My birthday has just passed on 28th May, and now I am 15!! I hope that age will make me write better stories. Since this chapter is in March, happy birthday, Darkangelwings.
Seasons Spring
March
The time everyone had anticipated had finally arrived. The sakura on every tree was blooming, causing the trees to because just a big wad of pink. The colour of sakura was everywhere, along the roads, around the houses, etc. Yet even when sakura was blooming all over the place, people still lifted their heads up to admire them, and not take them for granted. Maybe it was because the flowers would be gone after a few weeks.
A gentle gale blew across the land, separating some petals from the flower and gave them a flight in the air before putting them down on the ground. And that marks the end for those petals. Their beauty only lasted that few seconds.
He packed all the clothes he needed for the vacation into the bag. Hiei just sat there watching.
The ground was carpeted with pink petals, some clean and freshly fallen, while others were polluted by the soil, mud and humans. Although it seemed such a pity to tread on these, people had alternative. Yes, they did love the flower, but when they had to move on, and the petals were blocking the way, they would step on them without hesitation. It sounded cruel and pathetic. Did our love for things only go that far?
"Hiei, don't you have anything to bring with you?" Kurama asked. It was spring holiday, and his family had decided to go to a cottage owned by Kurama's stepfather's family for vacation. Hiei was invited, naturally, although he seemed reluctant to go. But Kurama knew better. "Oh, and you'd better put your katana away for a few days."
"If I were to bring so much stuff with me every time I leave home (which I had been doing all my life) I don't think I would be here now. Honestly, when have you become so obsessed with material life?"
"It's not obsession, it's just a necessity to be living in the human world. You talk exceedingly much to day."
"Shut up, fox," Hiei mumbled and gave a glare. To Kurama, it was a sign of embarrassment.
People loved sakura. They really did, but it was not enough to make them sacrifice something of their own for the sakura. They only took; they didn't give. What kind of love was that?
Kurama sat in the car, watching the beautiful scenery flow by. Hiei wasn't with them. Apparently, he had been appalled by the speed of the car, and no matter how Kurama tried, he couldn't get Hiei to go with them by the vehicle.
"Shuuichi, when is your friend going to arrive at the cottage?" Shiori asked.
"Oh, don't worry. He'll get there before us, maybe even impatient from waiting," Kurama replied with a hint of laughter.
The cottage was located in a rural area, and they were getting close to the destination. The sky seemed much more blue, and the clouds so free of pollution. But these all only provided a beautiful background compared to the vast expanse of sakura trees that stretched out on the endless fields. Pink on light blue, the colours of a pretty fantasy.
Soon, they arrived. The cottage was fine, old and sturdy that brought you a sense of peace and safety. But what struck Kurama was a miniature lake nearby. It was not more than 25 meters in diameter, but the water in it sparkled like crystals, its surface occasionally disturbed by a few sakura petals that fell from the trees surrounding it. Kurama promised himself that he must find a chance to swim in it sometime. Maybe he could drag Hiei into the water . . .
Kurama got to his allocated room, and found, to his expectation, that Hiei was already there, looking annoyed.
"Hiei, did you see the lake?" Kurama gushed out as he started unpacking, "It's so wonderful! I think we should—
"Don't think about it! I'm not going swimming." Hiei cut him out and glared.
"Why?" he asked as a playful smirk slowly rose to his lips, "Are you afraid of water?" Hiei glared harder. "Well, in that case, I am definitely going. You can't stop me from swimming, and neither can you stop me from trying to make you swim. But be grateful that it's not today. I'm too tired right now." Kurama said and flopped down on the bed beside Hiei and gave him a quick hug before drifting off to dreamland. He felt Hiei lie down beside him.
"Shuuichi! Breakfast is ready!" Shiori's voice pierced through the sleepy air of the morning, waking up the two occupants I the room. Kurama sat up groggily, but Hiei snuggled deeper into the pillow. Who would have known he's not a morning person? Kurama gave him a playful shove, but it was still the aroma of pancakes that woke him up.
Breakfast was uneventful, except that the other Shuuichi shrank to the corner furthest away form Hiei, not even daring to look up. And that was the best Hiei could manage. He didn't even glare.
After that, Kurama got a book and went out. He was beginning his plan. He settled down under one of the sakura trees by the lake, and he could sense that Hiei was watching him. He must not do anything "dangerous" that might scare Hiei away. He would slowly lure Hiei to come close. Slowly, slowly, but Hiei definitely was taking his own sweet time.
Indeed, he didn't do anything "Dangerous". I fact, he didn't move at all, staring at the first page of the book, his mind too full to comprehend anything. And so, he fell asleep in the gently breeze.
"Kurama, you'll get buried alive here if you don't wake up soon." Hiei's voice came . . . from above? Kurama opened his eyes and found himself staring up at Hiei, who was sitting on the tree. Also, he found himself covered in sakura petals. He quickly stood up and shook away those petals, and a few unwilling ones were also brushed off as Hiei ran his hand through Kurama long silky hair.
"Do you still want to swim?" Hiei narrowed his eyes and squinted at Kurama.
"Of course! Thanks for reminding me," he said and quickly took off his outer clothing and dived into the lake. The water felt extremely cool and refreshing, and so clear that Kurama could almost see through from one side to the other. It wasn't every deep, about 2.5 metres. The water even had the faint smell of sakura.
Now it was time to activate the main part of his plan. Kurama resurfaced, and after making sure that Hiei was still there, he took a deep breath and dived to the bottom of the lake, trying hard not to surface.
Hiei just sat by the shore. In fact, it wasn't that he didn't want to swim. It was because he didn't' know how to. Being a fire demon naturally gave him a reflex action to stay away from water. Up till now, all he had to deal with were ice and steam, which came from the water he evaporated. He never even stayed in the rain long enough to get wet, except for that once with Kurama. This was actually the first time he came so close to a body of water, not drinking or rain water.
He waited, and waited for Kurama to resurface, but still, that didn't happen. It wasn't normal for someone to last under water for so long. He took a tentative step towards the water, and the pounding of his heart seemed to have become the ticking of a clock, and it was shouting at him that for each second passed, Kurama was in more danger.
Finally, he couldn't bear it anymore and jumped into the lake. The sudden feeling of having no support at all overwhelmed him, and when he tried to breathe, water rushed into his mouth. Ht tried reaching down to feel where Kurama was, but his eyes, being unadjusted to water, couldn't make him see anything. He could feel himself falling . . . falling . . .
"Hiei! Hiei! Are you alright?" he heard Kurama's frantic voice calling out to him, and he tried to reply, only to cough up more water. That was when he realized how awful he felt. He used the last of his strength to open his eyes, and saw Kurama's face, dripping with water and covered with anxiety and guilt. He soon found himself in a tight embrace, making him cough up even more water. Somehow it made him feel better.
"I'm so sorry, Hiei, I promise I won't do it again," Kurama rambled on once he released him.
"What is it?" he asked groggily. Now he felt much better, just fatigue which was pushing him to fall asleep.
"I didn't know that you couldn't swim! I was only trying to play a trick, I never thought . . . I'm so sorry! Please, please forgive me, I won't do it again, and I promise not to tell---
"Shut up, fox. I want to sleep. It's no big deal, and you are whining like a kid."
"Hey! I'm no t like a kid!" Kurama protested and caught Hiei before he could hit the ground and sleep. "But since you didn't know how to swim, you shouldn't have jumped," his tone suddenly soft and soothing, "I would have come up sooner of later. You should not take the risk."
"I thought you were drowning, and my brain snapped. Couldn't think anymore, and jumped in. it wasn't a risk, you would've done the same thing if I was the one drowning. It was only fair." And with that, he finally could close his eyes for the much needed rest. Kurama smiled and place Hiei's head on his lap.
"You've really done a stupid thing today, so stupid that makes me feel so much more for you than I ever have, and that I never should have. Will you do it again, only for me?"
Hiei's sleeping face looked so peaceful, the usual scowl or fierceness all wiped clean, leaving him looking vulnerable and so much like a child. His alabaster skin seemed to glow, and the water droplets on his face were gems that sparkled against the cheerful afternoon sun. He looked so different, so which was the real him? Kurama wondered.
The sakura also loved humans, but the love is much more pure, and also because it could only live or die, without begin in between, stuck in living hell, it was afraid of nothing, it did whatever it wanted.
Kurama carefully picked Hiei up and carried him back to the cottage. His family met him with questioning glances, but the silenced them, not wanting to wake Hiei up, or spoil the rare expression on his face.
He put the fire demon on the bed, and gently tucked him in. not matter what expression he wore, he was still Hiei, the angry one, the cute one, the cold one, the embarrassed one. . . . Those were all part of Hiei, and all were real, because he would never lie. Kurama was happy because Hiei didn't hide these things from him anymore.
The sakura also longed to be loved, and able to touch, not just being watched or watching. So it ignored all the people's wishes for it to bloom longer, and released its petals once the wind came. Ti used its one last journey to drift around, and in hope of brushing against anything, anything at all, so that it could feel. And then, it could rest in peace. It used its life as the ante. It had nothing else. Yet, it was satisfied.
Kurama planted a light kiss on Hiei's lips, earning him an illegible mumble.
But people were made angry by the sakura's stubbornness. They saw it as unfortunate, and short-lived, suing it as comparisons to ill-fated things. Little did they know that having a short and fascinating life is much better than a long and monotonous one. The sakura didn't expect them to understand. Having too much expectations only bring you much greater disappointments.
"Indeed, you made me feel so much more than I should, and now I want you to be only mine, that you will do these things only for me. I know I am asking for too much, but you've made me so, I want to be the only special person to you," Kurama whispered, running his fingers over Hiei's cheek.
What was sad was that people's love for the flower was always blinded by layers and layers of rules and customs laid on them. Often, the sakura found not what it was looking for.
Suddenly, Hiei opened his eyes and said, "You think too much, you worry too much and you speak too much, fox. Am I a person who is not responsible for what he does?" with that, he sat up and captured Kurama's lips in a short kiss.
"When did you wake up? Was I that loud?" Kurama asked, more glad than puzzled.
"No. I didn't fall asleep at all." He replied and smirked.
But still, the sakura petals kept falling . . . touching . . . searching . . .