Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ The Kaleidoscope Syndrome ❯ To Rid The Disease ( Chapter 5 )

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The Kaleidoscope Syndrome

Part V

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Hiei was spinning out of control. He felt it everywhere-the coldness of the air, the sudden rush as it passed him by, and the trembling aftereffects on his body. He was being spun round and round like a ceaseless top dancing across the surface of a table. All he heard was silence while the darkness encircled him. There was no relief in this play and he grew weary from it all. The silence, the coldness, the darkness.

And suddenly, a small beam of warmth hit him. It was gentle and soothing and Hiei felt all his anxiety melt away in a single second. The feeling engulfed him entirely and he began to see the light again. It opened up to him slowly but soon he became aware of everything around him. The softness of the earthy ground, the now cool and damp air, and the still lingering scent of the exotic plants in the forest.

He eased his eyes open and saw a figure leaning over him. For a moment, Hiei became alarmed. The youkai had long white hair and strange marking adorning his face-none he had ever seen before. But his panic soon dissipated when he looked into the youkai's eyes. Yusuke's eyes. He blinked slowly and the latter moved away, reverting back to his former self as did so.

"Awake finally," he heard Yusuke mutter.

Recalling what had happened earlier, Hiei did his best to look at Yusuke in the eye. "What happened?" he asked hoarsely. He wondered how long he was out.

"You got hit by a poisoned needle. The youkai's dead so don't worry too much about that," replied Yusuke in a strangely detached tone.

Hiei studied him carefully and then looked down at his body. He was lying on a makeshift bed made up of large leaves and Yusuke's shirt had been placed on him as a blanket. The soft glow of the fire stood a few feet away from him. He tried lifting an arm and was surprised at the difficulty in such a simple movement. With some trouble he managed to sit up, all the while glaring at Yusuke, who looked ready to help him at any moment's glance.

"So how did you get the antidote?"

"Touya's flower works miracles."

The fiery youkai stared at Yusuke in amazement. "It's real then?" he asked.

Yusuke reached over behind him and pulled out a small flower. The blue petals and bright green pistils were there and it looked strangely fragile in Yusuke's hand. "I found it after some trouble. It lives in dark places and I wouldn't have even discovered it had I not fallen into a cave and come out with blue petals decorating my pants," he said with a small smile. Relief hit him like a tidal wave. He had been watching Hiei almost nonstop for five days and it was beginning to take a toll on him.

"Did you try it?"

"Yeah. It tastes like shit, though. You were complaining also despite being unconscious."

Yusuke chuckled briefly at the remembrance of Hiei nearly coughing up the entire drink he had made from the flower's nectar. The taste was horrible but it had aided in Hiei's recovering immensely. At first Yusuke was worried it hadn't worked when the youkai became worse, but after several hours, Hiei had calmed down enough to sleep peacefully. And from there on he only became better.

"Has it helped?"

"Well, I haven't had any memory lapses."

The dark-haired man folded his hands and rested his head on them, blocking Hiei's view of his face partially. Guilt wracked through him and Yusuke felt ready to burst into apologies. He had no idea what he would have done if Hiei had died. He never even wanted to imagine it. But that youkai had nearly succeeded in doing just that. Yusuke doubted the youkai even knew it was Hiei he had hit. It was fortunate that Yusuke did kill him. Had he lived, he would have had hell to pay with Mukuro and the rest of Hiei's men.

"Yusuke?" inquired the fiery youkai quietly.

The dark-haired man only buried his face deeper into his hands. "I'm sorry. Hiei, I'm so sorry," he whispered, his voice muffled but still audible.

"What for?" he asked, genuinely surprised and taken back by the taller man's words.

Yusuke looked at him weakly. "The youkai was after me. You got hit instead. It's my fault. If you weren't with me, you wouldn't have this kind of trouble. I know you already have enough to deal with," he said ruefully. "It would have been better if you just left me alone. People close to me tend to get hurt."

The last sentence was said with such a resounding bitterness that it surprised Hiei more than anything else. Once the rest of Yusuke's words sank in, though, he felt a snarl make its way to his face. "What do you mean, idiot? You think I don't face these kinds of things on my own? And regardless of what you say, I don't leave behind comrades in need of help," he said tightly, trying to mask his emotions.

Yusuke looked at him sadly. "Right, comrades," he repeated slowly, pain unmistakably evident in his tone.

"I don't leave friends behind," said Hiei suddenly.

It had erupted from nowhere, this sensitive side. He could see the pain in Yusuke's eyes and it hurt him as well. It was bizarre, though. He never acted this way with anyone else. Only with Yusuke did he feel the compelling need to be more expressive. The dark-haired man needed it. He was lost in a darkness and Hiei was determined to lead him out.

"Hiei…"

The shorter youkai looked at him and realized for the first time how pale the man was. His face was gaunt and it looked as if he hadn't slept in days. Hiei grew worried immediately but allowed himself to stay quiet about it until he found out more.

"How long have I been out?" he inquired casually.

"Five days," answered Yusuke as he succeeded in failing to suppress a yawn.

The smaller youkai narrowed his eyes. "Tired?" he asked offhandedly.

"Hey, you know how it is. Taking care of sick people is no small feat. I have a great respect for doctors and nurses now. Hell, I have a great respect for all moms and dads who take care of their kids now," replied Yusuke without missing a beat. He put on a happy expression, but Hiei could read straight through it. The man was exhausted. He looked about ready to collapse any moment.

Hiei closed his eyes for a moment, feeling the strength return to his body. He then stood up slowly from his spot much to Yusuke's chagrin and began walking towards him until he was standing right before the man. He then placed a hand under Yusuke's chin and lifted his face up to meet him in the eye.

"Sleep," he said in a low tone. Yusuke looked more horrible than he thought. Even in the firelight his face was pale and the shadows under his eyes gave him a dead appearance. He pursed his lips apprehensively.

"But…" began Yusuke before Hiei stopped him by roughly dropping his chin.

"Don't make me say it twice. Did you get any sleep while taking care of me?" he said coldly.

Yusuke frowned slightly. "I did," he insisted before holding in another yawn.

"You've watched over me long enough. How do you expect to defend yourself if you can barely stay awake?"

The words were said harshly and Yusuke at once fell to silence. He merely nodded and stood up slowly with a sigh. He then leaned his head back and looked at the full moon shining down on them. They were in a glade and the trees didn't block the sky as prominently here. He smiled at the silver sphere and then looked down at Hiei.

"Don't let the bed bugs bite," he said before shaking his head at the absurdity of his words.

Hiei raised an eyebrow at him but decided not to question the man any further.

"You know…"

Yusuke's words drifted off for a moment. His eyes turned hazy and he looked back at the moon silently. Hiei blinked once, unsure of what to make of the man's abrupt pause and hesitantly placed a hand on his arm.

"Yusuke?" he muttered worriedly.

The dark-haired man blinked and suddenly looked at Hiei with a smile. "Ah, sorry. Just sort of dazed off. I think I do need some sleep," he said apologetically as he quickly walked away from Hiei. He sat down on the ground beside a fallen log and pulled his legs up to his chest. "See you in the morning," he called out quietly before placing his head on top of knees tiredly. His eyes closed at once and even breathing was sounded in less than a minute.

Hiei watched him with mild concern. He never once recalled worrying this much over one person-save maybe Yukina. But this feeling was different. Yusuke was strong and impetuous; he wasn't supposed to be weak and sick. It didn't suit him at all. Even when severely injured, Yusuke always carried a hopeful smile with him. Now that light seemed to be gone from his eyes. He existed in the world the same way a ghost might-just drifting from place to place without a single care. Hiei wondered when this change took place. Perhaps Yusuke wasn't meant to live out a youkai's life. The pain of having to watch his mortal loved ones pass on could have put a strain on his own soul.

With a tired sigh, Hiei ventured back to his spot and lied down on the folded leaves. He looked once at Yusuke's shirt that lied before him and took it slowly, examining it carefully. Such a small gesture yet it warmed his heart greatly. Hiei had rarely experienced compassion from other people in his long life without them expecting something back. Yusuke, Kurama, Yukina, and Mukuro. They were the important people in his life now. But sometimes he forgot what it felt like to be cared over. He glanced at Yusuke and a small smile graced his features for a split second.

"Hiei?"

Surprised, the shorter youkai narrowed his eyes at Yusuke as the latter turned his head to face him. "What is it?" he asked brusquely. How Yusuke could always catch him off guard was a mystery he would never solve.

"Do you ever miss them? I mean I know you guys weren't that close but still… We did have some good times together."

Hiei naturally knew what Yusuke meant. He considered it for a few minutes. "That idiot might have been slow, but I do respect him as a human and as a fighter. As for the others, I don't really care. They were more yours and Kurama's friends than mine," he answered truthfully.

Yusuke snorted and raised his head to look at Hiei fully. "You would never have admitted that to Kuwabara if he was alive would you?" he asked with a smile.

"Why do you think I'm telling you that now?"

Laughing ensued and even Hiei couldn't help but smirk slightly.

"I wonder what they're doing," murmured Yusuke quietly as he looked at the starlit sky. "Are they having fun together? Annoying the hell out of Koenma? I wish I could see them."

"You could always call on Koenma and ask."

Yusuke arched an eyebrow at Hiei's suggestion. "What? And admit to him that I actually miss them? He and I made a bet a long time ago you know. It was to see whether or not I could refrain from calling him to see the others for five centuries. As you can see it's only been three so far. And if I do lose that bet now, I have to be his assistant for a week," he said with a groan. "A week with Koenma. It's worse than anything fate could hand over to me."

"So you believe in fate?"

Hiei repressed his smirk as Yusuke looked at him in surprise.

"I believe that all of us have some kind of destiny. Whether we get there or not, though, depends on us."

Yusuke's answer pleased Hiei, though he didn't show it. He merely grunted and threw a glare in Yusuke's direction. "Sleep now," he ordered.

"Aye, aye, captain."

The dark-haired man grinned once at Hiei before closing his eyes once again. A few minutes later, the sound of his soft breathing alerted Hiei of his resumed slumber. The fiery youkai rested against the ground and stared up at the sky dreamily. His body was still recuperating from having the poison in his system and weariness seeped in quickly. Hiei closed his eyes, intent on getting a full night's worth of sleep. Tomorrow they would have to pick up their pace. Though Yusuke had claimed not having any relapses, he did not want to take any chances. A gut instinct was telling him to be wary and Hiei had no intention of letting it go.

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TBC

My goodness! I certainly am sincerely apologetic to the delay. I didn't even realize that it had been over a month since I last updated. And I've been trying to keep up with that whole "one chapter a month deal." Time passes by too quickly. I wish it would slow down a little more. >.< But in any case, this chapter probably has the most hinting toward the building relationship between Hiei and Yusuke than all the others. Unfortunately, things will begin to slow down again. Why? Because a third member to the party will be making his reemergence in the next part! I think you all can figure out who it is. ^.~