Hey, I'm back with a little one-shot fic! (Which is quite an accomplishment for me for I tend to draw things out...) It's a little dedication for my beta-reader phoenixfirekitsune, one year ago she started betaing for me and she's been a real trooper through it all! Thanks a lot, I really hope you enjoy this:hugs:
I should probably note here that Hiei is made out to be a little naive if not a tad childish... also this is a sweet but sappy romance fic. for all Hiei x Kurama lovers. Please read and review, thanks!
(Hehe... I decided to take Hiei's Girl 06's advice and raise the rating... rather be safe then sorry after all. Thanks!)
A Lesson Worth Learning
He dodged from left to right continuously before leaping into the air, his sword drawn and ready to pierce its prey. Red hair whipped around the instance the small trace of ki was announced. His hand, being quicker then what the eye could see, drew forth his own weapon in defense
Both weapons met, neither willing to admit defeat before they both jumped backwards.
"You insist on using your plants, why?" the smaller one growled, his blade still ready to draw blood while he circled the fox.
His emerald eyes watched carefully, following his every moment, "I said I wished for you to teach me swordsmanship... but just as your blade is part of you, my plants are part of me–"
Hiei lunged forward, Kurama having barely enough time to draw his grass blade up to block, "It's still not a sword. You can't strengthen metal during a fight as you can with your plants– You'll never understand swordsmanship if your not using a real blade to learn its weaknesses and its strengths."
"Yet, it's been a month now and I've progressed greatly, haven't I?" he grinned, pushing forward trying to knock the blade free from the other's hand.
With a smirk of his own Hiei called forth his flames and burnt the grass blade to a crisp, "And I keep burning your blades. Tff, you'll never understand."
The redhead sighed, "Well then, Hiei, love, why don't you enlighten me to what I'll never understand."
He shrugged and lowered his sword, "I suppose I could try..."
"Alright, well how do I go about learning?" he honestly questioned, no hint of mischief in his voice.
With a slightly more impish grin then usual Hiei pulled his lover against his chest and rose his sword, "Grab hold of it, I'll correct your hand position and stance once you've done it."
His shivered lightly at the closeness of the compact body behind him before doing as told, "Like this?"
"Dominant hand goes above the other, just the same dominant foot leads. Loosen up a little or else you won't be able to move swiftly into another stance," he instructed, his warm breath puffing against Kurama's skin.
"Loosen up more? If I were to do that the blade would drop–"
"Are you doubting me?" Hiei mumbled into the smooth skinned neck.
To show he wasn't, rather than speak, he did again as told and just as stated, the sword stayed in his hands, "How?"
"From fighting with the rose whip all these years I thought you'd know... Whatever, now do the basic strokes..."
His blood was racing at the feel of the leather and the whoosh of the blade, "It's... intoxicating..."
The small demon drew back, leaving his katana in the capable hands of the fox, "See, different isn't?"
Kurama whirled around, a gallant smirk upon his lips, "Quite... You know, I'm thinking about keeping this for myself now."
The blade drew up as Hiei made to get it back, "Nuh uh..."
He stepped back, leaning on his right heel, "Fox, give me back my katana..."
"I don't think I want to spitfire," the redhead laughed at the result that produced, "Pouting Hiei? That's so unlike you..."
"Hn I want it back... fox," was all he growled before flitting off, leaving a trail of displaced air behind.
"Hiei! I was merely kidding with you! You can have it back!"
He wanted to believe Hiei had heard him but knew better, after all his spitfire was probably miles away by now.
With the patience of a saint the fox sat upon the ground for he also knew that this was Hiei's favorite haven in the Ningenkai, 'I'll be waiting for you...'
The plants whispered amongst themselves as he honed his focus. Pretty soon a sweet song of joy awoke in them as they were feed with an everlasting power and it is with that the redhead smiled and slipped into a nice shady spot to nap.
'Fox...'
Emeralds peaked through fluttering lids and a smile was born once again on his lips, "You came back, I knew you would–"
A sharp tug of pain pulled at his upper limbs bringing attention to the fact they were bound, "You asked me to teach you how to use a sword."
"What in the world are you–" his chin was forced up and with that his eyes focused on what was holding him; chains held in place with a ground sheathed katana.
"There are many ways to use a sword... for defense, for killing, for capturing... Basically you just need to be creative and you can do wonders with it," the mirth his deep voice held did nothing to appease Kurama.
"Hiei–"
"I keep cutting you off yet you continue speaking, of all people I thought you would know what that's telling you to do. Now must I cut something else off or will you just learn your new lesson from your Sensei?"
He didn't know what to think but he was positive Hiei wouldn't hurt him as long as he played along so he nodded his consent.
"Good..." he settled himself upon the other's chest all but forcing him to remain still, "This is what is done, for the most part, as a way to skin live animals or as a temporary hold on a weak or injured captive. It's best to use a rod that contains spikes so it stays firmer in the ground however a curved blade such as my katana's is good enough for my purpose... Do you know what that purpose is my pupil?"
"N–"
A firm hand clasped upon his mouth, "What did I just say about speaking? One more time and I will cut off more than just your tongue..."
For a moment he blinked in confusion before blushing and realizing that the first threat was not of cutting off his privates but his tongue.
As if reading his thoughts Hiei muttered to himself before continuing whatever he was up to, "Your lesson today deals with turning swords against their master... By picking up another's sword you put yourself at risk for two reasons. Reason one, the owner of said sword knows it's weak points and it's advantages thus using that to the best of their knowledge to kill the thief. Reason two, the person in which has taken the sword is not familiar with it therefore doesn't know what's the best way to hold it to benefit themselves."
The redhead welcomed back the fresh air as the offending hands lifted to rest upon his heaving chest, "If you find yourself in this position know that the owner has the right to either kill or turn their captive into a slave... As this applies to most anything that is stolen in the Makai I'm sure you're aware of this already."
It was as he feared... With that lesson title alone he knew what was coming to him and this just further cleared up any doubts he might have had, "Hiei please don't do this! In the least don't do it out here, out where–"
A swift hand grabbed the wet appendage as another held a small, cold blade to it, "I so enjoyed this tongue of yours too... Well when you were putting it to good use that is..."
It took much will power to not burst out laughing at the sight of a terrified fox. The blade pressed closer in mock threat, "I've given you two chances as it is... but since I do enjoy that tongue of yours so much perhaps you'll submit and do something very nice with it."
The fear quickly was replaced with a look of pleading. However Hiei shrugged it off and waited for a response.
For a moment Kurama waited to see what the fire demon would do but nothing happened and he soon realized why. Hiei was awaiting his approval... and apparently none too patiently either as the heat radiating off him seem to rise. He jerked his head forward quickly before the heat could deprive him anymore of the life giving oxygen on which he still was struggling to inhale.
"Good, now I want you to lick my sword."
The hand pulled back releasing its victim, however it still didn't move to accomplish its task.
"Get on with it!" he growled, he wanted to see what the fox would do... for he would probably get it wrong.
Kurama gave him a look before taking the dagger carefully into his mouth.
"I said my sword!–"
The extremely small dagger slipped from his fingers and the talented mouth twisted it expertly so it was facing the other way with the handle fully tucked inside.
Hiei hesitated but waited to see what the other planed to do with it.
Carefully the fox brought his head up before quickly flicking the dagger up to cut the pant's drawstrings. His eyes held the other's revealing a silent message that was done without thought on the other's part.
With the dagger now free from his mouth thanks to some help he tilted his lower half upwards, forcing the other to slide closer.
His teeth plucked at the shirt now in his sight before bitting down hard when he found the other distracted. Within a spilt second he was slammed against the rock hard ground with clawed hands pressing into his shoulders, "What the fuck is wrong with you?!"
"I..." he hissed in which only promised to escalate, "don't like feeling trapped. I don't like getting all but forced to do this... and I don't like not being able to hold you freely. You know this love... I'm sorry I can't make some of your dreams come true... I won't hold you back if you wish to seek that person that can out but... I'm sorry to say I'll never be able to appreciate that wanton mix of pain and pleasure."
His nails dulled as his youki calmed and his heart dropped, "You don't want... this?"
"I want you... you're love but I don't want this... I love you too much to lie and say I do for the result of us continuing this... this act of lust and pain would tear me apart."
"But... you don't want it?" he mumbled, trying to put in this the message that he really needed answered.
"Hiei... untie me please," he sighed though his eyes never broke there gaze upon the dampening garnets.
Kurama watched the effort it took to reach over and remove the weapon in which the master had become some much like. Those chilled hands once done with their task went to remove the chains as well.
To Hiei's surprise the chains wrapped around his own wrists in the process and his body was flipped.
A soft smile tried to lighten up the other's palling demeanor, "I believe it's time I teach you a lesson, is that alright with you love?"
The smaller one growled and struggled, "In breaking apart hearts?!"
"No... in making love," he left a tiny peck on the button nose, "Are you willing to be taught?"
He stilled in shock, "I thought... we were already in love? Why would you have to make it?"
"Was it not your intentions to instigate sex before?"
"It was foreplay, sex is too painful but foreplay can be enjoyable. I just wanted to... get closer to you," he forced himself not to blush and though he thought he succeeded in his undertaking Kurama could make out the small traces of red upon the pale skin.
A chuckle escaped from the innocence of the question, "Yes foreplay can be fun... however I don't like being trapped, from being in the Rekai jail for only a few hours you saw that... I'm a fox at heart love, a wild creature, and though my life now may be more tame then my past's I still feel that pull to be free."
"You didn't answer me still, why would we have to make love if we already have it!"
"If I let you go will you stay still for me to explain?"
He grunted his acceptance before assisting the other out of the chains, "Explain."
"Making love is different then being in love... The ingredients of making love are hard to come by too... but we hold that rare, primary ingredient, love for one another. Now, the other components are trust, compromise, care, and respect–"
"Isn't loving and caring the same?"
Kurama couldn't help but beam at his rough but naive little demon, "You can care for something but hold no love for it... Just like you can love something but not care what happens to it."
"Oh... Well how do you combine all that to make love? It's not like you can hold those ingredients and actually mix them."
"First things first, making love is not something you do out in public..."
"Why?" his eyes held his true confusion.
"It's..." he fumbled for a good excuse before tapping the other's nose, "It's because it's a treasure that once you have you'll never want to give up. Come with me to my apartment, I'll pick up where I left off there."
On the way home it took much effort for him not to laugh as Hiei asked, "Is making love like making a cake? Is it sweet? Kurama I don't like many ningen foods so it better not–"
"I'll show you how to when we get there. As for you liking it, I believe you'll like it a lot."
Swept up in surprise Hiei couldn't react right away to the kiss he was given. Soon enough though his hands gripped his fox's hips and responded kindly.
Lazily he let himself be dragged off to wherever Kurama was going. Once the attention stopped was a different matter though, "What are you doing? I thought you were going to teach me to make love not make out!–"
"Shh..." with gentle hands he guided him to lay in the middle of the bed, "Making love is similar yet completely different to having sex–"
"Stop! I wasn't going to have sex with you, I swear! I wouldn't want to cause you pain! I- I–"
"Calm yourself and let me finish, alright? I promise I won't hurt you either... That's why I'm teaching you this," he soothed.
"I trust you..." was all that the fire demon spoke even though his body remained uptight.
"Making love... is like sleeping in a summer day's sunlight. Your body sings with warmth inside and out. Your heart pounds and all but explodes with joy... I suppose it's different from person to person or demon to demon in this case... No matter what you feel though, that love in which we pledge to each other floods out and incases the other in a blanket of fulfillment, sharing just how much love you hold for the other..."
"But... why did you say it's similar to... that then?"
The redhead sat to his side rather then hoover above him and cause more discomfort, "Demon sex is rough and only pleasurable for the person controlling it... that's what makes it different. We'll join together but with each other's assent and pace that's the only thing similar to that, I promise you."
"This is something ningen, isn't?" he mumbled, not wanting to submit to something that seemed too good to be true just yet.
"Not at all... I experienced it once in my past life as Youko, before Kuronue was killed..."
"Kurama... you always speak so highly of Kuronue, do you think I'll ever mean that much to you?"
"Oh Hiei," his arms circled and brought him, if possible, even closer, "you are that and more...For, while my heart leapt for him at one time you now hold and possess it so it doesn't even have to move."
"But I thought you didn't like being captive?" concern was clear and became even more so as the arms quivered to tighten but held back.
"If it is you that I'm held by I don't mind... But chains... they remind me too much of my youth, you understand, don't you?"
A brilliant smile cast their sight upon the normally dark face, "Yes... I understand now... but... can I make love to you?..."
"Oh course love but you must take your time... Let me give you a warm up lesson first though, is that alright?"
A shiver of anticipation swept through him before he consented and was swept away by tender touches, heartfelt kisses, and much more then he ever dreamed true...
"H-Hiei..." Kurama breathed out between short gasps, "That... is how you make love..."
Softly the red eyes drifted open, his spent body sliding off the other's, "You lied to me..."
"I-I lied to you love?" the hurt as well as fear was apparent in his words.
"Yes," Hiei hissed curtly before resting his head atop his lover's chest to hear the frantic pounding of the racing heart.
"I'm... sorry... but for me... what we did was–"
"You lied to me... what happened was not warmth, it was not even incredible, why?"
The fox was speechless, his being ready to collapse in on itself at any given command.
"You... you tried to explain in words, that's why... something like this... like what we did, is not able to be held down by words... It just is there to experience, remember, and wish for time and time again... but you were right about something."
His heart stilled, he could have just hugged the life out of the demon for putting him in that awkward position, "What is that Hiei?"
"I'm never going to share that with anyone else. My treasure will remain with me forever, won't you?"
"My spitfire... I wouldn't have it any other way..."
"Good... I didn't know you would take to being not able to be seen in public so well."
"Hiei!"
"I'm just playing with you fox... Up for another round of making love?"
"May I remind you of having too much of a good thing does?" Kurama sighed whilst his hand brushed through the dark mass below his chin.
"No... You said it would keep me up all night and I plan to do just that!"
"Hiei having too much soda and too much of a good thing are completely different–" a moan cut through anything that might have been said as the two shared their love once again.
Hehe... Review, please?