In Time, Death
By Alesyira
Summary: Some like it hot.
Author's Note: shoutout to jane, who posted the longest dang concrit I've seen in years. Some of the crit is quite valid and has shifted how I think about what you guys might interpret from the words I've posted publicly vs what is hidden in notes that never see the light of day for various reasons (sometimes it's TMI, sometimes I just forget). It helped guide some additions to my writing for these upcoming chapters (Kagome got an extra scene in this chapter!) and also helped remind me of a few concepts I'd completely neglected in my tunnelvisioned path to the next point. It doesn't change much of what I've already posted, though. also shoutout to the other reviewers, because every little tidbit from you guys is like sparkles.
Spicy
Kagome wasn't hiding. At least, that's what she told herself as she sat against the door with her knees tucked up against her chest. These last few days had felt like a pointless uphill battle against some ridiculous problem that no one seemed to be able to figure out.
She wanted to call Koenma to see if his medical staff had discovered anything with all of the samples they'd taken. Surely professionals would have a better chance of cracking this case than whatever blind attempts they were stumbling through.
She closed her eyes and centered herself. Shippo had been glued to her side since she'd returned, probably out of a fear that whatever was wrong with her might have some hidden dire consequence if she were left unattended for too long.
Maybe he was right, but she should be safe enough by herself in this tiny enclosed space without outside influences that could trigger the odd blackout madness. She expanded her focus to find the others.
Shippo was still on the roof, and his magic seemed… dull. Something was bothering him, depressing his normal shine.
Hiei was much closer, somewhere in the living room. His magic felt strange, with traces of chill lingering, exposed in the open where he'd normally kept it tucked far away from sight.
An odd violet shimmered in and out of view around him. Neither the energy of his third eye nor the malevolence of the dragon's presence looked anything like this. She bit her lip and watched as it fluttered around his magic like a pesky insect. She leaned back against the bathroom door with a quiet sigh, wishing she understood even a fraction about this mysterious dark male that seemed so intent on making himself a part of her life.
She couldn't understand what had caused him to snap like that. It sounded like Shippo had a hand in it, so he must have been messing with things she couldn't see. Had Shippo pissed him off? Tweaked something that should never be touched?
When Shippo had acted like an idiot in the past, the worst she'd witnessed was him being tossed from the window. This afternoon, Hiei had looked like he'd been possessed by something, mindless and out of control. She wondered why he'd stared her down but then leapt at the fox as soon as he'd come into view. Maybe it had been some protective surge? It must have been something he'd seen, because he hadn't reacted to Shippo's voice. But what could it have been?
Hiei had seemed confused at his lapse in control, and Shippo had definitely not been expecting it. Was it related to the strangeness creeping into her life? Was his reaction what hers could have been like?
She rubbed her scalp with a frown. That had hurt. She was thankful her magic had snapped him out of whatever had happened. She worried her lip between her teeth, watching as Hiei's energy moved toward her hiding spot, seemed to think better of it, then retreated into the living room.
She thumped her head against the bathroom door in mild exasperation. Why couldn't the problems plaguing her just be reasoned with? (Or at the very least, beaten into submission…)
The afternoon sun had shifted from relaxing warmth to nearly oppressive heat as Shippo stared down at the scattered mess in dismay.
He leaned over the disarray of food, pushing everything together into a paper bag. What the hell was he doing? What the hell was Hiei doing? Was he interested in her, or in him? Should he even be permitting such behavior when Kagome had shown a clear interest in this new youkai in their lives?
He shouldn't have joked so damned much.
He squeezed his eyes shut. He'd keep his distance. He had to. He didn't want to take something from under her nose after he'd had plenty of opportunities to enjoy life and would continue to do so long after she was gone. She'd had so few chances to have something for herself.
He scooped the bag up and considered mopping (or incinerating) the spatters of blood and the remnants of sauce smeared where they'd been sitting, but the forecast for rain in the next few days would probably do the trick. He'd need to come back up here before then to repair some of the tiles and ensure nothing would leak.
He shook his head in irritation at the mess of his roof and his life. Relationships, even brief flings, were oftentimes tricky when additional people got involved. He sighed and stared down at the sticky residue drying on his fingers.
He rubbed the back of his hand over his forehead, collecting himself before he made his way back into the apartment.
Hiei was reclined comfortably along the couch, his eyes closed as he did kami-knew-what with his mind-reading bullshit. He frowned at the dark youkai before stalking to the trash bin to toss the bag and then washed the mess from his fingers. Drying blood liberally stained the front of his pale shirt, and he stared down at the rust-colored smears with chagrin. He didn't relish washing blood out of clothes, but he liked this shirt.
He glanced back at Hiei as he unbuttoned. ‟Where'd she go?"
Hiei waved in the direction of the bathroom door.
He peeled the fabric from his torso where it stuck to him with blood and more damned sauce. He wasn't terribly surprised that he'd managed to somehow roll through the food. ‟Sorry," he muttered. ‟I shouldn't have messed around with your magic… I should have asked. Or something." Shippo dropped his shirt in the sink and ran cool water over the fabric to rub carefully at the mess. Fuck, if he had this much shit on his shirt, he wondered if Hiei had a similar mess on him that might have gotten transferred to his couch. He sighed and resigned himself to a lengthy cleaning session at some point in the near future.
Hiei cracked open his eyes and tilted his head as he watched him. ‟Under normal circumstances, such a thing would not have been…" he paused, considering his words before he continued, ‟ill-advised."
Shippo rinsed his shirt as he ran those words through his mind several times. What the heck does that even mean? Is he trying to say that if he wasn't broken he'd want me to poke at his magic?
*Learning your limitations and exploring your abilities in harmless ways should be encouraged. I'd rather have a skilled ally at my side than a pathetic weakling that knows nothing of his nature.*
Shippo snorted and flexed his arm, looking down at the chilled patch of skin where Hiei had used his weird magic to heal the messy bite. ‟Not very harmless right now, though, is it." He hung up his wet shirt to dry over the balcony and fished out a replacement from a decorative cabinet beneath a window.
Hiei shrugged. ‟You are no longer injured."
'My pride is,' he thought, pulling the soft t-shirt over his head. He wasn't sure how he might have been able to stop him if Kagome hadn't been there. Using his magic had apparently triggered him, and using it more to try and slow him down had just made him more wild. ‟Why does it feel like you're broken like she is? It wasn't like this before you left."
Hiei was a little too quick with his denial. ‟It is not the same thing. And I'm not broken."
‟You sure? Seemed pretty broken just a bit ago. Are you normally a biter?"
He ignored him and changed the subject. ‟Have you ordered replacement food, yet?"
Shippo scowled and dropped to the couch beside the irritating fire elemental. ‟Not yet. Which did you prefer, anyways, the spicy or sweet?"
Hiei didn't look at him, his attention focused on the bathroom. Kagome's shadow was just barely visible in the strip of light beneath the door. ‟I like it hot."
Shippo paused, his annoyance evaporating as he stared at the younger male. He opened his mouth to make an inappropriate joke, then snapped it shut without saying anything, smirking as he turned his attention to the cellphone to call in a second order. (The restaurant was happy for additional business; Shippo tipped well.)
"So anyways," he dropped his voice low, hoping Kagome wouldn't hear what they were talking about. "Back to this solution or key, whatever you found. You want her to unleash her magic on you… er…" he paused, ‟…at climax?"
"No, I just wanted to see what happens at the end. If the jewel wanted our magic, it would make sense that it would just be taken."
"But she can't take like that, same as me. Her magic gets all pissy and makes us want to vomit unless it's freely given."
Hiei nodded. ‟Which makes me believe that something, probably the jewel, is trying to get her partner to share at her, which is one of the natural side-effects of coupling."
Shippo narrowed his eyes. "That sort of outward sharing doesn't happen during sex unless you're really into your partner. It's not a casual thing." He peered at him with mild concern. "Like… it's meant for life partners. Is your info from secondhand knowledge or firsthand experience?"
Another ignored question.
"Not knowing something doesn't make you any less of a person," he tried. "We all learn new shit every day, even the oldest of us."
Hiei pursed his lips and looked at him with a critical gaze. ‟You should try."
‟Coupling?" He choked out.
Hiei rolled his eyes. ‟Obviously not that. I mean to share at her."
Shippo's face paled. "We've already tried that."
‟Try it differently, then."
He sighed and pressed his hand to his face. "Okay, sure, but why me? You could do it, too," he muttered. ‟She likes you."
Hiei blinked as though the answer should be obvious. "If you think it's too risky for me, then you should try. The magic I can share is very limited, unless she wants to be wounded first so I can use healing magic. The binding curse seemed to be more detrimental than helpful." He tapped a lip in mock consideration. ‟I might be wrong. Maybe she relishes the idea of being set on fire, or perhaps even secretly longs to be consumed by an interdimensional dragon."
Shippo shook his head in exasperation.
‟You kitsune have that thing going on." Hiei fluttered his fingers in Shippo's face. "Share the kind of magic that gives nothing back to you and serves you no purpose. I've seen Kurama use it; the gift that makes plants grow from seeds. If something should go wrong, she won't be able to harm you. And I'll step in if things get out of hand."
They stared at each other for a short moment before Shippo nodded in resignation.
Kagome casually stepped out of the bathroom (because she hadn't been hiding) and found them sitting on the couch staring at her with resolve. 'This doesn't seem ominous at all,' she thought, her eyebrow arching in vague concern.
‟We have discussed," Hiei announced. ‟If you wish to continue working through this weakness, then you must accept that I might get burned, or you might have to practice with Shippo. If neither is acceptable, we will move on to other concerns."
‟We aren't going to talk about whatever that was?" She waved above her head to indicate the roof.
They replied at the same time. ‟He apologized." ‟He fixed it."
Kagome narrowed her eyes in suspicion as she glanced between the two of them. ‟That was pretty scary. I thought you were going to kill him. What happened?"
Hiei shook his head. ‟I don't know, but he's not going to mess around with my magic again any time soon, so it shouldn't come up again unexpectedly."
‟And you don't think that you actually trying to kill him is more important to fix than me possibly trying to kill someone?"
‟The circumstances of my troubles are hardly as pressing as yours. If Shippo is right and you get sent off on another mission unexpectedly, knowing what's wrong and how to counter it will be more immediately beneficial. I am not required to be anywhere until I damned well please."
She couldn't help but smile at his expression. Apparently he enjoyed his freedom and didn't care to have anyone telling him where he should be.
‟More food is on the way. Hiei suggested I try sharing at you like he did with his healing stuff."
She clutched her hands in front of her waist, suddenly nervous. ‟Not the suggestion magic?"
‟Nah," he said, sliding from his spot on the couch to sit on the floor. ‟Some kitsune put their excess energy into little trinkets to save for later. It will be kinda like that."
Neither of them seemed very worried about this going horribly wrong, so she sat in front of him and took his outstretched hand in hers.
Shippo closed his eyes with a short sigh, then murmured, ‟Ready?"
Hiei settled quietly at her side and touched his fingertips to her arm, maintaining the connection so he could watch as the black void opened within her again. The subtle stream of the kitsune's magic trickled forth and drifted up her arms to be sucked into the nothingness. He wasn't sure if the energy was being completely wasted on this effort, or if it was such a small quantity that it was more like using a cup to replenish a dried lake bed.
*This is not making much progress. How much more can you spare?*
'Lots, especially if we start up the fireplace so I can recharge.'
*Try more at once.*
She made a little sound of surprise at the warmth spreading up her arms. ‟You're getting kinda hot," she said. The rising heat mixed with the tingle of his magic drifting into her was an interesting combination, pleasant and relaxing like a long soak in a hot spring.
‟Psh, I'm always hot," he replied with a smirk, but he adjusted his approach to try and reduce the ambient temperature.
A moment later, the intercom buzzed, startling both from their focus. Shippo jumped up like lightning had struck and bounded to the door, eager for a reprieve. Playing around with her magic and whatever was wrong with her seemed like the worst of ideas.
She shuddered out a long sigh and tried to center herself. ‟Did you learn anything new?"
Hiei pulled his hand back from her arm and looked at his tingling fingertips in curiosity. ‟No. Whatever the jewel is doing with the magic, it seems to just vanish into nothing."
She turned slightly to look at him and her knee brushed his thigh. She swallowed, glancing down at the small connection between them before remembering a question she'd meant to ask earlier. ‟Why do you think it's semi-sentient?"
‟It is an impression I get when I'm paying close attention to how it behaves. Our team has dealt with more than a few strange and powerful artifacts in the past. You might be surprised how many inanimate objects I've encountered that have half-formed wishes."
‟What could the jewel desire? It has so much already. It feels almost limitless."
Hiei leaned back against the furniture, tapping his fingertips on his knee inches from where her leg touched his. ‟Perhaps not that it wants more of something it already has, but it wants… something different. Something that is missing. Your connection with the jewel is not just as its host, but its guardian, correct?"
She nodded.
‟If you are susceptible to certain kinds of magic, perhaps what we are witnessing is an attempt to gain an immunity to whatever might affect you negatively, or whatever weakness you cannot easily defend against."
‟Maybe that's why I black out for some kinds but not others? It seems kind of idiotic that I don't have control when I'm in the most danger."
He shook his head. ‟I'm not sure. I think we'll need more clues before anything will make sense." Even with the additional insight he had regarding the oddities witnessed in Makai, whatever problem ailed her still made little sense. It seemed impossible that the Makai madness could be related to her troubles. She'd only been back for a few days.
Shippo walked through the door with several boxes. Hiei blurred out of sight for a moment and she laughed when he reappeared a second later with one of the boxes, a pair of chopsticks, and the first piece of his food already halfway to his mouth.
He savored his bite. The spicy sauce tingled against his tongue, not quite hot enough to impress, but passable. He glanced up to see Kagome watching him with a small smile. 'She doesn't burn. She's spicy.' The corner of his mouth twitched in amusement at the association.
Shippo set more water on the stove to boil before joining them with the other boxes and chopsticks. ‟No more magic while we eat, right? I really want to avoid a humongous mess in my living room."
Kagome grinned and nodded in agreement, her gaze briefly dropping to her knee. Hiei had made sure to sit exactly where he'd been so that their legs touched.
She carefully folded her empty box closed after taking her last bite, her gaze drifting to the late afternoon light filtering in through the windows. ‟Are we going to be doing this much longer? I should head back home before it gets dark."
Shippo rolled onto his back, licking beneath one of his claws at a tiny remnant from dinner. ‟We can always just stay here. More room to cuddle."
‟On the couch?"
‟Nah, I have futons. We can make a big pile of everything, and no more being squashed next to a wall."
She curled her hands around her tea, soaking in the warmth through her fingers. ‟So if I agreed to such a thing, who should sleep in the middle? Hiei doesn't seem like the type to take that spot."
Shippo laughed. ‟I doubt he'll give in so easily next time." He propped himself on an elbow and mock-whispered, ‟We'll have to drag him to bed with us." He leaned over with a grin to peer past her at Hiei, who had returned to his spot on the couch. ‟You gonna cuddle again if we stay here?"
Hiei didn't bother opening his eyes. He had a clear view of Kagome's face through Shippo's mind. ‟You have returned. There is no need for me to sleep at her side to guard against the dreams." He watched the subtle shift in her expression that indicated she was disappointed with that reply.
Shippo noticed, too, and scrambled for reasons to convince him it wasn't such a bad idea. ‟It's not about need, it's about what's nice. It's about comfort and trust and knowing you'll be safe. It's about not being alone."
Hiei didn't answer. He trusted Kagome, but he wasn't sure if he trusted the fox enough for such a thing. He had expected to remain on guard the night before, but he'd fallen prey to the calm, quiet warmth.
He released a quiet sigh and watched her through Shippo's thoughts as he cleaned up the boxes from dinner, teasing remarks sprinkled throughout to try and cheer her. She seemed troubled, but he doubted it was about something so mundane as where she'd be spending the night.
He was right, but he might not have guessed the real reason she worried her lip between her teeth. She was concerned about home, but she wanted these little things for herself. Small comforts, togetherness, and maybe even a relationship one day. Would her selfish wishes end up causing trouble for her family?
She knew she couldn't spend the rest of her life guarding the shrine. Her new duties would guarantee she'd be spending at least some time away.
Would the danger that might fall on her family be less inclined to strike if she wasn't present?
Would it follow wherever she went?
She gripped her cup a little tighter, staring down into the steaming depths.
‟I'll stay, tonight. I want to check the barrier before we go to sleep, though," she murmured. She didn't dare push for Hiei to join them in their pile.
Shippo clapped his hands together with a widening grin. He scrambled to his feet to fetch all the bedding, which he then laid out and fluffed up in the center of the living room.
A little while passed without much notable conversation, just quiet lounging and sips of tea as the sun set over the neighborhood. Kagome eyed her pouch and thought about the pair of kitsune-print pajamas still tucked within. She really didn't feel like suffering through the good-natured teasing that would no doubt stem from her wearing those in front of the trickster that had given them to her.
"Where do your tails go?" she murmured, lounging against the couch as she admired the reddish-gold horizon.
He hummed questioningly, his attention elsewhere as he dozed close to the window.
"When you use magic to hide your tails, they aren't actually there anymore. Where do they go?"
"I call them illusions, but most of it is really shape-shifting. It's why I can go tiny-form and weigh so little, and why my pants and shoes fit correctly."
"So when you pretend to be me…" she grinned, peeking at him.
"Yep, the whole package." He cupped his hands in front of his chest and mimed having breasts.
She rolled her eyes and tossed a pillow at him. "So the tails are gone until you change and bring them back? Is that why you keep them hidden so often?"
"Nah, I just really love the way my pants fit," he chuckled.
Hiei yawned and stretched from his spot on the couch. "We have rested long enough."
Kagome sighed forlornly and stretched as well, resigned to more trouble.
"Everything we have tried has resulted in no improvement to what seems to be the root problem. The few clues we have still defy explanation. If we cannot fix the problem, perhaps we should focus on overcoming its side effects."
‟It really feels like we're running up an icy slope," she grumbled.
Shippo groaned in irritation, but rolled over to slowly drag himself across the floor until the top of his head bumped Kagome's leg, where he sighed and relaxed.
‟Partially. You've shown some improvement in recognizing the loss in control, and soon you might be able to shrug it off entirely. If this discomfort means you're another step closer to immunity, then it's a worthy pursuit."
She begrudgingly agreed, patting Shippo's hair in reassurance as she wondered what the plan would be this time. He sat up and bowed his head, knowing Hiei was right even if it sucked. The sooner she was fixed, the sooner they could be normal again.
Hiei turned his attention to the justifiably wary fox. *Use your suggestions to convince her she's having a very good time.*
Shippo swallowed nervously, wiping his hands on his pants. 'She's not going to sit still for something like that.'
Hiei tilted his head to watch him squirm. *You lack faith and imagination. An enemy using her weakness against her might start with the most appealing methods to sway her favor.*
Shippo fought a scowl. Hiei had a good point, but jumping into the deep end of the pool seemed a little overreaching.
"Have faith in yourself," he said to both of them. "It will be difficult, but you must be able to do this without someone holding you back. Despite you both trusting one another, you must consider this weakness as the enemy, and the enemy should not be allowed to run rampant."
She pressed her lips together and nodded firmly.
Hiei touched his fingers to her arm and glanced at Shippo. *Hold on for as long as possible. I will monitor you both.*
Hanging on to her while she went through her madness seemed like a terrible idea, and both were understandably nervous, having experienced firsthand how quickly things could get out of control.
They sat cross-legged facing one another with their knees touching. He reached out for her hands, only trembling a tiny bit as her fingers clasped his. ‟It'll be okay," she murmured, as though he needed the reassurance. Well, he kind of did. He was probably more worried about what might happen in the next ten minutes than anyone else in the room.
Her magic sparked to life in anticipation of blocking the expected assault, but she did her best to contain it so it wouldn't affect him. Still, it lit up like a bonfire, flooding her aura with pale pink power. He didn't feel much more than the tiniest brush of that addictive energy, but it was present and he couldn't ignore it any more than he could ignore the nervous twitch of her fingers and the elevated rate of her heart.
She nodded that she was ready, and he swallowed down his anxiety to nudge her with a touch of his magic. He'd never had to convince someone they were enjoying themselves, because he was very good at what he did. This lie was like ash in his mouth even as it curled sweetly from his fingertips.
She gasped and clutched his fingers tighter.
‟Focus," he whispered. ‟Use your magic to…" His words cut off as her pink glow intensified.
She clung to the dissolving shreds of her willpower and tried to fight off the haze that had taken over her mind despite the highly appealing urge to crawl into his lap and push him to the floor.
An offshoot of her energy followed his magic back to him, zipping up his arms on instinct to see if he was the source of whatever ailed her. He shuddered and held on, remaining as calm as he could, thinking of bland plants and how slowly they grew, the varieties that could both poison and serve as a food source, depending on what part was consumed. His thoughts drifted to the vegetation growing into the mogura tunnels he'd explored in his youth. Carving new passageways with the mogura had been hard work, and they'd get filthy, the sweat dripping from skin and taut muscles, trickling along the curves of flesh…
Someone kicked him.
‟Focus," he said again, more to remind himself as her magic thrummed up his arms. ‟You're… fighting off the haze, right?"
She shuddered and flared her magic again. He bit his lip and swallowed thickly, holding very still with his eyes closed. If feeling her energy rippling up his arms and smelling exactly what his magic was doing to her was this bad, he couldn't imagine how much worse it would be if he could see her skin flush as she squirmed in discomfort.
She made the kind of sound that had him rolling forward, settling his weight on his knees in anticipation of—
*No, hold still a moment longer. I can see that she's nearly over it.*
Hiei's mind was like an anchor that he latched onto in desperation.
*Relax. Listen to her breaths. She is calming. The storm is passing.*
He opened his eyes as she pulled her hands free from his. She discreetly tensed as she rubbed them over her face, but Shippo recognized Kagome's silent scream of frustration.
*And you thought something awful would happen. That wasn't so bad.*
Shippo rolled onto his side, facing away from them both with a pillow clutched in his arms. ‟Not so bad, my ass," he growled. He wasn't sure he wanted to do this anymore.
‟This is so embarrassing," Kagome moaned, her voice muffled as she covered her head with a throw blanket.
Shippo sighed and stuffed his face in his pillow. ‟I don't know who gave you the idea that nonstop training works, but I think they were an idiot. It definitely doesn't apply to this shit."
Hiei stood and paced with a thoughtful expression. ‟Once more. I feel like we're getting close to answers."
Shippo cursed. ‟Then you can do it this time. I need a mental break. And tequila."
Hiei cocked an eyebrow. "We just had a break."
Kagome quickly interjected. ‟Look, as much fun as this has been, I need to do anything else." She eyed the bathroom and contemplated the merits of a cold shower.
Shippo stood and strolled into the kitchen, pulling out dusty bottle from a cabinet and waving it in her direction.
I guess he wasn't kidding about the tequila. She couldn't imagine how much more trouble she could get herself into if she managed to get drunk along with everything else. ‟No thanks, but I could go for some more tea… Maybe chamomile this time?"
He laughed and set a fresh kettle to boil.
Hiei lounged on his side along the edge of the couch, one of his legs draped over the armrest and his arms flung over his head as he watched the other two nurse their drinks and avoid looking at anything in particular. "Why do you hesitate? Do you wish to delay the inevitable? Invite potential disaster?"
She huffed a sigh, glancing up from her tea to briefly meet his eyes. "Well, no, but—"
"Do you feel like you're being pressured into something?"
She shook her head in denial. "No, we—"
An eyebrow cocked as he interrupted her with an obvious point she'd stated just ten minutes ago. "You're embarrassed."
She visibly wilted over her cup of tea.
He briefly closed his eyes and wagered a guess that might make her mad, but he wanted to get to the root of what was bothering her. "And you feel inadequate."
She tried for a glare but it was half-hearted once she realized he wouldn't see it, anyways. Her slight anger had already faded into a small frown by the time he met her eyes again.
He watched her carefully and hoped she'd answer his next question. ‟But that's not all, is it?"
She stared down at her reflection along the surface of her tea. ‟All of these…moments…have been outside of my control. New experiences taken from me, or things that have happened when I wasn't really there for it." She blew out a breath that fluffed her bangs and took a long sip before continuing. ‟I feel a little bit robbed. I remember last night, but it wasn't me. It wasn't what I would have wanted to do for a first kiss, and that doesn't seem fair at all."
Still staring at her cup, her brain caught up with her words and she realized what she'd admitted. She froze, cringing that she'd blurted something so idiotic.
There was a long silence as she contemplated better ways to have expressed her troubles before Hiei replied with something she hadn't ever expected to hear. "Then kiss me, now."
Her heart leapt into her throat as she looked up from her cup to stare at him. ‟What?"
"Appease your curiosity so that it bothers you no longer."
Her mouth fell open. "But I'm not—" She didn't want to kiss him just because she was curious what it was like. She wanted there to be mutual attraction.
"Reach out because you want to, not because you can't help yourself." He closed his eyes, relaxing into the couch with a very subtle sigh.
She stood, biting her lip with indecision. He probably wouldn't have suggested such a thing if he didn't want her to kiss him. But what if he just wanted her to stop mulling over being blackout crazy, and was offering himself as a way to ease her concerns and appease her curiosity? She frowned and glanced over her shoulder at Shippo, who poured himself another shot of tequila with a pensive look as he deliberately ignored them.
"Not him," Hiei murmured, and she turned to look back at his lounging form, his eyes closed as he waited for what she would say or do.
What did he think she'd do? What did he mean by this offer? Why wouldn't he look at her?
She scowled in irritation and glanced at Shippo again, who shrugged and helpfully waved her away. As she turned back to Hiei, he picked up his bottle and slipped quietly out onto the balcony with a little grin.
Kagome felt herself growing more upset as she stepped closer, staring down at his relaxed expression.
"Don't be angry about things you cannot possibly know," he whispered, glancing up at her through his dark lashes.
She looked down at him, her frown melting as she studied his features. His crimson gaze had been corrupted by the grey creeping into his irises, and his behavior the last day had been strange. But he'd offered, and he looked at her with such a calm and open expression.
Appease her curiosity?
She reached out toward one of his arms draped over his head and traced her fingertip down a long line of exposed skin, dipping into countless small scars and brushing over muscles that twitched under her caress. She smoothed her thumbs along the wide mark left after she'd hastily reattached his arm using magic borrowed from the jewel. She realized it was not entirely a scar; much of the visible paleness was just a band of unmarked skin, free from the rough patterns that told a tale of innumerable hardships in his long life.
She ran her fingers up his shoulders and neck, feeling a slight tremor in his throat as he swallowed, watching her movements with a half-lidded gaze. She brushed her thumbs across his cheeks and eyebrows, then gently traced along the fabric covering his forehead. She wondered at the subtle presence she could detect beneath the concealing band of white. He had sussed out every detail of her life in what had felt like mere moments, and she wanted to know the same about him. What made him who he was?
Her gaze dropped to his lips and she touched his mouth with the tip of her little finger, then slid it sideways across the soft surface of his lower lip. When he wasn't frowning or scowling with irritation, he had a noticeably lush mouth, and she marveled at the warm, velvety smoothness. His eyes slid shut and his breath shuddered out in the softest of sighs.
She threaded her fingers into his hair and leaned over him to brushed her nose across the soft black strands, savoring the subtle scent of woodsmoke.
She pressed a gentle kiss to each of his eyelids, then slowly rubbed her cheek down the side of his face, gathering the nerve for what she really wanted to do. She touched her lips to the corner of his mouth, then traced the tip of her tongue across the petal-soft surface she'd touched moments before, thrilling in the way his face turned toward hers expectantly with parted lips.
She pulled back a few inches to stare down at him. She'd been kissed by others more than a few times recently, and to finally have that control fully in her hands was an empowering experience. He opened his eyes and looked up at her as though confused why she'd stopped. She knelt at his side and leaned forward with a sigh, pressing her mouth firmly to his.
He held himself carefully still as she sampled his texture with her lips, licked at his cupid's bow, then brazenly nipped at his lower lip.
When she pulled back with some disappointment, he opened his eyes to look at her and asked quietly, "Have you had enough to sate your curiosity?" She shook her head with a little frown, and he smiled before replying, "Good."
He rolled to sit up and pulled her between his parted knees to rest flush against his chest, his face inches from hers. They studied at each other in those quiet moments, his eyes flicking between the damp shine of her mouth and the slight part of her lips, the thick lashes around soft blue eyes. He leaned forward slightly and brushed his nose along hers, pressing his lips to hers with the greatest of care.
She gripped his shirt with a sigh, leaning into his embrace as his arms slid more firmly around her. The kiss was soft and sweet as their lips touched, tentative in their exploring.
This was what her first kiss should have been like; without the rush, she felt free to linger on the smallest of details like how their noses bumped when she sought a new angle, or how she felt his mouth curve in a hidden smile as she laughed against his lips. Free from the uncontrolled reactions and pressures of magic gone bad, they brushed cheeks and met again for an unhurried touch of the lips.
Her magic unfolded, enveloping him in a gentle, tingling warmth as she melted against him, luxuriating in the feel of his steel strength wrapped carefully around her, his fingers sliding slowly along her back in measured strokes as he felt for the scars through her shirt. She felt a sweet longing drifting somewhere between them, although she wasn't sure if it was from her mind or his.
She sighed against his mouth and slid her arms around his neck, confident that the fire department would have to pry them apart with one of their rescue tools.
*You have too many stories where others have taken without your permission,* he thought, threading his fingers through her hair to tug her face into a better angle. *I will do nothing without your permission. You must ask, demand, or take first.* He ran his lips and teeth along her jaw as she shuddered.
‟Talking too much," she whispered, taking hold of his hair to return his mouth to hers. She would take a few more of these kisses.
end note: omg I'm (not) sorry, is this too much? I know, I know. I've taken it a bit too far. (Not far enough IMO...) I'm enjoying the process. And I know at least one person has been cringing at some (all) of what feels OOC. Can you IMAGINE how Hiei's friends would react if they were to see him behaving like this? Because at least one of them will shortly...
PS: I must admit that much of my headcanon regarding these chars has been shaped by highly inappropriate stories I've read over the last twenty years, and both Hiei and Kurama are very cemented in my mind with certain characteristics and allowances that might not mesh or make sense to everyone. I know I won't make everyone happy with what I write, but major continuity issues, development hiccups, odd characterizations, feel free to ask about or mention things that don't feel right or make you go wtf? (but be constructive!) Your words and thoughts will be taken seriously and will help shape the detailing/editing process of upcoming chapters and *especially* the rewrites as I plan out how to shape original characters to best fill these roles. I consider all of you readers to be my beta testers and I treasure your feedback, good or bad. Can't fix it if I don't realize it's broken, right?
However, please do not suggest scenes. A large chunk of upcoming chapters have been planned out and a lot of it written, and if someone manages to suggest a scene that resembles something I've already been working on for weeks and months, it will stress me tf out D: yes it's cool, we're on the same wavelength! but it takes something away from my mindset and I don't know how to mentally process that kind of feedback yet. I will def ask for suggestions if I ever get stuck, please understand... sry.
Next chap might be another week or so. still working on a rush art commission that's eating most of my free time.