A/N: Sorry if that was a little gory for some of you. That's just normal
for me. :D
Chapter 13: Toughen Up
Hiei slowly wrapped the white bandage around Amaranta's upper arm. The cut wasn't deep at all, which was definitely a good thing. Her skin was ice cold to his touch, but he showed no sign of notice. Soon the process ended and Amaranta rolled the sleeve of her shirt back down.
"Thank you," she said lightly, sliding the brown jacket over her shoulders.
"Hn. No problem." Hiei looked away with his hands in his pockets. What was wrong with him? Why was he doing all this for her? She was just another dumb bitch like every other female. But for some reason he seemed to understand her more than any other woman he had ever come in contact with. Were they that similar?
"What are you thinking about?"
Hiei turned, his eyes wide in annoyance and from being a little startled by such a question. No one ever asked him that before. "None of your business."
"You know, if you don't open up, at least a little, no one will be able to help your tormented soul." Amaranta looked him directly in the eyes.
"You're one to talk," he shot back, shifting his weight.
"It would be useless for me, that is why I don't do it. I will die soon, but you; Hiei you will live on."
"H-Hn." Hiei turned away from her. He had faltered, why had he shown his hesitation?!
A bush rustled to the side of the duo. Hiei instinctively drew his sword and stood poised to attack. Amaranta looked at the bush but did nothing more. The rustling continued and grew a bit louder. Then green hair could be seen and soon Yukina was standing in front of the bush. "Finally I found you two." She smiled but it faded when she saw Hiei with his sword drawn. "Um, I'm sorry. Did I disturb something?"
"Hn." Hiei sheathed his sword and turned from the ice apparition. "No, nothing at all."
Yukina's gaze moved from Hiei's back to Amaranta, who was staring at the ground, and back to Hiei. Suddenly a small smile began to form on her lips. A slight blush crept across her cheeks. "Maybe I should go and leave you two alone together."
"Don't be stupid." Hiei began to walk away. "I'm leaving."
Yukina watched Hiei disappear into the density of the trees, a bit of a shocked look on her face. She blinked a couple times. "Did I say something wrong?"
Amaranta looked at her. Yukina felt her eyes watching her and looked over at the demon.
"Hello. Sorry about that," she said sweetly.
"It's not your fault. Nothing was going on, though. Hiei is just stubborn."
Yukina walked over and sat down next to Amaranta. "Yeah I know but sometimes I think I can break that cold outer shell and find out what really makes him tick."
"Don't try."
Yukina looked up at her. "Huh? But why?"
"People can be overly nice and caring. Hiei is the way he is. He won't change. Don't force anything upon him."
"Oh." Yukina's gaze fell to the forest floor.
Amaranta stood up. "You should learn to be a bit more tougher, Yukina. It may help in the end."
She walked away coldly into the thickness of the forest, leaving Yukina to stare after her. She sighed and stood up, walking in thought about what the demon had just said to her back to Yusuke's house.
Chapter 13: Toughen Up
Hiei slowly wrapped the white bandage around Amaranta's upper arm. The cut wasn't deep at all, which was definitely a good thing. Her skin was ice cold to his touch, but he showed no sign of notice. Soon the process ended and Amaranta rolled the sleeve of her shirt back down.
"Thank you," she said lightly, sliding the brown jacket over her shoulders.
"Hn. No problem." Hiei looked away with his hands in his pockets. What was wrong with him? Why was he doing all this for her? She was just another dumb bitch like every other female. But for some reason he seemed to understand her more than any other woman he had ever come in contact with. Were they that similar?
"What are you thinking about?"
Hiei turned, his eyes wide in annoyance and from being a little startled by such a question. No one ever asked him that before. "None of your business."
"You know, if you don't open up, at least a little, no one will be able to help your tormented soul." Amaranta looked him directly in the eyes.
"You're one to talk," he shot back, shifting his weight.
"It would be useless for me, that is why I don't do it. I will die soon, but you; Hiei you will live on."
"H-Hn." Hiei turned away from her. He had faltered, why had he shown his hesitation?!
A bush rustled to the side of the duo. Hiei instinctively drew his sword and stood poised to attack. Amaranta looked at the bush but did nothing more. The rustling continued and grew a bit louder. Then green hair could be seen and soon Yukina was standing in front of the bush. "Finally I found you two." She smiled but it faded when she saw Hiei with his sword drawn. "Um, I'm sorry. Did I disturb something?"
"Hn." Hiei sheathed his sword and turned from the ice apparition. "No, nothing at all."
Yukina's gaze moved from Hiei's back to Amaranta, who was staring at the ground, and back to Hiei. Suddenly a small smile began to form on her lips. A slight blush crept across her cheeks. "Maybe I should go and leave you two alone together."
"Don't be stupid." Hiei began to walk away. "I'm leaving."
Yukina watched Hiei disappear into the density of the trees, a bit of a shocked look on her face. She blinked a couple times. "Did I say something wrong?"
Amaranta looked at her. Yukina felt her eyes watching her and looked over at the demon.
"Hello. Sorry about that," she said sweetly.
"It's not your fault. Nothing was going on, though. Hiei is just stubborn."
Yukina walked over and sat down next to Amaranta. "Yeah I know but sometimes I think I can break that cold outer shell and find out what really makes him tick."
"Don't try."
Yukina looked up at her. "Huh? But why?"
"People can be overly nice and caring. Hiei is the way he is. He won't change. Don't force anything upon him."
"Oh." Yukina's gaze fell to the forest floor.
Amaranta stood up. "You should learn to be a bit more tougher, Yukina. It may help in the end."
She walked away coldly into the thickness of the forest, leaving Yukina to stare after her. She sighed and stood up, walking in thought about what the demon had just said to her back to Yusuke's house.
