The small amount of progress Genkai had made with Seien was gone. She yelled at Seien every now and then, as usual. Seien sat paralyzed with her hand out in front of her, not looking at Genkai, but staring at her hand.
Seien stayed like that until noon.
Then she went back to the house and ate a slice of bread.
Then, while Genkai tried to completely concentrate on getting Yusuke to do something, Kurama tried and failed to get Seien to do something. Kurama told himself over and over again that afternoon that Seien would be better when Hiei talked to her.
But, finally Kurama gave up on trying to correct her stance and grip, and told her to do drills swinging at a nearby tree. Boy, did that tree ever get what was coming to it.
It was the tree Hiei sat in during Seien's first lessons. Seien, remembering this, let out a growl and started having at that tree.
Kurama was bewildered. Genkai and Yusuke stopped to watch her too.
---------
Finally it was time for Hiei's lesson. Seien held her katana in her hand as Genkai and Kurama and Yusuke left and Hiei appeared.
He did not draw his weapon, but walked towards Seien, who, thinking this was some weird new form of attack, swung at him. He grabbed her wrist and made her drop the sword.
He pinned her to a tree, both his hand pushing on her shoulders. Seien struggled and failed, trying to believe it was still part of training. She scooted her feet up against his chest, so that she was curled in a ball and kicked and stomped and tried to dislodge him.
"Stop that." Hiei said, but she didn't. Seien screamed at him a kicked harder.
Hiei shook her, "I said to STOP. I came here to apologize and tell you not to worry anymore. Kurama gave me a potion to make this stop."
"HA!" Seien screamed at him. "That bastard did no such thing. He gave you a potion, yeah, but it wasn't to stop your feelings. HE TRICKED YOU!"
Seien sort of sang the last part; a taunt.
"It was to give you dreams. About me. He said so, that night in my room. It's to make you realize you LO-OVE me. So have you been having dreams, huh? About me? Telling me how much you love me?
"WELL I REFUSE. I REFUSE TO BE PART OF THIS. I will not be a pawn in Kurama's plan to turn you into normal person. I refuse to stay here and be part of Koenma's plan to have me be princess, or Yuki's plan to have me as his bride or yours, for that matter. I won't be stepped on by you," Seien continued,"Ever since my dad died it seemed like everyone does. All of you stupid guys. Now that the brick house is gone, any old big bad wolf can come and blow everything away. I was finally going to get away from it all, too. And you came and KIDNAPPED ME."
Seien was finally able to break free from Hiei who was quite stunned. She ran into the woods, thinking to go back home.
Hiei watched her, 'til she disappeared into the trees. It was true, he had had a similar dream. But... she didn't care whether it was love or lust or anything... she just wanted a say in the matter.
Hiei followed her until it was almost dawn. Seien finally collapsed near the side of a road in the new morning sun. He scooped her up, bridal style (of course) and carefully made his way back to the house. When they arrived he took her straight to her room, via the window and locked the door.
Her clothes were dirty and sweaty. Hiei decided to put her in something clean before he lay Seien in her bed. He pulled her shirt off gently, trying not to stare, or, for that matter, even look too much, and replaced it with another, larger one that she could wear as a night gown. Then, he slipped off her shorts and tucked her into bed.
---------
Kurama was throughly satisfied to see Hiei sneaking out of Seien's room.
"So?" he said.
Hiei promptly punch his face. "You are a lying, sneaking fox. And your little plan didn't work. Now leave and go to school. I'll deal with you later."
Hiei shoved him aside and went downstairs to get Seien something to eat when she woke up. Then, after not answering anybody's questions about where they had been he marched back up the stair and locked himself in Seien's room.
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Hiei stayed in Seien's room until she woke up. And unfortunately Hiei was asleep at the time.
In her bed.
Seien made a straggled noise at the sight of her premonition coming true. "Ggghhhhnnnnnngggg."
It made Hiei wake up and proclaim, "Oh shit."
Seien looked back and forth between Hiei and the chair with her shirt draped over it and the wide open window. "You didn't..."
Hiei shook his head, "I was waiting for you to wake up. You were running in the woods and you collapsed. I brought you back. And I had food for you, when you woke up... I just fell asleep. And...what you said last night, I think you're right. If you want me to take you home, or to college, or... where ever, I will. You don't have to be a princess. I'd stay and watch over you until after the tournament, so nobody would hurt you."
Seien laid back down and tugged Hiei's arm so he would too.
I'm sorry. Seien said, and snuggled up against Hiei. He was a faint pink color, like the sky outside.
Hiei was laying flat on his back with Seien's arms curled around one of his. He could feel her breathe on his shoulder. "If you don't want to have training today, I think we could say you're sick, but I should go down eventually. Kurama saw me before and by now has probably told everyone we had sex in the woods. And if I was caught in your bed it would confirm it. Even if Kurama said nothing, they'd assume."
Seien giggled. "Nope. You're not going anywhere. You're being punished for being an asshole. You are going to stay here and cuddle with me all day and tomorrow when they ask where we've been we aren't going to say anything except punch Kurama. 'Kay? 'Kay."
Seien snuggled in a bit closer and poked Hiei in the side. "Okay, slave, cuddle me to sleep."
She unraveled her arms and turned away from him. Hiei watched her, then slowly turned and put his arm around her waist.
"Well, that's a start." Seien said, "Now snuggle in closer so we... our bodies.. touch."
Hiei did and Seien giggled, "I've never had to tell someone HOW to cuddle before. I thought it was one of those things you just knew."
Seien was a tinge embarrassed to be given him directions, and then having them followed. Especially, when he got so close, his chest on her back and his hips cradling hers. Seien was blushing too.
"Well, I've never cuddled before." Hiei said and put his cheek in the curve of the back of her neck, so the tip of his nose was up against her shoulder.
"Isn't that uncomfortable?" Seien asked; he was holding his head up off the pillow.
"No, I just wanted to smell you."
Seien giggled again and Hiei put his head back on the pillow.
---------
So for the next 24 hours Seien and Hiei spooned and cuddled and blushed each other to sleep. Then, dawn came again and Hiei went back to his own room. Seien went and showered and dressed and went downstairs like nothing had happened.
Genkai came in while she was eating breakfast. "So, missy, are you actually going to join me for training today or are you going to go back to sleep after your toast?"
Seien didn't answer, but strolled out to the path to the clearing and munched on her toast.