God, I love Pierrot. (That was awfully random)
I'm writing this before my "writing mood" fades away. I started typing this the same night I released Snowdrops, so... I'm trying here! . High school and websites make me so busy!!
Sorry guys, but here it is, the twenty-fourth chapter of A Red Rose in the Darkness.
Enjoy.
A Red Rose in the Darkness
Chapter Twenty-Four
"Yes, well, you have missed a lot..."
Hiei returned home that day earlier than usual, with Shiori trailing behind him. He opened the apartment door and invited her into their house. Kicking off his muddy boots, he searched the apartment for Kurama's ki, but he wasn't home. Shiori would either have to wait or go home and return later.
Of course, if she left, she may very well miss her chance at ever seeing her son again.
He entered the living room, the human mother following behind him.
"Feel free to make yourself comfortable until... Shuiichi comes home. It shouldn't be too long..." He said, waving his arm lazily about the room. "Would you like something to eat or drink?"
She shook her head and he entered the kitchen, grabbing himself a miniature carton of ice cream and, licking the spoon, called out to his fox using his Jagan.
Kitsune... he thought loudly. You have a surprise of sorts for when you return. Come swiftly and prepare yourself.
The fox, all the way at his school, silently nodded to himself. What sort of surprise could there be? Were Touya and Sniper visiting, or maybe Jin and Shishiwakamaru were there? But a feeling in the pit of his stomach told him it wasn't so. There was something else, something uncomfortable. He hoped his intuition betrayed him today. He didn't need any more stress than what he already had.
But it just wasn't meant to be.
He opened his door and took off his shoes, setting them down next to...
His eyes widened.
Dropping his bag in front of the door, he swiftly walked into the living room, where he saw the proof to his nagging suspicions.
His mother turned her head to face him and he was at a loss for words. His ningen mother... was really there...
Tears welled up in his eyes, hers as well, and he ran, she stood, and they met halfway in an embrace.
Hiei chose this moment, this heartwarming time, to return to the kitchen to get his third batch of ice cream. Kami that stuff is sweet.
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Hagiri pulled out the key to unlock his bedroom door. He inserted it into the lock and turned it, until you heard a click. The door swung open.
Shishiwakamaru was gracefully sprawled out on the comforter of the bed, already asleep.
"Demons don't normally get this sort of sleep and comfort, do they?" Sniper asked his lover.
Touya shook his head and motioned for Jin to get in there. The wind master floated in and placed himself on the bed next to his sleeping narcissist. Brushing the blue strands from Shishi's face, he mouthed "Gomen..." to Touya, who simply nodded and closed the door.
"Well, Hagiri..."
Sniper looked at Touya, who in turn met his violet eyes. "Yes...?"
"It seems we get the couch tonight."
"It seems so."
They weren't really upset by it, of course. More cuddle-time for them, so everything was fine. Besides, it's better if that narcissistic freak was asleep and away from them. He was quieter in his sleep, after all.
Touya held out a hand, and smiling, Hagiri accepted it. Touya returned the warm smile.
Sniper led Touya by the hand to the couch, sitting and proceding to pulling the ice demon down onto his lap. The cool air was inviting and Hagiri never wanted to let it go, never wanted it to slip through his fingers.
"Touya...?" Hagiri asked, resting his chin upon the top of the ice demon's head.
"Yes...?" Came the hushed reply.
"Are you happy here?"
"The only place I wish to be is in your arms, encompassed in your light," was the truthful answer.
Hagiri smiled. "Yes... but I mean here... in this world..."
"Of course I am... you are the most important aspect of my life, therefore I will sacrifise any and everything to be held in your embrace once more."
"Don't you miss your own world?" Sniper asked. "At all?"
Touya sighed. "Sometimes yes. I often find myself thinking of how weak in strength I am becoming... but my battles are a thing of my past now... the only future I see lying ahead of me is spent with you... in peace, no bloodshed. Just peaceful bliss."
Sniper smiled wryly. One thought he had kept in the back of his mind was now breaking the surface. "But what will you do... as I grow old and grey whilst you stay, neverchanging, living on forever...?"
The ice demon pulled away, and Sniper knew instantly he had said the wrong thing.
Touya, now standing upright, had known of that, but he foolishly kept it locked away in his mind. Now that it had been said, it only served to make the fact more real. And it stung so horrible, like twisting a knife through his heart.
The ice demon sighed and sat on the floor, resting his head on Sniper's lap. "We have two options... either we live your lifetime to the fullest, and as you lay on your deathbed, I die with you by convenient means and we die together, or we find some way to make you immortal..."
"We may have to journey far and wide... for long periods of time searching and gathering information. We should start planning. After all, we only have eighty years to search..."
He played with Touya's hair spikes as these bitter words were exchanged.
Yet, Touya felt relieved. "Yes... what has to be done is to be done without question."
"We'll figure it out, one way or another."
"If it is our path to die, then we will leave with no regrets. You will remain beautiful even as your body withers away... I will make sure of that. We will stay together... I will remain by your side...
"Forever..."
Sniper smiled and arched his back so his face neared Touya's. "Forever is an awfully long time, ne?"
Touya's gaze softened as he stared into those brilliant violet eyes. "All the time in the worlds... my hikari..."
Hieica: Wow. It sucked. Yet my writing mood hasn't disappeared yet. What is going on? Maybe, just maybe, is my Writer's Block gone?
Oh, yeah, I made Touya call Sniper his hikari. .;; I know, it's sappy crap, and Touya's always been searching for his light, right? So look, it fits. .
I do bring up a good point with the age thing though, ne?
This chapter was considerably short, sorry, and it sucked. I think the next chapter may be the last. (You guys: It's about time!) I managed to make this chapter more about Touya and Sniper again, somewhat like chapter seventeen, or "The Random Chapter in which Hiei and Kurama Are Nonexistent". That was a fun chapter. O.o
Swissy: Review or I shall painfully sever your head. Yay! Blood and gore and all that other good stuff.
Hieica: You're awfully mean Swissy.
Swissy: I pride myself for it.
Hieica: ... you would.