Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ Dear Hiei ❯ Chapter One ( Chapter 1 )

 

 

 

Chapter One

 

 

 

Hiei gnawed on the doughnut Shizuru had offered him. The image of the soaked female Kurama wearing nothing but her bathrobe kept popping through his head, and he was desperately trying to stay calm. The Jaganshi was failing spectacularly in the attempt, and the need to see the lovely redhead was mounting in a very uncomfortable fashion. He crossed his legs and arms as he willed the troublesome sensation away. Damn it, what was wrong with him?!

 

"More coffee?"

 

"Sure."

 

Shizuru poured some more coffee into the stoneware mug, an amused smile crossing her lips when she saw the Jaganshi's nose twitch at the aroma. Replacing the pot in the coffee-maker, she seated herself on the opposite end of the table and plucked a doughnut from the cardboard box, using her teeth to rip a large chunk out of the snack. She seemed to be reveling in her guest's obvious discomfort.

 

Kurama returned shortly, her damp mane gathered at her nape with a scrunchie. She had pulled on a cream-colored sweater that left her neck and collarbone bare, along with some socks and a pair of dark brown leggings that clung to her slender body like a second skin. The casual ensemble made Hiei squirm restlessly, but it was considerably more modest than her bathrobe, at the very least.

 

"Um... Hello, Hiei-san," Kurama greeted him, wrapping her arms loosely around her waist. Her pale cheeks began to take on a soft, rosy color, and she dropped her verdant eyes to the floor. She was clearly embarrassed about what had happened earlier.

 

"Hello, Kurama. Long time no see," Hiei replied, forcing himself to sound casual. Kurama seated herself in the chair to his left side, clasping her hands nervously on top of her lap while Shizuru went to fetch a third mug. Hiei looked at Kurama intently, but those lustrous green eyes were resolutely focused on the surface of the kitchen table.

 

"You don't seem too happy to see me," Hiei murmured, low enough that Shizuru wouldn't hear.

 

"No, I... I am happy," Kurama murmured back. She blushed again. "It's just... I'm surprised that you came. I thought you would want to stay in Makai."

 

Hiei leaned forward, loosening the bandana that shielded the Jagan from human eyes. He prodded gently at Kurama's mind with his own. We have a few things we need to talk about. Makai can wait, he communicated telepathically. Kurama glanced up sharply before nodding, looking breathless.

 

Shizuru glanced between the pair, sensing that she probably shouldn't hang around for whatever they would be discussing. "I'm going to go and visit my baby brother," she announced, setting a steaming mug on the place mat in front of the younger woman. She grabbed a dish towel from the metal rack above the sink and wiped her hands. "I'll be back in a few hours, all right?"

 

"All right," Kurama answered distantly.

 

Shizuru looked at her with concern, wondering if it was really okay to leave her friend alone in the apartment with the Jaganshi. This meeting had seemed like a good idea at first, but leaving Kurama alone without anyone to protect her... Shizuru shook her head. Hiei was a trustworthy guy, right? He was a good deal more responsible than most others of his species. Of course she could leave them alone.

 

Shouldering her purse and slipping on her loafers, Shizuru thought that maybe she ought to head over to Urameshi Atsuko's place instead. Considering what Kurama had to tell the demon, she thought a strong drink or two would do her some good.

 

Neither of the apartment's remaining occupants so much as flinched when the door snapped shut; they were caught up in their staring contest.

 

"Tell me what happened," Hiei commanded in a firm, quiet voice. "All of it."

 

Kurama winced and lowered her eyes once again.

 

"It's just as I told you in the letter," she said softly. She sounded thoroughly unsettled. "I suppose things started unraveling a while ago. I was depressed for months before the separation, and one night everything boiled over."

 

Kurama's uncertain eyes flashed up to Hiei, as if she was not sure that these were the words he wanted to hear. She soon dropped her eyes and hunched her shoulders uncomfortably.

 

"Youko could feel my emotions and hear my thoughts." She closed her eyes. "He talked to me. He told me things, things I knew were wrong. One night, Youko started digging into a sensitive topic, and even though I knew I should just ignore him, I simply couldn't stand to hear him anymore. When I argued with him, he said that I needed to learn my place." She ducked her head, blushing once more. "Doing what he did was his own way of teaching, I guess."

 

"And there have been no repercussions aside from your separation with Youko?" Hiei frowned when Kurama's eyes blinked open in confusion. "Has Yomi talked to you since? I have a few people stowed around the fortress in Gandara, and they have all reported a change in his demeanor since last month. His attitude adjustment is probably related to what you did."

 

"I doubt I have anything to do with it," Kurama murmured. Her eyes gradually dyed themselves a shade of greenish black, and her soft lips parted. "Just what kind of change have they been talking about, Hiei-san?"

 

"Well. He's been acting a hell of a lot more cheerful for the past month." Hiei folded his arms over his chest and leaned back in his chair, glowering down at the clear surface of the table. "I guess he hasn't gotten any for a while."

 

"Perhaps. When... When I was with him, it seemed like he hadn't slept with anyone else for a long time." Kurama gently fisted her hands over her lap as she let her eyes wander across Hiei's scowling face. "You're upset, aren't you?"

 

"I am a little angry about this, yes," Hiei replied tersely.

 

Kurama heedfully loosened her clenched hands and dropped her eyes. They stared back at her, dark and uncertain, from the reflective surface of the table.

 

"I've heard from him," she whispered out of the blue.

 

"What?" The ire that had been simmering in Hiei's chest was suddenly doused.

 

"Yomi sent a messenger last week." She breathed in shakily and wrapped her arms about her willowy frame, as though the temperature in the room had dropped fifty degrees. "He wanted me to come back to Makai with him. When I asked him for a reason, he tried to bring me along by force. Shizuru drove the messenger away-she recently learned to manifest her reiki - but I fear that others may be on their way as we speak."

 

"Kurama." Hiei leaned toward the trembling woman. "Did the messenger see you like this? In this form?"

 

Kurama looked up, her eyes no longer showing embarrassment or fear. They were completely expressionless.

 

"Yes," she said shortly. "How else could I have talked to him?"

 

The look on Hiei's face shifted rapidly. "Then Yomi knows that your body is female now. He's going to want to know how that happened."

 

"Of course he'll want to know." Kurama folded her arms delicately across her waist. "I'm sure you must believe that I am incapable of thought without Youko, but I assure you, my brain is fully functional."

 

Hiei was momentarily fazed. He leaned into the back of his chair, letting out a slow breath. Kurama had never been this touchy before. He was not sure whether it was because of her gender or because of her humanity, but the woman seemed very quick to take offense.

 

"I know you can think for yourself," Hiei said cautiously, trying to ease the tension. "I never said that you couldn't. I just want to make sure that everything is laid out in front of us. We can't do much of anything if we don't have all the facts." Kurama laughed softly, and Hiei's brow creased with frustration. "What the hell is so funny?"

 

"Nothing. It's just..." Kurama peered at Hiei through her long eyelashes. "Youko often said things to that effect. Is that the way all men think, or is it a demon trait? Or perhaps you learned it from Youko. I always knew you looked up to him, though I could never figure out the reason. Did you prefer the cutthroat thief, or the perfect son who never truly existed?"

 

"I wouldn't have liked either of them as individuals," Hiei snapped aggressively, feeling something flare inside of his chest all of a sudden. What was it about females that managed to rile him so easily? First there was the spat with Mukuro, now he was losing his cool with Kurama; this was absurd! "I hate heartless bastards, and I hate pathetic weaklings who can't look after themselves."

 

A flicker of dejection crossed her face.

 

"I suppose, since the heartless bastard has disappeared, that I am the pathetic weakling?"

 

"Don't put words in my mouth! I didn't say that!" Hiei felt his control slipping away.

 

"Yes, you did!" Kurama stood up abruptly, her palms flat on the table and her eyes flashing with anger. "He was the heartless part, so I am the helpless one! That is how you always perceived me, isn't it?"

 

Hiei was on his feet in an instant, his temper flaring up before he could check himself.

 

"If you're going to throw this kind of crap at me, I'll leave right now! Maybe I shouldn't have come back at all! Maybe I should have just stayed in Makai and let you deal with your own fucking problems!"

 

"And maybe I shouldn't have asked you to come here to begin with! It's clear that Youko has you in the palm of his hand!" Her eyes gleamed with fervor. "I thought you were smart enough to see what kind of person he is! I thought that, even if Yuusuke and Kazuma and everyone were fooled by Youko's charade, you would have been able to see through him!"

 

Hiei and Kurama glared at each other fiercely. The points of their noses were almost touching, and their harsh panting seemed almost deafening when compared to the silence of the room. Neither one blinked or backed down for nearly a minute, even when their breathing slowed and the quietness seemed to stifle them.

 

Finally, the intensity of Hiei's gaze must have weakened her resolve. Kurama's mouth twitched strangely, and her eyes became very glossy.

 

"W-why did I have to have so much faith in you?" she whispered hopelessly. Her voice was suddenly raw, as if she had been screaming for hours. "You never saw through him, not once. If I hadn't fought with Youko, he would never have left, and I would have been trapped in the dark for the rest of my life... Oh God..."

 

Kurama took a step backward, her lips trembling and her eyes shimmering around the edges. A tear slipped down one of her cheeks, and she brought her hands up to cover her face. She sank into her chair and folded her arms on top of the table, burying her face in them. The harsh expression on Hiei's face gradually fell away as he watched her shoulders shake.

 

"Hiei-san, if you really want to leave, then go. I don't even know why I asked you to come here. All I've managed to do is prove how worthless I am," she whispered.

 

Hiei appeared behind her, looking down at her with an uncertain expression on his face. He placed his hand on her shoulder hesitantly. In the back of his mind, he was secretly aching to know just what Kurama and the demon fox had argued about the night they separated.

 

"Kurama. Listen to me. You know I didn't mean..." He chewed on his lip when she continued to weep. Damn it, why did Kurama have to cry? He hated it when people cried; it always made him feel guilty, even when he wasn't the cause of their distress. "Come on, don't do that. I was mad, I wasn't thinking about what I was saying. I'm not going to leave you alone like this."

 

"Why not?" Kurama's shoulders shook more violently. "You don't even know what's wrong with me yet."

 

"You're female. That's what's wrong, unless I missed something." Kurama was quiet for a long, uncomfortable moment. Hiei's grip on her shoulder tightened. "There's something else, isn't there? What haven't you told me?"

 

More silence followed. Hiei felt his stomach working itself into knots. Eventually, Kurama raised her head and looked at him.

 

"You haven't noticed?" she asked. Hiei shook his head slowly, and she reached up, taking one of his hands and pressing his palm against her abdomen. She closed her eyes and let out a soft breath. "Can't you feel it?"

 

Hiei frowned at her. The statement gave him a sense of foreboding, but he reached out with his senses anyway. Hiei could hardly comprehend what he felt; inside the soft magenta glow of Kurama's energy was a tiny sphere of dusky purple. It seemed to be drawing in the pinkish aura that surrounded it.

 

It can't be.

 

He glanced up at Kurama, as though hoping that she would say it was a joke. But her expression was blank.

 

"When Yomi planted his seed inside my body, he probably never guessed that it would start to grow," she said in a soft voice. "The child has been sapping my energy, Hiei-san. It takes more and more each day. My body is too weak; I can't replenish my energy fast enough to make up for what the child takes." Her dark green eyes were eerily calm. "If I don't find another way to restore my energy, my child and I will die."