(((Dedication: Dedicated to Alex and KJ—for being the best big brothers even if you're not my big brother.
Summary:
Yukina makes a wish on a star and doesn't realize when it comes true. Hiei reassesses his relationship with his sister. At some prodding from Kurama, will the truth finally emerge?
Disclaimer: I own nothing—not the characters, not the setting, not the rhyme... nothing.
Info: one-shot; third person point-of-view; brotherhood/sisterhood, friendship; Hiei and Yukina; nonromantic; follows with the story, but never actually happened
Author notes: It's just a simple, fluffy, basically useless brother-sister story (which are a dime a dozen).)))
Starlight, Starbright
By: Tjix
"Starlight, star bright, first star I see tonight..." Keiko lay back on the cool grass, gazing into the darkened sky. Botan was to her left, Yukina to her right. Shizuru was to Botan's left.
"...I wish I may, I wish I might..." Botan joined her.
"...have the wish I wish tonight." Shizuru completed with them.
The three girls squeezed their eyes shut and made their wishes. Yukina turned her head to watch them curiously, aqua hair falling across her garnet eyes. "What are you doing?" she asked in her high, sweet voice.
"Making a wish." Keiko tilted her head to rest her cheek on the grass and look at her friend. "Haven't you ever wished on a star?"
"Wished on a star?" Yukina echoed, confused. "No..."
Rolling on her side, Botan propped her head on her hand and stared down at Yukina. "Never?"
"Never."
"Never-ever?"
"Never."
"Never-ever-ever?"
"Never."
"Never-ever-ever-ev..."
"NEVER, BOTAN, GET THAT THROUGH YOUR SKULL!" Shizuru yelled. Sitting up and looking at the bemused Yukina, she explained the concept of wishing on a star.
"And will the wish come true?" Yukina asked hopefully.
Keiko shrugged. "No one's really sure. It can't hurt to try, though."
Yukina closed her eyes and wondered what to wish. Finally she settled on what she wanted and concentrated on it fully, her lips moving silently as she repeated her wish over and over to herself.
Her thoughts were interrupted by a familiar husky voice. "Go inside. All of you. It's dangerous outside after dark—even in the Ningenkai."
"What do you want us to do, stay inside all night?" Botan complained, twisting to look at the black-clad Hiei.
"Hn. Do I look like I care what you do? But if you get kidnapped, I'll have to waste my time fetching you and bringing you back. Now go inside, onna. Or would you prefer that I carried you over my shoulder?" His narrowed eyes said that he would do just that.
As Botan was opening her mouth to reply, Yukina gently cut her off. "Of course, we will go inside, Hiei-sama. Thank you for your concern." She smiled at him and rose gracefully.
The next morning, all the temporary residents of Genkai's temple were outside on the grass, watching the clouds. Keiko turned to look at the other girls. "So, did any of your wishes come true?"
"Yep," Shizuru said proudly. "I wished Kazuma would shut up for a while. Well, guess what? He put some movie on last night and didn't talk for two and a half hours while he watched it."
"Hey!" Kuwabara yelled. "Wait—I did that because you made a wish on some stupid star?"
"Bingo!" Botan said, nodding happily. "I wished that work would slow down a little. And it did—just a little, but, hey, it's something." She looked at Keiko. "What about you?"
Keiko blushed deeply. "Mine's kind of long-term," she mumbled, then looked hurriedly at Yukina. "What was yours, Yukina? Did it come true?"
Yukina sighed and shook her head. "I'm afraid not," she said, sounding slightly disappointed. "It was too much to hope for, I think. Where your wishes were small, mine was quite significant. It was also demanding and impatient and I suppose it serves me right."
"What was it?" Yusuke asked.
"I wished to see my brother, right then, at that moment."
Hiei paled and stiffened. Kurama inconspicuously touched his back to calm him, wondering at his sudden tenseness.
'I spoke to her,' Hiei told Kurama softly through telepathy. 'Just as they were making wishes, I spoke to her. She looked at me. What if she suspects?'
Kurama chuckled. 'I suppose wishes do come true, after all.'
"I begin to wonder," Yukina continued, "if he was there, and I just didn't know. If, perhaps, he was watching from the trees. But if he knows I'm here, why does he not approach?"
Yusuke glanced sidelong at Hiei. "Yeah. Why doesn't he?"
Hiei glared at him. "I'm sure he has his reasons," he growled, a dangerous glint in his eyes.
Yusuke smiled. "Yeah. I guess so." He stretched out on the grass. "I'm sure he'll find you someday, Yukina."
Yukina looked up at the endless summer-blue sky. "I hope so," she said softly. Please, let it be so.
Kurama squeezed Hiei's arm meaningfully. Hiei gave the slightest shake of his head. 'Never.'
'Never say never, Hiei. Wishes come true, and there's a beautiful little girl right here wishing with all of her heart for something that you can give her with just a few words.'
'It's not that easy!'
'Isn't it?'
'I wish it was!'
Kurama smiled discreetly. 'Maybe you should try that one on a star.'
'...maybe I will.' Hiei looked away. 'Maybe I will.'