It took a long trip back to Mukuro's moving city to find the woman he really wanted to play the part. He stopped at every town, and when he was nearly all the way there, with the search going nowhere fast, he decided to stop and let it get some ground before he continued on again. He decided after some quick calculations, he'd need three days to get ten more cities in before meeting up, so he hunkered down in the local tavern, and settled at the back of the building watching the women come in and who they came with.
Eventually, one of the women who had come in after him approached. She had crimson locks like the Fox, and a similar light in her eyes as she came up to him, "What're you doing? Watching the women." She had purple eyes that caught the light and lit up to a soft violet, and with the way she had her hair up in a large bun, he could guess her hair went down to at least her waist.
She hadn't caught his attention when she first walked in. She'd been with two men who seemed to know her, one pulling out a stool for her, the other having opened the door, but now, he saw the men off away from where they pulled out her stool, talking among themselves, and she was here, in front of him. It was intriguing to hear her tone too. She had a voice like cherry, dark, but rich. "You know what I'm doing. I'm watching the women. You said so yourself."
She smirked at him, "Of course you're a smart ass. Why are you watching the women?"
"I'm looking for a potential girlfriend."
She laughed, "Really? Well, in this tavern you're just going to get whores mostly."
"No, I don't want to have sex. I just need to hire a girlfriend for a couple months, discreetly."
"Yeah? What are you paying?"
"Hn. I'm still looking."
She crossed her arms, "Uh huh, you have fun with that, I'm going to wait until you come and tell me how much you're paying."
Hiei watched her leave, still curious about the woman, but unwilling to negotiate just yet. He didn't need someone as pretty as her. She'd charge him quite a bit and he was not going to pay up front. Plus, the relocation would cost him if she was relocating somewhere that had no respect for her like this place did. She was clearly respected or those men wouldn't have known her.
As the day passed on, and the next, and the next, he was beginning to recognize that this wasn't just a woman who was respected, she was well loved. By the third day he'd never once seen her open a door herself. That alone intrigued him because this wasn't a gentle town. Just in the first day he'd seen twelve fresh dead bodies around town, and heard the screams of women and men alike during the night. It was a typical demon oasis, lots of blood, but here, no one touched her.
By the third day he wasn't watching other women. He couldn't help himself but watch her, and her alone. The more he considered her confidence, the more he wondered, what did she do? How had she gotten the respect he had seen? It was almost like everyone was simultaneously thankful and afraid of her. She had to have done something strong. He couldn't pinpoint what she was either. She was something unique, something old, something, almost scary to the very fiber of his being. It was like sitting on a needle wedged between his cheeks so if he moved one way or the other, he'd get stabbed.
Hiei approached her, "You'd have to relocate with me. I'm on Mukuro's Border Patrol." He leaned against the bar focused on her.
"Oh, really?" She grinned, "Wow, aren't you special?" She nodded.
Yes, he was, he was very special, but she didn't need to know that. "You'd be traveling with me for however long it would take to convince the woman seeking me to back off. I'd rather not use force with her if I can avoid it, and your job would be that chance to avoid it."
"Uh huh. So what do I get in return?" She ran a hand over her braid, and patted her bun a bit, like she was trying to look nicer.
He really wished she would stop fussing with it though, it didn't improve her looks in the least. She still had messy hair. "In return you'll get access and boarding rights to Mukuro's caravan, food and quarters with me, and spending money during the job. I can't pay you outright because I cannot be seen paying my girlfriend for being, well, my girlfriend. That would break the image."
She laughed and quicker than he could pull back she popped him a kiss on the lips, "Alright! I can do that."
Hiei frowned and cleaned off his mouth. "Good. We're about twenty days behind." He pulled out a coin purse and paid his tab, then picked up hers as well.
She laughed again, "That's alright."
"Are you fast?"
"As fast as you are."
"Do you know me?" Hiei frowned, that was not a convenient start. Maybe that was why she came over to him.
She smirked and shook her head, "You're awfully cute, but I don't know who you are, but I'm not a typical demon myself."
"Alright, let's get moving." He left the bar expecting her to follow. She let him walk a few feet away before she hurried forward and touched his shoulders, and disappeared.
Hiei spun around, looking for her, but the more he looked, the more he didn't see her. He went back into the bar checking for her there. That was when people started moving away from him and the two men she'd been with glanced at Hiei and chuckled.
"Where is she?" he demanded lurking up to the man. He was ready to draw his sword and start chopping heads at this point.
"Look at your shadow."
Hiei stiffened. He remembered Itsuki's pet, and hearing that startled him more than he could have thought. He spun away from the light and stared down at the floor, only to see her purple eyes looking up from the dark shadow.
"I see." He relaxed and nodded. He couldn't help the smirk, "You can move as fast as I can because you can make my shadow like Uratoko."
A line appeared like she was smirking.
Hiei nodded, "Alright. We'll travel quickly then." Hiei left the bar again, but this time, didn't hesitate to dart off, unafraid of the shifts of his shadow. It was unlikely she wouldn't have some stability to the space she had in there considering what he'd seen before with shadow monsters. Whatever she was, she had the ability to stay alive in there, and that meant he could go without concern. He didn't stop until he saw the dust start rising from the bug close by, and then, it was only for a short break to refuel his energy before hopping aboard and descending to his room.
When he was settled down, she reappeared with her hands on his shoulders and sighed, "Wow, you're fast."
"Hn. So what are you?"
"I'm a shadow demon."
That was probably the dumbest question he'd ever asked. It was obvious she could manipulate shadows and thus, it was really obvious there would be a demon equivalent. Shadow demon should have been the first thing he considered calling her, but instead, it hadn't even crossed his mind. He didn't think demon would enter the name at all, sort of like spirit fox, but instead, here she was, just a demon, just like spirit foxes were, just like he was, just like ice apparitions were, but shadow demon actually had demon in the name. Reasonably named too considering her powers. "I see. My name is Hiei." He turned to look the woman over as he announced his news.
"Now I think I know who you are," She let go of his shoulders and nodded, "You control the Dragon."
He held up his bandaged hand, "Guilty as charged."
She laughed and nodded, "I'm Vena."
"And what is it you did in that village to earn such, respect?"
"I trapped the vicious people in shadows, the ones who'd murder without reason. The village was overrun with them after the tournament so I just kind of did them a service."
"I see."
"So Dragon, what're the rules?"
"What?" He frowned and looked down at his arm then back at her. "I don't, talk for the dragon. It's just, connected to me. It's dormant most of the time until I call upon it. It hides wherever it is out there," he pointed out towards Demon World. "When I call, it channels through me. That's all."
"It's a nickname. Boyfriend and girlfriend normally have nicknames for each other. I have a similar companion."
"Oh, okay, so I have to give you a nickname as well?"
"If you'd like."
"We'll see. Rules," he frowned, considering that. "Don't kill me." He held up a finger and continued to think. "Don't kill any of the seventy seven in Mukuro's group. You can torment, them, lock them in a shadow, whatever, but don't, kill them or put them somewhere they can't get out from if you let them."
She nodded, and glanced around, waiting.
Hiei glanced around as well. The only art he had in the place aside from a group picture, happened to be swords on the walls. "Don't touch my weapons." He pointed at them. He really didn't care about the rest of it so he dropped his fingers, "That should be everything."
"I meant girlfriend-boyfriend rules, but, those are good to know."
"I don't, have any in mind. The Fox told me I should get a girlfriend to get Mukuro off my back about mating. I don't want to mate with her. She's not attractive to me, but she won't leave me alone about it. The last time we had a meeting she was naked and I would rather not keep trying her strength against mine."
"Well, do you care if I touch you?"
"That depends on where. I might skewer you if it's sudden, but that's reflexes."
"Well I'd only ever touch like, your shoulders, your waist, chest, stomach maybe, your leg," she shrugged.
Hiei sighed and shook his head, "I want Mukuro off my back. If that would help you achieve that ends, then so be it."
"Well, I'd suggest we sleep in the same bed." Vena offered.
"I agree. People in relationships smell like one another and currently I smell like the Fox. He won't accept the position though. I asked." Hiei shook his head. "He's an idiot sometimes despite his reputation. It would have been easy to pass him off as my boyfriend."
"Alright. Well," she shrugged, "I don't know what else to suggest."
"We'll talk about it if it comes up then." Hiei nodded. He pulled out a second bag and filled it with enough money to spend on trinkets and food as needed and tossed it to her. "As promised, spending money."
She grinned and stuffed into her pants pocket, "Thank you Dragon." She chuckled.
He still wasn't sure how to respond to that. "If you run off with that and don't do your job I will hunt you down and kill you, and I have a friend who could get into your shadow world, so don't think I can't get to you there."
"I'm staying here, you're pretty cute."
The door popped open and Mukuro strode in loudly, "Hiei! You should have re-connected with base nearly a week ago but you've been trailing behind on purpose as obvious by your current conduct and placement! What is the meaning behind this!" She was pointing at him as she stormed forward.
Hiei glared, "I had to collect someone."
"Collect someone? Who?" She looked around the room, skimming right over Vena. "I don't see anyone here."
"Hello." Vena barked.
"Don't be a bitch about this Mukuro. You want to know why it's impossible for me to ever sleep with you, well she's just said hello."
"She? She!"
Maybe the fox had been right. A woman would work better to convince a woman that it was futile. Clearly Mukuro was having a hard time adjusting to the fact that he could date a woman who wasn't her. "Yes, she."
"I knew you weren't interested in me Hiei, but I never imagined you'd go to, to some other woman." Mukuro frowned when she finally looked Vena over. "She looks like me, same hair color."
"Well he did!" Vena approached Hiei and rubbed a hand across his abs, "Tch, we do not have the same hair color. I have crimson red hair and you have some kind of orange-red hair."
Mukuro frowned, "See? We both have red hair." She nodded.
"Orange." Vena shook her finger, "Your hair isn't true red darling."
"Darling? I am not your darling you slimeball," Mukuro growled her energy spiking and slipping through the walls making strings which could cut them to shreds if they moved an inch.
Hiei grabbed Vena's arm holding her back. "Sweetheart," he tried to get her attention.
"Oh, slimeball? And here I thought you'd call me a cocksucker because that's what I am."
"I doubt it. He would never give you a cock to suck so if you are sucking cock, it's not because you're his girlfriend, it's because you're a cheating whore." Mukuro folded her arms across her chest, satisfied.
"You're just in denial." Vena rolled her eyes.
"Mukuro, stop this nonsense now," Hiei reached out to touch one of the strings. Mukuro snapped to attention before he did and released most of them. He maneuvered between the two women. "I am dating Vena here. You'll either accept that, or I'll never meet with you in private again. She will always be with me. After I stormed off, I told her what happened and she agreed it was time for her to come make her presence known so you wouldn't think I was unclaimed. She already has my heart, so there's nothing for you to take."
Mukuro sighed huffily and glared at the woman. "I doubt it Hiei, but I can see you're acting out and I respect that you don't want me nude at meetings. However, you're being stupid saying this stranger to you is your woman. She's clearly not that familiar with you, with how she's misbehaving."
"Misbehaving?" Vena demanded.
"Vena, she's trying to rile you up Honey."
"Of course she is."
"You know I don't want you eating her." He admonished gently. "Remember? We talked about that? That's why you haven't been here before? I knew you two would get in a fight and I'd end up without the politician for all that crazy delegate stuff?"
"I remember," She sighed heavily.
"Good, because I need her intact to go talk to Enki about our plans. Mukuro I need time to get Vena settled in," He pointed at the door.
Mukuro glared at him, "I don't like this Hiei. You shouldn't have a stranger masquerading as your girlfriend."
"She's not masquerading! She's my girlfriend!"
Mukuro shook her head, "Maybe she is, maybe she isn't, but you know I don't like this and that's what I'm sticking to."
"Either way, goodbye," Vena waved her off.
"This isn't over!" Mukuro left the apartment.
Hiei sighed, "As you can see." he shook his head and moved closer to the woman again. "You've got to keep alert. Mukuro can make razor thin wires like a spider's web that slices you up rather than catches you."
"I'll keep that in mind." Vena nodded.
"Good."
"So," she glanced around, "Show me the apartment?"
Hiei looked about, "Uh, that's a closet," He pointed to one of the two doors in the large room. Basically the place had everything in the single room. The bed was tucked near the back, and at the foot of it were two doors. The one on the inside was the closet he indicated, "And that's the bathroom," the door on the far side was what he pointed to next. Towards the front of the room on the wall of the closet was a couch and table, while near the bed's side of the building, there was a kitchen that had everything but much more than a couple feet of counterspace. It didn't see much use even with the counter space.
The largest area was the bedroom area, which was marked off by a switch in levels. The floor was raised up a couple steps, and a carpet rather than the modulating rough leathery internal skin. It had a dresser on the far, caved out wall, and the bed with one side nearly against the stairs, and the other had a table with an alarm and the only photograph in the place.
Vena approached the bed and sat down, feeling the mattress before she rolled over onto it and kicked her feet up, "I can sleep on this."
"Heh, after enough hours awake, you could probably sleep on anything." Hiei pulled off his cloak and toed out of his boots, but joined her on the bed.
Vena threw her shoes off and undid her bun, "Yeah, that's true."
"If I wake up in Koenma's office, I'm going to tell Youko Kurama to hunt you down and kill you," he yawned and rolled onto his other side, putting his back to her.
"Why would I do that my lovable Dragon?" She rolled onto her side and wrapped an arm around his waist, snuggling up to his back, "You're so warm."
Hiei grunted in response and wrapped his arm under a pillow tucking his head back when he felt her breath tickle his neck. He did not like her so close, but he was tired. He'd been up for nearly twenty days straight with only brief naps, and he needed proper sleep.
Vena sat mostly alone in the mess hall on the bug, watching the few people that were there as she slowly munched on her lunch, just letting herself relax as she ate.
That was when she felt it, the strong, angry energy approaching her from the doorway. She looked up just in time to see Mukuro sneer in her general direction.
Vena just let her eyes follow the woman as she continued to eat.
When Mukuro reached her, she crossed her arms and glared, "You are not welcome here woman. Leave."
"Sorry, but I am." Vena waved her off.
"I am the ultimate authority here! What I say goes, now get out of my city."
"I don't care if you're my mother."
Mukuro grabbed the table with Vena's food and ripped it away from her, the whole longtable, nearly spinning it into the next one as she pushed Vena and the other demons eating there aside with the swing of the table.
Vena smacked into the ground hard, but it didn't phase her. She popped back up and found her plate, "I didn't know that table didn't work there, I thought it looked pretty nice myself."
"Damn it woman you're leaving Hiei alone! I don't know who you are, or why he thought he needed to hire you, but I know you were not in his life before."
"He didn't hire me." Vena waved her off with her utensil.
"Well he didn't know you," Mukuro growled slamming her hands down on the table making Vena's plate pop.
Vena grunted, "You're just a jealous bitch. Go and mope elsewhere, I don't have time to watch you mope."
"I'm not moping I'm defending my territory and you, are an invader. He did not know you, he couldn't have known you. If he had a girlfriend before, he would have said so when I first approached him."
"Well guess what?" She snapped, "He can meet new people, he's not some dog you can keep on a leash and pull around."
"He wouldn't start a relationship that fast," Mukuro growled lowly.
"How do you know it hasn't been going on for a while? Huh? Does he tell you every little thing?"
"He's not the type to quickly form relationships and you, are not his type. His precious fox is more his type than you are."
"You can't define what is Hiei's anything is. You're not some kind of god, you're another apparition."
"I'm the closest thing he has to a friend here, and none of the others have heard of you either. Before recently, no one has even heard the name Vena. You're not his material."
"Neither are you." Vena smirked.
"I don't care about that at this point," Mukuro shook her head. "He's made his point. He's willing to risk his life to make it, and I understand, but you, you do not belong!"
"How about you go rant to a wall? It might actually have sympathy for how you're feeling."
Mukuro was fuming at that point. She launched herself forward at Vena, but when she would have connected, Vena slipped backwards into a shadow on the floor. She didn't reappear.
Hiei jumped when he felt Vena suddenly appear in his room. He spun searching for her, and spotted her with a plate of food in her hand.
"Mukuro side swiped me with a table." She offered.
"I'm surprised she didn't kick you through the ceiling." Hiei nodded approvingly.
"I think she was about to, but I disappeared before she could."
"Good. It'd be difficult to keep you alive if one of those connected." He turned his back on her again and began pulling out more expired food. He'd had to give her money for the food court because, apparently, food expired. He'd never had that problem before. This was his first experience storing food for long periods of time. All the other years of his life someone else did it, or, he just killed and ate whatever he could find at the time.
"Yeah, probably. She doesn't like me at all," Vena chuckled.
"Understandable, she knows me pretty well." Hiei sighed, "I'm surprised it worked honestly. I never expected she'd believe me enough to actually back off."
"She's still a bit skeptical," Vena said around a mouth of food.
"She spoke to you, therefore she's not skeptical, she's just trying to get you to admit that you're not actually my girlfriend. You don't know her like I do."
Vena shrugged, "Yeah, that's true. The chefs here are really good by the way."
"Hn." Hiei tossed another couple of things and started on the freezer.
Vena finished her plate and came over to him, gently touching his back.
Hiei glanced over his shoulder, but even in the short time together, he'd come to enjoy her touches. At first, they'd made his skin crawl. He wasn't used to it, and any contact was a foreign problem to him, but after sleeping in her arms, or with her in his arms, it started to become more natural that she'd touch him whenever she was close so he wouldn't back into her, and so she could give him pleasure with massages.
"I have a feeling a lot of this food isn't good," She offered quietly.
"You mean I should just throw all of it out?"
"Maybe," She picked up one of the things and opened the package, "This is freezer burnt." She tossed it and grabbed another food item, "This should be alright."
Hiei sighed and stepped away so she could go through it quicker.
In a few minutes she was finished sorting it and closed the door, "Alright, that's done."
"Are you, still willing to stay?"
"Hell yeah, I haven't had this much fun in a long time!"
Hiei smirked. He was beginning to really like this girl. It was dangerous, but spending all the time he did with her, it was also inevitable. She came with him on patrols, to meetings, and out into the shopping district when necessary. From what he'd seen, she quickly socialized in a way that actually earned her respect without some large show of power. He was beginning to earn more respect as a man who could "pick them" whatever that meant, and he enjoyed the power shift.
Men were also treating him differently, like they'd always assumed he would be attracted to him on some level, and now they were opening up. He didn't like that because he didn't want to deal with the idiots, but it was interesting to watch. When Vena was around, she was able to socialize with them either opened or closed with ease, which took the pressure off.
"So, now Dragon, what do we do?"
"Go buy healthy food." He felt his chest warm at the name she'd given him, and his tongue spill his plan before his mouth considered it.
"That sounds like a great idea." She chuckled.
Hiei toed into his boots and slipped his cloak on knowing his shadow would follow at her own gradual pace. Vena touched his shoulder and nodded, smiling.
Hiei left the apartment and headed for the fresh market. It was a noisy busy place he often loathed going to, but with Vena around, it gave him a mediator who was actually very good at the job, and they were able to buy what they needed for the two of them for the same price as it had taken for him to just get what he almost wanted.