Dislcaimer: It sucks, but it's common sense. I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho.
Warning: Language. Yaoi. Characters slightly OOC.
AN: I did not do this fic alone! If it hadn't been for Gabbi and Demon Dog, I probably wouldn't have come up with anything. This wonderful fanfiction.net author aided in my writer's block for this story! I give credit to her, for as I said, I did not do this one alone. Read her stories, they're really good. Thank you so much Gabbi-san!! ^_^
*******************
Hiei got out of the airport a few hours later and waited for a taxi. He glanced at some of the people walking around him.
There were mothers and their complaintent children and there were those young couples with their hands laced together.
Hiei quickly brushed away a tear, before it fell and turned into a round gem.
"Kurama... I really miss you..."
*-*-*-*
"Suuichi... please get out of that room... come on..."
"...no."
Kurama had locked himself in his room right after all the fighting that had taken place. He wanted everyone to just leave him alone.
He just wanted people to not even think about him.
"Suuichi, what's wrong?"
"Nothing, Kassan."
"...is this anything that has to do with a girl or something?"
"...no..."
"Then what?"
"I just want to be alone."
"But why?"
"NOTHING."
Kurama covered his mouth, shocked at what he said.
"Suuichi..." the response was quieter this time. Kurama cursed lightly under his breath. He hadn't meant to hurt her...
"Well, I'm going to fix some food, so... if you get hungry, just come on down." There were footsteps that slowly faded. Kurama closed his eyes tight.
"Here I go, hurting others because of my own personal problems... Dammit, when will things just be okay again? When can I just lay down and wish everything away?" he asked himself, lying down on his bed and facing the wall. A tear fell.
"Hiei..."
*-*-*-*
Hiei entered the hotel room he was assigned on the phone, dropped his bags, and sat down on a bed quietly. Stupid humans. He had to use a phone. He had to ride the plane. It would've been easier for him to travel by himself, but no. The person that made him come here said that it would be too risky. Rolling his eyes, he had reluctantly agreed to it.
His surroundings weren't too bad though. At least the room looked nice. And yet, he hated it. The wallpaper, the type of furniture, the beds, even the bathroom. He hated all of it. They were too much like Kurama's house, Kurama's room. The room he had been in so many times, whether it was just to perch on his windowsill and talk with him or lie injured on his bed while he was taken care of. It was all to similar. The only real difference was the fact that Kurama's scent did not linger peacefully in the air.
The small fire demon felt his red eyes begin to sting a little. The same feeling he had before, when he had woken up crying. Before long, he was crying once again. He lay down on his stomach on the huge bed and cried into a pillow. He was so alone, he missed his fox. Yes, he could say that now. His fox. Kurama WAS his fox, and that was reassuring. There was a being out there who loved him, and it was the beautiful redhaired youko he adored so much. But then again, what good would it be if he could never see him? Then, the phone rang, making him jump. Trying to pull himself together, he stood up, wiped his eyes, took control of his voice as much he could, and answered it.
"What?" he asked bitterly into the reciever, his voice wavering slightly.
"Hello Hiei. You remember me, right? I called you the other day about coming to New York."
"Yes, I remember," he snapped. "So why are you calling now?"
"Well, I hope your trip was productive. I wanted to check up on you before we had our meeting." Hiei cursed under his breath. He was in no state to meet with a human at the moment.
"And?" His voice got more bitter each time he talked.
"Hiei, are you alright? You seem stressed over something."
"I don't matter right now," he almost shouted, eyes hardening, yet wet with tears. "Just get down to business."
"Alright then. I was hoping we could meet in your room, around, say, six tonight. Is that alright with you?"
Hiei glanced at the clock. The time read 4:26 pm. He sighed, thinking it over for a moment. He had an hour and thiry-four minutes. Should be enough time to pull himself together.
"Yeah, whatever."
"Alright then, Hiei, I'll come at six. Have a good stay, and I will see you later!" This man sounded too cheerful.
"Hn." He slammed the phone down, gathered up the tear gems on the pillow, placed them in his pocket, and returned to his position on the bed. All he could think about was Kurama. Every time he thought about him, his heart ached more, but he couldn't stop. It was an odd feeling, one that he discovered recently and regretted it. It was never like this. Back in Tokyo, he could always be around Kurama, feel the love he felt, but never ache over it. Because Kurama was always there. He always was...
He sat back up and snarled, baring his small fangs. He had stopped crying, but the pain was still intense. Uncounciously, he had wandered out onto the balcony of the hotel room and was perched on the railing. If he hadn't stopped himself, he would've jumped onto a tree and made his way around like he did when he went to Kurama's.
"Dammit!" he shouted at himself. "Pull yourself together!"
He said those words, but it was harder to do than he thought. People had heard him, because he was getting stared at by some of them in the hotel pool. He glared downwards.
"What the hell are you humans looking at?!" Then he sweatdropped. He didn't mean to say 'humans'. It did work though. Everyone just went back to what they were doing and ignored him. God, he hated New York. Everyone he had encountered were worse than the humans in Japan. He had actually gotten use to them. Finally, getting tired of the looks he kept getting, he jumped off the rail and went back into the room.
He strided over to the large mirror placed on a wall and examined his face. His eyes were red from crying. Well, they had always been red, but you get it. That other kind of red. Yeah. Anyway! He frowned his usual frown. He couldn't be seen by that human like this. After all, it would arouse questions, and Hiei wanted to avoid that at all cost.
"Dammit..." he cursed again, refraining from smashing the mirror out of frustration. The bathroom was near, and he entered it, walking over to the sink. The cold water was turned on, some gathered in his cupped hands, and splashed onto his face. This was repeated a few more times, before he dried his face with a towel and looked back in a mirror. Well, it still looked like he had been crying, but it was a lot better. By the time the human arrived, he would probably look his normal self again.
He wandered back over to the bed, lied down, and closed his eyes. His thoughts were filled with Kurama, his beautiful youkai, until he drifted off to sleep.
*-*-*-*
"Now, pay close attention class. This will be on your test," the teacher was blabbering, writing on the chalkboard and explaining the equations. Kurama sat at his usual desk beside the window. He had his head resting on one hand, the other holding his pencil. He was taking the notes, copying the examples, but he wasn't paying close attention. He was staring out the window, all thoughts focused on Hiei. Well, that is until he wandered occasionally to the conversation they had the other night...
That was the way it had been all day. He hadn't payed much attention in any of his classes, actually. He was thinking about Hiei way too much. In science, he had almost broken down crying. He wasn't alone though. For some reason, Botan, still remaining her human girl position, had switched schools. Instead of attending school with Yusuke, Keiko, and Kuwabara, she had switched to his school. Ironically, she was in every single class with him, and she made sure to sit near him in every one. Suddenly, a piece of folded paper was thrown on his desk. He looked down at it blinking. His name was scribbled on the front of it. It was from Botan.
'You haven't been yourself today, youko. You okay?' it said. He turned foreward to write a reply.
'I'm fine. I'm just thinking of things, that's all.' He tossed it over to her carefully. After a moment, it was tossed back.
'Thinking, eh? Hehe, what of?' Kurama rolled his eyes.
'Just...things.'
'Hiei?'
'-_-'
'Ooh, yup! You're thinking about Hiei!'
'Botan, shut up.'
'=^^= Moew!' Kurama shot Botan a look, then crumpled up the paper and stuck it in his bag. She shrugged, grinning, and turned her attention back to the math. Kurama, once again, stared out the window. The teacher was asking a question, but he didn't hear it.
"Why don't you answer, Suuichi?" Kurama snapped out of his trance and looked up front. He blinked.
"Umm, excuse me?"
"Do you have an answer to the problem?" He glanced at Botan, who gave him a 'Can't help you' look. He sighed, looking back up at the teacher.
"I didn't hear the question, sir..." he mumbled.
"So, you're saying you weren't paying attention?"
"Yes, sir..."
"Very well then," the teacher sighed. He then turned and proceeded to ask someone else. Botan held up a piece of paper that read 'BUSTED!!' on it. Kurama shot her another look, before staring outside again.
The rest of class went by real fast. When the bell ring, Kurama gathered up his things, Botan standing beside him.
"See what trouble the absent-minded can cause for themselves?" she asked softly.
"Botan, shut up. I don't need to hear this," he snapped. Botan blinked a little, but knowing he was having a hard time lately, said nothing After everything was together, they both began to make their way out of the room, when the teacher stopped them.
"Botan, can you please go on ahead? Suuichi, I need to speak with you," he asked. Botan nodded, mouthing a good luck to Kurama, and hurried out. Kurama followed the teacher up to his desk.
"Yes sir?" he asked. He had never been pulled after class before.
"Suuichi, are you alright? You've never wandered off during my class like today. In fact, some of the other teachers have said about you doing the same thing in there too. Is something happening outside of school you would like to talk about?" he began, sorting out some homework papers as he did so.
'I do, but you would never begin to understand them,' he thought. 'I could never say to him that I'm in love with a fire demon, but he left last night, maybe never to return. Even after we both admitted we loved each other. And yes, I said he, not she. I'm fucking gay! I don't think that would go down too well...'
"Well?" the man spoke up, breaking Kurama's thoughts once more.
"Um, with all due respect sir, you could never begin to understand what's going on with me outside of school."
"Why is that?"
'God, must he pry?? Well, I guess I can keep it simple....'
"Sir, the only thing I can say is that the one person I love with all my heart had to leave last night. Had to go halfway across the planet, and there's a great chance it's for good too."
"You mean, like, never to return or see you again?"
"Yes, sir. I'm sorry, but I can't say any more." Without another word, he rushed from the classroom and headed towards his locker, keeping his head down. Botan was waiting for him, leaning up against his locker. She moved so he could get into it.
"Well? What was that about?" she asked curiously.
"Nothing really. Just about not paying attention in class, that's all," he muttered, putting his math book up and getting his health book. "Come on, we have health to go to..."
Botan nodded and they both made their way to the next class.
*-*-*-*
Yusuke was walking down an alley, keeping out of sight. He had tried to disguise himself all day so no one would realize he still went to school. Today he just felt like skipping, so he did. Going further into the alley, he literally ran into Koenma. They both crashed to the ground. Yusuke sat up and stared at the teenager sitting beside him.
"What the hell are you doing down here?!" he shouted. Koenma smacked a hand over his mouth.
"Will you shut up?" he snapped. "Do you want to attract attention??"
"Well, what are you doing here, Koenma?" Yusuke asked, quieter.
"That's what I should be asking you. Shouldn't you be at school?"
"Didn't feel like going." Koenma rolled his eyes. "What's that about, pacifier junkie?"
"I thought I told you to stop calling me names, Yusuke."
"Oops, sorry. I forgot."
"And I don't enjoy sarcasm either. If you really must know, I'm down here to keep an eye on things."
"What kind of things, exactly?"
"Kurama." Yusuke raised an eyebrow, sticking his hands in his pockets.
"Whatever you say, but you're in the wrong place. Kurama's school is nowhere near here. Besides, he's got Botan with him."
"Listen, I know his school isn't here, and I know Botan is with him, but still. I was going to keep an eye out, just in case. If you've forgotten, Botan can't do her regular duties, for she poses as a student there."
"If you knew the school wasn't near here, then why exactly ARE you here?"
"Well, I figured out the school wasn't near here a few minutes before you crash-landed. I got lost," Koenma chuckled nervously, putting a hand behind his neck in embarassment. Yusuke sweatdropped and fell over.
"Besides, don't you have a lot of work to do in Spirit World?"
"Not really. My father came back yesterday. He's going to be leaving again in a week or two, but until that happens, I have some free time. I was thinking about asking someone for directions until I remembered the way."
"Not like you'd get much help anyway, posing as a teenager who sucks on a pacifier 24/7..." he muttered. Koenma glared down at him.
"For your information, I don't always have the pacifier, so there!" he snapped.
"Prove it." Koenma, getting impatient, rolled his eyes again and grumbled a 'fine'. He reached up, pulled out the pacifier, and placed it in his pocket.
"There. Happy?!" Yusuke blinked in amazement. "Now what is it??"
"Wow..." he gasped. "You DO have a mouth under there!"
Koenma growled and whalloped Yusuke on the back of the head, making him fall over again.
"Ow!!"
"That's what you get Yusuke. Stop teasing me and go do your own thing." He put his hands in his pocket and walked off. Yusuke sat there, rubbing his head in pain.
*-*-*-*
Botan and Kurama were now attending health class, sitting beside each other once again.
"Alright, class, settle down," the teacher called for attention. "I know I promised you a request day, don't ask me why I did. Now I regret it! Yes, I did get some requests, every single one of them the same actually...I think you all plot together against me, I really do."
Botan looked over at Kurama, who raised an eyebrow. She shrugged in return.
"Fine..." she sighed, continuing. "Well, our request is the different types of relationships. God, the things we discuss in school...."
Some people laughed, others looked excited. The teacher rolled her eyes.
"Honestly, I don't know why you people like this topic so much. It's transparently clear that at least half of you are homophobic! But, oh well. I hadn't made a lesson plan for today anyway. The first type of relationship is the most common one, a male dating a female. Also known as a straight couple. Earlier on, we learned more about the behavioral patterns of this particlar genre, so I won't get into that at the moment. Another type is where a female dates another female. This one is most- commonly known as a lesbian relationship."
"Kristina's a lesbian!" some guy shouted. That was followed by laughing and a loud smack by Kristina. Botan smiled somewhat.
"Moving onward," the teacher said, stricter, making them quiet down. "The other relationship is where a male dates another male, also know as a gay relationship."
Kurama glanced at the floor when she said this. His thoughts automatically turned back to Hiei, and the other night when they had shared the kiss.
"That's what Kiaba is!" Kristina yelled, getting him back for the ealier comment.
"I'm on Yu-Gi-Oh!" he laughed, and was smacked again.
"You wish, gay boy!" Another girl, named Lauren, grinned. "You're such a dork!"
"Alright! That's enough! Everyone quiet down, now!" the teacher yelled. Everyone immediately shut up and looked foreward. "You see, this is why I can never have conversations like this with you people. You turn it into a joke, and it is most-certainly not. People cannot help the way they feel about another person, whether opposite genders or the same. Being gay or lesbian is no laughing matter, but you treat it as one. I'm a sure that a few of you like the same gender as yourself. Maybe you don't realize it as of now, or don't wan't to admit it. And what I really hate is when people pick on the ones that aren't striaght. That makes me sick. Don't get me wrong, every single one of you are good at heart, but I won't lie either. I have seen some of you pick on people different than yourselves. If someone is gay, then they shouldn't be afraid to make it known, but the way they are treated makes them afraid to! I personally think that everyone is gay in a certain way, if not actually dating the same gender."
"But, we're only joking around..." Kiaba started.
"Exactly, but it gets twisted." Throughout this entire conversation, Kurama found it harder to bear.
"I think people that are gay should just disappear from the face of the earth. I mean, if they like the same gender, how the hell are they gonna reproduce, to keep the human race going? In my opinion, gays and lesbians are just an obsticle in the way, about should be eliminated."
"Michael!" Laura shouted.
"What?! It's my opinion!" Michael defended.
"Yeah Laura, his opinion can be voiced and heard. I think he's right."
"Well," Laura snapped. "I was asking you, now was I Mamarou?"
Kurama could feel tears threatening. If he cried in class, god knows what would happen. He quickly raised his hand.
"Yes, Suuichi?" the teacher asked.
"May I be excused, please?" he almost begged, keeping his eyes down. Botan began looking concerned.
"Yes." Kurama didn't hesitate. He immediately stood up and ran out of the room and straight to the balcony outside. Running over to the railing, he rested his elbows on the metal and held his face, crying.
Back in the room, Botan ran out after Kurama, not bothering to say a thing to the teacher.
"Kurama, are you alright?" she asked softly. Kurama's shook his head.
"Far from it..." he mumbled. Botan put an arm around his shoulders.
"It's alright. Everything'll turn out fine, you'll see." She pulled Kurama into a hug. While standing there, she saw Lord Koenma standing in a tree with his arms crossed, watching silently. She turned her attention back to the crying kitsune.
"I'm sure Hiei'll come back some day. Don't loose hope Kurama. Hang on to what the two of you have, and you'll never really be seperated," she whispered, rubbing his back.
"I...don't want to stay here..." he mumbled. Botan nodded.
"Alright. I'll get the headmaster to grant us permission to leave. I'll take you home, okay?" Kurama nodded slightly, wiping his eyes on his sleeves. They exited the blacony and went back over to the room. Koenma turned and leaped off. Kurama stopped before they reached the door to the classroom.
"I can't go back in there," he mumbled.
"That's okay. I'll get our stuff." She went in, grabbed their bags, lightly explained to the teacher, and the two of them made their way to the headmaster.
*-*-*-*
A loud knock on the hotel door made Hiei jerk out of his slumber. He scowled, not bothering to put on his cloak, and went to answer the door. A human was standing there.
"What do you want?" he asked, glaring at him.
"It's me Hiei. May I come in?"
"I guess." He stepped away from the door and sat down on the bed. He came in, shut and locked the door, and sat near him.
"I bet you're wondering why I made you come here."
"Yes, because I disagree," he frowned.
"It's about the Makai." This grabbed Hiei's attention. How could a human know about the Makai?
"Excuse me?" he asked.
"The Makai," this human repeated. "And your Jagan eye."
"How do you know this? Who are you?" he asked, eyes slanting. "This type of information shouldn't be known by humans."
"Well, that's alright then, because I'm not human. I'm like you, a fire demon. I must say, it's wonderful that I can meet you. I've heard so many tales about you and that Jagan eye you possess. It's absolutely amazing."
"What's your name, or do you have one?"
"You may call me what everyone else calls me. I go by Ripper." Hiei raised an eyebrow.
"Ripper?"
"It's a long story. I'll save it for another time, alright?" Hie nodded.
"So, what about the Makai and my Jagan? I don't get how this goes together."
"The problem is, I'm not too sure about it myself. The only real thing I know it that the Makai are showing up around here. I looked up on the portal used by these demons, and it said something about the Jagan being a key weapon," Ripper told Hiei. The whole time, Hiei listened with great interest, making sure he caught every word.
"Key weapon?"
"Well, something along those lines. If not a key weapon, then it's greatly needed."
"And that's why you contacted me."
"Exactly. We need to strike as soon as possible."
Hiei nodded, fully understanding why he was summoned to this place. There would definitely be a lot of fighting. Yet...could he survive it all? Thinking this over, he realized he should be with Kurama, even just a little bit, just in case he was killed.
"Ripper, if it's alright, can I go back to Tokyo for a few days? In case I die, there's something I have to take care of."
Ripper sighed, but nodded. Hiei grabbed his sword and cloak, put them on, and jumped off the balcony and out of sight.
"Keep forgetting about his god-like speed. Well, he better not stay gone for too long. I'm still not sure when these demons are going to come along..."
*-*-*-*
Botan and Kurama walked up and entered Kurama's house, taking his mother by surprise.
"Suuichi, what are you doing home from school so early?!" she asked, running over.
"Suuichi was feeling really bad, so he was allowed to come home. They let me help him," Botan lied. "All he needs is some rest, and he should be fine in the morning.
"Alright... I'll see you tomorrow morning then, Suuichi," his mother smiled, going back to what she was doing. They went up to Kurama's room. He opened his window to let a breeze in, put his bag on the desk with his books, and sat down on his bed.
"You gonna be alright?" Botan asked. He nodded.
"Yeah. I'll just get some sleep. Tomorrow's Saturday," he smiled. "See you then."
Botan nodded, exiting the room. Kurama lay down and after a while, fell asleep.
~~~~
Later that night, Kurama opened his eyes. The room was pretty dark and the window was still open. He could've sworn he heard something. Turning his head, he saw a small, black figure crouched on his windowsill. He sat up in the bed.
"Hiei, is that you?" he asked softly. The figure leaped into the room, shutting the window behind him and coming into the moonlight. It was Hiei.
"Hn." Was all that was said. Yes, it was Hiei. It was no dream. Kurama's beloved fire demon was standing in the middle of his room.
"So it is real..." he muttered.
"Yes, this is real, fox. I came to pay you a little visit," he told him, crossing his arms.
"Is something the matter?" He stood up, not bothering to put on the shirt he had stripped himself of earlier, and walked over to Hiei. "You look...troubled."
"Sort of. The reason I had to go all the way to New York is because of some demons that are coming. My Jagan is needed. I am not entirely sure if I will live until the end of this, so I came to see you for a few days."
"You came all the way back here to see me?"
"Of course, stupid fox!" he scowled, but went much closer to Kurama. Without a word, Kurama pulled him into a tight hug. Then, he took him over and they sat beside each other on the soft bed. Hiei smiled slightly, leaning over and nuzzling Kurama passionatly. In return, Kurama leaned down and kissed Hiei's neck gently a few times. Then, the youko purred and whispered seductivly in Hiei's ear.
"So...have you slept good at all since our last meeting?" he asked, as close to his ear as possible without actually touching it.
"Kare kusa ni me korobi hitori nemuru yoru wa, fukushuu no yame dake Jagan no saki ni meta," he whispered back, just as soft, glancing sadly at Kurama. (phrase translation: Sleeping in the dead grass alone in the cold nights, there are only vengeful dreams the third eye sends into my eyes.)
"Well, maybe I'll have to change that, ne?"
"Good lord fox." Hiei rolled his eyes. "Is that all you've thought of?"
"No, of course not!" Kurama smiled. "I am certainly nor as bad as Yusuke is about Kayko."
This got a laugh from Hiei, which made Kurama grin. He wrapped an arm around the smaller youkai's waist and pulled him close. The fire demon shook his head, but did not complain. In fact, he leaned against Kurama and shut his eyes. Kurama glanced down at him, smiled, and stroked his arm lightly.
"If I'm not mistaken, someone's tired," he muttered softly and seductivly. Hiei sat up and yawned, rubbing his eyes, but at the same time, he felt slightly aroused. The way Kurama talked, it almost seemed like he was trying his best to sound erotic. He was pulled from his thoughts when he felt Kurama rest his head on his neck.
"I had a long trip, you know..."
"Well, let's get some sleep then." Kurama made sure his bedroom door was locked. After all, he didn't want his mother walking in on the two of them sleeping together. He walked back over, watching Hiei silently as he took off his black cloak and sword putting them beside Kurama's own shirt.
'Don't jump him, he's had a hard and long day. Don't jump him, don't jump him, don't jump him...' Kurama thought to himself.
"This is the first time you've been on my bed without being hurt, isn't it?" he asked, trying to destract himself. Hiei nodded.
"Yes, and in total, I've been on this bed four times now. Kind of funny, wouldn't you think?" Kurama smirked, making Hiei blush a little.
"You're about to drop dead, and I'm tired as well, Hiei," Kurama yawned. "Sleep now, talk more tomorrow."
Kurama lied down on the bed, Hiei crawling over beside him. He pulled Hiei close to his own body, nuzzling him, and closing his eyes. Hiei smiled, kissed Kurama on the lips, then the forehead, and closed his eyes as well, snuggling as close to his sweet fox as possible. Both of them hoping this would last forever.
*-*-*-*
"So, Yukina is heading over?" Kayko asked. Botan nodded.
"Yes. She should arrive any moment."
"What's with you?" Shizuru asked, raising an eyebrow at Kuwabara, who looked like he was about to explode.
"Yukina!" he shouted, seeing her walking up the path. "Yukina, Yukina, Yukina!!"
He ran, or leaped, out, arms flailing, mouth spread in a huge grin. A smile appeared on Yukina's lips as he ran over.
"Why, hello Kazuma," she said softly. He grabbed her hands.
"And how might a beautiful flower like you be faring on a perfect day such as this? Ahh, a perfect day for a perfect girl." He got punched on the back of the head by Shizuru.
"Stop your sweet-talking, little bro. It makes you sound stupid." He fell to the ground, foot twitching. Yukina laughed quietly and followed Shizuru over to the others, Kuwabara sulking close behind him.
"So Botan, what is this about the Makai?" Yusuke asked, leaning on the wall beside Kayko. "I'm not quite clear on this here!"
"The thing is, I'm not sure on it myself. If only Hiei was here... He'd be bound to know something. Although I'm sure Kurama has a few ideas." She looked around. "Where is Kurama? Isn't he always here by now?"
"I did tell him about the group meeting the other afternoon," Yusuke sighed.
"Yeah, I was there!" Kuwabara announced proudly. "So I know he got the message."
"It isn't like Kurama to not show up..." Kayko looked worried. Yusuke put an arm around her, even though it was clear that he, too, seemed uncertain.
"Maybe he slept in?" Yukina suggested.
"Whether Kurama is here or not, we must get down to business," Koenma said, popping into the room.
"Koenma!!" everyone shouted.
"Yo."
"Stop doing that, you toddler!" Yusuke screamed. Koenma put hands over his ears and glaring at the spirit detective.
"Yusuke Urameshi, I am getting tired of this name calling. Now, I have meen monitering and doing some research. This is a real bad time everyone..."
"Well then, don't hold out on us! Tell us what's going on!" Kuwabara requested. Koenma sighed depressingly, floating in midair.
"Alright, but brace yourselves. This news is not good at all. The Makai is planning something big, which is extremely bad for us, and the living world. Possibly even the Spirit World for that matter!"
"Oh god..." Botan whispered. "Koenma, sir, what have you seen?!"
"Demons are coming. More than normal. They're grouping in major cities around the world, and soon they'll go for the smaller ones, I fear."
"The world?!" Yusuke shouted. "How the hell can we deal with that?!?!"
"I don't know, but we have to think of something. For now, I have groups of spirit detectives stationed in most of the large cities. My father and I are trying to take care of this best we can. Yusuke, Kuwabara, you need to join this fight. You have to look after Tokyo, you're the group for this city. We must locate the portals in this area and destroy the demons that come from it before they get too far. Yukina, if you're up to it, you may also fight. I'm putting this choice before you, and you can refuse. Since you are Hiei's sister and an ice apparation, I'm sure you're a decent fighter." Koenma seemed to get more and more stressed the more he talked.
"I'm prepared to do whatever's needed to protect this world. Even if it does mean to risky my life and join the battle," she told him, seemingly determined.
"Count me in too," Genkai said, walking in. Koenma nodded.
"The more, the better."
"Koenma, sir, I'll do what I can to help." Botan stepped foreward.
"Very well... Kayko, Shizuru, if you would come with me. Things will not be safe for you when the fighting begins. I also believe that Yusuke and Kuwabara will be better off is they knew you were safe. They can focus better not having to worry about anyone that cannot defend themselves against enemies of this magantude."
"Alright Koenma," Shizuru nodded, walking over to him.
"Kayko?"
"Just a moment." She turned to Yusuke. He looked down at her and pulled her into a hug.
"Go with him Kayko," he whispered. "You'll be safer in the Gate of Judgement. They'll take care of you there."
"But Yusuke, I don't want to leave you..."
"I'll be fine. Hey, I'm a spirit detective, this is my job. I won't be able to do as good with you around. I'd be too focused on if you were safe then the battle. You'll be a lot better off going with him. I promise I'll be fine. Besides, from up there, you can watch me without being in harm's way." He leaned down and kissed her, giving her a reassuring smile. She nodded, went over to Koenma, and the three of them disappeared.
"You did the right thing Yusuke," Botan spoke up, putting a hand on his shoulder.
"Yes," Yukina agreed. "She'll be safer up there."
"I know. All I want is for to be safe, no matter what I have to do," he said quietly.
*-*-*-*
Hiei opened his eyes, seeing no Kurama in the bed next to him. Finding this slightly odd, he sat up and looked around. The door was still shut and locked, but the window had been opened and Kurama was nowhere to be found. He frowned momentarily, then spotted a folded piece of paper on the desk that hadn't resided there the previous night.
"Did he go out...?" he asked himself, walking over to the desk. He picked up the note and unfolded it, glancing at the unfamiliar handwriting. It was definitely not Kurama's, either.
I have him. You know who. Come over to the large group of trees behind his school. Arrive there unattended and unarmed. If, in the event that you don't follow these exact intructions, we will kill Kurama and force you to watch.
Hiei cursed under his breath in various lanuages. His hand balled into a fist, crushing the paper he had been reading. Without thinking, he kicked the desk chair, making it crash to the floor loudly. He froze. Kurama's human mother was still in the house. Her whereabouts weren't hidden for long, because afer a few minutes there was a knock on the door.
"Suuichi? Is everything alright in there?"
Hiei, with lack of anything better to do, jotted 'Yes, everything's fine' on a small piece of paper, darted over, and slipped it under the door, careful not to make any sound that would cause her to believe that Kurama really wasn't in his room.
"Alright, just checking. If you like, I'm fixing some eggs. Come down of you feel up to breakfast." She walked off. Hiei smiled. It had worked. He frowned again though, worried about Kurama. Without hesitation, he grabbed his cloak, put it on, and in a blur he was out the window.
'If anything's happened to you, Kurama, I don't know what I'll do...' he thought to himself, darting from tree to tree, unseen by the human eye. Before long, he was behind the school, landing in the forest. Staying alert, on his guard, he began walking around, in hopes of finding his love. Finally, he entered a small clearing, and saw him.
It was horrible. Kurama was tied up to a large oak tree, hands bound by rope. He just hung there, unconsious. His breathing wasn't consistant. He was taking short breaths that showed his pain. His pants had been slightly ripped, and there were cuts and bruises all over his body. He had a black eye and blood was running down his right arm, dripping onto the grass below him. Hiei's eyes widened in fear that he might be too late. Hurridly, he ran over to Kurama. Just when he was about to get him down, a voice spoke.
"Leave him, now. Touch him, I kill him. Now, turn around." Hiei froze and turned around. He came face to face with Karasu, making him snarl viciously.
"You. I should've known..." he growled, standing right in front of Kurama. Karasu smirked.
"Hoped you would remember me, lovely little Hiei. I am rather envious of you... After all, Kurama adores you, more than the world itself. I find you very, very, very lucky to have such a rare beauty love you," he said in a singsong voice.
"Let him go and I might consider sparing your life," Hiei threatened, eyes showing that he meant every word he spoke.
"I dare you to attack me in your position," Karasu smirked, again.
"Very well, though that's a mistake. But don't worry, it's the last one you'll ever make."
Karasu continued to smirk, and without his mask, Hiei could see every one of them. It made him growl. He was sick and tired of seeing the cocky smirk. Crouching slightly, keeping his eyes on Karasu, he contemplated his attack. He could use Dragon of the Darkness Flame...or use his Jagan eye to give him a power boost. Without his sword, there was little option, but he hadn't brought it because he didn't want to see his love die. Reaching up, making sure Karasu did no sudden movements, he took off the bandage that kept his Jagan hidden. It glowed red, and Karasu just stared at it.
'Perfect,' Hiei thought. 'Maybe it'll hypnotize him long enough for me to destroy him...'
Before Karasu could do anything to stop him, Hiei forced himself into a spirit energy boost, one of great magnitude. He lifted his bandaged arm, fire surrounding it. He channeled the fire into his hand, and with his Jagan glowing brightly, shot a huge cannon of fire at Karasu. It made contact, and he fell to the ground, screaming and burning. It wasn't long before what was left had stopped moving all together. The black dragon appeared on his arm where the bandages had burned off. He fell to his knees, but wrapped his Jagan back up. He was spent. That time, he had used so much energy, he was glad it killed Karasu right then and there, because if it hadn't, he would be the one dead on the ground.
Gathering up the last of his energy, he changed his focus to Kurama. The fighting must have stirred up something, because he moved slightly and his breathing wasn't as short. Hiei smiled, relieved. He forced himself to stand up and stagger over, untying Kurama. Then, they both fell to the ground with a thud. Hiei dragged himself until he had Kurama on his back and he was lying on his chest. He did keep his eyes open to moniter to larger boy, when finally he saw Kurama's eyes flicker a little. It was as if all his energy suddenly flowed back into him, and he bolted into a sitting position.
"Kurama?! Are...are you alright?" he asked urgently. His response was a weak smile.
"H-hiei. You came."
"Of course I did. Do you honestly think I would leave you like this?"
"I thought I'd never get to see you again. To be honest, I was real scared."
"It's alright to be scared. Everyone does at one point in their existance."
"Do you get scared, Hiei?"
"Of course I do. I was terrified today. I thought I might loose you."
Kurama smiled again, reached a hand up and brushed Hiei's face. A tear fell out of Hiei's eye and fell to the ground, turning into a beautiful, round gem.
"Ssh, don't cry, my fire demon. I'm going to be alright," he whispered, picking up the gem and kissing it, then placing it in his pocket. "I promise, I won't leave you."
Hiei leaned down and kissed Kurama. The kiss was unlike anything Kurama had felt before. He kissed back without hesitation, savoring this very moment. Never before had he shown this much passion for the youko. Kurama placed a hand on the back of Hiei's neck, holding him there. He broke away momentarily, to which Hiei made a face of dislike. He smiled, emerald eyes gazing deep into crimson ones, and licked the fire demon's lips lightly.
"Kurama, that tickles!" Hiei grinned.
"Did you like it, though?"
"Hai, very much so." He leaned back down and kissed Kurama's neck, his hand holding the fox's waist on one side. Kurama grabbed the fire demon's other hand and kissed it.
"Hiei, I'm worn out..." he whispered, feeling his spirit energy weaken slightly. Hiei stopped what he was doing and looked at him.
"Sleep?" was all that was said, but it was right to the point. Kurama nodded.
"Hai. Ai shiteru Hiei," he muttered and closed his eyes. Hiei, respecting his youkai greatly, sat up straight and watched him for a moment. Then, feeling his spirit energy fall as well, he curled up beside Kurama, held his hand, and placed his head upon the fox's bare chest, where he was facing towards him, stroked his arm lightly until he, too, fell into a deep sleep.
************
Ceari: And there's chappie 2! Hehe, Hiei and Kurama are so kawaii. ^_^ Well, things are gonna start getting down to the nitty gritty. I heard that somewhere. Nitty gritty. Hee, isn't that a funny phrase?
Kurama: With all due respect, can you please shut up?
Ceari: Watch it kitsune! I can easily make Hiei get killed in the next chapter!
Hiei: *pouts*
Kurama: Shutting up!
Ceari: Whahahaha. I have the power.
He-Man: I AM THE POWER!!!
Ceari: -_- Get outta here! *shoves him off*
Hiei: *blinku blinku* Who the hell was that?
Ceari: Am I really supposed to know that? I'm only the authoress here... I CAN'T MAKE DECISIONS!!
Kurama: *sweatdrop* Isn't that you're job?
Ceari: *matter-of-factly* Of course not, that's my muse's job! Duh! *pulls out a naked chibi Heero in a tea cup* ^_^
Hiei: -_- What's that?
Ceari: Uh, my muse!
Chibi Heero: Yeah, I'm the brains behind the operation.
Kurama: O_O It can talk?!
Ceari: *hits Kurama over the head with a random mallet* Of course it can talk! I'm not stupid enough to hire a muse that has no vocal vocabulary!
Kurama: *rubs head* Ow...
Chibi Heero: *coughs and goes away*
Kurama: *still rubbing head* I have no clue how I get involved with such people.
Hiei: Hai...
Ceari: Bakayaro! Both of you! *they glare at her* Eep! Uh... *chuckles nervously* Anyway, next chappie will get down to the nitty gritty. Stuff'll start happening that won't be very pretty... *is getting chased by Kurama and Hiei* They're gonna murder me!!! Hey, I can't write story if you murder! *they stop* Whew... Well, I'm gonna be gettin' my kleenexs... *sigh* Let's hope the Spirit Detective can do his job!
Yusuke: *growl*
Ceari: Okay, I'm going to leave before I have the entire show after my head... Ja ne, for now! Oh yeah, also, reviews are nice.
Chibi Hiei with puppy eyes: Please...?
Ceari: See?! You gotta review! Who can resist that face??
The Chibi Hiei: I won't get food if you don't review...
Ceari: Alright, stop making me look bad. Hey, he still gets food even if there aren't reviews. He's just trying to make me into a chibi-abuser. Does it all the time, cute little thing. But still, he's got the kyutest little face that you cannot resist! He'll use the pout of death if you don't...
Hiei: That is an insult to me...
*Hiei and Ceari start arguing*
Kurama: Well... Sorry about them. This chapter-
Ceari: CHAPPIE!
Kurama: *blinku blinku* ...is over. Review, you kind souls, you. Bye! ^_^
Ceari: AND IN YOUR REVIEW, TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT NITTY GRITTY!!
Hiei: You're really stuck on that, aren't you?
Ceari: SO?!
Kurama: *eye twitches*
Warning: Language. Yaoi. Characters slightly OOC.
AN: I did not do this fic alone! If it hadn't been for Gabbi and Demon Dog, I probably wouldn't have come up with anything. This wonderful fanfiction.net author aided in my writer's block for this story! I give credit to her, for as I said, I did not do this one alone. Read her stories, they're really good. Thank you so much Gabbi-san!! ^_^
*******************
Hiei got out of the airport a few hours later and waited for a taxi. He glanced at some of the people walking around him.
There were mothers and their complaintent children and there were those young couples with their hands laced together.
Hiei quickly brushed away a tear, before it fell and turned into a round gem.
"Kurama... I really miss you..."
*-*-*-*
"Suuichi... please get out of that room... come on..."
"...no."
Kurama had locked himself in his room right after all the fighting that had taken place. He wanted everyone to just leave him alone.
He just wanted people to not even think about him.
"Suuichi, what's wrong?"
"Nothing, Kassan."
"...is this anything that has to do with a girl or something?"
"...no..."
"Then what?"
"I just want to be alone."
"But why?"
"NOTHING."
Kurama covered his mouth, shocked at what he said.
"Suuichi..." the response was quieter this time. Kurama cursed lightly under his breath. He hadn't meant to hurt her...
"Well, I'm going to fix some food, so... if you get hungry, just come on down." There were footsteps that slowly faded. Kurama closed his eyes tight.
"Here I go, hurting others because of my own personal problems... Dammit, when will things just be okay again? When can I just lay down and wish everything away?" he asked himself, lying down on his bed and facing the wall. A tear fell.
"Hiei..."
*-*-*-*
Hiei entered the hotel room he was assigned on the phone, dropped his bags, and sat down on a bed quietly. Stupid humans. He had to use a phone. He had to ride the plane. It would've been easier for him to travel by himself, but no. The person that made him come here said that it would be too risky. Rolling his eyes, he had reluctantly agreed to it.
His surroundings weren't too bad though. At least the room looked nice. And yet, he hated it. The wallpaper, the type of furniture, the beds, even the bathroom. He hated all of it. They were too much like Kurama's house, Kurama's room. The room he had been in so many times, whether it was just to perch on his windowsill and talk with him or lie injured on his bed while he was taken care of. It was all to similar. The only real difference was the fact that Kurama's scent did not linger peacefully in the air.
The small fire demon felt his red eyes begin to sting a little. The same feeling he had before, when he had woken up crying. Before long, he was crying once again. He lay down on his stomach on the huge bed and cried into a pillow. He was so alone, he missed his fox. Yes, he could say that now. His fox. Kurama WAS his fox, and that was reassuring. There was a being out there who loved him, and it was the beautiful redhaired youko he adored so much. But then again, what good would it be if he could never see him? Then, the phone rang, making him jump. Trying to pull himself together, he stood up, wiped his eyes, took control of his voice as much he could, and answered it.
"What?" he asked bitterly into the reciever, his voice wavering slightly.
"Hello Hiei. You remember me, right? I called you the other day about coming to New York."
"Yes, I remember," he snapped. "So why are you calling now?"
"Well, I hope your trip was productive. I wanted to check up on you before we had our meeting." Hiei cursed under his breath. He was in no state to meet with a human at the moment.
"And?" His voice got more bitter each time he talked.
"Hiei, are you alright? You seem stressed over something."
"I don't matter right now," he almost shouted, eyes hardening, yet wet with tears. "Just get down to business."
"Alright then. I was hoping we could meet in your room, around, say, six tonight. Is that alright with you?"
Hiei glanced at the clock. The time read 4:26 pm. He sighed, thinking it over for a moment. He had an hour and thiry-four minutes. Should be enough time to pull himself together.
"Yeah, whatever."
"Alright then, Hiei, I'll come at six. Have a good stay, and I will see you later!" This man sounded too cheerful.
"Hn." He slammed the phone down, gathered up the tear gems on the pillow, placed them in his pocket, and returned to his position on the bed. All he could think about was Kurama. Every time he thought about him, his heart ached more, but he couldn't stop. It was an odd feeling, one that he discovered recently and regretted it. It was never like this. Back in Tokyo, he could always be around Kurama, feel the love he felt, but never ache over it. Because Kurama was always there. He always was...
He sat back up and snarled, baring his small fangs. He had stopped crying, but the pain was still intense. Uncounciously, he had wandered out onto the balcony of the hotel room and was perched on the railing. If he hadn't stopped himself, he would've jumped onto a tree and made his way around like he did when he went to Kurama's.
"Dammit!" he shouted at himself. "Pull yourself together!"
He said those words, but it was harder to do than he thought. People had heard him, because he was getting stared at by some of them in the hotel pool. He glared downwards.
"What the hell are you humans looking at?!" Then he sweatdropped. He didn't mean to say 'humans'. It did work though. Everyone just went back to what they were doing and ignored him. God, he hated New York. Everyone he had encountered were worse than the humans in Japan. He had actually gotten use to them. Finally, getting tired of the looks he kept getting, he jumped off the rail and went back into the room.
He strided over to the large mirror placed on a wall and examined his face. His eyes were red from crying. Well, they had always been red, but you get it. That other kind of red. Yeah. Anyway! He frowned his usual frown. He couldn't be seen by that human like this. After all, it would arouse questions, and Hiei wanted to avoid that at all cost.
"Dammit..." he cursed again, refraining from smashing the mirror out of frustration. The bathroom was near, and he entered it, walking over to the sink. The cold water was turned on, some gathered in his cupped hands, and splashed onto his face. This was repeated a few more times, before he dried his face with a towel and looked back in a mirror. Well, it still looked like he had been crying, but it was a lot better. By the time the human arrived, he would probably look his normal self again.
He wandered back over to the bed, lied down, and closed his eyes. His thoughts were filled with Kurama, his beautiful youkai, until he drifted off to sleep.
*-*-*-*
"Now, pay close attention class. This will be on your test," the teacher was blabbering, writing on the chalkboard and explaining the equations. Kurama sat at his usual desk beside the window. He had his head resting on one hand, the other holding his pencil. He was taking the notes, copying the examples, but he wasn't paying close attention. He was staring out the window, all thoughts focused on Hiei. Well, that is until he wandered occasionally to the conversation they had the other night...
That was the way it had been all day. He hadn't payed much attention in any of his classes, actually. He was thinking about Hiei way too much. In science, he had almost broken down crying. He wasn't alone though. For some reason, Botan, still remaining her human girl position, had switched schools. Instead of attending school with Yusuke, Keiko, and Kuwabara, she had switched to his school. Ironically, she was in every single class with him, and she made sure to sit near him in every one. Suddenly, a piece of folded paper was thrown on his desk. He looked down at it blinking. His name was scribbled on the front of it. It was from Botan.
'You haven't been yourself today, youko. You okay?' it said. He turned foreward to write a reply.
'I'm fine. I'm just thinking of things, that's all.' He tossed it over to her carefully. After a moment, it was tossed back.
'Thinking, eh? Hehe, what of?' Kurama rolled his eyes.
'Just...things.'
'Hiei?'
'-_-'
'Ooh, yup! You're thinking about Hiei!'
'Botan, shut up.'
'=^^= Moew!' Kurama shot Botan a look, then crumpled up the paper and stuck it in his bag. She shrugged, grinning, and turned her attention back to the math. Kurama, once again, stared out the window. The teacher was asking a question, but he didn't hear it.
"Why don't you answer, Suuichi?" Kurama snapped out of his trance and looked up front. He blinked.
"Umm, excuse me?"
"Do you have an answer to the problem?" He glanced at Botan, who gave him a 'Can't help you' look. He sighed, looking back up at the teacher.
"I didn't hear the question, sir..." he mumbled.
"So, you're saying you weren't paying attention?"
"Yes, sir..."
"Very well then," the teacher sighed. He then turned and proceeded to ask someone else. Botan held up a piece of paper that read 'BUSTED!!' on it. Kurama shot her another look, before staring outside again.
The rest of class went by real fast. When the bell ring, Kurama gathered up his things, Botan standing beside him.
"See what trouble the absent-minded can cause for themselves?" she asked softly.
"Botan, shut up. I don't need to hear this," he snapped. Botan blinked a little, but knowing he was having a hard time lately, said nothing After everything was together, they both began to make their way out of the room, when the teacher stopped them.
"Botan, can you please go on ahead? Suuichi, I need to speak with you," he asked. Botan nodded, mouthing a good luck to Kurama, and hurried out. Kurama followed the teacher up to his desk.
"Yes sir?" he asked. He had never been pulled after class before.
"Suuichi, are you alright? You've never wandered off during my class like today. In fact, some of the other teachers have said about you doing the same thing in there too. Is something happening outside of school you would like to talk about?" he began, sorting out some homework papers as he did so.
'I do, but you would never begin to understand them,' he thought. 'I could never say to him that I'm in love with a fire demon, but he left last night, maybe never to return. Even after we both admitted we loved each other. And yes, I said he, not she. I'm fucking gay! I don't think that would go down too well...'
"Well?" the man spoke up, breaking Kurama's thoughts once more.
"Um, with all due respect sir, you could never begin to understand what's going on with me outside of school."
"Why is that?"
'God, must he pry?? Well, I guess I can keep it simple....'
"Sir, the only thing I can say is that the one person I love with all my heart had to leave last night. Had to go halfway across the planet, and there's a great chance it's for good too."
"You mean, like, never to return or see you again?"
"Yes, sir. I'm sorry, but I can't say any more." Without another word, he rushed from the classroom and headed towards his locker, keeping his head down. Botan was waiting for him, leaning up against his locker. She moved so he could get into it.
"Well? What was that about?" she asked curiously.
"Nothing really. Just about not paying attention in class, that's all," he muttered, putting his math book up and getting his health book. "Come on, we have health to go to..."
Botan nodded and they both made their way to the next class.
*-*-*-*
Yusuke was walking down an alley, keeping out of sight. He had tried to disguise himself all day so no one would realize he still went to school. Today he just felt like skipping, so he did. Going further into the alley, he literally ran into Koenma. They both crashed to the ground. Yusuke sat up and stared at the teenager sitting beside him.
"What the hell are you doing down here?!" he shouted. Koenma smacked a hand over his mouth.
"Will you shut up?" he snapped. "Do you want to attract attention??"
"Well, what are you doing here, Koenma?" Yusuke asked, quieter.
"That's what I should be asking you. Shouldn't you be at school?"
"Didn't feel like going." Koenma rolled his eyes. "What's that about, pacifier junkie?"
"I thought I told you to stop calling me names, Yusuke."
"Oops, sorry. I forgot."
"And I don't enjoy sarcasm either. If you really must know, I'm down here to keep an eye on things."
"What kind of things, exactly?"
"Kurama." Yusuke raised an eyebrow, sticking his hands in his pockets.
"Whatever you say, but you're in the wrong place. Kurama's school is nowhere near here. Besides, he's got Botan with him."
"Listen, I know his school isn't here, and I know Botan is with him, but still. I was going to keep an eye out, just in case. If you've forgotten, Botan can't do her regular duties, for she poses as a student there."
"If you knew the school wasn't near here, then why exactly ARE you here?"
"Well, I figured out the school wasn't near here a few minutes before you crash-landed. I got lost," Koenma chuckled nervously, putting a hand behind his neck in embarassment. Yusuke sweatdropped and fell over.
"Besides, don't you have a lot of work to do in Spirit World?"
"Not really. My father came back yesterday. He's going to be leaving again in a week or two, but until that happens, I have some free time. I was thinking about asking someone for directions until I remembered the way."
"Not like you'd get much help anyway, posing as a teenager who sucks on a pacifier 24/7..." he muttered. Koenma glared down at him.
"For your information, I don't always have the pacifier, so there!" he snapped.
"Prove it." Koenma, getting impatient, rolled his eyes again and grumbled a 'fine'. He reached up, pulled out the pacifier, and placed it in his pocket.
"There. Happy?!" Yusuke blinked in amazement. "Now what is it??"
"Wow..." he gasped. "You DO have a mouth under there!"
Koenma growled and whalloped Yusuke on the back of the head, making him fall over again.
"Ow!!"
"That's what you get Yusuke. Stop teasing me and go do your own thing." He put his hands in his pocket and walked off. Yusuke sat there, rubbing his head in pain.
*-*-*-*
Botan and Kurama were now attending health class, sitting beside each other once again.
"Alright, class, settle down," the teacher called for attention. "I know I promised you a request day, don't ask me why I did. Now I regret it! Yes, I did get some requests, every single one of them the same actually...I think you all plot together against me, I really do."
Botan looked over at Kurama, who raised an eyebrow. She shrugged in return.
"Fine..." she sighed, continuing. "Well, our request is the different types of relationships. God, the things we discuss in school...."
Some people laughed, others looked excited. The teacher rolled her eyes.
"Honestly, I don't know why you people like this topic so much. It's transparently clear that at least half of you are homophobic! But, oh well. I hadn't made a lesson plan for today anyway. The first type of relationship is the most common one, a male dating a female. Also known as a straight couple. Earlier on, we learned more about the behavioral patterns of this particlar genre, so I won't get into that at the moment. Another type is where a female dates another female. This one is most- commonly known as a lesbian relationship."
"Kristina's a lesbian!" some guy shouted. That was followed by laughing and a loud smack by Kristina. Botan smiled somewhat.
"Moving onward," the teacher said, stricter, making them quiet down. "The other relationship is where a male dates another male, also know as a gay relationship."
Kurama glanced at the floor when she said this. His thoughts automatically turned back to Hiei, and the other night when they had shared the kiss.
"That's what Kiaba is!" Kristina yelled, getting him back for the ealier comment.
"I'm on Yu-Gi-Oh!" he laughed, and was smacked again.
"You wish, gay boy!" Another girl, named Lauren, grinned. "You're such a dork!"
"Alright! That's enough! Everyone quiet down, now!" the teacher yelled. Everyone immediately shut up and looked foreward. "You see, this is why I can never have conversations like this with you people. You turn it into a joke, and it is most-certainly not. People cannot help the way they feel about another person, whether opposite genders or the same. Being gay or lesbian is no laughing matter, but you treat it as one. I'm a sure that a few of you like the same gender as yourself. Maybe you don't realize it as of now, or don't wan't to admit it. And what I really hate is when people pick on the ones that aren't striaght. That makes me sick. Don't get me wrong, every single one of you are good at heart, but I won't lie either. I have seen some of you pick on people different than yourselves. If someone is gay, then they shouldn't be afraid to make it known, but the way they are treated makes them afraid to! I personally think that everyone is gay in a certain way, if not actually dating the same gender."
"But, we're only joking around..." Kiaba started.
"Exactly, but it gets twisted." Throughout this entire conversation, Kurama found it harder to bear.
"I think people that are gay should just disappear from the face of the earth. I mean, if they like the same gender, how the hell are they gonna reproduce, to keep the human race going? In my opinion, gays and lesbians are just an obsticle in the way, about should be eliminated."
"Michael!" Laura shouted.
"What?! It's my opinion!" Michael defended.
"Yeah Laura, his opinion can be voiced and heard. I think he's right."
"Well," Laura snapped. "I was asking you, now was I Mamarou?"
Kurama could feel tears threatening. If he cried in class, god knows what would happen. He quickly raised his hand.
"Yes, Suuichi?" the teacher asked.
"May I be excused, please?" he almost begged, keeping his eyes down. Botan began looking concerned.
"Yes." Kurama didn't hesitate. He immediately stood up and ran out of the room and straight to the balcony outside. Running over to the railing, he rested his elbows on the metal and held his face, crying.
Back in the room, Botan ran out after Kurama, not bothering to say a thing to the teacher.
"Kurama, are you alright?" she asked softly. Kurama's shook his head.
"Far from it..." he mumbled. Botan put an arm around his shoulders.
"It's alright. Everything'll turn out fine, you'll see." She pulled Kurama into a hug. While standing there, she saw Lord Koenma standing in a tree with his arms crossed, watching silently. She turned her attention back to the crying kitsune.
"I'm sure Hiei'll come back some day. Don't loose hope Kurama. Hang on to what the two of you have, and you'll never really be seperated," she whispered, rubbing his back.
"I...don't want to stay here..." he mumbled. Botan nodded.
"Alright. I'll get the headmaster to grant us permission to leave. I'll take you home, okay?" Kurama nodded slightly, wiping his eyes on his sleeves. They exited the blacony and went back over to the room. Koenma turned and leaped off. Kurama stopped before they reached the door to the classroom.
"I can't go back in there," he mumbled.
"That's okay. I'll get our stuff." She went in, grabbed their bags, lightly explained to the teacher, and the two of them made their way to the headmaster.
*-*-*-*
A loud knock on the hotel door made Hiei jerk out of his slumber. He scowled, not bothering to put on his cloak, and went to answer the door. A human was standing there.
"What do you want?" he asked, glaring at him.
"It's me Hiei. May I come in?"
"I guess." He stepped away from the door and sat down on the bed. He came in, shut and locked the door, and sat near him.
"I bet you're wondering why I made you come here."
"Yes, because I disagree," he frowned.
"It's about the Makai." This grabbed Hiei's attention. How could a human know about the Makai?
"Excuse me?" he asked.
"The Makai," this human repeated. "And your Jagan eye."
"How do you know this? Who are you?" he asked, eyes slanting. "This type of information shouldn't be known by humans."
"Well, that's alright then, because I'm not human. I'm like you, a fire demon. I must say, it's wonderful that I can meet you. I've heard so many tales about you and that Jagan eye you possess. It's absolutely amazing."
"What's your name, or do you have one?"
"You may call me what everyone else calls me. I go by Ripper." Hiei raised an eyebrow.
"Ripper?"
"It's a long story. I'll save it for another time, alright?" Hie nodded.
"So, what about the Makai and my Jagan? I don't get how this goes together."
"The problem is, I'm not too sure about it myself. The only real thing I know it that the Makai are showing up around here. I looked up on the portal used by these demons, and it said something about the Jagan being a key weapon," Ripper told Hiei. The whole time, Hiei listened with great interest, making sure he caught every word.
"Key weapon?"
"Well, something along those lines. If not a key weapon, then it's greatly needed."
"And that's why you contacted me."
"Exactly. We need to strike as soon as possible."
Hiei nodded, fully understanding why he was summoned to this place. There would definitely be a lot of fighting. Yet...could he survive it all? Thinking this over, he realized he should be with Kurama, even just a little bit, just in case he was killed.
"Ripper, if it's alright, can I go back to Tokyo for a few days? In case I die, there's something I have to take care of."
Ripper sighed, but nodded. Hiei grabbed his sword and cloak, put them on, and jumped off the balcony and out of sight.
"Keep forgetting about his god-like speed. Well, he better not stay gone for too long. I'm still not sure when these demons are going to come along..."
*-*-*-*
Botan and Kurama walked up and entered Kurama's house, taking his mother by surprise.
"Suuichi, what are you doing home from school so early?!" she asked, running over.
"Suuichi was feeling really bad, so he was allowed to come home. They let me help him," Botan lied. "All he needs is some rest, and he should be fine in the morning.
"Alright... I'll see you tomorrow morning then, Suuichi," his mother smiled, going back to what she was doing. They went up to Kurama's room. He opened his window to let a breeze in, put his bag on the desk with his books, and sat down on his bed.
"You gonna be alright?" Botan asked. He nodded.
"Yeah. I'll just get some sleep. Tomorrow's Saturday," he smiled. "See you then."
Botan nodded, exiting the room. Kurama lay down and after a while, fell asleep.
~~~~
Later that night, Kurama opened his eyes. The room was pretty dark and the window was still open. He could've sworn he heard something. Turning his head, he saw a small, black figure crouched on his windowsill. He sat up in the bed.
"Hiei, is that you?" he asked softly. The figure leaped into the room, shutting the window behind him and coming into the moonlight. It was Hiei.
"Hn." Was all that was said. Yes, it was Hiei. It was no dream. Kurama's beloved fire demon was standing in the middle of his room.
"So it is real..." he muttered.
"Yes, this is real, fox. I came to pay you a little visit," he told him, crossing his arms.
"Is something the matter?" He stood up, not bothering to put on the shirt he had stripped himself of earlier, and walked over to Hiei. "You look...troubled."
"Sort of. The reason I had to go all the way to New York is because of some demons that are coming. My Jagan is needed. I am not entirely sure if I will live until the end of this, so I came to see you for a few days."
"You came all the way back here to see me?"
"Of course, stupid fox!" he scowled, but went much closer to Kurama. Without a word, Kurama pulled him into a tight hug. Then, he took him over and they sat beside each other on the soft bed. Hiei smiled slightly, leaning over and nuzzling Kurama passionatly. In return, Kurama leaned down and kissed Hiei's neck gently a few times. Then, the youko purred and whispered seductivly in Hiei's ear.
"So...have you slept good at all since our last meeting?" he asked, as close to his ear as possible without actually touching it.
"Kare kusa ni me korobi hitori nemuru yoru wa, fukushuu no yame dake Jagan no saki ni meta," he whispered back, just as soft, glancing sadly at Kurama. (phrase translation: Sleeping in the dead grass alone in the cold nights, there are only vengeful dreams the third eye sends into my eyes.)
"Well, maybe I'll have to change that, ne?"
"Good lord fox." Hiei rolled his eyes. "Is that all you've thought of?"
"No, of course not!" Kurama smiled. "I am certainly nor as bad as Yusuke is about Kayko."
This got a laugh from Hiei, which made Kurama grin. He wrapped an arm around the smaller youkai's waist and pulled him close. The fire demon shook his head, but did not complain. In fact, he leaned against Kurama and shut his eyes. Kurama glanced down at him, smiled, and stroked his arm lightly.
"If I'm not mistaken, someone's tired," he muttered softly and seductivly. Hiei sat up and yawned, rubbing his eyes, but at the same time, he felt slightly aroused. The way Kurama talked, it almost seemed like he was trying his best to sound erotic. He was pulled from his thoughts when he felt Kurama rest his head on his neck.
"I had a long trip, you know..."
"Well, let's get some sleep then." Kurama made sure his bedroom door was locked. After all, he didn't want his mother walking in on the two of them sleeping together. He walked back over, watching Hiei silently as he took off his black cloak and sword putting them beside Kurama's own shirt.
'Don't jump him, he's had a hard and long day. Don't jump him, don't jump him, don't jump him...' Kurama thought to himself.
"This is the first time you've been on my bed without being hurt, isn't it?" he asked, trying to destract himself. Hiei nodded.
"Yes, and in total, I've been on this bed four times now. Kind of funny, wouldn't you think?" Kurama smirked, making Hiei blush a little.
"You're about to drop dead, and I'm tired as well, Hiei," Kurama yawned. "Sleep now, talk more tomorrow."
Kurama lied down on the bed, Hiei crawling over beside him. He pulled Hiei close to his own body, nuzzling him, and closing his eyes. Hiei smiled, kissed Kurama on the lips, then the forehead, and closed his eyes as well, snuggling as close to his sweet fox as possible. Both of them hoping this would last forever.
*-*-*-*
"So, Yukina is heading over?" Kayko asked. Botan nodded.
"Yes. She should arrive any moment."
"What's with you?" Shizuru asked, raising an eyebrow at Kuwabara, who looked like he was about to explode.
"Yukina!" he shouted, seeing her walking up the path. "Yukina, Yukina, Yukina!!"
He ran, or leaped, out, arms flailing, mouth spread in a huge grin. A smile appeared on Yukina's lips as he ran over.
"Why, hello Kazuma," she said softly. He grabbed her hands.
"And how might a beautiful flower like you be faring on a perfect day such as this? Ahh, a perfect day for a perfect girl." He got punched on the back of the head by Shizuru.
"Stop your sweet-talking, little bro. It makes you sound stupid." He fell to the ground, foot twitching. Yukina laughed quietly and followed Shizuru over to the others, Kuwabara sulking close behind him.
"So Botan, what is this about the Makai?" Yusuke asked, leaning on the wall beside Kayko. "I'm not quite clear on this here!"
"The thing is, I'm not sure on it myself. If only Hiei was here... He'd be bound to know something. Although I'm sure Kurama has a few ideas." She looked around. "Where is Kurama? Isn't he always here by now?"
"I did tell him about the group meeting the other afternoon," Yusuke sighed.
"Yeah, I was there!" Kuwabara announced proudly. "So I know he got the message."
"It isn't like Kurama to not show up..." Kayko looked worried. Yusuke put an arm around her, even though it was clear that he, too, seemed uncertain.
"Maybe he slept in?" Yukina suggested.
"Whether Kurama is here or not, we must get down to business," Koenma said, popping into the room.
"Koenma!!" everyone shouted.
"Yo."
"Stop doing that, you toddler!" Yusuke screamed. Koenma put hands over his ears and glaring at the spirit detective.
"Yusuke Urameshi, I am getting tired of this name calling. Now, I have meen monitering and doing some research. This is a real bad time everyone..."
"Well then, don't hold out on us! Tell us what's going on!" Kuwabara requested. Koenma sighed depressingly, floating in midair.
"Alright, but brace yourselves. This news is not good at all. The Makai is planning something big, which is extremely bad for us, and the living world. Possibly even the Spirit World for that matter!"
"Oh god..." Botan whispered. "Koenma, sir, what have you seen?!"
"Demons are coming. More than normal. They're grouping in major cities around the world, and soon they'll go for the smaller ones, I fear."
"The world?!" Yusuke shouted. "How the hell can we deal with that?!?!"
"I don't know, but we have to think of something. For now, I have groups of spirit detectives stationed in most of the large cities. My father and I are trying to take care of this best we can. Yusuke, Kuwabara, you need to join this fight. You have to look after Tokyo, you're the group for this city. We must locate the portals in this area and destroy the demons that come from it before they get too far. Yukina, if you're up to it, you may also fight. I'm putting this choice before you, and you can refuse. Since you are Hiei's sister and an ice apparation, I'm sure you're a decent fighter." Koenma seemed to get more and more stressed the more he talked.
"I'm prepared to do whatever's needed to protect this world. Even if it does mean to risky my life and join the battle," she told him, seemingly determined.
"Count me in too," Genkai said, walking in. Koenma nodded.
"The more, the better."
"Koenma, sir, I'll do what I can to help." Botan stepped foreward.
"Very well... Kayko, Shizuru, if you would come with me. Things will not be safe for you when the fighting begins. I also believe that Yusuke and Kuwabara will be better off is they knew you were safe. They can focus better not having to worry about anyone that cannot defend themselves against enemies of this magantude."
"Alright Koenma," Shizuru nodded, walking over to him.
"Kayko?"
"Just a moment." She turned to Yusuke. He looked down at her and pulled her into a hug.
"Go with him Kayko," he whispered. "You'll be safer in the Gate of Judgement. They'll take care of you there."
"But Yusuke, I don't want to leave you..."
"I'll be fine. Hey, I'm a spirit detective, this is my job. I won't be able to do as good with you around. I'd be too focused on if you were safe then the battle. You'll be a lot better off going with him. I promise I'll be fine. Besides, from up there, you can watch me without being in harm's way." He leaned down and kissed her, giving her a reassuring smile. She nodded, went over to Koenma, and the three of them disappeared.
"You did the right thing Yusuke," Botan spoke up, putting a hand on his shoulder.
"Yes," Yukina agreed. "She'll be safer up there."
"I know. All I want is for to be safe, no matter what I have to do," he said quietly.
*-*-*-*
Hiei opened his eyes, seeing no Kurama in the bed next to him. Finding this slightly odd, he sat up and looked around. The door was still shut and locked, but the window had been opened and Kurama was nowhere to be found. He frowned momentarily, then spotted a folded piece of paper on the desk that hadn't resided there the previous night.
"Did he go out...?" he asked himself, walking over to the desk. He picked up the note and unfolded it, glancing at the unfamiliar handwriting. It was definitely not Kurama's, either.
I have him. You know who. Come over to the large group of trees behind his school. Arrive there unattended and unarmed. If, in the event that you don't follow these exact intructions, we will kill Kurama and force you to watch.
Hiei cursed under his breath in various lanuages. His hand balled into a fist, crushing the paper he had been reading. Without thinking, he kicked the desk chair, making it crash to the floor loudly. He froze. Kurama's human mother was still in the house. Her whereabouts weren't hidden for long, because afer a few minutes there was a knock on the door.
"Suuichi? Is everything alright in there?"
Hiei, with lack of anything better to do, jotted 'Yes, everything's fine' on a small piece of paper, darted over, and slipped it under the door, careful not to make any sound that would cause her to believe that Kurama really wasn't in his room.
"Alright, just checking. If you like, I'm fixing some eggs. Come down of you feel up to breakfast." She walked off. Hiei smiled. It had worked. He frowned again though, worried about Kurama. Without hesitation, he grabbed his cloak, put it on, and in a blur he was out the window.
'If anything's happened to you, Kurama, I don't know what I'll do...' he thought to himself, darting from tree to tree, unseen by the human eye. Before long, he was behind the school, landing in the forest. Staying alert, on his guard, he began walking around, in hopes of finding his love. Finally, he entered a small clearing, and saw him.
It was horrible. Kurama was tied up to a large oak tree, hands bound by rope. He just hung there, unconsious. His breathing wasn't consistant. He was taking short breaths that showed his pain. His pants had been slightly ripped, and there were cuts and bruises all over his body. He had a black eye and blood was running down his right arm, dripping onto the grass below him. Hiei's eyes widened in fear that he might be too late. Hurridly, he ran over to Kurama. Just when he was about to get him down, a voice spoke.
"Leave him, now. Touch him, I kill him. Now, turn around." Hiei froze and turned around. He came face to face with Karasu, making him snarl viciously.
"You. I should've known..." he growled, standing right in front of Kurama. Karasu smirked.
"Hoped you would remember me, lovely little Hiei. I am rather envious of you... After all, Kurama adores you, more than the world itself. I find you very, very, very lucky to have such a rare beauty love you," he said in a singsong voice.
"Let him go and I might consider sparing your life," Hiei threatened, eyes showing that he meant every word he spoke.
"I dare you to attack me in your position," Karasu smirked, again.
"Very well, though that's a mistake. But don't worry, it's the last one you'll ever make."
Karasu continued to smirk, and without his mask, Hiei could see every one of them. It made him growl. He was sick and tired of seeing the cocky smirk. Crouching slightly, keeping his eyes on Karasu, he contemplated his attack. He could use Dragon of the Darkness Flame...or use his Jagan eye to give him a power boost. Without his sword, there was little option, but he hadn't brought it because he didn't want to see his love die. Reaching up, making sure Karasu did no sudden movements, he took off the bandage that kept his Jagan hidden. It glowed red, and Karasu just stared at it.
'Perfect,' Hiei thought. 'Maybe it'll hypnotize him long enough for me to destroy him...'
Before Karasu could do anything to stop him, Hiei forced himself into a spirit energy boost, one of great magnitude. He lifted his bandaged arm, fire surrounding it. He channeled the fire into his hand, and with his Jagan glowing brightly, shot a huge cannon of fire at Karasu. It made contact, and he fell to the ground, screaming and burning. It wasn't long before what was left had stopped moving all together. The black dragon appeared on his arm where the bandages had burned off. He fell to his knees, but wrapped his Jagan back up. He was spent. That time, he had used so much energy, he was glad it killed Karasu right then and there, because if it hadn't, he would be the one dead on the ground.
Gathering up the last of his energy, he changed his focus to Kurama. The fighting must have stirred up something, because he moved slightly and his breathing wasn't as short. Hiei smiled, relieved. He forced himself to stand up and stagger over, untying Kurama. Then, they both fell to the ground with a thud. Hiei dragged himself until he had Kurama on his back and he was lying on his chest. He did keep his eyes open to moniter to larger boy, when finally he saw Kurama's eyes flicker a little. It was as if all his energy suddenly flowed back into him, and he bolted into a sitting position.
"Kurama?! Are...are you alright?" he asked urgently. His response was a weak smile.
"H-hiei. You came."
"Of course I did. Do you honestly think I would leave you like this?"
"I thought I'd never get to see you again. To be honest, I was real scared."
"It's alright to be scared. Everyone does at one point in their existance."
"Do you get scared, Hiei?"
"Of course I do. I was terrified today. I thought I might loose you."
Kurama smiled again, reached a hand up and brushed Hiei's face. A tear fell out of Hiei's eye and fell to the ground, turning into a beautiful, round gem.
"Ssh, don't cry, my fire demon. I'm going to be alright," he whispered, picking up the gem and kissing it, then placing it in his pocket. "I promise, I won't leave you."
Hiei leaned down and kissed Kurama. The kiss was unlike anything Kurama had felt before. He kissed back without hesitation, savoring this very moment. Never before had he shown this much passion for the youko. Kurama placed a hand on the back of Hiei's neck, holding him there. He broke away momentarily, to which Hiei made a face of dislike. He smiled, emerald eyes gazing deep into crimson ones, and licked the fire demon's lips lightly.
"Kurama, that tickles!" Hiei grinned.
"Did you like it, though?"
"Hai, very much so." He leaned back down and kissed Kurama's neck, his hand holding the fox's waist on one side. Kurama grabbed the fire demon's other hand and kissed it.
"Hiei, I'm worn out..." he whispered, feeling his spirit energy weaken slightly. Hiei stopped what he was doing and looked at him.
"Sleep?" was all that was said, but it was right to the point. Kurama nodded.
"Hai. Ai shiteru Hiei," he muttered and closed his eyes. Hiei, respecting his youkai greatly, sat up straight and watched him for a moment. Then, feeling his spirit energy fall as well, he curled up beside Kurama, held his hand, and placed his head upon the fox's bare chest, where he was facing towards him, stroked his arm lightly until he, too, fell into a deep sleep.
************
Ceari: And there's chappie 2! Hehe, Hiei and Kurama are so kawaii. ^_^ Well, things are gonna start getting down to the nitty gritty. I heard that somewhere. Nitty gritty. Hee, isn't that a funny phrase?
Kurama: With all due respect, can you please shut up?
Ceari: Watch it kitsune! I can easily make Hiei get killed in the next chapter!
Hiei: *pouts*
Kurama: Shutting up!
Ceari: Whahahaha. I have the power.
He-Man: I AM THE POWER!!!
Ceari: -_- Get outta here! *shoves him off*
Hiei: *blinku blinku* Who the hell was that?
Ceari: Am I really supposed to know that? I'm only the authoress here... I CAN'T MAKE DECISIONS!!
Kurama: *sweatdrop* Isn't that you're job?
Ceari: *matter-of-factly* Of course not, that's my muse's job! Duh! *pulls out a naked chibi Heero in a tea cup* ^_^
Hiei: -_- What's that?
Ceari: Uh, my muse!
Chibi Heero: Yeah, I'm the brains behind the operation.
Kurama: O_O It can talk?!
Ceari: *hits Kurama over the head with a random mallet* Of course it can talk! I'm not stupid enough to hire a muse that has no vocal vocabulary!
Kurama: *rubs head* Ow...
Chibi Heero: *coughs and goes away*
Kurama: *still rubbing head* I have no clue how I get involved with such people.
Hiei: Hai...
Ceari: Bakayaro! Both of you! *they glare at her* Eep! Uh... *chuckles nervously* Anyway, next chappie will get down to the nitty gritty. Stuff'll start happening that won't be very pretty... *is getting chased by Kurama and Hiei* They're gonna murder me!!! Hey, I can't write story if you murder! *they stop* Whew... Well, I'm gonna be gettin' my kleenexs... *sigh* Let's hope the Spirit Detective can do his job!
Yusuke: *growl*
Ceari: Okay, I'm going to leave before I have the entire show after my head... Ja ne, for now! Oh yeah, also, reviews are nice.
Chibi Hiei with puppy eyes: Please...?
Ceari: See?! You gotta review! Who can resist that face??
The Chibi Hiei: I won't get food if you don't review...
Ceari: Alright, stop making me look bad. Hey, he still gets food even if there aren't reviews. He's just trying to make me into a chibi-abuser. Does it all the time, cute little thing. But still, he's got the kyutest little face that you cannot resist! He'll use the pout of death if you don't...
Hiei: That is an insult to me...
*Hiei and Ceari start arguing*
Kurama: Well... Sorry about them. This chapter-
Ceari: CHAPPIE!
Kurama: *blinku blinku* ...is over. Review, you kind souls, you. Bye! ^_^
Ceari: AND IN YOUR REVIEW, TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT NITTY GRITTY!!
Hiei: You're really stuck on that, aren't you?
Ceari: SO?!
Kurama: *eye twitches*