HI!!!! I'm BACK!!!!! FINALLY!! Oh, but guys, I probably wont update until my break, 'cause next week is exam week..
-_-;
DISCLAIMER: I don't own a thing except for what I own, which it NOT the yu yu gang. There.
Summary: You should know by now….
WARNING: This chappy has some major S-ai in it. All alone in a confined space… Just enough room to……. You get it. Yeah. You have been for-warned! ^-^
And when words are in the little dash signs : -blah- like that. It's Suuichi talking inside of Youko's head. Yeah… When he's in his Youko form and all… Suuichi has to talk SOME how, right? Yeah…. Anyway, ON WITH THE STORY! ^-^
Waking to Ruby Eyes
Chapter Four: Love at last
Kurama waltzed through the forest without a care, wondering which way to go next. Hiei, who walked beside Kurama, looked rather sleepy and pale. Paler than usual, that is. Kurama looked over at the sick Koorime and whimpered. "Come on Hiei! Don't be like that! It'll make me feel bad!" He stopped walking and knelt down beside Hiei.
"You SHOULD feel bad! Why haven't you found a cure yet?!" Hiei was getting annoyed now, him being in extreme danger of loosing his life. And there was Kurama. Prancing around the forest like a love-struck child. Wait. Love-struck? No, no. I'm loosing it! What has become of me!? I need to get that cure NOW. Hiei shook his head gently.
"These things must be done delicately!" Kurama grabbed Hiei's shoulders, shaking him gently. "I'll find a cure! I'm sure I will! And if I don't… If I don't… If I don't, I'll die trying!" Kurama's voice was filled with confidence, yet Hiei could sense that he was nervous.
"Delicately. Pff! That's the last thing I want to hear. " He shook out of Kurama's grasp and continued onward. If he wont take this seriously, I'll find a cure MYSELF! Hmph. Delicately. How foolish is that? All it is, is a cure…
Kurama sighed and stood back up. It was so hard to explain things to Hiei. He just doesn't understand… They continued walking, Kurama's head hung low now, though. He no longer had that bounce in his step, that cheery gleam in his eye, nor the bright smile dancing upon his lips. He was truly depressed, only now did he show it. He would glance upward every so often to see if Hiei was still in front of him. Of course, he could have just sensed him if he wanted to, but, he didn't. Kurama crossed his arms and sped up, now walking beside the Koorime. "Hiei?"
"What." Replied the Koorime. His tone was of utter annoyance and nothing more.
Kurama winced at Hiei's tone of voice, but continued anyway. "Umm… Are you mad at me?"
"How'd you guess?" He looked at Kurama through the corner of his eyes, narrowed. He stopped and turned to him, Kurama doing the same. "Kurama, how could you just act like nothing's wrong when something truly IS wrong?? Something that could end my LIFE! I can't understand how you can be so calm at times like this!" His eyes flashed with anger and hurt, the blood red orbs burning into Kurama's mind.
"I… I just… I'm not sure! I'm just so calm when a crisis it about… I can't help it!" He knelt down again and hugged him tightly, giving Hiei a shock at first. "I'll make sure I find a cure, Hiei! I wont let you die like this.. Not without… If you die because I could not find the cure in time, I will either live the rest of my life in misery and pain, or kill myself because of what I've done." Kurama's lecture meant little to the dying youkai before him. Hiei's body was slowly decaying from the poison they had now found out was called, 'TTP,' a deadly poison. It was heard that twenty-six other demons had survived from it's wrath, but that's nothing compared to the twelve thousand that had died from it. Hiei again wrenched himself from Kurama's hold on him and looked at him.
"You're pathetic." He answered simply.
"Yes, I am. I know." Kurama stood and began walking, now with a serious air about him. He stopped to look back at Hiei, "Well? What are you doing, just standing there? Let's go!" He motioned for Hiei to follow and continued.
Kurama's fox instincts soon took over and he transformed into his fox form. He walked along a dirt path, Hiei following closely behind, and the fox sniffing everywhere like some hound-dog on a trail. Hiei sighed, getting tired. "Can we stop for a moment? I'm getting tired…" The fox stopped and turned to Hiei. A confused look in it's eyes until he examined Hiei's stature. The fox's eyes widened at how pale the demon was, and his slumping form. He nodded and walked over to Hiei as he slid down the side of a tree he was leaning on.
Poor thing… I really need to get that cure! Before… Before… The worst…Oh, I can hardly think of it! I MUST find that cure. He sat down beside Hiei and licked his cheek. Hiei merely sighed and laid his head against the trunk. Banging it slightly, he managed o make himself drowsy and his vision blurred.
"Ugh… Stupid poison… I should have never fought him… I knew something was odd about that man…" Hiei said, his voice a bit scratchy. Kurama, being a bit worried of Hiei's scratchiness, turning into his Youko form(him being in his fox form first, so it was easier to go to Youko instead of Suuichi. *wink*).
"Hiei? Are you all right?" Kurama asked, putting a hand on his forehead to feel his temperature. "My, you're cold. For a fire demon, I mean." Hiei then fainted, right on the spot, making Kurama jump because Hiei… Well, let's just say he landed in Kurama's lap. "Hiei? Hiei?? …… BREATHE!" Hiei was not breathing. Bad sign, thought Kurama. Why isn't he breathing?! WHY?! Kurama shook Hiei to wake him up, but it was useless. Hiei would not wake up. AND he wasn't breathing! Was this the end of our favorite Koorime's life? No… I'll MAKE him breathe, if it's the last thing I do! Now… How's that thing go?
–Mouth to mouth? C.P.R.?-
………Yeah. That's it. Must I?
-YES!-
Fine! Fine! Don't fuss over it… Youko sighed and shook Hiei once more, hoping he would awake. Damn… He leaned over and began to give Hiei C.P.R. He continued this process until Hiei's eyes shot open, which happened to be the time that Youko's mouth was upon his own.
Hiei's eyes were wide with shock, not expecting to wake up with… In this situation. He turned his head quickly and shoved Youko off him, sitting up. "What the hell?!"
"You weren't breathing, I swear!" Youko backed up, afraid that the Koorime would pull out his katana. "Plus, it wasn't MY idea! It was Suuichi's! And, I couldn't just let you DIE like that!" I have no idea why I am so frightened… I am Youko Kurama, the Legendary Thief! Not to mention the Makai slut… Hehehehehehehe…
-Stop thinking about that at a time like this! PAY ATTENTION!-
Oh, right… Yeah… Hm. "What?" Youko attempted to put on an innocent expression, but it was hard for the thief.
Hiei sighed and shook his head. "Nothing…" He stood and stuck his hand out for Youko to grab. "We need to get that cure. NOW." Youko took hold of Hiei's hand and stood.
"Correct. Shall we go then?" Youko began walking with Hiei following at his side. But, he noticed something. Hiei was STILL holding his hand… "You… CAN let go now.."
"I know. I don't have to though, do I?" Hiei looked up at the youkai through the corner of his eyes.
"I suppose… Not…" He blinked, and just now did he notice that Hiei looked more natural color. Not pale, anymore. Not pale anymore…. Good. Hopefully he'll last until we find that cure. Youko's ears twitched, then he continued walking, not minding the little Koorime hand grasping his own. They walked some time like this, until they came upon a plant with pinkish flowers growing from it. "Oh! Look! It's part of the cure! Now all we need to find is that… Other…. Thing…." Youko looked around, the snatched a hand full of the plant and stuck it in his pocket. "Let's go further and see what we can find." Hiei nodded and tugged on Youko's hand, pulling him forward. "Ehh! Wait! I have to situate myself! Stupid plant…" He was having a hard time getting the plant INTO his pocket, because it was squirming around. "Stupid… Makai…. Plants…. GET IN THERE, DAMN IT!" He shoved it down, and it, only then, stayed put. "Okay, I'm ready."
"Baka…." He shook his head and walked, Youko following.
"I know, I know, You don't have to remind me. Wait…. HOW DARE YOU!" He smack Hiei's head, a bit harder than he meant to, because Hiei let go of his hand and fell to the ground. "Oops… Daijobu?"
"Yeah… Why'd you have to go and hit me, though, huh?! Baka no Kitsune…" He rubbed his head and stood back up, not bothering to grab Kurama's hand again.
"Gomen nasai… I didn't mean to…" He hurried up beside him and watched him through the corner of his eyes. I wonder if I hurt him… He wasn't one to wonder if he hurt someone, mostly because he was a demon, and the other have was because he was a thief, so this was quite an unusual feeling for him. Wondering if someone was hurt or not, that is(and a few other things that will be mentioned in later chapters.. *giggles mischievously*). "Y-you know, I really don't think we're going to find the rest of this cure by nightfall… Uhhhhhhhhh…. …. What are we going to do? I don't think any of my traveling dens are near here…" Youko said hesitantly, knowing that one was near by. Quite close, in fact. The only problem was, it was the very spacious one, and Youko didn't feel like letting all his luck go now.
"Traveling dens? …… Oh yes… You're a spirit fox… Almost forgot… Hm. Well then, I suppose we'll have to sleep where ever. Me, being out in the world at a young age, have grown accustom to sleeping in trees and things like that. Almost any place will do for me." Hiei went on rambling, so the only thing Youko paid attention to was the first thing he said.
Almost forgot? Is the poison getting to his head now? Geez, we really do have to find that cure soon! Youko walked along side Hiei, still looking at him though. "Hiei… Hi-HIEI! You can stop now!" His ears were ringing now, Hiei talking so much about nothing Youko was interested in.
"What? Oh, yes. Sorry about that. Where are we going now?" Hiei stopped and looked up at Youko. "Hm?"
"Well…" Youko stopped as well, and looked down at the Koorime boy. "…. I'm not quite sure…" Youko stretched his words, slowly turning his gaze to the sky, thinking. "I suppose we could sleep in a tree…Or… Something…" Just at that moment, one certain tree caught Youko's eye. It was like a hollow tree, with an entrance. "LOOK!" Youko jumped and pointed at the tree. His sudden jumpiness made Hiei stagger backward until he regained his balance. "Sorry.." He grabbed Hiei's arm and pulled him up. "Look over there, Hiei." He once again pointed to the tree that he had spied.
Hiei looked over at the tree and just plain stared at it. "….. So? What about it?" He looked up at Youko, who had one of his arms around Hiei's shoulders.
"So?? SO?! W-w-w-w-w… I-it's shelter! We can sleep there!" He dragged Hiei over to the tree and set him down inside it, getting in, himself. "See? It's… Suitable." Youko looked around at the tree, wondering how far it went up.
"Uh-huh…. It's not quite dark out yet, Youko. Do you want to keep looking?" Hiei was more concerned about finding the cure then the tree. "I mean, it seems like there's plenty of vegetation around here… Possibly part of the cure!"
"Yeah………… I suppose you're right. But I want you to stay here, all right? You're in no condition to be walking around. Got that?" You look sternly at Hiei, making sure that he was getting the message through.
Hiei looked up at Youko, into his eyes. "Uhh… Yeah, whatever. If you find something, come straight back. How many parts are there to the cure again?" Hiei questioned, pulling his knees up to his chest and hugging them.
"I… I… Three… I believe…" Youko's eyes and mind began to wander. Such a delicate structure… So small, and yet full of emotion…Better sentence; His small body frame is so delicate…
-Stop daydreaming and get to work!-
Youko jumped at the sudden disturbance of his playful minded thinking. "What?! Oh.. Yes… Right then." He got up and went out of the tree and began to wander in some random direction. Hiei on the other hand, looked quite confused.
He muttered to himself, "What was that look in his eyes…? H-… He wasn't even looking at my face!" He stood up, bonking his head on a low part of the tree. "Itai!" He fell to the ground, rubbing his head. "Owww….. That hurt….." His vision started to get blurry, and he felt like he was swirling around. A dreamy affect soon consumed him and he was surrounded with darkness.
Meanwhile, Youko walked through the dense brush, eyes strained for any sign of merry-bay vines. It was the second part of the cure, and he intended to find it. The third part, you ask? Youko had forgotten by now… He was sure he'd find it, though, once he had gotten the second part. He sensed something inside him telling him to go back, but his head was on a mission: to find that merry-bay vine plant. He whined, the feeling getting stronger as he progressed. Suddenly, he stopped, spotting what he was looking for. "Merry-bay vines! Goodie!" He rushed over to them and knelt down, tacking out a pocket knife. The vines started to scramble and fidget, but Youko had a firm grasp on them. He snipped off a few of the vines and they started to glow softly. "Wha..? It…'s not supposed to do that!" He blinked twice, then thought for a moment. "At least I don't think so…" Youko shrugged and stood up, beginning to walk back to the tree, the feeling coming back to him.
Back to our poor little Koorime. Hiei lay unconscious in the hollow tree, looking so serene, you wouldn't imagine that the poor thing was dying. That is, if you didn't pay attention to the color of his skin. He looked dead already; pale as a sheet of paper. If Youko didn't hurry back in time, we might loose our favorite half Koorime(Would anyone happen to know what the Japanese word for "fire demon" is? If you do, tell me, because I would REALLY like to know. *pleads*). Youko started to run now, knowing that Hiei was in trouble. The Koorime's ki was low. Extremely low, and Youko was sure not going to let him die. That is, if HE didn't want to die. Suuichi would be sure to kill him if he let Hiei die. Oh Hiei… I hope you aren't deceased..
-You BETTER hope so! If he is, so are you!- Suuichi was in no mood to be playing games at this time, so Youko practically had to ignore him to not spit back a comment.
Youko stayed silent, running as fast as he could. Soon, he skidded to a halt in front of the tree. "Hiei! Oh, God…" He rushed in and leaned over Hiei's body. "Wake up, damn it!" Youko shook him gently, glad that Hiei was still breathing at least. He stopped for a moment, and thought about the last time Hiei fell unconscious. He woke up when I kissed him… Hm. That's useful. Youko leaned over and kissed Hiei gently, still clutching his shoulders. He tensed slightly when Hiei didn't do anything, but then relaxed, partially, when he felt an amazing burst of heat coming from Hiei's mouth. Youko jerked backwards and yelped with pain, slapping one of his hands over his mouth, eyes wide. "What was that for?" Youko asked in a muffled tone.
"I have to same question for you! What do you think you were doing?!" Hiei was now propped up on his elbows, eyes dangerously narrowed at Youko. An glint of fire showed in his blood red eyes, making the look even more deadly. If you looking into them for too long, you might've been overcome by the pain they held.
"Y… I… You see, you were unconscious, again, and I had to wake you up because I found the merry-bay vines! And, er, I sort of remembered that you woke up with I was giving you CPR the other time you fainted… Ehehehehehehe…" He laughed nervously at the look in Hiei's eyes. They narrowed even more at what Youko had said, but then Hiei sighed and sat up all the way. He did look a little bit better, but he was still pale. (My brains really starting to work NOW… *hamster wheel is a spinnin'*)
"You are the most strangest kitsunes I've ever seen… I can't believe you would remember such a thing." His eyes were no longer threatening, but of a kindly sort, more gentle.
"Well, it was useful, ne?" Youko implied, having calmed down now. He was only replied by a half hearted 'Hn' from the Koorime child. This sparked up the Youko as he crawled over to Hiei. With a seductive tone, he gently whispered, "Don't tell me you disliked it…" His voice had a slight purr to it, giving him an even more seductive look. They were surprisingly close, only because Hiei was against the tree's wall. If there was room behind him, he would have gotten away from Youko by now. Or would he…?
Hiei's eyes began to glaze over, going half closed. This only fueled the spark that was in the Youko's soul, and he purred louder. They weren't exactly touching, but one could feel one's body heat coming from them. Youko closed his eyes, letting his mind take over what his body would do. Not his heart, his mind(uh-oh… Dirty mind alert! Dirty mind alert! ^-^). He continued to whisper in his seductive tone, "You'd be the first if you did…" Youko's eyes opened quickly, golden orbs flashing. "Tell me you liked it." Youko's voice was getting harder, more of a regular voice. "Tell me!" Hiei snapped out of his daze and shoved Youko.
"Get away from me!" He stood up, only to bonk his head on the tree again. "Dammit! Stupid…" He sat back down, rubbing his head again. "Owwwww…" Youko sat a distance away, blinking a few times.
"Sorry… Old self taking over…" He sat Indian style, hands neatly folded in his lap. He looked up, "Daijobu?"
"I'm fine." Hiei sighed and shook his head, blinking a few times. "What about you?"
"Eh… I'm as good as usual. …. OH! I forgot! I found the second part of the cure!" Youko snapped, then dug through his pocket, pulling out the merry-bay vines. "See?" He held them out in front of Hiei, ivory colored fingers stroking the plant to keep it quiet. Hiei nodded slightly, not really caring to see the plant. Youko put it back, then got into a more comfortable position.
"….. Well? What's next? We have the first two. What's the third?" Hiei beckoned for Youko to tell him.
"That's our problem. …. I…. Forgot. ^^;" He laughed nervously, rubbing the back of his head. Hiei on the other hand had his mouth wide open.
"……. WHAT??!?!!! You FORGOT?!!" Hiei shouted, seemingly forgetting that he was about to die… He grabbed Youko's neck and started shaking him, and evil glare upon his pale face.
"Stop! Stop! You're choking me!! *gag*" Youko gasped, clutching Hiei's lethal hands. He managed to loosen Hiei's grip and he spit out in a rush, "If you let go I'll think about it and sooner or later I'm BOUND to get it!" Hiei finally let go after that, his glare disappearing. Youko rubbed his neck, panting. After he was satisfied with his breathing, he lied down on his back and closed his eyes. I'm bound to think of it sooner or later, right? I can't just stop looking because I can't remember that the third part is blood! ….. Oh. Ehehehehehe…But it was some sort of special blood…Like… Half something and half something else! What was it…Ah man, this is going to kill me! Think, think, think… Youko's face was starting to show strain. He just couldn't remember what it was!
"Maybe.. If you think about when he told us what to look for, not just what it is? Perhaps?" Hiei suggested, trying to be helpful. Youko shot up, eyes wide. "What?? What?! Did you think of it?!"
"Yes… You aren't going to like this though…" Youko sighed and shook his head, knowing that Hiei would NOT like this at all.
"What is it? What is the third part?" Hiei hesitantly crawled over to him, getting curious.
"You're blood." Youko looked over at him, eyes narrowing slightly. Hiei's eyes widened, quite the opposite of Youko's.
Not again…Hiei thought. Oh God, please let him be lying…
That's it! I know it's sort of… a cliffhanger, but I'm starting the next chapter RIGHT AWAY! ^-^ It took me a LONG time to finish this chappie, so I hope you like it!