Ahem, I lied. No Kurama and Hiei fight this chapter, I'm afraid. ^^;; I
would have...but this chapter is in Kurama's POV and the fight won't work
with that. Ahem, you see, I first planned this fight out months ago! Before
I wrote the story, actually. It popped into my head so I thought: write it
into a fanfic! Thus spawned Back Fire... LOL I'm just kidding. There is no
fight! O.O or is there...? Well, you'll have to wait and read for yourself.
But...do it next chapter. Because it still won't work (fight or no) in
Kurama's POV. Sorry! ^^;; But enjoy anyway. It's not a totally useless
chapter. I just moved some other plot stuff from after the fight to before.
So, here you go!
^*^*^
What would happen? Would Hiei really go through with it? Would he turn his sword on me? It pained my heart in a way I had never before known. I didn't want the friendship that we had just so freshly built to be broken so soon. I didn't want to fight Hiei, my best friend...and the one I loved.
I sadly walked back to the room I shared with Kuwabara, trying hard to at least look somewhat happy. Although, I was pretty sure I didn't do too great a job of it.
"Kurama, what's got you so bummed?" Kuwabara asked, looking up at me from his current position of lying on the couch and watching TV. I was startled.
"Kuwabara, what are you doing here? I thought you were with Yusuke in his room," I said, slowly walking over to the sofa, taking a seat beside my friend. Kuwabara stretched a little and yawned, then gave me another worried look.
"He kicked me out as soon as he realized that I really WAS perfectly alright," he said in an annoyed tone. I chuckled a little, using my hand to cover my smile.
"Don't start laughing on me now. You looked like some died just a second ago—say...where's the shrimp...?" he asked, looking around in a curious, sarcastic, but extremely concerned manner.
"Oh, don't worry about him. He's...perfect..." I sighed, getting a dreamy look on my face as I stared at the floor. I then noticed Kuwabara was looking at me strangely. "ly alright!" I added, remaining calm.
"O...kay.... SO, where have you two been?" he asked quickly, grabbing a cracker off a plate he had set on the table and popping it into his mouth.
"Kuwabara, may I ask you something...?" I asked seriously, turning to give him a very firm look.
"Sure, go ahead," he said, sitting himself up to appear more professional, I suppose.
"If you had been scheduled to fight Yusuke instead of the fighter you did, would you have gone through with it? Please, answer truthfully," I said, biting my lip softly.
He hesitated a little. I knew that normally he would have answered 'yes'! And said that he would be ready to fight Yusuke at any time, any place with no objection. But I hoped the serious tone in my voice persuaded him to answer with the same attitude in which it was asked.
"No...I guess not," he said, surrendering, rolling his eyes and looking away.
I smiled softly, but sadly.
"I wish, in that aspect, Hiei was a bit more like you..."
Kuwabara gave me a confused expression, but it didn't last long.
"You mean...?" he half asked, watching as I gave him a nod and looked away.
"Damn, nobody tells me anything around here!" he cried out sarcastically, trying to make me laugh. I did, thinking to myself to whole time: more than you know. But it was short lived. And I soon returned to my somber expression. I leaned back and slouched over on the sofa, turning my gaze to the ceiling. "Hey Kurama...can I ask *you* something...?"
"Always," I answered.
I sensed something in his voice. I knew what the sound was...but I wasn't quite sure what yet. I had heard it once before as a human child. I couldn't remember exactly what was asked but I remembered feeling very embarrassed afterwards...
"Do you...have a crush on Hiei?"
Yes...there we go.
I looked Kuwabara right in the face. I was sure my expression read a number of things: being guilty, being sad, being EMBARRASSED, being confused, and being, just in the slightest bit, angry. He, actually, just looked very smug...
"Yes," I admitted, giving him a smirk of a smile to say 'good job, Kuwa, you're very perceptive!' That and a blush.
"I *was* right! I *told* that Urameshi I was right!" he said, seeming, if possible, even more smug.
Wait? TOLD Yusuke!? They were discussing this!?
I buried my head in my hands to hide the blush that had completely taken over my face. How was it they could know before I did!? I had only come to know it today....!
"I can't believe this..." I sighed, laughing nervously as I shook my head.
"Oh c'mon! Stop being so embarrassed about it, Kurama. It happens," he assured me, reaching over and patting me on the shoulder.
"If only it were that simple, Kuwabara. This is beyond a crush for me," I said, meekly giving him a smile. As nice as it was to be able to talk about this, it was also equally embarrassing.
"Does he...feel like that about you?"
I remained silent for a while. Not because the answer was no, just because I really and truly didn't know. It seemed likely...but still, I wasn't sure.
"I...don't know."
"Have you told him how you feel yet?"
"NO!"
"Has he...given any signs of maybe liking you back?"
"We...kissed."
"That's a pretty good sign if you ask me."
"Well...yes but—if you had been there..."
"Gee Kurama, why'd you have to fall for someone so cold, uncaring, short, mysterious, unreadable and short!?"
"If I only knew. Believe me, I've wondered the same."
"So...any OTHER signs?"
"Well..." I then began to go in the play by play of the past day or so. It took a couple of hours, but by the time I was done I had thoroughly convinced Kuwabara of Hiei's possible feelings for me. I, of course, wasn't certain yet. He was Hiei, after all. How could he ever have feelings for me? He seemed to value our friendship a lot, and as surprising as it was to me, it was welcomed to unbelievable extents. Our friendship meant a lot to us both, and risking it to love didn't seem worth it.
"Come on, Kurama, you kissed him and he didn't kill you! That's proof enough for *anyone's* relationship!" Kuwabara persisted further in proving Hiei felt the same. And, even though I had convinced myself enough that Hiei was just a friend, Kuwabara was rather persuasive.
"Look, Kuwabara, even... even if Hiei did feel the same... I doubt we would get together."
There was a long pause. Kuwabara wasn't saddened from hearing this, nor had he changed his opinion in any way, he simply smiled understandingly.
"I know," he said cheerfully, giving me a 'thumbs up'. In return I gave him a genuine smile.
It was good to have someone understand, whether that someone be Hiei or not.
Being who we were, it would be hard for Hiei and me to ever be more than friends. I was scared to; I didn't want Hiei to get hurt. I knew better than anyone how I was, and I knew that forcing Hiei to be with that wasn't right. And for Hiei, of course...he was...Hiei. No matter how friendly he became with me I could never ignore that fact. How could he possibly love?
Nevertheless...I could still dream, right?
^*^*^
^*^*^
What would happen? Would Hiei really go through with it? Would he turn his sword on me? It pained my heart in a way I had never before known. I didn't want the friendship that we had just so freshly built to be broken so soon. I didn't want to fight Hiei, my best friend...and the one I loved.
I sadly walked back to the room I shared with Kuwabara, trying hard to at least look somewhat happy. Although, I was pretty sure I didn't do too great a job of it.
"Kurama, what's got you so bummed?" Kuwabara asked, looking up at me from his current position of lying on the couch and watching TV. I was startled.
"Kuwabara, what are you doing here? I thought you were with Yusuke in his room," I said, slowly walking over to the sofa, taking a seat beside my friend. Kuwabara stretched a little and yawned, then gave me another worried look.
"He kicked me out as soon as he realized that I really WAS perfectly alright," he said in an annoyed tone. I chuckled a little, using my hand to cover my smile.
"Don't start laughing on me now. You looked like some died just a second ago—say...where's the shrimp...?" he asked, looking around in a curious, sarcastic, but extremely concerned manner.
"Oh, don't worry about him. He's...perfect..." I sighed, getting a dreamy look on my face as I stared at the floor. I then noticed Kuwabara was looking at me strangely. "ly alright!" I added, remaining calm.
"O...kay.... SO, where have you two been?" he asked quickly, grabbing a cracker off a plate he had set on the table and popping it into his mouth.
"Kuwabara, may I ask you something...?" I asked seriously, turning to give him a very firm look.
"Sure, go ahead," he said, sitting himself up to appear more professional, I suppose.
"If you had been scheduled to fight Yusuke instead of the fighter you did, would you have gone through with it? Please, answer truthfully," I said, biting my lip softly.
He hesitated a little. I knew that normally he would have answered 'yes'! And said that he would be ready to fight Yusuke at any time, any place with no objection. But I hoped the serious tone in my voice persuaded him to answer with the same attitude in which it was asked.
"No...I guess not," he said, surrendering, rolling his eyes and looking away.
I smiled softly, but sadly.
"I wish, in that aspect, Hiei was a bit more like you..."
Kuwabara gave me a confused expression, but it didn't last long.
"You mean...?" he half asked, watching as I gave him a nod and looked away.
"Damn, nobody tells me anything around here!" he cried out sarcastically, trying to make me laugh. I did, thinking to myself to whole time: more than you know. But it was short lived. And I soon returned to my somber expression. I leaned back and slouched over on the sofa, turning my gaze to the ceiling. "Hey Kurama...can I ask *you* something...?"
"Always," I answered.
I sensed something in his voice. I knew what the sound was...but I wasn't quite sure what yet. I had heard it once before as a human child. I couldn't remember exactly what was asked but I remembered feeling very embarrassed afterwards...
"Do you...have a crush on Hiei?"
Yes...there we go.
I looked Kuwabara right in the face. I was sure my expression read a number of things: being guilty, being sad, being EMBARRASSED, being confused, and being, just in the slightest bit, angry. He, actually, just looked very smug...
"Yes," I admitted, giving him a smirk of a smile to say 'good job, Kuwa, you're very perceptive!' That and a blush.
"I *was* right! I *told* that Urameshi I was right!" he said, seeming, if possible, even more smug.
Wait? TOLD Yusuke!? They were discussing this!?
I buried my head in my hands to hide the blush that had completely taken over my face. How was it they could know before I did!? I had only come to know it today....!
"I can't believe this..." I sighed, laughing nervously as I shook my head.
"Oh c'mon! Stop being so embarrassed about it, Kurama. It happens," he assured me, reaching over and patting me on the shoulder.
"If only it were that simple, Kuwabara. This is beyond a crush for me," I said, meekly giving him a smile. As nice as it was to be able to talk about this, it was also equally embarrassing.
"Does he...feel like that about you?"
I remained silent for a while. Not because the answer was no, just because I really and truly didn't know. It seemed likely...but still, I wasn't sure.
"I...don't know."
"Have you told him how you feel yet?"
"NO!"
"Has he...given any signs of maybe liking you back?"
"We...kissed."
"That's a pretty good sign if you ask me."
"Well...yes but—if you had been there..."
"Gee Kurama, why'd you have to fall for someone so cold, uncaring, short, mysterious, unreadable and short!?"
"If I only knew. Believe me, I've wondered the same."
"So...any OTHER signs?"
"Well..." I then began to go in the play by play of the past day or so. It took a couple of hours, but by the time I was done I had thoroughly convinced Kuwabara of Hiei's possible feelings for me. I, of course, wasn't certain yet. He was Hiei, after all. How could he ever have feelings for me? He seemed to value our friendship a lot, and as surprising as it was to me, it was welcomed to unbelievable extents. Our friendship meant a lot to us both, and risking it to love didn't seem worth it.
"Come on, Kurama, you kissed him and he didn't kill you! That's proof enough for *anyone's* relationship!" Kuwabara persisted further in proving Hiei felt the same. And, even though I had convinced myself enough that Hiei was just a friend, Kuwabara was rather persuasive.
"Look, Kuwabara, even... even if Hiei did feel the same... I doubt we would get together."
There was a long pause. Kuwabara wasn't saddened from hearing this, nor had he changed his opinion in any way, he simply smiled understandingly.
"I know," he said cheerfully, giving me a 'thumbs up'. In return I gave him a genuine smile.
It was good to have someone understand, whether that someone be Hiei or not.
Being who we were, it would be hard for Hiei and me to ever be more than friends. I was scared to; I didn't want Hiei to get hurt. I knew better than anyone how I was, and I knew that forcing Hiei to be with that wasn't right. And for Hiei, of course...he was...Hiei. No matter how friendly he became with me I could never ignore that fact. How could he possibly love?
Nevertheless...I could still dream, right?
^*^*^