So… this is something I've been working on for a while. I wanted to portray Hiei the way he was at the end of the series.
Hiei's head snapped up as a human woman ran past the tree he had stationed himself in.
Reaching out with the Jagan, he quickly warned Kurama to get the woman out of the way.
A second later Kurama rounded a corner about thirty yards away from his post. Bumping into the woman, he managed to distract her long enough to serendipitously send her in the opposite direction.
Until she stopped and looked up at him in his tree, before pointedly continuing in her previous direction, like she was purposefully being defiant.
He cursed and reached out to Kurama once more.
Not a second later, Kurama emerged from his post.
"Miss, you do not want to go that way."
Her face screwed up and she stared Kurama down, hands on hips, arms akimbo. "Says fuckin' who?"
Kurama held his hands in front of him, trying to calm her before the situation got any worse. "Miss, I'm trying not to be rude, but we are in the process of filming a new movie. You can understand, how the director would not want to be interrupted."
She scoffed, tossing her head, her dark ponytail flipping out in a wild tangle behind her. "You think I'm stupid, pretty boy? Really? You're filming, that's your excuse? Please, I can feel it just as well as you can. And it sure don't feel like a bunch humans filming." She crossed her arms over her chest, eyeing him speculatively. "Not that you feel particularly human, either."
Kurama started. "I have no idea what you are talking about, Miss."
"Oh please." She rolled her eyes. "Look I have no desire to get involved in whatever is brewing in that clearing, I'm non-combative. I just want to run the path I run every morning."
"It's not... I don't know what-"
She huffed. "Look I'm sure the Human, the Half-Demon, Demon in the tree and whatever the hell you are were sent here by Koenma to run some errand or another. I'm also sure its a need-to-know kinda thing. I don't need or want to know, I just want to go for a run. So move aside, pretty boy." With that she brushed past him and started running.
"No Miss!"
She flicked him off.
"Impressive Kurama. You let her go." Hiei mused dryly, landing next to Kurama who was still standing in the middle of the path.
"She knows...far too much."
Hiei sighed dramatically. "Yes, I know, I will go get her."
"Go away, demon." She rounded a curve in the track and made to evade him as he dropped in front of her.
The woman was no taller than he was, lean, with fine, almost fragile bone structure and long, unruly dark hair. As she passed him, he noticed a small, black tattoo on her left shoulder, only visible because of the cut of her shirt. A single word: Oshieru. To Teach.
She would be hardly worth the effort. "It would behoove you to turn around and go back the way you came."
She chuckled and turned over her shoulder, a small stud in her nose catching the light and winking at him. "Yeah sure, sure. I'll go back the way I came after I finish the loop."
Hiei gritted his teeth and growled. "Woman! I'm warning you, turn back."
She turned and faced him, jogging in place. "What are you going to do, Fire Demon? We are both aware of the laws of the Demon World."
Hiei disappeared and reappeared in front of her, she didn't even flinch. "That only counts if they can find your body."
She laughed outright and stopped jogging in place. "Good one." Then she turned and continued on.
"Well, I'm impressed, Hiei-"
"Shut up, Kurama."
"A woman in the park?" Botan's brow drew down over her eyes.
Kurama nodded. "She was quite knowledgeable about Koenma."
"What did she look like? She might be an old ally."
Kurama mused. "She was older than Yusuke, late twenties. Small, short with dark hair and eyes. Nothing particularly notable about her appearance."
"Well did she say anything about herself, anything that would help identify her?"
Kurama shrugged. "The only truly unusual thing she said was that she was 'non-combative'."
Botan's eyes widened. "Hashimoto Kohaku."
"Kohaku? Who is she then?" Yusuke sat forward in his chair impatiently.
"Kohaku is a psychic, one of the more powerful ones in this area." Botan shrugged. "I had thought that she was still in the mountains. She doesn't much like the city. It's too hectic for her."
Kurama sat forward. "Is she someone we should be worried about?"
Botan shook her head. "No. Koenma once considered offering her the Spirit Detective position, well before your time, Yusuke."
"Why didn't Pacifier Breath offer it to her?"
"Her strengths lie in her ability to gather information and to track the movements of an enemy. Lord Koenma still keeps her as a consultant as far as I am aware. But she is not... She has limitations."
"What does that mean?" Hiei drawled from his corner seat.
"It's not my story to tell."
He could hear her through the heavy wood of her apartment door. "Well Tree Demon... We meet again." She opened the door and stood blocking the open doorway. "I'd say it's a pleasure but I don't like to lie to telepaths."
Hiei grunted. "You're Hashimoto Kohaku, a psychic in Koenma's employ."
She sighed and closed the door to her flat. "You're Hiei, a Jaganshi and Mukuro's heir. You sometimes work for Koenma." She smirked. "What do you want? A cookie? A pat on the back? Heaven forbid, a hug?"
Hiei glared at her. "Your sarcasm isn't attractive, bitch."
"Neither is your stoicism, dick." She shrugged. "What do you want?"
"The ferry woman said you had limitations that make you non-combative. What are they?"
"None of your business."
Hiei smirked nastily. "I can find out if I want to."
She snorted. "Doubt it."
"Don't underestimate me."
She smiled. "Ditto. I'm clairvoyant and telepathic. I have the secrets of some very powerful people and demons floating around in my head. If you think for a second that the first thing my sensei taught me wasn't how to block people and demons out of my head, then you are sorely mistaken."
Hiei studied her briefly and opened his Jagan under his bandana. He probed her mind gently at first and the with more and more intensity. When he was ultimately unsuccessful, he pulled back and closed his Jagan.
"Told you you shouldn't underestimate me."
Hiei huffed.
"Any more questions? My shows are coming on."
Hiei gritted his teeth and stepped closer, going nose to nose with the almost comically small woman. "There are other ways to obtain the information I want."
"Torture?" She face was carefully impassive and Hiei could just barely sense the temper sizzling under the practiced reserve. "What kind did you have in mind? Physical? Mental? Spiritual? Rape?" She smiled nastily. "Been there, done that, came back with the shirt. What can you do to me that hasn't already been done?"
Hiei pulled back. "Don't call my bluff, woman, you won't like what you get."
"Don't bluff and I won't call it."
Hiei turned to leave and stopped as her voice rang out.
"The question remains: why do you care why I don't fight? What does it matter to you?"
Hiei grunted and leapt away.
"Hiei."
Hiei turned nonchalantly towards Koenma. "Hm?"
"I called you here to give you an assignment."
"I'm aware."
Koenma huffed. "Then please pay attention."
Hiei snorted. "What do you want?"
"I need you to find Hashimoto Kohaku. She's indicated that she has some info for us but she's no longer in the city and she's blocked herself from our other psychics. We-"
"Why would she do that?"
Koenma shrugged. "She might have something big, she has to bring up all the defenses to keep it safe. We need you to use the Jagan to find her."
Hiei nodded and Koenma turned away.
"What happened to her?"
Koenma arched an eyebrow. "What?"
Hiei shrugged. "I'm merely... curious... What happened to keep her out of combat?"
Koenma leaned back in his chair. "Many things have happened to her. She hasn't had it easy."
"Meaning?"
"Meaning I won't betray her confidence." Koenma leaned back over his paperwork.
Hiei approached the waterfall quietly, watching her. She was levitating above the top of the waterfall, her legs folded under her and her face screwed up in concentration.
As he approached, she opened her eyes. "Dick."
"Koenma sent me."
She nodded and levitated toward the bank of the river. She touched the rocky bank lightly and stooped to pick up a towel. Wiping her face and hands, she approached him.
She wasn't dressed as he expected. No gi, no robe, no martial arts slippers. Just a baggy t-shirt and cloth shorts. A pair of ordinary human tennis shoes were placed neatly next to a rock, one holding her cell phone and a set of keys.
She threw the towel to the side and met his eyes, her own eyes clouded and tired. "I'll have to show you. What I have is best left unspoken."
Hiei nodded and watched her as she hesitated.
"I'm about to let you in my mind, Demon. I need your word you won't go digging around in there. No pushing for unrelated information. Just what I'm about to show you."
Hiei nodded and she pinned him with a hard stare.
"I need your word."
He glared at her. "I have given it to you. You don't need to ask for it again."
She nodded and stepped closer to him. He batted away the hand she reached out and she smiled. "Projection is difficult for me. This is the only way this will work." She reached out again, her thumb landing on his temple, fine-boned fingers landing behind his ear. "Promise I won't hurt you."
He snorted and closed his eyes.
Her mind was calm, as if she was still meditating, a sign of a practiced psychic. She filtered through a few recent memories and brought one to the forefront of her mind.
A tavern somewhere in the Makai...
The Forest of Fools? No. Deeper in...
She couldn't pinpoint the location.
Four demons sat hunched over a table, flagons of Orge Piss in front of them.
"Lord Mukuro." One offered.
"Your misogyny aside. No. Lord Mukuro is not the weakest link. Even if she wasn't capable of destroying us all by herself, which she is, the Jaganshi is her second. He wields the Dragon. No Mukuro isn't the weakest. I would say Yusuke." A second demon took a deep drawl on a cigarette.
"Yeah, that makes total sense." A third demon snorted. "Let's take on the half-breed swine that has taken out numerous incredibly strong demons. That sounds like fun."
"He's right. Yusuke is rarely in the Makai. His kingdom is vulnerable. On top of that if we can get to his bitch, we can get him to do anything we want."
"That was two weeks ago."
Deeper in the Makai...
Third, fourth rung... Maybe...
"Four months. That's what I need."
The original four demons were standing in front of a fifth demon and his henchmen. Class-A? No not quite that strong...
"Four months?" The leader of the original four snorted. "What the hell for?"
"It takes time to pull someone up from the pits of the Makai." The demon, a humanoid, lacking the horns and spikes of the original four, chuckled. "It will also take substantial financial investment."
"How substantial?"
"A billion or two should do it."
"And where the hell do you think we're going to get that kinda money?"
The demon shrugged. "You want to overthrow King Enki and the Three Lords, don't you? Huan-Zhao is the way you do it."
"You're sure he could do it, then?"
The demon smiled nastily. "He could overthrow Enma if he wanted to."
"That was five days ago." Her hand started shaking against his face. "This is what I got yesterday."
Fear
Blood
TERROR
CHAOS
A dark place deep within the Makai. A place where no one had gone in millennia. A place of punishment and torture and bondage.
A voice echoes in the darkness, an embodiment of evil and sadism and malicious desire.
"I'm coming for you, little bird. The restraints are weakening day by day. I can feel you, pretty little human girl. You're looking for me and you will find me. I will find you. I'M COMING FOR YOU!"
The pitch of the voice increased with the volume until she could barely stand being inside her own head.
TERROR
CHAOS
PAIN
DEATH
RUN, RUN, RUN!
She broke the connection, her hands shaking violently. "I tried finding them today but I can't. I think they've gone too far in. I won't be able to see them without amplification."
"He's coming for you. That is clear and you want to go look for him?"
She shrugged, blanching. "If he's coming for me-"
"He is and you know it. That wasn't a premonition or a dream, he was projecting to you. You know how powerful he would have to be to project that strong from the pits of the Makai. Don't be foolish, woman."
"Then we need to stop him as soon as possible, huh?" She glared at him. "Then we need as much info as possible about Huan-Zhao and the four's plans, right? Don't patronize me, I'm not a child or an idiot. I'm doing the best I can with what I have to work with."
"How brave of you."
"Fuck you."
Hiei made to leave and she caught his hand. Pulling his hand out of hers, he turned towards her. "What?"
"Who is Huan-Zhao?" She looked like she was going to faint, her tired eyes set deep in a pale, wan face. "I mean he's obviously bad news, but who is he?"
Hiei watched her for a few short moments, and spoke quietly, "An old demon, maybe one of the oldest. Some still worship him as the God of Destruction."
"Joy." She released a shaky breath and then nodded, like she was shoring up her resolve. "Great."
"Great is not what this is, woman." Hiei turned away then glanced back at her over his shoulder. "I'll be back. I can serve as the amplification you need."
"Do you think he can be stopped?"
Hiei shrugged and smirked. "I don't know."
"Bitch."
Kohaku opened her eyes and glared down at Hiei, from where she was meditating. "Hello to you too, Sunshine."
"Is there purpose to you floating above a waterfall or does it just serve your human need for melodrama?"
Rolling her eyes, Kohaku touched down on the shore and walked over to Hiei. "Did you not get enough sleep last night or is being cranky just you serving your demon need to be a jackass?"
Hiei scoffed and watched as she pulled a tank top and jean shorts over the human bathing suit she had been wearing and slipped on her shoes. As she turned away from him, he noticed the scars covering her back.
"They're none of your business." She glared at him over her shoulder. When he didn't say anything, she huffed and started walking further into the forest.
"Where are you going?"
"For what we have planned, we're going to need some serious Earth Mama energy."
"Earth... Mama?" He fell in stride with her.
She slanted him a look. "The earth puts off her own energy. As a psychic I can harvest it. That is why I 'float over waterfalls.' Some places are better than others. To go as far in as we need to, I'm going to need more energy than the waterfall can safely conduct. There's a shrine about five miles away that will do the trick."
"This place is old..."
Kohaku looked up, smoothing a corner of a bamboo mat with her foot as she nodded. "Older than Japan by most guesses."
Hiei shrugged out of his cloak and tossed the heavy black fabric to the side. Watching her with a critical eye, he drawled nonchalantly, "Are you ready, woman?"
She nodded and twisted the cap back on her water bottle. "Yeah, sure."
"Not as brave as you were three days ago?" Typical.
She glared at him. "I'm about to spy on a demon god, one who has announced an intention to do horrible, unspeakable things to me. Forgive me if I'm not excited. Doesn't mean I get a free pass."
"A free pass?"
"I may not be up to fighting but I am the only psychic capable of finding Huan Zhou. That makes me responsible. It's a matter of honor."
Hiei snorted. "Your opinion of your worth is amusingly overblown. I'm sure we could find another psychic."
"Sensui killed most of the other clairvoyant psychics trying to take down the barrier, had to cut off enemy intel, you know how it is. He rounded them up and offered them a deal: work for me or die. I am one of the only clairvoyants left in this country. The next closest one is in Hokkaido. He's about a hundred years old, arthritic, arguably senile. But be my guest, go get him." She sent him a superior look.
"Genkai can be reached."
"Genkai isn't clairvoyant. At least not usually."
Hiei considered this, watching her face as he spoke, "And where were you during this killing spree?"
"In the Spirit World, trying to find Sensui. Where do you think Koenma gets his intel? Seers like me." She took another swig of her water. "Are you done masking your hesitation with sarcasm? Can we begin?"
Hiei growled, "Watch your tongue, woman. I can nail it to the wall if it would help."
She stuck her tongue out and smirked. "Try it. See what happens."
Hiei glared at her and pulled his sword from its sheath. "You enjoy courting death."
She shook her head, chuckling. "You enjoy bluffing. I've told you there is nothing you can do short of killing me that I haven't already survived."
"Yes, so you've said." Hiei smirked nastily, resting the tip of his katana against the base of her throat. "I can still kill you."
She was quiet for a short while, eyes regarding him with bland curiosity. "Am I worth a couple hundred years in a Demon World Prison?" Her eyes searched his. "I'm annoying... yes, but am I worth it? I wouldn't think so."
Hiei blinked.
"Besides I know what's waiting for me on the other side. The worse that can happen is you kill me and they force me to come back." She shrugged and pushed the slack katana off her neck with a dainty finger to the tip. Her blood scented the air and she sucked her finger into her mouth. "Sharp... Are we done posturing now? Can we get to work?"
Hiei grunted.
"She said what?"
"'The worse that can happen is you kill me and they force me to come back.' I can't decide if the foolish woman wants to die and is too much of a coward to do it herself or if she's too brave for her own good."
Kurama nodded. "That is puzzling. Did you find anything?"
"We know where the fools are hiding. It'll take time to get there of course, but I've alerted Mukuro and she's moving troops into position. Yusuke has Tourin on high alert. If you would see to Yomi." Hiei sighed.
"Of course." When Hiei turned away, Kurama followed him with his eyes. "What are you going to do?"
"I have to go back and help the harpy see Huan Zhao, we don't know if they have him out yet."
The room was dank and dark... A dungeon perhaps?
A woman was spread out on a table, naked and bruised, bloody gashes crisscrossing her pale, mottled skin. Her dark, curly hair was matted with blood against the side of her head.
"No, I don't want to see this."
There were various instruments, some deceptively innocent, some wicked, all bloody, set out on a stone table to the side of her. Whips, sharp-and-pointies, chains, and-
"NO."
There were footsteps outside of the door, the sound of heavy keys turning heavy locks, and the door swung open. A demon, not one of the ones they had seen before, entered the room, eyeing the woman with a depraved leer. He stepped up to the table, hands reaching for the fastening on his pants.
"You ready to talk, bitch?"
"NO!"
The demon picked up a wicked looking hook and laid it by her leg. "You're gonna talk, human. You can't stay quiet forever." His empty hand slid up her leg-
"He doesn't know how to properly handle a psychic of your calibre, pretty bird."
The demon in the scene continued on, oblivious to the deep voice in their minds.
"He didn't break you, did he? No... Oshieru taught you well, didn't he? He taught you how to survive, to endure. He made you strong. Those low-born, powerless whelps didn't stand a chance. Demon-trained psychics are always the strongest."
"STOP! I DON'T WANT TO SEE THIS!"
The demon was up on the table now... Pants loose and open. The woman on the table turned her head away from the demon's foul breath, a little stud in her nose catching the light...
"Don't worry, lovely, I can do much better. I won't underestimate your resilience, your endurance. I'll crack into that little head of yours."
The woman did not cry out, there were no tears, no grimacing.
Her dark eyes were vacant.
"Tell your little, three-eyed runt to stay off the front lines if he wants to live. I'm coming for you and I'm almost out of my cage."
The connection severed suddenly and Kohaku scrambled away from him, face ashen. She vaulted unsteadily to her feet and launched toward the circle of trees surrounding the shrine. She fell to her knees behind one and Hiei turned away from the sound of her retching.
Minutes ticked by and she quieted, having seemingly emptied the contents of her stomach. She stood and made her way to her pack, avoiding his eyes as she picked up her water bottle. She staggered back to the trees, swishing water in her mouth and trying to rid herself of the taste of her vomit. She spit a few times on the ground and then walked passed him, collecting her pack.
"We're done today. Thanks."
"He said your were-"
"We're done, Hiei."
He stood and followed her as she picked her way around the roots littering the forest floor.
Thirty minutes later they came upon a small cabin hidden deep in the woods. Pulling her keys out, she glanced at him over her shoulder and unlocked the door. She entered and attempted to close the door behind her. Catching the door, Hiei pushed easily into small space and looked around.
The cabin was neat, taking advantage of limited space with small, traditional furnishings. A futon was folded neatly on a shelf, a low table sat in the middle of the main room, surrounded by a set of cushions. There was a small kitchen and short hallway to the left where he presumed the bath to be.
"This is where you live?"
She sighed, still avoiding his eyes, and nodded curtly. "When I'm not in the city, yes. Now will you leave?"
Hiei smirked. "No. I have questions."
She set her bag by the door and stepped out of her shoes. "You always have questions, I never answer them."
"I'm aware."
She glared in his general vicinity and moved into the kitchen. "Tea?"
"So polite."
"Guess that's a no then." She shrugged and proceeded to ignore him.
He let the silence stretch as she was flittering around the kitchen. After ten minutes of being ignored, he drawled a bored: "You didn't lie."
She set the teapot on the small stove and continued to ignore him.
"I suppose you are tougher than you look."
"Go fuck yourself, Mr. Sensitivity."
"He said you were trained by demons. Oshieru, I believe. A demon psychic?"
She brought her tea into the sitting room, and curled up on a cushion on the opposite side of the table from him. She opened an object sitting on the table and tapped on a few buttons.
"It's easier if you just answer my questions, woman."
"I'm not so inclined. You were never supposed to see any of that." She glared at him over the top of her contraption. "I'm not talking about any of what you saw or heard today. It is none of your fucking business. Now please, leave."
Hiei winced away from the infernal racket the bitch's vehicle was making. She reached up and pulled the helmet off her head, smirking as she caught the expression on his face.
"Problem, Dick?"
Hiei glared at her, refusing to let her bait him into revealing his discomfort. "I've been waiting for you."
She shrugged. "Had to make a trip down the mountain for groceries. It's been two weeks since I last saw you, wasn't expecting you. Sue me."
She pulled a couple plastic bags from a storage compartment on the back of the contraption and moved to unlock the door. As the door swung open, he spoke. "You were orphaned at the age of six. Your parents were murdered by a thief looking to steal something to fund his drug habit." She stiffened and pushed her way into the house, ignoring him. "You told the police that you 'warned Mommy and Daddy but they wouldn't listen.' After that, all mention of Hashimoto Kohaku is lost in the human world."
"Stop."
Hiei smirked and watched her stiffly put away her purchased items. "In the demon world, however, there is tell of a demon psychic taking a very young female apprentice around twenty years ago. There is a rumor that five years ago, that demon was killed by a rival and his apprentice captured."
"I said stop."
"Eventually the Spirit World reclaimed the apprentice, but not after she was tortured for six months and her spirit energy sealed." Hiei watched her face as she glared at him. "There is also a rumor that the apprentice was pregnant when she was rescued and that the SDF aborted the abomination-"
A blast of psychic energy nearly knocked him off of his feet, interrupting him and catching him off guard.
"Don't call him that!"
Hiei fought the impulse to gape at the woman. "What?"
"My son was not an abomination. Don't fucking call him that." She took a deep breath, still glaring. "He wasn't aborted... He was stillborn."
Hiei watched her fume silently, every so often, reaching up to wipe at tears. "They tried to release the spell sealing your energy, but it was old demon magic and they couldn't find a counter-spell. By all accounts, you were well in your way to competing with Genkai in terms of power. It's said that you nearly leveled the demon's hideout when you found out your sensei was dead. That's why they sealed your energy."
She shrugged. "He was my father. I don't remember much about my human parents. Oshieru raised me, I was justifiably angry when he was taken from me." She looked up at him. "Besides I was raised with a demon code of justice. A life for a life.
"The demon who killed him had holed up in the half ass town on the edge of Mukuro's territory. When I showed up, the demons laughed. 'Oshieru was a fool for taking such a wisp of an apprentice', 'He must have kept you around for more than just the training.' When I showed up at his poor excuse of a fortress and dropped a couple dozen bodies on his doorstep, they stopped laughing."
"But they captured you anyways."
She shrugged. "He was a gas user. I was half out of my mind by the time I got there. I didn't do my homework and I paid the price."
He nodded. "They raped and tortured you for six months. Why?"
"It was closer to ten months to a year. I lost track."
"But why? What would a human girl have that they wanted so badly? They had to have known that Spirit World would be looking for you."
"I wasn't working for the Spirit World then. Oshieru moved us around often between the human world and demon world. They had no idea I was there." She smirked. "And I've already told you why: I'm clairvoyant, I've been a target since I had my first premonition. The jackass that killed my human parents wasn't a human druggie. He was demon. I would've already been dead or some demon's slave if Oshieru hadn't shown up when he did. They wanted to know what I knew. I can proudly say that I have never been broken."
Hiei hesitated. "Why would you keep your rapist's son?"
She glared at him. "He was my son. That's the only reason I need. Besides... He was just a little baby. None of it was his fault."
"Why did your son die?"
She shrugged, eyes downcast. "The doctors in the Spirit World didn't know. They think that half-demons are rare because they need to have a consistent energy source in utero. With my energy sealed up, my body couldn't sustain his fragile life."
"If your energy is sealed, what happened earlier? How is it that you can still be a psychic?"
"Being a psychic isn't necessarily just about using your own energy, it's about funneling energy. I can still effectively funnel the earth's energy so I can still read minds and see the future. I would just be better at it if I could manifest my own energy. I wouldn't need to you be amplification." She grinned. "As for earlier, I threw a fit. Like most humans, my spirit energy is tied to my emotions. I have no control over it however. Makes me little useless in a fight."
Hiei smirked. "More than a little." She shrugged and he watched her face. "Why are you so willing to tell me all of this now?"
She shrugged again. "You already know... Hell you saw it. It's better to tell you the truth then let you think you know something. It's better than the rumors at any rate."
Hiei grunted.
"Why are you so interested in what's happened to me? Why is it such a big deal?"
He regarded her shrewdly. "You weren't in the least bit afraid of me. Even humans who have been dealing with demons for a while never really lose their appreciation of demonic power. The detective and his moron are the only humans I have ever met who aren't at least uncomfortable around demons and they are fools. The detective's woman and the moron's sister to some extent, but even they steer clear of me. It makes sense now that I know you were raised by a demon..."
"I understand demons... Demons make sense. Humans are weird."
"Agreed."
"I need to test you."
Kohaku arched an eyebrow and looked up at him from her spot on the bamboo mat. "Test me?"
"Huan-Zhao is coming for you. You'll need to know how to defend yourself."
She stood, facing him. "My best chance is working on not being found. With my energy sealed, I don't stand a chance. Hand-to-hand isn't going-"
Hiei threw a quick left jab, which she dodged just barely. "Pay attention, bitch."
She glared at him and he threw another quick punch. This time she moved backward slightly and trapped his fist in her elbow, using her hand to collapse his elbow and force him to the ground.
She chuckled as he stood, glaring at her. "I should've probably warned you. I'm very proficient in aikido and jujitsu. Had to learn how to defend myself without my spirit energy, you know. I've won a couple championships here in the human world."
He unleashed a quick volley of punches and she dodged each one, waiting for an opening. When she found one, she threw out a quick right hook and smirked as it connected.
He stared at her, eyes wide in shock, before launching at her. Their sparring match went on for a couple hours, her huffing with exerted energy and him barely breaking a sweat. She threw an off-balance kick and felt him block her foot.
Hiei chuckled. "Have to try harder than that, woman."
She smiled and threw a last-ditch punch. Before she could blink, he had her up against a tree, his chest pressed tight against hers, his much larger, sword-roughened hand still cradling her small fist.
She stilled completely, realizing rather belatedly that while he wasn't much taller than her, he was much bigger. Up close she could see how broad his shoulders were, how sharply defined the muscles of his arms were; she could feel how solid and barrel-chested he was.
All of this coupled with the heat and the smell of wood-smoke in her nose should've felt suffocating. She should've been flinching away from the physical contact like she had for the past five years.
But hell... It felt good.
Still breathing heavily, she tipped her head back and looked up into his face. His eyes were locked on her, assessing and almost hesitant.
Her eyes met his and within the work of a moment, his lips were sealed against hers.
She gasped and he took advantage, his hot tongue tangling with hers. His hand dropped her fist and reached down to tip her hips against his. In turn her hands came up to frame his face, one sliding back to tangle in the thick hair at the nape of his neck.
He made a sound deep in his chest and lifted her against the tree, one rough hand landing hot and heavy against her bare thigh. She pulled away, fighting to pull air into her lungs and he moved to trace her jaw with little stinging nips.
"Holy shit..." She breathed.
And then suddenly he was gone. She scrambled to catch herself and panted, glaring at the forest around her. "You bastard!" She huffed and moved to pick her stuff up off the tatami mat.
"I'm going to need a goddamn cold shower."
"You haven't been sleeping."
She jumped and turned to look at him. "Well look what the cat dragged in. Where the hell have you been?"
Hiei shrugged and sat down next to her in the edge of the porch. "Has he been reaching out to you?"
She eyed him and turned back towards the surrounding forest, nodding.
"What has he shown you?"
She shrugged. "My own memories, his memories."
"Of?"
"Him raping women... Me giving birth to my son and realizing that he wasn't breathing." Her breath caught in her throat, eyes clouded and tired. "Anything he thinks will make me break."
Hiei nodded. "Show me."
She shook her head. "That's not necessary."
He grunted and grabbed her hand, arranging it against his face. "I'll decide what is necessary, woman."
She stared at him and linked with his mind, running through each and every memory that the sick fuck had been sending her over the last week.
When it was over, he dropped her hand and snarled. Standing, he nodded to her and moved to leave.
"Why did you run?"
He turned and looked over his shoulder at her. "What?"
She looked up into his face, her eyes wide, just like that day at the shrine. "You were there one minute and gone the next. Why did you run?"
"I didn't run."
She gritted her teeth and shoved to her feet. "Really? 'Cause it sure as hell looked that way. You got out of there faster than a bat out of hell. So what scared you off?"
He turned away. "You're overtired. Go inside and sleep."
"Fuck you! I'll sleep when I damn well want to. Did you suddenly remember that I'm human? Or is it that I'm a useless psychic who can't even access her own energy?" When he didn't answer or move to leave, she took a couple steps forward, voice much quieter. "Or is that I'm used goods? Dirty?"
He was silent and she cussed. "That's it, huh? You know... I should be used to it. There was this one member of the SDF... The entire time we were traveling back to the spirit world, you know what he called me? 'Whore'. It didn't matter that I had been chained down to a table or that my energy was beyond my reach. I was nothing more than a demon's used-up and thrown-out whore."
Suddenly she was pinned against the side of the house. She grunted and smiled nastily up at Hiei. "I'm not surprised that you feel the same."
Hiei glared down at her. "Don't speak for me, woman."
"Then you should speak for yourself," she growled. "I have the right to know what happened... I need to know."
"Why?"
She glared at him and ignored the question. "We've been here before... You shouldn't get yourself in these kinds of positions if you have no intention of-"
Hiei covered her mouth with a hot, bandaged hand. "You said you need to know. Why? Because you want to prove that you're still desirable? That someone still finds you attractive? What?"
She struggled against his hold, shaking his hand off. "You know what? You can go screw yourself." She struggled ineffectually for a couple seconds more. "Let me go."
"Not until you answer me. Why?"
She looked away and resisted when he tried to direct her eyes back to his. "Leave me alone."
"You wanted to talk, woman... Now talk."
She sucked in a shaky breath, still looking away. "It's none of your fucking business what I need."
Hiei chuckled. "You only get this defensive when you have something to hide."
She turned to peg him with a hard glare. "You don't know me."
Hiei shook his head with a wry smirk. "I think I can safely say I know you better than anyone has since your sensei."
"You think hanging around for three months means you know me?"
"You aren't hard to figure out. You think like a warrior. Pride, honor, dignity, loyalty. You treat anything else with sarcasm and anger. You demand the answers without asking the questions, you 'fake it until you make it,' I think the human term is. You were trained to be a warrior, but without access to your spirit energy you feel useless.
"That demon didn't take your purity, I don't think you ever believed you had any, or none that you were worried about at least. That demon took your security, your ability to fend for yourself, the one thing that you felt defined you and made you worthy of your sensei's training. Demon to your core no matter how human the outside wrapping is."
She rolled her eyes. "You think-"
Hiei's lips landed against hers roughly. He lifted her and carried her into the small one room cabin.
"Stop talking so damn much, bitch."
Kohaku woke up slowly, pleasantly sore and very aware that the extremely warm body she had fallen asleep against was no longer against her.
She really wasn't surprised.
"I'm going to kill him."
She jumped and looked up at Hiei, where he stood, black pants hanging open over his hips, chest bare. "What?"
"Huan-Zhao. I'm going to kill him. You should know that you have my word." Hiei smirked, eyes dropping from her face and lingering over her exposed skin. "We leave today. Mukuro's spies located them two days ago. They don't think Huan-Zhao is out of his cage yet."
She nodded. "Okay. Good."
Hiei held out a hand to her and Kohaku, comically suspicious, put her hand in his. He yanked her to her feet, chuckling when she scrambled to keep herself covered. "You shouldn't be so worried, bitch. I've already seen all of you."
She blushed and glared at him, but didn't step back when he invaded her space. "It's different."
"Why?"
She hesitated and looked down, tracing an old shoulder wound with a slow finger.
"I can see your body just as well in the night as I can in daylight, woman. My eyesight is superior to yours."
She chuckled and shrugged. "I didn't think about it... them last night." She looked up and caught his smug smirk. "I didn't say that to inflate your ego, dick."
Hiei shrugged and reached down to fasten his pants. He bent over and picked his shirt up off the floor. Straightening, he pulled it over his head and tucked it into his belt. She stooped and picked up his sword and cloak before handing them to him.
She eyed him for a moment longer as he finished dressing and then turned toward the kitchen, waving over her shoulder. "Have fun. Make good choices."
Hiei chuckled and watch her walk into the kitchen, comforter still wrapped around her, acting the conquering queen to avoid her own embarrassment. "Stay out of trouble, woman."
"Duh."
Kohaku wiped the back of her hand over her forehead and reached down to pull the comforter from the basket before hanging it out to dry. As she smoothed it, she shook her head. I'm a colossal idiot.
She shrugged and moved back toward the house, grabbing her futon off the floor and the rug beater from beside the door. She hung the futon up and began beating the dust out of it, the smell of sex in her nose. It was a good night though.
She smiled and then froze, something teasing on the outside of her perception.
Demons! She cussed and started to move back toward the cabin.
"Stop right there, girl. Boss wants you... Can't say as I know why. You're nothing more than a washed up psychic with no spirit energy to speak of."
Kohaku chuckled and stared down at the troop Huan-Zhao sent. Ten... C-class? I don't half mind those odds.
"What're you laughing at, bitch?" a red eyesore asked.
She broke the wood handle of the rug beater over her knee and held up the jagged point for them to see. "You ever stop to think why your boss sent ten of you to get little, old me? After all, I'm nothing but a washed up psychic."
The leader, an equally ugly, green, four-eyed abomination, spit to the side. "You come quietly and we promise not to hurt ya."
"No dice. I don't do quiet." She threw the useless end of the rug beater to the side and settled into a defensive martial arts form.
The leader eyed her as he nudged the red one forward. "Go get her, Raijo."
"Why me, Tei?"
"Cause I fuckin' said so! Quit being a pussy."
Raijo took a hesitant step forward and pulled a knife from his belt. He rushed her and she rolled him to the ground. She kicked him swiftly in the side of the head and as he went limp, she grabbed the knife from his limp hand. She smiled at the the gaping demons and stabbed their fallen teammate in the jugular.
"Come on, guys, don't be pussies."
They all rushed, a great cacophony of noise and stupidity, clumsy and utterly unskilled. She made quick work of them and smiled, throwing the bloody piece of wood at her feet and wiping the knife on the leader's shirt. "Done and done."
"Not quite."
Before she could turn, she was popped off her feet, a dagger to her throat and the smell of rotting meat washing over her in waves.
She chuckled. "Impressive, I didn't even feel you behind me."
The demon chuckled. "Yes, I'm quite good at masking my energy. I sent the filth to distract you. I figured you would handle them easily."
"With you here to pick up the pieces..." She grunted as he slammed her against a nearby tree, hand around her throat. "You're the demon the four contracted to get Huan-Zhao out of his box."
The demon, a humanoid with strange yellow eyes, nodded with a smirk. "Yuuma. How do you do?"
She shrugged and balled her fists, slamming them on either side of his forearm. As his elbow collapsed, she grabbed the front of his shirt and slammed his head against the tree behind her.
She stepped away and picked up the knife she had dropped earlier. "Better now, and you?"
He stood, gritting his teeth to keep the parody of a smile in his face. "I should have expected that... After all," he paused to wipe the blood from his forehead, "You are almost master level in a couple different human martial arts, aren't you?"
She scoffed and slid back into a defensive position, holding the knife reversed, edge-out. "Almost?"
He watched her, sliding into deep crouch. Springing forward, he threw a punch at her head. Kohaku stepped to the side and caught his wrist. Stepping around him, she forced him to the ground and then backed off.
Yuuma stood, laughing. "You are hard to get a hold of." He held his hand out in front of him and smiled as a yellow ball of energy formed in his palm. He shot it and she sidestepped again, only to find Yuuma there waiting for her. He grinned and punched her hard in the gut. She retaliated with a quick left hook, her right hand cradling her stomach.
He caught her hand and squeezed, watching with a gleeful smile as she winced. Then as quick as he could blink, she lifted her hand and stabbed him the shoulder. He grunted and cursed, backhanding her, sending her spinning into the dirt.
He glared at her and kicked the knife away from where she fell. "Enough! This is absurd!"
She chuckled and rasped, "Yeah... You're telling me."
He leaned over, grabbed her by the neck and grinned as he slammed her hard against the ground. This time she felt herself spiral into unconsciousness.
Hiei stiffened as soon as they entered the cave. "Damn fool woman!" In a blur of movement, he raced down the natural stone corridor towards the open cavern ahead.
"Hiei! What's the matter?" Kurama raced after Hiei, Yusuke hot on his heels.
Hiei slowed as he cleared the corridor, gritting his teeth. Yusuke and Kurama pulled up beside him and Yusuke cursed.
In the main cavern, Kohaku hung limply from the ceiling, her wrists bound in chains above her head, a solid metal weight attached to her feet. Her shoulders were strangely distended, making her arms look awkwardly long.
"Both of her shoulders are dislocated. Possible nerve and tendon damage. We need to get her down now." Kurama leaned forward and spoke in Hiei's ear. "There's blood on the floor. No telling where she's injured or how much blood she's lost. Make it quick."
Hiei nodded and sprang in action. Before he could get within ten feet, a yellow ball of energy flew out of nowhere. Hiei dodged and landed on the opposite side of Kohaku.
Hey, Dick.
Hiei didn't start or show signs that he had heard her. You're awake.
Eh... Sort of. I'm floating in and out... I've lost a lot of blood. He has an affinity for sharp-and-pointies.
You stupid bitch. I told you to stay out of trouble.
I was doing fuckin' laundry, asshole. It's not like I was parading around Tokyo shouting, "Come and get me." We stumbled right into his plan.
What plan?
There is no Huan-Zhao. He never had any intention of releasing him. It was all a lie. He was fuckin' feeding me shit this entire time.
Well that's good news then.
"Hello, Hiei." Yuuma strolled forward. "It's nice to meet you. You've been in my head often enough, I feel like we're friends. I'm sure you know by now that Huan-Zhao is still safely in his cage. Our little bird is still conscious enough to accomplish that at least."
Hiei scoffed. Are you ready?
For what?
Hiei nodded imperceptibly and launched at Yuuma. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the green of Kurama's rose whip wrap around either chain attached to the captured psychic. There was the sound of metal shattering and Kohaku's pained curse as she began to fall. She cussed again, this time a little more vehemently, as her injured shoulders came into contact with the hard planes of Yusuke's chest.
Yuuma chuckled. "She's got quite the mouth on her. You should've heard her when I let that weight drop the first time and her right shoulder dislocated. She called me every vile name in the book and even some I wouldn't have expect a human to know. But then given who trained her, I supposed I should've expected it."
Yusuke set her gently on the ground next Kurama and turned back towards the stand off. "The question is: why? Why make up such an bullshit story?"
"I needed to be able to catch her interest. I'm interested in breaking her, not just capturing her." Yuuma shrugged. "Besides I need to know what she was capable of despite the seal on her spirit energy... In case I couldn't release it."
Kurama looked down at her. "Seal?"
"Yes, the demon who abducted her five years ago, my sensei as it so happens, found that he couldn't control her, so he sealed her energy with an old demon magic seal."
Hiei glared at him. "The fools of Spirit World couldn't get it off, what made you think you could?"
Yuuma smiled widely. "Ooh.. Interesting, I wouldn't have expected that she would have told you about all that."
"How did you plan to release the seal?"
"They don't know what I know. My mentor taught me that seal... And I know how to release it." Yuuma smiled. "In fact, if not for the wards in this cavern, you would be able to feel her energy, a wild, flaring beacon to every demon within, I don't know, 10-30 miles. It seems that all that time has caused a bit of a back up. When I released the seal, she nearly tore me apart. But I was prepared."
Hiei shot forward, aiming to catch him in the neck with his sword.
Yuuma dodged neatly. "She'll make me a perfect mate, once she's broken. Don't you agree, Hiei?" He grinned and whispered, "That is what you were thinking, wasn't it?"
Hiei arched an eyebrow, nonplussed. "I'm tired of hearing your voice."
Hiei ran at Yuuma and swung his sword down at his right shoulder. Yuuma dodged in just enough time and chuckled.
"Ready." Yusuke grinned. "On three. One." He moved sharply, popping her right shoulder into place. "Three."
"Holy fuckin' shit. You missed two, you bastard." Kohaku wheezed. "I'm going to punch you in the face as soon as I can."
"Yeah... Yeah."
Kurama chuckled and folded Kohaku's arms against her chest. "This is a demon vine. I'm going to use it to immobilize your shoulders now that they are relocated."
She nodded and slowly the vine creeped around her body, pinning her arms to her chest. "Tell Hiei that Yuuma can open portals. He's planning on killing you three then he's going to nab me and high-tail it out of here before the cavalry arrives. I'm about to pass out again."
Kurama nodded and sent Hiei a quick mental message as she slipped away.
Yuuma's eyes widened as the tip of Hiei's sword bit into his neck. "D-don't kill me... Please."
Hiei smirked. "How disappointing... All that bravado and you beg for your life in the end."
"Please... I didn't hurt her.. Not seriously anyways. She'll heal."
Hiei's eyebrows drew down over his eyes. "Don't be a fool. You tortured her for three months." Hiei smirked nastily. "Besides I promised her I was going to kill you. And I'm a man of honor."
Hiei lifted his sword, spared one glance at the unconscious psychic in Yusuke's arms and turned back to grin at Yuuma, bringing the-
"Hiei!"
Hiei paused and turned to Mukuro who had just entered the cavern.
"Stop. Let him meet his end through the courts. Let justice be done."
Hiei scoffed and sheathed his sword. "That's not justice, that's bureaucracy."
"Bitch."
Kohaku smiled and watched as Hiei sat in the chair next to her bed, swinging his feet up on the bed.
She looked down at his feet and sniffed contemptuously. "It's rude to put your feet on someone's bed, Dick."
Hiei shrugged and settled back further in the chair. "What're you going to do about it, woman? Both of your arms are wrapped to your chest. You can barely sit up without help."
"I'll just have to put you on my list of people to beat up when I'm able. Right after Yusuke."
Hiei chuckled. "You can try."
Kohaku grinned. "Won't have to. Haven't you heard? I can access my spirit energy again. You'd be surprised what I can do now."
"Doubt it. You haven't trained with it in five years. Bet you won't be able to control it."
"We will have to see. Don't be too offended when I hie on to Alaric and kick your ass in front of your boss."
Hiei smirked and folded his arms behind his head. "I'll believe it when I see it."
Kohaku smiled, then sobered. "He's in a cell. They wouldn't tell me where."
"You're a human so they are holding him in spirit world. They're going to charge him with mischief in the human world, violence against humans and torture." Hiei paused, watching her face before speaking again, "If he raped you, they'll charge him with that as well."
"He didn't have time... You guys got there too fast." She smirked. "Besides, despite his threats, I'm not sure he was capable of it... Something was off the entire time. If you catch my drift."
"He won't make it to sentencing."
Perplexed, she asked, "Why?"
He caught her eyes. "I don't make idle threats. I told you, I'm going to kill him."
She eyed him and nodded. "Don't get yourself in trouble for me."
Hiei smirked. "They have to catch me first."
"Thank you."
Hiei nodded. "Genkai said you should be up in the next couple of months. What will you do then?"
She sighed. "Koenma offered me the Spirit Detective position, Genkai offered to train me. But personally I think I'm too old for it."
"Too smart for it. They only give that job to idiots."
"Such a pretty compliment."
"Shut up."
Kohaku laid her head back against the headboard. "Oshieru had some land in the demon world. I'm tempted to go there. Train... Who knows."
Hiei nodded. "Where?"
She regarded him quietly. "In the mountains north of Tourin."
"Bitch."
Kohaku smiled widely and stood from where she sat meditating. "Dick." She turned to the small group of demons sitting before her and glowered. "You finish meditating. 22 hours left to go."
Her students groaned, one in the back grousing that he had "come here to learn martial arts, not how to sit in one place all day."
She turned and hid a giggle behind her hand, sauntering over Hiei. "Long time no see."
Hiei smirked and eyed the group of students still watching their sensei. "Students?"
She shrugged and followed him back toward her house. "Got bored."
Hiei looked up at the vast estate she was living on. "I had thought you were a minimalist going by how you lived in the human world. This is impressive." The house was huge, styled in a way that brought to mind shoguns and daiyou in the human world.
She laughed. "I am. I don't know what to do with all this space. This is Oshieru's family estate. Oshieru's father spent sometime in the human world as a boy and brought this back to the Makai. It's modeled after Nijo Castle in Kyoto." She shrugged.
"I'm surprised it was left intact."
"It was occupied when I got here. Luckily, it was in relatively good condition. I liberated it. Which is where I got some of my students. I had them help me fix the place back up." She cast a look at Hiei as he led them towards a training courtyard. "I've taken Oshieru's family name. Yamauchi."
"I noticed."
She smiled. "So you've been busy. I heard Yuuma died mysteriously in Demon World prison six months ago."
Hiei grunted noncommittally.
"Thank you."
Hiei rolled his eyes. "He pissed me off."
"Yeah..."
"How about you shut up and spar with me?" Hiei shrugged out of his cloak and threw it to the side.
She chuckled. "Okay. Weapons?" Hiei nodded. "First blood?"
"First blood." Hiei drew his sword and threw the sheath to the side. Kohaku smiled and pulled her knife.
They regarded each other quietly and Kohaku, tired of waiting, charged. They engaged a quick exchange with their weapons of choice and Hiei disarmed her. Smiling, Kohaku responded by catching him off guard with a relatively weak ball of energy. She spun his sword out of his hand and rolled him to the ground, pinning him with a bright smile. "Gotcha."
Hiei scoffed and rolled her, before vaulting to his feet and putting some space between them. "I expected better."
Kohaku laughed and stood, dusting off. She sent him a saucy wink and charged. She aimed a quick, precise round of jabs at his right side and caught him with a heavy punch to the solar plexus. Hiei tried to respond with a right hook only to find his arm not responding.
She grinned, bouncing back and forth of the tips of her toes. "Pressure points... Demons have them too. Don't worry, it will wear off eventually."
Hiei launched at her and landed a solid left jab to her stomach and grinned as she doubled over. "Damn shame most fighters can fight with both hands then, isn't it, bitch?"
She chuckled and they traded jabs and kicks.
Hiei grinned as the feeling on his right arm returned and while she was blocking his left arm, he swung around and nailed her with the right, splitting her lip.
"First blood."
She smiled and socked him lightly in the shoulder. "Next fuckin' time you won't win."
Hiei shook his head and shrugged. "I'll believe it when I see it."
"Normally I'd have my students clean, but they'll be out there meditating 'til tomorrow afternoon." She smiled and dried the last dish and put it away. She turned and eyed Hiei where he stood leaning back against the door jam.
He shrugged, his eyes on her, and the air in the kitchen, modernized thanks to her, became charged, the heat rising almost seductively. Her breath caught in her throat and she avoided his eyes as she moved to walk past him. "Sake?"
Hiei shook his head and hooked a hand around her bicep. She took a deep breath and looked up into his eyes as he brought her around to face him. His eyes scanned her face briefly then he leaned forward to catch her lips with his.
She reached up and laid a hand on his chest, leaning against him hesitantly.
Hiei tipped her head back and deepened the kiss, gently smoothing her split lip with his tongue. She smiled against his lips and slipped a hand into the thick hair at the base of his neck.
He pulled away, smirking and moved to suck lightly on the patch of skin just behind her ear. She gasped and chuckled breathlessly.
"What?"
"It's a day long trip from here to Alaric, even for you. You came all the way out here for a sparring match and a booty call?"
"Booty call?" Hiei leaned away from her and regarded her quietly. Shaking his head, he kissed her softly once more and then pulled away entirely. "I actually had a question... Of sorts."
She ran a hand through her hair and shrugged, turning to walk back towards the table. "Okay. Shoot."
"Be my mate."
She stumbled and turned back to him, mouth hanging open. Hiei grimaced but covered it quickly, reaching out to steady her before she fell backwards over the low table.
"What?"
Hiei shrugged and settled on a cushion near the table. Nonchalant, like this wasn't at all important to him. "Be my mate."
Kohaku knelt next to him and tried to catch his eyes. "Do you mind if I ask why?"
Hiei grunted and stood. "Never mind. It was stupid."
She grabbed his hand and forced him to sit. "It's not stupid. I just need to know why. I never imagined that a demon, much less a demon of your rank and calibre, would ever want to mate me. Especially knowing what you know about me. I just need you to explain."
Hiei sighed. "Your self-doubt is annoying. You are powerful in your own right. A warrior and a survivor… Any children we have.. They will never be abandoned, no matter what happens to me. I can't think of a single female demon that would not be ashamed of my heritage... that would not treat any children of mine the same way I was treated. You doubt your worth."
She smiled and turned his hand over in hers, running seemingly fragile fingers over the heavy bones of his fingers. "You told me once that I overestimated my worth."
Hiei scoffed. "I underestimated your worth. However, I have come to realize that you will make me an admirable mate."
She looked up and caught his eyes. She leaned up and kissed him. "Yes." Hiei smirked and reached up to tip her head back, taking control of the kiss.
She stood and pulled him to his feet, leading him by the hand back to her bedroom. "I mean if nothing else, the sex is good."
Hiei growled.
Kohaku woke up and slowly, quietly extracted herself from Hiei, before making her way to the bathroom, another thing she had modernized in the old keep. She flicked on the light and caught her reflection. Her hair was mussed, downright knotted in some places, her lips were swollen and red, there were hickeys and little red nicks littering her torso and the left side of her neck.
And centered on the right side of her neck, in plain view, where everyone within ten yards of her could see: a single, perfectly defined bite mark.
She was mated. Almost thirty years old and she was mated-
"Regretting it already?"
She jumped, one hand still tracing her new mark, absentmindedly. "No." She caught his eyes and smiled. "I told you, I never expected to be mated. I'm kinda mesmerized by it." She turned back toward the mirror. "I wanted to memorize what it looked like."
Hiei blinked and nodded. He smirked as his eyes drifted down over her naked body. He reached out a hand and lightly traced a set of four round bruises on the back of her thigh. "It looks like I beat you."
She smirked wickedly and shrugged. "You're no better off." She indicated that he should turn his back toward the mirror, fingers tracing lightly over mostly healed scratches. "You look like a wildcat used you as a scratching post."
Hiei grinned. "You did."
She chuckled and closer, reaching her arms around his waist. They were close in height so she only had to stretch the barest inch to catch his lips with hers.
Hiei bent her gently back over the vanity counter behind her and trapped her bottom lip between his teeth.
She groaned and smoothed a hand over his right pectoral, pausing to flick lightly at his nipple. Growling (purring if you asked her), Hiei hiked her higher on the counter, standing between her legs, and moved to mouth at her jawline.
Gasping, she reached up a hand and smiled as she traced the x-shaped scar on the right side of his neck.
Her mark. Made with a knife because she didn't have fangs. It bound her lifetime to his. Making it had been one of the most sensual things she had ever done. Images flashed through her mind as Hiei hit a particularly sensitive area of her neck and she moaned. She pressed her finger more firmly against his neck.
Hiei flinched and groaned, long and deep.
She pulled her hand back quick. "Sorry."
Hiei panted lightly and then spoke, his voice an octave lower and gritty with desire. "Touch it again."
Hesitantly, she traced it.
Hiei chuckled and and covered the mark on her neck with his thumb. She felt the connection instantly and gasped. Hiei leaned forward and joined them together with one quick thrust, breathing in her second gasp.
"You have much to learn, mate."
Her only answer was a long moan.
"Who's that human with Lord Hiei?"
"Yamauchi Kohaku. I've been told that she's his mate."
"He mated a human?"
"Yamauchi? As in Yamauchi Oshieru? What nerve! Defiling a demon name that way."
"She was his student, I've heard. In fact, I have heard that she has taken some students... Demon students."
"How the mighty have fallen."
"Is she fighting in the tournament?"
"Yeah, standards are real low this year."
Hiei's hands clenched into fists and he gritted his teeth.
Kohaku chuckled lightly. "Calm down."
Hiei grunted. "I don't like their tone."
She shrugged, casting an assessing eye on the gossiping demons. "It's not a big deal, they're bottom feeders. Shinji could take them and he's one of my more worthless students."
"They should watch their tongues." Hiei growled, shooting the big mouths a thunderous look. "No one speaks of me or mine that way."
"Yes, they should. No point in wasting energy on them now. We can defend our honor in the arena." She winked and pulled a book from her bag, smiling as Mukuro laughed on Hiei's other side.
"She's right, Hiei. The scum isn't worth it."
Hiei scoffed.
"Hey! Hiei! Kohaku!"
Kohaku looked up and smiled at Yusuke and Kurama, who approached, a gaggle of fighters gawking behind them.
"It's my favorite three-eyed monster, how the hell are you doin', Hiei?" Yusuke slapped Hiei on the back and grinned. He turned to Kohaku and smiled when Hiei grunted in response. "You still hanging out with this asshole, 'Haku?"
Kohaku nodded. "I've become kind of fond of him."
Hiei glared at her and she batted her eyes at him undisturbed, causing Yusuke to grin wider.
Kurama smiled and bowed to her. "I see you are doing well, Kohaku."
She smirked and bowed back. "Yeah, pretty damn good, I'd say."
Kurama smiled. "And how is mated life, Hiei?"
Yusuke drew back. "What? What the hell do you mean, 'mated life'?"
Hiei glared at Kurama, who was smiling unashamedly. "Hiei and Kohaku mated last year, Yusuke. Did you not see the mating marks on their necks?"
"That's what those are?" Yusuke glowered down at Hiei. "Why the hell didn't you tell me?"
Kurama chuckled behind his hand. "They didn't tell anyone, I just now found out myself."
Yusuke shook his head. "So you're officially off the market, shorty." Yusuke slapped Hiei on the back again. "Congrats to ya. I'm married now myself."
Kohaku smiled. "We heard. Congrats."
"Thanks."
All fighters need to line up to draw lots. I repeat: all fighters need to line up to draw lots to decide the the composition of the pre-tournament sets.
Kohaku fell in line behind Yusuke and the former spirit detective cast a look back at her. "They're letting you fight in the tournament?"
Kohaku nodded. "There's no official rule against it. Besides I'm a permanent resident of Demon World and I'm mated to the heir of one of its greatest kings. They couldn't stop me if they wanted."
Hiei smirked and caught Yusuke's eyes. "She can more than handle it, Urameshi."
"Now who do we have in the group 44, Koto?"
"Notably? We have Yamauchi Kohaku in this group."
"The human psychic?"
"Yes. Kohaku is the mate of Hiei the Jaganshi, heir of Mukuro of Alaric. She has become the unofficial third in command of Alaric after solidly defeating Kirin, Mukuro's former second, pre-tournament. That's what the rumor mill is saying, at any rate."
"So she's powerful, then?"
"As you know the power levels of all fighters are measured as part of the preliminary tournament due diligence. She more than qualified."
"Interesting."
"If that doesn't convince you, just remember she trained under the great demon psychic Oshieru and Hiei isn't known to suffer weakness."
Kohaku smiled and watched the demons in the ring with her absorb that information. Some physically backed away from her, intimidated either by what the announcers were saying or by who her mate was. Some pushed forward eagerly, cocky and excited to test themselves against her. She smiled and as the referees counted down, she slid into a defensive form, aware that the other participants were beginning to circle around her.
The buzzer sounded on of the demons stepped forward. "I won't kill you, girl. I'm going to kill your mate and then mate you."
"Oh, is that all," she deadpanned.
His body hit the ground with the transferred force of her throw. She checked out of the corner of her eye and then smiled. Out cold.
The other demons rushed her, clumsy as they clamored. She dodged, weaved and deflected weak attacks and jabbed, punched and kicked, careful to keep her spirit energy to herself. Within the space of five to ten minutes, a ring of demons became a ring of unconscious bodies. some of her earlier opponents, long since disqualified, were awake and cradling dislocated joints and broken bones.
"Kohaku is the winner of group 44!"
"Holy shit," Yusuke breathed.
Hiei grunted. "I told you she could more than handle it."
Kurama chuckled. "You told me once that she was trained by a demon."
"She was raised by a demon, he taught her a great deal. That, however, is an example of something she learned in the human world, after her energy was sealed."
"It was Aikido and Jujitsu... mostly anyways." Yusuke grinned. "It was like watching a match in the Octagon."
"Octagon?"
Kurama smiled and turned towards Mukuro. "There is a sport in the human world called Mixed Martial Arts, or MMA, the fighters fight in an octagonal cage. Most fighters utilize multiple human fighting styles."
"How did I do?" Kohaku smiled and took her knife back from Hiei, slipping it into the back of her light-colored, knee-length trousers. She adjusted the hem of her black tank top down to cover the handle.
Yusuke scoffed. "You took out 48 demons, most of them twice to three times your size in like ten minutes."
Kurama smiled. "Without using a bit of your spirit energy, I might add."
Kohaku shrugged and grinned back at Yusuke and Kurama. "Would have been a waste. Besides you did the same, Yusuke. In fact, it only took you five minutes."
Yusuke rubbed a hand over the nape of his neck. "Yeah, but I just knocked them out of the ring. You fuckin' knocked them out... I mean some of them are gonna need surgery to fix what you did to them."
Kohaku rolled her eyes. "Oh please.. they're demons. They'll heal just fine once all their bones and joints are aligned properly."
Yusuke rubbed a hand over his face. "I'm not sure you're human."
Hiei snickered and Kohaku glared at him. "Oh hush. Your group is up next."
"Are you worried?" Hiei's smirk was smug.
"You planning to disappoint?"
The announcers called for Hiei's group and Hiei smirked as he passed her his sword and cloak.
"No sword, Hiei? You got something to prove?" Yusuke asked.
Hiei shrugged and made his way toward the holding areas. "Can't let my mate show me up, can I?"
Kohaku glared after him. "Jackass. Don't fuckin' die, it's considered bad manners to dance at peoples' funerals."
Hiei waved over his shoulder and Kohaku folded his cloak over her arm.
Yusuke chuckled. "You two fight like an old married couple."
Kohaku flicked Yusuke off causing Kurama and Mukuro to chuckle.
Mukuro grinned. "You have no idea... I don't know what's more disruptive: them fighting or them making up."
Kohaku blushed.
Mukuro shrugged. "It's true."
Kohaku handed Hiei back his cloak and sword. "If we both win our next two matches, we'll fight in the third round."
Hiei looked up at the match ups. "We'll both win our next two matches."
"I have Kirin in the second round."
Hiei shrugged and smirked at her. "You had no trouble with him before, what makes you think you'll have trouble with him this time?"
She smiled and discreetly hooked her hand in his elbow. "I just never assume anything is a forgone conclusion."
Hiei turned to watch Mukuro on the screen. "It's a forgone conclusion, no assuming needed."
Kohaku smiled and her hand fell to slide into his pocket, her hand finding his. "Shall we make the bet then?"
Hiei chuckled and nodded.
"What bet?"
They both turned to look at Yusuke, who had been talking with Chuu. Kohaku smiled and shrugged. "Little tradition of ours... We bet on the outcome of our matches."
"What do you get if you win?"
Kohaku winked. "Can't say. The forfeits tend to be distracting."
Hiei smirked wickedly and Yusuke blushed.
In an aside to Kurama, Yusuke whispered. "Not gonna lie, never really thought of Hiei as this like sex freak...but I bet they have a lot of really kinky sex."
Kurama made a face. "I don't particularly think about it, Yusuke."
"Hiei... I'm not sure about this." She shifted, the fine cotton of their bedsheets rasping at her overheated skin.
He didn't respond, instead his hands closed over her hips, one rough with his sword calluses, one wrapped in thick linen bandages. He moved her closer to the head board, taking some of the strain off of her shoulders and reached up to check the linen wrapped around her wrists. A quick tug assured that the other end was still attached to the bed frame. With the blindfold on, she could only track his movements as he moved over her.
"Baby, I'm serious... I'm not sure I can do this."
Hiei kissed her, deep and slow. The familiar taste of his mouth accompanied by his smell, the feel of his hands and the familiar weight of his body over hers rooted her in the present... For now.
But what would happen when he moved away, what if he didn't speak the entire time? Could she stay here with him and not jump back to that demon dungeon all those years ago? This was the first time they had tried something like this... She couldn't be-
"You said you trusted me." Hiei paused, his lips moving against hers. "Has something changed in the last fifteen minutes that I need to be made aware of?"
"I do trust you, Hiei. You know that." She took a deep breath. "I don't want to bring that in here with us. You know how memories are." She wished fervently that she could see his face. "I don't want-"
Suddenly his mouth closed over her mate mark, sucking hard enough to bruise. Her eyes fluttered closed under the blindfold and she immediately connected telepathically with him. She could see what she looked like to him (her back was arched, her breasts high and much fuller than she ever thought they looked, there was an attractive flush to her skin, her hair was fanned out in a mess of bed-mussed curls, her legs looked sleek and toned and were bent at the knee and splayed,) she could feel his satisfaction with her for even considering letting him do this in the first place, his desire for her, she could hear the ringing call of 'Mine' in his mind.
He moved to suck her earlobe into his mouth before growling in her ear, "He is dead, his pupil is dead. Even if they were still alive, they'd have to get through me to get to you. I'm not going to let him scare my mate into denying herself something or determine how we how we have sex."
Kohaku smiled and wished she could touch his face and lean up to kiss him, but she was glad for the blindfold. She wasn't ashamed of the tears in her eyes and she more than sure that Hiei could smell them, but at least they could mutually ignore them that way.
Hiei's mouth covered her nipple and she bowed off the mattress.
"What is it?"
She sighed. "A puppy."
"No. It's a demon wolf pup. Decidedly not a puppy."
She glared at Hiei and reached down to scratch behind the puppy's floppy black ear. "Fine: demon wolf pup. The point is that he was abandoned by his mom-"
"Do you have a fetish for lost and abandoned things? The bitch left him to die because he was the runt of the litter. It's the way of the world."
Kohaku ignored Hiei. "We're keeping him."
"No, we're not."
"Yep. I think we are."
"Really?" Hiei's tone was dangerous but Kohaku ignored him.
"Jun?" One of the household servants stepped forward, fighting an amused smile. "Can you find me a water bowl? We are also going to need to find some milk for him."
Jun left with a bright smile on his face. "Yes, m'lady."
"Kohaku."
She paused. Hiei only ever called her by her name if he was really incensed, she was always 'woman', 'bitch', or 'mate', his chosen pet names. "Yes?"
"Why?" Hiei growled and ran a frustrated hand through his hair. "Why do you want the pup?"
She shrugged. "I want something to take care of... Something that needs me... Maybe? I don't know. It's cute?"
Hiei huffed. "You have me. One day you may have my children. Is that not enough?"
She softened immediately. "When we have kids I will love them with everything I have. Whether or not I have a pet will not change that. And I don't take care of you, you don't need me. And for the record, you were not lost when I met you and the fact that your mother's people abandoned you had and has absolutely nothing to do with why I'm attracted to you." She smiled wickedly. "Probably has more to do with your impressive physique and awe-inspiring power."
"Flattery. Cute."
She winked at him and sidled up to him, rubbing her hands up his chest and around his shoulders, his petulant expression not discouraging her in the least. She pressed against him hip to shoulder and he stubbornly kept his hands in his pockets. "If it gets a girl what she wants."
Despite knowing he was being played, Hiei leaned forward to ghost his lips over hers. Just as he was about deepen the kiss, his hands emerging from his pockets to cup the back of her neck, the wolf pup squeaked and began to cry. Hiei pulled away and glared down at the pup. "His eyes are still closed."
She nodded against his shoulder. "He's still really young. He'll be deaf and blind for a couple more days yet, I'd imagine."
Hiei sighed. "Keep him. If he chews my boots, I'll kill him."
He had to admit, the wolf hadn't been a half bad idea. The wolf never left Kohaku's side and when he was away, he heard the wolf made it damn near impossible to get anywhere near his mate. 24-hour, 350 pounds of instinct honed personal security.
But he stank to high hell. Hiei couldn't even smell Kohaku over the stink of the wolf lying at the foot of his bed. "Mutt. Out."
Kyodaina shifted to his feet and shook his shaggy head. He padded out softly and sniffed Hiei's hand as he took up his post outside their door.
Closing the door behind him, Hiei shrugged out of his cloak and let it fall to the floor. He set his sword next to his side of the bed, within reach in case something happened. As he sat on the bed, reaching down to undo his boots, he felt the bed shift.
A very sleepy Kohaku sat behind him, one leg on either side of his body and began to work his shirt over his head. He cooperated, lifting his arms so she could remove the ragged cloth. She pressed herself against-
Naked...
-him and he cast a look over his shoulder. Very naked. She grinned and moved to press little kisses along his neck. He kicked his boots off and moved to undo his pants. She fitted her mouth over his mate mark and sucked hard. He groaned and shut his eyes, savoring the automatic telepathic connection.
No resistance, no hesitation, just utter trust and immediate access to his mate's every thought, feeling and memory. She was so calm, every year of her training showing in the practiced mental calm. The world could be burning down around their ears and he could find peace with her.
Hiei stood and watched as she moved back on the bed, her hair curled messily around her head. He finished unbuttoning pants and let them drop. Kohaku smiled brightly and opened her arms to him. "I missed you... How did it go?"
Hiei shrugged and laid over her, hips taking their natural place between her legs. "Rebels didn't even put up a fight."
She nodded and leaned up to kiss him. "No casualties?"
"None that I'm sad to lose."
She snorted and smiled against his mouth. "Good."
Hiei was sure of many things in this world. He was sure that the world was cruel and dark. He was sure that honor and dignity and pride kept you afloat and provided light.
And he was sure that this woman had been made for him. The fit of their souls together, the darkness in their souls juxtaposed against the light was testament to that.
She had told him once that she felt safe. That after years of closeted skeletons and dark shadows, she felt safe. He made her safe.
Well.. after years of living the way he did, of searching for ways to prove his existence, of rationalize the dubious terms of his birth, he felt justified.
Just as she was made for him, he was made for her. It took all the hell they went through separately to justify the peace they finally had together.