Icefire2 - So smart! Cookie for you.

Baka Hanyou Rahvin - You'll find out here.

Chapt. 9

Midnight Rain

Well, Hiei found me. Really, really late last night. Or really, really early this morning. If I hadn't been so tired, I would've strangled the bastard. 'Course, Keiko nearly cut his head off. I think her words were, "Shame on you for leaving a child out in the cold!" And then Hiei had to be a smart ass and reply, "It's hot outside."

Anyway, now it's raining. I love the rain. Hate the snow. Kurama says snow is just frozen rain. Not that I care. I still hate the snow. Hiei just rolls his eyes at me. I really hate him sometimes.

So, I'm sitting on the window seat, staring at the storm, and Hiei says I'm in his seat.

"I don't see your name on it," I tell him. He lifts me up by the back of my shirt and then moves the cushion. There, carved into the wood, was his name. "Does Keiko know that's there?" With a cold glare, he puts the cushion back and tosses me to the floor. Lucky for him, I land on my feet.

I make him scoot over so I can watch the storm some more.

The lightning flashes in its brilliant splendor. Thunder growls in lightning's wake. But it can't keep up.

I stare out the window in excitement. Storms had always fascinated me. I would always stand out there, soaked and freezing, daring lightning to strike me down. But it never did.

And now, I can only watch.

"Why can't I go out?" I ask for the zillionth time.

"It's too dangerous," Keiko answers, losing it.

"But I never get hit."

Kurama answers this time, "The answer is no, and that's final."

I glare at the floor. 'If I'm quiet, I can sneak out my bedroom window…'

"I would think it wise of you to stay in," Hiei says, pulling on my ponytail.

"Stay outta my head," I growl, looking back out the window. For an odd reason, I begin to miss Shuuto.

He was at the Kuwabara's right now. I can't remember why. Something about doing something for someone for some reason. Or something like that. Nothing to concern myself with or take note of.

"It appears Shuuto is back," Kurama announces, watching a car come by over my shoulder.

Keiko rushes pass and answers the door. Behind her, Yusuke comes up with crisp, fluffy towels.

"Hell out there," Kazuma says, rubbing himself dry with one of the towels.

"I think it's wonderful," Shuuto smiles, shaking himself dry. The expressions on Keiko, Yukina, Kazuma, and Yusuke's faces are indescribably priceless.

"What?" Shuuto asks, oblivious.

The storm continues on into the night as I lie in bed. The roaring thunder and the flashing lightning tempt me to go outside. And oh how I want to! But I know that Hiei is somewhere, just waiting to ruin my fun. Like he always is.

"Oh, well, might as well try," I mumble, sliding silently out of bed. Quietly, I open the window and remove the screen. Taking once last look around the dark, I slip out onto the small ledge below the window. Carefully, I manage to get to the ground, splashing in the mud.

My bare feet squish the mud, like wet sand. The cold rain thumps on my head. The thunder and lightning continue their age old battle above me.

Rolling up my pant legs, I look through the dark. Only rain.

"Don't want to get lost, so…I'll just practice what Hiei's been teaching me," I decide, taking a fighting stance. I punch the rain fast and hard, the drops seeming to slow in my speed.

After a bit, I work on kicking. Not those high, fancy kicks you see in the movies, but low, knee kicks. They were more effective and your opponent can't catch your feet. Everything seemed in slow motion again.

The rain begins to beat harder, only succeeding in making me train harder. I do push-ups, ran laps around the house, sit-ups, and "sword play" with a stick.

I think it might have been two hours. Not that it matters. I'm not tired.

"You don't give up, do you?" a man asks from the dark.

"No, I don't. You should know that by now, Hiei," I call, brushing my hand through my wet hair.

"What makes you want to try to kill yourself? Why do you push so much?"

"I won't allow myself to be weak. And if cheating death is the best method, why not try?"

"I see. Well, catch this!" he yells. I close my eyes and listen. I hear a soft whistle and I reach out my hand. Something hits and I look at what I caught.

"A rock?"

"Nice catch. Not many can see in the dark."

"I can't. I listened for it."

There was a silence, followed by a laugh. "Through all this noise, you heard the tiny hiss of that rock?"

"It was more of a whistle, actually." I stare into the dark and slowly see Hiei step into view. He has a cocky smirk on his face. I just smirk back, looking at him with my left eye.

"How'd you lose most of your sight?" Hiei asks, indicating to my right eye.

"A flaming coal," I answer bluntly, blowing water off my lips.

He nods in whatever understanding he might have and looks at the house. Then he looks back at me. "Tired yet?"

"Wet. Not really tired, but wet." He ruffles my hair and pushes me towards the front door, rubbing my shoulder as we walk. I glance at his hand every now and then in slight fear, wishing it would remove itself.

He opens the front door quietly and shuts it in the same manner. Two towels are waiting on the floor for us. I grab one and dry myself off. Hiei does the same and kicks off his wet, muddy boots. I wipe my feet off and follow him to the couch and TV.

We don't really watch anything; just stare at the screen through the dark. It really makes you tired.

I begin to feel my eyelids become heavy and my head lolls to the side, resting on a shoulder, I suppose. The figure shifts and I sit back up, mumbling an apology.

"Rest," he says. "I'll take care of you."

"Hiei…" I murmur, feeling sleep taking me, "don't leave me or Shuuto."