Next chapter, and this one will be another dosey for Kurama and his love Hiei. I'm sorry to all those who think I'm torturing Kurama too much, but this fan fic is an angst. And to those who don't want see Hiei tortured…well, you'll just have to wait and see what happens.
This chapter will show the other spirit detectives roaming through Makai and more lovely carnage at the shadow demon's castle. So read and enjoy! And don't forget to review!!
Black Tears
CHAPTER FIVE: BURNING FOR YOU
It was dark in the cell again. Kurama shivered, and rolled over on his soiled cot and came face to face with his sleeping fire demon's face. He smiled weakly. Hiei always looked like such a small child when he slept. The pain and anger that always seemed to dwell there faded and was replaced by, what Kurama hoped, was peaceful dreams.
Hiei's lips suddenly parted and a heavy breath wheezed by them. He groaned slightly as a flush rose in his normally pale cheeks. Kurama pushed himself up on one elbow and leaned over his fire demon. He raised one brow as a gentle smile tugged at the corner of his lips. Hiei moaned again and rolled over so that his chest was pressed against the kitsunes. He arched his back slowly and drew in another quick breath.
"F-fox…" He groaned, reaching out in his sleep. "P-please fox, more…"
Kurama had to hold back a chuckled. Leaning down slowly, he captured the fire demon's lip in a bruising kiss. Hiei gasped into his mouth as his red eyes fluttered open. As soon as he realized what was happening, his entire body melted. He wrapped his arms around the fox's neck and pulled himself up close to Kurama's body, pressing them together. Kurama wasn't expecting this motion and gasped.
Hiei chuckled against his fox's lips. He had awoken to his blissful dreams as a reality and he was preparing to take full advantage of that. The fire demon knew he had to be careful of Kurama's back, which was still sore, but that didn't mean he couldn't have some fun with this. He ran his hands through Kurama's hair, loving the way the fox's breathing grew heavy and his lids slid shut over his emerald eyes. It was very rare that Hiei was able to play the dominate role in the bedroom, but when he did, he made sure the fox enjoyed every moment of it.
The fire demon slipped his hands inside Kurama's shirt, brushing his finger tips over the smooth skin. The fox gasped, body going weak. This gave Hiei the chance to flip kitsune over. He was fully prepared to ravage his fox from head to toe, when Kurama's entire body went stiff. His hands tightened into fists around folds of Hiei's shirt. A tiny cry of pain managed to slip past his lips.
Hiei jerked back and quickly pulled Kurama up off the bed. He silently cursed himself for so easily forgetting his love's aliment. The kitsune buried his face in the fire demon's chest and whimpered slightly. His entire body was trembling in pain.
"I'm so sorry." Hiei muttered, looking over his lover's to see the fresh blood spots that were forming on the back of his shirt. "Shit, fox, I'm sorry!"
Kurama chuckled and pressed his forehead against Hiei's shoulder. The fire demon only showed his soft side to him, and Kurama loved feeling loved by him. He flinched as another pain flashed in his back, but fought to keep any vocal signs of discomfort from surfacing.
"It's okay." He murmured, raising a hand to rub Hiei's cheek. With an evil smile, he rolled. Hiei let out a surprised squeak when he suddenly found himself pinned underneath the fox's weight. The kitsune kissed the tip of his nose before continuing. "I guess you'll just have to live with me being on top for a while."
The fire demon smirked and captured Kurama's face between his two hands. He pulled the fox's face down so that their lips meet in a passionate duel of tongues. When they pulled apart Hiei followed suite and gave Kurama a quick peck on the nose.
"Have I ever minded before?" He asked in a seductive tone, gyrating his hips slight against the fox's. "Or better yet, have you?"
Kurama moaned, leaning down to rest his forehead against the fire demon's. He would have gladly taken Hiei up on his advances if his back wasn't throbbing. There were only a few gashes left, but too much bruising. Given some time, he would heal. But at the moment he decided lying there and soaking in the Hiei's unusual warmth was good enough for him.
"Kurama," Hiei's voice was hushed as he spoke the fox's name, "Can you tell me why these demons want to know so badly who we are?"
The kitsune curled up against the fire demon's side and nuzzled his chest gently. Hiei smiled weakly and wrapped his arms around his fox. Kurama knew he should tell Hiei the truth, that these demons wanted his tear gems and were ready to torture him until he gave them just that. He should also tell him that his abuse was coming only because Kakuzo thought he himself was the infamous Forbidden Child. Kurama shook his head mentally. He should, but he wouldn't. This was the only way to keep both Hiei and the three worlds safe from Sadatake's plans.
He raised his green eyes to Hiei's features and saw the fire demon had fallen asleep once again. Kurama was about to join his love in the land of dreams when a second thought occurred to him. He pushed himself up on his elbows and stared at Hiei's face. It was in that instant he knew something was wrong.
Hiei's features were slack, revealing no emotion of the good or bad kind. Kurama felt fear stab at him with thousands of cold knives. Hiei's face was always a mask of emotions when he slept. Whether it was painful memories returned in the form of a nightmare, or blissful fantasies he would live out when he awoke, Hiei always seemed to be feeling something. Ever since his jagan had been implanted, the little fire demon always had the most vivid of dreams that were burned into his memory for all of eternity. So his lack of emotions lead the kitsune to believe that he wasn't sleeping, but forced into a world that didn't exist. Almost as though Hiei was trapped between the land of the living and world of dreams and nightmares. And that could only mean one thing.
"Kakuzo." The fox growled as he heard the heavy metal door creak open down the hall.
It seemed it was time to take another hit for his love.
~*~
"Did I mention I hate Makai?" Yusuke growled, swatting at an oversized mosquito that buzzed by his ear. They had been wandering through the thick Makai forest for what seemed like ages and had come across nothing that resembled what was described of Shadow Demon territory.
"Multiple times now Yusuke!" Botan snapped back, rolling her purple eyes. All of them were on edge, worried about their demon friends and angry that they hadn't been able to find them yet.
The forest unfolded in front of them, seeing to go on forever. There were no buildings and certainly no castles. Kuwabara couldn't even sense any energy around them. That was the only clue they had that they were heading in the right direction. Koenma had warned them that Shadow Demons were ruthless creatures and all other youkai tried their hardest to avoid them. The only time a shadow demons ever took notice of another youkai is when they wanted something. And if that happened you better fade out of life.
The tall carrot top ningen stopped, and looked up at the sky. Both Yusuke and Botan turned to look at him carefully, fear striking them when they thought that a fight might be in order. But Kuwabara then turned to them with his normal goofball grin on.
"We should settle down for the night." He announced. "It's going to be dark soon and I think it's easier and safer to set up camp while there's still light."
Yusuke growled and Botan rolled her eyes. Leave it to Kuwabara to act like setting up camp was going to be a dangerous fight. The spirit detective walked over and promptly punched his long time foe and friend in the head. The tall ningen yelped and rubbed the bump there.
"What the hell is your problem Urameshi?" He bellowed. "I was just trying to be helpful!"
"Well you don't need to scare us with it!" The deity hollered back from her spot behind Yusuke. She then smiled brightly. "Now let's step up camp!"
Both humans' faces went blank as Botan skipped off into a nearby clearing in the woods. Yusuke looked up at the darkening sky and sighed deeply.
"Screw the shadow demons," He muttered, "Let me survive her!"
The fire crackled in front of them, basking them in its warmth. But the trio didn't feel the comforting heat. Their eyes were locked on the jumping flame, tiny embers sparking out from the lapping tongues. It reminded them of their mission, of Hiei, the little fire demon.
Yusuke sighed. He couldn't help it. He knew that Hiei was strong, but even Koenma had been worried. And when the angry half-pint was involved, the toddler was hardly ever nervous. They all knew Hiei had the strength and diligence to take out any of his opponents. He had proved that during the Dark Tournament, not allowing a single of his battles to end with out his victory.
But what about these new enemies? Did Hiei have the strength to take on these demons? The spirit detectives eyes drifted from the fire and landed on a patch of flowers nearby. His heart clenched once more.
And what of Kurama? The kitsune was decidedly more gentle then the fire demon. Kurama always judged his opponents before launching his own attack. Would he have time to find a way to beat these demons? The fox was soft, hurt easier then most. No matter the outcome of any battle, Kurama always walked away with an injury, sometimes more serious then ever. How bad would the injuries of this fight be?
From somewhere deep inside his mind, Yusuke heard an agonized scream. He bolted upright, his entire body was stiff. That scream, he knew it. He had heard it some many times before. Looking around the camp fire he saw that Kuwabara had gone a ghastly white and Botan's eyes were filled with tears. They had heard it in their minds too.
"W-was that…" Botan whispered weakly.
Yusuke nodded and Kuwabara looked down quickly. The spirit detective sighed.
"It was Kurama."
~*~
Kurama snarled as he was bolted to the wall in a crucifix manner, his true youko nature showing through. No one tied him down. Even Hiei was too afraid to see what the outcome would be. Luckily for the kitsune, Kakuzo took it as a sign of anger from the Forbidden Child.
"Don't worry Hiei." The demon chuckled. "I won't bring out the whip again. Your back hasn't healed yet."
As if to prove his point, Kakuzo applied pressure to the fox's chest, pressing his back into the cold stone of the wall. Dots appeared before Kurama's eyes as gasped. When the pain began to fade, he glared at his captor.
"I'm not afraid of you or anyone else!" He snarled. "I just want to break loose so I could rip your ugly head off!"
Kakuzo laughed and leaned in close to his prisoner, taunting his inability to reach out and make good on his threats. How he loved this. He had to remember to thank Lord Sadatake for giving him this job later. Pulling back he held out a hand.
Kurama stared at the creature's palm, confusion and fear wrapping its way around his mind and heart. He had no idea what this insane demon would or could do next. But he did know that he wasn't going to enjoy it.
"Do you want to hear something funny Hiei?" Kakuzo didn't wait for Kurama to answer before continuing. "The powers of a shadow demon are the strongest yet weakest powers out there."
Kurama's brows furrowed. How could something be both the strongest and weakest? It was an oxymoron, a statement that made no sense. But he wasn't allowed to dwell on his inner questions long because Kakuzo started speaking again.
"You see, a shadow demon really has no powers of their own," He explained, "Just the ability to manipulate shadows. But we can also shadow other demons' powers and attacks. In my case it's of any demon in a five mile radius. And that means I can control both your and your lover's power. Watch."
A thick vine suddenly sprung from the wall to wrap itself around Kurama's throat. The kitsune gasped as his air was quickly cut off. He knew he could counter the attack, seeing as it was truthfully his energy manipulating this plant and was therefore stronger then Kakuzo's. But to do that would be to reveal his secret. So instead he sputtered and bucked against the wall, waiting for Kakuzo to remove the vines.
Just when Kurama thought he was going to slip away, the thick green ropes removed themselves from his neck and receded back into the wall. The kitsune drew in a deep shuddering breath and slumped forward. Dots danced in front of his eyes as his vision faded in and out for a few seconds. For a brief moment Kurama feared he would black out.
Finally he was able to compose himself enough to turn deadly green eyes on his captor. It was time to act. Time to keep the real Hiei safe from all harm. God he would deserve some cheesy American movie award after this whole thing was over. That was if he survived until then.
"Leave Kurama out of this." He snarled, feeling somewhat odd, like he was talking in third person. "Both physically and energy wise. You promised to keep him safe."
"And safe he is." Kakuzo purred, leaning forward until his nose was practically touching that of his captor. "But you on the other hand, aren't so lucky. Or did you forget what your own power was."
A small flame suddenly sprang to life in the shadow demon's palm. Kurama jerked back with a quick hiss. It was a fox's nature to be afraid of fire, even though he had fallen in love with his own little flame. His whole body went stiff and he let out a small groan of fear. He knew exactly what was coming.
"I decided there is nothing worse in the world then being defeated by your own attack." Kakuzo allowed the flame in his palm to grow larger before dying down to its original size. "So I decided to show you your own life fire."
Kurama growled. Kakuzo was more right then his knew. It was humiliating getting beaten by your own attack. Shame burned through him for not having been able to call off the vines that were called using his own energy. But this was different. It was going to be his own attack. Kakuzo must have been as dumb as he appeared. If he had truly been a fire demon, the flame would do nothing to him.
Kakuzo took a step towards him and held brought the flame close to Kurama's face. The kitsune went rigid and tried to turn his head from the fire, but the vines snapped back, keeping his head in one place. He let out an angry growl but could do nothing else.
"I can tell you this truthfully." The shadow demon laughed. "This is going to hurt you a lot more then its going to hurt me."
With those words he brought the fire under the fox's wrist. The flame licked up over the skin, burning agony into his flesh. Kurama jerked away from the wall, a scream erupting from his throat. His skin was turning an ugly red and cracking. The kitsune had to fight back the tears as Kakuzo moved the fire down his arm to find unmarred skin. Kurama let out another pitiful cry as he repeated the mantra in his head once more.
"You can't cry."
Kakuzo moved the flame to Kurama's other wrist. The fresh skin easily gave way to the burning pain. All the fox could do at this point was whimper and try desperately to pull away from the fire.
"You can't cry."
The fire drifted down his arm again, finding a fresh spot. Kurama cried out again, green eyes going wide. His heart was slamming against his ribcage, his mind whirling out of control. He could only cling to one thought.
"You can't cry."
"Come on you no good Forbidden Child!" The shadow demon shouted in his face. "Cry for me! Show me your tears!"
Kurama cried out as the flame licked over the suddenly exposed flesh of his chest. It hurt, everything hurt. His entire body was trembling, his mind telling him to shed tears. But his heart continued to call out to him.
"You can't cry."
The spots were back, flashing in front of his vision. He let out a moan, his whole body going slack. At some point during the torture, Kakuzo had moved to his legs, cuffing up his pants to expose the soft flesh of his ankles. The skin was now red and cracked, blood oozing out. His arms and chest were in a similar state.
Kurama suddenly gasped when he felt Kakuzo fumbling with the zipper of his pants. He fought back weakly, stopping only when his burnt skin screamed out its protest. The fox wanted to shake his head but the vines stopped him, wanted to scream but his voice wouldn't work. A miserable moan escaped him when he felt his pants pool around his ankles.
"You can't cry."
Kakuzo brought the fire up once more and gave Kurama an evil grin.
"Cry for me Hiei." He hissed bringing the flame to the soft flesh of his inner thigh. Kurama's eyes went wide and a scream poured from his throat. His entire body went limp as his emerald eyes slid shut. He could only grasp to one last thought.
"You can't cry, for Hiei."
Hiei jumped to alertness when he heard the agonized scream in his head. It had sounded like Kurama, but that couldn't be because Kurama was here with him. Looking around the fire demon realized that the kitsune wasn't in their cell. His heart tightened in his chest as icy fear rolled through him. Hiei's mind started screaming at him. No, no, no, Kurama was all right. The fox had to be all right!
There was a sudden loud clang that Hiei took to be a heavy door opening somewhere. He jumped off the bed and flew over to the bars, be very careful not to touch them. But still he couldn't see anything. With an angry growl he backed away the bars and waited.
Suddenly a green oni appeared in front of their cell, and unlocked the door. Hiei crouched down in the corner. His muscles bunched up and prepared to bolt when the oni gave him a chance. But all thoughts of escaping fled his mind when a blue oni joined the other. But this oni was carrying the limp form of his fox. Kurama's eyes were closed but his features were pinched in pain. His clothes were stained with fresh blood and odd odor filled the air.
"You might want to take care of him." The blue oni chuckled.
Without the slightest bit of tenderness, he tossed Kurama into the cell. The fox's body hit the ground hard, jarring a moan from the unconscious form. Hiei gasped, not noticing as the cage door shut and the onis walked away.
Hiei pulled Kurama into his arms, his entire body trembling. He quickly looked the fox over, trying to find the new wounds. There, on his wrists! The fire demon gently rolled up Kurama's sleeves and gasped as a wave of nausea rolled over him.
Kurama's arms were burnt from wrist to elbow. The skin was cracked and blistered, a sticky blood staining the blackened skin to an almost impossible darkness. Hiei noticed the kitsune's chest and arms were also bleeding. He clenched his teeth and growled. Whoever had them here was dead. There was no way Hiei was going allow someone to hurt his love and live to walk away.
His fox groaned in his arms and flinched. Hiei jerked to attention and felt his heart soften from its hard anger. He gently stroked some of the red strand out of Kurama's face.
"Please love," He spoke in a soft voice, knowing he wouldn't get a true answer, "Tell me what's happening to you."
Hiei picked the fox up and laid him down on the cot and curled up at his side. He breathed deep and realized that scent he had smelt was of burned flesh. He buried his face in Kurama's chest and allowed a single tear to trial down his cheek and form a hard black pearl land on his love's chest.
"Please," He repeated in a shaky voice, "Let me help."
Uh-oh, Hiei cried!!! Does that mean that Kakuzo and Sadatake are going to find out the truth that Kurama's giving so much for? And can the spirit detective trio get to their demon friends in time? You'll have to wait until the next chapter to find out!
But first I want to say something. The other day I got a rather nasty e-mail from someone (who shall remain nameless) about this story. They started ranting and raving at me about Kurama and Hiei not being gay or a couple because even Yoshihiro Togashi says they aren't.
Well here's news flash for you! This is a FAN FICTION! That means a fan such as myself takes the characters and ideas from an actual show and writes a fiction about it. A fiction is a completely untrue story that the writer imagines. Nothing in the story is true fact or written in stone anywhere.
Secondly, Kurama and Hiei are CARTOONS!!! They are not real or made or actual flesh and bone. Their feelings and emotions in a story are all based on the person who writes the story they are in. In this case it's me! And in my personal opinion those who stare yelling about the fact that they aren't together cause they aren't gay needs to get their heads checked. Do you honestly think I'm going to get an e-mail or phone call from Hiei or Kurama themselves telling me that I got their relationship all wrong?! This is my damn story and I'll do what I please!
Thirdly, I gave my warning in the summary and first chapter that the two demons would be together in this story. If you don't like that pairing then tough shit! I'm sorry if I sound rude but you don't have to read this. I didn't tie you to your chair and tape your eyelids open so you had no choice to read this. Hell! If you clicked the link then it's all your fault. So didn't e-mail me and bitch at me. Just skip over it! Either that or find something better to do with your time then e-mail those who don't agree with you.
You know, you people who do that make me sick. You don't see those who view Kurama and Hiei as a couple e-mailing people who don't and telling them they must be blind, so why do you people feel you need to e-mail us and tell us we're wrong. Just deal with it and leave me alone! ARGH!!!
All right. *phew* I feel better getting that out. Now, please review…hehe, n.n