A/N This story just popped into my brain. I really like it because I think of it as a turning point in Hiei and Kurama's relationship. It was the first time Hiei ever showed outward concern toward one of the other members of the team. Super big thanks to the lovely Reyka Sivao who so graciously edited this for me. Thank you kindly!
"Oh, how the mighty have fallen," Yusuke grinned, reaching in the first aid kit and selecting a particularly fluffy cotton ball. He sat next to Kurama on the large couch in their hotel room's common area, facing the fox and preparing to tend to his injuries. It was the day after their fight with Team Masho. After lending Kurama a shoulder all the way to the hotel, Yusuke watched as the redhead promptly entered a deep healing sleep the moment he was within sight of his bed. In the morning his death plant was gone, nothing left to suggest it had ever been there save for the deep open wounds not yet sealed.
Kuwabara had watched in amusement as Yusuke and Kurama had argued about his need for medical aid. Kurama had insisted that he was perfectly fine, and did not need to be tended. Yusuke had insisted that he at least let him clean his wounds, and Kurama being too exhausted to argue he had eventually relented to his stubborn teammate. Now, Kuwabara sat on the other side of the couch catching the eye of a slightly nettled Kurama and rolling his eyes conspiratorially.
"You know, Kurama, it's usually you patching us up," Yusuke grinned dipping the extracted cotton ball in alcohol and catching Kurama under the chin, turning his head so that he had a clear view of the thin scratch left by those razor sharp icicles.
"Yeah, but Kurama's not a baby about it," Kuwabara teased, shaking with silent laughter.
"Hey," Yusuke griped turning to look at his friend and causing his hand to scrape none too gently at Kurama's cut. Kurama flinched slightly as Yusuke turned back to him, giving his reluctant patient an apologetic grimace. Kurama sighed, but remained still as Yusuke daubed at his face with a little more care.
"Where's Hiei?" Kurama asked as Yusuke applied a bandage to his left cheek, and moved to roll up the sleeve of the arm Touya had sliced. Kurama hadn't seen him since they had left the stadium yesterday. Hiei hadn't spoken a word to him on the way to the hotel, had shot him angry glances the whole way there.
"Probably out cooling off…" muttered Yusuke vaguely, wiping the dried blood from the slash and applying pressure with a clean cloth as it began to seep crimson. Kurama looked at Yusuke speculatively, catching his eye and raising a graceful eyebrow.
"Oh?" he inquired curiosity piqued. What had him upset?
Yusuke took a moment to stare contemplatively at Kurama before he spoke. "Well, I'd say it had something to do with your match yesterday..."
"Yeah, Shorty sure was steamed," Kuwabara interjected, nodding.
Kurama looked silently from Yusuke to Kuwabara, questioningly waiting for them to continue. What had he done to set him off?
By way of answer Yusuke, who was winding a bandage around Kurama's arm, asked him, "Did you ever look at the score board for this round?"
Confused by this unexpected question, Kurama shook his head.
Yusuke and Kuwabara took a moment to glance at one another uncomfortably before Yusuke continued.
"Well, Kurama, the thing is you fought three matches yesterday," Yusuke said in a rush, with the air of someone wishing to get something out in the open as fast as possible as if that alleviated some of the pain like swiftly ripping off a band-aid.
Kurama stared at the boy for a moment uncomprehendingly. The last thing he remembered about the fighting was passing out in the ring after defeating Touya. When he came to, he was leaning against the outside of the ring across from the medical tent. What Yusuke had said made no logical sense.
"I don't understand…I lost consciousness after fighting Touya." Kurama replied with narrowed eyes sensing a mounting tension filling the air.
Yusuke gulped audibly before turning to look rather sheepishly at his friend, "Look, I was completely against it, but you were on your feet after you passed out, and that jerk from the other team said it was fair to take you on…"
"Urameshi tried to get that punk to fight him instead, and the ref agreed. Then the Committee came on the speaker and said that a fighter couldn't be removed from the ring against their will, and we couldn't really ask you, so they said that the creep could fight you…"
"It wasn't a fight. It was a one sided beating!" Yusuke said vehemently, and with such venom, that Kurama's attention was diverted back to him.
Well, their account of the events of the last round certainly proved interesting. More than that, it explained quite a few things. Upon waking after his fight against the ice master, Kurama remembered having felt sore in places he was sure he hadn't been hit.
"It was awful, watching him pound on you like that, and you couldn't even fight back." Kuwabara said startling Kurama out of his recollection. Yusuke nodded his enthusiastic agreement as Kuwabara continued, "Urameshi and I were riled. We thought you were toast, man," he added emphatically.
"Well, I'm flattered at your indignation on my behalf, and I'm glad you told me. I'm also certainly glad that I didn't die. However, why didn't I?"
"Urameshi was ready to smoke that creep wad with his spirit gun before his last punch landed," explained an unusually grave Kuwabara.
"I wasn't the only one," Yusuke added darkly. "Hiei was powering up, too. He was ready to bust out of that force field and take on the entire stadium."
Kurama took a moment to outwardly show his amazement at such a revelation. Hiei had never outwardly shown concern for anyone, much less acted so rashly. The fact that he was willing to risk an upheaval for his sake was quite shocking …and quite flattering.
"I've never seen Tiny so angry. If I didn't know better, Kurama, I'd say he actually liked you," Kuwabara said with a shake of his head.
Yusuke, moving to wrap a clean bandage around Kurama's other arm, added thoughtfully, "I don't know. I'd say between all of us, Hiei likes Kurama the most. They were partners in crime after all, and they're both demons."
Kurama laughed softly, straightening his jacket as Yusuke finished his task. Standing, Kurama moved to the door, casually saying over his shoulder, "You have my gratitude for what you did, Yusuke, and also for patching me up. In fact, I feel better already. I think I'll take a walk…"
Yusuke watched Kurama leave with a knowing expression, cleaning up the soiled rags and replacing the first aid kit. They were sure to need it again soon.
It didn't take long for Kurama to pinpoint the location of the energy signature for which he was searching. On the way to the cliff face he enjoyed the flora all around him. It seemed to acknowledge him as he stolled past, and it gave him a surge of energy to be surrounded by so much life.
He found Hiei on the edge of a precipice overlooking the ocean below. A raging fire blazed before him swirling in shades of orange and black. Practicing the Darkness Flame ,no doubt…
As he approached him, the diminutive demon turned to look back. For only a second, Kurama could see a hint of concern flicker in his crimson eyes before it was quickly replaced by his usual mask of indifference. Anyone else would have missed his reaction, but Kurama knew him all too well.
"Out and about already?" he asked stoically,
Kurama allowed himself a brief half smile at his tone, "Yes, I had foresight enough to build up a tolerance to such deadly plants in case of such an eventuality…"
"You actually planned on one day having to insert a deadly plant into your own body in order to use it as a weapon…?" Hiei asked skeptically.
"Yes, well, there is no such thing as being over prepared, and I prefer to err on the side of caution," Kurama sighed in a self-depreciating tone.
"Hn," came Hiei's characteristic monosyllabic response as he turned back to his work.
"Yusuke and Kuwabara filled me in on what happened yesterday…" he said mildly, watching Hiei closely for any tell-tale reaction.
Barely noticeable, he tensed ever so slightly, but nonetheless Kurama caught the movement with his sharp eyes honed after millennia of thievery to pick up on the smallest detail.
"They told me about my ill-fated third match. To tell the truth I remember nothing of it. Not surprising really, but I was surprised to find out was all that had transpired during it…"
Hiei turned back towards him, mask still in place. "Kurama…" he began quietly, not meeting his friend's gaze.
"Don't…don't ever do something like that again," he continued with quiet intensity. "There's no honor in that type of death."
Having said his piece, he turned back to the fire. Typical Hiei. That was about as close as he's probably ever going to get to saying that he actually cares about another living being and doesn't want them to take foolish risks that could jeopardize their life. Hiei, after all, though he is loath to admit he had any, had very few friends. He can't afford to lose one.
"Hiei," Kurama called softly. Hiei looked over his shoulder to find Kurama's face alight with one of his rare, genuine smiles. Smiles he usually only graced his human mother with, but now its full intensity was turned to him. The smile lit his whole face with a serene light, and his deep emerald green eyes sparkled with true warmth and affection. It took all his composure not to smile himself. "Thank you."
"Hn." Hiei didn't want to think about never seeing that smiling face again.
A/N Well, now, doesn't that just make you want to smile, too. I love this story, and I'm quite proud of it. Please review and tell me what you think. Thank you for reading!