A/N - Stuff between ~'s means telepathically speaking
Stuff between ' ' are thoughts
~~~~~*~~~~~
A flash of magenta caught Hiei's eye as he weaved among the treetops.
Curious, he stopped and made his way back to the small clearing over which
he'd seen the odd flash of color. The fire demon's crimson eyes narrowed
quizzically at what he found. Prone on the forest floor, face down, was the
kitsune Kurama.
Cautiously Hiei approached the fox demon. The only sound was the crunch of
fallen leaves beneath his booted feet. The black-clad demon gently nudged
Kurama in the side with his foot. There was no response. As he knelt down
to shake the red head awake, Hiei noticed something that made his heart
skip a beat in his chest.
There was blood on the toe of his boot.
"Shit." Hiei whispered as he gingerly turned Kurama over. He seemed
asleep, almost, except his brow was furrowed slightly as if in pain.
The dark stain at Kurama's gut was still spreading. Dead leaves and other
debris were stuck to the wound. Hiei cleared the injury with a shaking
hand. In doing so, he realized just how deep the puncture went.
'If he were truly human, he'd be dead by now. There's nothing I can do to
save him now.'
Hiei's comrade was shining slightly with sweat, giving him an ethereal glow
in the dying light of day. A few stray hairs had fallen into his flawless
face. Hiei brushed them back to have an un-obscured view of the beautiful
sight.
As his hand drew away from the fox's face, Kurama took in a deep slow
breath and released in through slightly parted lips. It was then that a
soft word reached the demon's ears. The sound was so quiet he may as well
have imagined it.
"Hiei." It was not a question, but more of a statement. As if the redhead
knew Hiei'd show up. Without thinking, Hiei's hand shot to Kurama's
shoulder. His keen senses could feel the weakness of his dear companion's
pulse.
"Yes, it's me." He answered. Hiei knew better than to lie and say
everything would be ok. The fox was far too smart for that.
"Do you know what I don't understand?" Kurama asked softly - calmly. He'd
turned his head to face the left, away from Hiei. But the kitsune was kind
enough to offer an emerald glance from the corner of his eye. And Hiei was
thankful. Up until now those comforting, wisdom-hiding eyes had been
closed, and Hiei had feared he'd never get another glimpse.
"No, what don't you understand?" Hiei pressed, desperate to hear that
velvet voice.
Kurama shifted slightly in his final resting place and met Hiei's gaze for
a second before staring distantly into the woods to the fire demon's left.
"Long have I been in your company." Kurama began. Hiei nodded in agreement.
"And yet I feel. . I feel as if I don't really know you."
The black-clad demon's heart sank as he realized the truth in the
statement. After a brief rest, Kurama spoke again. His voice was now just
above a whisper.
"But that's not the strange thing. It's that. . Despite barely knowing more
than your name, I feel a great deal of regret. . for leaving you."
Hiei tightened his grip on Kurama's shoulder.
"I feel empty and cheated. . As if I've missed the whole point. . of
living. Do you know what I'm feeling? Do you understand?"
"Perfectly."
Kurama laughed a weakly in relief. The sound of broken wind chimes singing.
"I'm glad for that."
The kitsune closed his eyes and Hiei was shocked to see a few tears roll
down his face. Through all the physical and mental torture Hiei had seen
him endure. . never had Kurama cried.
"I barely know you and yet. ." He whispered. "And yet I'll miss you more
than words can say."
The sun had just set, casting everything in a blue haze. Kurama started
shaking now, cold from blood loss. The fox's face was alarmingly still and
lifeless, as if it were carved from pale smooth marble. His breaths were
shorter now, and gasping.
~"Hiei?"~
The telepathic voice of Kurama sounded so young and scared. Nothing like
the old wise being he really was. All the power, solidarity, and calm were
gone from the voice. The fox sounded more like a weak young human than
anything else. Tears sprang to Hiei's crimson eyes at the pitiful sound.
'Damn it all. he's too weak to even use his body. All he has is his mind -
and even this voice is failing.'
~"I'm here. I'm always here for you. I'll stay until it's over."~
There was a crushing silence in which Hiei held his breath - hoping beyond
hope that Kurama would speak just once more.
~"Will you miss me?. At all?"~ Kurama asked Hiei. His tone was torn, both
wanting and dreading the answer at once.
That was it. With that one question, all of Hiei's petty ideas of pride and
appearances dissolved and he let release all he'd kept hidden for far too
long.
'Damn my ego. Damn my fear. He deserves to know. He needs to know.'
~"I will miss you more than air Kurama. It's impossible for me not to. I'll
always love and remember you fondly, Kitsune. Youko. Suuichi. All of you.
Forever."~
---Silence---
~"Do you hear me?"~
Kurama stopped breathing.
---Nothing---
"Kurama!" Hiei shouted from both his mind and body.
His only answer was the halt of Kurama's heart.
One question haunted Hiei then would continue to haunt him for the rest of
his life. .
'Did he hear me?'
~~~~~*~~~~~
A/N - Thank you for reading. Reviews will be greatly appreciated. No flames
please. I worked very hard on this. ^_^
Disclaimer - I do NOT own Yu-Yu Hakusho
Stuff between ' ' are thoughts
~~~~~*~~~~~
A flash of magenta caught Hiei's eye as he weaved among the treetops.
Curious, he stopped and made his way back to the small clearing over which
he'd seen the odd flash of color. The fire demon's crimson eyes narrowed
quizzically at what he found. Prone on the forest floor, face down, was the
kitsune Kurama.
Cautiously Hiei approached the fox demon. The only sound was the crunch of
fallen leaves beneath his booted feet. The black-clad demon gently nudged
Kurama in the side with his foot. There was no response. As he knelt down
to shake the red head awake, Hiei noticed something that made his heart
skip a beat in his chest.
There was blood on the toe of his boot.
"Shit." Hiei whispered as he gingerly turned Kurama over. He seemed
asleep, almost, except his brow was furrowed slightly as if in pain.
The dark stain at Kurama's gut was still spreading. Dead leaves and other
debris were stuck to the wound. Hiei cleared the injury with a shaking
hand. In doing so, he realized just how deep the puncture went.
'If he were truly human, he'd be dead by now. There's nothing I can do to
save him now.'
Hiei's comrade was shining slightly with sweat, giving him an ethereal glow
in the dying light of day. A few stray hairs had fallen into his flawless
face. Hiei brushed them back to have an un-obscured view of the beautiful
sight.
As his hand drew away from the fox's face, Kurama took in a deep slow
breath and released in through slightly parted lips. It was then that a
soft word reached the demon's ears. The sound was so quiet he may as well
have imagined it.
"Hiei." It was not a question, but more of a statement. As if the redhead
knew Hiei'd show up. Without thinking, Hiei's hand shot to Kurama's
shoulder. His keen senses could feel the weakness of his dear companion's
pulse.
"Yes, it's me." He answered. Hiei knew better than to lie and say
everything would be ok. The fox was far too smart for that.
"Do you know what I don't understand?" Kurama asked softly - calmly. He'd
turned his head to face the left, away from Hiei. But the kitsune was kind
enough to offer an emerald glance from the corner of his eye. And Hiei was
thankful. Up until now those comforting, wisdom-hiding eyes had been
closed, and Hiei had feared he'd never get another glimpse.
"No, what don't you understand?" Hiei pressed, desperate to hear that
velvet voice.
Kurama shifted slightly in his final resting place and met Hiei's gaze for
a second before staring distantly into the woods to the fire demon's left.
"Long have I been in your company." Kurama began. Hiei nodded in agreement.
"And yet I feel. . I feel as if I don't really know you."
The black-clad demon's heart sank as he realized the truth in the
statement. After a brief rest, Kurama spoke again. His voice was now just
above a whisper.
"But that's not the strange thing. It's that. . Despite barely knowing more
than your name, I feel a great deal of regret. . for leaving you."
Hiei tightened his grip on Kurama's shoulder.
"I feel empty and cheated. . As if I've missed the whole point. . of
living. Do you know what I'm feeling? Do you understand?"
"Perfectly."
Kurama laughed a weakly in relief. The sound of broken wind chimes singing.
"I'm glad for that."
The kitsune closed his eyes and Hiei was shocked to see a few tears roll
down his face. Through all the physical and mental torture Hiei had seen
him endure. . never had Kurama cried.
"I barely know you and yet. ." He whispered. "And yet I'll miss you more
than words can say."
The sun had just set, casting everything in a blue haze. Kurama started
shaking now, cold from blood loss. The fox's face was alarmingly still and
lifeless, as if it were carved from pale smooth marble. His breaths were
shorter now, and gasping.
~"Hiei?"~
The telepathic voice of Kurama sounded so young and scared. Nothing like
the old wise being he really was. All the power, solidarity, and calm were
gone from the voice. The fox sounded more like a weak young human than
anything else. Tears sprang to Hiei's crimson eyes at the pitiful sound.
'Damn it all. he's too weak to even use his body. All he has is his mind -
and even this voice is failing.'
~"I'm here. I'm always here for you. I'll stay until it's over."~
There was a crushing silence in which Hiei held his breath - hoping beyond
hope that Kurama would speak just once more.
~"Will you miss me?. At all?"~ Kurama asked Hiei. His tone was torn, both
wanting and dreading the answer at once.
That was it. With that one question, all of Hiei's petty ideas of pride and
appearances dissolved and he let release all he'd kept hidden for far too
long.
'Damn my ego. Damn my fear. He deserves to know. He needs to know.'
~"I will miss you more than air Kurama. It's impossible for me not to. I'll
always love and remember you fondly, Kitsune. Youko. Suuichi. All of you.
Forever."~
---Silence---
~"Do you hear me?"~
Kurama stopped breathing.
---Nothing---
"Kurama!" Hiei shouted from both his mind and body.
His only answer was the halt of Kurama's heart.
One question haunted Hiei then would continue to haunt him for the rest of
his life. .
'Did he hear me?'
~~~~~*~~~~~
A/N - Thank you for reading. Reviews will be greatly appreciated. No flames
please. I worked very hard on this. ^_^
Disclaimer - I do NOT own Yu-Yu Hakusho