Title: Alive
Summary: Because It Was The One Thing To Make Him Feel Whole...
Slight Kurama/Hiei. Hiei POV
"You're such an idiot..." I opened my eyes slowly, watching Kurama's pale hands smear some foul green salve along both my arms. They looked like raw meat, red and black with black with fresh burns; the smell was nauseating. It felt worse. I winced, pulling away and failed to make a fist, "I'm fine," I hissed, baring my teeth.
"As you say," he held his hands up, leaning against a tree and watching me with a calm expression. I felt exhausted, my arms throbbing from the shoulders down. They would itch tomorrow when the scabs began to form.
"Why do you do it?" he asked. I sneered, ready for a lecture, an argument; fine, bring it on, anything to let the rage out. He cocked his head calmly. Arrogant bastard. A long time ago, he'd asked me about my past, and I had brushed him aside. He didn't need to know. Hell, he still doesn't. I felt high from the adreniline.
"Do you know what it's like," I said quietly, feeling my ki crawling beneath my skin, a snake ready to strike, "To have everyone look at you with fear, and hatred?"
Of course he didn't. Admired, feared, beautiful Yoko Kurama...bastard. He blinked slowly, golden eyes narrow, tense and ready to flee. Thieves are all alike.
"Sonetimes," I muttered, looking at the bloody wounds, "this is all I can do. All the emotions I ignore bubble up..but this rage, destruction...it's the only one that makes sense to me. I deserve to be alive," I raised my voice, unable to control it, gnashing my teeth, "I will NOT be weak, not like them...and not like you."
None of them fight for themselves, to their full extent. It was sickening. Why live without strength?
"So," he sighed, handing me an opium leaf which I gladly crushed in my teeth, "You hurt yourself to prove your worth?"
"They were so afraid of me," I whispered, laughed, "I will give them something to be afraid of...!" Those frigid women, all those bastard who ran away from me when I was a child.. "They will know fear."
He nodded, red hair flooding my vision as he took me into his arms, "You don't have to prove it anymore," he whispered, "You are strong enough, my son...my Hiei..."
Oh Kurama. Dear Kurama, who never knew what it was to be unwanted, ugly, forbidden...no one ever called him disgusting. "You have proved yourself," he whispered. My eyelids grew heavy from the strain, the medication.
"I am alive, Kurama," i whispered, half into forced sleep, " I want them to know that...even through it all..."
I am alive.
So...in this fic I've touched on Kurama being more of a father figure. I write them as a couple often enough, but I feel like Yoko would be WAY older than Hiei, and thus, somewhat of a mentor. I may explore this in later fics. Review?