By Yume
Yu Yu Hakusho, HxK shounen-ai
Chapter 5
Stolen Closeness
The next morning began as any other, Kurama blinking off sleep and subconsciously scanning his vicinity for any trace of Hiei. As with nearly every such search, this one proved in vain- there was no sign of that comforting presence in his room or the tree beside it. He stood, slipping out of the bedsheets, and made his way to lean upon the sill of the open window. Birds chirped, a faint morning breeze rustled the leaves, and the sun dripped through a few unenthusiastic clouds. His eyes turned to the maple and once again found no sign of the dark little youkai that frequented it at night.
Hiei was silently glad Kurama was still just waking up- his lessened awareness meant that by concealing himself very carefully amongst the branches he could avoid detection. Right now he didn't want to be seen, didn't want Kurama knowing he was there or wondering why. A branch was pushed aside to provide a better view of the little room and Hiei watched silently as Kurama went through his usual routine. He felt more than a little silly, spying on the fox as he pulled a brush through the waves of crimson cascading onto his shoulders, but somehow he couldn't pull himself away. He watched and marveled at the way everything Kurama did bore the same fluid grace. Every tiny gesture, every slight movement, all of it was underlaid with an inimitable artistry identical to that he used in battle. Once again he had to check his thoughts, which were becoming unsettlingly…what? Sentimental? Or…somehow romantic?
That was an odd idea.
He shook it off quickly and turned to leave before any more of those ideas could spring up in his mind when—
"Hiei?" He hesitated and slowly glanced back over his shoulder. There was Kurama, leaning out the window and looking curiously up into the tree. Damn…distracted by the nature of his thoughts, he had momentarily lost his concentration on the act of masking his ki. Now the elegant form he had been gazing upon was bent over the sill staring almost directly at him. It was too late for even the quickest exit- he had been seen- and no excuse for his presence came to mind…none that he could give, anyways. However, the smiling face turned up toward him didn't seem to demand an explanation, although there was a surprised twinkle in the emerald eyes.
"Hello, Hiei…I didn't realize you were here…" Kurama knew this wasn't accidental- Hiei had been hiding. Hiding…from him? He opened his mouth to ask why but was stopped by the expression on Hiei's face. The pale youkai faintly resembled a deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming car and Kurama realized he wasn't meant to have found Hiei. He didn't press the matter further and glanced briefly back into his room before smiling warmly up at the startled-looking little demon.
"Do you want to come in? Mother's out today and I could use a little company…" Your company…This last thought he left unsaid, but for a moment he felt that if Hiei continued to look at him so piercingly his silent comment would somehow be heard. If this was the case, though, Hiei didn't show it. He simply shrugged and nodded, and Kurama stepped aside to allow him entry. In one smooth motion Hiei leapt in and leaned against the wall beside the window, his arms folded across his chest. Kurama was a bit surprised, as it usually took a bribe of sweets or a strong storm to incite Hiei to step inside, but it was a pleasant enough surprise that he chose not to question it. Unfortunately, being caught off-guard by his friend's acceptance of his invitation, Kurama was entirely at a loss of what to do next. He yawned and glanced around his room, hoping to catch sight of something that might give him an idea. This inspiration came in the form of a shrink-wrapped case sitting on his bed. Kurama smiled, walked over, and picked it up. Hiei's eyes followed him as he held up the case.
"It's Ghost…it's a DVD I just bought…" The puzzled stare that met him from beside the window prompted him to explain further. "A movie…sort of like the one I took you to see in the theater…"
Perfect. Another one of those dull things…the idea was less than appealing, but he was subconsciously aware that the weather would soon make his usual bonfire-lit practice sessions next to impossible. A distant rumble of thunder confirmed the thought and Hiei sighed quietly. There was nothing better to do.
"Fine." Kurama had been reconsidering the idea until Hiei's unexpected compliance made him smile, and he picked up the video before gesturing for him to follow as he stepped out of his room and down the stairs. Without knowing exactly why, he tagged along after him and sat down on the edge of the couch in the family room. Rather than joining him, Kurama walked past the couch into the kitchen. Hiei blinked and looked after him. Within a few minutes, a delicious warm smell began to lilt through the air and the sound of rain popping on the ceiling briefly caught the youkai's attention---wait, popping? That wasn't rain…he cast another glance to the kitchen as a few sharply mechanical beeps sounded, and a few moments later Kurama emerged with a plastic bowl filled with…
"Popcorn!" Kurama grinned and sat down next to him, setting the bowl between them and leaning forward to put in the movie. "It's good, try it…" Hiei eyed the snack for a moment before picking out a piece and popping it into his mouth.
"Hm…'s good…" Kurama smiled to himself and leaned back, taking a few pieces as well. "Told you." An image flickered onto the screen and Kurama got up quickly to dim the lights before reseating himself. Hiei raised an eyebrow at the change of atmosphere but shrugged it off and trained his eyes on the screen. Both demons fell quiet as the movie began, Kurama paying rapt attention and Hiei looking on nonchalantly.
Twenty minutes into the film, Kurama was spellbound and Hiei was…well, Hiei was having trouble keeping his eyes open. He had long since finished the oddly addictive popcorn and set the bowl on his other side. His eyelids drooped and he forced them open, then blinked as he noticed something a little odd. On screen, the lead characters were…doing something. The male character had lifted the female and was sort of twirling around with her. This wasn't the odd part---what had piqued his curiosity was Kurama's reaction to this. The light of the television flickering over his features showed a distinct blush and he kept sneaking glances at Hiei out of the corner of his eye. Hiei casually returned one of the stolen glances, an eyebrow perked, and Kurama actually blushed deeper before returning his eyes to the screen. Puzzled, Hiei started to ask what was going through the redhead's mind, then thought better of it and sighed quietly before looking back to the movie.
Another twenty minutes passed without event, and the actionless nature of the movie was lulling Hiei straight to sleep. Kurama was fairly engrossed in it, but occasionally he would catch sight of Hiei's head dipping forward and lifting sharply back off as the unfortunate youkai struggled with consciousness. Sleepily, the little demon wondered how humans could call this "entertainment" as his eyes slid shut again and he leaned back, slouching a little in his seat. If only something would explode…but this movie lacked any such excitement and he suddenly found himself falling wearily sideways, his head landing neatly in Kurama's lap. Lacking the capacity for conscious thought required to regret this or sit up, his muddled mind merely celebrated the presence of a suitable pillow.
Interestingly enough, Kurama's mind had just been robbed of most of its internal coherency as well. His face burned crimson and he slowly looked down at Hiei's head, nestled securely against him. The small face bore that rare unangered blankness that was rarely –if ever- seen on Hiei in his waking hours. That peaceful expression, the slow steady breathing, the lightly flickering youki…there was no doubt about it, the ever-alert little youkai had dozed off. In his lap. Kurama's breath caught as he gazed down at him, the movie little more than background noise in his mind. The temptation presented to him was too great and he very slowly, very cautiously, reached down and lightly stroked the side of Hiei's sleep-painted face. He was entirely unaware that the gesture had happened less than a day ago, albeit in reverse, as he gently trailed his fingertips along the curve of his chin. He paused a moment, carefully watching for any sign of consciousness- he so longed to touch that pale skin, but Hiei was generally a light sleeper and were he to awake…Kurama winced at the thought. His touch would almost undoubtedly be met with anger, confusion, and probably a quick exit. Sighing quietly, he moved to withdraw his hand…but couldn't. What are you doing? Stop it! Idiot, he's going to wake up! His mind raced but his fingers seemed to be ignoring this and slipped back into Hiei's spiked hair, weaving through the dark strands. He leaned forward, closed his eyes, and drank in the distinct scent he had come to associate with Hiei…the salty spray of his oceanside practices, the rich pine aroma of the forests where he spent much of his time, leaping restlessly between trees, and an underlying warmth that Kurama couldn't place. You're completely obsessed… He smiled wistfully to himself and sighed quietly, taking the hand not entangled in Hiei's hair and wrapping it around the youkai's slim shoulders, all caution and practicality forgotten as he hugged him close.
Hiei was promptly jerked from indistinct dreams by the feeling of some weight on him. The fuzzy feeling solidified…there was something holding onto him and something else tickling at his hair…he froze a moment, puzzling this out in his mind, but didn't fully understand what was going on until he opened his eyes.
It was Kurama.
The redhead was leaning against Hiei, holding him in a gentle embrace, resting his cheek against Hiei's hair. And Hiei was in a position no less puzzling- his legs were right where they should be, hanging over the edge of the couch, but his entire upper body was resting against Kurama's legs. The bewildered demon slowly untangled this in his mind…he must have fallen asleep and…he felt a hint of a blush, for reasons he couldn't place…fallen onto Kurama in the process…but that didn't explain why the kitsune was clinging so warmly to him at all! A few more moments of thought produced no answers and he squirmed a little, instinctively uncomfortable at the close contact.
Now it was Kurama's turn to freeze, startled and suddenly painfully self-conscious. Hiei was awake, he could feel it…Idiot! Idiot, idiot, idiot…He cursed his impulsiveness and slowly, terrified at the thought of what had to be going through the little youkai's head, retracted his arm from around Hiei, who pulled away mechanically and sat up. The nervous look that Kurama stole at him was carefully avoided as the smaller youkai stared unblinkingly at the television. Biting his lip, Kurama stammered out the only word that came to mind.
"Sorry…" Hiei paused and glanced back at him for a moment, then stood and walked to the door. He reached for the knob, then paused again. He had to know…or at least to ask.
"Why?" The question was short, to say the least, but the directness didn't escape Kurama and he looked helplessly at his feet.
"I don't know…" This answer was strangely comforting, but not enough to prevent Hiei from blurring and making a hasty disappearance. Kurama groaned quietly and leaned forward, resting his face in his hands.
Inari…what have I done?
(A/N: Wow. That was a powerful chapter. Important one, too. The shounen-ai goodness has really kicked off! Woo-hoo!
Yami: So has the angst…*evil grin*
Yume: *sweatdrop* You and your angst.
Yami: *keeps grinning*
Yume: Anyways, as always, a big hug to all my reviewers. Four chapters---well, five now---and no flames yet! I'm so happy…
Yami: *blinks* Oi! Stoppit!
Yume: …?
Yami: *pokes Scarlet_Kurama* Your mate is poking me!
Yume: *sweatdrop* …Mate?
Yami: *gets into a poking war with Kurama*
Yume: -.-;; Oy.)