DISCLAIMER: I do NOT own any of the characters in this story. NONE. Do you understand that? I don't make any money off of this, either, I just find pleasure in writing fan fictions. Thank you.
~Chapter Six: Hiei Returns~
It had been three weeks since Hiei had left the human world. He didn't want anything more to do with that place- at least not now.
Although he wouldn't admit it, the reason he had left was because he was afraid. He had never felt this strange feeling before, and though he was sure he knew what it was, he wouldn't believe himself. He wished that he had never met Hotaru. But on the other hand, he was glad that he did, he just wouldn't allow himself to admit it.
Hiei stood at the edge of a lake, staring into the calm water.
"Look at yourself, Hiei." He said to his reflection, "You've grown soft."
Hiei glared at his image and threw a rock into the water, watching as the ripples disoriented his reflection.
"How could you have let this happen?" He yelled.
Slowly, his reflection returned to normal, as the water became as smooth as glass once again. He just stood there, staring at his self with disgust.
"Blast you, Hotaru! Blast you, you stupid human brat! Why were you so persistent in your attempts to gain my friendship?"
Hiei thought for a moment, and then changed his mind. He had to blame someone, but Hotaru wasn't the right person.
"No," Hiei said, "You weren't persistent. Kurama pushed the two of us into a friendship. If only he had stayed out of this situation, then I never would've spoken to you again after our meeting in the park!"
"Hiei, you know that I was only trying to help, don't you?" Asked a voice. Hiei turned and saw Kurama standing behind him.
"I had a feeling that you'd be here," Kurama said, "I've been worried, Hiei. You've been gone for quite a long time."
"You needn't worry about me." Hiei answered, turning away from Kurama, "I can take care of myself. Besides, I'm not going to go back to the human world. I'm staying here."
"I'm sorry for being so pushy," Kurama said, "But, Hiei, you have to come back."
"Why should I?"
"Hotaru misses you, you know. She feels bad about your disappearance. She feels that it is her fault that you left."
"Hn." Hiei grunted, "It isn't her fault. Not entirely. It was you who made me get to know her."
"Forgive me, Hiei. I only wanted to see you make a friend. I guess that I shouldn't have interfered."
"Oh, you 'guess?' Hn."
"Hiei, please come back! Not just for her, but for the rest of us! What will the Spirit Detectives do without your skills? Our team isn't complete without you."
"Why should I care?"
"Hiei..."
"No, Kurama! You should've thought of the consequences before you interfered!"
Hiei vanished.
Kurama sighed. His best friend hated him now. Deep down, Kurama knew that this wouldn't last much longer. As always, Hiei would give in to himself, and he'd come back. Wouldn't he? Or was this the last time Kurama would meet with his friend?
*
Hotaru stared out her bedroom window at the pouring rain. It had been three weeks since she had last seen Hiei.
'Was it something that I did?' Hotaru thought, questioning herself, 'Was it something I said? Or is Kurama right? Is it really not my fault at all? Oh... I hope that this isn't about me... Hiei... come back... please come back...'
A single tear splashed onto the windowsill.
'Hiei...'
A knock came on the door, and Michelle informed her that dinner was ready.
"I'm not hungry." Hotaru answered.
"Well... okay... if you want something to eat, let me know." Michelle replied.
"Okay. I will."
Hotaru continued to stare out the window at the falling rain as tears fell from her eyes. Eventually, she fell asleep, her head lying on the windowsill.
*
Hiei sat upon a branch in an enormous tree, watching, as one by one, the stars appeared in the sky.
'Hotaru would enjoy this.' Hiei thought. It took him a moment to realize what he had just thought. 'Why am I constantly thinking about her? Why can't I get her out of my mind?'
As Hiei thought about this, he slowly and silently fell asleep on the tree branch.
*
"WHAT?" Yusuke questioned.
"He says that he won't be coming back." Kurama answered, referring, of course, to Hiei.
"Shorty's done this kind of thing before, hasn't he?" Kuwabarra asked, "He's come back all those times, right? Then he'll come back this time too."
"He seemed serious about it." Kurama said sadly, "I hope he returns... if he doesn't... then..."
"Then we'll stop worrying about him." Yusuke said, "We've all known Hiei long enough to know that he does things his own way. He's able to take care of himself, so if he doesn't come back, then I'm sure he'll be fine. I will miss that punk though... our team won't be the same without him."
"His disappearance has also taken an effect on Hotaru. I've talked to her recently- she seemed so depressed..." Kurama said, "She feels so bad about Hiei's sudden leave. She feels guilty, when, to be honest, I believe that it is really my fault- not hers."
The group fell silent.
*
~THE NEXT DAY~
Amara and Michelle were out for the day, and so was Trista. Amara and Michelle had gone to spend the day together, and Trista was with Kurama. Hotaru had left as well; she had gone on a walk. Her stroll started by going to the park. She sat in the tree for a while- the tree that Hiei had taken her to. After a while, she climbed down and walked through the park. As she continued her walk, she eventually wandered into the forest, and she suddenly realized that she had no idea where she was.
*
Hiei couldn't help but wonder how Hotaru was doing. Kurama had said that she missed him, and that she felt guilty about his decision to leave.
'I'll go back...' Hiei thought, 'But only to check on her. Nothing more. When I see that she is alright, I will leave again.'
*
~LATER~
When Hiei finally found Hotaru, she was deep into the forest. She was on the edge of a cliff, staring at the river below her. The river was fierce. Near the shoreline were jagged rocks that barely peeked out of the water. As she stood staring at the river, Hiei stared at her.
It seemed as though they both stood still for an eternity before it happened. The ledge on which Hotaru was standing began to crack beneath her, and suddenly, it crumbled. Hotaru let out a scream as she fell. Lucky for her, she had grabbed hold of a rock that was jutting out of the cliff a little below where she had been standing. But it wouldn't hold her for long- it was slipping. If it didn't slip soon, then her hand would, and she'd land on the rocks at the foot of the cliff.
"HOTARU!" Hiei shouted.
*
(Hotaru's point of view)
Oh no...! I couldn't hold on much longer, and even if I managed to, the rock would soon fall anyway. I tried to climb up, but when I moved, the rock would move too. What was I going to do? I began to panic, and my panic brought tears.
"HOTARU!" I heard a voice shout.
I knew that voice... but... it couldn't be... could it? Hiei...?
"Hiei!?" I questioned, looking up at the ledge.
Sure enough, Hiei's ruby red eyes were staring down at me with worry. He reached his arm down to help me up, and I took it. Within moments I had been lifted to safety, and he held me in his arms.
*
(Normal point of view)
Hiei held the frightened Hotaru in his arms. She was crying, but they were of course tears of relief.
"Hiei..." Hotaru said, crying into his shoulder, "You saved me... I could've been killed..."
"Shh..." Hiei said soothingly, trying to calm her down, "Relax, you're alright now. Stop crying, it makes you look weak."
Hotaru lifted her head, looked into his eyes and smiled. With some effort, she managed to stop crying.
"Hiei," She said, "You came back! Where have you been? Was it something I did? Did I do something to make you run away? I'm sorry..."
"No, it wasn't you." Hiei stated simply. "I'm sorry I made you worry."
"It's okay. You're back now, that's what matters."
Hotaru put her head back down on his shoulder, and hugged him.
"I missed you." She told him, closing her eyes.
Hiei stared at her in surprise. No one had ever treated him this way before. But what surprised him the most was that he was enjoying this moment. He secretly wished that it would last forever. Without thinking, he hugged her back.
"I missed you to." He said, surprising himself even more.
*
(Hiei's point of view)
It was true... I had missed her... but why did I say it out loud? Why did I tell that to her? Well... it didn't matter. No one else was around. Hotaru and I were alone.
And I liked it that way.
It seemed as though we would be standing there forever. Was she... was she falling asleep?
I stared at her calm, quiet face. She had stopped moving, and her breathing had become calmer. She really had fallen asleep.
I softly brushed a few strands of hair away from her face, and stared at her even more.
'I almost lost her...' I thought, 'What if I hadn't been there when she had fallen? She... she would've... and I... actually... CARE...? It's true... I DO have feelings for her...!'
I lifted her up, being careful not to wake her, and headed in the direction of her house. It was time she went home.
*
(Normal point of view)
When Hiei arrived at the house, Hotaru was still sleeping in his arms. Her bedroom window was open, so he slipped inside and laid her on the bed. Next to her bed was a small desk, and on it was some paper and a pen. Hiei took a paper and the pen, and scribbled a note. He looked at Hotaru once again. He covered her with her blankets, and, surprising himself yet again, kissed her on her forehead. After that, he left the same way that he had come.
*
Hotaru awoke to find herself in her bedroom. She sat up and looked around, wondering how she had gotten there. Then, she remembered what had happened earlier. She got out of bed and caught sight of the note on her desk. She picked it up and read it. It said:
"Hotaru:
It was never your fault that I left. You are not to blame, and neither is anyone else. Now that I have finally realized that, I have something that I need to take care of. I'll see you again, I promise.
Thank you for opening my eyes.
~Hiei"
Hotaru stared at the note, wondering what Hiei had meant.
'Thank you for opening my eyes...?' She thought, 'What does he mean by that?'
She put the note down and walked out of her bedroom. After looking around the house, she realized that she was still alone. Amara, Michelle, and Trista weren't back yet. Hotaru decided that she'd read, since she didn't have much else to do.
Later, Amara and Michelle came home.
"Hi." Hotaru said, "How was your day?"
"Fine, yours?" Amara asked.
"It was great." Hotaru answered.
"That's good to hear." Michelle said.
Around an hour after that, Trista came home, and Kurama came inside with her.
"Hi Trista, hi Kurama." Hotaru greeted with a smile.
"Hello, Hotaru." Trista said, "You seem to be in a good mood today."
"Yes," Kurama agreed, "I haven't seen you smile once since Hiei left."
"He's back." Hotaru said cheerfully.
Kurama's eyes widened.
"He's come back? Did he say anything?" Kurama asked hopefully.
"Not much," Hotaru replied, "He said that there's something that he needs to take care of... and he said something else... something I don't really understand entirely."
"And what would that be?" Trista questioned.
"He said... he said 'thank you for opening my eyes'. Do either of you know what he meant?"
Trista and Kurama shook their heads. They didn't have a clue either.
After talking for a while, Kurama left. As he was walking home, Hiei appeared in front of him.
"Hiei!" Kurama exclaimed, "You really did come back!"
"I'm sorry." Hiei said simply.
"What?"
"I'm sorry for blaming you for all that has happened. It isn't your fault, and it never was. In fact... as much as I'd hate to admit it, Kurama, you were right all along. About everything..."
"I forgive you, Hiei. And I'm glad that you're back."
"Kurama... for the first time in my life... I actually feel... well, I'm not sure what I feel... but I think I like it." Hiei smiled, and said, "I'll see you later, Kurama." Hiei turned to leave, but he stopped and looked over his shoulder. "Thank you." He said, and then vanished.
"Any time, Hiei." Kurama said, even though Hiei was already long gone.
*
Hiei went to Hotaru's house. His first intentions were to knock on the door, but he changed his mind. He didn't want to see anyone but Hotaru. He went to her window and looked in. She was there, sitting on her bed, reading. He quietly tapped on the window.
Hotaru looked up, and smiled when she saw him. She got up and opened the window, and Hiei came in.
"Isn't this what a door is for?" Hotaru teased.
"I didn't want to bother everyone. I only came to see you." Hiei answered.
"Really? About what?"
"You need to be more careful when you're on your little walks. You would've died if I hadn't been there."
"I know... and I'm sorry. But thank you for saving me. Is that the reason you're here?"
"No. I wanted to ask if you'd like to do something tomorrow."
Hotaru was shocked. This WAS Hiei she was talking to, right?
"You mean... like a date?" Hotaru asked, wide eyed.
"If that's what you humans like to call it, then yes." Hiei replied.
"Well, yes! I'm not busy tomorrow, and I'd love to!"
Hiei smiled, and said, "Good. Then I'll see you tomorrow."
Hiei leapt out of the window and vanished before Hotaru had the chance to ask when.
"Oh well," Hotaru sighed, "Even if I asked, I doubt he has a time planned anyway. He'll probably show up when he feels like it."
(A/N: I know, I know, Hiei is getting to be a bit out of character, but that was the plan. Love changes a lot of people, and so it's starting to change Hiei. I hope that you liked this chapter, and I'll get the next one out soon. Please review! ~Starflash)
~Chapter Six: Hiei Returns~
It had been three weeks since Hiei had left the human world. He didn't want anything more to do with that place- at least not now.
Although he wouldn't admit it, the reason he had left was because he was afraid. He had never felt this strange feeling before, and though he was sure he knew what it was, he wouldn't believe himself. He wished that he had never met Hotaru. But on the other hand, he was glad that he did, he just wouldn't allow himself to admit it.
Hiei stood at the edge of a lake, staring into the calm water.
"Look at yourself, Hiei." He said to his reflection, "You've grown soft."
Hiei glared at his image and threw a rock into the water, watching as the ripples disoriented his reflection.
"How could you have let this happen?" He yelled.
Slowly, his reflection returned to normal, as the water became as smooth as glass once again. He just stood there, staring at his self with disgust.
"Blast you, Hotaru! Blast you, you stupid human brat! Why were you so persistent in your attempts to gain my friendship?"
Hiei thought for a moment, and then changed his mind. He had to blame someone, but Hotaru wasn't the right person.
"No," Hiei said, "You weren't persistent. Kurama pushed the two of us into a friendship. If only he had stayed out of this situation, then I never would've spoken to you again after our meeting in the park!"
"Hiei, you know that I was only trying to help, don't you?" Asked a voice. Hiei turned and saw Kurama standing behind him.
"I had a feeling that you'd be here," Kurama said, "I've been worried, Hiei. You've been gone for quite a long time."
"You needn't worry about me." Hiei answered, turning away from Kurama, "I can take care of myself. Besides, I'm not going to go back to the human world. I'm staying here."
"I'm sorry for being so pushy," Kurama said, "But, Hiei, you have to come back."
"Why should I?"
"Hotaru misses you, you know. She feels bad about your disappearance. She feels that it is her fault that you left."
"Hn." Hiei grunted, "It isn't her fault. Not entirely. It was you who made me get to know her."
"Forgive me, Hiei. I only wanted to see you make a friend. I guess that I shouldn't have interfered."
"Oh, you 'guess?' Hn."
"Hiei, please come back! Not just for her, but for the rest of us! What will the Spirit Detectives do without your skills? Our team isn't complete without you."
"Why should I care?"
"Hiei..."
"No, Kurama! You should've thought of the consequences before you interfered!"
Hiei vanished.
Kurama sighed. His best friend hated him now. Deep down, Kurama knew that this wouldn't last much longer. As always, Hiei would give in to himself, and he'd come back. Wouldn't he? Or was this the last time Kurama would meet with his friend?
*
Hotaru stared out her bedroom window at the pouring rain. It had been three weeks since she had last seen Hiei.
'Was it something that I did?' Hotaru thought, questioning herself, 'Was it something I said? Or is Kurama right? Is it really not my fault at all? Oh... I hope that this isn't about me... Hiei... come back... please come back...'
A single tear splashed onto the windowsill.
'Hiei...'
A knock came on the door, and Michelle informed her that dinner was ready.
"I'm not hungry." Hotaru answered.
"Well... okay... if you want something to eat, let me know." Michelle replied.
"Okay. I will."
Hotaru continued to stare out the window at the falling rain as tears fell from her eyes. Eventually, she fell asleep, her head lying on the windowsill.
*
Hiei sat upon a branch in an enormous tree, watching, as one by one, the stars appeared in the sky.
'Hotaru would enjoy this.' Hiei thought. It took him a moment to realize what he had just thought. 'Why am I constantly thinking about her? Why can't I get her out of my mind?'
As Hiei thought about this, he slowly and silently fell asleep on the tree branch.
*
"WHAT?" Yusuke questioned.
"He says that he won't be coming back." Kurama answered, referring, of course, to Hiei.
"Shorty's done this kind of thing before, hasn't he?" Kuwabarra asked, "He's come back all those times, right? Then he'll come back this time too."
"He seemed serious about it." Kurama said sadly, "I hope he returns... if he doesn't... then..."
"Then we'll stop worrying about him." Yusuke said, "We've all known Hiei long enough to know that he does things his own way. He's able to take care of himself, so if he doesn't come back, then I'm sure he'll be fine. I will miss that punk though... our team won't be the same without him."
"His disappearance has also taken an effect on Hotaru. I've talked to her recently- she seemed so depressed..." Kurama said, "She feels so bad about Hiei's sudden leave. She feels guilty, when, to be honest, I believe that it is really my fault- not hers."
The group fell silent.
*
~THE NEXT DAY~
Amara and Michelle were out for the day, and so was Trista. Amara and Michelle had gone to spend the day together, and Trista was with Kurama. Hotaru had left as well; she had gone on a walk. Her stroll started by going to the park. She sat in the tree for a while- the tree that Hiei had taken her to. After a while, she climbed down and walked through the park. As she continued her walk, she eventually wandered into the forest, and she suddenly realized that she had no idea where she was.
*
Hiei couldn't help but wonder how Hotaru was doing. Kurama had said that she missed him, and that she felt guilty about his decision to leave.
'I'll go back...' Hiei thought, 'But only to check on her. Nothing more. When I see that she is alright, I will leave again.'
*
~LATER~
When Hiei finally found Hotaru, she was deep into the forest. She was on the edge of a cliff, staring at the river below her. The river was fierce. Near the shoreline were jagged rocks that barely peeked out of the water. As she stood staring at the river, Hiei stared at her.
It seemed as though they both stood still for an eternity before it happened. The ledge on which Hotaru was standing began to crack beneath her, and suddenly, it crumbled. Hotaru let out a scream as she fell. Lucky for her, she had grabbed hold of a rock that was jutting out of the cliff a little below where she had been standing. But it wouldn't hold her for long- it was slipping. If it didn't slip soon, then her hand would, and she'd land on the rocks at the foot of the cliff.
"HOTARU!" Hiei shouted.
*
(Hotaru's point of view)
Oh no...! I couldn't hold on much longer, and even if I managed to, the rock would soon fall anyway. I tried to climb up, but when I moved, the rock would move too. What was I going to do? I began to panic, and my panic brought tears.
"HOTARU!" I heard a voice shout.
I knew that voice... but... it couldn't be... could it? Hiei...?
"Hiei!?" I questioned, looking up at the ledge.
Sure enough, Hiei's ruby red eyes were staring down at me with worry. He reached his arm down to help me up, and I took it. Within moments I had been lifted to safety, and he held me in his arms.
*
(Normal point of view)
Hiei held the frightened Hotaru in his arms. She was crying, but they were of course tears of relief.
"Hiei..." Hotaru said, crying into his shoulder, "You saved me... I could've been killed..."
"Shh..." Hiei said soothingly, trying to calm her down, "Relax, you're alright now. Stop crying, it makes you look weak."
Hotaru lifted her head, looked into his eyes and smiled. With some effort, she managed to stop crying.
"Hiei," She said, "You came back! Where have you been? Was it something I did? Did I do something to make you run away? I'm sorry..."
"No, it wasn't you." Hiei stated simply. "I'm sorry I made you worry."
"It's okay. You're back now, that's what matters."
Hotaru put her head back down on his shoulder, and hugged him.
"I missed you." She told him, closing her eyes.
Hiei stared at her in surprise. No one had ever treated him this way before. But what surprised him the most was that he was enjoying this moment. He secretly wished that it would last forever. Without thinking, he hugged her back.
"I missed you to." He said, surprising himself even more.
*
(Hiei's point of view)
It was true... I had missed her... but why did I say it out loud? Why did I tell that to her? Well... it didn't matter. No one else was around. Hotaru and I were alone.
And I liked it that way.
It seemed as though we would be standing there forever. Was she... was she falling asleep?
I stared at her calm, quiet face. She had stopped moving, and her breathing had become calmer. She really had fallen asleep.
I softly brushed a few strands of hair away from her face, and stared at her even more.
'I almost lost her...' I thought, 'What if I hadn't been there when she had fallen? She... she would've... and I... actually... CARE...? It's true... I DO have feelings for her...!'
I lifted her up, being careful not to wake her, and headed in the direction of her house. It was time she went home.
*
(Normal point of view)
When Hiei arrived at the house, Hotaru was still sleeping in his arms. Her bedroom window was open, so he slipped inside and laid her on the bed. Next to her bed was a small desk, and on it was some paper and a pen. Hiei took a paper and the pen, and scribbled a note. He looked at Hotaru once again. He covered her with her blankets, and, surprising himself yet again, kissed her on her forehead. After that, he left the same way that he had come.
*
Hotaru awoke to find herself in her bedroom. She sat up and looked around, wondering how she had gotten there. Then, she remembered what had happened earlier. She got out of bed and caught sight of the note on her desk. She picked it up and read it. It said:
"Hotaru:
It was never your fault that I left. You are not to blame, and neither is anyone else. Now that I have finally realized that, I have something that I need to take care of. I'll see you again, I promise.
Thank you for opening my eyes.
~Hiei"
Hotaru stared at the note, wondering what Hiei had meant.
'Thank you for opening my eyes...?' She thought, 'What does he mean by that?'
She put the note down and walked out of her bedroom. After looking around the house, she realized that she was still alone. Amara, Michelle, and Trista weren't back yet. Hotaru decided that she'd read, since she didn't have much else to do.
Later, Amara and Michelle came home.
"Hi." Hotaru said, "How was your day?"
"Fine, yours?" Amara asked.
"It was great." Hotaru answered.
"That's good to hear." Michelle said.
Around an hour after that, Trista came home, and Kurama came inside with her.
"Hi Trista, hi Kurama." Hotaru greeted with a smile.
"Hello, Hotaru." Trista said, "You seem to be in a good mood today."
"Yes," Kurama agreed, "I haven't seen you smile once since Hiei left."
"He's back." Hotaru said cheerfully.
Kurama's eyes widened.
"He's come back? Did he say anything?" Kurama asked hopefully.
"Not much," Hotaru replied, "He said that there's something that he needs to take care of... and he said something else... something I don't really understand entirely."
"And what would that be?" Trista questioned.
"He said... he said 'thank you for opening my eyes'. Do either of you know what he meant?"
Trista and Kurama shook their heads. They didn't have a clue either.
After talking for a while, Kurama left. As he was walking home, Hiei appeared in front of him.
"Hiei!" Kurama exclaimed, "You really did come back!"
"I'm sorry." Hiei said simply.
"What?"
"I'm sorry for blaming you for all that has happened. It isn't your fault, and it never was. In fact... as much as I'd hate to admit it, Kurama, you were right all along. About everything..."
"I forgive you, Hiei. And I'm glad that you're back."
"Kurama... for the first time in my life... I actually feel... well, I'm not sure what I feel... but I think I like it." Hiei smiled, and said, "I'll see you later, Kurama." Hiei turned to leave, but he stopped and looked over his shoulder. "Thank you." He said, and then vanished.
"Any time, Hiei." Kurama said, even though Hiei was already long gone.
*
Hiei went to Hotaru's house. His first intentions were to knock on the door, but he changed his mind. He didn't want to see anyone but Hotaru. He went to her window and looked in. She was there, sitting on her bed, reading. He quietly tapped on the window.
Hotaru looked up, and smiled when she saw him. She got up and opened the window, and Hiei came in.
"Isn't this what a door is for?" Hotaru teased.
"I didn't want to bother everyone. I only came to see you." Hiei answered.
"Really? About what?"
"You need to be more careful when you're on your little walks. You would've died if I hadn't been there."
"I know... and I'm sorry. But thank you for saving me. Is that the reason you're here?"
"No. I wanted to ask if you'd like to do something tomorrow."
Hotaru was shocked. This WAS Hiei she was talking to, right?
"You mean... like a date?" Hotaru asked, wide eyed.
"If that's what you humans like to call it, then yes." Hiei replied.
"Well, yes! I'm not busy tomorrow, and I'd love to!"
Hiei smiled, and said, "Good. Then I'll see you tomorrow."
Hiei leapt out of the window and vanished before Hotaru had the chance to ask when.
"Oh well," Hotaru sighed, "Even if I asked, I doubt he has a time planned anyway. He'll probably show up when he feels like it."
(A/N: I know, I know, Hiei is getting to be a bit out of character, but that was the plan. Love changes a lot of people, and so it's starting to change Hiei. I hope that you liked this chapter, and I'll get the next one out soon. Please review! ~Starflash)
