Bffimagine: Well… this is probably the best idea for a fiction I've EVER come up with!
"KURAMA!" Hiei yelled, his throat suddenly far to tight.
The said kitsune fell to the ground, clothing drenched in blood.
Brutally finishing the last of the demons, Hiei crumpled to his knees at Kurama's side.
"Fox…"
Kurama smiled up at Hiei, catching the pure, clear hiroseki stone in his fingers, rolling the gem slightly before using a thorn to pierce a hole in it. He threaded one of his brilliant red hairs through the hole, making a simple pendant.
"Don't worry, Hiei," Kurama whispered softly, pressing the pendant into Hiei's palm.
Hiei tied the pendant around Kurama's neck, wordlessly mouthing, 'I love you.'
Kurama smiled softly, brushing his fingers across Hiei's cheek, until his hand fell soundlessly to his side and his emerald green eyes closed forever.
"No!"
Collapsing onto the lifeless youko, Hiei cried silently, the hiroseki stones rolling off his cheeks and onto the ground beside Kurama.
By the time Yusuke and Kuwabara reached Kurama, it was too late. They saw him fall. Still running, they saw Hiei tie something around the fox demon's neck, and then they saw the plant wielding youkai die. They arrived just as Hiei collapsed against Kurama's body, the half hiyoukai half koorime demon crying crimson gems that clattered to the floor with quiet, rain-like dropping sounds.
Kuwabara looked away guiltily, and Yusuke put a gentle, comforting hand on Hiei's shaking, slim shoulder.
"Don't cry, Hiei, he's in a better place. I'm sure Inari-dono will be very kind to him." Yusuke spoke softly, not wanting to further upset the small demon.
The consoling words were unheard to Hiei as he continued to cry, not a sound coming from him as the crimson tears dropped to the ground, more pure than garnets and the exact, blood-red shade of Hiei's eyes. Yusuke couldn't help but think that maybe, just maybe, in Hiei's heartbreak, the little demon was crying out small pieces of his soul.
Yukina sighed heavily as she knocked on the frame of the shogi screens, just a light rap of her knuckles against the wood, and sighed again as there was no answer.
"O-Onii-chan, I'm leaving your food outside the door."
No answer again.
The koorime bit her lip, then picked up the untouched food and drink from the day before and took it with her to the kitchen.
"Genkai-sama, I don't know how to help onii-chan," she blurted out frantically, Genkai only nodding in reply.
"He hasn't eaten for two weeks now, he hasn't left the room in that time, and he only drinks water once a day. He's going to get sick!"
"Calm yourself, Yukina. He will be fine. Demons have long grieving periods when it comes to mates or good friends. Perhaps it's better he stays in one room. Knowing Hiei, he'd try any mean possible to get himself killed in the most painful of ways. Your brother's a bit of a sadist, but also has a scary bout of masochism."
Yukina smiled softly.
"That's onii-chan for you! But I'm very worried, Genkai-sama. Do you think he'll get better?"
"I'll send him with Yusuke and the blundering fool on some sort of mission. It might clear Hiei's head to kill some demons and such. In fact, I just spoke with Koenma and got a job for them."
"Good! I'll go out to buy some food today. I hope 'nii-chan gets better."
Bounding off, Yukina grabbed a basket on her way out.
"Another mission. Dammit!" Yusuke sighed and ran an exasperated hand through his hair. And of course, they had to go through the most roundabout ways to accomplish the first step of the mission, and most of it pertained to absolutely nothing of interest.
Kuwabara stuck out his tongue at Yusuke and snickered.
"Can't take the job, Urameshi?"
Yusuke scoffed, sending a worried glance Hiei's way.
"Oi! Shrimp, quiet today, aren't you?" Kuwabara waved his hand in front of Hiei's face. A blade was at his throat less than a nanosecond later, but instead of killer intent and anger burning in the blood-coloured eyes, it was vacancy and emptiness.
"He's reacting completely on memory. It's all reflex." Yusuke gently pulled Hiei away from the other teen before anything serious occurred. Hiei lowered his sword silently.
"Hiei? Are you alright? Don't worry, we only have to take out the demon now. Then we can just go back." Yusuke lifted Hiei's gaze to his own.
"Y-Yusuke…"
Just about to turn away, Hiei flinched and saw the demon coming for Yusuke's back.
"Watch out!"
Hiei moved before he spoke, diving in front of Yusuke and taking the attack. The sword sliced deep into his lower abdomen and then impaled him through the shoulder.
"No! HIEI!"
Yusuke dropped to his knees as he caught the small hiyoukai. Kuwabara attacked the opposing demon, only to be knocked out cold.
Boiling rage flowing through his veins, Yusuke stood and lunged for the attacker, who dodged. The demon wore something to the effect of a balaclava, and he wore a body-hugging black unitard.
"Who are you?" Yusuke yelled as he sidestepped another blow and shot a ball of rei at his opponent.
"Sadly, I do not know who I am. However, I know I'm to kill you."
"Fuck! What's that supposed to mean?"
"Why do you worry yourself over this? Your lover is dying."
"Hiei's not… wait… you can read minds…" Yusuke grabbed the youkai's head and snapped his neck. He fell, dead, to the ground.
'I… Do I really…'
The spirit detective glanced over at the dying half-koorime.
'I… I do.'
Gathering Hiei in his arms, Yusuke quietly contemplated what to say.
"Hiei… If you must leave…"
"Yusuke, arigato."
Taken slightly aback, Yusuke stroked Hiei's face.
"I—aishiteru, Hiei. Rest well with Kurama."
()
"C-Can I bring them back, somehow?" Yusuke grabbed Koenma's shoulder.
"No, Yusuke. I'd be one of the first to admit that Hiei and Kurama didn't deserve to die, but I can't do anything about it at all. I'm sorry."
"You brought me back! They died in selfless acts too!"
"But they're demons, Yusuke."
"All the more reason! How many demons die saving someone else?"
Koenma was quiet.
"Listen, I'll make you a deal. You can bring one of them back. But just one, and then you can never bring someone back ever again."
"Deal!"
"Yukina didn't take the news well." Kuwabara sighed and patted his orange hair.
"I didn't think she would." Yusuke yawned slightly, cramped from sitting in one position so long. Yukina had been crying all day, and Kuwabara had to collect all the stones in fifteen metal pails.
But when she stopped, it was much worse than when she was crying.
Yukina didn't speak. She was quiet, and moved like a walking corpse.
"Yukina…" Kuwabara lifted a hand, but Yukina walked right past him.
"Just leave her be," Genkai sighed, "I don't think she'll get back to normal for quite a while, considering the fact that she was looking for her brother so long… and now he's gone again."
Yusuke picked up one of Yukina's hiroseki stones, rolling it between his fingers. He took the velvet bag from his pocket, the deep blue velvet containing the crimson stones Hiei cried on the day Kurama died.
Walking back home, Yusuke compared the two stones, one clear and crystal and the other blood red and transparent.
Dumping the rest of the stones on his desk, Yusuke carefully looked at each of them, and started rearranging them.
Until they shaped a gem in the shape of a heart.
'And I thought it wasn't possible to cry your heart out.'
"Cripes, Urameshi. Where in hell did you get those?"
"AGH! Kuwabara? How the HELL did you get into my room?"
"Teaches you to leave doors open." Kuwabara peeked over Yusuke's shoulder at the stones.
"Those aren't Yukina's…"
"They're Hiei's."
Kuwabara thought for a moment.
"From the day Kurama…"
"Was sent to the underworld by some demon? Yep, pretty much."
"Hey, Urameshi…"
"What?"
"I think you were right."
"Huh?"
"I think the little guy really did cry his soul out."
"What? What are you talking about?"
"I can sense the little pipsqueak's aura from those red things."
Yusuke examined one of the stones more closely.
"Koenma said I needed something of Hiei's soul to bring him back. I have a feeling I don't have something—I HAVE Hiei's soul right here."
Looking thoughtful, Kuwabara stated airily, "But will the little guy want to come back?"
Stopping, Yusuke thought.
'He's with Kurama again. Is it cruel of me to want to take that away from him again?'
"K-Kitsune?"
Kurama's head snapped up at the tentative voice.
"Hiei? How did you get here?"
The demon fox closed his book and stood up, shaking off the shade of the sakura tree.
For a second, Hiei just stood there, trembling slightly.
Then he ran forward into Kurama's arms.
"I love you!"
"Alright, Koenma. You said I needed something of Hiei to bring him back, so I brought you his soul." Yusuke held out the carefully assembled heart.
"Crimson hiroseki stones? Those are exceedingly rare, Yusuke. Are you sure you want to give them up?"
"Are you an idiot? I don't want MONEY for these things, I want Hiei." Yusuke resisted the urge to slap the mini-god.
"Fine, fine. I was just joking anyhow. Well, you're going to have to find him yourself." Koenma sighed and Yusuke felt the insanely disgusting feel of being sucked into the underworld. It was like being taken apart and put together all over again.
'If I were Hiei, where would I go?' Yusuke tapped his bottom lip absently.
'Find Kurama, that's where.' Yusuke sent his aura radar to find the two demons in question. A certain level of youki told him exactly where they were.
"HI—" Yusuke stopped, cutting himself off.
Kurama had Hiei's head tucked under his chin, and the little youkai was curled up and sobbing against his kitsune.
Looking up, Kurama saw Yusuke and smiled.
"He's here for you, koishii," Kurama gently whispered in Hiei's delicate ear.
"Can't you come too?" Hiei's eyes turned up hopefully to Kurama's face.
"No, Hiei, I'm sorry. Go with Yusuke, he can help you. You need to finish your life before you come to live with me here."
"But I want to live with you…"
"Er… should I just go? If Hiei wants to stay, then I won't—"
"Yusuke! Take good care of Hiei." Kurama smiled at the Underworld Detective.
"Sayonara, fox. I'll see you again some day." Hiei bowed his head and took Yusuke's hand that was offered to him.
Life without his fox may not be unbearable after all.
OWARITA DESU