I don't own YYH or YUM! (that is a real fast food place in Asia), but I do own Yuki and this ff.
When Fire and Ice Collide
Ch. 9
Yuki's mind was going in a whirlpool of thoughts. 'Hiei?!' her mind blanched as his lips lightly touched hers. It was gentle for Hiei but still strong.
She started to tremble and he broke the slight contact and looked at her strangely and then nodded as though he understood, "I know what you think now." he said quietly and walked off, leaving a stunned and flustered Yuki in a pit of confusion.
*****Genkai's Temple*****
"Have any of you seen Hiei? I'm really worried about him." Yukina said quietly as she sat by Kurama and Yuki. Yuki stayed quiet and Kurama blinked and shrugged.
"It's alright, Yukina. He will be fine." he grinned, hoping that he was right.
"Yes. I'm sure, but it isn't like him to not be around right now, we are eating." she said.
"Maybe he went to YUM!" Kurama shrugged.
"Fast food? Really Kurama, couldn't you think of anything else?!" Genkai put her two cents in and ate some rice.
"Yuki, you are awfully quiet…" Kurama changed the subject…somewhat.
"Yes. I have a lot on my mind." she said quietly and then stood up, "I need some fresh air. Please excuse me." she bowed politely and walked out to the pond, sitting down and sighing.
"Yuki?" she turned her head to Kurama.
"Yes?" she asked, a bit nervous.
"What happened? I haven't seen Hiei and you haven't talked at all since he went to go get you…" he paused as she turned her head away, "Did he hurt you?" he asked as he sat beside her, concerned.
"No. He didn't hurt me." she looked out at the pond with shining ice blue eyes in the dark that looked like diamonds on black velvet.
"I didn't mean physically." he said and she stiffened, "Hiei wouldn't hurt you intentionally." he said softly.
"I know." she sighed and looked at him, "Kurama…what does Hiei mean when he says, 'now I know what you think of me?'" she asked.
Kurama was thrown off guard and then thought for a moment, "Well…it depends on why he said it." he shrugged.
"That's what I'm asking you." she challenged.
"Well…what brought it up?" he asked.
"I…well…" she was at a loss of words.
"Because" he started and she looked at him, thankful that he didn't pursue it, "if he said it while you were just talking, it could have meant anything. But if you were still fighting, he may have meant that you see him like mostly everyone else does." he pointed out.
"Yea…but I see him as a protective and well planned fighter who--"
"No, that's not what I meant." he said and then her mouth formed an 'O' and he continued, "Most people and demons see him as troublesome and without a heart, while we see him as just the opposite. Many do not trust him because how he is so quiet but that's why we trust him."
"I guess it just means that people don't like what they don't understand." Yuki said and looked at Kurama.
"Exactly." he nodded.
Up in a tree, Hiei was listening to the words. '…Hn…' he looked over to the two and growled. 'She doesn't understand at all…' but their next words amazed him, especially hers.
"Kurama…I think I can tell you this. Hiei and I…well…" she blushed some.
"Kissed." he said as though it was nothing.
"Yea…" she looked at him quizzically.
"I was eavesdropping." he shrugged innocently.
"You have a habit of that." she scowled and then went on, "but…the thing was, I wasn't really afraid of him…I was afraid that he'd leave." she lowered her gaze.
"Leave? Why would he?" Kurama was bewildered by her words.
"Because of me. I yelled at him…and hit him." she paled some, "And he said that no one ever had the nerve and lived…" she looked at Kurama, "And then he said he was glad that I did."
"Then why would he leave?" Kurama asked again.
"Because he met a match and gave up. It's not fun to have a challenge that you cannot win." she said.
"He can win." Kurama chuckled some.
"What do you mean?" she asked.
"Hiei could have killed you at anytime, he chose not to."
"Let me guess, because I am Yukina's friend since--"
"No." he interrupted, "This has nothing to do with Yukina." seeing confusion in her eyes, he went on. "Hiei let you live because for once, there was someone he could really talk to." he sighed.
"What about you?" she asked.
"I know a lot of Hiei, but he hasn't told me as near much as he told you." he looked up to the stars, "Hiei has found someone that he can talk to and who will talk back. You two share a lot, even though it seems that you don't." he sighed.
"I still don't understand." she said and sighed, "I guess I am naïve."
"No. That's not entirely true." he grinned at her rolling her eyes, "Hiei and you have been through a lot already. And it hasn't even been a month. I can't wait to see a year."
"I don't think that will happen." she said quietly.
"Why not?" Kurama asked.
"Because if he didn't come to dinner, why would he stay that long?" she asked.
"Because now he has something besides comrades to stay for." he said with a glint of humor.
"Fox…leave her alone." they both turned to see Hiei approach from behind.
"Hiei?" Kurama said aloud as Yuki's was just a whisper.
"Hn." he said.
"I think I will go now…" Yuki was stopped by Kurama's hand.
"No. Three is a crowd." Kurama said.
"That's why I was going." Yuki crossed her arms.
Kurama and Hiei both twitched. "Like I said, I'm going." Kurama basically ran to the temple.
Hiei just shook his head and looked towards the forest, standing beside Yuki, "Hn."
"For once I agree with you." she sighed and looked away and he looked at her oddly.
"What do you mean?"
"When you don't have anything to say, you just say 'hn.'" she said.
"I have something to say, I just don't know how."
"I know how that feels." she sighed.
"Hn." he sat down and looked at her, "You won't look me in the eye but you are such a great friend with Kurama?" he asked which caught her attention.
She turned her head, with her eyes shining, "What do you mean?"
"I was listening from the branch." he pointed up and she saw where he meant.
"Oh…"
"Did you mean what you said?"
"I always mean what I say." she countered.
"I meant, about the people don't understanding…" he said in an odd way.
"Yes." she nodded, "People don't like what they don't understand."
"Then you don't like me?"
"Hiei…I don't know much about you, regardless of what Kurama says, but I understand a tad bit of you. So I can't not like you." she said.
"Hn." he nodded some and then thought about it for a few moments. "Yuki?"
"Yes?" she asked, looking at him.
"Did the Koorimes really understand you?"
"What do you mean?" she asked, confused.
"You said that you asked about me up there…they must have shunned you." he said and saw some flicker of hurt in her eyes.
"Yes." she admitted, "They thought that I was another child that needed to be put away. But since I stopped asking the elders what happened and why, they let me be, thinking that I gave up. But me and Yukina would talk and wonder many years before she was kidnapped."
"Hn?"
"We couldn't get the answers so we made them up. Saying that you were forced off Koorime because they didn't want a fire demon around…" she said sadly.
"That is true, but how did you know I was a--"
"Fire demon? My mother." she grinned, "Bless her soul. She died when I was young. She would fill us in, and the Koorimes didn't know it and we never told. My mother would tell us many things about you and your mother. She said that your mother fell in love with a fire demon and since you were a twin, you would be a lot like your father. But you still had some ice demon in you." she said.
"I do. But nothing that I can control as power." he growled.
"Is power really all it needs to be?" she asked and caught his gaze, "Why do you need power?"
"To protect what I need to!" he growled and was surprised when she didn't flinch.
"What do you need to protect?" she asked.
"My sister and my friends."
"Friends? Why, Hiei…" she taunted, "I didn't know you considered them friends."
"I--"
"I know." she smiled and it wiped the scowl off his face. "You want to protect those who are close to you…Yukina, and Kurama, and Yusuke, and Kuwabara…" she started to continue on but he stopped her.
"And you." he said.
"Me?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Hn." (One word convos…don't you love them?)
"Hiei!"
Hiei looked at her and sighed, "I just do."
"Hiei, that's not an answer." she scowled some.
"I know."
"Well?!"
"Because I don't want you hurt." he said proudly as if he wasn't phased at all.
"Is that all?" she asked.
"What?" he looked at her in bewilderment.
"Well…everyone here is protecting each other because they don't want them to be hurt." she shrugged.
"You're different."
"Because I am Yukina's friend?" she asked.
"No, because you are mine." he said and shocked her.
"But…you couldn't stand me this afternoon."
"Yes I could." he thought and then shook his head, "No…I couldn't." when he saw her eyes shade over in hurt, he continued, "I could not stand how you were a match for me in wits, even though I figured that maidens were no match for me. You see, I just couldn't think that you would be able to rebel and hit me or even yell at me."
She gasped a bit and then hung her head, "I'm sorry. I didn't want to hit you or yell for that matter, but I was so mad that you said I made you feel inferior…"
"Hn." he said and then looked out to the forest again, "You made me feel inferior, yes. You got under my skin many times…but I don't care." he admitted and looked at her confused eyes.
"Hiei?"
"I don't care what happens to me as long as you are happy." he said in a soft voice and looked down.
"Hiei…why? Why do you care about--"
"Because I do. I can't explain why I do, I just can't stand the fact that that…dream nightmare thing was going to use you and ruin your life…" he growled, "I wouldn't let him hurt you anymore. I knew he was bad news but the way he called you 'rare gem' made my chest churn. I didn't think he was worthy enough to call you such things."
"He didn't but you do." she whispered and he was taken back. "You see, he didn't do anything for me. You were the one who risked your life and you were the one that did so much." she felt a tear gem fall on her cheek and knew he saw it when he picked it up. "And I owe you that too! And I haven't done anything!" she cried.
"Hey…" he grabbed her shoulders and shook her some, "Don't cry, please…don't do this for me. I'm not worth your tears…" he brushed her hair some.
"No…you are worth so much more…" she said and surprised him as she hugged him close. "So much more…"
"Yuki?!" he blanched and surprisingly he enveloped her in his arms. "I don't know how you think of such obscene things…"
"No…I know it's crazy," she giggled through her tears, "See…I know I'm naïve and I don't understand much, but I understand that I don't want to be with anyone else right now." she sniffed, "Or anytime."
"Hn?!" he looked at her in confusion and pulled away, "Yuki?"
"Hiei." she said calmly as possible and looked up at him, "I really don't care what happened to you or who you were if you were anything but how you are now. I don't care because I know you're not as bad as everyone thinks…and I really don't care because…I don't know how, but I fell for a 'fire prince.'" she waited, half excited to get that off her chest and half afraid of rejection.
"Yuki…I can't make you happy." he bowed his head in shame, the first time that she ever saw him do such a thing.
She placed her hands on his face and tilted it up, "Hiei…you already have. You've saved my life and you make me realize, no matter how bad things are, that I should keep trying to be me." she smiled.
"What? When did I say that?"
"You didn't. I said, you made me realize…by how you still protect Yukina and you will give your life for her if you must. But you keep fighting…even though, you don't have to, you go on. You live because you strive to. You want to live, don't you?"
"If me dying, means that you will be left alone and unprotected, no…I don't want to." Hiei said truthfully.
"Hiei…what about Yukina?" she asked.
"Yukina will find a mate one day and I will not have a reason to protect her. Her mate will serve that purpose and then what good will I do for her?"
"You are her brother!" she cried and tugged at his arms.
"Yes. But she does not know that…" Hiei sighed, "I'm sorry to say that but she does not."
"Tell her?" Yuki asked.
"I won't."
"Why not?!" she blurted out some.
"Because I do not want her to be upset that I knew this all this time and I never told her…"
"She will understand."
"No…I'm not so sure."
"Hiei." she touched his cheek, "she loves you even if she doesn't realize you're her brother. And she'd never hold it against you. She will hear your reasons, I'm sure."
"Are you now?"
"Yes." she nodded.
"I may just tell her one day."
"That's good. At least you will try…" she grinned.
"Yes." he nodded.
"And that is all that matters." she smiled, "You see, as long as you try, it doesn't matter if you win or lose. Everyone tries but most quit and since you don't, that makes you that much stronger."
"Wise words for one to be called naïve." he lowered his head, not meeting her eyes.
"HIEI!!!!!!!" she poked him and he looked up at her, "DON'T YOU DARE LOWER YOUR GAZE FROM ME AND HAVE THE NERVE TO CALL ME NAÏVE!" she crossed her arms arrogantly and he chuckled and then burst out into laughter, "What's so funny?!"
"It's just…I believe I am rubbing off on you." he set back to a low chuckle again.
"And that's a problem?" she asked.
"Hn."
"Well…I don't think it is. I have to stand up for myself, you know. I'm a big kid now." she said in a way that makes you think of the 'Pull-up' commercials. (I do not own Pull ups…yay!)
"With a big heart." he added.
She blinked and then nodded, "Yes, with a big heart. Thank you."
"For what?" he was so confused about her he didn't understand anything anymore. The world was more of a blur than reality.
"For reminding me I had one. If you rub off on me too much, I may just forget." she joked.
"I do have a heart, I just don't use it."
"Yes you do. You live."
"I meant with emotions."
"That's not true." she pointed to his chest, "A heart is just something that beats blood throughout your body and keeps you alive…" and then she pointed to his head, well…hair. "Your mind is what controls your emotions, but you are well kept in that area."
"I don't know about that so much anymore."
"What do you mean?"
"You just put it in a daze."
"Sorry." she frowned.
"Don't be. I like not being so sure of myself. In a way, I feel like my 'ice' side is coming out."
"Hiei…just don't let it get as bad as us." she smiled, pointing to the temple where Yukina was talking to Kuwabara and then pointed to her. "That would be a waste. So tragic that a well strategic fire apparition could become as naïve as a Koorime Ice Maiden…it's just not done." she grinned.
"Now who's speaking like a strategic demon?" he asked after her speech with abnormal huge words that an ice maiden just…no.
"Uh…you?" she smiled in that funny way.
"Uh huh…" he shook his head and rolled his eyes, "Sometimes I wonder if I'm speaking to you as naïve or as smart as Kurama."
"Uh…hehe!" she scratched the back of her head and laughed, "Well…I dunno bout how smart Kurama is to you, but hey! I'm nowhere near it!" she laughed some more.
"No. You're not." he said calmly and saw her hopes plummet to the ground, thinking he would contradict what she just said.
"Huh?" she blinked.
"You are definitely not as smart as Kurama in the mind, however, you are smart in places that Kurama would have no expertise in at this moment."
"Where?"
"In the heart…well, mind of emotions." he grinned.
"Well…I don't know. Kurama is sweet and he can be very thoughtful…"
Hiei didn't like how this conversation was turning out, "And he can be crueler than me or he can be as cut-throat as a mother protecting her young."
Yuki was in her own little world at that moment and was in a daze.
"Well…aren't you going to say anything to that?" he asked, a bit astounded.
"Wait a sec!" she ordered and scratched her head, "I'm trying to think of Kurama as a mother." and she was serious.
Hiei blinked and then cracked up laughing just at the thought of it:
*****Nice country house with white picket fence…
Kurama in an apron and patting the kids on the head, "Have a good day at school!" Then you see Kurama waving and with that corny smiling thing that some anime people do with lower-case n's as eyes.
*********
Hiei was rolling in fits of laughter as Yuki looked at him like he was crazier than her. "Hiei? What I say?" she asked.
"Ahem" he coughed some and gained his posture again, "I'm sorry, that was childish."
"No. I like that." she smiled and caught him off guard. "As long as you can be a child when you are amused, you haven't lost your love of everything." she smiled, "There's still good in you."
"You and my sister are alike." he said and smirked, "Always seeing the good in everyone."
"Not everyone. Just the ones that are good." she winked.
"Hn."
"HIEI! YUKI!" they both to see Keiko standing there, approaching.
"Yes?" Yuki asked, confused at what Keiko would want with them.
"Truth or dare, we're playing. Wanna join?" Keiko smiled.
"Truth or dare?" Hiei asked.
"A human game." Keiko shrugged at Yuki's words.
"Hn."
"I wanna give it a try." Yuki beamed and got up, extending a hand to Hiei. "Come on!"
"Hn?" he hesitated a moment and then grabbed her hand.
***In Hiei's Thoughts****
For just a moment…maybe I can forget that I'm a powerful demon…and be a 'fun' and 'gentle' human…hn…
*************
Reviews please…I know, cliché, that Truth or Dare is in the stories everywhere…but I wanted to make this story just a little longer…ja ne!
Reviews please.
