Disclaimer: Yu Yu Hakusho belongs to Yoshihiro Togashi, Shonen Jump, FUNimation, etc. However, I do own the idea for this story. Plagiarism will not be tolerated.

Warning(s): If you didn't bother reading the summary, you might not know that this will contain mild yaoi. Yuusuke/Hiei Also, there will probably be OOC-ness... Gomen ne!

This is dedicated to Rujutoshi for her birthday, February 12th. n.n

Well, here we are at my second yaoi one-shot. It seems like such a long time since I wrote the last one... It probably isn't.

Anyway, I hope everyone likes this. If you don't, that's just fine. You probably have good reason to. Unless it's the fact that you hate yaoi. If that's the case, why are you reading this in the first place? Also, I'm not going to use the excuse that I'm fever-induced while writing this to make up for anything pathetic in here.

I'll be quiet now. Please, enjoy this!

A Meeting With Death

-

"Okay... So, tell me again why we're the only ones on this mission."

A growl of annoyance escaped the hiyoukai, as this was the fourth time that the detective beside him had asked that. "...Kurama's still injured from our last case, and the idiot wouldn't be able to stand up to this opponent's attacks, as he's a ningen."

Yuusuke frowned slightly. "I'm human..."

"Hn. You're a hanyou, baka." Hiei replied, his crimson eyes constantly flicking around them, as they were approaching their destination. "You have demon blood, whether you'll admit it or not... Personally, though, I wish that the fox had come, because then I wouldn't have to put up with only you..."

Yuusuke snorted before ruffling the Jaganshi's ebony hair playfully. "Aw, c'mon. You know you love me..."

Hiei wasted no time in glaring at the detective half-heartedly. "...Hn."

A soft sigh came from Yuusuke as he made to respond to the action, but was cut off as Hiei grabbed his arm, stopping him. "Hey, what...?"

"We're here." the youkai murmured, though the hanyou stared at him in confusion.

"What do you mean, 'we're here'? We're still in the middle of the freakin' forest!" he exclaimed, jerking his hand from Hiei's grasp.

The hiyoukai growled again, revealing that his Jagan was glowing brightly as he turned to look up at Yuusuke. "Baka. It's an illusion created by sound... Hn."

Yuusuke bit his lip uncertainly. "And our 'prey' did that, right?"

"...Yes." Hiei murmured, his eyes narrowing at the barrier.

"Well, Pacifier Breath failed to mention that it would have that power... Great." Yuusuke muttered. "And how're we supposed to get through it?"

The hanyou was surprised to see a smirk appear on Hiei's visage. "You obviously underestimate the power of the Jagan."

-

Around an hour later, the two were dashing down a large corridor in the deep underground labyrinth that had appeared after Hiei had removed the illusion; they were currently heading towards the main chamber. According to the youki signals coming out of it, this was the demon's lair.

Yuusuke looked at Hiei questioningly as they came to the large stone door. The Jaganshi had hesitated a few feet from it, suddenly wincing. "Hiei?"

The demon shook his head as if trying to clear it before catching up with Yuusuke. "It's nothing."

The detective frowned skeptically, but shrugged the matter off as he turned to face the entrance. "So, do we just waltz in there or can I blast it down with my Reigun?"

Hiei rolled his eyes in annoyance before shoving the doors open, Yuusuke right behind him. However, the two were immediately bombarded with an ultrasonic whistling noise that they wouldn't have been able to detect without their demon hearing. To the half-youkai, it was no more than a dull shrill. To Hiei, it was a deafening shriek, which caused him to let out a soft gasp of pain.

Yuusuke gazed at him in concern. "'You okay?"

"Hn... L-Let's just get this over with, Yuusuke..." the Jaganshi muttered, shaking his head again.

The two continued farther into the room, the high-pitched screech growing louder with every step. At one point, Hiei began to sway dangerously, obviously on the verge of collapsing.

The detective halted, gripping his friend's arm as he began to fall forward. "Hiei, stop. We're not going to be able to do anything to kill the demon if you're acting like this..."

The only response he got was a string of incoherent murmuring. Upon looking closer, Yuusuke noticed a thin line of blood trickling out of one of the hiyoukai's ears.

Yuusuke's eyes widened at the sight of the crimson. If the pitch was so high already, and on the verge of rupturing the Jaganshi's eardrum, then they wouldn't be able to go any farther. The hanyou was about to suggest turning back when his companion cut him off.

Hiei had shifted slightly to cling to him, though he was unable to hide the fact that he was shaking; it was obvious that he would have collapsed long ago if it weren't for Yuusuke's presence. As he spoke, his voice came out barely above a whisper. "Y... Yuusuke... I... It hurts... M-Make it stop..."

The former ningen looked at his lover in sympathy, for the first time thankful that he didn't have the full-demon's enhanced hearing ability. However, he straightened up and glanced around, trying to determine where the source of the sound was. A small smirk appeared on his visage as he saw a figure hidden in the shadows, on the other side of the terribly long hall.

'There...'

-

Several minutes and one Reigun later, the two were racing down towards the end of the chamber. The whistling noise had ceased abruptly after Yuusuke had hit the demon responsible for it. Though it had taken Hiei a few moments to recover, they were closing in on the seemingly-unconscious youkai in a matter of three minutes.

Yet as they approached the demon, they didn't expect for it to leap up and screech at them, the sound throwing them away. Yuusuke collided with the stone wall, Hiei being flung into him. The two fell to the ground, the detective taking most of the impact.

Hiei quickly scrambled off of his mate, drawing his katana upon reflex. Yuusuke got up after him, his Reigun prepared once more.

Out of the corner of his mouth, he questioned Hiei. "Didn't Pacifier Breath say that it was a water demon!"

It was apparent that the youkai could hear him, as he interrupted the Jaganshi's response with a loud cackle that reverberated around the room. "You think that I am Lord Dosu? Do not make me laugh! I am merely his assistant, Gouon. He finds the Reikai Tantei unworthy of his time, and has told me to take care of you instead... I'm sure that this will not take too long, seeing as you, little one, could barely stand a simple attack."

Hiei snarled at their opponent, clearly infuriated with the insults. He made a move to charge at Gouon, but Yuusuke held him back, looking equally angry.

The enemy demon found this quite amusing. "Oh, so you're going to stop him from recklessly attacking me? Why bother? I'll only kill him anyway... His strength is so abysmal; it will take little effort to slaughter him..."

Before the detective could react, Hiei had broken his grip and lunged at Gouon, all three eyes shining with rage. However, before his katana could connect with the youkai's flesh, Gouon let out a piercing shriek. The sound waves it generated obviously threw Hiei away, though the frequency was so high that he cried out again.

Yuusuke ran over to him, biting his lip in worry. Yet before he could say anything, the hiyoukai had forced himself to his feet once more, and ran at the sound demon. He was knocked back once again. This sequence repeated itself several times, each time Hiei slowing down steadily, and with the enemy's attacks creating more damage.

After it got to a point where Hiei was struggling to regain his footing, Yuusuke tried firing his Reigun. But when it looked like it was going to hit Gouon, it changed direction in mid-air and was thrown towards the two Tantei.

Yuusuke pulled Hiei out of the way just in time, his eyes narrowed in anger and surprise as Gouon laughed. "Your attacks are meaningless. Do you not understand the fundamental nature of sound!"

The detective paused in thought before replying. "...Vibrations...?"

"Exactly. The things you hear are actually those vibrations displacing the air, which then hits your eardrum." Gouon replied, his tone portraying that he was bored with having to explain this. "As a transverse wave, sound requires a medium, which is the air..."

Yuusuke's eyes widened with dread, his fears confirmed with Gouon's next words. "...Therefore, any attack you send my way can be easily deflected by a mere shout from me, if not even a single syllable..."

Beside him, Hiei growled deeply, his fangs bared in a snarl. Their opponent took no notice of it as he continued. "The eardrum is such a fragile thing... It's sad that even us demons have to have a weakness such as them. A human eardrum, or a tympanic membrane, ruptures when exposed to sound levels that exceed one-hundred fifty phones. Also, if the frequency is great enough to disturb the liquid within the semi-circular canals hidden deep within the inner ear, it will upset your equilibrium as well and make it impossible for you to keep your balance."

Gouon's steel-grey eyes flicked over to Hiei. "But you already know that, don't you, little one?"

Yuusuke grabbed the back of the Jaganshi's cloak to keep him from lunging at the demon. It was a terribly difficult task, as Hiei seemed positively rabidNeedless to say, the hanyou was rather unnerved by his lover's disposition.

However, as Gouon continued to cackle obnoxiously, Yuusuke found it impossible to keep a hold of the hiyoukai. Hiei soon tore out of his grip and raced at the sound demon once more, his strength seemingly renewed by his rage. Yet as his mate drew closer to the enemy, a glint of light reflected in Yuusuke's eyes.

'Oh, Kami... He's... got a knife...!'

"Hiei, don't! Get away from him!" the detective exclaimed, his stomach plummeting as the fire demon took no heed of his 'warning'.

It happened in a split-second. Hiei had reached the youkai, only to freeze as there was a flash of light from the dagger. The blade sailed through the air while the hiyoukai hurried to make an awkward dodge. However, his attempts proved useless as the knife slashed at his face...

...aimed at his forehead...

...and sank into the Jagan.

A shout of horror escaped Yuusuke as a shriek erupted from Hiei. The half-Koorime crumpled to the ground, the blade still in his Third Eye. Yuusuke could see black blood streaming down his face, dripping onto the stone floor as well.

Without thinking, the hanyou dashed to Hiei's side, his eyes wide in panic. Surprisingly, Gouon made no move to attack him, having once again returned to his maniacal laughter.

As he tried to ignore the cackling coming from their opponent, Yuusuke pulled the Jaganshi into his arms, the dark blood running onto him as well. Hurriedly, the detective ripped a large piece of his shirt off with which he used to replace Hiei's old bandanna. The white fabric was soon stained a deep black.

Gouon chuckled loudly, obviously amused with the half-demon's attempts. "It is no use. My Lord Dosu has told me that destroying someone's Jagan gives them a slow, painful death... It's almost as agonizing to watch as it is to experience it..."

Yuusuke's heart skipped a beat, his eyes filled with nothing but terror. He rounded on the sound youkai, but found that he had vanished.

'No... He was lying. Hiei won't die... He can't...!'

But his thoughts were nothing more than empty hopes. Hiei was dying... Yuusuke could feel his life-force draining from the ruined Jagan, his youki having already been depleted.

The hiyoukai was trembling violently, a look of pure anguish on his visage. He clutched Yuusuke tightly, almost as if he would die as soon as he let go...

The detective pulled him closer, his eyes unknowingly brimming with tears. He wanted to cry... But he couldn't. That would only show Hiei that he was giving up on him... Instead, he pulled the half-Koorime closer, whispering to him softly. "Don't leave me, Hiei... Please... I need you..."

A soft moan escaped the Jaganshi, though he replied as best he could. "...I'll... try..."

-

Darkness and shadows... Not a glimmer of light...

Hiei opened his eyes to see black. Everything was black... It was an abyss. He frowned and stood, trying to ignore the agonizing pain in his forehead. His crimson eyes traveled over the void, trying to determine where exactly he was.

'Shouldn't I be dead...?'The thought crossed his mind, only confusing him even more. He could feel the warm blood cascading down his face and into his eyes and mouth. He spat it out quickly, finding the bitter taste extremely unpleasant. As it was, the blood from the Jagan was different than that of normal eyes, and of most other beings as well... His own true blood was a luscious garnet color, much richer than a human's...

Hiei shook his head, pushing that matter to the back of his mind. He had to find out where he was, and whyhe was still alive... That is, if he wasstill alive.

Hesitantly, the hiyoukai took a few steps, noting that his footfalls were dull and didn't echo, unlike the other abyss he had been in once before. ( If you could call that hideous creature's insides an abyss... )

He proceeded to travel through the shadows, which seemed to become steadily darker as he continued. Eventually, he thought he caught signs of a type of white fog covering some of the grounds, though it darted away whenever he drew close. Hiei didn't think too much of it, as he had seen much more peculiar things in the Makai.

Unconsciously, the half-Koorime began to follow the translucent smoke, his mind falling into a daze-like state. He paid no attention to where he was going for what seemed to him like hours, though he came to once he heard another sound in the void besides his muffled footsteps and ragged breathing.

A soft sobbing was cutting through the partial silence coupled by a pleading voice. The crying one soon interrupted the person who was begging, her words tearing a wail of misery from the owner. Hiei thought he saw a small flash of light up ahead, and decided to go to it. After all, it seemed that was where the fog was leading him...

The hiyoukai's steps slowed as he saw the kneeling figure of a woman. Her shoulders were shaking, making it obvious that she was the one crying. Upon hearing Hiei's labored breaths, her head snapped up, revealing watery blue eyes and short black hair. She wore a black dress as well, and it was apparent that she used a large amount of makeup, though most of it was running due to her tears.

As Hiei gazed at her with a look of disinterest, finding the situation rather awkward, the woman pushed herself to her feet, showing that she was tall and gangly, which only added to the unsettling nature she gave off. She glanced over him, only to let out another sob as she saw the fatal wound in his Third Eye.

"Another destroyed Jagan! This is the third time this year...!" she moaned, more tears spilling down her cheeks. "And I suppose you want to beg for your life too, right!"

Hiei frowned, looking at her in confusion, which caused her to snap at him. "I'm Death, fool! I'm the one that everyone's afraid of! You all curse me, plead for me to stay away from you and those you love!"

The demon paused before speaking, his tone full of disbelief. "You're Death?" However, he immediately regretted his words, as it only caused the woman to screech again, hurting his already damaged ears.

"See! I don't even look the part! I'm too ugly! I'm supposed to be terrifying in appearance, but I can't even do that..." she whined before turning her attention back to him. "Well, just hurry up and start begging so that I can take you to the Underworld."

Hiei slowly registered what she said, his eyes widening slightly afterwards. "...So, I'm dead?"

Death let out an exasperated sigh before pulling out a small black book, which reminded the half-Koorime fleetingly of Botan. "Of course you are! Why else would you be here? See, look: 'Jaganshi Hiei, the twenty-seventh of June, stabbed in his Third Eye.' This is where you die!"

Hiei found himself taking a step away from her, shaking his head. "...I'm not going with you, onna...!" He backed up even farther. 'Not now, not when I've finally found someone... She won't take Yuusuke from me...!'

Death glanced at Hiei, seemingly bored, and flicked her wrist at him. Instantly, the pain in his Jagan intensified ten-fold, the agony created causing him to collapse to his knees while his hands flew to clutch the wound. The blood flow had increased, and was soon pouring down his arms as well.

"Please don't fight me... For once, I just want someone to not struggle, and to come willingly..." Death exclaimed, watching as he took several uneven breaths.

Hiei gritted his teeth together before speaking. "Y... You won't win, onna... I'm not leaving him!"

The woman paused. "By 'him', you mean your lover, the hanyou Urameshi Yuusuke? You needn't worry about leaving him... He'll be joining us through suicide in an hour, if not less."

Hiei's eyes widened once again, though this time a few glimpses of horror could be seen with in the normally blank crimson orbs. 'No... H-He's going to kill himself... because I died... No, no, Yuusuke...'

"Y-You can't take me... You can't..." the hiyoukai muttered, ignoring the fact that his voice was shaking, along with the rest of his body. "I won't come with you!"

Death seemed to hesitate for a moment before she sighed and straightened up. "...You've got... spunk. Maybe I'll let you live this time... You've been cheating me for far too long. You were originally supposed to plummet to your end when thrown from the Koorime Isle."

As she spoke, Hiei felt the pain generated from his Jagan subside, and after a few moments he was able to push himself back to his feet. While he did this, Death continued.

"However... You're not getting away so easily... I think taking away a century from your lifespan would suffice." she said. Hiei growled softly and made to say something, but he was interrupted once again.

"Hey, I wouldn't complain. With the path you've chosen, you're already going to live to be well over a thousand years old..."

-

Yuusuke rubbed his eyes vigorously, his crying having gotten to a point where the tears stung. Hiei had long since fallen into a coma-like state, the rising and falling of his chest barely detectable. The detective had remained in the exact same spot with him, in the center of the labyrinth's hall. Despite the fact that the black blood had all but covered him by now, Yuusuke continued to keep the Jaganshi in his arms.

Just as a fresh round of tears threatened to spill, a soft moan came from Hiei. The hanyou looked down at him in surprise, watching as the familiar crimson orbs fluttered open.

"H-Hiei...?" Yuusuke murmured softly, unsure whether this was happened or not. For all he knew, this could just be another day-dream of his...

However, those thoughts were dispelled as Hiei reached up a bandaged hand to the detective's cheek, which he began to stroke gently. Yuusuke covered it with his own hand, smiling gently at his koi.

"Welcome back... How was Hell?"

Ending Notes: o.o; Oh my God, that sucked. I hated everything after Hiei "died". I'm really sorry for how stupid the ending was, but... This just got so annoying that I had to finish it somehow. So... yeah.