***Disclaimer*** i don't own nuthin'! so leave me alone!!
Thanks for the reviews, they make me so happy!! ^_^
And arigatou, Rose Thorne, I'll correct that immediately.
Note: I've been writing pretty consistently so far, but now my Spring Break is over. How or if this will effect how quickly I update, I still don't know. But if updates slow down, I'm sorry!
Ningenkai--
Hiei was staring at Kurama, a look of disbelief in his usually un-expressive eyes. "K'rama?" Vaguely Kurama realized that the wards hadn't warned him about Hiei because Hiei'd been accepted to come and go on the Temple grounds as he pleased, just like all the other Tantei. Then the katana slipped from Hiei's numb fingers and clattered to the ground, the sound loud and jarring them both back into reality.
Kurama sank down to sit on the steps, breathing heavily because he'd forgotten to do that while Hiei'd had him pinned. The cut whip vanished, leaving a broken rose and scattered petals all over the steps. Hiei just stood there, one step down, and in front of Kurama, not moving but staring at him.
He came back...
He's still here...
In unison they both asked each other the first thing that came to their minds, "What are *you* doing *here*?"
And again, they answered in unison, "I'm here to visit Yukina."
"I'm here to work on the gardens."
An awkward silence stretched between the two friends. *Are* we still friends? Kurama mused to himself.
The bewildered expression vanished from Hiei's eyes, replaced by his usual stony demeanor. "Of course we are, Fox. Why wouldn't we be?"
Kurama's head snapped up to stare at Hiei, Did I just say that out loud?!
"No, you didn't say it out loud, Kurama." Hiei sounded almost amused.
Then Kurama noticed that the warded bandanna was gone, and the Jagan was open and glowing a faint violet color.
"Hiei!" He accused; "You're reading my mind!"
"No I'm not," Hiei insisted, "I'm watching Yukina talk to Genkai. You wear your emotions on your face, it's easy to tell what you're thinking just by looking at you."
"Thanks for the info," Kurama grumbled, embarrassed.
Silence once more. But Kurama couldn't take it, after his musings that afternoon, and now that Hiei was *here*, he just had to know. "Ne, Hiei?"
"Hai?"
"You're back..."
"Hn, I just told you I'm here to see Yukina."
"I know...but why *now*? After so long?"
Hiei growled, "The bionic bitch threw me out. Literally. Something about 'sorting out my affairs.'"
"Oh...How long will you stay?"
"Not long, I'm just here to visit, and then I'm off again."
"To where?"
"None of your business, Fox."
"Sorry. Hiei...about..- About that day-"
"Which day, Fox? We've spent many days together."
"The day you left."
Hiei froze, Don't say it...
Kurama ducked his head, hiding behind the curtain of his flaming hair, so that he could no longer see Hiei's face. "When I chased after you to your gate..."
Don't ask me why, Kurama. Please, *please* don't ask me why...
"It's just it's been so long, and I never got to say-"
No, not again! Unbeknownst to Kurama, Hiei's small form began to tremble, and his eyes grew wide.
"I just have to say, that I-. I'm sorry, Hiei."
Nani?! "Wh-what?" He stopped trembling.
Kurama peeked up through his hair, and then ducked again. Hiei was staring at him with an indefinable look upon his face, and his mouth was wide open.
Seeing the peek, and realizing what he must look like, Hiei snapped his mouth shut, and stood up straight, blushing just ever-so-slightly. "What do you have to be sorry for? You have done nothing."
He *must* remember! He has a perfect memory! Or is he feigning ignorance to spare me the humiliation? "I have done nothing?"
Irritably, "Iye, you *did* do something, but it is nothing to be sorry for."
"Hiei-"
"Forget that day, Kurama. Or I will have to *take* the memory from you."
"You wouldn't!"
"Don't you think for a moment that I won't! I can tell it's caused you grief, so just let it go, Kurama."
"Demo-"
"That is your only warning, Kitsune."
Kurama opened his mouth again, but when Hiei glared at him, he closed it again, and then got to his feet. "Enjoy your visit, Hiei. Maybe I'll see you again." And proceeded on his way home.
As soon as Kurama was out of sight and out of ear-shot, Hiei whispered, "I didn't mean it that day, Kurama, I didn't mean to hurt you. It's better this way."
Then he stooped and sheathed his sword, and flitted up to the Temple to visit his sister.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ @ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"'Kaasan, I'm home!" Kurama called, setting down his bag and toeing off his shoes at the door.
"Shuuichi! I've been so worried about you! It's 9:00, where have you been?!"
"Ah-" Uh-oh, what can I tell her this time? "I'm sorry 'Kaasan! I was...helping an elderly friend of mine with her gardens." If only Genkai could have heard that! *snicker*
"Oh, well thank goodness you were in good hands! Have you eaten yet?"
He hadn't, but after his re-encounter with Hiei, Kurama felt like he wouldn't be able to eat anything for at least a week. "Hai, I have. I'm just going to go to bed now, I'm very tired." And he was, the ki-drainage coupled with the emotional-drainage had completely worn him out. "Goodnight, 'Kaasan."
"Oh, okay. Sleep tight, Shuuichi."
"You too, 'Kaasan," and he climbed the stairs to his room.
As soon as his door was closed, he yanked his jacket and shirt off, tossing them into a corner.
"Inari above, I'm *so* tired." He quickly changed out of his school uniform and into a T-shirt and fresh pair of boxers, and then collapsed onto his bed. No sooner as his head touched the pillow than he was out, sleeping more deeply than he ever had before.
He dreamed that after a while, Hiei came through the window, that Kurama still never locked, and sat on the desk watching him. Kurama tried asking what he was doing here, but every time he opened his mouth all he could do was yawn, and Hiei would say, "Sshh, go back to sleep."
I *am* asleep, aren't I?
He's finally sleeping peacefully, Hiei thought. He'd been there for about 4 hours now, and Kurama kept half-waking up and mumbling something that sounded like, "Wh'yre oo erre?" Twice now Hiei'd had to use his Jagan to get the restless Kitsune to sleep again.
Hiei kept watch over Kurama's sleep until dawn. As he was preparing to leave, one foot on the window sill, he paused. Emotions raced across his child-like face for a few moments, and then he did something he had never done before, but had dreamt about for two years.
Crossing the room in 3 quick strides, he bent over Kurama's sleeping form and kissed him lightly on his closed lips. He lingered there for the briefest of moments, and then he was gone, leaving barely any trace of ki to prove his presence there.
As early morning light filtered in through the rippling curtains, the wind an after-effect of Hiei's passing, Kurama smiled. Slowly, he opened his eyes, and then sat up. He'd been awake for about ten minutes now, just enjoying the early morning and Hiei's presence. He brought his fingers to his lips, and his smile grew. Ah-ha, he thought to himself.
Today was going to be a *very* good day.
End Chapter 3
Thanks for the reviews, they make me so happy!! ^_^
And arigatou, Rose Thorne, I'll correct that immediately.
Note: I've been writing pretty consistently so far, but now my Spring Break is over. How or if this will effect how quickly I update, I still don't know. But if updates slow down, I'm sorry!
Ningenkai--
Hiei was staring at Kurama, a look of disbelief in his usually un-expressive eyes. "K'rama?" Vaguely Kurama realized that the wards hadn't warned him about Hiei because Hiei'd been accepted to come and go on the Temple grounds as he pleased, just like all the other Tantei. Then the katana slipped from Hiei's numb fingers and clattered to the ground, the sound loud and jarring them both back into reality.
Kurama sank down to sit on the steps, breathing heavily because he'd forgotten to do that while Hiei'd had him pinned. The cut whip vanished, leaving a broken rose and scattered petals all over the steps. Hiei just stood there, one step down, and in front of Kurama, not moving but staring at him.
He came back...
He's still here...
In unison they both asked each other the first thing that came to their minds, "What are *you* doing *here*?"
And again, they answered in unison, "I'm here to visit Yukina."
"I'm here to work on the gardens."
An awkward silence stretched between the two friends. *Are* we still friends? Kurama mused to himself.
The bewildered expression vanished from Hiei's eyes, replaced by his usual stony demeanor. "Of course we are, Fox. Why wouldn't we be?"
Kurama's head snapped up to stare at Hiei, Did I just say that out loud?!
"No, you didn't say it out loud, Kurama." Hiei sounded almost amused.
Then Kurama noticed that the warded bandanna was gone, and the Jagan was open and glowing a faint violet color.
"Hiei!" He accused; "You're reading my mind!"
"No I'm not," Hiei insisted, "I'm watching Yukina talk to Genkai. You wear your emotions on your face, it's easy to tell what you're thinking just by looking at you."
"Thanks for the info," Kurama grumbled, embarrassed.
Silence once more. But Kurama couldn't take it, after his musings that afternoon, and now that Hiei was *here*, he just had to know. "Ne, Hiei?"
"Hai?"
"You're back..."
"Hn, I just told you I'm here to see Yukina."
"I know...but why *now*? After so long?"
Hiei growled, "The bionic bitch threw me out. Literally. Something about 'sorting out my affairs.'"
"Oh...How long will you stay?"
"Not long, I'm just here to visit, and then I'm off again."
"To where?"
"None of your business, Fox."
"Sorry. Hiei...about..- About that day-"
"Which day, Fox? We've spent many days together."
"The day you left."
Hiei froze, Don't say it...
Kurama ducked his head, hiding behind the curtain of his flaming hair, so that he could no longer see Hiei's face. "When I chased after you to your gate..."
Don't ask me why, Kurama. Please, *please* don't ask me why...
"It's just it's been so long, and I never got to say-"
No, not again! Unbeknownst to Kurama, Hiei's small form began to tremble, and his eyes grew wide.
"I just have to say, that I-. I'm sorry, Hiei."
Nani?! "Wh-what?" He stopped trembling.
Kurama peeked up through his hair, and then ducked again. Hiei was staring at him with an indefinable look upon his face, and his mouth was wide open.
Seeing the peek, and realizing what he must look like, Hiei snapped his mouth shut, and stood up straight, blushing just ever-so-slightly. "What do you have to be sorry for? You have done nothing."
He *must* remember! He has a perfect memory! Or is he feigning ignorance to spare me the humiliation? "I have done nothing?"
Irritably, "Iye, you *did* do something, but it is nothing to be sorry for."
"Hiei-"
"Forget that day, Kurama. Or I will have to *take* the memory from you."
"You wouldn't!"
"Don't you think for a moment that I won't! I can tell it's caused you grief, so just let it go, Kurama."
"Demo-"
"That is your only warning, Kitsune."
Kurama opened his mouth again, but when Hiei glared at him, he closed it again, and then got to his feet. "Enjoy your visit, Hiei. Maybe I'll see you again." And proceeded on his way home.
As soon as Kurama was out of sight and out of ear-shot, Hiei whispered, "I didn't mean it that day, Kurama, I didn't mean to hurt you. It's better this way."
Then he stooped and sheathed his sword, and flitted up to the Temple to visit his sister.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ @ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"'Kaasan, I'm home!" Kurama called, setting down his bag and toeing off his shoes at the door.
"Shuuichi! I've been so worried about you! It's 9:00, where have you been?!"
"Ah-" Uh-oh, what can I tell her this time? "I'm sorry 'Kaasan! I was...helping an elderly friend of mine with her gardens." If only Genkai could have heard that! *snicker*
"Oh, well thank goodness you were in good hands! Have you eaten yet?"
He hadn't, but after his re-encounter with Hiei, Kurama felt like he wouldn't be able to eat anything for at least a week. "Hai, I have. I'm just going to go to bed now, I'm very tired." And he was, the ki-drainage coupled with the emotional-drainage had completely worn him out. "Goodnight, 'Kaasan."
"Oh, okay. Sleep tight, Shuuichi."
"You too, 'Kaasan," and he climbed the stairs to his room.
As soon as his door was closed, he yanked his jacket and shirt off, tossing them into a corner.
"Inari above, I'm *so* tired." He quickly changed out of his school uniform and into a T-shirt and fresh pair of boxers, and then collapsed onto his bed. No sooner as his head touched the pillow than he was out, sleeping more deeply than he ever had before.
He dreamed that after a while, Hiei came through the window, that Kurama still never locked, and sat on the desk watching him. Kurama tried asking what he was doing here, but every time he opened his mouth all he could do was yawn, and Hiei would say, "Sshh, go back to sleep."
I *am* asleep, aren't I?
He's finally sleeping peacefully, Hiei thought. He'd been there for about 4 hours now, and Kurama kept half-waking up and mumbling something that sounded like, "Wh'yre oo erre?" Twice now Hiei'd had to use his Jagan to get the restless Kitsune to sleep again.
Hiei kept watch over Kurama's sleep until dawn. As he was preparing to leave, one foot on the window sill, he paused. Emotions raced across his child-like face for a few moments, and then he did something he had never done before, but had dreamt about for two years.
Crossing the room in 3 quick strides, he bent over Kurama's sleeping form and kissed him lightly on his closed lips. He lingered there for the briefest of moments, and then he was gone, leaving barely any trace of ki to prove his presence there.
As early morning light filtered in through the rippling curtains, the wind an after-effect of Hiei's passing, Kurama smiled. Slowly, he opened his eyes, and then sat up. He'd been awake for about ten minutes now, just enjoying the early morning and Hiei's presence. He brought his fingers to his lips, and his smile grew. Ah-ha, he thought to himself.
Today was going to be a *very* good day.
End Chapter 3