about was to get away from here. I never should've come back to Tokyo for summer vacation. I should've stayed in California; I should've just gone to San Francisco like I've always had. I could've gone on a date. Damnit, I should've just changed my housing.
Kyou's face softened. "I'm not going to kill you, Kenmei," he said, "You thought that's what I meant? I would never do that." He pressed his face lightly onto my neck. Then, he tightened his arms around my waist and moved his head close to mine until our foreheads met.
This was odd. We were too close to each other. My chest was being smushed against his. I tried to push him away, but it was no use. I wasn't going anywhere. He began stroking my long, black hair with one of his hands.
I was confused. What's he doing? And why won't he kill me? Not that I'm anxious to get the deed done or anything, but why not? Nothing was holding him back. I'm not anyone too special.
I'm just…me.
Kyou didn't need a Kenmei in his life.
"Why…" I murmured, feeling him stroke my face.
"Because I'm in love with you, Kenmei," Kyou said, his red eyes gleaming, "I love you."
It took me a while to realize the weight of his words.
'I'm in love with you' and 'I love you'.
Wait.
Kyou…loves me?
Holy shit, pigs do fly.
I don't know. Really, I don't know. Just a couple of days ago, when I first met Kyou, all he was to me was my hot neighbor. We met while I was moving in. I liked him; he was really nice to me. We talked about my plans in Tokyo, and I told him that I came back to Tokyo to visit my grandparents.
At first, I thought that he was just a tourist—he wasn't Japanese. With his red-blonde hair, all natural he says, and height, I thought he was a foreigner on vacation, as well. Maybe American for all I knew, but probably European. I remember being impressed with his Japanese.
How long are you staying here, he asked. All summer, I replied. Is that your car outside, he asked. Yeah, I said. Nice, isn't it?
Who knew that my hot next-door neighbor would turn out to be a Demon?
A Demon who loves me.
Did I love him? I didn't know. I only met him a couple of days ago. I like him, I think he's sexy and nice and fun, sure, but I don't think that's love. I don't know. I can't really think right now. I've never been good with relationships.
"I really like you, Kyou," I managed to say. He was just so close to me; I could feel him breathing. "But, I'm sorry. I just…I'm sorry."
I could feel a shift in Kyou's body. He hid his face from me, but I knew that I had hurt his feelings. His heart was now beating at a painfully slow pace, so much different than the fast one a couple of seconds before. This made me feel almost guilty.
"I understand," Kyou whispered. I could swear that he was about to cry. "But you don't understand. I can't stop…feeling this way about you. I won't." His lips brushed against my cheek and kissed my forehead.
My heart's pounding against my chest. I wanted to take back my rejection, wanted him to kiss me.
Wait.
No. I have to think. I want to get out of here. I want to get away. There's got to be a way to get out. I know that it's supposed to be a tender moment between us now, but I just don't feel the same. And as guilty as I feel, I want to get out. I need to think.
The door was locked. Kyou said something about a silver key. To unlock the door, I might need the key. But where was it?
Then, it hit me—the light from the fireplace. The key was made out of some kind of metal, so it would reflect the light coming from the fireplace. And when the key reflects the light, I'd know exactly where it is.
Look for the shiny thing.
Brilliant.
There—I saw it. Gleaming on the floor, to the right of the fireplace was the key. I need to get there.
"Umpth—!"
I shoved Kyou off of me, surprising him, and made a run for the key. I grabbed it and ran for the door.
I didn't make it. Kyou grabbed me before I could even reach the foor. His hands went for mine. He wanted the key, and he was persistent.
"Kenmei, you don't UNDERSTAND—let GO."
"NO—I understand plenty!"
"You need to give me the KEY—it's DANGEROUS!"
"NO—"
"LET—GO—KENMEI—"
There was a lot of biting and kicking on my part. I desperately wanted to get away. We were now facing each other. There was the silver key and the silver ring that the key hung on. Kyou was pulling on the ring, and I was pulling on the key.
I was in pain. The rough ridges of the key were digging into my hands, but I held on tight. The air around us was warm—we were near the fireplace, and my arms were getting tired. Kyou wasn't going to give up.
"OW—That was my EAR!" Kyou cried out when I bit him.
"I PLAY DIRTY!"
Then something happened. It was an accident. Neither of us planned it, or expected it. At the same time, we both decided that instead of pulling apart, we would slam into each other and knock out the other.
Well, it worked.
Of course it worked. I had it patented, right after I first used it on that sale at Macy, the one right after Thanksgiving at the Stanford Shopping Center. It wasn't my fault. That lady just wouldn't let go of that sweater I got first.
So I knocked her into the clothing racks.
No one else got hurt. And it wasn't like I got in trouble.
I was already on my way back to my dorm before the police showed up anyway.
But this time, it worked too well.
Not only did the key get out of his hands, it also got out of mine.
And flew right into the fireplace.
Kyou wasn't too happy when that happened.
"AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!" He screamed. "DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOU JUST DID?!"
"What, me?!" I cried back. "That's not my fault!"
"Kenmei," Kyou said, "Do you remember the key that I was looking for?"
"Yeah."
"Well, that key was THE Key. The Key that could open the Gate to Hell."
"Uh-huh."
"And guess what," Kyou said, "YOU JUST THREW THAT KEY INTO THE FIREPLACE!" Pause. "CONGRATULATIONS! YOU WIN A CAR!"
"That wasn't my fault!" I said. "I didn't know that it could open the Gate to Hell!"
"Then why did you slam into me?!"
"I didn't mean to slam into you!" I said. "I—I wanted to give you a hug!"
Silence.
Kyou pointed angrily to his ear, which was still red from my bite.
"Okay, you've got me," I said, backing away.
Great. What am I going to do now? I can't get out of here without that Key. What about the window? I could jump out, but then again, my car's down there. And I don't want my blood staining it. That car cost me money! And no way am I going to get out of my parking space to get it cleaned. It took me whole damn hour just to get a parking spot that good!
So I'm stuck.
"Oh my God," Kyou said, looking tired and afraid. "The Key's gone." He looked at me. "You lost it."
"Stop blaming it on me, okay?" I was getting frustrated. "Can't you just go in there and get it back? You're a Demon aren't you?"
"It's not that easy," he replied. "The fireplace is the Gate to Hell. When you threw the Key into the fire, it disappeared."
"Well, go find it."
"I don't know where it is," Kyou said. "It could be anywhere in Hell. It might take months to find it. And if it falls into the wrong hands…"
"Let me guess. The world will be engulfed in a 1000 years of darkness as the earth will be become plagued with evil Demons and spirits that will breathe fire and steal everyone's socks," I said jokingly.
Kyou looked up at me. "You've done your reading."
"Wait, are you serious?" I asked. He didn't respond, but kept staring at me like he was thinking. Suddenly, he grabbed my wrist and pulled me close. "What're you doing?" I asked, feeling afraid again. "Let go!"
Kyou smiled at me and kissed me on the cheek. "I know that you turned me down, but I'm not going to stop trying."
What?
"I'm going to Hell," he said, smiling. "And you're coming with me."
"What? Why?" I asked. "I haven't done anything bad! I don't drink, I don't do drugs, and for God's sake, I'm still a virgin—I'm a good girl!"
"Oh, I know, Kenmei," Kyou said, winking. "But I need to get back that Key. And who knows; maybe you won't be such a good girl after I'm done with you."
Not comforting.
"How come you know so much about me?" I asked.
"I have my sources," Kyou said. "So, ready to go?"
"Yeah," I said sarcastically, "Just give me a minute to kill a small animal and I'll be ready to go."
"Too bad we don't have time for that," Kyou said, smiling.
"I don't understand!" I said. "Why are you bringing me?"
"Because you're the one who lost it. And besides," he said, "I like being near you. You make me laugh."
I make him laugh? What kind of half-assed reason is that?
Let's see how hard I can make him laugh when I bite his other ear.
"Wait," I said, remembering something, "Wait!"
"What?"
"I just want to ask you for my car keys back," I said, "That was the whole reason why I came into your apartment in the first place. I know you said that you'd give it back to me last night, but you forgot."
"Oh, so that's why you trashed my apartment," Kyou said. He took a pair of car keys—my car keys—from his pocket and dangled them in front of me. "You're talking about these, right?" I tried to reach for them, but he withdrew it back every time.
"Hey! That's not fair! Aren't I going to help you get your Key back?!"
"Let's compromise," he said. "When I get my Key back, you'll get your car keys back. Deal?"
I thought about it.
"Deal," I said, reluctant. I have no idea what I'm getting myself into.
"Lucky for us, even though the Key's gone, the Gate can still accept us. But," Kyou said, "Once we go in, we're not going to be able to get out until we find the Key. Oh, and try not to freak out too much. Hell's not exactly like you think it'd be."
Before I could get a word in, Kyou wrapped his arm around my waist. He looked at me, smiled, and ran with me straight into the fireplace.
AN: What can I say; the writing in this chapter has definitely improved since its first post. This is the second time I've revised it, and man, I am so happy with it right now. The dialogue sounds so much more natural, the storyline easier to understand—just overall improvement. I hope you like it as well. Thanks for reading, and don't forget to review if you hadn't yet!
Lesson: Your neighbor may be a super hot Demon. Really.