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Disclaimer, I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho.

Chapter 6

Hiei lay with Kurama sleeping peacefully in his arms. Last night was like no other. They made love till the early hours of the morning, till Kurama fell into an exhausted sleep. Hiei didn't sleep. He knew his time was almost up but couldn't bare to take his eyes from his fox's beautiful face. He wanted to memorize every feature. A single tear rolled down his face forming a perfect black tear gem. He picked it up, placed it in Kurama's palm and closed the fox's fingers around it.

With a sigh, Hiei reached up and removed the ward from his jagon eye. As the eye opened so did the door holding back Kurama's memories.

-MEMORY-

The beautiful silver youko lay on his back in the tall grass, gazing up at the purple Makai sky. 'How did this happen? How did I let that pesky little fire demon get to me?' Three months ago life had been normal, now his world had been turned upside down. Thinking back he recalled the day he first saw Hiei, in a vault on an estate in Yomi's territory. He was there to steel a rare painting only to see it being carried out by a short, spiky haired fire demon. Before he could snatch the painting, both it and the fire demon were gone in a blink. This phenomenon was repeated three times over the next month. Having treasures he was steeling stolen out from under his nose was really annoying. So Yoko, the fox spirit and legendary bandit, went hunting for fire demon. The problem was, who caught whom? Oh, he caught Hiei, but it seemed he wanted to be caught. He had been trying to impress the Youko with his talent because he wanted him for a partner. So partners they became, only Yoko wanted more. The Youko had been trying to seduce his sexy, little partner since the beginning, but Hiei wanted no part of it. It seemed he was also half Koorime, and Koorime didn't take lovers, they took mates, and they mated for life. It's not that he was afraid to make a commitment to a relationship. After all he and Kuronue had had a commitment, sort of. This was different though. He was having so much fun just being Hiei's friend and partner, think how great it would be if they were lovers too, but mate? Youko's didn't mate…did they? What in the seven hells was he going to do now?

-

Fondling the tear gem that hung from a thin silver chain at his throat, Yoko smiled as he thought of that day just over a year ago. Why had he ever questioned if he wanted to be Hiei's mate? It was the best thing he had ever done. They had made a home for themselves high in the trees of Makai. Oh, the Youko still had a den, but they only used it on cold, rainy nights. Hiei much preferred the trees and Yoko would do anything to keep his fiery spouse happy. He couldn't believe how domestic he had become. Oh, they still did heists together but that took second place to what he really loved doing. He loved taking care of Hiei, and Hiei loved being taken care of. No one had ever cared if he lived or died, let alone cared for his feelings. It had taken almost the whole first year of their marriage for Hiei to realize, that with Yoko, he was loved for who and what he was. Fire and ice were not forbidden anymore.

Today was a special day. The Youko had been busy all morning making plans for tonight, the first anniversary of their bonding, the anniversary of the first time they made love. Lovingly he ran his fingers over the mark on his neck. Having Hiei's mark on him was so exciting. Again he smiled, thinking back to that night. The night he had taught Hiei the art of making love. He had taught his sexy fire demon so much since then. His favorite was how to kiss. Boy was he a fast learner, and in the art of kissing, the student had even surpassed the teacher. Chills ran down the Youko's spine as he looked forward to all the ways he planed to kiss and be kissed by his lover tonight.

Worried, Yoko looked up at the sky. The low hanging sun indicated it was getting late. Where was Hiei? If he didn't come home soon he would have to go find him.

-

The moon was high in the stark Makai sky. Under it, deep in the forest, a beautiful silver Youko knelt on all fours heaving the contents of his stomach as tears streamed unchecked down his face. This couldn't be happening, not his fire demon, not today!

Hiei had not come home so his mate had gone looking for him. Several hours later an odd looking demon had directed him to a room over the tavern in town. The sight that greeted him when he entered that room made him run. He ran for his very sanity. He ran till he dropped from exhaustion, then he was sick. He spent the rest of the night, what was to be their special night, alone on the cold ground, deep in the forest. In his dreams, the real life nightmare he had witnessed replayed it's self. In that room, on the bed a naked fire demon straddled an equally naked raven-haired woman, pinning her unresisting arms over her head.

Yoko woke with a start. Something was wrong with Hiei. 'What do I care' he lied to himself. Before he knew what was happening he found himself, once again, going to find his mate. The scene that met him this time was very different. In a clearing not far from town, Hiei's bloody limp body was laying broken on the ground. A large horned demon was over him moving in for the kill. Yoko reacted quickly, calling forth his rose whip and attacked with precision. But the demon was surprisingly fast for his large size and evaded the Youko's lethal blow. They fought for some time before Yoko saw his mate stir. That was when the horned demon made his final attack, catching the Youko off guard. Yoko went down, now he was the one on the ground in a bloody, broken heap.

-PRESENT-

Kurama stirred on his bed but didn't waken. As promised Hiei had returned his memories. What he saw next in his minds eye though were not his memories, but Hiei's.

-MEMORY-

Attempting to rise, Hiei saw his beloved mate fall to the horned demon's attack. Rising swiftly, enraged at his mates defeat, Hiei launched his final assault. Within seconds the large horned demon was reduced to a pile of ashes. Moving quickly to Yoko's side, Hiei took his mate in his arms. The Youko didn't move, in fact he was near death. Hiei used every once of spirit energy he had and most of his life energy trying to heal his fox. When Yoko was stable enough to move Hiei took him to the Youko's den where he tended Yoko's wounded body. Sadly, Hiei knew no amount of healing would heal his mates wounded heart.

-

For days Hiei cared for his fox. Holding him, soothing him with soft words of love, but it wasn't enough. Yoko had closed his mind to Hiei. So Hiei made the hardest decision of his life. He took Yoko to a healer he had heard of in the next village. For a price the healer could perform a spell that would repress any memory the Youko had of Hiei and their life together. When it was done Hiei asked the healer for one last task, to remove Hiei's mark from his mates neck.

-

Two days later, the fire demon having snuck them deep into Youko territory, gently placed his fox under a tree. He had scouted the area earlier and knew his fox would be found easily, the Youkos would see he was taken care of. When Yoko woke from the drugged sleep he was under he would be a bit confused. He would have vague memories from the last year, but his mate would not be part of them.

Carefully, Hiei removed the last evidence of their love, the tear gem from around the Youko's neck. Then Hiei kissed Yoko gently, "I'm sorry my love, I'll never hurt you again." Then Hiei was gone.