Disclaimer: Akimi (Andy) does not own Yu Yu Hakusho or the characters that appear in this fic.
Another one-shot by yours truly. Read and review, feedback is the difference between writing and posting.
-- If I Close My Eyes --
I watch him.
He's magnificent, that hair streaming back in the wind that his own power creates, eyes flashing with pure mischeif as he swings his weapon, the Whip, across the offender's body, cutting deep lines that won't heal soon - or at all.
He's always magnificent.
As I watch him I lose track of my own opponent; his sword slashes across my arm and I hiss in response, whirling to attack without thinking. His head drops with a dull thud to the floor.
It's not the first time he's distracted me.
He is magnificent.
He steps away from the carnage and the whip reverts to a rose as he holds it under his nose, eyes staring at me. Those green eyes that flash in delight when he gets to stretch his limbs, have a bit of fun with random miscreants.
"Hiei, you're injured." I glance at my arm. That sword sliced deeper than I thought; a steady line of blood is dripping down my cloak to pool near my feet.
"Hn. It's nothing." I shrug and turn back to Kurama. He narrows his eyes at me and it's more than a subtle reminder, it's him, his eyes, his eyes, his eyes that glitter with gentle annoyance as he speaks.
"Hiei, we've been over this. Blood loss is bad."
"It's nothing," I insist, flinging blood from my blade and sheathing it carefully, without thought, too many years of practice, too many bloodstains already there.
"I'm calling Botan."
"Baka kitsune," I hiss, standing near the wall as he pulls out that cursed communicator. "I'm fine." I will it, not for the first time, to go back to just us, rampaging around Makai, being criminals instead of catching them. Not that I want to go to prison, as though it could hold me. I just get tired of all of them being around all the time. Kurama is my partner, not Yuusuke, not the Oaf. Heavens forbid. The silence - the knowledge that the other knows exactly what you want and why - gone. The moments of understanding where both spring into action at the same moment - banished. The simple comradery that we used to share without worrying if the others were going to die - vanished. Withdrawing a bitter snarl, I wonder why I can never just be with Kurama anymore, why I have to be doing something with Kurama. I close my eyes tightly as the world swims around me. Hn. I must have extended my energy more than I thought. No matter; a moment of rest and I'll be fine.
"Hiei?" Shut up, kitsune, I'm fine. "Hiei." Dammit, fox, I mean it! "Hiei!" Someone's grabbed me by the shoulders and I'm moving earthwards, the world is moving too much, sit still, damn you, why is Kurama's voice so faint, why can't I hear properly, what's wrong with my sight, is this death?
No, no, no, it can't be death, I won't die leaning against a wall, my body will be incenerated by rouge demons, not blood loss, I can't die without Kurama, I won't be alone afterwards, I won't, I just won't, the world is blacker, the world is smaller, why is everything shrinking, swirling, moving closer in than it should......
Maybe, if my eyes close, Kurama won't see my need.
My need for him.
Baka kitsune.