Waiting, Part Two
For: lilmatchgirl

Note: I never meant to imply, with the first part, that the state they were in would continue indefinitely. It was meant to be a simple outtake, and a view of Hiei's thoughts. Sorry, but I can be horrid at writing first person sometimes, as I don't always get what I want to say out, simply because it wouldn't be right for the character to think/feel that way. Hence the fact that I switched over the third person here. Hope it works better.

-done to "finish" the request for lilmatchgirl. Still spoilers for Three Kings saga, and no true romance – at least, not in that sense of the word.

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He stood there, over her. He had known that this day would come – had known it for years – but never thought of it; he'd never prepared for it, sometimes even gone so far as to deny it. Standing there, short frame over the half-gone image of the one he trained with, sweat dripping off them both, goal within his grasp…

Already won, actually.

He'd known it would come one day, but he hadn't trusted himself to believe it.

He gathered up his fallen things – his sword, the wards to his jagan and the dragon that still lived in his arm – and sat down on a convenient rock that had been unearthed in their battle. He never took his eyes off of her.

She took the efforts to sit up, the false arm an unusually heavy weight to her shoulder, her re-grown leg too stiff to let her stand easily. Both had been from efforts after Yuusuke's grand tournament – it wasn't uncommon for her to lose a limb here or there in the past years. He had yet to determine if she was growing careless or her opponents stronger.

"What will you do now, Hiei?" she asked, her voice soft on the slight breeze.

He didn't answer her, didn't know how to. He hadn't planned for this day to come. He'd known it would, one day, but he hadn't expected it to be then.

"Surely you didn't think we'd stay at a stalemate forever, did you?" she asked. "You know your rights in this new demon world. You know what our newest king declares. You've always kept track, in case you won. So what will you do now?"

Hiei slid down and leaned back against the rock, letting his body rest and relax just to the point where he wouldn't cramp up after such a workout. "I don't know," he said finally.

In the beginning, he had planned to leave her. To return to human world and watch over his sister.

He had yet to tell Yukina that he was the brother she was looking for. He hadn't seen her in years. He wondered if she had married Kuwabara, or left him to rot as he believed she should.

He had no say in the matter; she didn't know they were family.

Mukuro, apparently, didn't like the silence. "Will you leave me here, now?" she asked. He didn't answer. "I have nothing to keep you here," she continued, "and I have trained you as far as I know how."

"You're getting slower."

"I'm getting older," she countered. "Not every demon lives the long lives of the kitsune and the ice demons. Even the fire demons live longer than most. I was once a King of this land, but that does not make me immortal, Hiei."

"Ch," was his only response. She was older than he was, yes, but certainly she couldn't have been that much older.

"We're the same age," she said, as if echoing his thoughts, "but look at what happens to me, as compared to you."

"If you didn't lose body parts so often, it wouldn't have been a problem. Regrowth shortens the life span."

"So says some."

"So says the Jagan."

She had no response to that. Not immediately, anyways.

The silence grew, and, once more, Mukuro couldn't stand it. "Would you have me not fight?" she asked.

"It's not within you to make such a promise," he said. "And I have no right to demand it. I know the rules, yes, but how many times have you won against me and demanded nothing?"

"Ah…"

More silence.

"Hiei, there is one thing I would demand of you, if you would allow it."

He was silent, but she could see he was listening.

"Take me to human world with you, and stay with me until I die? It's not likely to be long, anyways."

Once more that disturbing lack of sound before Hiei gave one single bow of the head – acknowledging and accepting the request for what it was.

Now he had two to protect, both his sister and his…well, whatever Mukuro was.

He hoped Genkai didn't mind feeding a few extra mouths. If she did, then she could just deal with it; he wouldn't stand for straying anywhere further from his sister.

Besides, this gave him time to think things over.

THE END.