(August 31 2005) Well, school started for me on Monday... being a Sophomore sucks just as bad as being a Freshman, except that I'm around my best friend 80 percent of the day... and I have a creative writing class. YAY! And a movie analysis kinda class... But enough about me... Let's talk about the story. Thirty-nine reviews! That's less than I'm used to lately, but 39 good reviews is better than seventy bad ones... Thank you everyone. We love you. Cyber hugs for all.
CHAPTER THREE
Kurama's good mood crumbled quickly when they reached Koenma's office. The toddler was at his desk, looking far too serious for any good news to come from him. Hiei noticed the change in her mood and unconsciously moved closer, providing comfort merely with his presence. Yusuke and Kuwabara were waiting there too, something between impatience, annoyance, and concern on their faces.
"You…wanted to see us?" Kurama asked, keeping her voice from betraying how she truly felt.
"Yes," Koenma said. "I have some bad news." No one said anything and he continued. "I'm afraid…we couldn't find an antidote for the poison."
"What!" Yusuke barked.
"We tried!" Koenma said quickly.
"Well you obviously didn't try hard enough! You mean to say Kurama's gonna be a girl forever!"
"Not necessarily!" the toddler retorted. "I have a few people interrogating Seimigaku right now, to find out if he knows any more that might be useful. But we do know that he said the compound degenerates…so if we're lucky, that's as long as it will effect you, Kurama."
"'If we're lucky,'" Hiei repeated bitterly. "You should never rely on luck."
"I can understand that you're upset, but we're doing everything we can. I'll contact you if there are any further developments." He paused, then added in a quiet voice, "That's all. I'm sorry the news is not better. You're dismissed."
Hiei refused to move, however, unsatisfied with the lack of answers, "That is not good enough, Koenma!" This startled everyone in the room, drawing all eyes to the koorime. His red eyes were focused intently on the demigod. Not only had Hiei spoken up, forcefully, he had addressed the godling by his name.
"What would you have me do, then, Hiei? The scientists have determined there is no antidote to the compound, Seimigaku refuses to say any thing else other than the compound degrades, which the scientists confirm. He said he won't say anything else unless Kurama comes to him. Do you want me to send Kurama in to talk to him? Will you allow that?"
Hiei bristled, about to speak when Kurama stepped forward, "If it helps, then fine, I'll talk with him." Hiei glared at the fox's back. As if sensing the harsh look, Kurama turned and looked over her shoulder, "I want you to come with me, Hiei, to make sure he's not hiding anything."
"Hn," Hiei answered, mollified by the request.
The oni George led the pair to where Seimigaku was now being held, more in the actual dungeon than the initial holding room where Hiei had originally questioned him. He looked as if he were not having a very good day. His lips were swollen and his cheeks bruised from multiple strikes. His filmy clothing was torn in several places and there were some slashes visible on his chest. His hands were bound above his head and his silky hair hung in disarray. In short, he looked like he'd had the hell beaten out of him…which was an accurate statement. And yet, when Kurama entered, he managed to smile, his eyes glowing in appreciation and anticipation, "So, you came to me! I do apologize for my poor appearance, but they are under the impression that I know more than I have told them." With his fingers, he waved idly at the guards. Only then did Seimigaku notice the one following the redhead. His face fell, "Oh, you brought him…"
Ignoring the chemist's comments, Kurama turned to the guards, "You may go for now. We will call you before we leave." She watched as the two left the room, closing and locking the door behind them. Casually, she walked across to the room's only chair and sat down, her posture relaxed. Hiei walked over and stood beside the chair. "So, Seimigaku…" Her tone was frighteningly polite.
"Kurama?" Even without the ability to summon plants, Kurama was a formidable enemy. The casualness of the kitsune's posture and tone warned the chemist that he was in serious trouble.
"What exactly is it that the guards think you know and aren't telling them?" Kurama knew the answer to this question, and her tone conveyed this fact clearly to the bound demon.
Seimigaku swallowed visibly. "They…they think I know how to reverse the effects of the drug I used on you."
"And why do they think that? Is it true?" Again, Kurama knew the answer to the first part of his question. It was the second part that was vital, and that she wasn't sure about. Her tone, however, continued to convey certain knowledge.
"They…they think…they think that because I usually have an antidote for whatever drugs I make. But…but…this one…it doesn't…it doesn't have and antidote."
The kitsune's voice became even more dangerously polite, "Really?"
"Y-y-yes, really. I hadn't made an antidote yet." Seimigaku was shaking now. He had heard of Youko's reputation when angered, how none survived his wrath, and that the more polite he was, the more angry he was.
"Is there one?" Kurama asked in an infinitely patient tone.
"I-I-I-I don't know." A cold sweat dripped from his forehead, the salty fluid irritating the lacerations on his chest.
"And how long would it take for you to know for sure?" There was serious doubt in Hiei's mind that Kurama's tone could have gotten any more polite.
"I-I-I-I-I….Oh, gods, please don't hurt me, but there isn't one! I tried, I really did try, but the compound can't be reversed, it has to decay!"
"And will the effects be reversed when it decays?"
"As far as I know. I didn't have any kitsune handy to test it on, but its effects did diminish in the others I tested it on…"
"What effects? And what do you mean 'diminish'?"
"Moodiness, neediness, personality changes…after a while, the amount of time between dosing and the compound's decay, these would go away, but the subjects seemed to be profoundly affected by them. I can only postulate that your changes will reverse when the compound decays."
Kurama's eyes sought Hiei's, who nodded silently in answer to the unspoken question. In an almost perfect imitation of her previous grace, Kurama rose from the chair and walked across the room. Standing directly in front of the bound chemists, she purred, "Good thing you choose to cooperate, otherwise I may have become angry with you." And with that, she slapped him soundly across the face. When Seimigaku's eyes returned to her, she continued, "This isn't over. When your drug wears off, I will come and visit you again." Leaving the promise hanging in the air, Kurama turned and walked to the locked door, waiting for it to open.
"I'm sorry!" the demon yelled after the kitsune.
Kurama turned to look over her shoulder, "I'm sure you are." The click of the guards opening the door drew her attention. "But," she continued speaking, "not as sorry as you should be," the door opened, "or will be." Stepping past the guards, she ordered, "Carry on as you were."
"But, but I told you everything!" Seimigaku screamed.
Kurama raised an eyebrow, "Oh, really?" Without waiting for a response, she continued out of the dungeon, Hiei walking beside her, silent.
"Hiei?" Kurama's voice was barely audible.
"Fox?" the koorime answered at the same volume.
"Can we go back to your place?"
Hiei looked over at the redhead. Her green eyes were focused on the ground in front of her feet as she walked and she looked as if she were chewing on her lip. Returning his gaze forward, "Yes." Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Kurama's face relax into a small smile.
"Thank you."
They had reached Koenma's office now, and any further conversation would have to wait until they were in the privacy of Hiei's clearing. The toddler sized god looked up at them as they entered, demanding, "Well, what happened?"
Kurama's grin was sharp, "You mean to say you weren't watching, Koenma-sama?" His tone carried the same politeness it held with Seimigaku.
Koenma swallowed visibly before making his next statement, "You confirmed he knew nothing and told the guards to continue!"
"Yes, and…?"
Koenma lost his nerve altogether at the calm reply, "Go, come back when you're back to yourself!"
Kurama smiled at this tacit permission to fulfill his promise to Seimigaku. Though not happy with the situation, things were beginning to look brighter for the transformed kitsune. "Yes, sir," she bowed, her tone lighter, closer to the normal tone the redhead employed. The two demons turned and left the office, the humans having left while they were in the dungeon, entered the portal and almost laughed when it seemed to slam shut behind them.
Sobering quickly, however, Kurama walked next to Hiei as they returned to the clearing the koorime called home. The sun was beginning to approach the western horizon, and the park was busier with the streams of people returning to their homes or finding a place to eat dinner. The laughter of children was louder as well, almost as if they were trying to capture all the fun they could have before they were called away to eat. Hiei's clearing, however, remained undisturbed and quiet as the two demons entered it.
"Hiei," the kitsune began, turning to face her friend as they reached the center of the clearing, "why…"
Hiei cut her off, "Because I wanted to. And not just today." Hiei's eyes met the green ones staring at him. "I didn't know if…if you'd permit it. And your inane babbling was getting on my nerves."
The redhead stood baffled for a moment, unsure what to say to this confession. Finally she latched onto the last part, "So, if I babble inanely again, will I get the same results?"
"Hn, I may decide to slap you instead," the fire demon rejoined.
"Why today?"
"You kissed me first."
"Is…is it because I've changed?" Kurama knew this wasn't the case, but she had to know, had to make sure…any further thoughts were cut off as a sword calloused hand pulled her head down, her lips meeting those of the shorter demon softly.
Hiei pulled back, his hand resting on the kitsune's cheek. "I prefer your usual form." The depth of emotion in the green eyes looking into his red eyes almost scared him out of continuing. "I just didn't realize it before because you've never really needed me. I like feeling needed by you."
This confession left Kurama speechless, a condition Hiei took advantage of to kiss those silent lips again. After a moment of shock, she began to respond to the kiss, her hands coming up to tangle in Hiei's hair. Hiei's hands wandered down from the soft skin of the redhead's face to encircle the body before him. He was brought up short, however, by the weight of the heavy flesh that so attracted Yusuke's attention. He pulled back, slightly flushed. "Not now," he growled out, pushing back.
"Why?" Kurama whined out before she could stop herself, falling to her knees. She was finally getting to express her feelings for the distant fire demon and now he was pushing her away.
"Because I want you, not some temporary artifice!"
This statement took Kurama aback. Eyes wide, "Why didn't you tell me before?"
"You didn't need me," Hiei's voice was sullen and he turned away from the green eyes now boring into him, trying to read his secrets. He'd already confessed too much today.
"But, I did," the redhead whispered. Red eyes came up in surprise. "Why do you think I joined with you when you went after the dark objects? Why do you think I sought you out so many times? Not just because I wanted someone to fight at my back, but because I wanted you fighting at my back…I needed to know it was you who would be there if I needed help."
"You were calling specifically for me in your sleep?"
Kurama nodded, "I knew you could keep me safe if I couldn't do it for myself." A blush crept to her cheeks, "I never told anyone else about those dreams, either."
Hiei knelt next to the redhead, "Why didn't you tell me before…before this happened?"
"I was afraid you wouldn't want me." Green eyes dropped to the ground and the voice was full of shame.
Hiei couldn't believe his ears. He stared at the redhead aghast. "You thought I would…that I wouldn't want…" Words failing him, Hiei turned to what he knew would work. Action. Calloused fingers brushed the red hair out of the delicate face and he lifted the chin until green eyes met his. Slowly, with infinite care, he brought their lips together gently, his eyes continuing to meet the green ones, trying to convey through his eyes, his lips, how he felt without pushing them into passion. Understanding met his gaze as Kurama's hand came to rest on his cheek and the green eyes drifted close. The two remained together, simply expressing their feelings, for a long while. When they finally drew apart, their eyes were heavy and they both smiled faintly at the other.
Kurama's fingers traced Hiei's lip. "Well, now that we have that worked out," she spoke softly, "why don't we do something about dinner?"
Hiei paused a moment, savoring the contact he'd been so long denied. "What would you like?"
"Your company. But, beyond that, how about sushi?"
"Sounds good." Reluctantly, Hiei stood, holding his hand out to Kurama. Smiling, she took the proffered support and laced her fingers with his as they walked out of the clearing.
"You know," she mused, "it's almost ironic that we have Seimigaku to thank for this."
Hiei glanced sharply at the fox. "What do you mean?"
"Well," she began, "if…well, if he hadn't forced me to rely on you more than I normally do, we never would have discovered, well, how we feel." She was nervous and her normal eloquence was failing her. To her surprise, Hiei chuckled.
"Then, after you've taught him a lesson, you can thank him."
Kurama joined Hiei in his joke, "If he's capable of understanding anything, that is."
Hiei squeezed the hand in his, "If he is, then you haven't paid him in full, Fox."
"And we both know how much I enjoy paying my debts in full, and then some."
Hiei ran his thumb against the hand in his. "Then, I look forward to collecting from you," his voice was suggestive.
Kurama blushed, "And I look forward to paying you, at the earliest possible moment."
They had reached the small sushi restaurant and entered. Their meal was comfortably silent and without words, they returned to the clearing to sleep. Hiei pulled together some branches to form a small nest for the two and held Kurama through the night.
A/N: Well…nothing much really for me to say here. Did we remember to tell you that Uchotengai means ecstasy? I don't remember if we said that, but it does…Kurama escaped in an ecstasy seed pod…We're easily amused. Anyways…We are very happy that you are enjoying our work…
Apparently we're both wondering if any of you can tell who wrote what. Or if you're even bothering to try telling the difference.