Alright, here it is. The epilogue: the final chapter: the end. I've had a lot of fun driving Hiei nuts. I love to do that for some reason. n.n But all good things must come to an end, right? Before you even start asking for a sequel let me just say that there probably won't be one and even if there is it won't be for a while. This is for two reasons. The first reason is I hate getting sucked into that whole writing a sequel or series for every story I start thing. It gets really tiresome and I never follow through on it anyway because new story ideas come and take precedence. Secondly, I must work on some things I've neglected for a while before I begin anything new. I do plan on finishing every fic I start…at some point. So…yeah…that's pretty much it. You yaoi fans will just have to be content with my other shonen ai fic 9 Months for a while. That's just the way it goes. Also, please remember that I do not write lemons. Well, I hope you all enjoyed this story and, for the last time…ON WITH THE FIC!
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Hiei was aware of several things before he even opened his eyes. First: he was in a bed, a very comfortable and large bed. Second: it was warm, cozy even, though he would never admit that. And third: he didn't know where he was and yet there was a vague familiarity to his unseen surroundings.
Slowly cracking his crimson eyes opened, he blinked at the bright room. Everything was white; the walls, the bed, the curtains, the door, everything. Bright light streamed through the opened window along with a strange scent. It smelt almost like rain but in truth was more sterile then rain's fresh clean. Only one place gave off that almost non-scent. The land of the dead: Reikai.
What was he doing in Reikai? Had he died after all? No, he distinctly remembered Koenma's healing. But then why…? The thought trailed off as he heard the door open and close behind him. Since his back was to the noise, Hiei nearly turned his head fully around to see who was there, a sight that greatly amused the one who had entered. Hiei's sleepy eyes widened at the sight.
There stood Kurama, chuckling lightly. He wore plain black pants and a white shirt with buttons up the front. He was leaning on a cane in his left hand and limped slightly as he approached the bed.
"Really Hiei," he smiled warmly at the stunned half-Koorime. "That was a rather good owl impression. The drowsy look on your face was a nice touch." Hiei just stared. He was here. The fox was sitting here on the bed next to him. He wasn't dead. He was alive. He was here!
"You know, it's not polite to stare, Hiei," Kurama teased, but Hiei didn't hear him as he threw his arms around the fox, burying his face in the redhead's chest. His right arm pained him and was stiff and hard to move, but he ignored it. His fox was back, and that was all that mattered now.
"Oh Hiei…" Kurama sighed affectionately, his own arms coming up to encircle the fire demon. He rested his head in a sea of soft ebony spikes, inhaling deeply. Gods, how he had missed that smell! In the crystal he had been merely a spirit and spirits have no sense of smell, something he had been deeply frustrated over.
"Hn. Baka kitsune," the muffled reply rose from somewhere below him and Kurama chuckled again. There was a long silence, no words were needed as the two sat there quietly, simply holding each other. Finally, Hiei's curiosity demanded attention.
"Kurama…?" he pulled back to see those stunning emeralds.
"Hmm?" Kurama replied, still wearing a smile. Hiei hesitated for a moment, wondering which question to ask. He had so many. Finally his eyes rested on the cane.
"Why were you limping?"
"You cannot lie immobile for three months and not pay the price in muscle mass, Hiei. Koenma managed to heal some of it, but the rest must be built up again naturally. Now it's my turn. How's your arm?"
"It's fine," Hiei answered quickly. Kurama gave him a semi-stern glare.
"Tell me the truth, Hiei," Kurama demanded. Hiei sighed. He knew what the fox wanted. He wanted details. H wanted to know every minor ach and pain and he wouldn't be happy until he got it…and Hiei would give it to him too. Hiei's lips curved into a smirk. When had he become so focused on pleasing the fox? He didn't know.
"It stings," he admitted finally, looking down at the appendage in question. There were no visible marks, but the damage had been done whether it was visible or not. "It's not easy to move and I doubt I'll ever regain fine motor movements. Now it's my turn again. How's your arm?"
It was Kurama's turn to sigh and he looked at his right arm almost sadly. The dragon had been sealed, bandages weaving the length of the limb as they had previously done on the half-Koorime.
"I'll never unleash the dragon," Kurama said almost to himself. "I'm not its true master and it knows that. I can't control it."
"Is it hurting you?" Hiei asked quietly. Transferring the dragon to Kurama had never been part of the plan. He still remembered the pain involved in mastering it back in the Dark Tournament.
"No," Kurama reassured him, kissing him gently over his warded Jagan. "There's no pain. But I won't deny I…worry over the shear power of the dragon." Hiei returned Kurama's consoling kiss, pecking the redhead's cheek.
"Don't worry," he advised, eyes trained on the bandaged arm. "If you keep it sealed like you said you would, you have nothing to fear."
Kurama continued to stare at his arm despite Hiei's reassurance. Nothing Hiei said would quell the deep seated fear in his heart or dispel the nightmares that haunted him with images of the massive dragon devouring him. Shaking his head, he forced the troubled thoughts back, realizing it was his turn in their question game.
"Hiei…" he trailed off. The question had been burning on his mind since the night he had been resurrected, but the events of that night were still too fresh…too painful. But for sheer luck Hiei had almost…
"What fox?" Hiei asked, noticing the redhead's far away look. Kurama blinked and then closed his eyes.
"Nothing," he muttered. "Nevermind."
"What were you going to ask Kurama?" Hiei demanded. Kurama never asked anything unless it was important.
"Hiei…I…" Kurama trailed off as Hiei continued to stare at him sternly. Those garnet orbs glinted with meaning and Kurama knew Hiei wouldn't let it go now. He sighed.
"Hiei…the night you brought me back…when you…when you…" he struggled to continue. He wanted to forget the events of that night, he didn't want to remember. Closing his eyes he forced himself to continue. "When you were…hurt…you gave me a look of gratitude when I told you the truth of the how we had been meeting. Why?"
Hiei was quiet for a moment, contemplating his response. "Because you taught me so much during that time," he said, choosing his words carefully.
"I 'taught' you?" Kurama repeated. Hiei looked up, meeting his eyes. Kurama almost gasped. There was a genuine smile spread across Hiei's face, so real it shone in his eyes.
"Yes," he replied, the smile never fading. "You taught me about…about feelings…about…things I never had any use for before…things I always deemed to be weaknesses. But they aren't, they aren't weaknesses at all. I was wrong. You showed me that."
Kurama was speechless as Hiei hugged him once more. He hadn't expected this. Even with all that had happened since the incident now almost four months ago that had started all this he had never imagined Hiei's cool attitude might be altered. He doubted the half-Koorime would act any differently towards the others, but it made a warmth blossom in his chest to think the fire demon had a new gentleness that was reserved only for him.
"My turn again," Hiei said as he pulled back, the smile having been replaced with one of his more usual stoic looks. "How long have I been asleep?"
"Five days now," Kurama answered. "We're in Reikai, incase you were wondering," he added.
"I know. Why?"
"Koenma offered to let me stay here until I decide what to do now," Kurama replied, continuing with the explanation at Hiei's puzzled look. "I've been dead for almost a third of a year, Hiei. My resurrection will not be easy to explain."
"The woman thinks you're dead," Hiei replied with a coldness completely at odds with the warmth he had claimed to have learned from Kurama. Perhaps he hadn't changed so much after all. "Why not take advantage of that?" Kurama shook his head.
"I cannot do that, Hiei. You of all people should realize the grief my death caused her. If I can relieve that grief, then I will." Hiei almost smiled again.
"I thought you'd say something like that," he shrugged, his manner surprising Kurama. He didn't seem angry or even disapproving as Kurama had expected. In fact, he seemed happy with Kurama's decision. A smile spread across the fox's face. Then again, maybe the fire demon had changed.
"Why Hiei, I do believe you've grown—dare I say it?—soft," Kurama teased. Hiei's smile melted into a glare, but it held none of the cold harshness Kurama remembered so well. He looked to be more angry at himself then at Kurama. Garnet orbs dropped to the bed sheets and the room fell silent. Kurama blinked at this unusual attitude.
"Hiei…" he began. He tried to lean down to see the fire demon's face, but Hiei only twisted further away. His fists clenched in his lap, the right one only half closed, and Kurama didn't miss the small black sphere that fell to the white sheets below. Emerald eyes widened. Hiei was…crying?
"Hiei, I didn't mean to upset you," Kurama apologized quickly, but Hiei shook his head.
"Don't apologize," Hiei whispered. Kurama covered the now shaking half-Koorime's left hand gently with bandaged fingers.
"What is it? What's wrong?" he asked quietly. Hiei didn't answer for a long moment.
"This feeling…I…" Hiei trailed off. How was he supposed to explain this? Looking up, he found Kurama's concerned gaze on him and somehow found the strength to continue. "All my life I've been shunned. I've never had a…a…home or a family. Yukina…Yukina has to stay away…for her own good…and I'm left alone. I thought I could handle that. I thought being alone was what I wanted. But…but after you…died…I was alone again…and it was unbearable. I've never felt that way before…so…empty. And now…now I feel so…complete…so…warm…I've never known anything like this before. I've known others who feel this way…and envied them…wished to have it for myself…but now that I do…what do I do with it?"
Kurama stared at Hiei without speaking. Those garnet orbs seemed to be searching, hoping, praying for an answer. Kurama felt his own eyes begin to sting and pulled the fire demon into a tight hug.
"You share it, Hiei," Kurama whispered into raven locks. "Share it with me as I do with you until it becomes not two people with the same feeling, but one feeling shared by two people." Hiei laughed a true mirthful chuckle.
"Can't you ever just give me a strait answer instead of speaking in riddles?" Hiei asked, pulling back slightly to see the redhead's face.
"Ah, but true answers must be found, not given. Otherwise, they are not truly your answers," Kurama concluded. Hiei smiled at him.
"Alright then, how do I 'share' with you?" Hiei inquired, the smile leaning more towards a smirk with every word. Kurama mirrored the expression.
"How do you think?" Kurama replied. Hiei's eyes positively glowed with meaning, both hidden and obvious.
"Oh, I have a few ideas." Leaning up he captured the redhead's lips in his own, realizing in the back of his mind that this was the first time he had kissed the living redhead in nearly four months. 'Well then,' he thought, smirking inwardly, 'perhaps I had better make it special for him.' Opening his mouth, the kiss quickly escaladed in passion until Hiei found himself on his back, pinned to the bed.
"Perhaps…you'd like me to…demonstrate a…preferred method of…'sharing'?" Kurama asked slightly out of breath, eyes glowing with passion. Hiei was finding it hard to breathe himself.
"H-hn. Whatever…pleases you…fox."