Chapter Ten

Love

"Baka No Kitsune..." He heard the words and felt a soft pair of lips touch his own as he faded in and out of blackness.

The searing pain in his chest was almost enough to cast him into unconsciousness. He willed his eye lids to open. They were heavy from the poisons pulsing through his veins, and protested at the exertion. In front of him were the beautiful crimson eyes that had haunted his dreams. They were large and searching, those of a child, afraid and helpless.

As the gorgeous orbs filled with tears he almost wished that he hadn't swallowed the bottle of cyanide. Hadn't tried to take his life. He may not have been able to be with Hiei...But at least he could have watched him, loved him from a distance. But he had put the bottle up to his lips. Had taken the poisons into his body. It was too late to change things.

Hiei's lips were moving...But...He couldn't quite make out the words. His ears buzzed with protest to the sound. His body wanted to shut down, but he wouldn't let it, not yet. With death looming at his door his courage mounted. Now he could say what he had always wanted...Without having to face the disgusted looks from his friend afterward.

"Ai Shiteru...Ni...Hiei..." His breaths came in little gasps as his heart pounded faster, harder, seeming to want to break it's way through his ribs. He closed his eyes willing in death, to avoid the disgusted look his love was certain to give. But instead of distaste all that he saw was longing in the little fire apparition's eyes.

"Ai...Shi..Teru Ni...My love..." A single tear fell from Hiei's eye as he stared down at Kurama. The words he had just spoken wrenched at his heart. He was the reason that his friend was hurting. It was his fault, dammit! How could he not have known?

The Kitsune smiled, but didn't seem to hear his words. He reached up slowly and touched a pale, and shaking yet, achingly delicate hand against the little youkai's cheek.

As Kurama's eyes closed and he slipped into the realm of unconsciousness terror filled Hiei. "No! Didn't you hear me dammit! I love you! I've always loved you! Don't go! I'm so Sorry!" Didn't he understand? Hiei would gladly go back in time...Give his love...His LIFE to the Kitsune.

Sobs racked his body painfully as he held Kurama. He had been too late. He hadn't been able to stop his friend..No..His love. The only one he would ever love. He was gone now, and he would never return. His limbs became heavy as the reality crashed into him like waves on the ocean shore. He couldn't seem to hold his head up, the swirling sensation behind his eyes marring his vision and his balance. He laid his head on Kurama's chest allowing his sobs to come freely, but a sound invaded his ears. A shallow beating sound. Hiei quieted. It was a pulse! Dear God, he was alive!

He picked up Kurama's body, shuddering at how thin his love had become. He was almost weightless as Hiei hauled him into his arms and forced his way out of the bathroom, toward the crowd of people laughing and talking at the reception.

"Oh...My God..." Yusuke whispered in horror as he saw Kurama limp in Hiei's arms. The smaller man was almost engulfed in Kurama's tall frame, but the former spirit detective didn't miss the tears in the little demon's eyes.

"We have...to get help..." Hiei seemed to force the words to squeak out of his throat. "He swallowed...poison...He's still alive...He needs...help." Little gems clicked to the floor in front of Hiei, and everyone's eyes swung to the odd pair, wondering just what had happened in the bathroom.

Kuabara hurried to a phone and dialed for an ambulance, while Yukina shooed everyone out of the reception hall to their proper vehicles. The two were a good team, and they handled everything in a very short amount of time. They were fairly close to the hospital so an ambulance should be there in a matter of minutes. Yususke attempted to explain this to Hiei, but the little man squirmed uncomfortably.

"But I could get him there faster...He needs help NOW!"

Yusuke tried futilely to calm the little man's fears by explaining that Kurama would be fine. He would get the help he needed. Hiei still seemed restless, and just about as he was about to give in and let Hiei take the Kitsune to the hospital he heard the wailing of sirens in the parking lot, and he breathed a sigh of relief.

They had only been able to allow one person into the ambulance and everyone opted for Hiei to ride. He was obviously the most distressed out of all of them, having had seen the incident and being closer to Kurama than any of them. As he rode with the EMT's he smoothed back the Kitsune's hair. It was dull and sweat beaded on his forehead. As he laid there he moaned and writhed, speaking incoherent conjurings to the demons of his mind.

Hiei choked back his tears. It killed him to see his love in such distress. Feverish splotches marred his handsome face, as did the paleness of his sunken cheeks. There were monitors hooked to him, and the doctor was holding a mask over his face. Yusuke had said that this thing that Hiei had though a device of torture was to help his friend breath.

The doctor...Oh he was such an ass. Hiei knew that the man could see that he was distressed, yet the bastard wouldn't stop questioning him. "Were you with the patient during the act?"

Hiei nodded in silent response.

"What did the patient swallow, exactly?"

He grit his teeth and uttered out, "Cyanide." He could see the look of disgust on the doctor's face. This man was really starting to piss him off.

"And about how much did the patient consume?"

" I don't know exactly...About two ounces, I'm guessing." He said it with a hint of warning.

"Did the patient take it intentionally."

This is when Hiei snapped. That was NOT something this man needed to know! He stood up in the ambulance, and the doctor scooted away from the small, fuming man. "For one you pompous ass, that PATIENT has a name! And for two...What the hell does intentionally or not matter?! He still took it! Now, your job is to save his life, so do your God damn JOB!!"

Hiei didn't hear another peep out of the EMT the rest of the way to the hospital.

He had never been in a hospital before and the smell bombarded his senses as he entered. The sterile white mixed with the glare of florescent light stung his eyes, but he ignored it. He needed to stay with Kurama.

It was all very confusing. First they took Kurama away and wouldn't let him go with his friend. They were saying something about surgery. This alarmed Hiei. No one was going to cut into his friend. He was about to start fighting when he remembered what Yusuke had said before Hiei had gotten into the ambulance.

"Remember, Hiei, they may force you away from him...Listen to them, they are probably taking his to get his stomach pumped. They know what's best for him...And if you can't trust them, trust me. We'll be there in a matter of minutes."

It took all of his will to back away and let them wheel his friend into a room with machines attached to almost every open space on his body. Then they led him to an empty and desolate room near the area where they had taken Kurama. He sat down on one of the chairs in the room. The hard cushion wasn't much better than if it had been wooden, and he shifted to find a comfortable position, to no avail.

He looked around the room and a pot of coffee and Styrofoam cups caught his attention. Hiei poured himself a cup of the thick, black brew and took a generous swallow. He let the warmth filter through his body, but he still felt...So cold.

Soon his friends arrived. Yukina still wore her wedding dress, and as she shivered Kuabara shed his jacket and laid it over his little wife's shoulders. She leaned into him, and when he circled her with his oversized arms she stopped shivering. Hiei almost laughed. At least one good thing had come out of this night. Yukina had found a man that she loved, and that loved her back. No matter how much he hated the big ogre...He was a good man, and he would love and cherish Yukina until the day he died.

Hiei had that too now...Now that he knew the depth of Kurama's feelings. And then and there he swore that no matter what...If his Kitsune lived through the night...He would let him know how much he loved him, and how miserable he had been without him. He swore to himself that Kurama would be his. That he would be his to cherish and love until the day he died...and beyond.

Authors Babble: Thank you so much to all of my reviewers. You guys ROCK! In fact, I got the idea for this chappie from my buddy and fellow writer Blackrose Kitsune. She usually reads all of my stuff prior to posting, but this is even a surprise to her. This is more than anything an elaboration on chappie nine and may help to sooth some of the disappointment found in chapter nine for lack of description. Pretty much with chapter nine I had a horrible writers block and decided to force my way past it...Bad writing or no. I know that is no exuse for bad writing but, now my block is gone and I hope this one is better than chappie nine. Thank you SO MUCH to all of my reviewers. And a special thanks to blackrose for helping me so much and being my unofficial editor. Don't clock out of the story quite yet, though. I still have another chapter or two in me...And in my lovers.. Remember we still have Mukuro to deal with. If there are any suggestions to do this I don't have that planned out yet so e-mail me at any suggestions are welcome...Except killing Mukuro...Already thought that over and can't make it work. Thank You SO MUCH and Caoi.