This chapter is very flashback-y (Is that a word?) and have some Arabic thrown in. Translations at the bottom.
Little Hiroko stared up at the tall dark man who seemed to be called Mansour. He held the cloth tighter around his small body. He was only 16,eight in demon years. What if this big man wanted to hurt him?
Mansour crouched down to Hiroko's level and smiled. "Momken finjan maa'?" (1)He asked, moving his hands as if he was drinking water.
Hiroko blinked his big black eyes. "Water?" He frowned and looked down before nodding. "Okay. I'm sure Grandpa won't mind. You did help me."
He timidly extended an arm to the hawk, who didn't seem repulsed by the feathers on his arm as most where. Mansour stood and took the child's hand, allowing him to lead the way.
Hiroko lived with the village healer, who he affectionately called Grandpa. His parents had abandoned him when he first hatched, after seeing his deformities. In fact, his parents lived a few houses down.
"Grandpa!" Hiroko called as he neared his small home. The same one he and his family would inhabit many years later.
"Who's that with you Hiroko...And where are your clothes?" Grandpa said, coming out from behind the home with a basket of leaves in his hands. He dropped the basket and quickly went to the child.
Hiroko let go of Mansour's hand as Grandpa inspected him. "The others...Um...Attacked me, I guess. He saved me though!"
Grandpa looked at the dark skinned hawk. Hiroko didn't clearly remember what the kind old demon looked like. He only remembered he looked like a normal Japanese crane demon-solid white hair with black tips and bright red bangs.
"Thank you." the old demon said after deeming the black cape wearing man was no threat to his ward.
Mansour blinked, "La afham."(2)
"He doesn't speak Japanese." Hiroko said, tugging the odd pants the older demon wore. The pants where tied with rope around his ankles, giving them a baggy appearance. "Do you still want water?"
Mansour stared at the boy, "Maa'?"(3)
Little Hiroko nodded. "Water."
Mansour narrowed his eyes at the child. "Water."
Hiroko smiled brightly. "Yes. Water. To drink."
The hawk nodded.
Hiroko looked at Grandpa, who sighed and nodded. "It's fine."
The child smiled and grabbed Mansour's hand, leading him into the house.
"Sit. I will get you water." Hiroko said, making Mansour sit around the low table in the middle of the room.
"Water." Mansour said, grinning.
Hiroko, still wrapped in the cloth Mansour had given him, went to a barrel in the corner of the room and filled a cup with water, going back to Mansour and giving it to him.
The hawk greedily drank the water and sighed happily. He smiled at the boy and suddenly pulled him closer. He held some of Hiroko's short black hair in his hands, "Aswad…(4)" He looked into Hiroko's eyes, gently stroking the boy's cheek. "Aswad."(4)
He frowned and tugged at the cloth surrounding the boy.
Hiroko blushed red, "You want it back? Okay. Turn around."
Mansour cocked his head. Hiroko pointed at the cloth and then in the opposite direction. "I'm going to put some clothes on."
"Ohh..." Mansour said, turning his head to look in the other direction.
Hiroko went to a small chest near the pile of futons and took out a spare kimono, quickly changing.
"Okay...Mena...Manso..."The child frowned as he walked back to the hawk. "I can't say your name..." He said, sitting next to Mansour and handing him the cloth.
Mansour took it and deftly wrapped it around his head and mouth. The older demon leaned down and stared at the child, who fidgeted.
"Why are you staring?" Hiroko asked, glaring at the foreign hawk.
Mansour turned his head to one side. He grabbed the crane child and pulled him onto his lap.
"What are you doing?" Hiroko cried, though he didn't struggle. The big demon made him feel safe.
Mansour stroked Hiroko's cheek and nuzzled his cheek against the child's hair. "Anta Jameel... Sa-Aj3aluka Li Yowman Min AlAyyam(5)."
Hiroko blinked, "What?"
Mansour suddenly placed the boy on the floor and stood. He smiled down at him, suddenly crouching. He moved the cloth from his face and kissed the boy. "Salaam!(6)" He said pleasantly to the shocked child before replacing the cloth on his face and bounding out the open door.
--
Hiroko smiled at the memory and quickly wrote instructions on a scroll of paper. "Give this directly to Lord Sesshomaru." He said, looking down at Kiiro.
"Yes Mama." The boy said with a smile. Ichi was sitting near the door, staring at the wall.
"Ichi?" Hiroko said softly, not looking up as he wrote on another scroll.
Ichi turned his head in Hiroko's direction. He'd apologized to his mother as soon as he and his brother had returned. "Hmm?"
"Can I speak to you?" The older crane asked, handing Kiiro the scroll bearing instructions for Sesshomaru and a request for Ayame to distract Kiiro for a few hours.
Ichi nodded and stood, stepping to one side as Kiiro ran past him.
As soon as his youngest son was gone Hiroko's smile disappeared. "I need a favor from you."
Ichi moved to stand in front of his mother, sightless black eyes looking right into Hiroko's sad black ones.
Hiroko sighed, his eyes wandering to his sleeping mate. Only he knew, of course, that his eyes had moved. "I need you to keep your brother busy for as long as possible."
Ichi folded his arms into his sleeves. "He's going to die soon."
Hiroko's body stiffened. "Yes. Must you put it so bluntly?"
Ichi shrugged, "I cannot help it."
The elder crane sighed, "I know...But do you think you can keep him busy? He's to young to witness something like that."
"...I'll try."
Hiroko smiled, "Good... Take the egg with you."
Ichi closed his eyes and sighed, "You're going to..." He nodded and said nothing more, simply grabbing the egg from the bed and exiting the home.
--
Hiroko sighed and tiredly pushed open the door to his home. He was 16 demon years now and had been recently appointed head advisor to the Dog General, as he was simply known. Hiroko was ridiculed for being so young and weak, though his vast intelligence and skills as a healer usually silenced this.
Hiroko gave a scream as soon as he opened the door, as the first thing he saw was a pair of golden eyes. The golden eyes widened and a dark hand covered Hiroko's mouth, another hand pulling him into the small home.
"Stop screaming! I won't hurt you!"
Hiroko stopped screaming and blinked. That voice sounded familiar. he looked at his 'captor' and pointed, "Hmmm! Zyu hmm huu!" His mouth was still covered.
It was Mansour, still dressed in his odd clothing with that stupid smile. The hawk turned his head to the side, "Huh?"
Hiroko grunted and bit the hawk's hand, causing him to yelp and pull away.
"I said you're that guy! The weird one who saved me!" Hiroko cried, pointing at the demon. He paused for several seconds. "Why are you in my house?!" He yelled, suddenly pulling to long daggers called Sai from his white sleeves. He was very paranoid.
The hawk blinked, "You're fiesty...I like that." He reached into his belt, removing the saif and dropping it on the ground in front of him. "Look, I'm unarmed. I won't attack. Promise."
Hiroko's black eyes moved imperceptibly over the oddly dressed man. He snorted, the blades disappearing into his sleeves. "Why are you here? And when did you learn Japanese, Arab?"
The hawk grinned, "How did you know where I was from?"
"I'm not stupid. Now, answer my questions." The crane said, folding his arms into his sleeves.
"I learned Japanese from a beautiful red haired woman with two colored eyes. She was wandering the desert for some reason." The hawk said pleasantly ,ignoring the suspicious look on Hiroko's face.
The hawk was suddenly in front of Hiroko, his face inches from the younger male's, "The reason I'm here is simple. I came to make you mine. Just like I said. Sa-Aj3aluka Li Yowman Min AlAyyam."
Hiroko stared at the hawk, "You're insane. You're telling me you came here to claim me, as a mate, I assume. I don't know you. I don't care to know you. Leave. Now."
"...I changed my name."
Hiroko gave the hawk an odd look. "Congratulations. Leave now."
The hawk moved even closer to Hiroko, his arms snaking around the young male's waist, "I changed it because you couldn't say it. I rather like it now. Korohi. It has a nice sound to it."
Hiroko stared at the hawk. "That's my name..." He said lowly, blushing at the close contact.
"That it is, my beautiful one." He said, looking into Hiroko's dark eyes.
Hiroko's dark eyes hardened and he suddenly pushed away the hawk. "Shut up."
Korohi blinked, "What did I say?"
"You called me beautiful. Me. I'm this hideous deformed...Thing." Hiroko said quickly.
Korohi blinked, "Well, I think you're beautiful."
"Leave." Hiroko hissed, brandishing the sai again.
The hawk frowned. "Fine. I'll be back for you...Again!"
For an entire year Korohi sat outside of Hiroko's house, declaring his love for the young crane every chance he could. Eventually, and after his first heat, Hiroko gave in.
--
Hiroko knelt next to Korohi's bed and watched him carefully. His sickness was incurable. A form of cancer, a rarity among demons. the symptoms in demons where different but the disease did the same to their bodies. Korohi was lucky he'd lived with it for so long.
"...Stop staring at me..."Korohi said lowly. Hiroko blushed and looked into his mates eyes as they slowly opened.
The hawk grinned and grabbed Hiroko, pulling him into a kiss. He knew, deep down, this would be his last day on Earth and wanted to make the best of it.
Hiroko stared at his mate once the kiss was broken. "...Korohi..."
The hawk sat up slowly and shook his head. "We've been through this, love. I won't."
Hiroko hissed, "Why not?! I want to! I'm your uke! You have to do anything I request!"
"No. My first priority is to protect you. I won't let you kill yourself." Korohi said rather calmly.
Hiroko made a soft trilling sound in the back of his throat. "I don't want to live without you..." He whispered, eyes brimming with tears.
Korohi said nothing, looking away.
In the demon world there where four levels of mating. The first was a simple mark, usually a bite, that bonded the two demons together for that mating season only for the purpose of children. the second was more permanent. The two demons pledged themselves to each other by carving their names into each other's arms. The third was unbreakable and rarer. The two demons minds and youkai, the basic life force all demons had, where bound together. The fourth and final stage was the rarest and most dangerous. The two demons souls where bound. When one of the pair died, so did the other.
Hiroko was always away and, being a caring and protective seme, Korohi didn't like it. early in their relationship he'd convinced Hiroko to join his mind with his in the third level of mating.
The hawk looked down at his now crying mate and sighed. "Don't cry..." He gently stroked Hiroko's hair, "You can't die. You have to take care of the boy's. You can't die until they've been taking care of."
"Korohi...Please." Hiroko whimpered.
Korohi smiled, "I love you to much for that."
(1) May I have a cup of water?
(2)I don't understand.
(3)Water
(4)Black
(5)You are beautiful…I will make you mine one day.
(6) Goodbye(informal)
For an entire year Korohi sat outside of Hiroko's house, declaring his love for the young crane every chance he could. Eventually, and after his first heat, Hiroko gave in.