Chapter Twenty Five: Engagement.
Hiei had already bought Tamara a ring. He'd panned on waiting to give it to her, but now was as good a time as ever. He left it on her bedside table, case open. He'd gone to Demon World during a case and actually made the group stop so he could get some business handled. What he didn't tell them is that he'd gotten Tamara a ring.
The stone was a diamond, naturally, but the band was both silver and black metals, swirling around like they had been twisted together-then again, it probably had been. There were designs on the metals, and one dragon eye on each side. The jewel sat between a dragon's jaws. And in the middle the diamond had been cut so that a rare ruby could be put into it.
He only showed Kurama this, and the fox had actually hugged him in congratulations. Hiei still wasn't sure how to feel about that part. Even if Kurama was his best friend.
Spirit World was once again quiet. Koenma wasn't even stamping away at papers like usual. He was just sitting backc in his chair, eyes closed.
"Koenma," Hiei said loudly, standing at his desk.
The toddler jumped and then sat upright, fixing his hat. "Oh, Hiei, hello… how may I help you?"
At least he was getting down to business. "The money that I've been keeping here; I need it."
"What could you possibly need that for?"
Hiei's head was already hurting. "I don't have to explain myself."
"All right, no need to be rude, Hiei." The toddler mentally rolled his eyes. Friendly talk just wasn't this boy's nature. "I assume you'll want it in Demon World currency?"
"Living, genius."
"What!?" The toddler then stood on his desk, eyes wide, getting closer to Hiei. "What on earth could you want with that amount of money in Living World?"
"Hn. Depends. Is it a decent amount?"
"It's more than decent, Hiei! Now, please tell me what's going on and I'll help you."
"You don't have the right to question someone about what belongs to them."
"But I want to know!"
An ogre was approaching Hiei, and the fire demon's gaze flashed to it. "Bank account. Use my name, last name Jaganshi, if it matters."
The ogre nodded, then took off. Hiei was smirking. "What could you give me to learn this piece of information?"
"What do you want?" Koenma asked in response. "That is an insane amount of money, Hiei. Surely you hav a reason for wanting it all at once."
"Let Tamara speak to her father, and I'll give you all the dirty details." He was still smirking. The look on his face actually scared Koenma. What was the fire demon planning? Surely nothing too awful… even if he wasn't on probation anymore, Hiei had better sense than to do anything rash. Right?
"That's all? Give a child access to her dead father in Limbo? Done!"
"You can't question Tamara about who she is until afterward, either." Hiei was going to make this worth his while. He was already stressed out from the rest of this business. And sex sounded good at the moment.
"Now, tell me what's going on," the toddler said with a grin. "I agree to all of your terms, naturally."
"If you take it back, I'll kill you. For good."
"Right." He could hear the sudden nervousness in Koenma's voice. "Get on with it, then."
"Tamara and I are planning a marriage ceremony in Living World, and buying a house so we can get the baby's room ready."
For once, the toddler had nothing to say. Hiei was getting married? And having a child? That wasn't like him at all. But a demon's nature, in many ways, couldn't be change. And it was in their nature to breed. And sometimes even to love.
Hiei was glaring at Koenma now. He was embarrassed. He was the last one anybody expected to get married or have kids. To even love anyone else other than himself.
After all, it was expected of him. He was an ice apparition born of fire, a male. Living in direct opposition to what he really was. Consuming everything around him with hatred. That made him wonder if he would eventually burn up Tamara, too, although her humanity was only hanging by a thread when they'd met. The one thing in his world that he loved more than his sister… would he? Would the flames of his abominable nature devour her as well? Or could he for once love something instead without the fear of losing it?
Of course he loved her. He knew he loved her. But could it possibly work without him screwing it up? He still hadn't told his sister who he really was, and they've known each other for years. So far, yes, he and Tamara were working out well. But what if she eventually grew bored with him, or vice versa? What if she decided to stay a human in the end, wanting nothing to do with demons or their world? What if she decided to stay human and then he have to outlive her for a thousand years?
Wait, why was he doubting himself now? He loved her. He wouldn't hurt her, or their child. No, he's made it this far without messing it up. There was no way he could do anything wrong now.
"Well, Hiei," Koenma stammered, an ogre handing him a piece of paper, "your money is in the bank and ready. Your checkbook and debit card will be sent to your apartment shortly."
"Hn. Good. I'm bringing Tamara here tomorrow, then. Make sure and have him ready."
"And what of the uncle?"
Hiei was turning away to leave. "Him too, I suppose. If that's what she wants." He began to walk out of the office then.
"And, Hiei?"
The fire demon turned around again. What the hell could he want now?
"Congratulations. I know you'll be a great father."
Hiei almost blushed, but he just said "Hn" and walked out. But it felt good to hear it. It really did help.
Here she was again. The old apartment. She hadn't come here willingly tonight, though. No, something else had brought her here.
"You don't even realize what you're doing to yourself."
The monster she'd grown fond of over the years stood before her. "Walter will be angry, you know."
"Walter can suck it," she replied. "He'll be dead seven days after my return, anyway. So it doesn't matter how much his panties get bunched up."
"Even so, you know he stays in our home. Always waiting for his prey to come home." She had the broken wings of the dark angel again, and two sharp points protruded from her shoulder blades. The Halo of the Sun glowed on her skin as bright as ever. "We will suffer for what you're doing."
"We're the same person. You're doing it too," Tamara told the beast. "You know that it will be worth it in the end. We both know it."
The wings, bleeding as well as broken, dragged the floor as the monster closed the distance between them. "You will suffer greatly, Tamara. We will suffer beyond imagination."
"Hiei will protect us."
"Hiei will come to the Otherworld after feeling your pain and your fear. And then he will see what we have become."
"Then I guess he'll have to see it."
"Hah!" The monster was growing angry. "At least we will get the fight we promised him! Just know tht the Holy Mother plans on making the both of us suffer for coming home after a year of not seeing Walter at all."
"Walter is the only one causing the pain in that place." Her shoulder was starting to burn. "What more can he do to us than he already has? What more can he do than rape us for a week straight?"
"He will take our child, Tamara. I'm trying to tell you."
Tamara's hand automatically went to her thigh. There was a handgun there. Perfect. As always, she came armed. "Don't say that."
"He will. In the future I see Hiei fighting us in the Otherworld, our child lost to us. The Assumption is going to turn me into a mindless killing machine." Tamara gripped her gun, pulling it from the holster and holding it to the monster's head. "You, of course, will be nothing more than Walter Sullivan's little bit-"
She hadn't wanted to shoot her, but the gun had been fair warning. She couldn't hear any more of that. She wasn't going to. Her vision went black, and she felt the bullet as it had hit the monster's skull. Seemed that happened every time she killed her. Then again, she was killing herself when that happened.
"I hope you're ready for your wings to be broken, Tamara."
That was Walter's voice. No. not him.
She jumped completely out of bed, hand going under her pillow for her pistol. She looked about the room, eyes wide and adrenaline pumping. No one was there. Of course not. It was only a dream, after all. Always a dream.
She sighed as she sat back down on the bed. Typical Wednesday afternoon, waking up ready to shoot anything her mind might assume is trying to hurt her.
She sat her gun down on the bedside table and went for her cigarettes and lighter. Quitting this wouldn't be easy, but she'd try. Apparently weaning herself off slowly was the best thing for the baby. Tamara had no problem with that.
She was putting her lighter back down when she saw it. The most beautiful ring in the world. A diamond held between the teeth of a dragon. A strange red stone in the middle of it. Black and silver strips of metal twisting around each other. Her heart began to swell.
If Hiei hadn't stole this, it had probably cost him a fortune. It was wonderful. She loved it. Absolutely loved every bit of it.
The door opened, and she had to keep from running toward the door, slipping the ring on her left ring finger. It fit perfectly, too. This was going to be a good day, surely.
He met her with open arms. She hugged him tight, a stray tear falling down her cheek. She'd never done anything to deserve someone who was so good to her. And he was by far the best thing that had ever come into her life. In six months he'd shown her more love than anyone ever had in twenty one years. He'd found her mother for, made real love to her, held her at night when she woke up from a nightmare. He listened to her bitching. He got her breakfast every morning. And now he was giving her a child and even a proper marriage.
"I've never been so happy in my whole life," she said quietly in his ear. She closed her eyes. "Thank you so much, Hiei."
Her nightmare was forgotten. There was nothing else in this world but them now. "Hn. I take it you like the ring, then."
She rolled her eyes and let go of him, wiping her face with her hand. "Of course I do," she replied. "It's the most perfect thing in the world, Hiei. I've never been giving anything like this before."
He smirked at her. "I'm glad you like it. Now, I'm sure you know that there's an engagement party at your mother's tomorrow night."
"Wait, what?"
"Oh, yes, Kurama has planned the whole thing." Hiei's smirk disappeared. "I told him about the ring when I got it. He's too excited."
"Oh, wow. I should probably make a few calls, then…"
"Don't. He's already invited everyone."
"Then I'll just head to Yusuke's, silly."
"Hn."
She got dressed quickly and they headed uptown. She couldn't wait for all this. Especially the jokes they were gonna make about poor Hiei. Naturally, she might take part in this too. And maybe they could look at apartments or even houses.
God, she was becoming such a woman. It kind of scared her.
"Hey, Tamara, Hiei." Keiko had answered the door. "Yusuke and Kuwabara should be on their way back now. You've made it just in time. And Kurama plans on coming over later, too."
"Seems the gang's always here, right, Keiko?" Tamara asked. "That's why I'm glad I live far off."
"Oh, I enjoy it," she replied. "Keeps me busy. Oh, and Botan will be here to help me with dinner, if you'd like to join us."
"No, can't do that unless it's early." Tamara's eyes flickered to the floor. "It's… you know, Wednesday."
"Oh, right."
Tamara had her big purse, photo album included, and showed Keiko the ultrasound. Underneath it was labeled "Five Weeks!" Keiko flushed and smiled and giggled like a little girl. Tamara laughed. Seems one person was kept out of the loop, after all. And when she mentioned the wedding, the girl broke out the wedding magazines.
Hiei took his place on a bay window, not caring for this sort of talk. He was blushing a little, too. Tamara and Keiko began looking at dresses and making fun of the models. It was weird, doing this with another girl. At least she could say she had one girl friend. Better than just Hiei's friends.
When Yusuke came back, the jokes didn't come back immediately. But he did laugh. A lot. Kuwabara laughed, too, but he was mostly too shocked to say anything.
"And here we wondered why you'd stopped us in Demon World in the middle of fucking nowhere," Yusuke chimed loudly. "You were getting your woman a ring! You could have told us, you know!"
"And then it wouldn't have been a surprise to her, would it?" Hiei knew that they would have said something, which is why only Kurama had known about it. Kurama could keep a secret.
"Oh, my god, look at these heels, Hiei!" Tamara said, holding up a magazine. "Do you think I'd be able to wear those?"
God. She'd be much too tall. Hiei just said "Hn" and looked away, cheeks darkening.
"Hah! He'd have to stand on three phone books just to kiss you!" Oh, he'd been waiting for that one. Especially from the stupid ginger. "I mean, you'd have a whole four or five inches on him in those!"
"Oh, be nice," Tamara said, turning the page quickly. "Besides, I like my men small."
The burst of laughter was enough to want Hiei to hide himself under a rock. He was not small. Short, yes. But he wasn't small. And she knew it better than anyone in this whole world.
He could see her grinning from the reflection in the window. She still loved the jokes. She'd made more than a few when they'd hated each other, after all. Seemed only natural that she make them now, too.
But Hiei was too much of a man for all that. He only let his guard down when they were alone. And during those times they were usually serious.
She took the time to show them the photo as well. Always flipping to the back, not letting anyone see those pictures. Hiei still hadn't seen anything other than what Tamara had already shown him. It was like she was dragged back into her nightmares when she looked at them. But she did look at them. She looked at them at night, when she was in the bath. That was her private time, it seemed. But Hiei enjoyed it. Sometimes she needed to think about the Otherworld, strategize how she could get out faster and come back to the Living World.
Come back and be with him for the rest of her days. Away from Walter Sullivan.
Kurama came in, and shook Hiei's hand. He was smiling like a fool, too. Was everyone really this excited over the fire demon getting married? It couldn't possibly be that big of a deal.
The afternoon came and went. Tamara ended up going to the nearest patch of woods for some target practice. Shooting helped her think. Especially when it came to thinking of her nightmares.
She'd never sprouted wings before. Sure, she'd gotten rather nightmarish, feeling the skin on her back tighten and something protrude from beneath her shoulders. But she'd never actually sprouted them. It made her wonder if she could at all. Hell, maybe she should try it.
Or would that be too much trouble? Would she bleed out, maybe?
She shot trees, targets she'd thrown herself, and even a few birds and other small animals. She used all the ammo she had on her; a full chamber used on practice shots.
She put the pistol into her purse. One hour to get back to the apartment so she could transform in peace.
She'd make sure to put away her ring, safely in her case. Catching demons was hard when you wore an engagement ring.