"Chocolate"
The sky was gray and pearly above the playground of Kamiya Park. Bloated clouds drifted across the pale backdrop, ripe with rain showers. It really wasn't the romantic atmosphere you would expect from holidays like Valentine's Day, but the first graders from Yureshima Elementary didn't mind at all. Today, they had playmates.
Their new friends were a group of teenagers, most around the age of college students. They weren't the boring adults that sat around reading newspapers, yet they weren't little children like themselves, though the one named Yukina could almost pass for one. It was funny, watching the tall, goofy orange-haired man fawn over the little girl. And Yukina was pretty; they had never known that people could have hair the colour of sea foam on the beach, or eyes of the same shade and brilliance as rubies.
From a tree branch a number of metres away, a pair of eyes with that exact same shade and brilliance watched with displeasure. They were running around with the little human cubs, wasting energy on a pointless game of chase. How moronic.
Disturbing noises from below interrupted Hiei the jaganshi from his morbid thoughts. Frowning, the youkai looked through the branches of his tree to find Yusuke Urameshi, ex-Spirit Detective, shoving handfuls of some unusual brown substance into his mouth (and getting quite a lot of it on his face in the process). Hiei grimaced with disgust.
"Detective, if it isn't too offensive of a question, what the hell are you doing?" the young Jaganshi asked. Yusuke stopped slobbering over the strange-looking food—for it was obviously food, since Yusuke was eating it so readily—and glanced up at him, blinking a few times.
"'M ea'ing 'ocla'h," Yusuke said. Hiei screwed up his face in annoyance and confusion. The ex-detective swallowed. "I'm eating chocolate."
"Cho-co-lat," Hiei repeated in monotone, as one would when learning a new word...which, in fact, he was. Yusuke nodded vigorously, licking his fingers.
"Yeah. Oh wait, you probably don't know," he said as he sucked on one chocolate-covered thumb. Hiei gave no reaction to the blunt statement, however true it may have been. "Today is Valentine's Day. It's a day for people to give chocolate to the guys that they like. I got this from Keiko."
"I see."
"Kurama's got a whole mountain of chocolate at his house. Stalkers, mostly."
"Yeah-huh."
"What do you think of that?"
Hiei, who had been listening with half an ear, snapped to attention and fixed a hard glare on Yusuke. Kurama had been a touchy subject for the jaganshi lately. The mating season had started last week, and Hiei had begun to feel...different. Kurama was one of only two people who had caught his interest. The other was Mukuro, and he really didn't like the thought of mating with her—he'd rather not have to deal with offspring just yet.
"Hey, you awake?"
"Why should I care if Kurama's got stalkers? He had plenty of them back in the Makai," Hiei said suddenly. A small, demonic smile spread across his lips as he thought of the silver kitsune known as Youko Kurama. "Of course, he drove most of them away."
There was an odd twinkle in Yusuke's eyes. It was like that look he'd had when he was pointing the clueless Yukina to the injured, love-struck Kuwabara so long ago. Hiei shifted uncomfortably. Yusuke couldn't be that perceptive, could he?
"So. Did you get any chocolate from anyone?" Yusuke asked. Twitching in annoyance, Hiei remained silent. Of course he hadn't received any chocolate from anyone. What a stupid question. First off, it was a purely human tradition. Youkai didn't exchange gifts—well, no, that wasn't true. Ryu presented their mates-to-be with choice jewels in the hopes of gaining their favour. Hiei didn't know what kitsune did, and his own species... Koorime weren't supposed to mate in the first place, and hiyoukai tended to fight over any good-looking creature they laid eyes on.
The ex-Spirit Detective began to stuff his face again.
"Well?" Yusuke prodded between bites. Squirming slightly, Hiei looked to the other members of the disbanded Urameshi Team. He distracted himself for a little while, watching Shizuru dump a bucket full of sand on top of her little brother's head. Everyone laughed as Kuwabara ran around in frantic circles, trying to get sand out of his hair.
"No. I didn't," Hiei finally answered, still watching as Yukina tried to help the oaf. Kuwabara stood perfectly still, face glowing a bright red as the little koorime brushed her fingers through his hair. He then proceeded to give Yukina a very enthusiastic thank-you. Hiei quickly averted his eyes, not wanting to watch the sickening display of affection. His eyes landed on Kurama. Tall and graceful, with long red hair, green eyes, and a face that seemed to welcome kisses. Even in human form, Kurama was radiant...
"Yusuke! Come on!" Keiko called, smiling brightly.
"Right," Yusuke said, obviously trying not to grin. "Right. Well, Keiko's calling. D'you wanna come? ...Heh, stupid question, right? Have fun snoozing. I'll wake you up for lunch."
"Hey, Hiei! C'mon, wake up already! You gotta see this!"
The jaganshi jolted awake the instant he was called and very nearly fell out of his tree. Well, no—he actually did fall out, but he managed to control his fall enough to land in a crouch. Hiei stood, glaring at Yusuke and grumbling a low "What the hell is your problem?" Then he noticed the others huddled around the picnic table they had chosen. They all looked very animated. Yusuke dragged him over to see what the fuss was about.
"I just don't get it, why would anyone give him something?"
"Aw, it's absolutely adorable! I just wonder who sent it!"
"I don't really know much about him, but he seems so shy and secretive..."
"He's the strong and silent type! Plenty of people go for that in a guy!"
"Well, it's not like he's evil or anything."
"Um, I wouldn't be too sure about that one, Keiko..."
"There's little argument as to why it was sent. The only real question is, who sent it?"
"Who sent what?" Hiei asked irritably, breaking up the little group. Everyone looked at him. Yukina smiled at him lightly, and Botan and Keiko giggled like Kurama's fangirls did when he tied his shoe. Kurama held up the item, and Hiei raised an eyebrow at the group. "A box. You're all worried over a box. And what, pray tell, is so special about this thing? Is there a bomb in it or something?"
A slight smile spread across Kurama's face as he outstretched his arms, motioning for Hiei to take the package.
"It's addressed to you, Hiei," Kurama said. "It doesn't say who sent it."
Yusuke nudged Hiei in the ribs, perhaps just a little bit harder than he should have, but Hiei took no notice. He grabbed the package and disappeared, reappearing on his tree branch not a millisecond later.
Hiei examined the small box, trying to figure out where he had seen something like it before. It looked vaguely familiar, a silvery ribbon tied expertly around the dark blue paper, and he looked at the little tag that read Hiei. The little youkai blinked and turned the box over with his hands, a doubtful look on his face.
A trick? Who would go to all this trouble? Hiei thought, glancing over at the rest of the Urameshi Team. They had resumed their foolish games, leaving Hiei alone with the strange little package. He returned his gaze to the box, staring at it sceptically for a few seconds before losing his patience. This was ridiculous! He was not going to be scared off by a box.
Untying the ribbon and ripping through the blue paper, he opened the box and peered inside. His gaze turned from impatient, to quizzical at the contents, then surprised. But his annoyance resurfaced just as quickly.
"This is not a funny joke," Hiei said quietly.
"It isn't a joke at all." Startled, Hiei looked up. He relaxed when he found that it was only Kurama, sitting on the tree branch in front of him. How had Hiei not noticed him there? He glared, knowing that the kitsune probably was not going to let him hear the end of this one.
"I don't know what this is all about, but if it isn't a joke, then it's a mistake." Kurama shook his head, moving forward a little and smiling.
"Definitely not a mistake, Hiei," Kurama whispered. Hiei blinked a few times and watched as Kurama leaned forward, licking his lips and slowly letting his eyes fall closed. A warm, tingling sensation spread through Hiei's body as that handsome face moved closer, closer...inches away...
© 2005 by Little Sadako. This story is not authorized, prepared, approved, licensed, or endorsed by Yoshihiro Togashi, Jump Comics, FUNimation, or any other individual or entity associated with the YU YU HAKUSHO series.