By Yume
Yu Yu Hakusho, HxK shounen-ai
Chapter 8
Shelter From The Storm
Some days had passed since Kurama had stolen those first kisses from Hiei, and things were irritatingly unchanged when it came to their day-by-day interactions…or lack thereof. Hiei had returned to his usual pattern of nesting nightly in the maple and only appearing when Kurama was lucky enough to catch a glimpse through the branches at him. However, tonight would be different….the redhead smiled to himself as he looked out that window. Storm clouds rumbled ominously in the distance, and the wind smelled of rain. He used to dislike this sort of weather, back when it made hunting difficult, but now he saw it as a blessing. A downpour like the one on the way would undoubtedly force his dark little companion to seek shelter.
To seek shelter here…he mused, smiling. He could invite Hiei in, make some hot chocolate, see if his mother would let him light the fireplace…oh right, mother's out tonight…The idea of having the house alone for the evening with Hiei…oh, it was delicious. He grinned to himself and cheerily sat down on the edge of his bed, humming an old tune to himself as he watched the skies outside his window darken.
Sure enough, it wasn't long before rain began to pelt the rooftops, sliding in fat drops down the windowpane as a cold wind shook the branches of what he had come to think of as Hiei's tree. There was a creak from said window and Kurama looked up to see a vision so out-of-place it was almost funny. There, just inside the window, stood a very familiar figure, clad in black and drenched from head to toe. He stood, dripping and looking immensely annoyed. Kurama stifled a laugh and stood, going to the soggy little youkai's side.
"Why didn't you come in sooner? Look at you…" Chuckling, he quickly walked to the linen closet in the hall and returned with a fluffy pink towel. Hiei eyed the towel warily for a moment, but before he could protest found himself being wrapped in it. He blinked and looked to Kurama, who smiled sweetly and ruffled Hiei's sodden hair. The youkai pulled away almost immediately and growled quietly, grabbing the towel from Kurama's hands and pulling it close around himself. The redhead couldn't take it any more and he sat back down on his bed, laughing helplessly.
Hiei, on the other hand, couldn't imagine what was so damned funny. He was cold---and he hated being cold. He was wet---and he hated being wet. Besides, there was an uncomfortable something prodding at the back of his mind; something that had been triggered the moment Kurama had brought out the towel. He glared over the edge of said towel at the giggling demi-youko.
"What the
hell are you laughing about?" Even his voice was shivering, but it bore
a tone icier than the rain he had been caught in. Kurama bit his lip and had to
wait a moment for his laughter to subside. If Hiei had looked out of place when
he first entered the room, the addition of the fuzzy towel was just too much.
He chuckled and shook his head.
"N-no, nothing…heh…I just thought
of something, that's all…here, um…" He looked the waterlogged youkai up and
down and sighed. This had happened before; Hiei tended to stay outside until he
absolutely couldn't stand it any more. Only then would he allow himself to seek
refuge in the warmth of Kurama's house…which meant that when he did
finally come in, he was a very wet and very ill-tempered little demon. This was
all routine…Kurama turned, rifling through his dresser, and produced a pair of
pale green pajamas. He offered the clothes to Hiei as he had done many times
before…but unlike so many other times, the youkai merely eyed them for a moment
and pulled the towel tighter around himself in silent refusal. Confused, Kurama
frowned a little and set the pajamas on his bed.
"You really should get out of those wet clothes, Hiei, you might get sick…"
"Why the hell do you care?"
Hiei's words were tempered with something much colder than simple annoyance, and Kurama blinked, startled. Why was…had he done something wrong? He paled slightly and leaned back on his hands, looking curiously at Hiei. When he finally spoke, his voice was soft and as non-confrontational as he could manage.
"Of course I care, Hiei…why, shouldn't I?" Hiei froze. Somehow he had thought this would be easier, but that gentle tone was so painful…still, he had to say this. He gathered up his resolve, turning his eyes from Kurama.
"No."
(A/N:
Yami: ANGST!
Yume: Ugh.
Yami: Woohoo! Angst!
Yume: . …hn. Short and cliffhangery…so I'll keep the notes short and stick them after the next chapter…)