Chapter Two
We stayed in the city a few more days, enjoying everything it had to offer. Like I said before the grand cities of the east were there playground of the minor makai lords, those whose power was not enough to rival the former three kings of the makai, Yomi, Mukuro, and Raizen. In fact, there were few if any who could match the Great Lords as they are called now.
We traveled on thorough the rest of the grand cities, making our way to the coast where we watched a sunset every bit as beautiful as Kurama had described to me. We made love there on the beach by the light of the sliver moon, just as he wanted. From there we headed to the lush forests that he had so desired to see. That first night, we camped in one of Kurama's old dens, taking with us all wealth we could safely carry. We decided to leave the motorbike there. The forest's terrain was unpredictable, and neither of us were sure how it would fare.
Clouds had rolled in overnight and had grown dark and foreboding over the course of the day. Kurama frowned. "We'll need to take shelter early today. I can smell the moisture in the air and it's getting heavier by the minute," he said. "You think it will rain soon?" I asked. Kurama nodded. "yes, and hard," he answered.
He was right. In less than an hour raindrops began to fall. Moments later it was pouring down. I spotted a cave just ahead of us and pointed it out to my mate. He spotted it and we sprinted toward it, eager to get out of the rain. We dashed into the cave, glad to be out of the merciless downpour outside. I used my energy to crate a flame large enough to light our way.
We headed further into the cave. Now that the wind had began to blow it was unwise to stay too near the entrance. We found a chamber that was spacious and close enough to the entrance where we could see outside, but far enough so that the chill of the foul weather outside would not reach us. I built us a fire using my spirit energy. The dark flames danced as we stripped off our wet clothing. Kurama wrung the water out of his long silver hair, frowning as he wrung the water from his lush fox's tail.
While he was distracted, I took the liberty of admiring my mate's nude form. Kurama's eyes suddenly met mine and I felt heat rising to my cheeks. I'd blushed, knowing I'd been caught. My mate stretched, showing off his well sculpted god like body. Kurama smiled, seeing that he had my full and undivided attention. His eyes roamed my body unashamedly and his smile broadened. "You know, you're quite a feast for the eyes yourself Fire Baby," he purred. I felt my cheeks redden even more. "I hope you still look at me that way years from now, when I've gotten old and gray," he teased. I snorted at his remark. "Knowing you, you'll age gracefully with nothing more than a few smile lines," I replied. Kurama laughed. "I hope your prediction comes true Love," he said.
He went to his pack and opened it, reaching inside for something. He frowned and pulled out a damp tunic. "Did everything get soaked?" I asked. He began rummaging through both our packs and then shook his head. "No, just the clothes," he answered as he stood again. He used his energy to grow several large vines and began handing our clothes on them to dry. Afterward he laid out our bedroll and climbed under the still dry and warm blankets. With only a look, he invited me to join him. I slid in with him and he put his arms around me. "It looks like we're stuck here until the rain lets up," he murmured.
"Where will we go then?" I asked. "Is there anywhere you wish to go?' he responded. "No, you?" I replied. "No," he said. "Perhaps we could look around for a nice spot for a home," he suggested. I made a soft murmur of agreement. The forest wouldn't be a bad place to make a home for ourselves. It was actually out of the jurisdiction of the makai lords, the land belonging to the youko tribes that inhabited it. Yes, it would be a good place to live, after all Kurama was in his element here, and I enjoyed the trees.
The rain didn't let up at all that night. By morning our clothes were dry and for lack of anything better to do we began exploring the cave. Kurama became ill at ease as our exploration took us deeper into the cave. I cast him a quizzical glance, curious to see what had caused his discomfort. "I don't like the feel of this place. The further into this cavern we go, the more I feel a malevolent presence," he explained. I frowned not liking the sound of that. "Let's go back then. I don't want of find out what it is you're sensing," As we turned to go back, Kurama touched my arm, quickly getting my attention." What is it?" I asked. "There's something over there. Shine the light that way," He replied. I did as he asked. Metal glimmered a short distance away. Kurama went to examine it. He knelt down and picked it up , the brushed some of the dirt off it. "What did you find Fox?' I asked, curious now. "A gauntlet," he answered as he rejoined me.
We took it back with us to our campsite. Kurama headed to the entrance of the cave and held it out in the torrent of pouring rain, completely washing the dirt from it. We then sat down by the fire, examining it. It was made of gold, darkened by years of neglect, and dust. In its center was a large jewel. In the dim light I could not tell what color it was. It was of simple design, probably worn by a soldier at some point.
"I wonder where the other one is," Kurama mused. "Probably down in the cavern," I responded. Kurama ran his hand over the golden object thoughtfully. Suddenly, he drew his hand back as though he had been burned, nearly dropping it. I looked at him curiously, but he didn't answer my silent question. His ears suddenly were at attention, turning toward the entrance. "The rain has stopped," he said. "Let's get out of here then," I responded. He nodded in agreement.
We packed our things quickly and headed back out into the forest. We took shelter in an abandoned home a few miles away. The rain started up again but this time we had made it to a proper shelter before it started. The house was smaller than the apartment Kurama and I had shared before forming the band with Yusuke and Kuwabara. We set down our packs and began exploring.
The dining area and bedroom were one large room. There was no kitchen by human standards so we would have to make do with cooking on the hearth. There was a bathroom as well, which thankfully had all the amenities. In truth, aside from being small and in need of a good cleaning and new furniture, there was nothing wrong with the house. It was in remarkably in good shape.
"It's a bit small, but we could definitely stay here a while," Kurama commented. "You're saying you want to live here?" I asked. "Just until we obtain a more suitable home. Fixing this place up would give us something to do with our time," He answered. "Besides going at it like makai rabbits in heat you mean," I responded. Kurama's cheeks turned red. "I happen to enjoy making love to the sound of rainfall," he said. His eyes suddenly sparkled with mischief as his blush faded. "Besides, it's not my fault you're like a big, juicy, treat, just begging to be licked, sucked and nibbled upon," Kurama purred huskily as he licked his lips seductively to emphasize his point. This time, it was my cheeks that turned red.
"So Darkfire, shall we stay for a while?" he asked. "It's better than staying with Yomi or Mukuro," I said. Kurama smiled, nodding in agreement. I knew he didn't like the idea of staying with either one of them more than I did. It was better that we had a place of our own. "The house is in pretty good shape for being abandoned," Kurama noted. "Perhaps it hasn't been abandoned for long," I suggested. Kurama made a soft sound of agreement. "At least not long enough for it to fall into disrepair," he murmured.
He looked around the room. "Let's get started on the cleaning tomorrow," he suggested. I gave a slight nod of agreement. My stomach growled, reminding me it had been a while since breakfast. Kurama laughed softly and smiled. Without a word he unpacked the cooking utensils. We washed our hands and together prepared a light dinner. After eating and cleaning up we began to figure out what needed to be done and planning when to do it.
Once that was done, we set up or bed rolls and got ready for bed. Kurama rummaged through his pack picking out the few items that he planned to sell for some much needed household items. The gauntlet we found in the cave tumbled out. Kurama inspected the piece of gold jewelry for a moment. "I wonder how much this is worth," he wondered aloud. "Hopefully, quite a bit," I answered as he turned it over in his ands, inspecting it. The gauntlet opened and my mate looked at it blankly for a moment before slipping it on. He pressed it closed over his wrist, the gauntlet shutting with a soft click. Kuama held it up to the light, admiring it for a moment before reaching to remove it. He frowned as he tried once more to remove it unsuccessfully. "It won't come off," he said flatly. I reached out to try it. Sure enough, it was stuck fast. "The clasp must be broken," I said. "Great, we'll have to find someone to get this thing off me when we go shopping. I hope it won't diminish the value too much," he said. "Don't worry about it. It isn't as through we're in dire need of money," I said then kissed his cheek. Kurama chuckled. "Right," he agreed, then set aside the other items.
He undressed and changed for bed. I started to follow suit, but froze as I felt his eyes on me. I looked up to find my mate watching me from where he lay on the bedroll. Remembering his earlier comment I wondered if undressing in front of him would be wise. Kurama gave me an amused smile. I stripped, then rummaged through my bag for something to sleep in. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Kurama shiver. "Are you cold Fox?" I asked. "If I were, would you warm me?" he asked suggestively. "Maybe," I replied as I climbed into bed with him. Kurama smiled. "Don't be that way," he purred. "I know you'd enjoy it," he added as he pulled me close. He crushed his lips against mine in a possessive and hungry kiss. I tried to pull away, but he held me fast. I struggled against him and he finally released me.
I stared at him in complete shock. He had never kissed me like that before. Kurama looked at me in wide eyed astonishment, as though he was wondering himself what had happened. "I'm sorry Darkfire," he murmured, his voice shaking. "I don't know what came over me," I gave him a quizzical look. "Hiei, this is going to sound strange but just after you said 'maybe' I felt as I weren't all here. It was as if I were just watching while someone else was in control," He said softly. "It was just a kiss Fox," I murmured softly. He shuddered again, clearly unnerved by the experience. He gently put his arms around me and just held me. I didn't mind, I knew he needed it. Whatever had happened in those few moments had troubled him greatly.
AN: A big thank you to all who reviewed. I'm still getting to writing responses. My birthday was this week so I'm a bit behind. lol. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Look forward to another next week.