A/N: I AM NO LONGER IN SCHOOL. It is now officially summer vacation for me and my best friend and my girl friend are going to the same school as me next year. I'm a happy person.
Anywho, since none o' y'all care about that, on with review replies and the story!
Kuro Mizu-Kitsune: Thank you for reviewing, and you don't have to review the rest of the chapters if you don't want to. I'll take whatever reviews I can get, be they for the latest chapter or the whole thing. Hope you like the next chapters!
DemonUntilDeath: Thanks for pointing that out! Cookie for you! tosses cookie at you It's been updated and in regards to Karasu…you'll have to see.
Tala ishtar: Thanks and thanks for reviewing.
Italics are thoughts and flashbacks.
Chapter Seven
Raizen and Kurama stared at each other for a while, neither knowing what to say or think. Raizen suddenly grabbed Kurama's arm.
"Excuse us a moment." Before Sakyo or Hiei could stop him, the white-haired man had dragged Kurama off into the by-now empty hallway. Sakyo glanced up at Suzuka, whom nodded and disappeared from the balcony. The taller crime lord pulled Hiei back into his seat.
"Kurama-chan will be all right, don't worry. Suzuka is taking care of it." Hiei glared at his friend and his eyes strayed back to the hallway. In said hallway, Raizen dragged Kurama away from the dining room a bit before wheeling around and whispering to the boy in a low hiss.
"What are you doing here?! Do you have any idea how worried Yusuke is?! I've got three of my best men looking for you! Shiori told us you'd been kidnapped!" Kurama gave the man a somewhat nervous smile.
"Well, that's mostly true…"
"'Mostly'? What do you mean by 'mostly'? How the hell do you get 'mostly' kidnapped?!" The redhead rubbed the back of his neck and looked down at the ground.
"Well, it's kind of a long story…"
"Start story-telling." Sighing, Kurama took a deep breath before briefly explaining what had happened in the last few days, leaving out a few details. By the end, Raizen's face was buried in his hands.
"Fuck. Just…fuck. I could kill that dumb-ass Shiori married."
"Is mother okay?" Raizen lowered his hands and nodded, expression softening.
"Yes, she's fine. When the police arrived, she was taken to the hospital for an hour or two before they deemed she was all right. As soon as she got out, she came over to our house and called up her lawyer to divorce that bastard. Trust me, she's fine. And she's worried about you. We all are." Kurama hung his head, tears beginning to sting his eyes.
"I'm worried about her too. And everyone else. But…I do owe Hiei for helping me, twice now. If he let me go, his life would be in more danger. And if I ran away, he would have to come after me." Raizen sighed and nodded, running a hand through his hair.
"Yeah, I know. I've been in his position before. Both of you are in a pretty dangerous position. If he did let you go, he wouldn't be the only one in danger. Other crime lords would try and kidnap you to get at Hiei. There's no way you can go back now." The redhead nodded sadly, a tear slipping down his cheek. Raizen regarded him for a few seconds before reaching over and wiping the tear away.
"Hey, cheer up Red. Hiei's not that bad a guy to get stuck with." Kurama looked up, surprise and confusion written all over his pretty face. The other crime lord grinned a bit.
"I trust the guy. He won't hurt you or make you do anything you don't want to. And I'll tell Shiori and the other's that you're all right. So don't worry." Blinking in surprise for a few seconds, the redhead smiled at him and wiped off his tears.
"T-thank you, Raizen-san." Raizen grinned a bit, ruffling the other's hair affectionately.
"Being friends with Yusuke has to have some perks. Come on. Let's get back to the dinner before Hiei thinks I raped you or something." Kurama blanched slightly, but covered it up quickly and just nodded. They moved back into the dining room, unaware of the blonde watching them carefully. Once Suzuka was sure the redhead was safe, he headed back to the balcony that overlooked the dining room. Just as he had turned around, he came face to face with a rather attractive male with long, purple hair.
"Shishi. What's up?" The male gave the blonde a look before stepping closer, a mischievous gleam in his eyes.
"You seem rather concerned about that redhead." Suzuka cocked an eyebrow, leaning back against the railing that surrounded the balcony and giving Shishi a curious look.
"He seems like a good kid. The idea of him gettin' hurt doesn't appeal to me." Shishi hummed in his throat, a thoughtful look in his face. He stopped in front of Suzuka and wrapped his arms around the other's neck, leaning against the broad chest.
"But you're making me feel jealous…" The blonde grinned and placed his hands on the other's hips.
"Ah, apologies. What can I do to make it up to you?" Licking his lips, Shishi leaned forward to briefly kiss Suzuka before whispering in his ear.
"Don't worry. I have a way to make you pay attention to me, and only me." The blonde's eyes glittered and he kissed the purple-haired male's neck, relishing the silky feel of it.
"And what's your way?" Shishi just grinned and sank to his knees slowly, staying in front of Suzuka.
"Oh, you'll see."
I AM A LINE PLEASE IGNORE ME BECAUSE I AM NOTHING MORE THAN A LINE
Hiei watched as Kurama and Raizen returned, Kurama sitting elegantly beside Sakyo while Raizen flopped into his chair. Both looked rather pleased, Kurama more so than Raizen. The redhead struck up a cheerful conversation with Sakyo while Hiei glared at the other crime lord. Raizen noticed the look and grinned a bit. He jerked his head to Kurama and then shook it, a sign they hadn't done anything. Then he leaned forward and motioned for Hiei to do the same. Curiosity overtook the shorter crime lord and he leaned forward as well.
"He's my son's best friend. Don't worry, I'm not going to do anything to him." Hiei nodded a bit nervously, slowly sitting back in his seat again. Raizen was a bad person to rub the wrong way. Things could get rather…interesting if he grew angry with Hiei for kidnapping Kurama. Interesting in this context meaning oh god oh god we're all gonna die. He didn't look angry though. Dinner somehow passed without anyone killing anyone else. A few arguments started up, but were generally quelled with a scathing remark from Hiei or a thinly veiled insult from Sakyo. Or a compromise from Kurama. It eventually became well past midnight and everyone had filtered back into the large ball room to talk and brag and whatever else they did at large social events. Hiei located a dark corner for himself and refused to move, watching as Kurama socialized with the people there. He was a natural at bringing the attention of a crowd to himself, even if he didn't mean to. The way his eyes sparkled, the way he tilted his head occasionally, the way he gestured with his hands, everything about him caught people's attention. Hiei watched him intently, scarlet eyes taking in every bit of him. The way his hair rolled down over his shoulders and back like a waterfall of shimmering fire, the way his eyes changed color depending on his emotions, the way his whole body seemed to be artistry in it's most human form. Though it made Hiei wonder: he'd seen Kurama's mother, and she looked like a normal, average woman, nothing at all like Kurama. So his looks must have come from his father's side. So what the heck did his father look like?
Is that even his natural hair color? Is that even his natural eye color? Is it possible to dye your eyes? Wouldn't it hurt though? That can't be a natural color for hair. Or eyes. Wait, could it? How would that come about anyway? Eat a lot of cherries while you're pregnant? Cherries and emeralds? Maybe rubies. Did she eat rubies? Would that even affect that kid at all? How the hell did he get his hair to look like that? And his eyes? Colored contacts?
"Hiei?" The crime lord jerked awake, finding himself staring into the very eyes he had been daydreaming about. The teen cocked his head to the side, curiosity written across his delicate features.
"What are you thinking so intently about?" Hiei just stared straight into Kurama's eyes, looking for any sign of something unnatural. He came up with nothing and shrugged, leaning back against the wall.
"Nothing. You need something?" Nodding slightly, Kurama looked a bit guilty at his next words.
"Well, we've been here a while, and I'm starting to get a little tired, so I was wondering if we could head back some time soon…If it's not too much trouble." Before the words had barely left Kurama's mouth, Hiei was up and dragging him towards the door. They met up with Sakyo, whom was saying good-bye to the people leaving. The long-haired crime lord looked mildly surprised to see Hiei dragging Kurama off.
"Hiei? Where are you taking Kura-chan?"
"Ah, sorry Sakyo-san, but this is my fault. I'm feeling a bit tired, so…" The man smiled and nabbed Kurama's hand, kissing it.
"Ah, say no more. I wouldn't have you standing around these drab people when you are not completely alert. I trust Hiei to take you…er…back, safely." Kurama nodded and smiled, waving as he was dragged back to the car. Sakyo chuckled as he watched Hiei contain himself enough to let Kurama in first before leaping in himself and slamming the door shut.
Kura-chan, you may just be my new way of bringing Hiei out more. Hey, that guy over there owes me money…
Meanwhile, with our two main characters, Kurama settled into the seat of the limo, preparing to take a bit of a nap. This thought, however, was pushed aside as Hiei spoke.
"Kurama, there's something I wanted to ask you." The teen cocked his head a bit.
"Yes? What is it?" The crime lord regarded him for a few seconds before speaking.
"Who was your real father?" Kurama's entire body froze and there was a long bought of silence where neither said anything or made a move to say anything. Finally, after a bit, the redhead spoke, looking down at his hands.
"I…I honestly don't know. I don't know who my real mother was either." Hiei frowned and sat up, scarlet eyes darkening in confusion.
"That woman at the house…you called her mother…"
"Shiori's been very kind to me, treating me like her own child, and I've grown to see her as my mother, but…because of her cancer, she's never been able to bear children." The crime lord's brain managed to process this in a few seconds and realization hit him like a ton of bricks.
"But that means you're-"
"Adopted, yes. I have no idea who or where my birth parents are or if they're even still alive." It grew very quiet for a long time, both lost in their own thoughts. Hiei gave a grim smile and ran a hand through his hair.
"We didn't know who our parents were either." Kurama looked up, confusion shimmering in his eyes.
"We?"
"Me and my twin sister, Yukina. We got dropped on the doorstep of an orphanage as babies, a couple of days after we were born. The people working at the orphanage said that there hadn't been anyone there, nor had there been a note or anything like that. All we had was the blanket we were both wrapped in and two necklaces." Reaching into his shirt, Hiei moved over to the redhead and pulled out a perfect, round crystal tied around his neck with black cord. It was completely untouched and looked as though it had been made a few days ago. Kurama reached forward tentatively, fingers gently touching the gem.
"It's beautiful…"
"Yeah. My sister Yukina had one too." Kurama's head snapped up.
"Had? You mean she doesn't anymore?" Hiei shook his head and put the necklace back in his shirt.
"She's dead. Died a while ago." Kurama's eyes turned softer.
"What happened?" The crime lord was silent for a bit before answering.
"The orphanage we got dropped at was in the poor part of town, and we got adopted by one of the 'nicer' families, nicer in this context meaning we only got beaten when there was a reason, when we were about ten. Our 'family' was actually a gang. I joined when I was old enough, mostly because I had to. They didn't force Yukina to, luckily. I went to jail at least once a week if not more. There I made 'friends', people I thought I could count on. Then when I was sixteen, I got sent to jail for a few days instead of a night. Yukina didn't know where I was and went looking for me. Unfortunately for her, my 'friends' had gotten out before me and came across her. They'd met her before, but I guess the knowledge that she was my sister didn't stop them from gang-raping her and then shooting her." Kurama's eyes widened, fear and horror spreading into the emerald orbs, but Hiei wasn't done.
"I got out and found her body, lying in a ditch with her clothes torn open and a bullet wound in her stomach. I didn't know who had done it, so there was nothing I could do. Then I heard them bragging about it a year or so later. I had a gun by then and I turned around and shot one of them, the one I had been closest to. I only got his shoulder, but I was going to kill him." Here, Hiei's eyes darkened.
"They outnumbered me, so I figured they'd stay and fight, at least to protect their friend. But they all ran. The damn cowards ran. The one I had shot begged me for mercy. I would have killed him if my family hadn't stopped me and dragged me off before the police got there. They arrested everyone there, including the guy I'd shot, and put them all through court. I saw it in the news and I had hoped that bastard got killed for what he did to Yukina. But they…they found him innocent. He got off with a little slap on the wrist while Yukina suffered through so much pain before losing her life." There was silence for a long time, neither saying a word. After a few minutes, Kurama spoke in a shaky voice.
"T-that's why…t-that's why you said the three people you hated were-"
"Yeah. That's why." It was completely silent again, neither knowing what to say anymore. Kurama looked down at the crime lord next to him, mind racing with things to say.
"…I'm sorry." Hiei snorted and leaned back in the chair from his previous position of leaning on his knees.
"Not your fault. It's not like you were one of the people who raped her."
"I know, but-"
"But nothing. Don't be sorry for something you didn't do." Kurama fell silent again, looking down at his hands. It was quiet for almost half an hour, both falling into their own thoughts. Hiei suddenly spoke, the sound making Kurama jump a bit.
"So if your name is Shuichi, why do you call yourself Kurama?" The redhead blinked at the sudden topic change, then realized that the crime lord expected an answer.
"O-oh. My friends and I were reading up on ancient lore once and we found a bandit fox named Yoko Kurama. Since Yoko already had the first part of the name, my friends just started calling me Kurama." Hiei nodded, a thoughtful look on his face.
"How did you get to be friends with Raizen's son anyway? I've heard things about Yusuke and he doesn't seem the type of kid someone like you would get mixed up with."
"We met up when he…ah…saved me from getting raped by a teacher." Hiei blanched, nearly falling out of his chair.
"He saved you from what?!" Kurama smiled nervously and rubbed the back of his neck.
"Well, my mother's said I've always looked very beautiful, even when I was younger. Anyway, he's-"
"Oh hell no, go back! You almost got raped by a teacher?!"
"Yes, in fifth grade. But it-"
"You almost got raped by a teacher while you were in the fifth grade?!" The redhead scratched the side of his cheek, looking a bit sheepish.
"Well…yeah…" Hiei just stared at him, eye twitching as his mind was assaulted with images of a younger Kurama getting forced over a desk, sobbing, while an average looking man in nice clothes leered at him, pinning his wrists down and getting ready to-
"Anyway, Yusuke stopped him by drop-kicking him in the head and then proceeding to beat him up. The principal called the police and Yusuke got suspended while my teacher went to court for attempted statuary rape. When Yusuke got back, he and Kuwabara, my other friend, deemed themselves my bodyguards and we started hanging out since then." The crime lord was dragged back to the present to see Kurama giving him a curious look. Wiping the images from his mind, he buried his face in his hands.
"You're too beautiful for your own good."
"If I admitted to that, I'd sound a bit arrogant, now wouldn't I." Hiei consented to this insight and nodded, lost in thought again.
"If you're tired, you should go to sleep." Kurama nodded a bit and tried to make himself comfortable in the seat. He yelped a bit as Hiei grabbed his shoulders, forcing him down into his lap.
"H-Hiei-"
"Sleep. I won't do anything to you." The redhead blinked in surprise, than smiled slightly and settled into the other's lap. Hiei watched as the teen fell asleep quickly, whole body relaxing and chest falling into an even pattern of breathing. Sighing, he began stroking the long silky red locks and letting his mind wander a bit.
…He has a fetish for collars…
I AM A LINE PLEASE IGNORE ME BECAUSE I AM NOTHING MORE THAN A LINE
Kurama slowly opened his eyes, unsure of where he was. He blinked a bit in surprise as his eyes fell on silk black sheets. Sitting up, he looked around and noticed he was back in Hiei's room. His shoes had been removed and a pair of loose, silk pajamas had replaced his clothes. He blinked again and rubbed the sleep from his eyes, searching for Hiei. The crime lord wasn't in the room. Frowning, the redhead checked the time and groaned as he flopped back onto the pillows. It was three-thirty in the morning, way too early for him to be up. Rolling over, he tried to get back to sleep, but found it difficult for some reason. He tossed and turned for a while before eventually exhaustion grabbed hold of him and he began to drift off. A few stories above him, cloak wrapped around him to ward off the night chill, Hiei glowered at the darkness. In his hand was a round, crystal necklace that had once belonged to someone else.
Nii-san, if I die, promise me you'll take my necklace and give it to someone very special to you.
Hiei wheeled around to stare at his twin, scarlet eyes wide.
"What?! Where did that come from?! Yukina, you're not sick, are you?" The blue-haired girl smiled and shook her head.
"No, I'm not sick." Hiei quickly moved next to her, checking her over for any wounds. When he didn't find any, he half glared at his sister.
"Yukina, don't worry me like that! And don't say things like that either! You're not going to die. Not before me at any rate." Yukina smiled a bit sadly and looked down at her hands.
"I know. But still, if I do, promise me you'll take my necklace and give to someone special to you." The more muscular of the two put his hands on his hips and glared.
"Okay, what's this all about. Was snitch-face being mean to you again? If he was, I'll-"
"No, no one was being mean to me. Please, just promise me."
"You're not-"
"Please, nii-san. Please just promise me." Hiei regarded her for a few seconds before snorting.
"Pointless anyway. You're the only person who means anything to me."
"Nii-san-"
"All right, all right, I promise, I promise. If, on some bizarre turn of events, you die before me, I promise to take your necklace and give it to someone special to me. Happy now?" Beaming, Yukina flung her arms around the other's neck.
"Very. Thank you nii-san. You're the best." Hiei grumbled and pretended to reluctantly return the hug when in reality, he was happy his sister was happy.
"Yeah, yeah, I'm a saint. Now let go before someone sees or something."
Hiei pressed his lips together in a thin line, still rubbing the gem with his thumb. If he hadn't made that promise to Yukina, he would have just buried the necklace with her.
You keep haunting me, imouto-chan.
Sighing, he looked down at the crystal. He had been sitting on the roof for nearly three hours now, trying to sort out his head. His eyes wandered down to the window of the room…his room, actually, where Kurama slept, hopefully in peace. The redhead was beginning to make his way through the barriers that surrounded Hiei, even if he didn't realize it. It bothered Hiei, but at the same time he wasn't willing to do anything to stop it.
I already bared a good half of my soul to him. I'm actually helping him break down my walls. …Why? Why am I doing something so ridiculous as that? Why do I act so differently around him? Why does everything feel complicated when it comes to him? Kidnap a family member as payment, sell them on the black market. That's it. But him…I didn't hit him back when he hit me. I stopped them from hurting him. I let him stay in my room. I didn't kick him out. I didn't sell him. Hell, I could have sold him to Sakyo easy. But instead I got protective. I didn't like Sakyo touching him. I almost killed Karasu. Karasu, who was practically my second in command, next to Toguro. I kicked out one of my most trusted friends. I almost killed them too. I only left that ball when he wanted to. When he was tired. I told him about Yukina. I told him about my past. I carried him up to my room. My room. Not a different one, but mine. This is the third night in a row I'm not sleeping in my own bed, and it's because of him. Why do I like him so much? Why does he like me so much? It can't just be physical attraction. That's there, definitely, but it's not the only thing. So what else is there? Not love. It's not love, at least not yet. But there's something…personality? Ha. Yeah, he's attracted to my personality. My stunning, shining, snarky, sarcastic, insulting personality. Yeah, he's definitely attracted to that all right.
Snorting, Hiei stood and draped the necklace over his neck, letting it fall next to it's look-alike. He stared at the two gems for a few seconds before tucking them back into his shirt and wrapping his cloak around him.
Later. I'll figure it all out later. Maybe I will give it to Kurama. If nothing more than to make imouto-chan happy.
The crime lord scowled and shook his head, leaping down to one of the lower roofs before sliding off the edge and grabbing hold of the sill of the window to his room. Pulling himself up, he opened the window and slipped in, staying as silent as possible. Kurama didn't stir, his eyes remaining closed and his chest rising and falling with each breath. Hiei quietly shut the window and looked at the redhead, mind racing with earlier thoughts.
What is it? What is it that's between us? What's the attraction? What is it? Why do I like him so much? Why him? What is it? Why him? Why? What?
Slipping off his cloak, Hiei moved closer to closer to Kurama's sleeping form. The thoughts listed above kept spinning around his head like a broken record. He set one knee onto the bed, leaning closer and closer until he was mere inches away from the other's face. He hovered there for a few seconds while his thoughts grew louder and louder.
What is it? What? What? What?!
Hiei finally closed the distance, pressing his lips to the redhead's for a brief moment before pulling back. Kurama didn't stir at all and the crime lord fingered his lips. They were still warm from the heat they had taken from Kurama's.
What is it about you, Minamino Shuichi…Kurama… What is it about you?
End of Chapter Seven
A/N: Okay, I really hate to end it there, but if I continue it'll take me forever to finish. Also, this is possibly the best place to end the chapter. I promise to get the next one out as soon as freaking possible, so don't fret. There shall be a Next button after this chapter soon enough. Drop a review, please don't kill me, and hope it's enough to make your inner fangirl squeal with joy. Ciao!
