Sin or Spend the Night Alone

While all of this was happening, Rachel decided that she was going to find her lover, and see if she could bring him back around. She jumped down from the porch and walked over to the training area that Genkai in the forest to the left, instead of to the right this time. It was only a few minutes until she finally saw him, swinging his sword, practicing and harnessing his power. She watched, before realizing that he might get angry at her.

She quickly hid her aura and her ki and hid behind one of the big trees near the training area as she kept watch over what he was doing. Just watching him train, and remembering how angry he was at her. She sighed as she touched her shoulder wound. It made her realize a lot, but…her sensei told her it wasn't bad to befriend someone.

Even if they were dangerous.

'He and Karasu are the same…' She thought stubbornly, 'Their both equally dangerous.' She thought for a minute and then sighed, 'I guess I'm a burden. I wind up hurting everyone around me, I fail to help out when I feel like I should, and everyone always thinks they should protect me…' She leaned against the tree sadly. 'What did I do? Rachel slid down it as she brought her knees up, 'I was right…all this time. He may love me, he may really do……but as long as these doubts are in my head……' She laid her head down, 'I love him…I really do. That's why I'm so lost and confused on what I should do, but I can't just……'

She wanted to just scream, 'Damn it!'

"Cat, you may hide your ki and your presence……but you can't hide your thoughts. I know you're there," Hiei spoke up suddenly. He looked around from where he was, searching for her, "Just come out."

Rachel blinked. Shit. She totally forgot to barricade her thoughts. She stood up and poked her head from where she was hiding. "Hey, Hiei…" She said softly as she came out all the way, still standing near the tree, though.

"Cat, I heard basically everything you said…" Hiei sheathed his sword and folded his arms, however, he never removed his ruby eyes from her plant green ones, "Yes, I get why you're befriending him. It's not uncommon for those who are brave when it comes to people, like you, to be drawn to the dangerous type." He then narrowed his eyes, "But he and I are not equally dangerous. He could kill any one of us here at the Temple if he simply wanted to."

He unfolded his arms and walked to her, "Watching it on those 'episodes' of yours, reading about it in your 'manga', and actually being there, or even experiencing it first hand, are very different things," He reached her and stopped about three feet away.

Rachel bit her lip and then leaned against the tree just slightly. She knew what he was talking about. Yes, it was different being there, and actually seeing it. Yes, it was different than watching it, and laughing about it, and dreaming about it. Reading it was just totally different things as well, because they don't move, they describe, and you use pictures to put words together. A puzzle, if one thought about it. Rachel sighed and looked away from Hiei.

Hiei caught her chin in his hand and made her look back at him, "Don't look away from me, Cat," He ordered, but not in a mean way.

Rachel kept her eyes on his for a while before sighing, "Alright," She said softly still watching.

"You're not a burden," He continued, "You've made a mistake, but you haven't hurt anyone. You're helping out, but it's not obvious on what it is," He gave a rueful smirk at that one. Then he leaned closer. He hadn't removed his hand from her chin yet, "Everyone wants to protect you because you're special and they don't want to lose you…"

He pulled back away with a smirk, slightly teasing when she had started to lean toward him. Then the smirk was replaced with a frown, "What you did, Cat, was scare me when you had that vision and went out on your own. Then you added onto that when you came back with an injury," He slipped her sleeve down to show the scared wound, "Scared because you healed it yourself, but still a wound."

Rachel laughed weakly, "Yeah," She gently touched it, "It's just a bruise under the skin because of the extra water." She said, "Mixed it with old blood, it wasn't the very smart thing to do. But it's a scar, its close, that's all that matters."

"Maybe the onna will be able to heal it right," Hiei suggested, finally removing his hand.

"Its fine," Rachel said with a smile that slowly faded into a frown. She couldn't keep up with the false smile when she was around him anymore. She didn't know why, but she couldn't.

"Why are you frowning?" Hiei asked softly, brushing the back of his fingers against her cheek softly.

Rachel blinked and then shook her head, "Iie, I'm not frowning. I'm just thinking that's all." Lie! She mentally heard her voice scream at her.

"Please, don't lie to me," Hiei whispered, frowning himself. He leaned forward again, "I know you're lost and confused…that your doubts are making it hard for you to believe…I swear, you and the onna are mirrors of one another…" He gave a low chuckle, "She shows the emotion you keep locked up. You show the pain, confusion, doubt…everything that she keeps inside her."

He brushed her cheek again, "Quite amusing on some levels, but yet it's saddening…because I have no idea how to help you smile that true smile I've seen you show slightly around your sister."

Rachel closed her eyes in shame. She knew that Hiei was speaking the truth, and she knew that she couldn't help him in this either. She sighed inwardly. Life was just complicated.

Then lips pressed gently against hers.

She broke the kiss tentatively, not really knowing what she was doing, "If I and my sister are the mirrors that reflect, I think you're the mirror that shows," She said sort of breathlessly.

Hiei chuckled again, "I don't know what you've done to me, Cat. I've never felt like this before, and I've never done or said half the things I've done or said to you." He moved his head to her bare shoulder and kissed the wound lightly, then trailed upward until he got to the beat of her pulse in her neck. He kept his lips there, feeling the rush of her blood through her veins. He smirked slightly at how fast it was, "I'm pleased to know I'm able to make such a reaction in you…" he whispered and then felt her shiver when his hot breath gave her another sort of sensation.

Rachel felt alive and scared of all of what was going on, but she knew, oh god did she knew that she never felt anything like this. She had a few boyfriends, but none of them were able to make her feel excited, nervous, scared, and yet very happy. All at the same time too. "Yeah," She said breathlessly. Jeez, he was kissing her and the only thing that came to mind was 'Yeah?' Oh dear fucking god, she was a complete idiot. A complete…idiot…

Hiei couldn't help laughing slightly at hearing her thoughts, and then he began his trailing again. He got to her mouth again, but didn't kiss her full on, just the corner. He then felt something was different…but what? "Cat…open you eyes, for a moment…" he requested, his voice husky and slightly deeper.

Rachel's eyes snapped open, "What's up?" She asked blinking a bit, "What's wrong?" She asked attentively when she noticed that Hiei was staring at her.

Hiei jumped back from her, his eyes wide with shock. 'Her eyes…fuck…' "Cat…" he whispered, his voice strangled. Her eyes were still that beautiful plant green he loved so much about her, but she had a rim of ruby around her pupil. Unnoticeable unless you looked really close. He felt dizzy and held his head.

Rachel blinked, "What's wrong?" She asked worried finally,"What's wrong?" She was confused.

'Can I tell her? Will she freak out about this of all things?' Hiei's breath became shallow and ragged, 'Damn it…can I tell her?' He looked back at her, his eyes pained with indecision. "Cat…Rachel…" he said firmly, "We're…" he gritted his teeth, 'Can I tell her?' was the chant going through his head.

Rachel looked at him and then said, "Oh…" She laughed nervously and then said. "I get it." She said softly. She sighed, "Um…I'm going to go back, I guess." She said as she started backing up, "I'll see you there I hope," She turned around to walk off.

"Stop," Hiei said, grabbing her wrist tightly, "Don't…walk away…" he requested. He took out the dagger he never used but kept anyway, and handed it to her, "Look at your eyes…"

Rachel blinked, but took the dagger and brought it up to her eyes. Her plant green eyes had a rim of red around the pupil. "Huh," She handed the dagger back to the demon, "I don't know how that happened," She blinked, "I really don't…Why? Are you worried about it? I'm sure it'd fade after an hour or so…maybe…"

"No…Cat, it won't go away…" Hiei took her shoulders, "We're Lifebonded. That means that we have a serious bond between us…It's only been a few weeks…but we'll both feel the effects soon enough…"

"Lifebonded?" Rachel asked, "What?"

Hiei thought for a moment, "Humans call it having a 'Soul Mate'," he explained, "But between demon/demon the bond shows up physically and spiritually quicker than hanyou/demon. There's one thing that has to happen for either, however…" He held his hand on her cheek, "The Lifebonded couple have to touch. If they aren't Lifebonded, nothing will happen…but if they are…" He moved his hand to touch the corner of her eye, "This happens. I'm the dominant one, so you're the only one the physical change will show up on."

"What about the spiritual?" Rachel asked, "Is it just physical?"

"Iie," Hiei answered quietly, "I guess, in a hanyou like yourself, you haven't felt it yet. I already have, though…" he leaned closer, "Whenever I'm far away from you…I feel weak. Like when you still lived at your house. It was lighter then, but recently, like while you're in School, it's more intense…"

Rachel thought for a moment and then said, "I get it." She nodded. She really did, but she didn't feel it yet. Either that or she was so busy about Haretsu and Bria that she forgot to feel it.

"I'm glad you didn't freak out like I thought you would," Hiei gave a soft smile, "I'm sorry for how I acted, earlier…both in the Temple and just now…"

"It's okay," She said, "I was just worried that I did something to hurt you, and I didn't understand what it was. And of coarse I wouldn't freak," She teased, "Remember? Bria's my reflect? She'd freak out for me if her and whoever is her Lifebond."

"Hai, I do believe you're correct," Hiei told her.

"Oh that reminds me!" Rachel said with a smile. She walked over to him and gently kissed him on the lips. "There we go." She said happily before turning around to walk off.

"Don't you dare," Hiei growled as he caught her wrist again. He pulled her to him and picked her up bridal-style. Then he flitted off to a pathway, "You're going to stay with me for a while, tonight," he told her with not room for argument as he put her back on her feet.

"De-man-ding!" She teased, "What's your plan?"

He took her hand and led her down the path. He pushed through brush and large, leafy plants when it ended, and then they arrived at a waterfall.

Rachel gasped and smiled a bit. It was beautiful, and the water looked clean. She smiled wider, "This is beautiful."

"Thought you'd like it," Hiei smirked and led her to the waterfall, showing her a narrow path that lead behind it, "You go first," he said.

Rachel carefully went on the path and reached to the behind to see a very small, yet nice looking cave. "You come here often?" She asked blinking at him.

"Yeah," Hiei nodded and once she was in far enough he jumped in next to her and then forward. He went to the side and then there was a light. He had lit a torch. Now she could see everything inside the cave. It had a piece of furniture that was a cross between a futon and a circular couch. It had really fuzzy blankets and many pillows that were black and white.

On the walls were lots of paintings of black dragons, shadows, and the cave before furnishing, the waterfall at night, moon phases, and the pool that was in the back of the cave. There were also many yin-yang paintings; the traditional black and white, fire and ice, and night and day.

The source for all these paintings, plus the paintings of every single person in the Gang and Co., was in the back next to the pool. A canvas and every paint color under the sun. Hiei was immediately glad the picture he was currently working on was turned from Rachel's gaze.

"Beautiful," She murmured as she looked at the yin yang paints and then looked at the other gangs. "Brilliant. I can't do art," She admitted, "I can take pictures, but drawing is hard for me." She laughed. "I mean, I can do it, but it turns out crappy in my eyes, so I never try. I stopped after oh…freshman year?"

She shrugged, "I stick to writing and photography. It's the least I can do." She laughed as she looked at the different paintings, "Who did all of these?"

"Guess," Hiei said, motioning over to the canvas.

Rachel looked over at the canvas and went around instead of turning it around, and gasped softly.

"You weren't supposed to see it yet…" Hiei complained under his breath as he came by her side. It was a rough sketch and then the beginning of painting on it. It was of her in her first Archery practice, during tryouts. she was tensing her bow and arrow, getting ready to shoot. Her face was concentrating, her eyes determined to hit the mark.

"Oh, wow," She murmured, "This looks awesome." She turned to Hiei, "You really do have amazing talent," She smiled, "And I like it, a lot, even if it's not finished. I can't wait till it is."

"I'll show it to you when it is," Hiei promised.

"'Kay!" She said happily.

Hiei smiled at her, "You finally showed me," he said, his smile turning into a triumphant grin, "You finally showed me your true smile."

"I did huh?" She said jokingly, "When you already seen it before?" She smiled.

The next thing she knew she was standing on his futon/couch, her back pressing against one of the few bare spots, his hands on either side of her head, "The one you just showed me is the one I'll do for my next painting of you," he said, "Your others were meant for only your sister to see. The one you just gave…was meant for me," He growled out the last word, leaning closer.

She smiled, "Of coarse it was meant for you." She knew what he wanted, and she wanted it too. She wanted to show that she loved him, she wanted to show that Lifebonded or not, she wanted him, and she wanted him to have her. All of her… 'Sin or spend the night alone?' She thought thinking of one of her few favorite songs that described this moment, and it fit perfectly.

Hiei found that her shoulder was still bare, and so he did his earlier trailing of her skin, starting at her scar and moving up. He got back to her mouth and before he kissed her he asked, "Yes or no?"

"Yes," Rachel said, swallowing her excitement, "And I mean it," She gently kissed him.

Hiei was surprised she answered the way she did. But he didn't question her and kissed her back deeply…hungrily…passionately…He couldn't believe the way this young woman made him feel. It was completely insane! Well, if having her be his Lifebonded meant making him go insane, he would gladly take anything else she did to tempt his sanity.

'Yeah,' Rachel thought to herself, 'I think I will sin or spend the night alone…' She never dreamed that someone could make her feel so alive, and real, like she wasn't a doll, but like there was a danger. She was all too happy to test it. By god was she going to test it… 'I'm happy, for once,' She smiled and just went with the flow.

When Hiei broke away for air, it came on the back of her aroused, magnificent scent. Her unique musk was that of rain. One of his favorite scents even before he met her. Now it was his top favorite, "I'm extremely pleased I met you, Cat," He informed her, his voice once again deep and husky.

"Pleased huh?" She asked in breathless anticipation, "I have to say, I'm actually happy that I fell in love with you," She smiled a bit.

"Hai…same here…amare…" Hiei whispered and once again they were locked in a deep kiss.

It was going to be a very long night for them both.